Lisa + Brandon

So much to catch up in the blogging world...but before anything else gets posted I must update you on the fun, amazing, perfect engagement that I had the joy to be a part of this past weekend.

Here is the quick back story: I meet Lisa briefly while she was a senior getting Greek IV started at JMU. Within one meeting, we decide we should be roommates (when you know, you know) as she was staying in Harrisonburg for graduate school and I was going to be on staff with Greek IV at JMU. We become close quickly and she helped me survive my first year in Harrisonburg--it would not have been the same without her. Also, I met her boyfriend. We also fell in love at first sight. Even though I have only known Brandon and Lisa for 3 years, I feel like they have been in my life forever.


Anyway, about a month ago I get a phone call from Brandon. I was filled with so much joy and excitement as he shared that he was ready to pop the question. I also felt so honored and pumped that I was going to be able to be a part of the whole process. Is there anyway I can do this professionally by the way?

So, the best way to tell this story is from the Bride to Be's version...with my interjections as well:

"i had previously planned to take off work on friday and head down to harrisonburg for the weekend for a few reasons 1. to visit my dear old roommate taylor (and her fabulous husband luke), 2. to go to the jmu football season ticket reseating event on behalf of my dad, and 3. to see my newly married gal pal jill on her and her hubby's beautiful staunton farm. after a late-night thursday arrival, friday began with picking out my family's season ticket seats in the new jmu stadium. can i just say that this thing is giant-normous?!

tay & i walked around town just chatting and enjoying the weather (i love soccer mom walking, its a favorite hobby of mine!), saw a movie, played banana grams (another favorite), packed a picnic and went to fridays on the square (picture this: country band, picnic baskets, wine, card games, & great friends). OK, I just need to say that we had the BEST talk about marriage, the future, her and Brandon, etc on this walk around Purcell park. She was talking about how much she loved him how she would wait forever for him to propose because she knew he was the one, etc...it was so hard to keep a straight face as I knew it was going to happen TOMORROW. and she had NO IDEA.

i even picked up a salvaged furniture find on the way home- well luke picked it up! we had made plans to go to the farmers market saturday am before i left for staunton and one of tay's friends had 'conveniently' asked her to pick up her paycheck for her on campus. So, I wake up and feel like it is Christmas morning. Words cannot express how excited I was to be "santa's helper" in this huge surprise. Also, my friends told me that Lisa would not want to be get engaged in gym shorts so to make sure that did not happen I put on a cute dress before we went to the farmers market. So I did and it worked. She saw me in a dress, and decided to put on a cute outfit too! cue full on engagement story beginning....

as luke, tay & i walked from their house up to the quad i commented how there was literally no one around. we walked up the steps of wilson hall and i remember stating "this is where i first met brandon. in that room off to the left." insert Like almost started crying and me sweating like crazy hoping this will work. after unsuccessfully trying to get in to wilson hall (decoy), taylor tries to divert my attention to a guy + dog walking up the quad (my response "cool" and i moved on). 2 more attempts and she tells me she thinks i know who that is and that i should go over and say hi. puzzled and completely confused i start walking down the quad (with some pushing from luke). about half way down the quad i realize that it is brandon and look back and tay/ luke for confirmation but theyre gone (hidden away & already snapping pictures of what is to come). completely flabbergasted to see brandon in front of me in harrisonburg (because he had been telling me for weeks that he was playing in a charity golf tournament that day in northern va with ryan). at first i thought he borrowed a dog to come visit. he tells me to look at the dogs collar. it had our monograms on it and the date on one side and "will you marry me?" on the other. at first i didnt see the big question and just thought he got us a puppy (total excitement). but then while i was squatting down playing with the littler furball, brandon got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife while holding a beautiful shiny ring (insert overwhelming joy and complete surprise)! Brandon's idea of the puppy was perfect because they had been talking about how they wanted a dog together forever! Lisa had never had a pet and had always wanted one!




It was so cool to see all this happen. We were standing in the breezeway connected to Wilson.




out pops taylor and luke (planners and decoy extraordinaries) after more pictures with jmaddy, phone calls to family and some friends, we had a perfect afternoon of picnicing on the quad as a little family of 3. taylor had prepared appetizers and champagne back at their house to continue the celebration, then it was off to joshua wilton house for dinner while the logans babysat our little furball, who we named tucker."

I kept on kidding with them that even though Tucker was their baby born out of the wedlock I still loved and supported them...haha!!

james madison was in on the secret too

me and the bride! her bling was beautiful!!!

Brandon and Lisa, we love you both and could not be more happy for what is to come for you and your new family.

Where in the World?

So, in the middle of the amazingness that was Big Love's Beach trip...I lost the keys to the beach house. Not just one key, but also the key to the elevator, storage closet, golf cart, etc...

I remember putting them in my beach bag right after I locked the door to the storage closet before going to the beach. We came back from the beach and they were no where to be found in my bag. So I thought either someone stole them while we were on a walk or they are somewhere in the sand when I took my towel out of my bag.

Meg and I begin the search. We look in everyone's bags, all places in the house, around the house, along the path we walk on the beach...and even all in the sand. We thought the keys were heavy enough that the water would not wash them anywhere--but the tide was high and we could not find them. Meanwhile I am freaking out because I really wanted to show my parents I could be responsible as a 25 year old :) I lose sleep thinking about it all night (am I paranoid or what)?

Next and last day we get up and head to the beach...all the girls are looking along the path for these darn keys. We search the beach and ask others if they have seen them. No luck. We stop a police guy and ask him...no luck. Amy even shouts (loudly) to a creepy guy with a metal detector..."Metal detector guy help us find some keys!" Meanwhile I am thinking my parents are going to kill me because they are going to freak out and think someone stole them and then I am going to have to pay for them to change all the locks...

Finally, I call my mom even though I was hoping to avoid that. Turns out she was not as mad as I assumed she would be, thank goodness! But, the keys are still lost.

Later than evening, we were all getting dressed up for our night out. Per usual I was starving after a day in the sun and needed a snack with my glass of wine before dinner. The perfect snack? Gold fish. I start eating some (they were delicious by the way) but realize that there are not many goldfish left (dang it) but the box felt full. I pull the bag out of the box to find those hiding fish and there are my keys....

So, they did not get lost in the ocean but the fish were keeping them company! Turns out I had that goldfish box in my bag at some point during the day and didn't think to check there for my keys. Who knew?

The mystery was solved, but the funny thing is...I left the keys at the beach.

Big Love Beach Trip Part 2

Our final day at the Beach we celebrated by getting dressed up and having some wine before heading out to dinner at The Boundary House, an awesome restaurant in Calabash.

Me and Amy

The Big Love Ladies from this year...minus Lauren and Brianne.

The Big Love ladies from last year...minus Jackie.

The sorority girl in me really wanted to throw up some Big Love signs :)

All of us ladies.

It was so great to get together before the Big Love officially gets taken over by other women as we all move on. Starting from left to right: Ash will be getting married to Jake in July and moving to Woodstock. Sarah will be finishing up her last year of getting her masters in counseling at EMU. Holly is entering her 2nd year getting her MBA at Notre Dame. Jess just got a counseling job at a middle school in Williamsburg. Meg will be moving to northern Virginia to get her masters in English. Amy just got a job as a speech pathologist in northern Virginia. And I of course will be heading to graduate school at JMU.

Big Love Beach Trip Part 1

Everyone was excited about our BIG LOVE BEACH trip...no one more excited than Jess.

For some time now, the ladies of Big Love year 1 &2 have been wanting to do a beach trip together. Luckily, we last minute planned a trip to Ocean Isle Beach on Memorial Day weekend that the majority of us could make (minus our beloved Lauren, Brianne, Jackie and the best house furniture in the world-Katie). Yes, Katie is considered furniture because she is not an official roommate, but is a steady fixture in our house, makes our house nice, and makes everyone feel comfortable :)

Anyway, the trip was a huge success! For most of us living in Harrisonburg as single (at the time) and non-undergrad students (minus Sarah), community was hard to find in this college town! Then came Big Love, an amazing house filled with "Big girls" who were all looking for the same thing in this town: friends. And it happened. In a BIG way. To celebrate that...we headed to the beach.


We played bocce ball. Team masters above lost to team soon to be masters below. Looks like that extra education has not payed off yet!

We hung out on the beach together.

We got really burnt. Although Some maybe a little more than others...

We enjoyed drinks on the porch. And made delicious meals. Each "couple" had a night to make dinner, and all of them were delicious!

We gamed. Some won more than others. Sarah and I won Yuker, yes we beat Jess at her own game. She was a good sport though. I had my doubts, but loved it--maybe because I won? It may even make an appearance in my "best games of 2011" post. Holly, per usual, won Mexican Train. And Ash surprisingly beat us in Nerts (maybe because Meg was not playing?).

More on Big Love Beach to come...

Harrisonburg House Hunters

I am slightly (ok maybe really) obsessed with House Hunters on HGTV. It is my go to show when I just want to sit back and relax...I guess that is what happens when you hit your mid-twenties! In my teens years I loved a good afternoon of the "dating story" or the classic "Next" on MTV. Then in my early twenties I turned to "Say Yes to the Dress" and "Platinum Weddings." Now, I am on to the house shows...and avoiding the baby shows like the plague.

So, Luke and I are house/apartment hunting for a place to rent! The cellar has been SO good to us, but the girls we love upstairs are moving and let's be honest...we want a place with a little more sunlight and less drains!

On House Hunters each couple shares their "want list" and then they start the hunt, so I present to you the Logan Family want list:

• downtown location (or a short bike ride away)
  
• 2 bedrooms
• 1-2 baths
• dishwasher
  
• laundry room

Not to picky huh?! The problem is the budget...there are tons of great apartments downtown but they are SO expensive! We would like to spend less than $750 a month on rent (I know shocker to some of you, the cost of living is so cheap in the burg!).

So pray for us and we try to find a place within the next month! Come on, Harisonburg, give us that cute little downtown apartment we have been waiting for...

Allison + Mark

While the rest of the world was awaiting the "end of the world" I was with some of my best friends at a wedding in North Carolina. One of my sorority sisters, Allison, married an amazing Aussie! I love her version of how they met (taken from their website):

"I couldn't decide if I wanted to go out or not. My arm was twisted and I went, unshowered. On September 5, 2009 I walked into Grey's Bar to meet some old friends for drinks. I ordered a beer and a friend I was with ordered me a beer as well. About that time I noticed a guy in a pink shirt eyeing me down. I mean, REALLY eyeing me down!! Keep in mind I had two drinks in front of me. The waitress walked up and handed me ANOTHER beer...that made THREE! She told me the guy at the next table bought it for me. Mark was super brave and walked up to me when I was with a big group of friends. He introduced himself, I didn't understand his accent, thought it was his name was 'Max'. I pointed to my three Bud Light in front of me and asked him if he would like a drink. He laughed and said he didn't drink 'that American stuff'. (He does now, I may add.) We talked all night long! It started raining and I offered him and his friend Andy a ride home...which I would normally NEVER do...but Andy kept telling me how 'safe' they were. I'm marrying the guy who bought me a drink. Cheers!"

Their wedding was at The Gardens of Green Gables in Oak Ridge, NC. The weather was perfect and everything was beautiful. I just love Allison's style!

Sigma Kappa ladies: Lindsay, Anna, Courtney and Katie. And, my dress finally made it's debut!

Katie and Kirsten, so great to see these ladies!

loved of all of her details...here I go again pretending like I have a wedding blog...

my handsome groom

my little sis Amanda!

The DYNASTY fam still going strong

every Sigma Kappa's favorite part of the wedding..."High above her scented garter..."

I miss all these girls so much, it was wonderful to see everyone!

And yes, there was even a celebrity in our midst!! After talking around and using a smart phone, Anna finally came to the conclusion that this was indeed Kerry Vincent, the cake lady of the Food Network Challenge, and she was dying to meet her. So, I offered to go over and say hello, of course I had no idea who she was but I will never miss an opportunity to take a photo with a celebrity! Those headbands of hers are crazy by the way...and I must wonder what she thought of the cake? It was delicious but apparently she is the "Simon Cowell" of cakes...and not very nice according to the wedding party.

I am not exactly sure how this happened, but Lindsay somehow managed to get wax all over her face when she was blowing out one of the tea lights...what a sight to see!

My God bless your marriage, MR. AND MRS. POTTER!!

Bittersweet-ness at Rockbridge

OK, so I did not have the opportunity to BLOB at camp this time---dang I missed that on my bucket list. For all of you that love and appreciate the blob at young life camps, please check out this video, I loved it! But, I did have a blast spending time with students and staff the past couple of weeks.

I could not have been more blessed by Greek InterVarsity during my 4 years on staff: the supporters, the staff, and the students. My supporters have shown me what it means to give sacrificially and cheerfully. Other staff have given me role models to look up to--people who taught me how to pray, how to love others well, and how to share Christ with others.

And Greek IV students have given me honestly more than I can say. I always dreamed that Greek students would want to start a Bible study in their chapter or come to a large group (a place where being Greek and faith come together)- but I always thought it was just that, a dream. These past 3 years my students have showed me that it is a reality. I felt like there were so many times that I made bad decisions as a staff or handled something wrong, and they just loved me in the midst of me learning and growing. Through their commitment to God, I grew more and more in love with HIM. Through seeing them change and go through ups and downs, my faith grew. I just can't even explain what they have done for me. I have been changed through this ministry.

So, although it is sad to not be the Greek IV staff anymore, I am excited to what is ahead. I am pumped to see how God will use my past 4 years on staff as I move on to the world of student affairs. I am fully confident that the ministry will continue to grow, and that I will as well. Here are some highlights from my final weeks on staff with InterVarsity:

Greek bonfire: above is the new Community Gatherings Team, below Robbie and Ty are enjoying the somores!

Below: One of my favorite things about camp is being in the Good News Track every year. Jennifer and I have a tradition of doing an interpretative dance to 2 Corinthians 5: 14-21 (our memory verse for the week). Basically, it includes a lot of falling down (He died for all..) and hugs (reconciliation). This year I pulled my back...maybe I got a little to in to it?

JMU students at banquet night

Greek IV staff at Rockbridge. Love Dusty in this picture!

I was pretty pumped to get to throw up the ZTA crown sign! Love these ZTA ladies :)

Old and New staff coming together. I could not be more excited for Abby to come to JMU next year and continue this amazing ministry with these special people!