Love Like This Life: Super Long Catch Up Blog...

Hello, world. Here I am. Yes, me again. Two days in a row - who's on a blog streak?

I have a new favorite Lean Cuisine: Butternut squash ravioli in a creamy sauce with walnuts, snap peas & carrots. Seriously. I just copied that off the box. I'm not a big frozen meal fan, but they're perfect for work, and this one is my new fave.

Now, catching up. I have had 2 pretty great weekends in a row. Highly saturated with good friends.

I'm just going to go chronologically here. A couple of weekends ago, I traveled to Roanoke/Lynchburg for Liberty's Homecoming.

I stayed at the Grooms' house - they're like family to me! What fun.

I had my first real experience with bridal magazines.

My little Asian wedding planner (it's okay for me to call her that because she likes it!) busted out seriously about 8 bridal magazines and spread them across the table.

It was fun at first.

Then I saw Heidi's eyes light up as she envisioned creaing things with tulle and a hot glue gun.

I did tear out one picture of a wedding dress. Er, gown. Whatever. I decided I don't really like these magazines. They make me feel fat. And short. And pasty white. And poor. And inadequate.

So, there, Modern Bride, or whatever. Like everything else I do in life that I do well, I have decided to play my own game. I will plan this sucker mostly online. Thankfully I have a fiance who is really into this. And an eager mother. Now, all we need to do is win the lottery, ha!

Moving right along... that Saturday, I drove from Roanoke to Lynchburg for the game.

The fall leaves in the Blue Ridge Mountains were breathtaking. This picture doesn't really do it justice.

But the drive down the mountain from the Grooms' house was awesome!

I didn't take that many pictures at the game. It's too bad.

Liberty has come a long way since I was in school. Not only in that the girls don't have to wear skirts an the guys don't have to wear ties, but look at this stadium!

It's like a real college football game! There are fans and everything!

And when they score a touchdown, a giant flame shoots up into the air! It's pretty impressive!

I didn't really pay attention to the game though, because I was catching up with old friends.

Everyone had a baby. Seriously. I think they were passing them out or something. I didn't get one, thankfully! I must have gone in a different entrance.

This baby doesn't belong to this couple, by the way. That's Chris and Rebecca with Scott Stone's baby, Elaina.

Chris's parents are in the background. It was great catching up with them!

Here is Chris with Scott, the baby daddy.

It is crazy to me, how much these guys have not aged. They have de-aged, if anything.

That's so not fair how men do that. I'm filing a complaint.

And sweet Mandy Leak (Hill now). I had so much fun catching up with my old YouthQuest buddies!

I loved the rush of memories that seeing these old friends brought on.

I even thoroughly enjoyed Jesse's enthusiasm!

He is launching truelife.org and is very excited about it!

YouthQuest has a special place in my heart. The trips, the ministry, the friendships we made - all priceless.

There were so many other great things about that weekend that I don't have pictures of, doh! I caught up with my college roommate, Amber, for like 2 hours during the game. She made me laugh so hard - remembering old times and giving me marital advice, haha!!

I stayed with a group of girls from Liberty that Saturday night and had a blast playing games and laughing way too hard at "Penelope" from SNL. That Sunday, I drove through Charlottesville to see Jenn & Tim Abbott. I love them and I absolutely hate that I don't have any pictures of them.

Okay, moving right along...

This past Saturday, I drove down just outside of Richmond to see my friend Ann. Ann is doing really well, training for her missionary job. She leaves in January and I hope to get to see her at least one more time before she leaves the continet.

I hate that she's not going to be in or at my wedding. Booooo on that.

We ate way too much food at the Cheesecake Factory. Yummmmmm!!

Here is where I have to fill in another great adventure I had with friends that I don't have a picture for... Before I saw Ann, I stopped at Steve & Christy's. Michael & I met Steve and Christy on the bus to the Kenny Chesney concert back in July. They are a super fun couple and we have a lot in common. It was so nice to be in their home, meet their dogs, oh my goodness - a Jack Russell and a Rotweiller - they are so cute together! It was just nice to catch up!

Phew! I see why my boss asks me every Friday, "Where are you going this weekend?" Haha. My poor SUV.

Well, Sunday, the friends came to me! I saw Alena and Kim. We go way back. To our youth. Alena and Kimmy were just 15 or 16 when I was a youth leader back at Rainbow Forest Baptist Church. I was super young, too. Like 20. Haha. We were more friends than anything, which for the record, I think is the way to go. Now these girls are all grown up and I'm super proud of them! I had to drive outside the Beltway to pick Alena up for church. That makes me nervous, but I got through it with faith and my trusty GPS!

I was back up to snuff with the picture taking, don't say I didn't warn you!