An Evening with Old Friends

Let's be clear, by "old" I mean long-time friends, not OLD friends :)  Tonight we had the privilege of spending time with some dear friends over a homecooked meal.  I ask you, is there anything better?  I love catching up with friends I haven't seen in a long time and hearing all about their life.  And tonight, I especially loved seeing Rachel and Jared's beautiful children!  It's crazy to think that something as innocent as 2 friends that hung out in the same "circles" 15 years ago turned into marriage and 3 wonderful kids!  Rachel and I were best friends in high school.  I'm pretty sure we did absolutely everything together!  And BONUS, she was my neighbor too, so we just had a ball together all the time!  Jared entered our world shortly after and spent his remaining high school years with us, and before we knew it, they were saying "I Do" and he was whisking her off to the opposite side of the country (for nearly 10 years!!!).  But God has brought them back to North Carolina (Raleigh, in fact) and now I get to see them almost any time I want!!!  It's truly fabulous and I am so very excited to have them back!

Tonight was our long-awaited reunion dinner.  While planning our menu, I thought to myself . . . these folks have been in the north (Washington state) for too long, it's time to reacquaint them with sweet southern goodness :)  So we had a feast of rosemary chicken, collard greens, pepperjack macaroni and cheese, roasted parmesan potatoes, sweet corn bread, watermelon, and sweet tea.  It was delish and thoroughly enjoyed by all :)

Mmm Mmm Good!

And The Countdown Is On . . .

As you are aware, 4th of July is my FAVORITE holiday!  From the music to the food, it's by far one of the biggest days of the year for me!  In recognition of my uncontained excitement, I decided to wear red, white, and/or blue every day during the week leadng up to the 4th.  Each day I'll hop onto the blog and post that day's outfit to keep you in the loop (in hopes of adding a little to your own holiday excitement!).  So here you go:

Monday:

white pencil skirt (Marshalls), blue linen shirt (LOFT), red cardigan (LOFT),

& blue/white striped ballet flats (GAP)

(PS - this picture was taken at the very end of the day, hence all the wrinkles and tangly looking hair!)

Tuesday:

 khaki trousers (Banana Republic), navy silk blouse (Banana Republic), red/white polka dot scarf (H&M), brown leather peep-toe wedges (Nine West)

Wednesday:

white eyelet dress (LOFT), navy blue cardigan (Ann Taylor), red crocodile ballet flats (Wally World)

(PS - My friend, Jenn, totally surprised me by decorating my workspace for the 4th of July!!!)

Thursday:

navy trousers (Banana Republic), burgandy satin blouse (The Limited), jumbo pearls (Forever 21), navy strappy sandals (Rack Room Shoes)
(PS - Meet my BOA office peeps!  They were all so supportive of my love for this holiday that they all wore patriotic colors just for me!  A lot of the details can't be seen in this picture - accessories like jewlery or nail polish (lol) and of course shoes!  Aren't they fabulous ladies?!)

A Hidden Treasure

2 years ago while vacationing together as a family at Topsail Beach, I took this picture. 

My dad had just been presented with the option of "experimental chemotherapy" by the specialists over at Duke Hospital.  There he stood with his packets and folders of medical information to sort through and process while trying to decide if it was the right thing to do or not.  Immediately I felt this overwhelming uneasiness in my gut telling me this was not what he should do.  But the information told us otherwise so we agreed that he would proceed forward.  A couple of days later, early one morning, as the family was sitting out on the deck enjoying their morning coffee and breakfast, I came back inside and sat down in the window seat overlooking the intracoastal waterway, overlooking my dad.  Sitting there before me was his Bible and reading glasses.  Something in me told me to get up, grab my camera, and document that moment.  I'm glad I did.  This has become one of my favorite pictures of my dad.  It's so symbolic and representative of him and the moment that changed all our lives forever. 

Father's Day 2011 - Jesus, Joy, and All That Jazz

Today was father's day - my first without my dad here to celebrate with.  I wasn't sure how today was goinna be.  I was very hesitant given that his birthday (just 3 days ago) did not go well at all.  But I knew I had some powerful prayer warriors on my side throughout the day and I could really feel the strength that rose up from them.  While contemplating exactly how I wanted to approach this day, I arrived at the decision that I did not want it to be a sorrowful day.  There are far too many great things about my dad that still live on today that should be recognized and celebrated.  Instead, I rifled through my t-shirt drawer and pulled out one of the dearest and most beloved memories that my dad left behind . . . "Jesus, Joy, and All That Jazz".  This was a t-shirt he wore as a kid.  I stole it from him when I was in high school and I am SO glad that I never returned it - if for no other reason than to be able to wear it today.  I instantly knew that this was one way I wanted to publicly recognize my dad on his special day.  Not only did I get to share the story behind the t-shirt with those I came into contact with today, but just feeling it on me made me feel like he was right there with me.  Additionally, "Jesus, Joy, and All That Jazz" was also the legacy that he left behind.  I would dare say that outside of his family, these were the 3 MOST important components of life to him.  He lived each day joyfully serving the Lord and his family while using the gifts of music he was given to teach and inspire others.  What a fulfilling legacy to dwell on each and every day. 

I also spent a lot of time today thinking about the most valuable fatherly advice he ever gave me.  This was tough as I felt like his whole was one big lesson that I was meant to glean from.  But ultimately, it was the following phrase that I kept coming back to . . . "you live and die by your choices."  Truer words have never been spoken. 

And lastly, as a collector of the fabulous Willow Tree statues/ornaments, I felt like today was an appropriate day to add to that collection.  Each piece of the collection has been purchased for specific reasons - life change (marriage, children, etc.), celebration of friendship, or characteristics others have pinpointed in me - that have made up this collection to date.  So I wanted to purchase a statue in honor of my dad on this memorable day to add to the growing collection that is a summation of my life and everything that matters most to me.  Here is what I chose:

My Girls

Looking at you, I see wonder, joy, strength

This piece was directed by the models. The poses that the girls naturally assumed showed their relationship with their dad much better than I could have instructed them. Their father was the anchor—the girls fluttered around him. I got a sense of how the girls saw him as strong and reassuring. They looked at him with a “my dad can do anything” look. The dad was clearly having fun being with his daughters. I wanted to make this a two-way piece—the girls look to his strength and stability, and he looks to them as his greatest source of joy. I think the beauty of a good father/daughter relationship is in its duality. I hope the sentiment can be read from either perspective —father to daughters, or daughter to father.

Unfortunately I could not find a representation of 3 daughters (boo), but I thought that this piece summed us all up so well.  While only 2 daughters are shown, there are 3 very strong characteristics listed, and I believe each of us embody those qualities individually . . . something we undoubtedly learned from our father.

Today

Today . . .
we should be celebrating 53 years of your life,
eating ice cream cake and blowing out your candles . . .

Today . . .
you should be the first person I talk to;
I should be be able to wrap my arms around you and settle into the joy that you bring . . .

Today. June 16th. Today is your birthday.

Today I think back on birthday's past.  Celebrations in the backyard by the pool, at our timeshare at the beach, even our annual birthday lunches at the Kanki restaurant.  So many happy memories to choose from.  But the fondest memory I keep coming back to was during our family vacation in 2001 at Daytona Beach.  I remember the gift I gave to you.  It was a brown leather-bound scrapbook filled with my favorite photos of you and I together.  I remember slaving away at each photo meticulously editing them all to ensure that they were "just right".  Each in its neutral shades of sepia matching the overall rustic yet classic profile of this beloved gift.  I remember the butterflies I felt during the moments leading up to presenting you with this gift.  I remember thinking that it wasn't anything fancy, certainly nothing of any monetary value . . . yet this gift had more value (to me) than anything I could have every bought you from a store.  This gift was a labor of love.  One that I was proud of.  One that I hoped you would love as much as me.  And you did . . . you really did.

I remember seeing it months later laying beside your bed on the floor. I have no idea what it was doing there but I like to believe it was there because you looked at it often and wanted to keep it close by.  Maybe it helped you feel close to me since I was away at college at the time.  Maybe it gave you peace each night before you fell asleep because it reassured you that were in fact a great father to your children and were loved dearly for it.

As much as I wish you were here to celebrate your birthday together again, I know that you are celebrating in an entirely new way in heaven today.  And if you can't be with your girls here on this earth, you can at least be in the company of angels up there. 

So . . .

Today . . .
you are deeply missed;
but are in our fondest memories . . .

Today . . .
you are smiling your biggest smile;
you are youthful and sprightly and happy once again . . .

Today . . .
instead of feeling the effects of earthly aging,
you are made whole in the presence of our Creator . . .

Today is your birthday.  Happy Birthday to you, dad.

Overdue Post

Okay, so this post is about a month overdue, but it's still worth writing about :)  As many of you know, I am lucky enough to work for one of the nation's leading employers - Bank of America.  I love EV-ER-Y-TH-ING about my job!  From the mission statement to the Associates, it's a super great place to work!  Two of the biggest areas of focus across the Bank are associate satisfaction and community involvement.  As a result, it's not uncommon at all for teams to spend an afternoon playing laser tag or white water rafting to emphasize the importance of teamwork in our everyday environments.  Not to mention volunteering our time with Habitat for Humanity to help build houses for those less fortunate or serve food at the Men's Shelter of Charlotte.  Not only do we get the advantage of an occasional day free from the office environment to venture out and partake in these activities, but the Bank will also allow you to volunteer at an outside organization for up to 3 hours a week and get paid for it!  Now do you see why I love my job???  It's truly fantastic!

My friend, Jennifer, is the site lead for our Charlotte team.  She and I co-facilitated an Associate Engagement event back in early May.  We took the team to Lake Norman for a sunset dinner cruise!  A large buffet of amazing food, a customized soundtrack for the evening, and a laid-back environment were just a few of the main ingredients that contributed to a very successful event!  Here are a few pics of us on the boat:

The evening was so well-orchestrated (something we worked very hard on!).  The boat set sail at 7pm.  Dinner was served on the lower level from 7-8pm.  Then we took the par-tay upstairs and danced the next 2 hours away.  What a fun night it was!  It's so nice to step outside of the office environment and get to know people on a more personal (and relaxed) level.  I certainly learned a lot about my co-workers that night!

The very next day we volunteered at the Mens Shelter of Charlotte.  We got there around 9am, took a brief tour of the facility, prepared food, and served lunch to approximately 200 guys.  The staff at the Men's Shelter are so delightful and it was a great opportunity to reach out and do something constructive in the community.  Here's a picture of me with my "gem" of a boss, Jim, getting ready to serve it up!

Way to go, Team Bank of America!