Trip to Boston

This weekend I went to Boston for two days. It was packed with fun, education, work and networking. I will fill you in more but thought I would post a few pics. I took tons of the city because its such a history book to walk through that often contrasts with the mirrored walls, concrete and metal structures of sky rises.
see more pics

Time with royalty....

This week I've spent tons of time with my neice and nephew while Mom has been babysitting and my sister is in Louisianna helping my youngest sister Kristin and Matt with the birth of their first baby boy -Bryce Caden born April 15, 2009.
Here are a few pics of our time

Some time to get out...

Today Robert took me on a hike to yellow branch falls... what a beautiful day and a great way to get away from the stress of finishing my final projects for my Masters program and the stress of uncertainty about job security and to get out and enjoy the sun....








Spring is definately here with a bang...
With severe thunderstorms and rain the night before (not to mention tornado warnings and watches about 10 miles to our south east) the sky seemed to be washed clean and all the more sparkling and bright and cheerful after the overcast and darkness of the previous day....





It's great to spend time someone who makes you feel special when life is stressed. And what a beautiful day and memory.



And the force and beauty of the water cascading down the falls was beautiful. God creates such beautiful places for us to enjoy...

It was a great day to get out and develop new perspective... to look at another part of the world and get out of my small focused perception lately...

More pics... click here

Happy Birthday Lindsay

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Lindsay....
Have a great one...

Updates....

So for those of you who keep up with me through blog life... I work in a pediatric orthopedic hospital that provides all the care to families for free and is funded by savings placed in the stock market and overseen by Shriners. In specific I work at the Greenville Shriners Hospital. They have recently taken enourmous losses -- they have lost so much that all the hospitals may have to close and to save some they are chosing to sacrifice a few. My hospital being one of them on the agenda. They will make the final vote in July with unknown closure dates to follow after the meeting if its confirmed by vote....
what does that mean?
I may be out of a job in July and the kids may be forced to go to Florida or Kentucky to seek treatment....
So in the meantime I am job searching. I am first focusing in Greenville and then will expand back to North Carolina since my house still is not sold. Please pray for God to open the right doors and to provide insight and guidance as well as networks appropriatly to be at the right place at the right time.

thanks guys...
Karla

Madelyn's birthday and the Whitcomb's visit

This weekend Tim & Lindsay & Sammy Whitcomb came to visit. It's been a while since we have been together. Sammy is getting so big. I can't believe how much energy he has and how smart he is at figuring out things. Since it was overcast and rainy over the weekend we had to improvise activities and played indoors. One day we went to Janelle's place and played at the playground with the kids. On Saturday we went to Madelyn's first birthday party. Robert got a chance to meet them and came to Madelyn's birthday party also. We had a busy weekend filled with rain....but despite the weather it was nice to catch up with friends.


Here are a few pics from the park

Here are pictures from the birthday party

Its snowing -- in Greenville this time

Its raining.. its snowing...
Finally we got some of the pretty white precipitation here. About 2 in in the last two hours... Here are a few pics from the first 30 minutes snowing before it got dark.

Yeah. I love the snow... here are a few pics


I couldn't help myself. I don't have a place to sled but I had to make a snowman... Isn't my snow man cute I think I'll call him Snow Blue Eyes.

Valentine's

It was such a nice experience to have Valentine's plans with someone special. Robert took me out to eat Friday night and we got dressed up. It was fun. Saturday we went for a hike to Rainbow Falls... a new trail at Jones Gap... its a beautiful water fall that comes out in a bit of a canyon. The water falls off a cliff and becomes a mist of water at the bottom to turn back into more intense short falls. It was a beautiful day with a mild chill in the air that warmed up as we came back down. It was a great hike and good exercise. It was fun to head back and have dinner (which he made for me). Two thumbs up for the romantic and thoughtful gestures... I haven't had a Valentine's date for several years... it was worth the wait :)

more pics

Baby shower

This weekend was Kristin & Matt's Baby Shower. It was a great time for the couple and for others. Several friends and family flew or drove in. Matt and Kristin drove up to Greenville SC from LA and their friends Prena, Aasheesh and Sepna flew in from Michigan, Cheryl from DC and Uncle Blair and Aunt Debbie from TX, Mom and Dad from PA, his Mom and Dad from Georgia, and his Uncle and Aunt from TN, and our Cousin Dave and his fiance from NC. That's nine states represented... pretty impressive... and very special for the couple that so many came from their homes to share in their excitement as this new baby boy is about to arrive.

Here are a few more pictures

My brother and his family couldn't make it. He said he doesn't even pass a block to go to a shower -- let alone several states.... hehehe

Snow in South Carolina

We got snow in South Carolina

-- in the mountains that is...








I was up at Lake Jocasse and got to enjoy the first snow with Robert...


yeah... I'm such a kid when it comes to snow. I love just walking around and enjoying the beauty.... hope you all get some too... here are a few more PICS.. stay safe

New Years Day 2009

What did you do your first day of 2009? I thought about options and decided to get out and enjoy the day. I went up to Raven Cliff Falls in Ceasar Head. The sun was bright the sky was blue the temperature was 32. What more could you ask for? Well I could name a few (a few degrees might have been nice) but I still totally loved it.

Can I share a few pictures of the day. The most fascinatingly beautiful thing was the ice along the trail as I headed in. There were fragile beautiful miniature ice stalagmites you might find in a cave found along the edge of the trail. The beauty alone was stunning, but it got my curiosity too. How did they form and why? And in the moment realized that this is an amazing world. At times God gives us beautiful fragile moments in time that we may miss if we don't pause to notice them. If I hadn't paused when I saw a flash of sunlight on the edge of the trail I may have missed them. I stopped to admire them closer and took a few pictures but couldn't truly capture the sparkle of light that danced off the ice as the sun hit it or the depth of the light refraction that came off the individual fragments. As I came back the trail they had dissolved into the dirt to become mud. And I smiled in the secret knowledge of having had a brief view of the beauty that has disappeared for the moment. It was a good reminder to take time this year to thank God for the brief moments of beauty He creates for us.



Later I made it to the observation deck for the falls. Again a moment of awe of the beauty of the sight. I followed a trail called "dismal" trail. Why its called that I'm not sure, but along the way was a area of boulders that gave another view of the falls. I stopped for a few more pictures and a few minutes in the sun. It was a beautiful day. I took a few minutes to think and read. Till the coldness started to seep in.

It was a nice day getting out alone to take time to enjoy life's little beautiful surprises along the way. That's what this life is about... enjoying each moment and day along our journey of life. One of my secrets of joy is to take a moment to totally enjoy the time and moments that make up the journey and change the focus from the end of the journey to the moments that make up the journey and how they can change our perspective and life. And to take time to give God the glory for those moements....

Here are a few pictures

 

Here is a picture of me with my nephew this Christmas.

My sister Kristin and her husband Matt came to town. She's so cute pregnant. I didn't take nearly the number of pictures I usually do but I got one with her. The new news.... Janelle is pregnant again. She just found out a few weeks ago. The new babies are due in April and August. That should be fun. :)

Pictures

A laugh about the lighter side of the holidays....

Okay I had to laugh. Check out this blog from my friend with children who love well lit christmas light. http://meandering-thru.blogspot.com/2007/12/my-heartfelt-thank-you.html

.... a falling star....

Last night I saw a falling star.... Wonder when my wish will come true? I still believe in magic (or at least God's blessings that surprise us) do you?

What blessings have you experienced lately. I'd love to hear you all share...

This Thanksgiving was fun. My sister Kristin and her husband Matt came to town. One morning we took my nephew to Disney on ice. We had fun and he had a ball. We also had some great meals. My sister Janelle and her husband Josie and I had a traditional Thanksgiving meal. I made the turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce and sweet potato casserole and she made the sausage stuffing, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie and pumpkin chocolate bread. The next day she did a pumpkin chicken soup that was great. We had a nice relaxing several days and we both took the time to put up a Christmas trees. It was fun to have the sisters together. Missed having Mom and Dad and Larrian & Teri and Justin, Joshua and Walker here...
Here are a few more pictures of Thanksgiving and a few more pictures from Disney on Ice

My reflective fall object lesson..

The sheer beauty of fall. It catches me in moments of awe at His excellent creativity and color. I haven't taken time to wonder in His design this year until today. I delayed it with busyness, but today I got off work an hour early and decided to take a moment for enjoyment. I had to share in the wonders of His hands.





It still amazes me that God creates these images for our pleasure and for His glory each year for but a few solitary moments or days. If He has the power and creativity to do that in nature -- what kind of creativity does He use for my daily life and the work He wants to do in it every day... And I love the object lessons we can learn from taking moments to stand in awe of His order and design...


Have you ever taken a look at your life and thought -- I'm not like everyone else my age or in my association... I should change -- maybe not-- sometimes God uses our differences to make us dependent on Him for guidance and to show the beauty of His variety...


Or,, have you ever gotten self conscience of your spots -- you pain or your weaknesses or your mistakes or your failures in life... - ever wanted to hide that part of your life from others.... I have... But that too can add to your beauty and your individuality and at times God uses it to hightlight things - sometimes right before a big change... are you ready to be used?




The pain of change can be beauty in and of itself to someone else. At times we experience the pain and try to run or hide, but the beauty of our vulnerability is the strength from Our Redemeer



And isn't it interesting that we at times feel stripped of those around us to support us. And yet my Creator is still in control and gives us the strength to hold on...He has a perfect time for each of us.


And then there are times when we feel the blessing of His hands in our life. We are overwelmed daily with the things He provides for us. And amazed by the beauty in the life He shares with us.. He gives us bouquets of beauty... like these bouquets of color...









Our Father is such an amazing God. He loves us deeply and creates things for our pleasure. Thank you Father for our beautiful moments in your hands and in this life you have given us. You amaze me!!!!