Flowers, and wedding, and flowers.

So today means, wedding planning!

I've got the day off, miraculously! and I've decided that among the things I must catch up on for school... I'm planning a wedding too.

Flowers. Here's the thing, I love flowers! Like really, in a perfect world we would all wear flowers and butterflies, like real ones! If I could decroate my wedding day any way I wanted there would be a field of wildflowers, lots of potted flowers growing and butterflies flapping around everywhere.

NOTE: I'm still trying to figure out if I can grow yellow butterflies and release them when we say I do :) lol

But Flowers, friend, are expensive. Either way, today I'm not paying for them, today I'm just looking :)

So here's your more classy wedding, like w grown up wedding, and no doubt, Beautiful!

Bride's flowers above and Bridesmaids' below!

Then the ultra classy hydrangea white centerpieces...


But then honestly, THIS below, these are more, well, me...

like that yellow pops like sunshine!

And then to cut down ont he flowers, and still add to the table, an idea that I'm sure I love... the photo frame. Not sure who the Asian guy is in the picture, but it could be fun!

the theme is just my Life

So apparently I'm not as great at blogging as I had once hoped. I'm the type of person who loves to get great ideas, get things started, and then feel great about it. Notice I didn't say 'finish things' and then feel great about it, right. So we may slowly progress through the people that inspire me, but not in a forced manner.

I have some new recipes for ya'll as soon as I can share them, but I also have some really great news!

I'm getting married! Love of my life, asked me to spend the rest of my life with him as his wife! I'll write more about him later for sure, believe me you will hear more than you want.

For now I'm still trying to find my identity as a blogger, if there is such a thing. And then I relized that I don't have to have some theme that is the be all end all of blogs. But that the theme is my life, really. And so I'm growing up, getting married, and trying to figure out exaclty what that means.

-Brit

Inspiration Number Two: Mom

(Picture to Come Soon)

SUZIE KINGSLEY
But I just call her MOM

Compassionate, Friendly if I've ever Known It

I know that you may be thinking either A: Why wasn't your mom number one? or B: Oh and she pulled the mom card, had to say her mom... but hear me out.

Born Emma Suzanne Cating, "Suzie" is my mom, and she has been all my life. This would explain why she has had the very most influence on who I have become thus far. If I am ever friendly, ever talkative, ever look into the eyes of another person and feel their pain, love, joy, or frustration... It's because of my mom.

My mom is one of those people that knows everyone, not because she's in a women's league and spends her days waltzing around town dressed to the T mingling in social circles, but because no matter where she is, whatever she is doing, however busy or frustrated she may be, she takes the time to jump into someone else's life.

Growing up we'd go to the same grocery store and my mom could compliment the cashier on her newest homemade headband, ask about the lady's son and daughter, and that new dog they just bought and I would wonder how in the worl she knew all this. They weren't old friends from high school and my mom didn't know her from some otherplace... but everytime my mom came to the store she would ask the lady about her life and always end with "Have a nice day!"

My mom is famous for the "Have a nice day!" and the "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." She lives her life looking for ways she can help others, but not by simply donating money, but donating a part of her life, time, or caring to take an extra minute. She makes birthday cards for people at church, she makes special brownies when someone has had a hard week, she helps the cleaning lady pack up the old blinds that were being thrown away because they would look nice in her house but she wasn't tall enough to reach them by herself.

If you ever meet my mom, she will talk you ear off. I'm not lying, if you meet either of us, we will both make your ear literally plead for silence, but she cares.

As I've grown up in the world, learning these things from my mom has put me in some interesting situations: because honestly I cannot comprehend or understand why someone would be rude or why someone would not want to do everything they could to help another person. I understand frustration, because my mother also raised me to be patient, and that means being patient with those who have had about enough... but why would anyone talk in a rude tone to get a point across. Don't we all stop listening when someone is rude and we all get more frustrated when someone yells...

Suzie Kingsley is mom, a friend, someone who makes bags for the trainers away football games, who does puzzles everynight, who bakes cookies when friends came to study, who can laugh and cut up like a 5 year old when warranted, and who love me and everyone she comes in contact with in a way I've never seen before.

I grow up better everyday because of who my mom was and is to me:

Suzie Kingsley: Mom: Compassionate and Incredibly Friendly

Inspiration Number One: Tiffany Ferguson

I'll start by saying these are in no particular order, but they are the people who inspire me to be who I am today. To grow up the way I am growing up, and people that if I grow up to be at least half of what any of them are, I will be truly blessed.

TIFFANY FERGUSON

Faithful, Loving, Servant

Tiffany Ferguson is someone who at times I'm sure faithless people have called crazy, who many times people have called beautiful especially if they have seen her heart, every time the Kenyans are amazed by, and within the past few years every moment a little girl calls Mom.

I met Tif when we traveled to Kenya last year to live amongst our 'family' there. They are surely her family. Her and her husband led a team to Kenya to become parts of the lives of a little village called Imbirikani and the Massai people who live there. Sharing love, joy, and the Word of God while we share life with them.

Tiffany is woman of faith. When asked whose faith I am inspired by I think "Tiffany" and "Abraham." And no, I'm not kidding. Tiffany knows the Lord in a close and wonderful way, and she shares his love with everyone around her with her kind and gentle spirit and outstanding hopsitality...

but her faith has been most apparent in the last year, when people may have called her crazy, or people in her situation would have doubted she stood for what she believed God was calling her to do.

After having been pregnant with Seri (her baby girl) the year before in Kenya, she returned to Kenya a year later with her 9 month old little girl. Too young for all the shots she needed, unable to eat the food there, and people said why? or how? And Tif said that the Lord had called her family to go, and Seri, named Naserian a Massai name, would be going to too.

Amazingly Seri was a blessing and never a burden. The Massai people who had named the baby in Tif's belly "Baby Love" were elated to see their Naserian. The people were honored by her name and that they were able to share life with her. Tiffany just obeyed the Lord.

In a time when the missions team was reconsidered due to financial instability, Tiffany would speak and say that she knew God had a plan. In a time a year later when she had another Ferguson on the way, she headed back to Kenya to serve and love. Again people asked how? And she said, God.

With a baby on the way, her husband now looking for a new job, the news of a job, but a move hours away, and with her little Seri turning two... She is a picture of faith. Because she knows not where God is leading them everyday, but she trusts that he is there, and he is love, and he is Jehovah Jireh; the Lord will Provide.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Tiffany Ferguson: Woman of Faith.

Those Who Inspire Me, Thanks for your Giving: Two Months of the People that have Changed my Life.

So November First starts the "Those who Inspire me. Thanks for your giving." Showcasing the people in my life, near or far, who I know like the back of my hand, and who I've only heard stories about, who inspire me to become who I am today... who have helped to mold me into who I am am today and make me into a better woman tomorrow. The people who have helped me... Grow Up.

My goal is to include a picture of each of them, something that captures the essence of their character and what they mean to me, although I know that to such an extent it's not possible, but I can try at least.

I'll note that to God be all the glory, to these men and women because of the way they have been used by God to inspire me and bring more glory to Him.

May the Month of November and December be full of thankgiving, or giving thanks to the people who grow me up Bee Kay...

Inspiration...

i n s p i r a t i o n...

So I don't have too much time and it's way past my bedtime and I just wanted to note a few things about today, how I'd like to move past my procrastination... and how I've recently been inspired.

Although I did go to my internship (PS did I mention I rotated to a new hospital where the patients reason for admit are always crazy and I've had multiple adventures.) and saw patients, wrote chart notes, and all... once arriving at home:

I took a two plus hour nap, had some soup, watched TV (wish is something I've recently picked up, does that come with growing up?), made a friend a fun card, had some ice cream and chocolate covered raisins... and then sat down to complete a few summaries and 4 essays that are due on Wednesday night...

Yep, been putting those off for a little too long, and haven't quite gotten past the first essay yet. So I'm not sure if procrastination is part of growing up, but I sure hope not... because I was thinking about trying to grow out of that actually.

Anyways: Also noteworthy (I say that like the first half of this was even worth reading) I've decided I need a few focuses of the blog. A small project, some goals, so here are few ideas:

7 days of Cooking from what's hanging around the kitchen
14 days of All food in and analyzed from the eyes of a dietetic intern
23 days of Details in places we may ordinarily not be looking
30 days of Reflection on this project called the One Year Bible and "catching Up"
44 days of Hugging someone every day (working in a medical setting and being home studying a lot that one could be hard, lol... sad though)
100 days of logging when I sleep and wake up every day... Just Kidding, who would ever read that.
or... 143 days of What is Love (from the world's eyes, and God's via the Bible)

Anyways maybe this sounds crazy but I think it'd be good for me. I need the "days" to keep my goal in mind, otherwise I'll just get lost... and behind, lol. And I'll note I was inspired by my camp friend Bailey and her roommate just taking a moment everyday to take a photo and capture a moment for 365. It is a highly recommended read...

Like my favorite tree that reminds me of God's beauty and inspires me to love and breathe and enjoy... today (well yesterday) these ladies inspired me as well.

Mr. Columbus and food for thought.

So life has flown out the window like a bird running home and I'm just trying to make lists to keep up...

That being said I'll very quickly catch you up on my latest adventures.
1. Ew
I tried a new recipe that I edited from one found on the back of Campbell's Low Sodium Cream of Mushroom Soup... I was going to call the masterpiece "Penne Green Bean Tuna Casserole." Although now seeing the name, and imagining what it could taste like it seems like an awfully yucky idea, I thought it would be great and ended up eating the leftovers for two days... due to my "I'm saving so I can pay off my student loan really fast when I get out of school finally" low budget.
Now I call the recipe "Ew!"

2. Yummy
So I did successfully make a wonderful and healthy! meatloaf, that I've captured by camera and I'll be posting as soon as I can along with the recipe... get excited.
Also for all of you that are not from South Louisiana, I'll be posting a great little story about Gumbo and a recipe (kind of) that you may be able to follow to end you in heaven, AKA Dad's Gumbo and Mom's Potato Salad.

3. Thank You Mr. Columbus
I'll have to give props to Mr. Chris who decided he must in fact sail, for discovering the Americas and doing it in such a way that I got Monday off of work. My long weekend allowed me to see some beautiful people in my life.
The people that make you understand exactly who you are, and not only how you can better love, or how much they love you, but How much God must love you to bless you with people like them. The people that you could spend years drinking tea with and talking life or sitting with your arm around and saying nothing at all and being perfectly content.
To Amy, Lyndsey, Grace Community Church, and Kyle: thank you, may God bless you even one half of how you bless me and it would turn your world upside down.

(Just a quick update, but More to come later on adventures of love, laughs, food, and friends...and my newly redecorated bathroom!)