A break from Who: E-Town Wedding Weekend Adventure

Holly: We are taking a short break from our Doctor Who challenge, mostly for two reasons: 1. because we are dinguses and picked a really, really bad month to do a 30 day challenge, hence the reason why we are so flipping behind, and 2. because we wanted to share the tale of the awesome weekend we had.  We will resume our challenge starting tomorrow.

Yesterday morning Kelly and I woke up semi-earlyish and traveled to Elizabethtown, in the midst of some spotty rain and some fairly windy roads.  The occasion: a wedding that we've known about for quite some time now.  The bride is a friend of ours from Berea, and she worked with Kelly for a while at the Learning Center.  We weren't sure of the goings on in E-town, as known by Kentucky folk, so we left early and arrived at our hotel at about 11.  The wedding wasn't until 2:30.  Our first eyebrow-raiser is that we did not have cell phone service.  ANYWHERE.  Naturally, we needed something to do for a few hours, so we asked the front desk for a mall or something in which to occupy ourselves.  En route to said mall we found a Goodwill, so needless to say, we stopped.  Pretty rockin' Goodwill if I do say so myself.

We got to the mall and Kelly took it upon herself to try to find an outlet so she could plug in her cell phone and try to find where we were going, since, at this point, we still did not have cell phone service (it wouldn't be until just outside of Danville coming home that we finally got back in range).  We ate at an Italian express place and then shopped around for a bit.  Pretty decent mall; nothing like Fayette, but it got the job done and we enjoyed ourselves despite our lack of contact with the outside world.

Kelly: I will continue this story. After we left the mall we decided to make our way to the church, after writing down directions on how to get there. We were on this main stretch of road and the directions told us to go on a bypass, so we found one and were like "uh...is this the right one?" We went on it, not really knowing if it was the right one, but after about a mile or two we started seeing signs for where we were supposed to go. Not going to lie, we were pretty amazed. So then we arrived at the church, watched the wedding, celebrated and then decided to check into our hotel. We checked into our hotel, which was a very lovely Best Western in Elizabethtown (the wedding was in a small town outside of the city) and went from our hotel to the reception. Unbeknownst to me at this point, I left my wallet in our hotel room. The wedding and reception were very lovely and we had a blast at the reception! Lots of good food, a TARDIS cake and lots of dancing. We're still sore from yesterday, needless to say. It was then I realized I left my wallet at the hotel and was worried that I left it at the desk when I checked in. We stayed at the reception until about 7PM, then decided to go to Target and malinger around. We got back to the hotel around 8 that evening and relaxed in the hotel, watched Big Bang Theory and got milkshakes from Wendy's.

This morning we woke up in our hotel, had breakfast and left around 10:15 this morning. While we were driving yesterday it dawned on one of us that we should stop in Danville on the way home to poke around. So we did. It was a lovely day today, a bit warm, but a nice breeze and the sun was out. We walked around Centre's campus, had lunch at a local coffee joint and enjoyed the nice day. We've been home since 2 this afternoon and are still reeling from this really fun and awesome weekend. I don't think either of us are ready to go back to work tomorrow. I like living here in Berea; I love my church, my friends and my job but sometimes it's nice to just get away, especially since we haven't really had the chance to in a while. We always enjoy our getaways when we get them, and this one was no exception.

Post day-in-the-car, post mall trip, post realization-of-no-cell-phone-service, post more-driving, exasperated that we actually made it to the church and actually made it ON TIME! 

A prayer for the new family :)

"You may now kiss the bride." 

The best groom's cake in the history of groom's cakes

Us and the blushing bride.  Apologies for the grossness; we had all just finished dancing like mad :)

How three 23-year-old working world roommates spend a snow day

Holly and Kelly: We go sledding.

Relax, the end is nigh!

Kelly: The impending doom of finals is just around the corner. My first one isn't until Tuesday, so I still have some time. Lately though I've been feeling the end-of-the-semester crunch biting me in the bum. The most common sign is me being defiant; I just do not want to do anything. I've been getting more easily distracted, especially this week. It's becoming a bit bothersome because there's still stuff that I need to get done; hopefully this is just like I said, me just ready for the semester to be over. But, today was actually a really good day and I hope it will help me get over this "I don't want to do anything" funk and allow me to get through this semester.

The day started out with a brunch consisted of pancakes, turkey bacon and coffee with Holly and a friend of mine. We just talked, laughed and are all looking forward to the end!  When the morning was about to end, Holly received a phone call from some more dear friends who live in Lexington and wanted to spend some time with us. Of course, we said no problem; what made it greater was that another one of our friends was visiting for the weekend, so she was there too!! (You'll probably remember these dear friends from when they accompanied us to see Colin and Brad!!) We ended up venturing to a hibachi grill just about 15 minutes away. We had been there before, but Holly and I had never had their sushi. Man, it was DELICIOUS. Afterwards, I wanted ice cream so I spoke up and said I wanted ice cream, so we ventured to....Orangeleaf. Orangeleaf is a soft-serve chain and you pay by the # of ounces you fill your bowl with. It was great, and we all loved it! All in all, a good night, and I love my dear friends ever so much.

I cannot wait for this semester to be OVER!!!! 

Holly: But we didn't just eat awesome sushi/awesome frozen yogurt.  We played with puppies at PetSmart and bought shoes! Well...I did, anyway.  Kelly picked them out for me.  They're adorable. 

I too have been stricken with the defiance of I-don't-want-to-do-anything...I believe its common name is Senioritis with a minor onset of My Give-A-Crap is Waning!  But tonight was just what I needed: good food, cute critters, a new pair of adorable shoes, all with the best friends a girl could ever ask for!

This time tomorrow will mark the one-week countdown until home sweet home for three weeks! YAY! :D

Homecoming with a side of Pad Thai

Kelly: This weekend was Berea's homecoming weekend. For starters, Holly and I ventured to Lexington to visit with some good friends that we haven't seen in a while! (You may remember them from when our friend got married just recently). This was Friday night which involved excellent food at a wonderful restaurant, a good flick (Puss in Boots!!) followed by crashing at our friend's apartment. We then proceeded to make s'mores over their fireplace and laugh until we were in tears and our stomachs ached with the pains that jolly laughter brings. We awoke Saturday morning with a biscuit breakfast and ventured back to Berea for the homecoming festivities! One of the booths had SUSHI which was delish!!!!!!!!!!! Holly and I then attended our concert for the choir we are involved in, which is always an experience and definitely worth looking at (look up Berea College Black Music Ensemble for a rockin' good time!). It was just a phenomenal concert that we gave, and we were still talking about it for the rest of the day!

And now, it is time for my shameless plug. I received my Help Harry Help Others bracelet today :]. In case you are wondering, Help Harry Help Others is a cancer research organization based in Birmingham, England. Harry was an 11-year-old boy who recently passed away from an inoperable brain tumor. He funded cancer research by selling bracelets, and they have sold all over the world! But seriously, google it, look it up, and invest in a bracelet if you feel led to. It's such a wonderful cause that I am proud to support! *added by Holly: there is no set price for the bracelets, just a minimum donation of 2 pounds.*

Holly: I just finished a glass of Dr. Pepper.  I have spent, literally, the entire day working on an annotated bibliography.  7 pages and just over 2600 words.  I'm spent.  I'm tired.  It's been a long day.  But life is good. 

Words cannot express the, for lack of a better word, FUN that I had this weekend! Laughing until I cried and my stomach hurt...ah, man, it was like we've never been apart! It was like we were picking up right where we left off! I LOVE that about close friends.  I'm still smiling about it.

After our BME concert yesterday, Amanda pants the roommate, Kelly and I decided to venture to a local Thai place (Kelly and I had not been there since our freshman year).  If you are a fan of Thai food and if you ever find yourself in Berea, Kentucky....then Wan Pen is a must!!!! Seriously! I ordered the chicken pad thai (without anything spicy because I'm a certified wimp) and it is TO DIE FOR!  I had the leftovers for lunch today and it was still TO DIE FOR!!!!!!!

So anyway...good friends, good fun, good food...good times! :)  Be blessed! 

Oh, P.S.  happy spaz moment in 3..........2............1...............


FIVE MORE DAYS UNTIL COLIN AND BRAD SHOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday Night dinner fun! 

Let the festivities begin

Us with our dear friend, James, whom we describe as an angry black woman trapped in a  white Southern  gentleman's body 

We finally got a serious pic! 

Kelly and my roommate at our concert. We do sign language!

Me and Kelly's roommate signing! :] 

What a beautiful wedding!

Kelly: Yesterday afternoon, Holly and I had the pleasure of partaking in a lovely wedding ceremony of a dear friend of ours, Ashley. We met Ashley our first year in college, and we've hit it off ever since! She wedded her high school sweetheart, Derek. The venue was Wea Creek Orchard in Lafayette, Indiana. So on Friday afternoon, we loaded up and drove the almost 5-hour drive with another dear friend of ours. The ceremony was just absolutely gorgeous; a very simple, "country" style wedding. It was a very small wedding party; only about 100 guests from near and far. Most of the guests were family, but there were some friends there as well (like us!). What was so great about this weekend as well is that it happened to fall during our mini fall break, here in Berea known as reading period. In other words, we don't have classes till WEDNESDAY. Holla!

The ceremony started at 2:37...PM, and I must say, the weather was GORGEOUS. It was a bit warm, yes, but the sun was shining and there was a breeze every now and then. I actually cried in the beginning (I always cry at weddings, such a joyous occasion.) However, I was also crying because I was just very happy to be there, considering we almost weren't able to attend. I really don't know what else to talk about; it was just a perfect weekend! After the ceremony, us and our three friends went to the hotel we were staying at, went to Steak and Shake in our PJ's, and just laughed and talked the whole time. What a blessing. Ever since they all graduated, I feel as if a piece of me has been left behind that only they can fill up again. I'm so grateful for my dear friends, and I wish Derek and Ashley the best of luck as they start their new life together! Cheers to them!!

Holly: I have absolutely nothing concrete to add to this.  The wedding was absolutely beautiful and lovely and fit Ashley and Derek to a T.   I am simply overwhelmed with joy for being able to be a part of my dear friend's new chapter in her life, as well as being able to catch up with dear friends who have also moved on to new chapters in their lives.  In one weekend I have never laughed so much and been so happy and blessed.    This weekend was the perfect reminder of why I am so grateful and blessed for my friendships, both near and far, and this quote from the wedding program sums it up perfectly:

Technically, you have no obligation to be here today or be there for us any other day; but the fact remains that you are here now, and you have always been there for us.
In a few months I will be recipients of these ever-precious words as I receive my bachelor's from Berea, and friends near and far gather for this as well.  So here's to Ashley and Derek, to wonderful friends, laughing, and remembering this special weekend we spent together! :) <3

A perfectly beautiful day for a wedding!

Mr and Mrs! :)

Our lovely newlywed friend! :)

cake!!

Beautiful wedding with beautiful people! :)

Connecting in church, Berea, food, family...everywhere!!

Holly: First off, as a sort of sad sidenote, I have come down with the ick that has afflicted the Berea campus. So if I spawn off on random tangents, you know why...

Sundays are probably my favorite days of the week, primarily because I am able to be a part of something so awesome that, most times, I can't stop thinking about it. Like today. Now, I've heard many of Pastor Kevin's sermons in my almost three years of attending Berea Baptist, but what really gets me about him and his sermons is that he's not on a pedestal preaching to people below him: he's preaching to himself too! That level of humility is something that so many people strive for, yet so few achieve (I myself still struggle with this and probably always will). The sermon today was titled "Things That Last Forever." I won't get into the nitty-gritty details, but basically, the main idea was to focus our human mindset onto the fact that here (earth) is not our permanent home, and that the vast majority of the things we accumulate will not matter once we reach eternity with Jesus! Towards the end, he asked "If you knew you only had a few hours to live, what would you do?" Really struck a cord with me today, especially since, in the college world, we still have that mindset of trying to see how much "stuff" one another has...which is stupid, because if I see a Berea student with an iPad or driving a Mustang convertible I'm forced to do a double take! So I'm going to try my best to shift my perspective (which will NOT be easy, so stay tuned).

After church Kelly and I met up with one of our dear Berea friends who graduated back in December and has since then become a mommy! Her little one is adorable! :) Our favorite married friends joined us later and it was absolutely spectacular to catch up...over yummy food, of course! Always a plus! :)

The absolute highlight of the day was a visit from our mom's cousin and her family, whom we haven't seen probably since we were about 7 or 8; they were driving back to Ohio from Asheville, North Carolina, and decided to pay Kelly and I a visit. We gave them a (very) brief tour of Berea's campus and then...ate more yummy food!! Yes, twice in one day, but...seriously, cannot pass it up! The visit was lovely and we had a great time catching up with family we hadn't seen in a while!

Going back to the sermon, there was also an emphasis on relationships. That could not have come at a more perfect day, if I say so myself. :)

 Kelly: 8% of the world's population owns a car. Over 1 billion people have no clean water. 800 million people will not eat today. 300 million of those people will be children. 1 billion people live on less than one dollar a day.

Readers, we've got a problem.

Those were just some of the statistics mentioned in church this morning. Shocking? Yes. Sad? Incredibly. But what as Christians and humans can we do? Simple; count your blessings. Granted, we may not have the "best" or the "nicest" possessions, but you know. Compared to those individuals who don't have a car, clean water or a stable income, we've simply got it MADE. Definitely going to change my thinking and definitely going to be extra thankful for what I already have....or don't have.

Anyway, onward. Holly forgot to mention an additional highlight of the day which happened while we were eating lunch this afternoon. Our pastor happened to be there with his family and was eating lunch with another couple from our church. My friends left and so Holly, me and my roomie were talking to them for a while just because it has been such a long time since we've actually....just talked. And of course, their adorable 15-month old was the spotlight of attention. She later on was serenading us in "Three Blind Mice." I don't know if we have any pictures or not....anyway, adorable. Absolutely adorable. Garsh, I am so blessed to have found this wonderful church. I talk a lot about church, in case you haven't noticed. In addition, two girls in our Sunday School class became members today!!! *big grin* At my church if you're a college student you can do what's called a "dual membership" in which if you belong to your home church then you can also become a member at BBC too! Great, huh? Yes, I am a dual member and have been since May of 2009 (read the previous blog post about how we got started and all the mayhem we've been involved in!). Good times, and I wouldn't change a thing! That's about all to report today. Hope all you fine readers have a fantabulous week. Will post more later on. Cheers!