A job in the making?

Last Saturday I was asked to volunteer at a financial advisor's banquet and I gladly accepted the invitation. This is for my father's friend that he works with and he a culinary artist to say the least. He caters, does floral designs, a costume designer, and graduated from Johnson and Wales culinary arts college in Providence, RI only 20 minutes away from where I used to live! It's a small world after all huh? It is so neat and he promised me a job when no one else would, that is why I attended his banquet as he is having trouble getting the money he needs to open up a new restaurant in our downtown area. He asked many close friends to the banquet whom were all financial advisors, it was so interesting to be apart of something like that. I loved the discussion that was going on between him and them, and now we are praying that they will partake in his amazing idea to open up a restaurant that provides the town and many surrounding areas with healthy, homemade fast food rather than the unhealthy fast food that's everywhere in our town. The food was absolutely delicious and watching him prepare it was fascinating as everything he did was a work of art.

 

Here are pictures of what he did for the banquet:

 

 My favorite was his healthy version of a pork loin soup, I made sure to have a bowl of that.

 

 

 The food was just, yum!

 

 

 Desserts in all their glory

 

 

 Those were cheesecakes and the basket contained macadamia white chocolate nut cookies 

 

 

 This cake was simple yet elegant in its own way, if only I liked chocolate...

 



No alcohol for me! He poured seven up in some of them but I prefer water. 

 I loved the appetizers and the salad!

 

 

The little pork loin appetizers were temptingly delicious

 



 The quiche he made was a meat lovers with a soft crust and it was yummy!

 

 This is a sample of a wedding cake that he designed and one lady has asked for it to be designed in gold, first customer!!

 

 

 Seashells nestled in a large vase of water, it reminds me of the ocean



Did you know that these flowers are actually fake? They look incredibly realistic!

 

 

The food was delicious and I refrained from going up for seconds or having desserts but it sure was hard!

 

Could I ask you all to pray for me? This is the only glimmer of hope I have received from anyone about a job and I would definitely appreciate if you all could pray for me, I sure could use them!

 

I love food, how about all of you?

It's beginning to feel a lot like winter!!

I didn't believe that North Carolina would ever get cold enough to actually bundle up in winter gear, but it actually does and the shock on my face said it all! It was so nice to be able to feel cold weather again, and then a cold rain settled upon the day making it all seem more like home. I am heart wrenchingly homesick for New England, the weather, the ocean, the four seasons, the snow, and even some of my friends that I had to leave behind so very long ago. This coming March marks a full year since we moved down here and I am longing to return home. The chilly winter weather only increases my somber feelings but I know that God has my family and I here for a reason so all I need to do now is trust in Him and allow his plan for our lives to prevail. Now only it felt like this around Christmas time, I believe that it would have felt a lot more like Christmas rather than unusually warm weather we had instead. But life is an experience, and I can say that it truly was one!
 Even though I am pining for home, I want to experience life down here because the North and the South are completely different from one another! Polar opposites in every way, it's been quite an interesting journey and I am glad that I was able to experience something that I probably never would have had I been given the choice. All I know is that I am a northern girl that's trying to make the best of the South haha! I am thankful though for the very cool temperatures that we have been experiencing these past few weeks, or as many are calling it, "The Polar Vortex!" I think that is very funny to say the least.



Candy for the gingerbread houses

 

 



Eden holding little candy balls as she called them

 

 

Faith picking a green spiral mint candy to place on her house

 

Not sure what Jacob was trying to do in this photo! But his face is so adorably funny!

 

My dad helping with the construction of the houses. These all turned out great except I never snapped a picture...oops!

 

Enjoying it all with a delicious hot mug of Irish Breakfast Tea, what else could be better?

 

 

 



Leaves frozen in time

 

Shadow Selfies

 

Sleeping peacefully all bundled up in layers of blankets and jackets. All you could see was his little eyes, I just love Brayden!

 

 

 I am so thankful for everything that I have, and for the cold winter weather! So how is the weather where you all are living? Has the Polar Vortex affected your area?



Another chance to start over again.

 A new year has come upon us once more, and it's as if God has provided us with another chance to begin anew to start fresh. It's a time when we let go of our past mistakes and try to correct them by making our annual New Year's resolutions. But in all honesty, how many of us actually keep them? I for one am one of those people who struggle on a day to day basis just to make it through the list of "to-do's" I made the night before. Well this year I have decided to try and keep the resolutions I made by keeping myself accountable to God and following his word and not my own. This is one thing that has never occurred to me and I feel a bit ashamed of myself for not doing it before. But 2013 was the most difficult year of my life and I never, never, never, EVER want it to happen to my family or myself again! My relationship with God was tested to the extreme, I felt as though I had been torn to pieces and that I wouldn't ever be able to be sewn back together. I shut myself down, I was going through the motions of life but I never allowed myself to feel anything, not love, not anger, not happiness, not sorrow, absolutely nothing. It was just me, myself and I. At first I thought it was depression, and many I have talked to agree that it was a form of depression. I suffered physically and mentally for it let me tell you though. My hair thinned out, I actually had to cut it to prevent the scraggly ends and I always had long hair, ALWAYS. I was borderline anorexic which was really frightening for me. And since the age of 13 or 14 I had pretty mild to moderate acne, I had it under control for a few years but with all the stress it flared up pretty severely. I was a complete mess, I hid myself away from the world hiding in the darkest of shadows never revealing what I truly thought, I was afraid and didn't want to endure the pain of everything all over again.

But I am now on my road to recovery, I have found the path that leads to God once more and I feel as though this is a whole new year and I am stronger after all that I've been through. My relationship with the Lord is astonishingly stronger and better than it ever has been and I have healed or am healing in other areas too. My hair has become thicker, I no longer starve myself, and my acne has healed up so now all I am left with are scars from my past breakout. God has healed me and I am extremely grateful for how faithful he has been. Even when I thought I wouldn't ever see the light, God revealed to me that there is hope, hope that life does go on amidst the pains and sorrows of life, and that joy and peace can be found if one seeks Him. I understand now, it was not easy believe me but it was all worth it.

This new year is a chance for me to start over, through God's guidance and everlasting love, I will be able to persevere and live on.

My New Year's Resolutions:

1. To walk closer with God
2. To read my bible more often
3. Finally be able to find a job (another post on that later on)
4. Once I start making money, purchase my own car
5. Earn a diploma in a vocational career (as back up for a day when I might need something more than a job at McD)
6. Write more children's stories/poems
7. Move back up North!!! I miss it so much!
8. Visit my brother Evan and his girlfriend Taylor in New Hampshire! :)))
9. To just read, and read, and read, and read!! Did I mention read?
10. Exercise more! I love exercise and nutrition so very much!
11. Perfect my bread making skills
12. Eat a low sugar diet, only reserved for special occasions and even then very little. It throws my body out of balance.
13. Save money for the future
14. Pray more
15. Wear a lot more skirts, they are so feminine and can be dressed up or dressed down. Maxi skirts are my absolute favorite and my best! (From Charlie and Lola)
16. Enjoy the time I have with my family because one day I will not always be with them (sniffles)
17. Eat lots of figs, I adore dried figs!!
18. And I am not sure of anything else?

Well that is all I have for right now, but I am sure there is probably more that I am just not remembering at the moment. I hope you all are having a wonderful and blessed New Year so far!

And here is my favorite song that I am currently loving right now!

Only two days until the new year!

  How can this be? Only two more days until the New Year, weren't we just celebrating 2013? Now 2014 is almost upon us and in all honesty I am very glad about that. There is so much I am longing to explain here on the blog about my life and all that has happened to my family and I this past year but it will just have to wait until the next year. This year has probably been the hardest most terrifying year of my life, most of it was excruciatingly painful mentally and spiritually, and I unfortunately cannot say that much good has come out of any of this...yet. I pray everyday that we will prosper after all that has been done to us and I hope one day the questions I have pondered on a daily basis will eventually be answered.
  The pain I have kept hidden away for so long has been eating away at my soul, mocking me and tauntingly exclaiming how unfair my life is, however can I possibly go on. But try as I might to push it away that voice of darkness nags me day after day, night after night never ceasing its relentless plan to destroy who I am. I was angry at God for awhile, hurt beyond all measure and almost lost touch with him. You are all probably lost right now about what I am talking about but soon I will write a series of blog posts about what transpired during the year 2013. I am in the process of healing, slowly but surely I can fell the seams of my torn heart slowly being sown back together. That's the hardest thing though, once something is broken there will always be scars that sometimes never fade. I will never forget this year, nor will I want to remember it either, one day maybe God will provide me with the answers and then again maybe he won't I really don't know.
  I am ready though, ready to move on with my life and make something of myself and seek God's wisdom and guidance wherever he may lead me. A whole new year is waiting just around the corner, it's time to take the last few steps to reach the beginning of my new season of life. It's time to move on.


 Although life has been hard, it didn't stop us from having a great Christmas, it was not over the top like it normally is every year, but the gifts we gave were more personal and practical which I really thought was a nice change. I also celebrated my birthday on December the 19th, I'm 19 years old now!! When on earth did 19 years of my life go by, it's crazy, simply crazy. I had the best gingerbread cupcakes (gingerbread anything is absolutely my favorite food, seriously I could devour the stuff.) I ate two cupcakes, but hey my birthday only comes once a year so a little splurge is well deserved every so often. Normally I am on a pretty strict diet with lots of fresh food (for example I just downed a whole cup of a healthy homemade pumpkin banana smoothie lol!) and lots of exercise but not that day!! I got an adorable tea pot and my dad took us to see The Hobbit the Desolation of Smaug which was absolutely fantastic!!! I loved it and actually want to see it again. Here are a few photos!

Hot Cider and Peanut Butter Chocolate Caramel Hershey Kiss Cookies for Santa

 

 

Close up

 

 

 Another photo!

 

 

Beautiful Christmas Eve sky

 



Although I don't have a camera of my own my cell phone doesn't do too bad of a job taking photos especially because I was power walking, a car was coming and my little brother was starting to get a bit antsy in his stroller. All in all the sky photos weren't too bad?

 

                      And my delicious cupcakes my mom made me for my birthday! I though she did an amazing job. I couldn't eat the gingerbread children because of my soy allergy but the cupcake was simply divine! I was in heaven the rest of the night and craved them while we were watching The Hobbit.

 

 

 

And here is a little video of encouragement:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Gvt__r9EU0

 

Have an awesome New Year!!

 



Photo update!

 

Well how do you all do? It is time that I post more photos here as my blog is really lacking in that area. So here we go!




Our Christmas tree complete with lights and decoration.



My sister Faith, myself, and my dog Ryder. Well at least part of him!



Funny face moment, my sister thought I was pretty odd but hey we all have our moments.

 

A decent picture of myself and Ryder.

 

 

These next few photos are from this past summer so they are not quite so old. I am so glad that summer has past though, I could not bare the heat of the sun's hot rays any longer. North Carolina gets so darn hot it's absolutely ridiculous as I am not accustomed to such extreme heat. Although I don't mind the mild winters, if only we had snow... but enough rambling it's time I show some photos!

Adorable baby bunny that we rescued from my uncles wild cats.

 

Faith and my baby brother Brayden riding Prancer their ever faithful horse.

 

 

And after a storm a magnificent rainbow appeared over the newly tilled fields while we were out driving.

 

 

Rays of sunlight breaking through the gray clouds, it was absolutely breathtaking.

 

 



And I think I shall end with this photo. It reminds me of how even when we feel like there is no hope left and seems as though Satan is about to win, God breaks down the enemies walls and triumphs over the darkness, to God alone we will praise, to God alone is his glory. There is no one else like him, how can we not love Him?

Finally some long awaited photos.



These are not the most recent up to date photos, but I think they will do just fine for now. All of the photos I am about to show here were taken in Rhode Island not in North Carolina, but I hope you all enjoy them just the same!



  Flowing river in the park



At the time this was the newly repaired bridge, you could smell the fresh wood and the protective stain that was applied just days before.



My sister gazing at the water on the bridge.



A never ending path, I would walk along that path forever daydreaming about so many things.... And watching out for bears.



The dwindling fall leaves captured my attention and I had to capture this rare photo opportunity. I love taking photos of things that people don't usually pay any mind to.



Not the best, but I think I like it.



The sun peeking through the barren tree tops, the glare really hurt my eyes! (smiles)

And now for some beach photos, oh how I miss and long for the beach!!



A lone shell with tiny little foot marks scattered about.



Wild flowers were in full bloom and brought such lovely color to the slightly grey day we spent on the beach.



This boastful flower was just begging for some attention so I took its photograph. It seemed quite pleased with itself after that.



My baby brother Brayden with the biggest grin. He was smiling because my other little brother Jacob was making silly faces, and because he was sitting on the wall all by himself... that made me a bit scared!



Jacob pushing Brayden at the playground/beach.


And that is all for now!! I didn't realize how homesick I was until I was browsing through all of my old photos, I long to go back home sometimes. But I hope you enjoy the photos I've taken and maybe next time I will have a few more posted, more recent ones of course.  

(All photos were taken with my cell phone)

Time has simply run away from me

My how time flies by when you are pre-occupied with life, especially during the last two months it has just been a crazy ride and I am glad that it's over. The next few months also promise to be just as busy with multiple birthdays coming up and of course all of the holidays and the activities that come with them. But I will try my hardest to post at least once a week in an attempt of keeping up with my blog, and I hope that I can start getting some pictures uploaded on here as I have none which is purely unacceptable, I've been a bit lazy in that area. I never actually realized how hard it was maintaining a blog but now I know and appreciate all of those amazing people who can keep up with their daily demands and still post. I hope I will be able to work out a schedule so that I may be able to do the same thing.