beauties #3 & 4: exercise and relaxercise :)

when i was in high school, i was in SUCH great shape. i played volleyball in the fall, i swam for the swim team in the winter, and i played soccer in the spring. i was constantly running and moving and exercising. then college rolled around and with no motivation, i just stopped working out all together. and needless to say, it caught up to me! so last night....em and i decided we would wake up to go to spinning class at 6 in the morning. we were basically on cloud 9 because recruitment practice that night had gone phenomenally, our room was clean and we started our SENIOR YEAR today! so to start our year off right, we thought a great workout was in order. so we not-so-happily woke up at 5:30 to be at the gym by 6. we just LOVED the fact that we were there so early we had to wait for them to unlock the doors. wonderful feeling. so like i said we went to spinning class...which killed!

this bike looks pretty similar to the one we used this morning...i got off the bike after our 45 minutes session and my legs felt like jello. i was amazed at the fact that i could even walk. but it was such an wonderful wake-up and morning starter. and we were so enthused about our new routine...we decided we would get up tomorrow morning too :) gym...meet your newest besties!

BUT...

one of the greatest and most beautiful things in life besides a great workout is just relaxing with the wonderful people in your life. sunday afternoon, we hosted a bridal shower for one of my sorority sisters kate who is getting married september 19th. im blessed and honored to be a bridesmaid in her wedding...and pictures will be posted that day too :) after the shower, however, we had a couple hours of hangout time until recruitment practice...so me, jenna (my god little in my sorority), whitney, bree and amber all hung out and chilled in my room. i started to think about what a wonderful blessing times like these are in my life. how lucky am i that i found these amazing women to share my life with??...even my lazy, hangout time! and like all sorority girls...we took pictures :) so here's to the beauty of what i like to refer to as relaxercise...where laughter makes the workout worth the effort!

bree & whitney hanging out on emily's bed....aren't they just SO pretty :)

amber joined bree & whitney...love candid pictures :)

me and jenna (the god little)...she's constantly making me smile

i hope everyone can find some time for relaxercise with the people they love...i can promise, there is beuty in every laugh.

beauty #3: baby showers.

so today, my mom and some family attended my cousin michelle's baby shower. she is having a little BOY to be named evan :) i think i love him already...and i am so excited for her. her and her husband jason have been praying for a baby for a while now...and just when things started to look not so good, God surprised them once again to prove his love with this little gift. jason and michelle are going to be wonderful parents. here are some pictures from today...i love being around michelle beccause everyone talks about how much we look alike (technically...theyre saying i look like her...which is a wonderful compliment because she is simply beautiful)

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me and michelle, the mommy-to-be! she hardly looks pregnant and im so jealous because i know i will NEVER look that wonderful when im pregnant. isnt she just beautiful??

before she opened presents, everyone went around the room to share some advice or words of wisdom

looking at the GEORGIA TECH onesies we got her. im sure baby evan is going to look wonderful in them :)

"for i know the plans i have for you," declares the Lord. "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -jeremiah 29:10-12

**on a side note, my cousin allie hannah was there and i cant believe she is getting married next week. this is her :)

she is one of my best friends and i can't believe her wedding day is so close! its going to be great!

so now i get to spend the rest of this wonderful day relaxing with jenna and whitney, two of my best friends in my sorority. gotta love those lazy days! but that's a beauty for another post :)

beauty #2: being a maid of honor.

so...exactly 8 days from today, one of my best friends, who also happens to be my cousin, is getting MARRIED! allie hannah temple (allie hannah to me..just allie to everyone else) will be mrs. patrick sullivan next saturday and i could not be more honored to be her maid of honor.

and here is how she asked me...it was precious...

one morning, i woke up and walked downstairs to my mom teary-eyed and smiling. i asked what was up and she responded, "oh nothing." false. so i ignored it and went about the morning eating breakfast, runnin around the house doing laundry and stuff. all the while, my mom was following me...not typical behavior. so finally i asked "what is going on??" she begged me to walk back into the foyer of our house...so i did. come to find out, i had been walking right past a huge bouquet of orange, red and yellow flowers addressed to me. the card read...one year form today, my heart will be a-flutter, please stand beside me as my maid of honor. love, allie. hysterical. i immediately said yes and we went to planning. i will post more pictures the day of the wedding so everyone will know just how beautiful this wedding is going to be.

BUT...

as maid of honor, i knew i was going to be busy helping plan..but i wanted to do something special for allie from me. something different that she could keep forever. so (with daddy's help) i made her a cross for her yard. its 5 feet tall!! (HUGE). i hand painted "Allie & Patrick, Est. 8-21-10) it is so beautiful and i really hope she likes it! (i'll be sure to post her reaction) i have LOVED every second of being a maid of honor and i am sad it's coming to an end. but i am so excited for the wedding and to post about it :)

here it is :)

allie & patrick's house has a "rustic" feel to it....so i made the cross to fit with the house

beauty #1: blogging

i can't believe i'm a blogger! :) all of my posts will basically be about things i find throughout life that are beautiful....and this first beauty i have found...BLOGGING. i think this might be the coolest diary i have ever had. i am so pumped to share the beautiful things in my life with you...and hopefully help you discover some beauty of your own in this crazy little thing called life.