Birthdays and Labor Day Weekend

Hello again friends!

How was your Labor Day weekend? Did you enjoy the long weekend? It was so relaxing. I spent it at the beach (so wonderful) with some of my favorite people! Pictures to follow :)

picture via here

While there, I got to kick off my birthday celebrations early! While I don't exit my teenage years till September 16th officially, when we went to dinner one night, Chris, Chris, Joy, and Brad surprised me with cake and presents. I got a pink toolkit! Something that has been on my list for quite some time! And Brad got me Saving Private Ryan. It was the first movie we watched together, and so thoughtful! Those kind of gifts are worth a lot more to me than something really expensive or flashy!

from here

from here

What was the best gift you have ever received, or what was the best birthday you have ever celebrated? I am going to have to say it was my "sweet 16" for many reasons.

1. I got to go to New York with my very best friend Laura Lineberger and our wonderful Mothers

2. It was my "Golden Birthday" (I turned 16 on the 16th!)

3. Manicure at the Red Door Salon, need I say more?

image from here

4. Wonderful food!

image from here

5. My main gift was time spent with people I love, not things, which was special.

6. OH! I almost forgot! We saw two WONDERFUL plays, "Phantom of the Opera" and "Wicked". Both of which made me cry they were so wonderful.

Anyways,

It has come to that point in the school year (you ask already? yes already....) where I feel like the brick wall has come up and I am hitting it repeatedly. School stinks, but it has been awesome to see God show up in my devotions and work in me and show me that I am supposed to use my gifts he has blessed me with for his good.

love,

the j in jab

sweet afternoons

Today I made the executive decision to take a mental health break from school, and treat myself to coffee and a trip to the grocery store which is always therapeutic.

Do you love the grocery as much as I? There is just something about walking up and down the aisles that is comforting. Maybe it's all the choices, maybe it's because food is my first love and being surrounded by it that's comforting. Who knows.

But, what makes a grocery trip even better is the presence of a Starbucks in the Harris Teeter. Whoever's brilliant idea that was, I applaud you for your sheer genius. Grande-iced latte-two sweet-n-low. The perfect drink in my opinion. What do you think?

So in case you have been out of the Weather Channel loop, there is this Hurricane named Earl, and he is threatening my trip to the beach this weekend! How dare he! We will probably just go anyway and brave the storm!

love,

the j in jab