The Brick House

Not a Saint

2011-12-10T09:33:00.003-06:00

At 2:30 this morning, my Nanny peacefully died in her sleep.

These are my thoughts as I process the loss of a very special lady in my life (and yours, if you know me):

When we first met, she was afraid of me. At least that's what she always told me. Most grandmothers aren't afraid of their grandkids, but I guess taking care of a premature granddaughter who is hooked up to various machines would be kind of scary at first.

It didn't take long, though, for Nanny to get over her fear, and for me to get better, and by the time I was in kindergarten, she had moved in with us. I honestly don't remember life at home before she came. What I do remember is how awesome it was to have her there. She was a second Mom to me. Not to take anything away from my own Mom, but Nan and I had a special bond. She was there when I got home from school, to make me snacks and watch Scooby Doo (which I couldn't watch alone because I was too scared). She made my dinner and did my laundry and was just there...all the time, because she never learned how to drive.

She was the second oldest of twelve siblings (a feat which still amazes me) born to farmers in Grainger County, TN. She moved out at fourteen (yes 1-4!) to work at the Inn in town. She got married and had kids. Then, when my Mom was 10, my grandfather died unexpectedly. So, my grandmother picked up her scattered life, and moved on. For the first time in her life, she worked outside the home. Eventually, she even owned a restaurant in town where she honed her fine country cooking skills. Anyone who knew my Nanny knew what an amazing cook she was - I can still taste her biscuits, green beans, roast, beef stew, greens, fried pies, cakes, candies, chocolate chip cookies as I write this.

Along with all of those things that I admire about her, Nan sure did have some frustrating habits. She was extremely opinionated and didn't mind one bit to make you mad as long as she felt that she got to have her say. She was pretty nosy, which made private conversations at home almost impossible. She like to have things "her way"... and let's just say it was a bad idea to try to do things any other way.

I visited my Nanny in November as she was in a Rehab Center, and everyone there could attest to the fact that she was a little cranky. She did NOT want to do the therapy they had suggested for her and she told anyone who would listen, from the nurses to the therapists to visitors.
I don't say all these things to defame or dishonor my sweet Nanny but simply to say this: She was not a saint.

My Mom and I had a conversation recently where she pointed out that so often when people die, we make saints out of them, remembering only the good stuff and none of the bad. So as I am processing the loss and the hurt I feel knowing that she is no longer with us, I am not only remembering the thousands of fond memories (her planting flowers each summer, working puzzles on the dining room table, watching Larry King every night, playing with her makeup just to name a few) I am also struck by her humanity, which also makes me acutely aware of my own.

So, here's to you Nanny (Mary Virginia Cameron Wells), you were not a saint, not by far. But you lived, and you loved and you taught me so very much. I am exceedingly blessed to have had you in my life for so long. I will miss you more than you know.

Guest Blog: A Christmas Without Nuts & Bolts

2011-12-10T09:28:00.002-06:00

I can't take credit for this one, my older brother, Tate, wrote this earlier in the week and asked me to to post it when I next blogged...

Every year as I was growing up as Christmas neared my parents house was filled with aromas that would make your mouth water. There would be various cakes, pies, brownies, and cookies. There was fudge, both chocolate and peanut butter, and an assorted snack we always called Nuts and Bolts. Most of you have probably had this before but may know it by a different name. It is simply Chex Mix, Cheerios, nuts, and pretzels combined, covered in spices and baked. Even without the benefit of a calendar when you saw the nuts and bolts you knew IT WAS CHRISTMAS!

Where did all of this come from you ask? It came from nan. Nan is my maternal grandmother that has lived with my parents from the time I was in middle school. Why did she do this? That is an easy answer: LOVE. See baking is how nan showed her love, and she was good at it. She loved making baskets or tins for people at Christmas and filling them with the delicious treats she made. She had several cakes that were specialties of hers; Apple stack cake, German Chocolate, Caramel, and Red Velvet. Now don’t get me wrong while she loved the baking it was a labor. Many times I would see her throw out what I thought was a perfectly good layer for a cake because it didn’t meet her expectations. She worked hard in the summer drying her own apples for her stack cake so it would be just right. Anything less just wouldn’t do.

Sadly this Christmas is just not the same. My parents house doesn’t have the same smell. There aren’t cakes piling up for her to keep my hands out of. There is not that big jar of Nuts & Bolts for me to snack on. This Christmas instead of running from store to store for ingredients my mom is running to visit her ailing mother. See nan is laying in a hospice center laying in bed living out her remaining days. A body that has spent an entire life working is reduced to just laying and struggling to speak. And you know what Christmas just won’t be the same.

This is the part about growing up that absolutely sucks because nan is my only remaining grandparent. With the passing of each of my other grandparents there have been changes but they are most noticeable at Christmas. From sitting on my pappaws lap in his chair as a child with him calling me pappaws good boy. Also, watching maymee, my paternal grandmother, host Christmas at her house yearly while enjoying the presence of her entire family. Then, now there is the void of aromas brewing at my parents house this Christmas. Mary Virginia Cameron Wells I will miss you. I will miss your cooking. I will miss the shoulder to lean on when I needed it. I will miss my nanny. Oh and I will miss the Nuts and Bolts.

Why do I run?

2011-10-12T13:24:00.002-05:00

Yesterday morning I met my friend Mary for a run through the streets of our beautiful Uptown neighborhood. Mary is training for a half marathon at the end of the month, and occasionally she cuts her distance and pace and indulges by running (or walking) with me. Mary is an inspiration to me in many ways, including simply the fact that she’s running a half marathon, given her history and former life, but yesterday she offered some sage advice that I’d been needing to hear.

As we were running - actually, I think I had to stop to walk at this point, but you get the picture - I was talking to Mary about how training is going for her big race. She shared that her training group has been one of the greatest encouragements she could ask for. I thought that was interesting given that her group is all women. I feel like in general getting a group of women together instantly breeds the potential for gossip, drama, tears, etc. But Mary said that this group is so encouraging, urging one another on, sharing stories from their past, celebrating victories and having each other’s backs. She then shared some words of wisdom that spoke directly to my heart, because they have more to do with life than with running.

Mary said that it is so important when you’re training for a race, or just running in general, not to compare yourself to those you are running with. You face different obstacles, have a different history, and are running with different goals in mind. Mary runs to give glory to God for saving her out of a really destructive lifestyle. She said she doesn’t compare herself to the other ladies she runs with. It wouldn’t be beneficial for anyone. With her focus set intently on her goal, all her training group will ever be is an encouragement because that is all she allows it to be.

Then (this is such a GOD thing), Mary forwarded me an email from her training group leader, sent yesterday after we ran, here are a couple of quotes that struck me as well.

“People run for a lot of different reasons. You've got to understand why you do it, and understand that the person next to you has different goals and incentives. Work on meeting YOUR goals--you might find out that the person next to you is aimed in an entirely different direction than you--and that's ok--running is for everyone to find their own happiness within.”

“Be proud to be the runner you are. We all exist on a HUGE continuum. There will always be people ahead of us. There will always be people behind us. “

Both of these nuggets of truth resonated with me. Here’s the deal: if I don’t know why I run, I am ALWAYS going to compare myself to others. And, as Mary’s trainer mentioned, there will ALWAYS be people ahead of me.

I am competitive by nature, and have been blessed with gifts in certain areas that allowed me to excel in most anything I tried growing up – school, dance class, sports, etc., so I never really worried about being competitive; I was always near the front of the pack or the top of the list. However, when it comes to running, well….it just doesn’t come as naturally to me. I really have to try. If my goal when I run is to be the fastest or the best or whatever, I am never going to be satisfied. Because I will never be the fastest or best, I could continually be disappointed. However, if I run for the fun of it, to be in shape, or like Mary, to glorify my God, then there is no disappointment to be had. Sure, there might be days were I run further or faster than others, but what pressure is relieved when I acknowledge that I am not doing something for me, but for God!

This message goes right along with our Vintage Women Bible Study material. Last week we talked about insecurities being one thing keeping us from recognizing and living in the joy that we have been chosen by God. One of the biggest struggles I have in regards to insecurity is feeling like I don’t stack up against some of the great examples of Godly women that surround me. I spend too much time comparing myself, thinking “I should be more like her. She has it all together”. Or “She sure does seem to be in touch with the Lord. I bet she does X,Y and Z. How much happier God must be with her than me!” This also applies to people I work with. I sometimes struggle when coworkers get praise when I don’t or get opportunities that I don’t. Aren’t those awful ugly thoughts? Maybe it’s too much for me to share them so publicly, but, they represent things that have gone through my mind, so I might as well put them out there.

In this week’s study, we are learning to be fully satisfied by Jesus, who is our Bread from Heaven, Living Water, our Sustainer. Being completely satisfied with Him and in His plan for me will free me from feeling like I must try to prove anything to anyone. And if I am focused on doing the work or running the race or living the life I am called to live, then I won’t spend time comparing myself to others. I will also be able to celebrate with them for their achievements and encourage them during low points as we all strive to run our race well. I won’t have time or energy to focus on negative thoughts or comparisons, which represent a very outward and worldly focus as because I will be keeping my gaze on the prize which is before me.

I am so thankful for all the women in my life who encourage and inspire me. This week I am praying that I would stop comparing myself, that I would live in the freedom of knowing I am chosen, and that I would continue to recognize my purpose. For me, that purpose is ultimately to give thanks and praise and glory to the One who created me in everything that I do. I pray that I would soak up and live confidently in that Truth, and would become so focused on my relationship with the Lord and my desire to love and serve Him that I can only be happy for and encourage those around me.

Just a quick list of a few questions I’ve pondered these past days:
- Why do I run (or do anything)? What is my purpose?
- What are my goals?
- Do my attitude, my thoughts, my actions, indicate that I am confident in my goal or purpose? If not, how can I change that?

Why I like Date Night

2011-08-18T17:54:00.003-05:00

Since Matt recently posted a blog about the importance of date night in marriage, I thought I’d post a quick response.

My husband is a romantic. It’s one of the things I love most about him. He always knows how to sweep me off my feet. For us, that has never been achieved through extravagant gifts or vacations, rather Matt wooed me through his creative approach to declaring to me and the world that I am lovely and desirable and worthy of his affection.

I specifically remember getting butterflies as a 14-year-old when Matt surprised me with a homemade card for our one month anniversary. Yes, we celebrated months at that point, and yes, the card was awesome and had glitter on it and clearly took a lot of time and effort. I also smile thinking about the time he mailed me a large bouncy ball with a letter written on it while he was working camp one summer. Or the countless scavenger hunts and surprise dates we’ve been on. Now I know some of you may have just laughed out loud or thought about throwing up. Matt’s sentimental and romantic attitude and gestures may be too much for you, but I’d submit this thought: even if our methods aren’t exactly what you would employ in your relationship, the attentiveness and love expressed by Matt’s actions mean more to me than words can describe. More than enjoying receiving glittery cards or bouncy balls or being whisked off on surprise adventures, I savor the realization of the time and effort he spent planning and preparing for these things – time spent imagining my reaction, hoping that his hard work would be worth it, that I’d feel special and loved.

I think that’s why I like date night so much. And that is what it’s really about – my husband pursuing me and showing me that I am special and lovable and worthy of his time and attention. It means so much to me that in the midst of our busy-ness, he makes sure to set one night aside to turn off the noise of the lives we live and just talk with me, listen to me, learn about me and how I am doing and feeling and what I am learning. It doesn’t matter if we’re having a fancy dinner at Patois or takeout pizza for a date night in, because the atmosphere and food are only a small piece of what make the night worth remembering. What’s more worthy is our pursuit of our relationship; the ultimate goal is that through the cultivation of a healthy marital relationship, we are pointing each other (and the outside world) to Christ, who is our bridegroom as we are the Church. I can't think of a more beautiful picture than taking the way my husband pursues me and applying that to the way Christ pursues all of us. I am grateful to be pursued by both.

Outside my Box

2011-08-07T16:22:00.005-05:00

For the last two weekends in July, Matt was given the opportunity to preach to our Vintage Uptown family. (You can check out the podcasts or his blog for his take on the experience). We were in the middle of a series called Identity, where we discussed who we are as the Church.

Matt's first discussion focused on Pursuing Christ Through our Mission. He walked us through Acts 3:1-10 and we learned about the importance of living every day with Spirit sensitivity. We closed by writing down one way we respond to the Spirit and posting it on a canvas. It was pretty challenging to take time to think of a specific way or area of my life where I promise to live with Spirit sensitivity and then post it on a board in permanent ink.

Last weekend Matt talked about Being Christ Through our Campus, allowing the story of Peter and Cornelius in Acts 10 to guide us. While there were many good points and lots of truth shared, the idea that I took away was this: Peter was the agent through which the Gospel was shared. Matt and I had discussed a lot that week the idea that throughout the book of Acts, we see time and again that, with the power and help of the Holy Spirit, humans are the medium through which the Lord shares his story with other humans. Even looking at the story of Cornelius we see that while he receives an angel to give him guidance, he doesn't truly hear the Gospel until it is shared by Peter. Matt challenged us to think about who might be a Cornelius in our life, noting that this is likely someone who 1: looks different (racially) 2: thinks different (religiously) or 3: smells different (economically) than you. I left last Sunday's gatherings feeling led to live in a way that I could be used by the Lord the way Peter was, in a way that changes someone else's life (and mine, too).

As I was packing last Sunday to head out of town for a week of training, Matt handed me a book that he'd read and been challenged by last summer. That book was called Peppermint-Filled Pinatas. I read the whole book last week, and once I got past the strange title, which the author explains, I was impressed. This book had very much the same theme of Matt's messages, particularly in that the author, Eric Michael Bryant, urges his reader to actively pursue opportunities to share the love of Christ in the everyday. In his case, this involves sharing with and getting to know people who look/think/smell different than him. You see, Bryant was a bald white guy from Texas who moved to a multi-ethnic, multi-economic and culturally diverse neighborhood in Los Angeles. His personal anecdotes helped drive home his points. As I white girl from East Tennessee, I related to his early difficulties assimilating to a much more diverse culture. Moving to New Orleans has definitely been an eye opening experience in many ways, not the least of which is the racial tension which is still raw and painful in many aspects of life in the city.

I'd like to share a couple of quotes which challenged me:

"The world is changing dramatically, and as a result, we cannot live the same way, hiding in our own cul-de-sacs, staying away from others who look or believe differently from the way we look or believe, because now they live next door (13)."

"If you want to become a diverse church, you need to have friends from diverse backgrounds. Many of us say we want diversity - but only if our children don't marry their children (123)."

I had a chance to talk through these quotes and other issues with my friend Anthony while we were at training. Anthony is an African-American born and raised in Uptown New Orleans, the same part of the city I live in now. He was able to answer some of my questions and bring me to a greater understanding of many of the racial issues that plague our city. He shared about his passion for better education and a stronger community foundation for many of the youth in the city, particularly those who are at an economic disadvantage. I learned so much from just a few short conversations and look forward to continued dialogue about this and other topics as Matt and I continue to develop a friendship with this awesome guy.

I thoroughly enjoyed Peppermint Filled Pinatas. And by enjoyed, I mean I nodded my head in agreement while reading every other page and then realized what a hypocrite I am for not living out the very ideas I so strongly believe. Ultimately what I realized is this: whether by diversity we mean the color of skin, socioeconomic status, or line of thought, I (like most people) prefer to be around those who are similar to me. I tend to befriend those who share my same values and my same way of thinking. It's much easier and doesn't require me to leave my comfort zone, but I am learning that in doing that, I am short-selling myself. I am not allowing my thoughts or point of view to be challenged or growing to understand another person, or allowing the Lord to use someone else to work out some issues in my heart or life.

So this week I am praying for guidance from the Spirit and seeking opportunities to step out of my box and spend time and place with those who are different than me. I also pray that I'll be able to celebrate those things that make others different than me. I hope you'll do the same. I think we'll all be changed in the process.

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

2011-07-16T17:06:00.003-05:00

I am. I always have been and I guess I always will be. Last Friday night is just another example of how silly my fear really is. Before you read this, prepare yourself. You may never be able to take the Bricks seriously again.

So here's what happened...

Matt and I had both had busy and exhausting weeks, so we decided to change up our regularly scheduled Friday Date Night and have a date night in. I guess I really didn't realize how tired we were until Matt fell asleep at 7:30 while we were watching a movie. After I finished watching the movie, I got ready for bed around 9:00, very much looking forward to a good night's sleep. But that isn't exactly what happened.

At approximately 3:00am I was awakened by the sound of footsteps in my apartment. You can only imagine how terrifying it must be to wake to hear footsteps INSIDE your apartment when both you and your husband are in the bed. I listened for a few minutes (seconds) and punched Matt in the arm and whispered for him to listen. He clearly heard the footsteps, too, because his body tensed up next to me. At this moment, we were both pretty sure some scary man was going to come back to our bedroom and shoot us in the head. That didn't happen, but we still felt the presence of a person in our apartment.

Before I continue with the story I should give you an idea of how our apartment is laid out. It is a typical New Orleans shotgun, which means that you enter into the living room and all other rooms are setup so that you could walk a straight line (or shoot a shotgun) from the front to the back of the apartment. So, in our place. The front room is the living room, followed by the kitchen/dining area, then our bedroom and bathroom in the very back. It is also important to note that our front door is the only door we have. Now on with my terrifying tale...

So, it's 3:00am, we're awake and sure that some creepy character is in our home. What did we do? Well, Matt leapt across the bed to close the bedroom door (because that is very likely to stop a murderous intruder). Then, we went on a search for a weapon. I'm not a big gun person, so we don't own one, and all we came up with was a shovel from our back closet. Not the greatest option, but it was our only tool.

At this point, we continued to hear noises, and though we realized by now it was probably not a person, a recent news story about coyotes in New Orleans had me pretty convinced that we had a wild animal in our house. I was too scared to let Matt go through the two front rooms of the house with only a shovel to fight a ravaging coyote, and I definitely wasn't going to go, so we decided to escape the house...through the bathroom window. So we climbed out and creeped around the side, through the underbrush, past our grill and bicycles. It seemed odd that the front door was still locked when we approached the front of the house. I wasn't sure how a wild coyote could have gotten in, but I knew he was in there alright. So, we got Matt's hide-a-key and sat in his car. For an hour. I am not making this up.

We were trying to figure out what to do. Should we call the 2nd District Police Station (and what would we tell them)? Should we call our friend and neighbor Mary and crash at her place until daylight? Should we call our friend Jeremy to come and fight this beast with Matt? I was pretty disappointed that we couldn't call the Ghostbusters. I'm sure they would have known what to do.

At one point Matt even went back to the side of the house and peered into the window. He came back and reported that it was definitely not a burglar because both of our laptops were still out. Moreover, it didn't feel like anything else had been moved. Our kitchen chairs were in the same position as they were at bedtime, and our garbage can hadn't been turned over. Still, I wasn't willing to go back in, or to let Matt go in alone, because if there was something there, he wouldn't have a clear and easy exit.

Finally, about 4:30, feeling braver, I relented and agreed that we could reenter our house. We had to climb back through the bathroom window because all of our keys were in the living room by the front door. So, we crept back along the side of our house and climbed back through the window. I was still pretty much terrified, but Matt I think had caught on and insisted that he at least open the door and leap for the kitchen light. I agreed, reluctantly.

So, bravely, Matt opened the bedroom door (shovel in hand) and jumped into the kitchen. He flipped on the light switch and we saw it.....

NOTHING. We saw nothing. Want to know why? Because there was nothing there! No burglar. No coyote. Nothing. I was relieved, obviously, and in shock. I knew I heard something - someone - walking on my wood floors. What could it have been? Maybe we had rodents in our walls...but this sounded much heavier than a rat or even a raccoon.

As I said, it was 4:30 and we were again exhausted. Matt went back to sleep pretty quickly, but it took a while for my heart to stop pounding enough for me to fall asleep. When sleep finally did come, it didn't seem to last long enough. I got up early and went to meet some friends. While I was gone, Matt called me. He had solved the mystery!!

Y'all will never believe what the terrifying sound was. A person. Walking on wood floors. Next door. Our landlord, who was out of town last weekend, had a houseguest who we didn't know about and the second bedroom in that apartment is right above our bedroom. I wasn't completely crazy, you see. I did hear something. It just wasn't what I thought it was.

Moral(s) of the story:

1. Don't believe everything you hear. Sometimes your mind can play tricks on you. Especially at 3:00 in the morning when you've had a long week and are exhausted.

2. Don't take yourself too seriously. It's been fun to share this story with friends and family this week (and now with the world wide web) and share a laugh at my own expense. I forget to do that too often.

Open House

2011-07-05T15:38:00.004-05:00

Growing up in the South, you learn a lot about hospitality from a young age. My mom and Nan kept the house picked, partly because they liked to and partly because “you never know when company might stop by”. My parents’ house has been the center of many birthday parties, fancy dinners, and family celebrations and it was first from my family that I came to understand the concept of being hospitable, or opening up your home to others. As a child I thought of hospitality mostly as being good at keeping a clean home and having lots of snacks available for guests. Over the years, I have continued to develop my understanding of what it means to be hospitable.

Recently the idea of hospitality has been on my mind because living in community or 'doing life' with others is very important to Matt and I. One of the most important things to us when looking for an apartment last year was that it have a good size living room and room for a kitchen table because we wanted to be able to host people for dinner or share conversation on the couch.

We’ve met some great people who have shown us true hospitality. My friend Melanie is an excellent example. We met her family about a year ago. Not long after we met, Melanie and her husband invited us over for dinner. We were nervous and wanted to make sure to put on our Sunday best (as good Southern kids learn to do when going to somebody’s house for the first time). When they opened the door for us, Matt and I couldn’t help but smile. Walking into our friends’ living room for the first time felt warm and comforting to us; it reminded us of home. It’s not that our friends’ décor was similar to our parents’ (in fact it is quite different) but their home felt lived in. I don’t mean to say that Melanie is not a great housekeeper (she is), but it was SO refreshing to see that she hadn’t spent all of her time that day straightening every little thing. Instead, it looked like she had played with her boys (I remember a board game being out) and prepared for dinner (dishes still in the sink) with new friends. It made us feel much more relaxed and like we could be ourselves. The fact that their home didn’t feel like a museum allowed us to let our guard down and to just enjoy the evening getting to know new friends.

This past weekend, Matt and I were privileged to host a very good friend of mine for the a few days. To be honest, we meant to spend all of Friday cleaning the house and preparing for her arrival, but, life happened. Stuff came up. We had to run errands. We had some important conversations with each other that required us sitting and talking face to face (not running around discussing from different rooms while frantically cleaning). So, needless to say, a few cleaning chores didn’t get done. We picked up most of our junk and I did at least vacuum and clean the bathroom, but it was not our best work. As we headed to the airport to pick up my friend, I was a little nervous, hoping maybe in the nighttime lighting she might not notice (at least at first) that I hadn’t dusted the bookshelf or mopped the floors. But to my surprise, once we picked her up and got back to the apartment, I didn’t think twice about how clean or not clean things were. I was just excited to have a few days to share with my friend. Over the weekend, we shared memories and laughs, encouraged each other about our futures, and mostly just enjoyed being in the same space. It was a beautiful thing. And it didn’t matter that I hadn’t mopped the floors! I’m not sure if she even noticed, or if she noticed, if she even cared.

From all of that, what I’m learning is this: hospitality is more than opening our homes to people, it involves opening our lives and letting each other in. Even if they see our dirty floors. Even if they see our sin. Because the beauty of hospitality is not measured by the level of our decoration or the cleanliness of our home; instead, it is measured by the memories that are made there, the lives that are changed.

I read a book a couple of years ago by Lauren Winner called Mudhouse Sabbath. In it, she discusses this concept of hospitality, noting "Having guests and visitors, if we do it right, is not an imposition, because we are not meant to rearrange our lives for our guests - we are meant to invite our guests to enter into our lives as they are. It is this forging of relationships that transforms entertaining into hospitality."

So, if you find yourself at the Brick House for dinner or a chat anytime soon, please don’t judge if everything doesn’t look just perfect. We’re trying to spend the minutes before guests arrive praying for our time together rather than scrubbing our floors.

Relationships.

2011-05-31T16:39:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite exclamations when a friend is sharing some sort of drama with me is ‘Ugh, People!’. I also find myself being comforted as I repeat those words to myself during a frustrating situation with a friend. It seems that relationships, whether family relationships, friendships or romantic relationships bring us the greatest joy in life and also provide the greatest heartache and frustration. I’ve told Matt many times that he is the one person who knows how to push every frustrating button I have but also knows how to melt my heart in an instant.

The thing about relationships is this – they involve people. And people, by our very nature, are sinful creatures. We mess up. We sin. We disappoint each other. We hurt feelings. How often I’ve decried the way I’ve been treated by someone with whom I share relationship only to realize a) that my own faults and actions have contributed to the problem or b) I’ve treated someone else the very way I have been hurt.

Another problem with relationships, at least for me, is the expectations, both spoken and unspoken, that are set, broken, reset, and on and on. I have this really bad habit of setting expectations for people I’m close to, and then not telling them. Of course eventually the expectation that I’ve set isn’t lived up to, and I get disappointed. Sometimes there is a big confrontation where I let the person know how I thought they should or would be doing (or not doing) this or that and it’s messy. Other times there is no physical confrontation but our relationship is affected nonetheless. All in all, I’m learning more in more the importance of clear and REAL communication that is necessary for a healthy relationship.

So if relationships are hard and people are messed up – why do I crave connection and communion with others? I think it’s because I believe that as humans, we were created to live in community, our lives filled with relationships. And this topic is one where the Lord has been growing me a lot lately. A few thoughts I’ve been pondering…

1. Relationships keep us accountable
Having moved to a new city not too long ago, I had to undertake the task of making new friends. It’s bad enough having to do this when you’re 12, but when you’re in your early 20s it’s much easier just to stick with the friends you know. Especially when you’re moving from East Tennessee to the Big Easy and you’re not sure if you’re cool enough. However, once I made the leap of faith, put myself out there, became vulnerable and shared my heart with people, I was amazed at how easy it is to make friends. The thing about doing that (sharing your heart and being vulnerable) is that once you share with people, they know the real you, and they can call you out when you act differently. The same can be said of old friends, too, who know even from your tone in a conversation if something is going on. I’m grateful for friends, new and old, who know my heart and love me enough to keep me accountable.

2. Relationship show us our weakness
Just reading about my own judgmental and expectation-driven attitude is probably enough to make you want to stop being my friend. But it turns out at least a few people have stuck it out with me. It is when I am able to see how my own actions, my own sinful nature, affects someone I care about, someone I’m in relationship with, that I am most willing and able to change quickly.

3. Relationships encourage us
So if relationship were all just about pointing out our negatives, we probably wouldn’t take the time to make them work. So despite the fact that your best friend, your boyfriend or your mom points out the fact that you’re rude and selfish (either by actually telling you or by showing you through their response to your actions), those people are also there to push you to be better. Having them by your side through the good times and the bad times makes the good times even sweeter and the bad times less bitter. There are hard times and tough situations I’ve had to walk through over the past couple of years, and the walk was made so much easier knowing I had friends and family walking beside me each step of the way. I love Ecclesiastes 4:12, which points out that ‘Though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him – a threefold cord is not quickly broken’.

So, for those of you who have put up with my hidden agendas, my unspoken expectations, my moodiness, all my quirks – thank you for being my friend! And for those of you I’m becoming friends with, I hope I didn’t scare you off. Lord knows I need you all!

Matt Blogs

2011-05-31T16:37:00.001-05:00

Check out Matt's latest blog post about his first grilling adventure at the Brick House here. It's good stuff :)

The past few months...

2011-05-17T20:23:00.013-05:00

Sitting here in my hotel room at the Hilton in Lafayette, I realized I hadn't blogged since the last time I was here. Guess that just goes to show what a whirlwind these past few months have been.

A few highlights...

1. I passed the CPA Exam (It was a MIRACLE)
2. We celebrated another Mardi Gras in the Big Easy
3. I survived Busy Season...just barely
4. Matt graduated from Seminary

...and a few pictures

Some of my girlfiends and I dressed up as "fruit flies" for Mardi Gras. Can anyone guess what fruit I am?

One of my new favorites of us. Taken Easter Sunday by the lovely Mary Catherine Sharp.

In February, I had the privilege of standing with my dear friend Katy when she married Stephen in Nashville. It was beautiful. She was beautiful. Jesus was present.

Of course life is more than milestones and snapshots, but these are some pretty big things we've had going on. I hope the lack of consistent blogs will be forgiven.

I'll be out of town, stationed here in Lafayette for the next couple of weeks. To be honest, I was kind of dreading the prospect of being away from my life and my friends. However, it has been so great over the past couple of days to see just how much I needed this time to pull away from the monontony of life.

And here, in the silence of my hotel room, the Lord has been prodding me. He's trying to teach me something. And I had to get out of my comfort zone, my daily life, in order to see it. I'm not sure exactly what He has in mind for me, but now that I've gotten my toes back in the blogging water, stay posted. I'm sure I won't be able to stop myself now that I've started.

What I'm Thankful For: Part 2

2010-11-30T21:10:00.005-06:00

Psalm 145:7 "They will celebrate your goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness."

So, I missed my self-imposed Thanksgiving deadline....but I am so thankful for these 3 things, that I figured better late than never.

Coffee

One of my favorite smells from childhood is the smell of Folger's brewing in my parent's kitchen. Funny, now that I'm a coffee drinker, I don't actually like the taste of Folger's, just the smell. I also remember my first trips to Starbuck's as a high schooler - just the word made me infinitely cooler (or so I thought). My favorite wedding gifts included our coffeemaker and my humongous green fiesta mugs. And now I honestly don't know what I'd do most mornings without a cup of my favorite hazlenut spice.

Indeed, coffee is one of life's greatest pleasures for me. There is something very soul soothing about a warm drink on a cold morning. As much as I enjoy the warmth and smell and the taste, though, some of my favorite coffee memories involve having heart to hearts over a cup of joe - whether at the Golden Roast on UT's campus meeting with Heather or Frankie, sitting in my parent's kitchen talking to my Mom or Nan, at Slim Goodies with Matt (best coffee in NOLA) or the Starbuck's on Maple Street venting to Shannon, I'm so grateful for all of those times, all the lessons I've learned, all the advice I've given and received. So, thank you Lord for coffee - and for talks.

Failure

Okay, this is honestly a tough subject for me. As a recovering perfectionist, acknowledging my imperfection is a daily struggle for me. There is something deep within that I have to constantly battle, telling me that anything but 'the best' (whatever that is) isn't good enough. I'm sad to say I often project my tendencies onto others as well. So wouldn't you know that God has to continually teach me that He has called me to a life surrendered to Him, not a life of perfection in my own eyes. How does he teach me this? Through failure.

Last week I received some bad news. Terrible news, actually, for this girl who tries to define her self worth based on standards of perfection. I found out that I FAILED a section of the CPA exam. Not only did I not make a perfect score. I didn't even pass! Immediately my thoughts turned to: 1. What will everyone think when they find out I'm not perfect? (as if y'all didn't already know...) 2. Since failing this test means I'm clearly unintelligent, how can I set myself apart now? 3. Am I still loveable even if I'm not the best at everything? <-- Clearly these were all rational thoughts, right? Sounds like failure is great for me! But here is why I'm thankful for failures. Because in the middle of my self-doubt, self-pity, and despair, the Lord picks me up and pulls me close and lets me know that I am good enough, not because of anything I ever did or will do or even could do, but because He says I am good enough, He sacrificed his own son to make me good enough. So, yes, I am thankful for my failures. As hard as they are and as much as they hurt, I feel them drawing me closer to my Lord, and for that, I am grateful.

Marriage (saved the best for last)

Matt and I celebrated our one year anniversary just over a week ago. We enjoyed a romantic staycation downtown capped off with a fabulous dinner at Restaurant August. He's too good to me! Over the course of the weekend we talked a lot about what we had learned during our first year, our favorite memories, etc. It was a great time to reconnect and recenter ourselves.

I share all of that to share that marriage has been a great teacher for me. I've learned more about myself through being married than I ever did through any sort of self-exploration/contemplation on my own. It seems that when you live in a confined space with another person 24 hours a day 7 days a week, your true colors can't help but show themselves (the pretty colors and the ugly ones). I've learned that I'm not as great of a communicator as I thought I was, that I don't take constructive criticism well (see #2 above), I am verrry cranky when I'm tired or hungry, I freak out randomly when things aren't clean but I'm messy in my own way, and that deep down, I'm kind of selfish. I've also learned how to take care of someone, how to fight fair, and how to compromise (he does dishes I do laundry). As I round out my thankful list for this year, I am thankful for Matt, and for marriage, and for learning and growing together.

And finally, with the month of November and Thanksgiving coming to a close and December and the season of Advent beginning, as people's minds shift from an attitude of thankfulness for the blessings already received to expectancy for the future, I'll sign off with a heart full of gratitude and hope.

What I'm Thankful For: Part 1

2010-11-06T08:53:00.002-05:00

Wow, it’s been a while. (Seems like I said this the last time I blogged…). I am going to do my best not to allow all of my recent thoughts and ponderings to land on this small page all at one time. Instead, in honor of Thanksgiving, I’ve come up with a series of blogs to post this month: What I’m Thankful For (clichéd, and bit overdone, I know, but I am so full of gratitude that I have to share).

But before I begin, a quick recap of the past 3 months: I studied a lot for the CPA exam and even took another section (still waiting to hear back my score); Matt started his final year of Seminary; and I started my real-life grown up job. So, needless to say, we’ve been slightly distracted from blogging by actually living life. However, I enjoy writing and sharing or stories too much to stay away. So, here we are now.

Okay, so this series is going to be a weekly reflection of things I’m thankful for. I think it will be a challenge for me to have to whittle down my cup that overflows with blessings into four weeks’ worth of blogs, but that is a challenge I’m looking forward to.

Then, without further ado, I will begin…

Today, I am thankful for my friends and family. Now, to many people this might seem a bit strange, why wouldn’t I devote two weeks to these two groups of people who have played such influential roles in me becoming who I am? For me, it is clear. I don’t necessarily see a distinction between these groups: my family members are also my friends and many of my friends are as close as my family.

Family

I am thankful for a family who has loved and supported me over the years. For my parents, who have taken care of me for so long, from my premature birth to waking me up to feed me every three hours, to the rides to dance class, piano lessons, the purchasing of twirling costumes and many many sets of hair rollers, to homework help and poster painting, to Eggo waffle making and driving lessons, I am so blessed to have parents who have encouraged and nurtured me. And the support has continued as I’ve grown up, gotten married and moved away. I know the moving away part wasn’t exactly in my parents’ plan, but I am so grateful for their understanding.

My parents aren’t the only ones who raised me, though. I had aunts and uncles and cousins (oh my!) who have all played vital roles in my life: from the cards and encouragement, to teaching me in Sunday School and Youth, to encouraging love of music and culture, I wouldn’t be who I am without them. And I think it’s pretty clear now how I feel about my grandmothers: Nan, who makes the best biscuits in the world and knows how to get a stain out of anything, and Maymee who I lost this summer, are 2 of the strongest, best women I know. And who can forget my bro, Lewis Tate. From the outside, we’re pretty different people. Tate is 7 years older than I am, and he’s a boy. Growing up, we didn’t have much in common, or like each other much, if we’re honest. (Okay, I liked him ‘cause he had cute older friends, and he didn’t like me ‘cause I was his annoying little sis). But as I’ve grown up and he’s gotten older, I realize that Tate and I have this unexplainable bond. He understands me, and why I think the way I do about a lot of things. I’m so grateful to have his advice and his listening ear in a lot of situations. I’m also grateful that he married a really awesome girl and that they have the 2 coolest kids EVER.

And now, for about a year, I’m so blessed with a group of in-laws who love and treat me like I’m their own. I feel like my family has doubled in size, and that feels good.

Friends

As you grow up and branch out (for me that started young, at daycare), you realize that your family won’t be with you everywhere you go, so it will be necessary to form relationships with people outside that unit. I am beyond blessed to have had some of the most wonderful people surrounding me over these past 23 years.

I’m thankful for friends who listen and speak truth to me (even when I don’t want to hear it). I’m thankful for encouragers, for the fun friends who share new music with me, for friends who inspire me. I’m thankful for friends who disciple me, and who make me want to be better. I’m thankful for the fights I’ve had with friends, which have taught me how to make peace and mend fences. I’m thankful for friends who cry with me, friends who share in my joy. Friends who pray with me and for me.

So, friends out there, you who have put up with me and my awkwardness, my selfishness, my perfectionism and unrealistic expectations – I’m so grateful for you, for sticking with me, for loving me well, and for helping me want to love others just the same.

And now, what I’m learning is that a lot of times, as you grow up, especially when you live far away from your biological family, your friends become like family. It’s kind of crazy, but I don’t feel like I just have 1 brother any more – I have lots of them, and sisters, too!

Today, I am taking the time to thank the Lord for the blessing of family and of friends, people whose love and support for me mean so much more than they will know, who have shaped my life in so many ways, and without whom I’d be lost and lonely.

Note: Don’t worry, I haven’t left Matt out completely from this thankful list. I’ll be thankful for him in a couple of weeks, probably around our anniversary :-)

A New Day

2010-08-10T16:42:00.011-05:00

So, it's been a while. Too long, in fact, since I sat down and blogged. I find this time oddly therapeutic so I know I should definitely do it more, but lately I've just felt out of sorts. July was a hard month. Matt and I traveled to Knoxville for a few days to spend some time with family, and just over a week later I headed back up to say goodbye to my sweet Maymee. The next week I took the first section of the CPA exam, and nearly had a nervous breakdown in the meantime. (Okay maybe the nervous breakdown part is a bit of an exaggeration, but there were some rough moments). I was just so out of my routine and felt pulled in so many directions. So, suffice to say, I was relieved to flip the calendar page to a new month.

And what a month it has been. On August 1, we traded in the keys to the Loft (which, may I remind you was 300 square feet) for the keys to a roomy new apartment (at least triple the size) with a front porch and picket fence to boot! We've been settling in, unpacking and organizing this past week, and making plans for ways we can continue to make the place even more "us". The truth is, as thankful as we are for the opportunity afforded to us through the Loft, neither of us ever really settled there. I never got the chance to nest or paint or really decorate. I think it was because we knew how temporary it was.

Anyway, I wanted to post a few pictures of the new place.

View from the front door.

Note: We will be painting over the bright red walls in the near future.

The other side of the living room. We are the proud owners of this, our first couch. It's a sleeper sofa, so visitors, feel free to come on down!

Also, notice our lovely bookshelf which we put together in only 3 very long, stressful hours.

This is the view from the living room, through the kitchen area back into the bedroom and bathroom. Our new place is a New Orleans-style shotgun, which means you have to walk through each of the rooms to get from the front of the house to the back.

We'll try to be good about posting pictures more regularly as we make changes and update the place.

As for me, I'm feeling more at home here every day...and I'm feeling more myself. I think I'm finally coming out of my July funk and very much looking forward to what August (and beyond) has to offer.

Circle Game

2010-07-01T15:27:00.003-05:00

One of my very favorite songs from childhood is by Joni Mitchell (thanks to my dad for his great taste in music). The song is entitled "Circle Game". I'm not sure if it was popular in its day, but from my first listen, I was hooked. The song is basically the story of a child growing up from toddler years through young adulthood.

The chorus of the song says:
" And the seasons, they go 'round and 'round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on a carousel of time
We can't return, we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game."

I was back in Knoxville a couple of weeks ago, and this song seemed to be the anthem of my trip. I arrived on a Saturday, and headed to my parents' house to see my nephew and celebrate his 12th birthday. From there, I proceeded to the hospital to visit my sweet Maymee (see previous post for more info). I talked with her some, watched her sleep some, and cried a good bit. In that first day I was able to celebrate the vitality and youthful energy of my nephew and cousins and to see my grandmother struggling to continue living.

Throughout the course of my visit, I shared coffee with a dear friend whose marriage seems to be falling apart and had lunch with another friend who was asked me to stand up as a bridesmaid in her wedding. I was an emotional wreck by the end of my visit - exhausted by the constant rise and fall, surrounded by such joy and such sorrow. The thing is, I didn't realize at the time, but it was all so beautiful - even the hard parts.

With this week of experience behind me, I've been thinking a lot about life and death; beginnings and endings; my own idea of 'good' vs. 'bad' things, 'happy' vs. 'sad' events. And all of this contemplating led to me spend some time reading and praying. Today I came to the passage in Ecclesiastes 3, which states that "For everything there is a season". There is "a time to be born and a time to die"; "a time to weep and a time to laugh"; "a time to mourn and a time to dance". I'm still working through and processing this passage. For right now, however, I am finding comfort in the fact that God says that "that there is a time for everything". I know that the timing is HIS - that He is in control and that Romans 8:28 is true: He is working ALL THINGS for GOOD (not necessarily happiness, but GOOD).

So, I am going to choose to be thankful for and to see the beauty in everything because I am trusting 1) that it is in God's timing and 2) He is working through ALL of those things for the good of those who love Him.

Enough rambling for now...back to studying. CPA Exam (part 1) in approximately 4 weeks!

One of "Those Days"

2010-05-27T18:14:00.010-05:00

Today has been a hard day.

I got a message from my brother earlier about my sweet Maymee. She is 92 years old, and one of the best storytellers ever. She also loves Jesus, a lot, and I want to be like her when I grow up. But, being 92 comes with its challenges. Today's challenge was that her legs were hurting her so badly that she could not stand up from the chair she was sitting in. My brother went to her house to try and help, but she is too proud for that. So, she just stayed in her chair. Angry, I'm sure, and frustrated and sad. Besides her failing body, Maymee has been struggling with loneliness, especially in the past couple of years. My Pap died when I was 10, and she's recently lost her little sister as well as a dear friend and Sunday school student. I can only imagine the isolation that comes with being the last of your generation in a community. I'm sure that as much as we all love and respect her no one truly understands her, because we haven't lived through the same life span she has.

This is Maymee and I at one of our wedding showers last summer.

Just a few minutes ago, I found out that my other grandmother, Nan, who played an integral role in raising me, has an infection because she cut her hand last week. Her skin is so thin and fragile, that the slightest bump or scratch tear it. She's also losing mobility quickly, and she's not able to do the things she is used to being able to do. This woman, who inspired in me the love of food and hospitality, can't garden or cook or clean up the way she would like. She can't go out to the mall or to eat for as long as she'd like. She's just tired.

Nan with my 2 nephews a couple of summers ago.

This is definitely one of the hardest things about living 9 hours away from my family. I can't be there to hug or love or do for or comfort these ladies who have meant so much to me.

So, this post could just be a rant or a vent or something of that sort. But, it isn't going to be that, because we serve a God who promises to be our Comforter. I'm choosing to let Him comfort me, and I pray that my grandmothers will feel His comfort, too.

Some awesome promises from God and reminders about His goodness to us:

Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. Isaiah 46:4
(especially cool for my lovely grandmothers)

Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. Isaiah 49:13

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

So tonight, after one of "those days", instead of being sad, I am living in the Lord's promise of comfort. I can feel it in me. I can feel His peace. Praising Him for that tonight.

The In Between

2010-05-06T09:25:00.002-05:00

Tonight I will take my last final of graduate school. Then, next Friday - May 14, 2010 - I will receive my Master's degree. At this point I have no plans of going back to school for my Ph.D., so it looks like my 17-year relationship with the education system is coming to an end, and quickly. I have been so looking forward to this day for so long. I am tired of the tests and papers and endless (and sometimes pointless) homework assignments. I'm tired of having to stay up late stressing about whether or not I have a good enough grasp on the information in front of me. Basically, I'm tired of school.

I found out a couple of weeks ago that I will be starting my big girl job in October. It is finally time for me to put my accounting skills to work. I am so excited for this new opportunity, this new challenge. But, if I'm completely honest with myself, I'm also a little - or a lot- scared. I feel like over the past couple of years, I've spent so much time looking forward to this moment, being free from the bonds of school and open to explore the working world. But now that it is here, I am afraid. It is uncertain. School was certain. Even when I moved to New Orleans last year and started at a new university, I pretty much knew what to expect. Schools, in general, are pretty similar: there are professors, and books and I understood the expectations on me. Now, I'm going to be starting work where I will have a different boss for each client I'm on. I'm sure it will take time for me to figure out what exactly each of my bosses expects of me. And then there are the unspoken expectations about how smart I am. Do I really know the material I learned in school in an applicable way? Or did I just learn by rote memorization, just long enough to pass a test? Was it a good choice to hire me? Should they keep me around? Scary stuff. Lots of pressure.

So, today, with many thoughts floating in my head (remembering and cherishing my school years and anticipating the adventures that are to come) I am very grateful to have this summer. It will be my In Between. I am done with school, but I won't have a full time job yet. I'm hoping to take that time to process all these thoughts and emotions, to prepare myself for the future. I'll be working part-time and studying for the CPA exam. I'll be riding my new bike around Uptown. I'll be visiting Knoxville, my family, and old friends. I'll be going to the beach. And most importantly I'll have free time, for probably the only time in my life. I'll have time to think and read and swing on the front porch and process all these things.

I share all of that to say that I'm glad that God gives us good gifts. For me, my In Between is one gift I am very much looking forward to. It is something I very much need.

Don't Worry

2010-04-20T09:11:00.007-05:00

...bet you were thinking I would finish with a "Be Happy". I'm not. In fact, I think I've found a better ending. "Don't Worry. Seek Christ." Now I just need someone to rewrite the song based on this new title...

Okay, getting off topic, but I just wanted to share a bit on a topic that is a daily struggle for me - worry.

On Sunday at Vintage, we continued our journey through the Sermon on the Mount. This week, we were in Matthew 6:25-34. Several times during his message, Rob encouraged us: Don't Worry. Seek Christ! These words have been in my head and on my heart since Sunday morning.

For those who know me at all, it is obvious that one of my most prominent characteristics is that I worry...about everything...all the time. I worry about whether I will be late to class. I worry about how I will do on this test or that project. I worry if Matt will like the dinner I made. I worry about my tail light being out. I also take on the worries of others. I worry if Matt is sleeping enough. I worry if my friend ever find a job. Get the picture? Basically, I spend a large portion of my time in this state of mind, constantly stressed, rarely at ease.

I was absolutely convicted when Rob shared a quote from a commentary he'd read in preparing this sermon. I'll paraphrase: In our worry, what we are really doing is dethroning God and saying that is is really us who control the future.

Wow.

Those words hit me hard. Took the wind out of me. Made me truly want to change my worrying ways. I am aware that a certain amount of caution and concern is good, but I know that my worry far surpasses a healthy level. As the text points out (in Matthew 6:25) "Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing?". I feel like so often I worry about the food and clothing - all the little things - that are really quite significant in the grand scheme of life. And I have, in fact, been keeping all these little things (my worries) from God, refusing to surrender them, as if in my worry I could control them, as if I could fix them. It sounds so dumb. Clearly I can't control the future. Obviously I can only do so much to control my performance in school. But I've been holding on to these worries (and others) so long that I began to subconsciously convince myself that if I spent enough time fretting over things, eventually I would understand a solution or I would receive the desired outcome, simply because I cared so much. That in some way I could control things. How dumb, right? I know. It just took me a while to truly realize the depth of my worry and the truth of what my worry really does (ignores the power of God and His control and puts it in my own hands). So, now that I've realized my problem, what's next? How can I let go of this worry in a real way, not just in a lip service kind of way?

Matthew 6:33 provides me with a solution: "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (ESV). So, if I am truly seek Christ with all that I am and all that I have, then I won't have time to worry or be anxious about everything. If my heart and mind are focused centered on the One who controls the future, then I don't have to worry about the future so much. I am thankful for an omnipotent Lord who loves me and cares for me. I am glad to say today that I am resting in this truth. I know this won't be an easy task, especially since my worry is something I've been holding on to for a LONG time, but I am praying that I will daily surrender my worries and choose to follow Rob's advice. I encourage y'all to think about it too: Don't worry. Seek Christ.

It's Time!

2010-04-07T14:49:00.008-05:00

No major insights today, just a couple of pics to celebrate an exciting time in NOLA - the opening of Hansen's, our favorite snow ball stand, which is only open during the summer months. There are no words to describe how refreshing and wonderful these icy treats taste on a hot afternoon. So, here's to Hansen's - the finest snow ballers in all the land.

My first flavor of the season was strawberry shortcake. Matt went for cream of coffee. Hansen's is famous for their cream flavors, and it is Matt's goal to try all of them by the end of the season.

Spring Cleaning

2010-03-30T09:33:00.003-05:00

This week is my spring break. I am more thankful for this pause to my hectic schedule than I can express. I am so grateful to have a few days off from school and work, especially right before Easter. I'm so looking forward to the buildup this week has to offer, and anxiously awaiting the beauty of this Sunday. (For more on Holy Week, check out my friend Frankie's blog)

Yesterday, I woke up and decided to start a much-dreaded task: spring cleaning. It's not that I don't enjoy cleaning, ask any of my previous roommates. It's just that over the past few weeks (okay, months) leading up to break, with all the stress of school and busyness of life, our little apartment had gotten more than a little dirty. I wasn't even sure where to begin. After much contemplation (procrastination), I decided to tackle the kitchen first, starting with the pile of dishes in the sink, wiping down all counters, even cleaning the stove and the scrubbing the floors. Next I moved on to the bathroom and pretty much followed the same routine, cleaning all the hard surfaces and the floors. I felt a great sense of accomplishment (and exhaustion) when I completed my task. Today, I will move on to the living room/bedroom and do some major organizing. It feels wonderful to get everything put in its proper place. That way, maybe the next time Matt goes looking for his Supervised Ministry syllabus, we won't have to spend an hour going through all the piles of paper we have stacked everywhere.

I think that's the thing I love most about spring cleaning - clearing out the clutter I've gathered over these past months, wiping the dust off everything, and making it all shine.

I can't help but think sometimes that God must feel this way about us, as he clears away our clutter, wipes off this dust of ourselves, and puts us where we belong - with Him. Just wanted to share that quick thought. Now, I'm off to get my clean on.

Awakening

2010-03-15T16:37:00.009-05:00

Over the past two weeks, spring has finally started to emerge from the depths of the cold gloomy New Orleans winter. The sun is shining more, the temperatures are becoming milder, and the flowers are beginning to bloom. It's as if everything is coming alive from the sleep of winter. I've been so excited for the change in season. My mood needed a season change. I was starting to feel as gray as the cloudy skies. I've noticed since the change in weather that I've been happier, more content about life in general.

Then, yesterday at Vintage we sang a new song called "Awakening", Chris Tomlin's new song off the Passion 2010 album. This song spoke to the way I have been feeling and has been on my heart and in my head since yesterday morning. My favorite lyrics (from the chorus):

"Like the rising sun that shines
Awake my soul, Awake my soul and sing
From the darkness comes a light
Awake my soul, Awake my soul and sing
Like the rising sun that shines
Awake my soul, Awake my soul and sing
Only You can raise a life
Awake my soul, Awake my soul and sing"

It's awesome to realize that in this same season as the earth begins its spring awakening, my spirit is beginning its Easter awakening. I am so excited to enjoy the beauty of the season for next few weeks as I prepare my heart to celebrate.

Photo of the Week

2010-03-08T15:12:00.003-06:00

Here's a quick pic from yesterday afternoon at the park. We had a great time hanging out with friends on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

Little Moments

2010-03-04T10:43:00.008-06:00

For the past couple of months, it has been ridiculously cold in New Orleans. Please no comments from all our friends further north. There is no argument that is even colder where you are; it's just that New Orleanians are not at all accustomed to freezing temperatures and thus have not equipped their houses to handle sustained periods of cold. This explains the fact that in our apartment only one of our two window units supplies heat.

Tuesday of this week was a particularly cold, dreary, blustery day. Both of us spent the day out of the apartment. I was in class and working all day and Matt spent the day in the library working on a research paper. So by the time I got home on Tuesday around 9, it was pretty chilly in our place. I immediately turned on all possible warming units: the heater in the bathroom, the window unit with heat, and the stove. When Matt got home about 30 minutes later, dinner was ready and the heat was on full blast, but it was still FREEZING. We began to fix our plates and sit down at the table when Matt jokingly suggested that we eat in the bathroom, which, at that point was the warmest room in the apartment thanks to the room's size and the super-efficient heater/fan attached to the light. Despite his obvious jest and the ridiculousness of his suggestion, I took him up on the offer. We carried our dinner and 2 kitchen chairs into the bathroom and closed the door.

So there we set for the next 30 minutes, knee to knee in our tiny bathroom eating dinner, sharing stories about our day and generally enjoying the experience. When we were finished eating dinner there was a definite hint of sadness, partly because we were going to have to face the arctic temperatures in the other rooms of the apartment but mostly because our 'little moment' was over. We were about to start working on other more serious things like studying, writing papers, filling out reports.

Over the past couple of days, I've thought about our dinner on Tuesday night and how easy it would have been for us to miss that moment. I could have easily teased back with a "Yeah, right", and we would have eaten dinner quickly in the cold kitchen and hurried into the slightly less cold bedroom/living room to begin our night's work. I am so glad we didn't miss that chance to break from the drudgery of our day, and to truly connect with one another, because that little moment is a memory we will cherish forever.

So today I'm grateful for all the little moments that sneak into our days and embed themselves in our memories and make life more fun.

About that whole "In Sickness" thing...

2010-02-28T11:25:00.006-06:00

The Bricks are back on the blog - for real this time! More on this later...

For the past 3 weeks we've been battling "the crud". Matt got sick the weekend of Mardi Gras, which drastically toned down our celebration at the end of a crazy couple of weeks. Then, in the past week, I've started feeling it: stuffy nose, coughing, etc. I mention all this not so that you can get a glimpse into our snot-filled house and pity us, but because it has been teaching me a so much about marriage - and about God.

As you might know, at our wedding Matt and I decided to write our own vows, so we didn't exactly promise to love each other "in sickness and in health", but we did promise to be there for each other during the tough times. These past couple of weeks have been tough for us. Let's face it, none of us are really at our best when we feel sick. So imagine having two sick people trying to take care of each other, all the while feeling pretty rotten themselves. Suffice it to say that we've each had our moments. But the truth and beauty in all of this is the comfort I have in knowing that Matt still loves me completely, even when I'm at my grouchy, snotty, coughing worst. Even when I am my least lovable, he has promised to stay by my side, to help me get through it.

What's even cooler is how this applies to even more than the cold we've been sharing lately. I think the truth in it is that we are both sick - all the time. We are sinful creatures, and you can't get much sicker than that. But God has led us to each other: to live together, to love each other, to encourage one another through our sickness and sinfulness. What a beautiful picture marriage is of Christ and his love for His church! Today I am so thankful for the truth that my husband and my God both promise to stand by my side, even when I am the worst version of myself.

As awesome as these lessons are, I really hope we get over this cold soon.

2010 Started with Blast!

2010-02-07T14:13:00.003-06:00

Hey guys,

Sorry for the lack of posting, but our city is going nuts.

We've been wearing the official team shirts for 2 weeks now

"Our City, Our Home, Finish Strong."

Video from our NFC Party @ Vintage Church

Man we love our city, our home, our church and especially our Saints!!!

Who DAT!!!!

Cabo Thank You

2009-12-01T21:28:00.007-06:00

Hola!

Video:

We also wanted to share a few quick pictures to show you some of our favorite memories from our fabulous week in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It was absolutely beautiful, and we enjoyed a week of relaxation, sun bathing, snorkeling and just loving life.

The Arch & Lover's Beach

This is the point where the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean meet.

Lover's beach is the only beach in world that touches two oceans. Pretty cool, huh?

On a Boat....

... after snorkeling on Thanksgiving Day. What a fun experience.

Sunset dinner on the beach <3

S-T-R-E-T-C-H

The typical 'Beach Shot'

Flex <-- look at those muscles ;)

Feet (of course)

Dinner

This was the night the man at the table beside us asked if we were Honeymooners. Guess we were too obvious... at least we got some freshly caught Mahi Mahi out of the deal.

Hope you've enjoyed getting a glimpse of the Honeymoon. We're praying that all is well wherever you are. Thanks again!

Shower the People You Love with Love

2009-10-19T17:05:00.006-05:00

Holy freakin crap! We’re getting married in just over a month!!! And, we haven’t updated our blog in way too long…

So, to recap what we’ve been up to since August. Sarah moved down to New Orleans into a cute apartment in Uptown. (More details about that to come). Both of us started a new semester of school – Sarah’s first at the University of New Orleans (UNO) and Matt's 5th semester at Seminary. We’re both working as well. Sarah works as a Graduate Assistant in the Accounting Department at UNO, where she is a jack of all trades. Matt is continuing his work at Vintage Church, where he currently oversees the administrative and operations of the church. He also serves as the Missions Coordinator, leading teams who come in to serve and love New Orleans. So, we’ve been just a bit too busy living life to actually write about it. But we’re glad to be back on the blog.

We’re so excited that our Big Day is coming up so soon, and we wanted to say thanks and share with everyone some pics from our triathlon of showers in Knoxville before we headed back down.

First up was Sarah’s bridal shower, hosted by her fabulous bridesmaids, at Tate and Kelly’s house. It was so fun to be able to catch up with good friends – girls I’ve known since I was 4, and girls who I’ve known for 4 years, who have become lifelong friends. We played the obligatory shower games (though I admit they were pretty awesome). By far the best game was the toilet paper bride contest.

Sarah with the TP Bride contestants.

Sarah with ‘The Team’ after the shower.

There was a mountain of gifts, among them a coffeemaker (which has already been put to good use), lots of Fiestaware, a crockpot, and cooking utensils. The gifts were wonderful, but so much more than presents, I am thankful for the relationships I have with all of these girls. They are blessings to me.

The second shower we had was hosted by Matt’s Aunt Elaine and took place at the John Sevier Lodge in Seymour. It was a gift card shower, so we got LOTS of gift cards (which have already started to come in handy) but also lots of gifts. The standout of the shower, though, was a gift from Matt’s Ging. She presented him with the quilt she made for him years ago. He suggested we bring it down to NOLA and use it as soon as possible as a blanket for the couch. That suggestion was declined swiftly and certainly. Clearly he doesn’t understand the idea of protecting keepsakes… men!

Us with Ging, and the beautiful quilt.

The bride and groom, and the madres. Apparently it was required that the mothers wear coral…

Our final shower was hosted by Sarah’s aunts, cousins, and church family. It was at Asbury UMC (aka Ground Zero for Nov. 21). It was a drop-in shower with a laid back atmosphere. We got to catch up with family and friends in between opening even more gifts.

Trying to not break the bows

No, Sarah’s not pregnant – stupid flowy dress!!

Until next time.....

33 days!

Photo of the Week

2009-06-08T12:35:00.004-05:00

So I decided to bring back the weekly picture. This week's shot is from October of 2003. Wow, that seems like such a long time ago! I think this is just after Matt surprised me by showing up at a Marching Band competition. Gotta love high school awkwardness...

Just wanted to take a minute to reminisce and share a glimpse into our past.

Have a great week!
166 days and counting :)

The Studs....

2009-06-01T18:00:00.007-05:00

After a long, intense, rigorous application process, I have finally chosen “The Studs.” Lame weddings call them Groomsmen. But dear friends, Nov. 21st will be very far from lame. I’m so excited that I’m personally doing everything that I can to not miss it! And of course I hope you will do the same.

Josh (Best Man)

I met Josh at UT on the smoldering hot turf outside the Aquatic center. We spent many afternoons sweating during the Pride practice and evenings cooking in his apartment on campus. Many of the business classes we took together were nothing really to write about. Zzzzzz.... Except there was that golf class! We still always grab a quick 9 holes whenever I visit Knoxville. He currently does financial work for TVA in Knoxville. Truly my best friend (outside of Sarah of course).

After 3 yrs in the UT band we started a tailgating & face painting tradition with friends. Josh still keeps it running.

Jonny B

Jonny and I have grown up together since the 3rd grade. Actually, I hope he’ll stop growing so that I can catch up with him. There are many lessons that I have learned from our friendship over the years of high school, college, Centri-Kid and now lunch meetings. The amazing thing is that God has led our two lives to different places, hundreds of miles apart but the friendship continues to hold. Jonny lives, works and serves in Nashville which is a place that can provide a fix for his country music passion.

Big Nick

As his older brother I have really enjoyed watching this guy mature. From our all-day play-days with forts, wrestling and "stair sliding" to wonderful Valentine’s Day desserts for Sarah and I. This chef is already amazing and probably one of the best kept secrets. I’m excited to see what the next four years of Culinary School will create.

Tate

In 2001 when we started dating Tate was the #2 most terrifying man in the world, only behind Sarah’s dad Frank. Over the years we have become friends which has made me more comfortable. He is currently Sarah and mine best UT football news source coming out of Knoxville. I also appreciate the bond and advice that he shares with my future bride.

Austin

I have never known a bigger blessing for a family than Mr. “McKinley” has been for the Mondays. Like my brother, Sarah and I have enjoyed watching him grow up. This coming fall he will enter Middle school which blows our minds. He is also loved because I can let my creative juices flow when we hang out. Sarah and I plan on flying him down every year to help us decorate our house for the Christmas season, which is his speciality. If he continues to improve on the piano he might become much like the beloved New Orleanian Harry Cornnick Jr.

Cameron (Lord & Keeper of the Ring)

“Cam the Man” is a firecracker and a true dudes dude. He was born on the same day that I personally witnessed from “The Swamp” my mighty Vols beat the hated Gators in 2003. This alone makes him very special. His hyper active spirit makes Sarah nervously freak out. However, I enjoy getting a good sweat on playing & chasing him in the pool, creek or yard. If there was one worry for Nov 21st, it would be that I hope that my wedding ring makes the journey down the aisle, because knowing him there are a million things he might do with it.

Check out how Cameron catches butterflies.

Without Further Ado....The Bridesmaids

2009-05-21T08:53:00.001-05:00

After an unnecessarily long hiatus, I'm back on the blog. Today I want to introduce you to the bridesmaids, or 'The Team' as Madison and I call them. They are 5 awesome ladies and I'm so glad to have them in my life and in our wedding!

Maid of Honor

Madison Lyleroehr

Madison is my tender-hearted, super-talented best friend. College and the growing up that goes along with it can be tough on a girl, so it is such a blessing to have someone like her to support you through all the tough times. She is an optimist in the truest sense of the word, and always sees the beauty in even the ugliest of times. Madison just graduated from Brandeis University with a degree in Sociology. She also sings a little ;-)

Bridesmaids

Kelly Monday

Kelly, my sister-in-law, who puts up with my annoying big brother and who is the mother of my favorite two boys in the world, is a truly invaluable member of my family. She has an infectious smile, brings much needed laughter to our lives and helps us see the humor in things when we try to take ourselves too seriously. Kelly is also a fantastic organizer and a great shopping buddy. She works as a radiology technician at a local doctor’s office.

Lauren (Brichetto) Hinkle

More than being Matt’s sister, Lauren has been in my life since middle school. I was actually friends with her before I knew her cute older brother! Lauren’s friendship and sweet spirit have been an inspiration to me. Lauren is also a fantastic cook, and she has been patient in trying to help pass on the domestic skills she has learned to a somewhat clueless student. Lauren got married in May and works a sonographer.

Sara Holtzclaw (aka Sara Little)

I am lucky to share my name with this girl. Sara is compassionate and caring, and has spent many hours listening to me bemoan some dramatic experience or another, often sharing insights that have helped me make decisions in tough situations. She is a great encouragement and book-trading partner. Sara will graduate from UT with her Master’s Degree next year, and then she’ll take on the world of elementary education.

Georgia Varlan

My freshman roommate, Georgia could be one of the most intimidating people I know. She excels in everything she puts her mind to, including interning with the White House Economic Council and studying abroad in China. However, underneath all the crazy accomplishments and intellect is a down to earth girl with very curly hair. GA was a great roommate, and she has become an even better friend. After conquering law school at UVA, Georgia will continue with her plan of world domination – just kidding. She’ll end up doing something exotic and super-important, though, and I’ll be saying ‘I knew her when’.

Stay tuned for more posts (I promise I'll do better).

Love y'all!

Summer Plans....

2009-05-20T11:05:00.008-05:00

The weather is heating up which means Summer is coming fast.

Monday evening we enjoyed hanging out and talking face to face for the last time in a couple of months. Much like the last few summers, this summer we will live, work and serve in two different cities. However, we are excited since this will be the LAST summer we do this....because this time next year we'll be married!!

<--This was the solution for Delta Delays experienced on Monday

See it totally worked!!

Sarah will be chilling in Knoxville this summer to nail down all of the details for November 21st!

She will also be packing up the rest of her life for the big move to NOLA to pursue a Master's in Accounting @ University of New Orleans. Classes start in August.

The goal is to have the wedding plans done in order to fully focus on school and that blasted CPA Exam.

Matt is living, loving & serving in our home, NOLA this summer with Vintage Church. He will be coordinating the mission teams coming every week in June and July to work in Uptown. Spending everyday in Uptown is what excites him the most about this summer.

Searching for Sarah's apartment and blogging will be his way of relaxing, so make sure you check back frequently.

Our prayer for our work this summer comes from our family Psalm:
1)May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us,
2)that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.
--Psalm 67:1-2

We also pray & hope that God blesses you in your work over the next two months.

Tomorrow: The Announcement of Bridesmaids
We're serious this time, it's already written and ready to be posted first thing in the morning.

Registry (Bed Bath & Beyond Link)

2009-05-13T14:11:00.004-05:00

As most of you all know Matt just loves pictures. Since Sarah is in NYC & Boston this week, he doesn't have any new ones to post. After the pictures our 1st Registry Link is posted.

The List made our task a little easier. This planning tool is certianly recommended.

Sarah didn't fully understand the scanner....

So, Matt 'man'-ed up & took control.
And let's just say nothing got past this quickest scanner in all of Bed Bath & Beyond.

We knocked out a big chunk of our registry this past Saturday. Check out the items that we registered for @ Bed Bath & Beyond. The search name is "Sarah Monday." We have also added the link to the right side of this page so that you can access it at anytime We will certianly be adding more to this list and plan on registering at another place or two.

192 Days away!

The Final Frontier

2009-05-10T15:55:00.003-05:00

The silence over our Blog is a result of one crazy four weeks since Easter and not lack of wedding plan. Here's what we did on Saturday.

The List made our task a little easier. This planning tool is certianly recommended.

Sarah didn't fully understand the scanner....

So, Matt 'man'-ed up & took control.
And let's just say nothing got past this quickest scanner in all of Bed Bath & Beyond.

Stay tuned this week for the announcement of bridesmaids!

Photo of the Week

2009-04-12T22:20:00.003-05:00

Happy Easter Everyone!

So, a funny thing happened this morning. Matt (of course) was the first person I saw this Easter morning, so I said to him "Christ is risen", fully expecting a response like: "He is risen indeed." Matt, however, clearly did not grow up with this tradition and enthusiastically said, "Heck yes he is!"

So, however you choose to express it... Happy Easter! He is risen! Heck yes!

Love y'all :)

Praise

2009-04-03T12:39:00.010-05:00

So, this is not really wedding-related, but it is something we wanted to share with you all.

Over these past few months, Matt and I have both been contemplating the motivation behind praise of God.

Here is what we've been struggling with:
Do we praise Him for who He is? or Do we praise Him for all the good and nice things He does for us?

Our personal conversation and questions were brought to life these past few weeks through a song we've been singing at church. The song, entitled Desert Song, was written by the musicians at Hillsong.

Below is a video of the song and a short testimony from Jill McCloghry, one of the Hillsong singers. We hope this blesses you today.

Check out this video:

The bottom line that we've discovered is that we should praise God for both who He is and for what He does for us. Very often, though, we only praise him for what he does for us, because that is easy for us to grasp. We see the beauty of creation and we see that He has lavished blessing on us.

However, praising God for blessing us isn't enough. We should also praise God because He is holy, righteous, gracious, merciful, compassionate, etc. No matter what He does or doesn't do for us, He is worthy of our praise.

Lyrics to Desert Song:

This is my prayer in the desert,
When all that's within me feels dry,
This is my prayer in my hunger and need,
My God is the God who provides,

And this is my prayer in the fire,
In weakness, or trial, or pain,
There is a faith proved more worth than gold,
So refine me Lord through the flame,

I will bring praise,
I will bring praise,
No weapon formed against me shall remain,
I will rejoice, I will declare,
God is my victory and He is here,

This is my prayer in the battle,
When triumph is still on its way,
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ,
So firm on his promise I'll stand,

I will bring praise,
I will bring praise,
No weapon formed against me shall remain,
I will rejoice, I will declare,
God is my victory and He is here,

All of my life, in every season,
You are still God,
I have a reason to sing,
I have a reason to worship,

I will bring praise,
I will bring praise,
No weapon formed against me shall remain,
I will rejoice, I will declare,
God is my victory and He is here,

And this is my prayer in the harvest,
When favour and providence flow,
I know I'm filled to be emptied again,
The seed I receive I will sow

Psalm 104
"1 Praise the LORD, O my soul.
O LORD my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

² He wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent....

33 I will sing to the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

³⁴ May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the LORD."

Deuteronomy 7:9 (from The Message)

Know this: God, your God, is God indeed, a God you can depend upon. He keeps his covenant of loyal love with those who love him and observe his commandments for a thousand generations.

Praise Him!

Love you guys

MARCH MADNESS!

2009-04-02T21:15:00.009-05:00

The last week of February brought an end to the Mardi Gras festivities. The beginning of March marked the end of my internship. It was such a great experience – I learned a lot about what I’ll be doing in the future, met some great people, and got to travel to some exotic locales (and by exotic I mean backwoods Louisiana).

At the end of my internship I was offered a full-time position, so I’ll be starting work as a Staff 1 in the fall of 2010. I’m so excited and, given the current economy, blessed to have this great opportunity.

Me and my handy dandy audit trunk -->

Throughout the month I had several visitors, including Frankie (featured in the St. Patrick’s Day blog and video) and Dean, a friend from church, who brought his friend Jessica. It was fun hosting these friends during their first trip to the Big Easy.

During March, Matt was busy with church and school – mission teams, ministry events, Bible study, leading weekly prayer meetings, tests, papers, and all that jazz.He spent most of his Spring Break in Mississippi helping lead worship at a Youth
event with Rob and Andrew.

At the end of the week, we took a trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama to enjoy some time at the beach. It was only a three hour drive, which is much better than the seven or so hours it takes to get to the beach from Knoxville, and the water was beautiful and blue. It was, however, extremely windy and a little cool. We walked along the beach some, ate our picnic lunch, tried to read (made difficult because of the gusts) and eventually packed up and headed to the nearby state park, where Matt napped for a couple of hours and I finished reading Jane Eyre. For dinner, we drove a short distance to Foley, Alabama to try Lambert’s Café, a highly recommended eatery. I don’t know what we were expecting, but the sight that greeted us when we got there was not what I thought. The place is similar to Cracker Barrel, with lots of good Southern home cooking. It is known as “The Home of the Throwed Rolls”. Indeed, this means that every five minutes or so, someone comes out of the kitchen with hot rolls and throws them to you. The food was good…at least mine was. Matt was told by his friend Luke, a Mississippi boy, to try the hog jowl. Well, it turns out this stuff is glorified bacon, thick and fatty….yum, right? He ate maybe a quarter of what they brought out….it was pretty gross. We won’t be taking any recommendations on dinner selections from Mississippi boys anytime soon.

Obviously, this is not hog jawl. It's just Matt enjoying some ribs (his fave).

A sign inside Slim Goodies, a fabulous diner in Uptown.

Matt and I are continuing to perfect our culinary skills. We grilled steaks on our George Foreman one night – not too bad if I do say so myself. The highlight (or lowlight) of the month occurred last week, when I was making grilled cheese sandwiches. Sounds simple enough, right? Not so. I decided to try using one of the fancy stainless steel pans my landlord provided. Well, something crazy happened - the pan heated up too fast or something - and I burned the sandwiches, and set off the smoke alarm. I called my landlord and she said she would send someone from maintenance right over. In about two minutes there was a knock at the door. It wasn’t the maintenance man. It was the New Orleans Fire Department….I was mortified! It was an experience though. And I learned a couple of important lessons: 1. Register for nonstick cookware 2. Open a window when you are cooking in this apartment, or have Matt flail his arms around like he’s being attacked by a nest of hornets to fan the smoke 3. Meet the Fire Dept. downstairs.They don’t know the code to get in, and they are not too happy when they have to call the office to get the code.

On the wedding front, we have started looking at places to register and things to register for. We went to Williams-Sonoma last week to look at kitchenware. Let me just say that even though I grew up in a house where there was always something going on in the kitchen, I had no idea how much stuff there was out there, or how many variations of each item there are – coffeemakers, toaster ovens, crock pots – so many sizes, options, choices…crazy!

All in all, March was a fabulous month down here in the Big Easy. We hope your month was awesome as well.I’ll be back in KnoxVegas in a couple of weeks.

That's A Lot of Work for a Little Meat....

2009-03-27T18:51:00.012-05:00

Join us for a Crawfish Adventure narrated by Frankie starring Matt and Sarah.On this adventure, Sarah tastes crawfish for the first time, and Matt expounds on his love of the crustacean.

Bon appetit!

Sorry we've not been updating regularly. We've been busy living life, but we're working on getting back into the routine. Stay tuned for new posts and new adventures!

We Want Cabbage!

2009-03-26T12:52:00.007-05:00

"Why do you want cabbage?" you may be asking yourself. Let me explain...

Most people associate parades in New Orleans with Mardi Gras. However, St. Patrick's Day also provides revelers with an opportunity to celebrate. At this parade, people can kiss men for carnations, yell for beads and, most importantly, gather all the necessary ingredients to make an Irish Stew.

This year, we had the pleasure of attending our first St. Patrick's Day parade, along with the one and only Frankie Ellis (a friend from UT). At first, the parade day seemed doomed, as the weather turned from cloudy to misty to rainy. We found cover under a restaurant awning along with about 50 of our new friends. The parade started late (as is customary here in the Big Easy). Just as we were about to give up hope, the parade reached us! To our dismay, however, there were very few floats. The majority of the participants at the beginning of parade were part of the Irish Channel Marching Club. (Translation: old drunk men walking around with fake carnations waiting to give them away to any young lady willing to kiss them for it). Needless to say, Frankie and I were not impressed. Disappointed and somewhat disgusted, we convinced Matt to take us home. On the way back to the car, however, we hit the jackpot. We found a perfect spot on the corner just in time to catch most of the floats. At this point, we decided to go for it - to start gathering the ingredients for Irish stew. We yelled "Cabbage! We want cabbage!" for a good half an hour. As you'll see in the video, our request for cabbage was granted. We also caught some other goodies, and bought the rest of the ingredients for a fantastic creation.

Sorry this is so late in getting posted, please enjoy a Happy Belated St. Patrick's Day! We hope you enjoy watching this as much as we did making it.

The Way to a Man's Heart is Through his Stomach

2009-03-07T20:10:00.005-06:00

So...as most of you all know, I am not a kitchen diva. However, I have really been wanting to make this new recipe. Tonight I got my chance....

The Recipe:
12 oz orecchiete (or some other short pasta) (3 cups)
1 bunch broccoli (1 1/2 lbs), cut into florets
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped (can be omitted, obviously)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

> Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta. Reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and return to the pot.
> Meanwhile, on a baking sheet, toss the broccoli, walnuts (if desired) oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until the broccoli is tender (18 to 20 min.).
> Toss the pasta with the broccoli mixture, butter, and 3/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Sprinkle with Parmesan before serving.

Okay... now we've shared, it's your turn! As many of y'all know, Matt and I are currently gathering recipes for our recipe book. Please share your favorites with us!

Email us at:
semonday@gmail.com
mpbrichetto@gmail.com

Photo[s] of the week....

2009-03-04T19:06:00.002-06:00

Sending you some Mardi Gras Spirit and Flavor in this week's picture post. These photos are from the Vintage Mardi Gras Outreach on Sunday February 22, 2009.

Matt's New Favorite

We have no idea what these hands signs mean, they are unintentional. Matt was just trying to get more beads than Sarah.

The True Mardi Gras Spirit

Matt under estimated the role that Sarah's gorgeousness would play in getting beads.

Free Bonus: Video from Vintage Media Crew!!!!

Vintage Mardi Gras 2009 from Travis Manint on Vimeo.

As of March 4 we are 262 days away!!!!
November 21, 2009 is the BIG day.

Welcome to the Site!

2009-02-26T19:14:00.002-06:00

As you can see, we're no professionals when it comes to video recording, but we hope you'll check this out anyway...

Looking forward to sharing this journey with y'all.

Always,
Matt and Sarah

Photo of the Week....

2009-02-25T21:27:00.000-06:00

At Mother's Restaurant waiting to get our po boy...