where has the summer gone?

It seems like just yesterday summer was starting, and now it's already the first full week of August. I've barely done anything "summer-y" this summer considering I have a grown-up job now. I didn't get to experience every minute of church camp. And I can't just pick up and go to Holiday World. And there's no sleeping in during the week. And I don't get "vacations" per say. But I do have a full-time job, which is nice.

We have officially moved to our new location. The new building is smaller than the last one, so we are still trying to find a place for everything. And we've had a few technical issues with printers/engravers/sublimation printer, but things are starting to look up as of this week. The super good news is that there is a new coffee shop in our new building. Good for my well-being, but bad for my wallet. They are super nice people and the place is decorated so chic/vintage/coffee shop-ish. Very cool for my small town.

I am very thankful for friends. We still meet every Thursday night and usually hang out on the weekends and Sunday nights, and chat throughout the week. It's so nice to have people you can rely on. If there is something I need prayer for, I can always ask them and know that they will stop what they are doing and pray right then. If I ever move away, that will be the first thing I look for.

I just finished reading through Job. I knew the gist of it, but I had never read through the whole thing. It really made me reconsider what I value and what I consider important to me. Is God the most important thing to me that He would allow the devil to take everything away from me? Would I understand that He thought so highly of me? Would I understand that He was testing me? Would I see past my current situation to where God is trying to take me? Would I ignore the advice that my so-called "friends" give me and wait for God to speak to me? When God did speak, would I repent of sin and turn to Him? Even as I am writing this and saying 'would,' I can feel that these things happen to me all the time. But how often do I answer rightly? As I was going through Job, I was praying that I would be like Job, and then praying that I wouldn't be like Job, and then praying that I would be like Job, haha. I want to be unwavering in faith, the ability to know you need repentance.




I am so excited for this weekend because I am finally going to get one day off. My parents and I are going to the Ocoee River. Dad is going kayaking with his friends for part of the day and rafting with me for the other part of the day. Mom is going to take pictures. I'm ready for a much needed break from working.

1) I worked in the nursery at church during Sunday School and got to spend some quality time with my sweet Hallee Jae.
2) The high school kids having a dance party in the tabernacle late night at senior camp.
3) My mom doing what she does best on 4th of July -- SycamoreGrovePhotography
4) My brother & Hallee Jae on the beach without me :(
5) Jackie & I at junior high camp
6) Celebrating the end of camps at Jackie & Austin's house with a killer pool party.
7) My mom and I got this lovely bouquet from the local farmer's market the other day.
8) All us girls with my friend Beka who got married a couple weeks ago -- She made such a beautiful bride!!
9 & 10) All us friends hanging out yet being anti-social on our iPhones. Oh, technology!
11) My BFF Becca stopped by on her way back to Evansville and her little sister was with her.

controlling my words

I know the last time I blogged I said my work was moving. Well, we have yet to move. But hopefully, we will actually be moving the beginning of this coming week. We started packing things up about two weeks ago, so we have lots of things in boxes and things at the new building. So it has been quite stressful and quite hectic getting things done when almost everything is in a box. But we are making it work. We just know that we will probably be down a few days from the move, but we are resilient and we'll keep on trucking.

The first weekend in June I went to another wedding. This time it was one of my roommates from college. Man, I feel like such a grown-up when all my friends from college start getting married. It was such a pretty ceremony, outside at a small airport. We sat on hay bales covered in sheets. Then the reception was inside one of the hangars. It was incredibly beautiful. So much thought put into every detail. There was even a hayride during the reception. One of the best weddings I've ever been too.

Recently, I've had to work on my patience, and holding my tongue — from James 1:19-20. Be quick to listen and slow to speak. I've heard this verse all my life, but I usually disregard it. Or think I'm doing it but don't actually do it. Now, I am really trying to control my tongue and listen more to others. And keep my emotions in check. It's easy to let what other people say get to me, and even more frequently, what they don't say. How often are we hurt when people don't compliment us or don't ask us how we are doing? And then we get angry. We joked the other night in our prayer group – it doesn't say you can't get angry, just be SLOW to get angry. But directly after that is says that the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. I think I would rather be righteous in the eyes of God than always being angry. Just something to think about.

1.) The verses I have to repeat to myself over and over throughout my days – James 1:19-20
2.) My sweet Hallee Jae loving her some watermelon & getting so stinkin' big
3.) Such sweet details at Bemily's big day
4.) Walking down the aisle – awwww
5.) Vows & getting married by one of our former campus pastors
6.) Officially Mr. & Mrs. Heidinger!!
7.) Me & A-Ro on the hayride
8.) We had a gigantic slip-n-slide at church for the Collide Youth
9.) My daddio, the one guy who has always been there for me & truly understands me
10.) My father's day gift to the best dad ever

as of late

I have been crazy busy at work as of late.

We are in the process of moving from our current location to the new location up town. Our new building is not quite ready yet, but it should be within the next week or so. We have gotten a lot busier these past few weeks with a lot more jobs to do. So we are trying to get them all taken care of before we move.

I recently celebrated my 23rd birthday. Honestly, I don't feel too much different than 22. I'm just a little bummed I can't sing T-Swift's "22" anymore. I got some new TOMs for my birthday and my plane ticket to NYC.

Speaking of NYC...Another one of my friends from college got married. And he happened to be getting married in NYC. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity to go to New York and see my friends. So my friend Becca flew from Texas and my friend Allyson flew from West Virginia, and the three of us met up in NYC. We stayed with Becca's uncle who happened to live only five or six blocks from the church our friend got married in. Friday morning I flew out from STL and went to New York. I got to eat dinner with my grandma's first cousin. She's such a sweetheart. She even took me to dessert at Cafe Lalo. It was delicious, and so great to spend time with her. Saturday, me and my friends explored the Chelsea area of the city before the wedding. Then we went to the most beautiful little ceremony in the city. I'm so glad I went. After the wedding, we walked around the city some more and even walked to Times Square, and had some dinner. The next morning, I had to wake up super early to fly home. I was  actually home in time for church.


Since then, I've been working like crazy and working out when I get the chance. I got another day off this past Monday for Memorial Day. Mom, Ang & I went shopping in Marion and Carbondale. It was relaxing and nice to just be chill. I got some new tops and a new bathing suit. Just getting ready for summer time.

1. "Baptism Sunday" at LCC, over 35 people baptized into the faith. Praise the Lord!
2. celebrating Cinco de Mayo at Taco Bell with my best friends
3. doing a little freelance designing for a friend
4. birthday TOMs
5. my baby cousin graduated 8th grade & was valedictorian --- his speech was about a rubik's cube
6. Kleinfeld's in NYC
7. Flatiron Building in NYC
8. art in the park in Madison Square Park in NYC
9. wedding dates
10. the dates with the groom!
11. Times Square in NYC
12. leaving NYC