Three Years of Fireworks

     Every year, for the 4th of July, a local church hosts a HUGE firework show with music from Christian artists. For the past three years I've gone with my bestfriend/boyfriend, Bake. I realized this has become a regular event that we attend and that I have pictures from the previous years. Looking at the pictures made me think back and compare each year.

     The first year, 2009, makes me laugh. We looked like little kids. It probably didn't help that we were dropped off and picked up. We spent money on over priced BBQ nachos that we mainly picked at. We sat with one of my friends for a long time and listened to Big Daddy Weave.  I probably ignored Bake for the most part...  It was awkward and he agrees with me. :)



~2009~



     The second year, 2010, I remember more. We were still dropped off and picked up since my mom wouldn't let me drive. It wasn't awkward this time. We walked around most of the night trying to see if we knew anyone. Bake made me mad because he started counting people he knew, or at least knew of. He got up to at least 20 something if not higher, when I don't think I even had 10... We listened to Mandisa sing, and watched the lady behind us dance. Before the fire works we got a funnel cake... I ate WAY too much of it and I couldn't enjoy the fireworks because if I moved, I would have thrown up. I don't think I can eat a funnel cake ever again.



~2010~

     The third year, was the best in my opinion. We were not dropped off or picked up this year. :) Bake made and packed turkey wraps so we wouldn't have to buy anything. He's smart and a good chef. We didn't count how many people we knew and we only walked around twice. The rest of the time we sat on the blanket and talked, ate, people watched and listened to Newsong. (Random: Newsong was the musical guest this year and I told people the Newsboys were going to be there. I didn't realize it wasn't them until Bake said he liked Newsong. When I told him, he laughed at me.) We were smart and stayed away from the  funnel cakes. And of course we watched the fireworks. 

~2011~

     I'm glad to see how much we've grown up, not just physically, but mentally and spiritually as well. I'm glad it's no longer awkward. But most of all I'm glad that he's my best friend. :)

Newbie

     I love posting about new things that are happening to me that relate to college. It usually pumps me up and makes me excited about the future. So that being said, this post will be about my first trip to Gatlinburg with the college and career group from my church. :)
     Once again, I had to get up early in the morning. I survived. We loaded up into a van and a small bus and took off. About an hour in I realized I was going to like this trip for at least one reason. We were stopping to go to the bathroom. That may sound weird to some people so let me explain. I'm ALWAYS the one that has to go to the bathroom when we would go on youth trips. It never failed. I knew on this trip that if we were stopping an hour into the trip that we would be stopping a lot more, and that my friend, made me a happy traveler.
     We traveled all day and made it to our cabin without getting lost or falling off the mountain. The cabin and the scenery were both absolutely beautiful. I could totally live in that cabin...if it was closer to my actual home. ;)


From the balcony



The girls floor

      On the next day, we had a mystery outing, which everyone figured out or was told what it was. So, since it was no longer a mystery, we all loaded up and headed to Dollywood. I'm not a fan of roller coasters or anything like that so I quickly volunteered to be the purse, backpack, cell phone, sunglasses holder for the day. I had no problem with that. Sometimes people watching is way more fun than actually riding rides. Ok, well maybe not fun, but it's defiantly more entertaining. We ate lunch at Red's Diner I believe it was called. It looked like a scene out of Grease. However, I don't think hamburgers cost $9 in the 50's....  I ordered a kids meal and got a souvenir plate.   :) And of course I took a picture of it.

     After leaving Dollywood and resting at the cabin and eating dinner, it was time for worship. It was good, as I knew it would be.
     The next day was just a cabin day. We could do just about whatever we wanted, which for me included sleeping until about 11am. :) Once I was up and awake I was asked to go on a hike. I accepted. On the way back, it started to rain just a little bit. Enough to make us walk faster. As we were walking we had to go around a fence which was basically on the edge of the mountain. I managed it with ease the first time, but the second time there was a bug on the tree I had to hold on to. I'm not afraid of most bugs, and I wasn't this one either, but it was all big and black and looked mean. So in order to avoid it I decided not to touch the tree. I did fine until my foot slipped on the wet grass and I almost fell down the mountain. Good thing I have arms so I could slide them down the tree to stop myself... I've learned along time ago to laugh at myself when things like that happen so it was no big deal, except my arms were really red. We made it back to the cabin with no other incidents. 
     Once back to the cabin we played games. One card game consisted of making animal sounds. I can't even explain it. Just one of those things that you had to be there to understand. Worship that night was wonderful too.
     Thursday after breakfast we went white water rafting. I enjoyed it and now have another story to tell when people talk about rafting. :) At the cabin that night we played more games. I learned how to play Rook, well for the most part. We played another game that I was really bad at and I lost many times. But I learned to play, that's all that matters right?

     Friday we went to Downtown Gatlinburg. It was VERY touristy.

 After that we ate at the Apple Barn. It was good. I still want an outfit like the waitresses wore. Sadly, I didn't take a picture of one. :(  Next on our to do list was shopping at Tanger Outlets. If you read my post about Louisiana you know that I didn't get the shoes I wanted. Well Tanger had an Adidas outlet store. :) I did buy some tennis shoes, however, they were not the ones I wanted, but they will suffice.  Before Bible Study that night at the cabin most of us watched the sunset from the balcony. The calm moment was short though. It was interrupted by seeing how far one could spit off the balcony. Or how close they could spit without it touching the floors below us. I did get a picture of the sunset instead of spit.

     Then on Saturday morning we headed back home. All in all, after a little adjusting, it was a fun trip. Even if I was the newbie.

Beach Blast 2011

     This is one of those sad lasts that is hard for me to write about. Sometimes it's not that I'm sad, but more of I don't know what to say. This one may be both. We'll find out.
     On the first day of Beach Blast we had to be at the church at 5am. If you know me at all, you know that I'm never up before the sun. I am not a morning person at all. However, I make an exception for Beach Blast each year.
     We travelled pretty much all day. We made good timing in getting there though. We had enough time to swim before we went to dinner. I think I did, but I"m not sure. Dinner was good as always. Then it was time for worship. Our camp pastor did an amazing job as usual.
     After worship we had Late Night. For the first Late Night we took a swim test just to make sure everyone could swim. I passed. :)
     After free time it was time for bed. Another thing you should know about me is that I don't like sleeping away from home. I'm getting alot better about it though. And also, I don't like storms. Well you guessed it, it stormed that night right as we were going to bed. I figured I would be up all night.
   
      Day 2: At breakfast, I learned that it stormed pretty hard last night. I did not know that since I was sleeping like a rock. :)
     After breakfast was morning celebration. I think we played a game. Still not sure since I'm not a morning person.
     Next, was Family Group, which is just Bible Study. This year a focus was on Judas, the man who betrayed Christ. This Bible study brought him into a whole new light for me since I had never really thought about him before.
     Lunch was after Bible Study. (I'm sure you're enjoying reading my day's play by play).

     For rec was crab soccer. I did play, but to be honest I didn't try very hard. (Sorry team). I think we went swimming after rec. OH! I have pictures from that day!



Ignore my squinty eyes

     After rec we had free time, which I spent playing Hacky-Sac for the first time. I'm not very good, but it was fun. It stormed again during the day. Then the usual dinner, worship, late night and free time, then bed.

     Day 3:  June 8th, Happy Birthday Sissa!! My little sister turned 10 while I was away. This has happened for the past 3 years I believe. She's use to it.
     Normal day. Breakfast, celebration, family group, lunch.
     For rec we had to build a biblical sand structure. My team decided to build the Ark of the Covenant and the dead man. For the full story check out 2 Samuel 6:1-15.

     For free time I sat on the beach with some friends. It stormed again that day. Dinner, worship, late night all went as planned. What was different was when I talked on the phone to my mom that night. She informed me that Pa (mentioned in another blog) proposed to his girlfriend. It's bittersweet, but he's happy. :)

    Day 4: This day was different than the rest. We had breakfast, celebration, bible study and lunch. Then we went to the water park. We stayed there until time for dinner. After dinner, we had worship on the beach. That is probably my favorite part of the whole week. It always starts out the same way, a group picture, then pictures with friends.

We'll call him Bake. :)



And this is Hal



Worship, however, started off with something we've never done at Beach Blast before, a baptism in the ocean. We recorded it and played it at church the next Sunday night. Here are a few of the many pictures I took.

I couldn't have thought of a better way to start our worship service. Worship was wonderful, just as it had been all week.

     Day 5: Pretty much all that I can say for that day is we came home. I like the beach and all, but I like my bed and shower better. :)

Rest of Louisiana

          I am very, very, behind on this whole blogging thing. I'm going to just blog about the rest of my trip to LA because I'm starting to forget details.
     Day 3: My family and I left Baton Rouge to go to my Uncle's house. The drive was about three hours and there was nothing to look at so I slept basically the whole way.  When we got there we just sat around and talked and some of us swam. (I do not remember if I was one of those persons...)
      Later that night we went to Johnny's Pizza. This pizza place has the best pizza I've ever eaten. We always make it a priority to eat there when we're in Louisiana.


Thanks Dad.

     After we ate we decided to go to Academy Sports (alot like Dick's Sporting Goods). While shopping, I found the perfect pair of tennis shoes for an amount I was willing to spend. However, me being the indecisive person I am (that's another blog all in it's self.) I decided to think about it and consider my options before buying them.

     Day 4:  The next morning when I woke up there was Chick-fil-a for breakfast. The girls (my sister and cousin) were already in the pool, and had been for a while. (Remember that)
     Next we headed to the cemetery. About 2 years ago, my Mamaw passed away and this would be our first time to see her grave marker. Whoever picked it out did a good job. :)

          
     When we left there we passed a gas station. This may seem like no big deal, but to me it screams Icee! Almost every gas station in Louisiana sells Icees. So of course we stopped and got one.


Highlight of my day. :)

 Next up was to get some Mayhaw Jelly from Dave's Corner. I'm not sure what a Mayhaw is, but it makes good jelly.

Buying Mayhaw Jelly

     By this time in the day it is about lunchtime, maybe a little later. When we return to my Uncle's house the girls are still in the pool. We ate lunch and all of us went swimming. We got out to get ready for dinner.(Probably around 6ish) When I walk in the house to change clothes the girls are lying on the couch and floor, shivering under blankets. You guessed it, the girls had been in the pool ALL day with no sunscreen on. They were pretty miserable the rest of the night. The picture doesn't even do it justice.

    Anyway, we went to a BBQ place called "Iron Horse". They had Memphis Taco's on their menu. I have lived in Memphis for almost 6 years and have never heard of such a thing. If I live under a rock and Memphis Taco's do exist, someone please tell me.
    While at Iron Horse, Buddy didn't want to color his picture... So I did. They hung it on the wall too. :)


Ok, they put everyone elses up too, but still...

      Next stop, Orange Leaf, a self-serve frozen yogurt place. What is it with the frozen yogurt craze that is sweeping the nation? It was pretty good. I think my favorite part was the spoons shaped like shovels. :) Outside, we had someone take a family picture of all of us.

     On the way home, the girls fell asleep in the back seat. What makes the picture cute is that when they were about 3 and 4 they did the same thing. I'm not sure where that picture is or I would put it one here.

     Day 5: What went down: We woke up, packed, said goodbyes, and left. I don't have any pictures from the last day so it's pretty cut and dry. On the way out we stopped by Academy for me to get those tennis shoes I had stressed about. Go figure that they didn't have my size! I was NOT a happy camper. It took me at least an hour to get over it. (I know, I'm a big baby.) After that we made our way back home.

                                                     All in all, it was a good trip.

Louisiana Day 2

     On the second day of Louisiana my true love gave to me.... jk jk. Dad went and took his test. I'm still not sure if he passed or not... I should probably ask.Anywho! While he was gone the rest of us entertained ourselves with the mirror. This is one of our favorite pastimes and I'm not even kidding.  First it was Mom's turn.

 Then Sissa's

 Then mine. (I was riding a bike)

 And when Dad got back, he quickly joined in.

     After we were all aching from laughing so hard it was time to hit the road. New Orleans bound! On the way we drove around LSU's campus. It was really big, but nice. We ate at Rasin' Cain's for lunch right outside of campus. This little restaurant had furry tiger print booths... It grossed me out cause they were furry. Then it was time to get going. This is the only picture I have of us traveling.

     To get to New Orleans, you have to cross Lake Pontchartrain Bridge, which is just a little bit longer than it's name. It's so long that you can't even get a picture of the whole thing.

     After more traveling we finally made it! As we pulled into New Orleans I asked Sissa the following question. "Do you remember Hurricane Katrina?" Her response was, "Psh. No. I wasn't even born yet. *insert eye roll here*" I then said, "Uh yes you were. It was in 2005." I then had to tell her the story of how devastating it was. I hope I told it correctly....   After driving around and parking we began our adventure.



Yeah... We don't look like tourists at all...

     We wondered around for a while and stumbled upon this building. I don't think it is a castle, but it reminded me of one. I tried to look it up, but I was afraid to research it too much because you never know what will show up when you research things in New Orleans.



     Once this picture was taken my camera began to die... It never fails. So from here on out the picture taking became less.

     Our next stop was Cafe de Monde. Click here for a short history of Cafe de Monde. We each ordered a plate of beignets and stuffed ourselves.

Buddy LOVED the powered sugar and had a field day with it.



Can you say sugar coma?



     To walk off all that sugar we took a walk by the river. It was extremely windy and Buddy would not get out of my picture, but he's so cute I decided to post it anyway.

     Next, we decided to ride the trolley... I don't know how many city blocks we walked to get to that stinkin thing. We went up and down streets and even saw a drug deal. Yippee! I did get a picture of one of the streets though.

     So we FINALLY made it to the trolley and had to pay $6.25 for all of us to ride. We rode through the Garden District, which to our surprise was not a garden after all. Instead it was houses...

     We all thought it would take us in one big loop. Imagine our surprise when it stops and the driver tells everyone to get off and get on the one in front of us. We did and payed the $6.25 again. (Rip off). This trolley proceeded to take us right back the way we came.... (I was not too thrilled). When we got off, we had to walk back to our car which seemed like a million miles with tons of traffic and people. By this point I was too tired to take any pictures with my dying camera.
     We made it back to Baton Rouge in time for dinner and ate at 5 Guys. It was alot better than the trolley ride. At the hotel we went swimming to unwind. Back in our rooms as we were getting ready to leave the next morning Mom said, " Don't you wish we could take this hotel home with us?" I'm not sure why she wanted to but to each their own.



Louisiana Day 1

     I never know how to start a blog so I'm just going to jump right in. For this first day, we did what felt like alot of traveling. We finally made it to Baton Rouge. I'm not sure how long it took us, but that is irrelevant anyway. Once we checked into the hotel, which Grant said was our new house, we went and ate at Rocco's. FYI the shrimp po-boy was really good.



Sissa @ Rocco's

     After eating we stopped at Wal-Mart for some chocolate milk and air freshener. :) As we were driving I snapped these pictures that I thought looked pretty nifty.

 

Then, we went to find the whole reason we came to LA, Dad's testing place.



He looks really tiny

     Next on the agenda was to find some ice cream and a frozen yogurt place. We found them. :) Mom and Sissa wanted Cold Stone Creamery and Dad and I wanted Tutti Frutti. It was delicious.



     Finally, when we couldn't eat anything else, we went back to our "new house" to relax.

Grant burned all of his sugar off by jumping on my bed. Then we all settled down and watched Tangled. Such a cute movie. :)

I think we were all pretty exhausted after a long day of traveling and a new environment.