What I'm Loving Wednesday

This is my first time doing this, but I am linking up with Jamie This Kind of Love for "What I'm Loving Wednesdays"

I am loving my break off from school!  Been able to just hang out with the families and it's SO nice :)

I am loving being engaged, and all of the wedding festivities, including a gorgeous Christmas shower we just had given to us by close family friends.

I love being engaged the same time as some of my besties!

I love my baby girl, Annabelle

I love Christmas time!  

I love my handsome fiance, Chris :)  And that we got to visit each others home on our break...

It's a good Wednesday... There's lots I'm loving!

Wedding Plans Change Sometimes

So first wedding mishap has happened. Unfortunately, the venue we were using switched caterers and could no longer honor the food quote they had given us. Graciously, they gave us the option to let us back out of our contract. I really think Christina, our amazing planner, had a lot to do with this :)

Anyhow, we didn't back out without seeing our plan B! It just so happens that Christina just started planning weddings for Gulf Place, which is a beach community on the way west end of the gorgeous 30A. It has many condos, townhomes, rrestaurants, shops, and even a place to rent bikes and kayaks! It was absolutely amazing! It actually was way more in line with what I had originally wanted. The wedding and reception will take place on a gorgeous middle green that is steps from the rooms we ll more than likely be staying in as well as steps away from the beach! The positives are that since its a huge field, we wont have to worry about being crowded. The other venue was gorgeous but it was really separate areas and non were really giving enough for everyone... Also, it will be right downstairs from where most people are staying so when the night is over, no dd-ing will happen hopefully! Also there's a wine and beer bar steps away from the wedding site so the party never has to die! Lastly, it being across the street from the beach, we will be able to take pictures of Chris and I and of our wedding parties on the beach!!! It's my dream come true!!!

It will take more "set design" on the florists side... I have no doubt mine can step up to the challenge!

This does mean we're starting from square 1 almost though. We'll begin tomorrow morning with a call with the caterer. Then the week I get back from panama, I'll meet with Grove, our florist/designer.

So an icky situation turned out to honestly be better than I had originally planned. God is good and having amazing planners is well worth the investment.

Here are a few pics of the venue :)

This is the actual green we'll be married on!

In front of the green, on 30A

Front of the green!

The cute shops surrounding it!

Our First Shower

This weekend we were given our first shower! And it wasn't just any ole shower (not that any of them ever will be!), but this shower was a joint shower with my BFF and bridesmaid Meg (she's getting married in June!) AND it was an "Our First Christmas " themed shower! So all of our gifts were Christmas decorations! It was given by our mutual BFF, bestie, and her mom. They went so far above and beyond it was insane! The food was delicious, the drinks wonderful, the presents amazing and the company was absolutely joyful! 

We had so many friends and women there encouraging us in this time. We are so so thankful to everyone that came. I'm counting down the days until next Christmas, or our 1st Christmas so that I can put up all of our lovely decorations. We got ornaments (including a gorgeous hand painted nativity scene one), big signs to hang up with "The Kersey's" or a "K" with Christmas scenes, candle holders, stockings, and even a set of Christmas dishes!

We could not have asked for anything more from the day! Pure bliss! Thanks bestie and momma bestie for a gorgeous delightful day!

This was the first present we opened!  One of my favorites :)

My lovely MOH

My Wedding-Time-Twin

One of the sweetest presents we opened.  A friend from highschool MADE this!

A present from our amazing youth pastor and family!  They collect a Christmas  book a year and started the tradition for us.  They had a meaningful woman do the same for them when they got married :)

Ornament!

Gorgeous Cross that my Carla made for me!  Absolutely stunning!

Bring on Christmas 2012! We are ready!

Change of Plans

My first semester of graduate school is officially completed.  And I am proud of myself.  This is never in a million years where I thought I would be.  In fact, I remember promising myself that I was DONE with labs and science one bad day in my old lab...

But here I am, one semester down in my Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Masters or Ph.D program.

I absolutely LOVED my classes this year.  Biochem 1 was AMAZING.  We spent a lot of the time relating processes we were learning about to diseases and treatments... Really exciting stuff that fired me up! 

The lab part was not my favorite... I felt I never really got a grasp of what it is we were doing!  That is until our last 2 rotations.  Those professors went over what we were going to be doing, gave us a protocol, and helped us along the way.  Although we are grad students, we're not definite lab whizzes! And every lab/protocol is very different.

Today I met with the 3 PI's (Professional Investigators) or Lab Professors and discussed rotations that I'll be doing with each of them in the fall.

My first one will be in a well established lab, with multiple project options available.  There are 8 others in the lab, including 2 grad students: a second year and a fourth year who plans on graduating in May. The second rotation will be with the CUTEST professor ever! In fact, I really can't believe she's a science professor... Maybe it's a joke the department is playing on me... But anyways meeting with them got me SO excited about joining a lab and getting "my" projects. Projects I determine when and how they're done.  I'll know the goals and I'll figure out the paths to get there.  Bring on Lab Picking!

Again, these were not my plans.  But neither was finding the most wonderful "never-in-my-wildest-dreams" kind of man either.  I think when I was planning my future I did so with the expectation that I wouldn't find a good guy and that I shouldn't consider it.  Since I never really imagined a prince charming, I never imagined a happily ever after either... Kids, community, house, family...  So I should fill that void with a rewarding career.  Now, I have a man who has proven (over the last 3 years) to be a man of honor, integrity, and who loves the Lord and pursues Him first and foremost.  With him, new options of my future open up.  I am going to get married! The Lord willing, I will be a mom!  I am going to be part of a family that can represent Christ and his Church!  

Lately, I've been at not only a peace that passes understanding, but a delight and pure rich joy!  It scares me when I step back and see that there are many goals I didn't accomplish; There are many roads I've turned away from.  But again, with those losses, there are new roads filled with truth and light and love.

I'm proud of one semester of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Louisville in Louisville, KY!

A perfect Christmasy Weekend

Chris and I have had such a wonderful Weekend!

It's really surprising because we're in the midst of finals....

Friday night, we had a lazy, relaxing night in.  We cooked this yummy dinner:

Then we watched Modern Family for hours

  

and made break and bake Christmas cookies.

Then this morning, Chris got up early to study, and Annabelle and I went to Cherokee Park and walked/ran the loop! 

We were FREEZING!

Anywho, then I we came home and I worked on my oral presentation while Chris continued studying.  Annabelle supported us :)

THEN the real fun began!  Chris got us tickets to see the NUTCRACKER put on by the Louisville Ballet!

(Us before leaving for the night)

First, we went to dinner a Volare. 

It's a nice Italian Restaurant on Frankfort (a road right by our apts).  It was SO yummy, the service wonderful and the atmosphere chic but warm, romantic and inviting.  I'd LOVE to go back but it's a "special occasions only" kind of place for us ;)

Doesn't Chris look stoked to have his pic taken?!  I got some yummy pasta+mushrooms+bacon yumminess and Chris went safely with Lasagna :)

From there we headed to the Kentucky Performing Arts Center to watch our Ballet!

In front of the Theater

All Christmas-ed Up

Then we came home and did our gift exchange

We are 2 happy and blessed people!

SUCH a fun weekend.  I'm so glad it was so good because I'm afraid our final days together before we head our separate ways are going to be filled with lots of studying and school..

You can always find your way back home

I know this is way behind, but it was too sweet of a time for me not to post about

I'm going to recap my perfect weekend at FSU a few weeks back:

For thanksgiving, I flew into PC at around 8 pm Friday night.  My lovely MOH, Carla, drove to Destin to pick me up.  God be praised for her! This weekend happened to be Florida States homecoming! So obviously I had to go!  Service Scholars had an Alumni Brunch from 9-11.  SO Annabelle and I woke up bright and early Saturday morning and headed to Tallahassee (Annabelle's Auntie K who is living in tally invited Annabelle to join :) ).  

Pulling up to campus, I knew I was home, but walking into the "Center" (Center for Leadership and Civic Education) was a breath of fresh air!  Since there was construction by the entrance I was used to taking, I called my darling buddy, Millie who showed be how to get in.  It was like we hadn't skipped a beat! 

Seeing my buddy and all of my other scholar lovies was amazing! We all got to hear what life changing things everyone is involved in.  Seriously AMAZING what my fellow scholars are doing with their lives.  

To name a few, Marie just got back from London where she received her Masters, Jamie is working on his Masters at FSU while trying to start a non profit that would help groups get to his home country, el Salvador for Mission trips, Millie has been working this semseter for Americorps, an "at home" version of Peace Corps.  Each and everyone of these girls are changing the world! It was so inspiring to get updated on everything.

From the Center, I walked down Jefferson Road to the Gamma Phi Beta house.  

I wanted to cry when I walked in!  Ah!  Funny enough, all the girls who lived in the house were sitting downstairs in the kitchen (for some meeting) and so when I walked in, I literally was given 30+ hugs! Girls I didn't even know came up and gave me a hug saying "I feel like I know you!" (My little was their new member leader so that's how the "knew" me).  Never have I felt so loved! AH! Love those girls!   Then I went upstairs with my little and sat in her room for a few hours talking with different girls as they went in and out.  I miss living in the house!! Spending time with my little was, as expected, perfect.  She is truly my heart sister and and my heart feels at rest when she is around. I feel like all guards are down and true, raw love is present!  God is so good for blessing us with each other.

From there, Auntie K met up with me and we set off to find her family's tailgate!

I hugged my little goodbye, and we headed to get our tailgate on!

K surely got hers on!

Then, my bestie Katie came to join us! My life was then complete!!

We tailgated some, then headed to the game! We had my dads tixs, so they were good seats.  We weren't too serious about watching the game... But we had fun!

The next morning, we got up and K, My little and I went to church and the the traditional post church Panera Lunch :)  

That afternoon Katie and I had some much needed playtime/bonding.  It included a Lily store and froyo!

What more could we ask for?!

Then we went to our church home, FOTH for their service.  Wow, God is present there.  It reminded me what a blessing this church family was to me in my college time.  I really do not know what I would've done without it.

I love my FOTH family

So between Service Scholars, Gamma Phi, FOTH, and Kirsten being in tally, it was the best weekend a girl could ask for!  FILLED with Love and hugs :))

Just a rainy Sunday

It's a rainy day here in Louisville... Which happens to be perfect for us since today needed to be a serious studying day.

We has an awesome morning! I'm loving Sojourn so much. Serving Sunday mornings has been more of a blessing to me then a service to the church. Chris and I also were asked to serve communion. Such an honor. Pastor Daniel preached on Noah and the Ark story but he highlighted the parts I've never acknowledged: that humanity had turned so ugly and evil that he had to wipe them out. And that the only way Noah and his family was spared was not because of their goodness, but because of Gods grace. It challenged me to think about howe deeply my sin pains God. That Gods tears and Anger and Wrath are real. And with the clear knowledge of these characteristics of God how amazing it is that he cares for us. Lots of food for thought.

After church we went to Panera for a bagel breakfast. There we finished our premarital counseling questionnaires. We each had a few questions left. Then we shared our responses and talked over them. We were surprised at how few differences there were! I am so excited to begin our counseling!! Pray that God uses that time to grow us closer to each other and more in love with Him!

When we came home, it started to rain!

I made homemade hot chocolate!

So we're studying and enjoying the dreariness and some yummy hot chocolate :)

Happy Sunday!