The one leaving Raleigh.

Right before I went to college, my parents got me a credit card.  Don't freak out.. it was a credit card that was meant only for emergencies such as gas and groceries & I had to promise them I would call them every single time I used it.  But anways, they got me a credit card & the design on the card was a city skyline at night.  It was gorgeous.  My parents picked out that specific card because I love cities & they thought if a child of theirs was ever to go away from home, it would be me.  I love the hustle and bustle of cities, the lights at nighttime, the life of unlimited amount of coffee shops, non-chain restaurants, and hidden treasures within the concrete walls.  I love cities.  Moreover, I love Raleigh.  I adore this sweet little college town.

Well Sam is moving home... TODAY.  He is picking up his life in Raleigh and moving back home.  He is starting a new job & looking for us a place to live.. because we will reside back in our precious small town after May 25th.  Put bluntly, Sam is done with Raleigh.  He has had a good time... but he is ready for the big move.  I asked him why he was so done with Raleigh & his reply was simply this:

"Court, where can I hunt?  Whose land can I do that on AND ride four wheelers?  And babe, I am not about to pay to go fishing."






He is a country boy, through and through.  I am so thankful for man that is content with a life full of woods, guns, knives, game, four wheelers, fishing poles and home cooked meals.

I believe I am half & half.  I love cities, but I also love the country.  I love how slow the morning seems to be.  I love being more aware of natural beauty.  I love being outdoors.  I love the community and all the little "finger waves" everyone gives when they are driving down the road.  Everybody knows everybody.  I love it.  Oh, and the sunsets in this place are ridiculous.

On behalf on Sam's last night in our beloved Raleigh.  We tried a new restaurant in downtown called Cafe Luna.  It was delicious.  I had some type of black pasta with grouper, shrimp and tomatoes & Sam got grilled chicken, roasted potatoes & a cute little salad.  It was so good.  The sun was setting perfectly, so we just drove around.  We blared Pandora, opened the sunroof, and heated the seats.  We ran an errand or two.  Then went back to driving around.  The moon became full & gorgeous, creating the perfect send off for Sam.

 

  

  

 

 

Raleigh has been so good to us.. too good.  But life is changing and its for the better, which makes breaking my Raleigh ties a little bit easier.

The one lately.

Life seems to be moving a hundred miles a minute lately.  But in the midst of the rush, I have found joy in so many things.  

I have gotten to see one of my best friend's first Young Life talks.  He did sooo good & he spoke such truth to so many high schoolers!

I have volunteered at Victory Junction and met some sweet loves.

 I have taken Sam on a surprise picnic to Jordan Lake.

I have babysat my favorite set of red-headed triplets.

 

 I have been home..where the moon delivered a view of Pilot Mountain I've never experienced and where we ate outside next to a fire.

An incredible weekend to come -- headed to Windy Gap with some of my fave gals!

The one for our fall bucket list.

I had the best weekend -- I will post about it later this week.  But this post is about fall.  Of course I love it.  Every single aspect of it.  Weather, clothes, spices, warm food/drinks and pumpkin everything.  Last night, Sam & I made some coffee, hung out outside and talked about things we want to do this fall.  So we created a fall bucket list.  We used his phone to record our ideas & today I used a template to create a print of our bucket list.  I got the template from here.

So here's whats on tap for Sam & I this fall...

Here's to fall!

The one for celebrations.

A couple of celebrations have happened over the past several weeks and they are all worth mentioning on my sweet little blog.

 Celebration #1: Some weeks ago my sweet roomie, Liza, celebrated her 22nd birthday!  She spent her birthday  weekend at Windy Gap and then came home to balloons, chicken casserole & a couple gifts relating to her beloved tea.

 

Liza is fun.  She loves trivia, useless information & figuring stuff out.  So we decided to create a small scavenger hunt for her birthday.  At each clue there was a small gift & then her final clue lead her back to our house where me & my other 2 roomies set up "Joby's Spa".  We wore black tanks with black leggings.  We put on Spa Pandora Station.  We spoke softly and catered her to a homemade facial & pedicure.

 Celebration # 2:  I love me some blonde boys. I've been sitting for a family of two blondes for almost 2 years now.  It is the same family that lost their dad about 3 weeks after I started sitting for them.   I have grown incredibly close with my boys (& their mom) && love them all something fierce.  This semester has been a little different from the past three... as I only sit for the younger, Will.  Well John, the older of the two, has struggled a little more with the loss of his sweet dad.  Through hours of prayer and advice, his mom decided to send John to a camp to help little fellas, like John, have deep-seeded issues that they can't seem to bring to the forefront.  Therefore, John is gone weeks at a time.  From me being at home this summer and then John leaving for camp, I hadn't seen the boy in 4 months!!   I was getting a little stir crazy to see my little genius.  Finally, when I was back in Raleigh, it was one of the weekends that John was allowed to come home.  We set up a date to have lunch together && it was the best lunch ever!  I picked his sweet little brain & found out that at his camp, he is completely in his element.  Camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, bonfires, outdoors galore! 

After lunch, we had a bubble blowing contest & a mini photoshoot in my car.  What a celebration that hour on Friday was.  I've missed him too much.  I love my sweet John.

 Celebration # 3:  My dear friend, Amelia, is getting married!!!  Over Labor Day weekend, I shared in a Bridal Shower for Milly hosted by her sisters & it was so much fun.  We ate at the 4th Street Filling Station & celebrated our girl with cake, gifts & laughs.  I am so excited to REALLY celebrate her in a couple weeks! :)

 

 

My life is so blessed with opportunities to celebrate with the people I love.

The one for Sam.

 Sam,

I had the best day with you yesterday.  An early morning bike ride with you was the perfect way to start my day.  I love your spontaneity lately.  Friday night's date to Bonefish Grill where you ordered fish, caught me off guard.  The when in Rome attitude threw me off a little bit because you are creature of habit and comfort, but you stepped outside your comfort zone and I'm so proud of you. 

Instead of going on the trial for the bike ride yesterday morning, you suggested downtown. I love downtown.  You always do things, go places, buy things that I love.  You are kind.  You are thoughtful.  You are giving.  Since you have become a working man, you like your Saturday's to sleep in.  I appreciate you getting up early to endure this sweet trip with me.

 

 You're idea of hitting up the downtown Goodwill made me happy.  I love a good thrift, twice new, consignment shop.  Incredible treasures can always be found.  Our treasures turned out being gently-used 90's bands CDs.  I love watching you shop.  You analyze the details.  All of them.  You angled every one of those CDs to see how the light caught the back in order to check for scratches.  You analyze and think about things thoroughly.  I love that.  It balances me out as I am someone who buys, goes and does things on a whim.

 

Although you give most things a valid ponder, you are also more than willing to roll with it.  You please me with your flexibility.  You don't get worked up when your idea gets shot, or when something doesn't go according to plan.  You are easy-going.  I love that.  Morning Times wasn't your pick of the morning, but you rolled with it. You enjoyed it nonetheless.

You are happy.  Pretty much all the time.  You love a lot of things.  Like fishing and ice cold Pepsi's.  You have a passion for a lot of things.  Like Jesus and family.  I absolutely fall in love with you again and again when you reveal your heart.  Hard talks get your mind stirring and I love to see you sort through all of your feelings out loud.  I love that you come to me for an ear to listen, for an opinion, for anything.  You make me feel loved.  In more ways than one.  

I'm thankful for you.  You have such a sweet spirit that is infectious.  Even in silence you are golden.  Thank you for an incredible Saturday.  One for the books for you and me.  You're my best good friend, Sam.  And I love you.

Love,
Courtney

the one on intense weeks.

I've wrote a paragraph.  Deleted it all.  Wrote another paragraph. Deleted it again... Long story short, school is probably at it's hardest point since being at NCSU.  My face is starting to break out a little bit.  Im wearing less make up.  My hair is up a lot more.  Im running out of clean sports bras.  Anyways, I tend to struggle with having fun throughout the waves of school work madness.  Not this past week.  I made a point to include it in order to save my sanity. 

Last Monday - bible study bonfire.  Sarah & I hosted bible study this week with s'mores.

 

Last Tuesday -- I took pictures at my roommates Tacky Prom Young Life club.

 

Last Wednesday -- I watch one of my favorite boys start to get the hang of his roller skates.

 

Also,  Sam & I headed to Doak Field to support the Pack.

 

On Friday, I watched Jeopardy with my boys && celebrated one of the roomies 21st (no pics, sorry).

 

Saturday morning, I volunteered at Bounce Back Kids.  I lead arts & crafts as we made spring/mother's day cards!  It was so fun & I met a bunch of sweet people.

Later that Saturday, I hung out with these sun bathing sleeping beauts.

 Also, went on a bike ride with Sam.

 

&& cooked an incredibly large and late but incredibly good supper with the same boy.

 

So overall, past the moments of studying and writing papers, I had a pretty good week.  This week is even more intense.  But as long as I  take it one day at a time, I'll be fine.  Here's to a long but hopefully beautiful week ahead!

  

These eggs are RIGHT beside our back door.  Spring has sprung at the Joby's.