Loving Life...

Hands down this is my favorite time of year. Summer is almost over and fall is days away. College football has finally begun... and USC won their season opener. Obviously Garrett was upset about Clemson losing...however we got to watch the game over at Mark and Beth's which was fun...so I think that helped to alleviate some of the pain.

On a total side note...did anyone else know that there are chat groups online dedicated solely to discussing the weather? I just made this discovery last night when I was checking the hurricane status on foxnews.com. All that to say...I joined one they other day. My participation didn't last long as it was late and the people in the group seriously just wanted to talk about weather...I unsuccessfully tried to change the subject multiple times..they are intense. I highly recommend checking it out.

Anyway, the past few weeks have been fun and full of time with family and friends. Some of the highlights include but are not limited to....

• Charley Spann's baby dedication

Donald and Mary Beth Spann are some of Garrett and I's closest friends here in Greenville (it should be noted that both Donald and Mary Beth are both CofC grads...go Cougars!) Charlotte "Charley" Rose Spann was born on April 30, 2008. On Saturday August 23, 2008 we got to gather with our closest friends and Donald and Mary Beth's families to worship and thank the Lord for Charley and to pray over D & MB as they begin their journey into parenthood. It was such an amazing and sweet time. Garrett and I are so blessed to be a part of their lives and are so thankful for their friendship.

• Dinner with parents and grandparents Reed

After Charley's baby dedication, G and I went to dinner with his parents and grandparents. We all went to the Lazy Goat (our fave) to celebrate G and I's anniversary and Len and Paw Paw's b-days. Words can't describe how fun it was to be with the family....we are so thankful for every second we get with them!

• Trips to Atlanta for both Garrett and I

Garrett went to a training with our friend John (pictured above..he and his wife Kelly are some of our best friends and our co-workers), and I went to meet with my fellow trainers...we really do love our jobs which is nice. John and Kelly are making the move to Charleston too...which makes us happy because we really love them.

• A visit from one of my fave friends, Margaret.

No pictures of this one...which is fine because they wouldn't have done the visit justice. We went for a super amazing walk and then had the best lunch at Mary's. I loved every second I spent with Margaret...can't wait to live in the same town as her again!


• Going to the USA Cycling Championships,




Another perk to living downtown, the USA Cycling Championships happened outside our front door. Garrett got an amazing picture of George Hincapie (if you don't know who he is shame on you)! Also, while the racers made their way up Paris Mountain, they had a kids race downtown. My friend Grace (pictured above in the pink shirt) rode in the race...she did a great job! Garrett got some great pictures of her race.

• Spending time with Courtney

Court leaves for California tomorrow!!! She is going to a bible college out there for the next year. I am definitely going to miss her but I am excited for her. Luckily we got to spend all of Sunday evening with her...we watched the Sound of Music (Courtney's first viewing...can you believe that???) and we played a killer game of Canasta. I am not sure anyone has ever had a better send off!


• Surprise visits at work from my sister and brother-in-law.

No pictures of this either but it was fun when they showed up to see us. They live about an hour from where we work, so it was really fun to have them make the trip to see us....they rock.

All of that to say....Life is fun and the Lord is good. I am daily amazed that the Lord not only created us and redeemed us but that he also chooses to bless us the way he does. That is something I have been in awe of over the past few weeks..not sure if I will ever fully wrap my mind around it.