500/365

Over the holidays Jon and Ronnie took Sarah and me on a special trip to Asheville. When Sarah turned 16 we did this exact trip with our family, so it was extra special to be with our guys! We first stopped at the Grove Park Inn to see their gingerbread houses. We had the best time walking around, sitting by the (massive) fire, sipping on coffee and listening to the hustle and bustle of Christmas excitement. After, we went to dinner at the Deer Park Restaurant, which is on the property of the Biltmore Estate. The guys had planned dinner there before we went on a candle light tour of the estate.

There were so many funny stories that night... for example, while we were eating dinner the electricity went out. We ate buffet style in the dark for over an HOUR! And to make it more intense, it was the Friday that "the world was supposed to end!!"

Lots of laughs over that trip and I'm so thankful for our guys for planning something so special!!



Gingerbread houses at the Grove Park Inn




The sky was SO BEAUTIFUL!!





Somebody had written this on the window and the light was shining through so perfectly to catch it with my lens.





Ronnie and me at dinner



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Got to spend some time with Sarah in Columbia last weekend. Ronnie and I went for a quick trip on Friday morning-Saturday morning. We had a blast and got to catch up with Andrew!! Ronnie and Andrew did what the boys always do... they found coffee and got some studying in. Meanwhile, Sarah and I painted a bathroom!! :) We had a great time exploring the restaurants around Sarah's townhouse and then making a killer breakfast on Saturday morning. (and we got in some laundry, homework and a movie...)

SO thankful for time spent with Sarah, her roommate and sister, Ronnie and Andrew!



Flowers for our table at breakfast... they have a cute little backyard patio and it was a GORGEOUS morning
to eat outside!

BEFORE of the nasty bathroom

Getting lots of work done!

Not complete, but kind-of after shot. Anxious to get everything else hung and the knobs put on the
cabinet. I wish you could SEE how much just a little paint on the walls and the cabinets
changed the feel of this little gross bathroom. :)

Just wanted to make sure you saw a picture of Ronnie... proof he was there. :)

Thankful for our time in Columbia... I actually sort-of liked it. Hmmm....

487/365

Had the GREAT OPPORTUNITY to go visit Matt, Rach, Kathryn, Benton and Sarah (and the rest of the Grandview staff) in Arizona this week. Ronnie, Jon and I packed up our bags and enjoyed a beautiful trek across the country.

We were able to see a lot of exciting sights and experience many new things. It was so neat to show Ronnie the camp and to catch up with our family. Benton and Kathryn are just precious and growing like little weeds!

I hope to highlight different parts of the trip over the next few days, but for now I will leave you in suspense with this...

This was the drive to camp from Phoenix. Talk about a beautiful, unique, open sky!

Thankful for the last week of safety and fun... and also, very thankful to be HOME in Clemson!

483/365

Just want to state that I LOVE HER and am THANKFUL FOR HER!

479/365

I'm so proud of Sarah! She is officially an alumnus of Bob Jones University, but it doesn't stop there. She is now a big kid! She is on her way to graduate school at the University of South Carolina, and there is no turning back!

I just love her and praise God for how He has worked out all of the details of her schooling. I'm so excited that she is going to be a speech therapist- she can fix my voice and teach all of my children how to say their t's. :)

Classic of the Smetana kids... :)

Love them! Congratulations, sweet Sarah!

Enjoyed so much our time with our family and friends celebrating Sarah!!

477/365

What a fun Saturday! Started off with the Young Life "color run" 5K at Nettles park. Rach has a few students who kept inviting her to run the race, so she called us up and BAM, here we are!

Before... :)

After! Thanks to Rach for inviting us for a fun little run!

We had a great time- thankful for these friends and the energy of the YOUNG LIFE workers... it was a tough little course running around and around Nettles. :)

ALSO, FELIZ NAVI DAN!!! We celebrated Dan's birthday tonight by throwing a fiesta! Carrie invited their friends and we had the best of times!

Dan looks the part... 

I'm pretty pleased with this picture. I feel like it captures
the emotion of the moment well!

So glad Ronnie could make it... he makes an excellent Spaniard!

Silvya made the most DELICIOUS dinner... all from scratch!

Mark and Ronnie were playing some tunes and little D grabbed his instrument and
just walked up and started playing with them.
He is precious!

What a great Saturday! Much to be thankful for-- happy birthday, Dan!!

468/365

Thankful for Sarah and Jon... and that they are celebrating 2 years of dating today. :) How fun!!!

So cute... love them!!!

Sarah on her way to her room to see what surprise awaited her...

Bam! A BEAUTIFUL dozen long-stemmed red roses.
Jon did good.
First time giving her roses... so sweet!

Thankful for these two and how God is using them and how He's using their relationship. What an awesome couple... :)

(alsA, happy birthday to RONNIE!!!! Enjoyed so much spending time with his sisters and Jeff in Greenville. So thankful to celebrate with them!)

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Triple date... couldn't miss out on this one! Thankful for time spent with Rach, her HUSBAND Will, Sarah, Jon and Ronnie. :) Clemson baseball game and then dinner at the Smokin' Pig. Delicious!!!

Woohooo- GO TIGERS! (can't you tell we're all HUGE baseball fans?!!!)

Yep, some of my favorite people! :)

Welcome to Clemson, Will!! I think he is just overwhelmed by how awesome Clemson is....

Slou and Jled

Smokin' Pig...

Sarah was pretty excited about the upcoming meal...

Just had to show our true colors.... :/

:)

Thankful for a fun night!!!

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Thankful today for my sister Sarah Louise... :) And her blog...

www.comeflywithlou.blogspot.com

Check it out- she's so witty! Thankful for the laughs she brings to my days!