Home Sweet Home.

I can't believe I have neglected my blog as long as I have, but what a crazy week and a half it has been! I officially graduated Paul Mitchell the school - Atlanta last Tuesday where I was thrown an amazing suprise going-away party by my awesome friends Lauren and Amy and it was the best day ever!! Such a relief to be done and moving on to the next chapter of my life. Speaking of moving..mom and dad came down to GA last thursday night to spend some time with our dear friends, the Kimmels, and to pack up all my stuff and move me home. Welllll, friday night on our way to eat dinner I was in the car with Austin and it started smoking. We obiously had to pull over and long story short it had to be towed to Conyers to a body shop and fixed and 2 days later we went to pick it up to start our 11 hour journey home only to have it overheat again about 5 minutes after we had payed the shop and left. So the guy came and picked it back up and about 5 hours later it still wasn't done. (We got some awesome shopping in at TJ Maxx and Target though so I wasn't complaining too much..) and ended up going back to the Kimmels for another night and picked it up yesterday morning and finally were able to make the trek back to Crawfordsville. Mom and I followed my dad and it was actually a blast. We listened to all kinds of music and got caught up on the last few weeks and pulled in the driveway about 9:30pm last night. Then Aimee and Drew and Korbin came over and we watched American Idol. Such a good feeling knowing I'm home to stay..but definitely bittersweet.

You're probably all wondering who this Austin character is that I have mentioned a few times in my previous blogs. Maybe not. But either way, you're about to find out. Remember my struggles and heartaches over the past few months? Well God has definitely revealed Himself yet again as to why things work out the way they do and I couldn't be more thankful. I met Austin Halloween weekend when I stayed with my friend Chelci from school. We were both single at the time and I was excited just to see how things went. Well we hit it off great and honestly from then on were inseperable. A few months later I sorta got cold-feet with my future being so unknown since I was about to graduate and wanting to move home (this was all before my salon plans) and so I backed out and went for things and people more comfortable which was the most foolish thing I could've ever done. But I look back now and the say is true: sometimes you don't realize what you've got til it's gone. So somehow over the past month or so, God brought Austin back in my life. Sweet, caring, and forgiving Austin and life COULD NOT be better. He's a wonderful, Christian, hard-working, sweet, sincere, down-home, COUNTRY boy and for the first time in my life, I'm 100% content. He treats me better than I could ever imagine, is so selfless and respectful, and I know that God has us together for a reason. He's still in GA right now working and saving up money but we're planning on having him move to IN as soon as he can and I couldn't be more happy. It's amazing the things God brings your way when you least expect them and when you KNOW, you just KNOW and I'm not afraid for the whole (cyber) world to know!!

Life has just been one HUGE blessing after another and I owe it all to Christ first and my wonderful family second. I could not have and do the things I'm able to without them. I just have had so many amazing oppotunities lately and I'm just so thankful. My good friend Lexi called me the other day and invited me to be apart of Beautiful You..a gathering with high school girls from all over and a speaker and the band, Alanna Story. It has to do with self-image and accepting who you are in Christ and not looking back at your past but remembering that you're beautiful no matter what. Local hairstylists are teaming up to do makeovers on the girls and I think it's going to be a great oppportunity to witness and see how God is working around Crawfordsville and see friends I haven't got to see for awhile and get time to worship. And speaking of doing hair..I'm about to go see my alomst finished salon for the first time today! I am so excited and couldn't be working with a nicer or sweeter girl, Morgan Servies-Smith. I have decided to name my shop "Studio 34" after Psalm 34 which is my favorite book of the bible. I figured it was unique and a good way for people to ask "why 34?" and be able to share my faith in a casual way. I am so excited for all the upcoming events and opportunities and experiences and it it so amazing what happens when Christ replaces worry in your life and you trust Him in everything.

I'll be updating more soon and uploading pictures of the salon. Please spread the word and any questions feel free to contact me : 765.376.5384

God is good, all the time.

Here's a video on Alanna Story, the band that will be at Beautiful You. I have seen them live and they are SO AMAZING:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMTWzMgNzUw