ohhhh good times....

Tonight I'm standing in my driveway with Bri and this conversation takes place:

"oh god, look, it's a beaver!" -Bri
(I turn around to see what she's talking about)
"umm, that's a raccoon Bri." -Katie

as the raccoon waddles across the yard into the bushes we laugh hysterically at the process of events that just took place....

oh goodness. that was fantastic.

(although I'm sure you had to be there to think it was as funny as it really was).

Merry Christmas

ah, Christmas is upon us. Santa Clause visited my nephews which was fun. Last night I helped spread the reindeer food (which looked like a mixture of oatmeal and glitter) and helped put together a "Diego!" bike for Tyler to awake to. It was full of family and good times (not to mention lots of food). Tomorrow I head to New York to hangout with Mark and his family for a few days, which is pretty exciting. Here are a few pictures from the day of all of the "kids" in the family these days. It's grown pretty extensively these past few years if I do say so myself. haha.

a beggar's plea.

stop the attack
lay your weapons down
my armor has been peeled away
yet the swords still seem to swing

slow your words
they are burning my ears
they are staining my heart
they are etching themselves in my brain

I am tired
tired of the questions
tired of the questions you are asking
tired of the questions you are making me ask

I want to be free
I want to rest in healing
I want to discover the answers

I just want love.

2 of my best...

I hungout with these two jokers tonight. It was a good time. We went to the "tap room" (where I proceeded to see about 7-10 of my old high school friends) and just got to have some fun conversation for awhile. I miss the old days. Joel and I used to stay up til the wee hours of the morning and talk but it seems like it's been FOREVER since that happend...it was nice to have it happen again. It's one of those totally honest relationships that are hard to come by sometimes - so it was really great. So, here's to old friends that are still some of the greatest.... Cheers!

Carrot Top

I stood approximately 2 feet away from Carrot Top today. I was in line buying Mark a Christmas present (at a location I can't name currently so he won't figure out his present), and there he was - standing in line right in front of me. I didn't realize it was him, although I had noticed the guy in the store when I was walking around - but I didn't stare at him or anything or really look at his face. But after he walked away from the register, I heard the guy say "no, that wasn't him, was it?" and the girl said "yea - that was definitely him" and another guy behind the counter said "yea - it was him, I've seen him perform before...." --- I was like "who are you talking about?" and they said "Carrot Top."

I told them to look at his receipt to see if his name was on it, but they said he paid with cash, and then I responded with - who really knows his real name anyway? then we proceeded to joke about how the guy should have said "have a good day Mr. Top" and things of the sort when he left...

Well, I paid and walked out the door and there he as driving right in front of me in the parking lot - and I got a look at him - and it was him alright. Driving a REALLY nice black Land Rover with a Florida tag on it.

He had on a really tight shirt - and he was RIPPED (that is what I noticed when I saw him walking around in the store earlier - I just noticed how big he was) - and a tobagan on to keep his hair down. He was actually quite cute (and really fashionable).

But yea - there was my brush with fame today. I called Mark and told him that one of his gifts had been a mere foot away from stardom. It was really fun....crazy how stuff like that works...how it's exciting to see somebody "famous" - even if I didn't talk to him.

(I probably would have told him a really corny joke if I would have known it was him as he was checking out - like "what is invisible and smells like milk and cookies?" "Santa's burp" and told him to use it when he's on stage. It's probably a good thing I didn't realize it was him until after the fact. haha).

Bad Ass Conversation

I got to sit in the Bad Ass Coffee Shop this evening with one of my best pals in the whole entire world and have tons of great conversation. This is one of the statements that stands out though:

"Lord, give me what I NEED, not what I WANT."

AJ was telling me that Matt Chandler said this statement as he was preaching through the Lord's prayer in one of his sermons - in reference to "give us this day our daily bread...." and I thought it was a pretty fantastic reminder.

Quite an 'anchor prayer.'

AMAZING CONCERT

Last Saturday some great friends (seen in the pictures) and I went to the Ray Lamontagne and Tristan Prettyman concert at the Tabernacle in Atlanta. It was INCREDIBLE. Seriously - the show:
a.) fit the venue perfectly
b.) was FULL of musical greatness
c.) sounded like you were listening to Ray's CD - only way better because you could see him in all his glory as he sang/played
d.) was precursored by a really really great buffalo chicken sandwhich from the Fox Sports Grill, eaten while surrounded by great company.
e.) was followed by a really fun Dunkin' Doughnuts experience and a new to the country Russian teenager who worked there.

Moral of the story: Ray Lamontagne has won a place in my heart, and I have an even greater respect for him as a musician than I did before the show - because he was seriously just THAT great. It was incredible to sit there and listen to him - he is so soft spoken, yet so powerful. I dunno....but I do know this - if you ever have a chance to see him in concert - go. You won't be disappointed. It was absolutely incredible (and I didn't even know a good number of the songs he sang).

Thank you Stacy, for the wonderful birthday gift!!! (she got me the ticket)

(oh, and no, Marie isn't drunk in the picture above - she just had a hard time holding her eyes open when the flash went off - and it was seriously hillarious.)

boy baptism....haha

'tis the season...

Andy P.

Andrew Peterson is THE MAN. He has an album called "Behold the Lamb of God" - and if you've never heard it, go out and buy it, and listen - it is amazing. He is such an incredible lyricist. You won't be disappointed, I promise. Here is a little documentary about the album (thank you to Matt Ables):