{i'm a big girl now}

So as most of you might know, I've had a few great changes in my life recently. I've had to become a big girl & packed up all my belongings & moved to the small town of York, Nebraska. I love it though. Not to mention I have the cutest dorm in all of Tomas Hall & I'm probably the only one with a couch, which is a plus to not having a roommate. This campus has the most supportive & loving people here. I've been so inspired by a few individuals since I moved here. I've heard so many different stories of struggle & success. I've gotten the chance to meet so many new, interesting people. I've made a whole new set of friends & gotten the chance to reconnect with a few old ones.

The encouragement I've felt from the students, as well as the staff here is unbelievable. I thank God everyday for that. My spiritual cup is starting to overflow from the uplifting attitudes of everyone here on campus. The bathroom in my hall has sticky notes in the stalls for us all to write down our thoughts. I decided that it would be nice to have positive things posted in there, so I started to write down different encouraging things, within a matter of a day or so, more thoughts began to pop up on sticky notes on that stall door. All mentioning being positive, or where beauty really comes from. Some speak of being motivated to change lives, while other talk about the love our Savior has for us. It's so great to see what these girls have to say. Though I know all the girls in my hall, I don't know who is writing what. Which means that others are just willing to share their thought for the day & not take credit for it. It's just so cute!

Moving to York has been such a change for me. 1. Because I've never moved in my life. 2. Because it's forced me to get out of my comfort zone & meet new people. 3. I've been challenged in my class, by people. & by the everyday lessons people are teaching me. It's great to have this new opportunity to get out & actually be a big girl. I've gotten the chance to make my own choices & decisions.

It's great to be on my own, but don't get me wrong, I miss my family. I call my mom so much more than I thought I would & Tweet Maddog all the time. Even Taylor & I have had a few conversations, mostly about her missing me ;) I've yet to hear from my brother, but I guess I did see him just last week. I miss getting to sit by my grandpa at church on Sundays & getting to chat with all the cute old ladies after services. I miss goofing around with my siblings & cuddling with my two puppies. I really miss dinner with my family, (especially since I can't eat most of the food here) & having my daddy pray before the meal. I also miss all my baby cows! Living in the "city" doesn't compare to living on the farm.

Being a girl is great, but I wouldn't mind being a little girl for a little longer. Having my mom take are of me when I feel bad, & having Daddy tell me everything will be alright when I'm upset. I would give anything to act like a little kid with my sisters again & have the joy of running down the Grandpa's house to get candy money or take a long trip down to visit Grammy and Pawpaw in Mulberry. But life doesn't like to wait for you to decide to grow up, it's forced on you. As soon as you hit high school age & you get a job. Then you start driving. Then you go to your first prom, & before you know it, you graduate & move away to a new environment. It feels good to be a big girl, but I would give anything to just be that little girl getting on the school bus for the first time.

Peace & love.
B.

{The Perfect Friendship}

So let me tell you a story. It's about a group of girls who have this extremely tight bond. A bond so tight that they literally will do anything when they're together. I like to call this group the EVES {aka, my best friends}. That's right, you know, from the Bible. Actually, Bible camp is where the EVES all started, at No Rules Camp in 2011. The details to the beginning of this group will not be disclosed, I'll just let your imaginations run wild. Anyhow, the EVES are this select group of girls, who all happen to be my best friends. There's seven of us: Courtney King, Bailey Cate, Brooke Bailey, McKenzie King, Delaney Woods, & Cassidy Shields, & well of course, me. {In the Bible, seven is a perfect number, so that means we have the perfect friendship, just saying.} Always living with the motto, "Once an Eve, Always and Eve." You can't go back to a normal life after join this group. We do all sorts of crazy things together & have such a close friendship with each other. We even have T-shirts! Be jealous, because they're pretty tight. We're all kinda professionals at tye-dye, well everyone except Courtney.

2012 BeliEVE {minus Bailey Cate}

2011 Ultimate EVE {Original Eves}

These girls have been such a stronghold in my life for these past couple of years. I've known I've always had several girls to count on & trust with ever inch of my being. This year, we took on the title of the "Single Eves." But who needs boyfriends when you've got girlfriends? Seriously though, this summer was so much more fun without any boy drama to worry about. Stress free, LOVE THAT. These girls are my glue, they hold me together when I feel like falling apart. Seven is more than just a number, it defines our friendship entirely.

2012 NYC Banquet {minus Bailey Cate}

Going to college is going to be hard, especially with four of us going to three different colleges that are several hours apart. I mean Texas, Tennessee & Nebraska aren't very close to each other... & with three Eves still in high school, we're all faced with different stages of life & different challenges. God has a plan for each of us, that I am sure of, it just kinda sucks not having all of my best friends right at my disposal. These girls aren't perfect. But they're each flawed in a beautiful way. I love them all in their own individual way.

I just want to say to each of them: I love you. You mean the world to me. Don't be a stranger, come stay in my dorm, {Cass, Brooke, & Laners} I've got a couch! Don't forget the memories we've had & don't forget how wonderful each of you are. God made us all friends for a specific purpose. I miss you all so much! Let's utilize the power of Skype & pray this year. Have fun & be wild.

Peace & love.
B.

{this one's for my daddy}

As said by the wise Pink Lady, Frenchie, "The only man a girl can depend on is her daddy." & I couldn't put that better myself.

Today, I would like to honor my dad, not only because he is a great person & has taken great care of me & brought me up loving the Lord, but because it's his birthday! Old man, you're turning into, an old man, & though your red hair is thinning & fading, that's okay, I still love you regardless.

My dad has always been my hero. Making me feel better when I'm upset, telling me I look pretty in my prom dress, crying when he would hear my contest solos. Making me feel special more than any other boy could ever do.

Dad, you got lucky, with four pretty awesome girls & a stinky little son {luckily you got that boy in the end to keep you sane in a house full of hormones & to take over my chores}. We all appreciate the way you work to keep our family stable a & the way you have let us all grow up to be who we want to be. You've always supported us in all of our activities, not matter how dumb you thought they were. You & Mom have taught us that Christ's love is greater than anything we could ever have on earth & that no matter what, He will never fail us. So thanks, Dad, for being such an example to us all. & as we grow up & move out, we will miss our favorite guy. So I'm just gunna say:

Dear Daddy,

No matter where I go in life, who I get married to, how much time I spent with guys, how much I love my boyfriend, you'll always be my number 1 man.

Love always,
Your little girl

I love you & happy birthday!


Peace & love
B.