family, family, family

This weekend was awesome. I'm sad it's over.

I'm feeling good about this week, too. I'm still completely overwhelmed with life, but I don't have quite the crazy week I had last week. I say that now... I do have a lot to do... but I've given up the idea that I will have any time for fun during the week, and I've given up the idea that I will get any work done on the weekends.

So that's exciting.

Really, though.. I work from early in the morning until late at night.. I've gotten much better about going to the library, so I really do get things done. And weekends are pretty much Spearhead, church, escaping to Greer, etc.

This weekend was wonderful.

My grad school mini-interview on Thursday went great (and scary. i loved it. so now i want it. big time), but I was zonked by the time I got back to Furman. Friday night was very chill... went out for drinks with Cory and his older brother and sister-in-law and their sweet new baby, then grilled out with Cory (just the two of us... which we never do... it was so nice!), then out with his younger brother and some friends. Nice Greer night.. nice break from Furman..

Saturday the family came in town, so we went to the Tri Delt tailgate and football game, then out to dinner in Greer with Al and Cory. I just absolutely love my family... they're all growing up, so talking to my parents about the boys never gets old. And Nolan is insanely huge.. size 16W shoes, and he's still 12. I forget that he's 12 until I hear him say some obnoxious joke with no punch line or listen to his little brother bantering. Al gets it. She has done the little brother thing. So hanging out with her while Nolan's doing his 12-year-old thing is nice. We wait for his punch lines together.

My parents liked Greer a lot. Mom kept commenting on Cory's cute laugh, and dad kept commenting on Greer's clean sidewalks. It was funny walking into the restaurant where Cory and I had our first "date" to see him sitting at a table with Mom, Dad, Nolan.. I realized that he doesn't just fit in with our family, he adds another sparkle to it. It's... nice.

Today, I had breakfast with the family and talked about my 'life plans'... which was wonderful. I realized that my parents really trust me to make decisions about my life, which seems to be rare amongst my peers. They ask what I'm doing, and then offer little suggestions to help me meet my goal. And they do the whole "you can do anything" spiel that parents tend to excell at doing. It was a wonderful, encouraging breakfast.

Afterwards, I headed back to Greer (three days in a row.. gas prices stink) to go to sweet baby George's baptism :) The whole ceremony was absolutley beautiful. There's something to be said for a good ole small town church... the sermon was tailored to raising children, and the whole homily was absolutely beautiful. i didn't walk away feeling guilty; I walked away feeling inspired. The sense of community was overpoweringly beautiful... love everywhere.

The family festivities continued with a little family dinner with my tri delt girls... I'm the "matriarch" of the family, so it's nice to get us all together and really spend some time with the girls before I go. They are absolutely fantastic -- Martha Lane is spunky and mischevious and hilarious and classy, and Katie is sweet and goofy and genuine and inspiring. They're both such strong, beautiful women.. I'm so excited for our Sunday family dinners all term :) We're going to make aprons, and grandma is going to teach the chillins how to cook. Rock on.

So yes, I'm ready for this insane week and inspired by an encouraging weekend. My goal is to just work hard.. 8am to midnight.. work, working out, school, little breaks here and there.. and keep weekends fun. Everything will get done eventually, right?

Right :)