Some thoughts on a blustery New year's Eve.

I had forgotten how wonderful digital photography was! This is Jamie as the Snow Queen in the Nutcracker. She was beautiful.

We took a picture like this summer '08. We decided to revisit the concept, Nutcracker style.

A silly poem I wrote last night:
Old paths and bright memories.

Walking on a road covered with dead leaves
Melodic words flow from within our hearts and minds
Released into the atmosphere through song
The air, so sharp and cold
Is warmed by our breath
Creating small clouds that fade in an instant
The tree's shadows lay on your face
The sun's rays make your eyes shine
And the chilling wind plays with your hair
My heart leaps a little, causing me to smile
Oh dear friend of mine, I think, I wish we could take walks more often...

Hi there!
I finally posted pictures. Yay.
So here's the big unveiling of my resolutions. (yes, there's more than one...)

*drum roll*
Big Resolution #1:
To accomplish at least one project a week. This means I will finish at least 52 projects. The projects will range from organizing my room, to making a camera strap, to finding a way to recycle all my camp t-shirts. I looked at this and thought way too easy but...it's actually going to be a big challenge. Jenny and I are going to tackle this together. I'm pretty raring and ready to get going.

Big Resolution #2:
To lose at least ten pounds. I'm not one of those superficial girls that's like "I NEED TO BE A SIZE TWO!" but, I would like to maintain a healthy wait and get fit. So, I'm going to try to exercise at least three days a week and keep a journal of what I eat. Crazy? yes. Can I do it? Heck yes.

Anyway, there you go! Starting tomorrow, I'm going to tackle these things with a zeal like no other. And blog about the whole thing =)

I hope the new year brings bountiful blessings and wonderful experiences like no other.

Mary Em

2009

I don't do resolutions usually...but I have one big one fore next year (which I will keep secret until January first...)

Anyway, 2009 was a wonderful year. I love blogging and I'm so glad Jenny and I started one. Haha We started it solely to get a Lookbook.nu. But, I'm still here, because I like to unload my thoughts on a blank screen. Writing is good therapy =)

Anyway, I cannot wait til 2010. I love the feeling of a whole new year, a CLEAN slate, something I've never experienced before...
Anway, have a wonderful New Year's!
Mary Em

Happy Christmas!

There are so many good Christmas songs that I could post lyrics to...but I won't.

I want to make this quick because it's CHRISTMAS EVE! and I have lots to do before tomorrow.

Yesterday, I decorated cookies with a friend and made a very impressive gingerbread land out of ...graham crackers....so a graham cracker land. Anyway, it's impressive and I'll post pictures next week sometime. I'm going out of town tomorrow, so...I won't be able to blog =(
I love Christmas...not just the songs, food, fuzzy feelings, or food. Yeah I said food twice. But I love the meaning behind it. Christmas is completely a holiday of love. And if you thought that was cheesy, just read some more...
Yesterday, I went caroling with some friends that I dearly love. There is a house in their neighborhood that always puts up MASSIVE decorations during Christmas time and is dubbed "The Christmas House". This year, they didn't put up any. We went and caroled at their dark house. A darling woman opened the door. After we were done singing (we were like wee angels...not) "O Holy Night" and "We wish you a merry Christmas" . I looked up. Tears were streaming from the woman's eyes. I was so touched that our simple action made the woman so happy. We reminded her of Christmas. REAL Christmas. When we were caroling at another house, the owner's mentioned that the "Christmas house family" had an illness in the family, and that's why they didn't do lights this year. I was so happy that we could bring a little Christmas cheer to what seemed a cheerless house.
Yep, it's cheesy, but that's one of the reasons why I LOVE Christmas.

The things I love has come to an end. I was going to do it til the end of the year, but I want to start brainstorming on something more exciting that I can start New Year's. I love so many things, and I'll continue to share them...just not in a list and so often =)

Have a blessed Christmas. Remember why we have Christmas. Love people, give big hugs, smile and laugh lots, and make beautiful memories that will last forever.

Happy christmas!

Mary Em

Thoughts

I got an email today that made me think. Made me think harder than I have since ...well forever.

I went to camp this summer with a really cool girl. She was a great Christian and one of the funniest people I've ever met. Her boyfriend came for the ball at the end of the week. They were adorable and perfect for eachother. He was 20 she was 18. I received an email today telling me that Trent (the boyfriend) had been accidentally shot by his brother and yesterday, he died.
Now I'm completely aware of the fact that death is a normal thing. But this hit me harder than I thought it would.

Cara was over at my house and sat in silence as I read the message and gasped in disbelief. I had met this guy. He was young and wonderful to be around. I cannot even fathom what his family, his friends, and Avery are going through.

Then I thought-how fortunate am I to have life? I am a spoiled brat that wakes up every day, barely mumbling a prayer of thankfulness to my GREAT God. I rarely think-Wow! I'm awake! Thanks God! and even less often than that do I think, Jeez! I'm so fortunate! my parents are alive too! and even less...well you get the idea.

I thought about how much I treasure my friends, family, and people I just know. There are some people in my life, I really don't know what I'd do without them. I can't even imagine what Avery is feeling right now.
Pray for her. And pray for Trent's family (the Locketts). Pray for consolation and peace. Pray for them to turn to Jesus for their peace and nothing else.

Also, wake up and think about what you do and say. I love you guys. And I'm thankful for each and every one of you. =)

Things I love:
1) getting flour on my face when I cook.
2) making Christmas cookies
3) Decorating Gingerbread.
4)Going thrifting
4) Walking to Micah's
5) new music!
6) closing my eyes...and knowing that I am His.
7) mittens....and blue satin sashes =P
8) Computers...
9) CAMERAS
10) Crazy hibachi chefs...

Mary Em

"Ablaze in His light and glory..."

That's how my pastor talks.
It's beautiful.
I was sitting in church today, listening. really listening. And I realized how inspired and on fire my pastor is. I'm so thankful for Pastor Caines. He is a man after God's own heart and should be an inspiration to many. He is utterly rapt in his love for Christ. When he preaches he's like a poet, painting with his words, creating a gorgeous picture of how God holds us in His hands. I was sitting in the pew, completely dumbfounded. This is a normal man. But look at how God moves him.
That's really all I have on my mind right now.

Things I love:
1) My short hair.
2) Making T shirts
3) Colored pencils
4) blank cd's...just waiting to be filled with music.
5) swiveling chairs
6) granola
7) lotion
8) Dishwashers...because I'm lazy
9) Clocks-they're so quaint...and necessary
10) Blogging! =)

Simply havin, a wonderful christmastime.

Tacky Christmas! I went to the Sr. High Progressive dinner last night for our church. The plan was for all the girls to wear tacky sweaters...I ended up being the only one. Haha oh well!
So I did it. I donated my hair. I cut off ELEVEN inches! I'm not sure if I like it still. But I'm sure it will grow on me. I am having the best Christmas break! Since thursday, I've been to two parties, wrapped most of my Christmas presents, made a hat, written some christmas cards, and watched three movies. Life is good.

Last night, I watched Julie&Julia. In spite of it's obvious political agenda, it was a pretty cute movie. The plot was quick moving and interesting. Amy Adams was adorable, no duh. I definitely think that it was sad though, that the "blog" was Julie's only source of purpose. Hm.

Anyway, afterwards, I wanted to cook and blog like crazy. So I did! I made little quiches for a party I'm going to today. You know what they NEVER show in any cooking shows or movies? The dishes part. I love cooking. But after I was done with the quiche I had to face a mountain of cutting boards, knives, and measuring things. It didn't take me long or anything...but I hate that part.

Anyway, I hope you have the best day. I know I've had a great one so far. This Christmas feels like it's going to be the best yet. No joke.

Things I love-Family edition: I've already been thankful for my parents so...
1) My brother Jonathan. He's earthy and humble and unique. I love him and he's going to make SUCH a great dad. He also was one of the people who introduced me to good music in middle school.
2) My brother Kevin-He's like my body guard. I know if I ever have trouble in any way, I can call him and he'll beat up somebody for me. =)
3) Kyle-He's loud and funny, and excited about life. Despite all of our many differences, I love him =) He's also my twin, according to some people.
4) Victoria-She's crafty, artistic as all get out...I do love that about her. She can be veryyy spoiled, but sometimes we have the most fun together.
5) Jennie Vatt-My first sis-in-law. I know when she married Jonathan I was a little nervous. Okay, I was crushed. I felt like someone had stolen my brother away. But now I treasure Jennie so much and cannot imagine life without her! she's so inspired and such a dreamer. I love her so much.
6) Brandi Vatt-The newest addition to our family. She's so sweet and quiet. I love her smile and her sense of humor. Her and Kevin are perfect for eachother!
7) BABY VATT!- He/She isn't here yet (just a month left!) But I'm already in love with it. I know he or she is going to be one of the coolest kids around! =)
8) Grandma and Grandpa "Karl"-They live in Arizona (which is gorgeous by the way). My Grandmother is a fantastic cook and is so sweet. My grandpa tells hilarious stories and has taught me many life lessons.
9) Grandma and Granpa Wilkin- They live in Texas! My grandma is a very interesting person. She likes unique things and has strong opinions. My Grandpa is so so so sweet. He plays golf and cards. We have played some great rounds of poker together. =)
10) Uncle Rick and Aunt Sharon- They're my closest family outside of my close family. if that makes sense. Uncle rick is a lot like my dad. He grows things. He used to make salsa so hot that you would practically explode when you ate it =) He's quiet and sweet. My aunt Sharon is one of the most amazing women ever. She's patient and has a gift for interior decorating. She loves My sister and I like we're her kids.

There you go. I'm going to try to make some stencils to make shirts before the party tonight! =)
I promise, I'll be wayy more diligent with my blogging now that it's Christmas break. I'll also begin posting more pictures!

Mary Em

I'm wearing an elephant ring!

I went to the ADULT dentist for the first time last week! *gasp* Actually, it was fine, they said I had pretty teeth. woot. Also, they had a prize bucket! YES! So I got a plastic elephant ring...that I really like.

Okay, I told Christine Armao (the crazy girl I mentioned in the last post) that Iwould make a facebook note of a bedtime story she told me. I don't like facebook notes...so I'm doing this.
Sorry, Christine, deal with it!

So here our story begins.
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess name Emily Renee Vatt *here I interrupted to inform Christine that my name was Mary Emily Vatt and I didn't want to be a princess* So there was this SLAVE *I really wanted to be a village person...not a slave* named Emily. She wore crazy clothes and had blue hair. *yes!* There was also a handsome prince in this land, named Prince Andrew (referring to the Andrew Schreiner. Who's 12...here I declared this just wouldn't work) and he had to get married to become king. The Prince could make whoever he wanted to marry him, because...that's how it works. He came to Emily's house and said "Marry me. If you don't, I'll kill you" So Emily had to agree. They had to have a 9 month engagement period. Emily had a sister, Christine Faith. Emily went to Christine and said "I'm in quite a predicament...a pickle of sorts" She explained the situation, hoping Christine would have a solution. Christine said "I have an idea, if you could find the man you really loved, and get him made into a knight, then the law says you can marry a knight instead of the prince." So Emily went to her true love, Dan (Christine told this story-keep this in mind) Stevenson and told him that he must kill a dragon *here I asked what kind of dragon, because there are some nice ones....like dragon tales. Christine said "The kind of dragon that eats. *
and bring the tail of it to the King. Dan rushed out to find a dragon. During this time, Emily fasted. So the King got upset at Prince Andrew for something-so he tied him up and he died. on the last day of the 9th month, Dan presented the tail of a dragon to the King. The king said, "you're great, so I'm going to make you a knight". So he knighted Dan. There was a triple wedding. Dan married Emily, Emily's other slave friend, Amy married another knight-Knight David, and Christine married Knight Andrew Helton. And Emily and Dan rode off into to the sunset on a pony.
THE END

bahahahahhaha
that was rich.


Things I love:
1) Honey. mmm it's so healthy and delicious
2) fuzzy socks-I'm not one to wear socks...but I like really comfy ones!
3) Lace curtains. Oh so quaint.
4) Starbucks. I love it, it so homey and wonderful.
5) Running incredibly fast with your eyes closed. Now I wouldn't advise this. But it's really cool.
6) Watching the Sun rise and set. It's breathtakingly serene and so beautiful. The colors and the whole feeling of watching a day begin and end is just nice.
7) Glasses. Now I do wish I had perfect eyesight. BUT I really like my glasses.
8) BABY VATT! In January, I'm going to be an aunt. I'm so thankful for that...AND I LOVE IT!
9) the smell of old books. mmmm
10) the fact that after today, I'm done with school until JANUARY!

Okay, I have to take a final!
BYE!
Mary Em

Sufjans Stevens and Grapefruit

1st: I am eating the best grapefruit EVER
2nd: These pictures show just a couple of the MANY reasons why I love Sufjan Stevens...I would do practically anything to see him live.


Things I love/Am thankful for *Friends edition*
1) Jenny Garner-I've raved about her, multiple times. But I really love her so much and our friendship is pretty unique. We can literally sit there and still have a blasty blast.
2) Micah Schreiner-He has the best smile and always puts one on my face. I love him so much and I can't wait until Christmas break! He also is responsible for my taste in music. I can be completely myself with him and we're like brother and sister. No weird feelings, no self-conciousness. Just friendship. And it's oh so nice.
3) Sara Aho-hahaha I love her because "she drives me places"...not really, She is artistic and happy and I laugh a lot when I am with her. I also TRULY appreciate the fact she gives me rides places! =)
4) Bethany Griffin-Oh my gosh. She's so devoted to what she does, and I love her for that. She's talented, but utterly humble about it. I love that. She's funny and quiet. I guess opposites do attract ;)
5) Jamie Martof-She's understanding. Whenever I do cry, it seems she has the best advice and such. I do appreciate the fact she's emotional. I'm not, so I have been able to understand that better by being her friend. She's a beautiful dancer with big hopes.
6) Cara Martof-My "bad influence" I love Cara. Honestly, I'm the most retarded when I'm with her for some reason. But I love that. We walk to micah's ...make jokes about rhonda. Good times.
7) Alyssa Griffin-SHE IS INSANE. But I love her to death. She makes me smile with her hyperness. I think she's the most sunshiny person I know.
8) Katherine Gaither-This is a new friend. I have gotten to know her in the last year, and I love her! She's artsy and adorable and a great leader. I can't wait for us to become closer friends.
9) Olivia Renegar-another new one! She was in my photography class (that ended today...tear*). She's a woman after God's heart and I loved spending time with her. I hope our friendship doesn't end with the semester.
10) Christine Armao-My little Sister. Sort of. I love her for her accent and frankness. I laugh so much when I'm with her. Wednesdays are not ever going to be as exciting without you, Stiner.


Photography ended today...I'm actually really sad about that. It was an eye-opening class. There's nothing like being encouraged to create and see the world with an artist's eye. I loved every minute of all of the work. I'm relieved that my final is over, though. YAY!
So now, onto practicing for the reception I'm playing for Sunday. OH AND CHRISTMASSY THINGS! I can't wait now. I'm so ready, after I'm done practicing I'm going to clean and write cards and wrap presents. AHHHh it's HERE!

Have a beautiful rest of today, despite the fact it's dreary outside.
Mary Em

where is rob?

If you've never heard of Improv Everywhere you should look them up. I think I'm going to organize this soon...no joke.

I am really cold and tired and ready to go to bed...so this post won't be that exciting.

Things I love/I am thankful for:
1) Journaling. Yes, I have recorded many a crush in my lifetime. But I've also written about other things that I like to go back and read every so often.
2) Ears. I don't necessarily love them..but I am really thankful for them. A world without sound would be like an orchestra without a conductor. Chaotic.
3) Plants. I know I've talked about trees and grass, but I really love all plants. Green, leafy ones, woody ones, flowering ones. They're all so unique and beautiful. =)
4)Converse. I love my converse shoes. love being able to wash them and make them clean...ish. Haha I washed my shoes a while ago, and two weeks later, Micah said "You already mutilated them?" It's because I wear them...24/7.
5)I'm so thankful I civil war reenact. I have been able to experience history in such a special way. I've learned so many life lessons as well. I know how to be a fine southern belle =D
6)I'm so so so so so so so thankful for the fact that I'm done with all of my printing! I have TWO (count 'em) only TWO photos left to retouch. Then I'm FINISHED...well after I paint my board and put my photo corners on...
7) The fact that Christmas is FOURTEEN days away! Eek!
8)My little Ipod Wade. I love it. I am also very thankful for it...daily.
9) Chocolate chip pecan pie. I just heard my mom say she was having some and that sounds DELECTABLE.
10) Pianos. Upright pianos to be exact. There's something homey and down to earth about an upright piano. Especially ones that are slightly out of tune.

That's all from me today. I am going to wash out leotards and such for tomorrow!
OH! Also, my brother Jonathan graduates tomorrow. Isn't that exciting? He graduates in Dec. and becomes a dad in Jan. ...what a great couple of months! I love him SO much and I'm so proud of him! =D

Mary em

Oh how the wind tussles my hair...

Things I love/am thankful for:
1) Wednesday night church. The supper is great, the fellowship is great. I love my church.
2)I just found this picture... hahahahha
3) long phone conversations. I had an incredibly wonderful talk with Micah tonight. I love him and miss him very much! I cannot wait until Christmas break!
4) Christmassy cookies!
5) pointe shoes...Okay, I know I've complained about them a little...okay TONS. But I do like them and I'm glad I'm strong enough to dance on them.
6) Graphing calculators. I thought about this as I did tons of math homework tonight. Without it...I shudder to think about what it'd be like...
7) Sweaters. Have I talked about them yet? Well lets..talk about them. They're freakin' wonderful. there you go. 'nuff said.
8) My Bible. I could be cliche and say "The Bible" but I specifically LOVE my Bible. It's NAS and marked up a ton. I stumble upon old notes and smile every time I read them. I love the feel of it's pages and the sound they make when I turn them...hmmm I just love my Bible.
9) I'm so thankful for the fact that I live in Chattanooga. It's a little town and stuff. But it's lovely and artsy and friendly. I love it.
10) I'm thankful that I have 31 sheets of photo paper to work with tomorrow. YES!



I had a fantastic day. And when I say fantastic. I mean it. I have been incredibly busy and tired and such. And when I've had free time, I've squandered it in ridiculous ways. (like sleeping)
This morning, at "servant team" or whatever, I was talking to Bethany and Chris about how I'm stressed out and such. They listened and took my "pearl" of what's going on in my life. Something that Chris had said earlier hit home, though. We're reading through 1st Peter (well now we're done) and it ends with "Peace be with you..." Christians are called to be a peaceful people. We're not called to be uptight and stressed. I went to Chatt state thinking about all I needed to get done. I was also thinking of the fact I only had one sheet of paper left, and so many photos to reprint. God is so good. A really sweet girl (I didn't even learn her name) in the Photo and darkroom two class, had 30 sheets of paper left. She sold all thirty sheets to me for 10 bucks. Crazy huh?
After that, I sat waiting for my mom under a tree, on a bench. The wind was violent today. I mean VIOLENT. So I just laid there, and listened to Andrew Bird. I realized then that God wanted me to forget all of my school and such for an hour or so, and think about HIM and HIS creation and what HE has for me in my life. I opened my Bible to the Psalms. It fell open to Psalm 63. David is a beautiful poet. I love that Psalm as it depicts a soul thirsting for God. Anywho, I'm not a poetry person...so don't judge. But I wrote this as I waited for my mom:



Every gust of Wind says in a low tone
He wants you
The swirling Leaves echo the wind's words.
The Grass sings as they shake.
He loves you, they sing.
He wants you, the Wind says.
The Wind grows stronger and stronger,
Tearing through the Leaves,
Its cry growing louder.
The Grass's subtle song becomes a tempestuous aria,
Full of straining notes and clashing percussion.
All this time, I sit on a bench, unaware of the chaos that is around me.
The Sun streams on my face,
Turning my hair fiery auburn with its light.
In an instant I hear the choir-like Grass.
I understand the rustling Wind's words.
I leap to my feet, confused frightened and amazed.
Why?! I shout above the noise.
The Grass becomes hushed.
The Wind stills.
Why? I whisper to myself.
Because He loves you! cries a small blade of Grass.
But why is that?
Because He loves you! says a large Leaf as it drifts gracefully to the ground.
But WHY does He love me?!
Because He loves you. the Wind answers.
As I begin to question why again,
The patch of Grass calms.
The Leaves are still.
The Wind blows on to the next burdened soul that needs to hear its message.
Moments later, and miles away it seems, I hear voices crying
He wants you...
He loves you...
Then a questioning voice, asking why.

Darkroom Weather

(The picture above is just to brighten yours and my day)

My teacher used that expression today.
You know you're a photographer when you think of rain and cold as Darkroom Weather. Mmm love.

I'm so busy, and incredibly tired, and I have wayy too many things to do.

Things I love/ am thankful for:
1)Hair. I love peoples hair. Short, long. CURLY, straight..I dunno, whenever I see pretty hair I just want to touch it. "Isn't hair funny?!"-cara martof
2) Darkroom Weather. Nuff Said.
3) taking pages of notes. I love that accomplished feeling after I've written a whole page of anything. I'm also thankful for the notebooks full of knowledge I have.
4) Charlie Brown. I feel so sorry for him. I love him. I relate to him. Little did Charles Shultz know that he would create a global icon.
5) Cookies. I LOVE cookies. All different shapes, sizes, kinds. Hmmm I love milk and cookies. Also, nothing says "Christmas" to me more than gingerbread cookies.
6) My parents. My dad is one of the most encouraging people I know. My mom is smart, and has wonderful taste in movies and music and I love them both so much. I'm so thankful for them. They are the reason I am me. (duh) besides the obvious though, My parents are so cool and unique. I know I would be a heck of a lot more boring with out their influence.
7) Tights. I'm first of all, thankful for the warmth they provide during these winter months. But I'm also in love with them for multiple reasons.
8) Skirts. I know I've talked about clothes alot...but I love skirts, ESPECIALLY skirts with pockets!
9) Chocolate Milk. I know, it's for kids. But I LOVE it. mmm
10) I'm so thankful for plates. What else would we eat our food on if we didn't have them?

Here's a little spill about my life-
I'm really busy lately, and all the free time I get, I don't utilize properly. I'm a little uninspired, and as I just told my buddy Joe, definitely un-Christmassy. I have a week and a half until finals. Two weeks til Christmas. And I'm not ready for either. Not to mention, I've been incredibly confused by some things. And figuring those out are a lost cause.
Therefore, I'm going to try to finish a math section before going to bed, and pray for lots of guidance.
I hope you all are ♪ simply havin' a wonderful christmastime♪!
Mary Em

Hi there

Well I am a little tired right now, so I'm sorry if this is the most boring post in the whole world!

Things I love:
1) My three very special guy friends who came to the ball this weekend-Dan, David, and Andrew.
2) The Columbia Christmas ball. I love it. This year was the best ever!
3) Lips. They're kinda hilarious. If you really think about it...
4) Sleeping. I love sleeping. having a nice dream, or just being cozy...ahh so great.
5) Hot cider and lemon pound cake. Not really, although I love those things, I really just loved this afternoon. I got to spend time with Mrs. Schreiner. She's an absolute angel and I'm thankful for that.
6) icicles! I saw some gorgeous ones on the way home from the ball! My amazing mother pulled to the side of the road and let me hope out and take pictures!
7) scarves. Fuzzy, short, long, silky, or cottony. I LOVE THEM.
8) My little purity ring. I have a small silver heart and I really like it.
9) The fact I'm wearing christmas socks. I love christmas socks.
10) Christmas trees. My little sister has this whole devotion advent thing that is a christmas tree. My mom puts up billions of christmas trees a year. I guess Christmas trees are just something I'll always treasure.

Have a better day than I had.
Only a couple more weeks til christmas break...
I wish I could express the confusion that is going on in my head right now. But alas..I can't.

Enjoy a little picture from my Branson trip
Mary Em

Fast...

Okay I have to go do things, but I wanted to make sure to get this done before I go out of town.


1) Toothpaste. I love brushing my teeth. It makes me feel fresh and clean and well..minty. I am thankful that we have things like toothpaste to keep our teeth from falling off.
2) Crazy conversations. Haha last night, I took part in a seriously bazaar status comment conversation on facebook. I got to know two new friends!
3) Seeing your breath. There's something whimsical about having a mini cloud come out your mouth.
4) The ability to dance, run, walk, skip, etc. I am so glad I have functioning legs! I think of all the children that cannot walk. It makes me want to run and dance just for them.
5) Cd's/ipods-It's amazing that we can listen to our favorite music ANYWHERE! Think back to forever ago, when the only way to listen to music was to play it yourself.
6) TV shows like the Office, Red Green, Scrubs, Home Improvement...silly, dumb humor. Ahhh how I love it.
7) Paint. I love paint, and I'm so thankful for it. It's amazing, you can take something perfectly white and make it all different colors!
8) Shoes. I'm so thankful for shoes. Not only are they adorable, but they also protect our feet and keep the supported.
9) the number nine. I have loved the number nine since forever ago. And since this is nine...I ...wanted to share that! =D
10) The Alphabet. I'm so thankful for a language with only 27...or 26 I forgot, letters! I love the alphabet too. each letter seems to have a personality of its own. abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz. (see?)

I'm going to a ball! I'm so excited. Tomorrow, I'll be giving home tours all in costume and then Saturday's the ball. I'm so so so excited about seeing my dear friends from the Atheneaum and bringing my good guy friends from here with me! I hope your weekend is as fun as mine is going to be! (yeah that makes sense)
Bye dears.
Mary Em

Oh fallen world

To you is the song, death holds you fast and night tarries long,
Jesus is born, your curse to destroy!
Sweet to your ears, a carol...of joy.

so sweet to my ears.


Hi guys. I really had a great day and that's a nice change from the past three days...

Things I love and and that I'm oh so thankful for:
1) My sight. I'll get into this in a second.
2) THIS-I have mentioned before that I'm literally in love with Wade Johnston. True story. I'm determined that he's pretty much the most handsome male on this earth.
3) The sky tonight. It was absolutely gorgeous. The moon looks like the sun it's so bright. And the clouds are a lovely gray...gosh.
4) Christmas Choir. Or just choir on wednesday nights in general. It's so fun to get together with everyone and just sing. I love it.
5) Wednesday morning servant team meetings. I'm so thankful for those. They help me understand so many things about being a leader (or even just a good person...)
6) Sharpies. I love sharpies.
7) Running water! I took a shower tonight, a hot shower! Thank you, God!
8) Chattanooga State. Okay, I complain about it all the time. But without it, I wouldn't get all the opportunities I've gotten so far. I also value the experience.
9) ...-I use that all the time, and I really appreciate it...
10) Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Gregory Peck, GENE KELLY, Fred Astaire, and so many other incredibly handsome, talented actors that were oh so classy. I miss them all and wish they were here.

Okay,

So there's a little girl at our church named Erin. She's had lots of health problems since she was born. She's now around four and tonight I found out she is blind in one eye. That's not the worst of it. Erin has a condition where she has a 50% chance of completely going blind in the years to come. They're encouraging the parents to teach her braille, how to walk with the stick thing, etc.
My heart sank when I heard this. I'm so selfish in thinking of myself, but I literally IMMEDIATELY thought, wow, I'm so glad I can see. It's true though. God's universe is so fantastic and mighty and beautiful. I don't miss out on anything. Erin sees/will see a whole different world from what I do. I wonder what that world will be like. Pray for Erin. Pray for a miracle in her life. I pray that no matter what, she will love God's creation, and be able to experience it. Even if it's in a different way.
I hope you have a wonderful Thursday!
Mary Em

Oh I'm so Painfully Indie

This is my little sister. I took her shopping convinced her that color coordinating is okay =)


Hahaha

I had a wonderful day, but I have to go do lots of things (like watch so you think you can dance and paint) so again, this post will be quick.

1) I LOVE TEA! I love it. It's calming, warm, it can be herbal, fruity, minty. mmmm I love it.
2) Brownies in mugs. Ever since my fantastic friend Jenny introduced me to this wonderful delicacy I've been caught nomming them on several occasions. I mean, it's a brownie that you can make in less then five minutes. In amug. What's not to love?!
3) Just-washed hair smell. I know that's not normal. But I love the smell of washed hair. ..okay moving on
4) My youth pastor and his wife. Chris and Reba are incredibly encouraging. They continually tell us the different ways they see Christ in us and how much they love us. I love them both so much and I'm so thankful for them.
5) Hands. I'm so thankful for hands, not to mention I think they're wonderful. My hands are crooked, small, and calloused and funny looking. But they create things and make music and help people. I can't be too thankful for that.
6) Books. I am thankful for them and I love them. They give us another world and all the knowledge that comes with that world. We can be completely immersed in a culture, story, piece of art, location...and so many other things, just by turning the pages.
7) Marshmallows. I love marshmallows. They're like clouds you can eat!
8) The word Nom. It means to eat or consume wildly (actually, I made the definition up...but is a word)
9) Swingsets. I love swingsets. I'm also thankful for all the wonderful times I've had on a swingset.
10) finally, I'm thankful for my friend Olivia. She's such a storng Christian and she's the sunshine of my Tuesdays and Thursdays. Hopefully after this photography class is over, we'll stay friends!

Have a great tomorrow, my lovely readers.
Mary Em