Life on Me

 

2011 has been a year of change.

With the year halfway over, I can confidently say that I have discovered myself, that I have reached into the deepest parts of my heart and prayed for healing, and that God has delivered that healing.

1. I have seen change the most in my relationship with God. I can feel Him and it’s incredible. I started writing in a prayer journal and continue to read scripture every night. I know I will never be where I want to be spiritually. Are we ever? I don’t think so. There is always room to grow. But right now, compared to where I was and where I have been, this relationship with my Father is taking my breath away.

2. I have written a lot of posts about body image, posts that remain unpublished in my Drafts folder. I can’t bring myself to publish them, mostly because they are extremely personal and hard for me to admit. But they are there, and as I was reading them last night, I realized that I am no longer in that dark place of hating my body. God has truly answered my prayers and is healing my heart.

3. Less personal, this blog has reached a solid 75 Followers. Hold the phone, 75?! I never imagined such a day. What keeps you reading? It has to be the Utah posts.

4. Speaking of body image, this year I have lost around 30 pounds and have signed up to run my first half-marathon. I am excited and nervous, but mostly proud of myself. Will you come cheer me on? I’m going to need encouragement around mile 8. (Not to be confused with that Eminem movie. Or wait, that was 8 Mile.)

5. I know me. I know what music I like and I listen to it. I know topics I am interested in and I research them. I love my Jesus shoes and I don’t care that my friends make fun of them. I am me, I love me, I know me.

And I’m pretty fabulous, if I do say so myself.

 

2011, you have been a year of enlightening change so far.

I can’t wait to see what the next five months have in store.

 

 

 

I am Al and change feels good.

A Very Belated Father’s Day Post

I don’t know my biological father. I was adopted by my grandparents when I was just a baby.

I’ve never felt like I was missing something, though, because I do have a dad.

He may not be biological, but maybe that makes him even more special?

He stepped up when I needed someone to care for me, adopted me as his daughter and raised me.

To celebrate him on Father’s Day, we took him out to dinner at his favorite restaurant.

I love my family more than I can say. They are terrific and I am very blessed.

 

 

 

 

I am Al and could you say a prayer for my dad? He has Bell’s Palsy (which is why his face is droopy in these photos) and is having a difficult time.

Divine Intervention: God Led Us to Dairy Queen + a 12 hour road trip.

Sunday morning we woke up early, packed up camp and picked up Katie and Morgan from their hotel.

In Alabama we dropped Kaylee off to spend the next week with her family, and Morgan stayed behind in Florida with her boyfriend.

Katie slept the whole way…

Emma drove the whole way…(with her tongue out)…

 

…and I pretty much whined about finding a DQ the whole way. In Memphis we accidentally missed our Exit but it turned out to be divine intervention because THERE WAS A DAIRY QUEEN!

It was a long drive but God gave us some pretty things to look at:

I am so blessed that I got to take this amazing trip with my best friends!

The End.

 

 

I am Al and you weren’t tired of hearing about Florida, WERE YOU?!

True Southern Girls

Saturday we got really adventurous.

We checked out of our hotel and set up a tent at the cutest campsite in Panama City.

Can I just say (and I can because it’s my blog) that Kaylee, Emma and I are experts at setting up a tent. We did it in about 5 minutes. Thank you Girl Scout camp.

The best part about the campsite is that it was a 5-minute walk to the beach!

That was niiice.

All week we lived off of McDonald’s sweet tea. $1 for the best tea around. I think sweet tea is my favorite part of being a southerner. It’s practically put in our bottles.

After laying on the beach for 4 hours (and getting pretty burnt) we stopped at the cutest surf shack for snow cones. Our chosen flavors were Cotton Candy, Blue Raspberry, and Peach.

 

Our last supper was eaten at Sharky’s, on their back-deck overlooking the ocean.

Kaylee and I split a plate of shrimp and it was amazzzzzzing.

Such tourists…

…and then we went to look at gators, because that’s what you do in Florida.

(Or so I’m told.)

When we went back to camp we built a campfire (thank you again Girl Scout camp) to roast s’mores on. Instead of using Hershey’s, we used Reece’s.

I almost died, that’s how good it was.

Then Kaylee, Emma and I slept on the hard ground while Katie and Morgan stayed in a hotel.

Totally worth the experience, that’s what I say.

 

 

 

I am Al and now I really, really want a s’more.

Cruisin’ The Gulf

Friday we drove to the hotel we stayed at last year, lounged on their beach and swam (did cheerleading stunts) in their pool.

After showering and getting ready (a 4-hour process, I kid you not) we went on a murder mystery dinner cruise!

It was so, so much fun!

It was a Western themed mystery and we were saloon girls. Kaylee actually won a prize! (Woo!)

After we ate (delicious food!) and completed the murder mystery, the captain let us steer the boat.

   

We got to watch the sunset from the middle of the ocean. Breathtaking and amazing don’t really describe it.

 

God is truly amazing! He has given us a beautiful place to live. Can you imagine Heaven?

When the cruise was over, we went back to LaVela for dancing on Ladies Night #2!

It was a great day.

 

 

 

I am Al and is pool-hopping illegal? If so, you never read this, capeesh?

I Tried To Bargain With The Hair-Wrap Man Like We Were In Mexico Or Something.

Thursday we woke up to rain, not something you want to see when you drive 12 hours to lay on the beach.

We made the most of it though, and eventually the sun did come out.

Hair wraps and feathers, shopping, chilling by the pool (napping in my case), and a delicious dinner at our favorite Panama spot, Spinnaker’s.

 

We also went into an awesome store called Cotton Candy to pick up a few delicious treats.

Ohhh my gah, we almost died. We purchased caramel apples, homemade ice-cream cookie sandwiches, chocolate/Oreo covered marshmallows, and cotton candy.

  

Rain didn’t hold us back, oh no it didn’t.

 

 

 

 

I am Al and what I wouldn’t do for that caramel apple right about now.