October 19, 2012

Updates on Life

Have I mentioned that I suck at blogging?  I think I have.  Well, I have clearly proved it because it has been 7 MONTHS since my last post.  So much has happened over the past few months, so I figured I would take a few minutes to update.  

In April I moved out of my tiny apartment and into a house with an amazing roommate.  Now, that amazing roommate is married, and she and I are both moving out of the house today.  I am moving back in with my parents, which is an hour and 45 minute drive to work...eek!  Thankfully, that drive is only for a few weeks because our home is for sale (know anyone looking to buy?).  My parents bought a new house, which we will all (Olly included) be moving into on December 2.  That's right, at 23, and after 5 years out of the house, I am moving back in with my momma and daddy, and I am completely ok with that.  Well, I'm good with the living with them part, the fact that I have moved 5 times in less than 2 years is somewhat exhausting to think about.  Therefore, I won't think about it.

In January I set a goal that I would read 52 books in 2012, averaging 1 book per week.  Well, yesterday I completely book number 49!  At least that is one goal for the year that I will actually achieve.  

Lastly, next week I am flying to Colorado!  I have been dreaming about going there since I was a little girl, and next week I will finally get to see the Rocky Mountains.  I may just not come back.  

My goal is to post about all of my adventures in Colorado, let's hope I actually remember, but I might not, so sorry in advance.  

Chelsea



March 11, 2012

My National Holiday

As of yesterday I am officially 1 year older!  That's right, yesterday was my 23rd birthday - or as I like to call it "National Day of Chelsea"  :)  

I have known for months that I was going to have to work on my birthday.  I am the Event Coordinator at an inn and I scheduled an event on the night of my birthday.  (I tried avoiding it, but unfortunately it wasn't possible.)  As much as I like to say that the anniversary of my birth is a national holiday in all honesty birthdays have never truly been a big deal, but regardless, no one wants to work noon to midnight on their birthday.

Anyway....I was kind of down about this whole situation assuming that my birthday would pass by and feel like every other day.  I was wrong.  I have to admit that 23 turned out to be one of my most memorable birthdays to date. 



Annelise came back from GA & made me a Funfetti cake. - Our yearly tradition.  :)
Dinner with Momma & Daddy.
 
BEAUTIFUL flowers delivered to work from
my grandparents!
WHITE SOX tickets from Momma, Daddy, & Olly!  --  In case you didn't know, I pretty much love the White Sox!  :)


 

These are just a few of the things that made my birthday special.  My co-workers, friends, & family went above and beyond this year.  I am so blessed, and so thankful to have so many amazing people in my life who love me and want me to feel special.  <3  

Bring it on 23!

Chelsea

March 7, 2012

On the Farm

Spring is almost here! 

I had a few consecutive days off this week, so of course I came back home to my parents house, and I was quickly reminded that it is almost Spring, and therefore lambing is in full force around here.

In the last two weeks we have had six new additions to our little farm.  Four baby lambs and two baby goats have joined the family, and we have more lambs on the way. 

The first two of our 4 baby lambs on the day they were born.

Stein - (Stine? - I'm not sure how they are spelling it.)  He was the first of the new additions.

Sampson - He is a triplet, but due to complications, the other two didn't make it.  Unfortunately, we lost his Momma a few days after he was born.  He is now being bottle fed, and from what I can see he is loving the extra attention.

It has definitely been a crazy couple of weeks around here and it is keeping my family quite busy.  Because I no longer live at home I am able to escape the madness, but I have discovered (much to my surprise) that I really miss it.  Growing up I hated the constant work of raising animals, and literally counted the days until I could move away.  Now that I am living an hour and a half away without a single pet I have to admit that I miss it and look forward to any chance that I have to come back. 

It's funny how life works.  I never realized what a blessing this life was until I left it.

Chelsea

January 19, 2012

Because I have nothing better to write about...

Ok, so I have been trying to decide what I want to write about for a while now, and I have yet to make up my mind, but I decided that I have wasted enough time and I needed to write something.  Here it goes.

The following are completely random facts about myself, and to my knowledge they are unknown to most.  -- To all of those who know me well (Casey, Sarah, Olly, my momma...) please let me know if I have learned anything about me.  :-)

Ok, first....if I stick out my tongue it vibrates.  Every single time.  I don't know why, it hasn't always done this.  I noticed it about a year or two ago, and the harder I try to keep it from vibrating the more it twitched and freaks out.  It's weird, I know.

In addition, when I close my eyes...my eye balls sometimes twitch and vibrate around.  Not like my tongue does, but still...random.

I hate apologies.  I haven't decided if this makes me a terrible person or not, I mean, I am all for forgiveness, I think it's great, but seriously, I can do without apologies.
I can't help it. 99% of the time, I would rather just get a quick "sorry" than have to sit through a drawn out apology.  In fact, I think it would be best if the forgiveness was just understood, and both parties just move on.  To clarify....I'll apologize to someone, that's not my issue, I just don't like it when people apologize to me.  So, to anyone out there who ever feels the need to apologize to me...just send me a text with the word "sorry" and it will be all good.  ;-)
(I'm sure that this mindset is just setting me up for "relationship disaster."  In ten years I will probably be blogging about how I have had to receive therapy.)

I don't like milk, I think it is disgusting. 

I really really don't like potatoes, this includes all forms of potatoes.  I can sometimes each really thin french fries, and I can sometimes eat instant potatoes...which aren't really potatoes at all.  Yes, I know that this makes me weird, and yes I know that this is "un-American."

I hate beans.  Literally if the choice was between eating beans and starvation....I would seriously have to contemplate starvation. 

Ok, I think I will stop there....considering I just made myself look like the strangest person of all time.  :-)


Chelsea

January 6, 2012

Memories

I have decided to write about a few of my favorite memories.  They are in no particular order, they are just a few things that give you all a closer look at who I am and what has made me that way.  :-)

 Killing my first deer.
     Growing up my dad has always been a hunter.  I remember when I was very young I would grab on to the straps of his overalls and hang on for dear life.  My goal was to convince him through my begging to either stay home or take me with him.  When I was 11 I got my hunting license.  One would think that this would have been the start of my oh so successful hunting career, but no.  I got bored with it and never actually went hunting.  In fact, I don't think I shot a gun from the time I was 11 until the time I killed my first deer when I was 17 and a senior in high school.  I guess you could say that I was scared of the "kick".  Anyways...hunting was always my sister's thing.  It was what brought her and my dad so close together....I guess you could say that I was jealous of that.  Killing my first deer changed that.  I finally had that moment with my dad, and no one can ever take that away from me. 
Nov. 2006
Costa Rica
     In March 2007 I went on a mission trip to Alajuela, Costa Rica.  It would take about three posts to actually go into details about the trip, but just know that it was incredible.  (If you want details about the trip just ask me, I would be happy to tell you all about it.)


Ashley & I at work.  :)



 LC3
     Throughout high school and part of college I worked at a little movie theater called "Linton Cinemas III."  It was here that I met on of my best friends, Ashley. My favorite LC3 memory is being smacked in the face with a sweeper (by that same best friend) -- In her defense I feel that I should mention that she was attempting to keep me from falling.  The result was both of us on the floor and my with a bruised face.



Buying my first car
     In May 2011 I traded in my 2000 Mercury Sable for a 2011 Toyota Corolla.  Although by May I had been a college graduate for five whole months, and I had been working at my first "big girl job" for almost two months, it was at this moment when I was signing all of my paperwork that I realized that I had officially become a grown up.

I'm not going to give this memory a title mostly because I'm not going to mention this person's name. -- I'm not sure if she would want everyone in the world to know that this is about her, but she reads my blog, so she will know that she made my list.  :) 
Anyways....in 2007 I met a close friend of mine.  I won't go into great detail, but I will say that one very clear memory that I have of her was the night she told me that she refused to call herself a Christian.  She loved God, and she knew that God loved her and as far as she was concerned that was as far as it went.  Her attitude toward Christianity was because close family member of her's was considered a "Christian" and would put on the mask when in public, but as soon as the doors closed the mask came off and the ugly came out.  She hated that, and if that's what a Christian was than she didn't want anything to do with it. 
Hearing her say that really hit me hard.  I immediately began praying for her.  I also began evaluating my life because I wanted to be sure that who I was as a Christian would draw people closer to Christ...not push them away. 
Three years after this conversation took place, my friend was baptized.  That day is definitely one of my favorite moments in life thus far.  Seeing the changes that God made in her life, and getting the opportunity to continue to watch her grow in her relationship with Christ has truly been remarkable.  God is so good.


2009-2010 April, me, Casey, Makenzie


A few of my favorite memories took place with my sorority sisters.  Once I joined Delta Gamma I began living in Stairwell 5 of the Lincoln Quads.  With bedrooms the size of jail cells and that many girls living in such a small space the only results could be fun, excitement, and....drama.  However, since I am writing about good memories and not bad ones...I'll stick to fun and excitement.  :-) 


Dixon dancing for Casey.

Casey and I...I'm pretty sure she tackled me.
2010 Kayla, Kaci, me, Ahnya, Mary

Our last picture together before I graduated.

We were big fans of dance parties.




































Now you all know more about me than most people.  :-)  I hope I didn't bore you too much.

Chelsea

January 5, 2012

i am second...

I have recently discovered "I Am Second".  It's this incredible website that is full of information and videos that help people live second. 

Christ is first, and we are second. 

The concept is so simple and obvious, yet it can sometimes be so difficult to maintain.  I suppose that is because we are selfish by nature. 

Anyways...I Am Second has started the 22 Day Challenge.  They email you a video everyday for 22 days.  You are supposed to watch the video, share it with someone else (I post each day's video on twitter), complete the challenge given to you, and then pray that your family/friends/co-workers/city will discover the freedom of living second.  The videos are awesome, and the challenges are so simple.  They are things that we should be doing every single day, but often forget about.  I am currently on day three, and it has been great.  Today I checked my email 3 times in anticipation for the new video. 

To register and begin your 22 Day Challenge just click here.

It only takes about 10 minutes each day, and it's worth it.  I promise.  :)

Chelsea

January 4, 2012

My Giving Key

My new necklace from The Giving Keys came in this week.  I am beyond excited about it!  I am a sucker for anything that's for a good cause.  The concept behind The Giving Keys is simple.  You order a necklace with a key on it.  They key is inscribed with any word that you choose.  You where the necklace until you come across someone in life who you feel needs the word on the key, and you give them the necklace.  Then they pass it on to someone and it continues on.  The keys are inscribed by people who are homeless and the proceeds go towards keeping them off the streets. 





I chose "Inspire" for my key.








Chelsea

January 1, 2012

*2012*

I can hardly believe that is is already 2012.  It has already been a year since I graduated college and almost five years since I graduated high school.  The fact that I am about to turn 23 is shocking to me - not that I think that I'm old, it's just that time is flying by.

I have never been one for resolutions, however last year I made a few and actually achieved them, so I figured why not try again.

1.  Be Healthy - I think this is on everyone's list...so I might as well put it on mine.  Besides, I kind of already   started working on this one in October.  35 lbs down!

2.  Be Confident - I like who I am, but I rarely think that I am good enough.  I am good enough.  I have to start believing that.  Or at least faking it - I figure if I fake it long enough it will eventually become true. 

3.  Have an adventure. - I am beyond bored with where I am and what I am doing....I have every intention to pursue my "dream job" and move someplace completely new.

4.  Be Consistent - I need to do this in pretty much every aspect of my life.  It's quite sad. 

5.  Study the Bible - This one is a constant goal.  It will remain on every list I ever make.

6.  Blog more - Ha!  Clearly this is something I really need to work on.

7.  Read 52+ Books in 2012 - On average I want to read at least one book a week.

8.  Inspire - To live a life that inspires others.

I'll keep you updated about how I do, and by updating I will be successfully be completing #6.  :)

Happy New Year!  Let 2012 be the year that changes your life!

Chelsea