Ernie Haase & Signature Sound/ Good Ole TN Time

EHSS had a show in Vidalia on 2-24. Kelly's parents live in Vidalia and offered me a place to stay after the show before I headed to Nashville. It was a perfect way to start my trip. I actually got into town around 3 and got to have some quality time with them before the show. Their product manager, Frank, asked me to help out at the table which I was glad to do. We chatted it up about massage and life. It was nice getting to know him better.
Wayne and Doug killin' a song in a good way :)
Devin doing his thing. Love that I caught David playing in the background.
This was the first time I was able to see their Cathedrals Influenced show. It was amazing! The guys singing with a recording of George Younce and Glen Payne brought chills to me.

Doug is releasing his first solo project on April 30th. I know it will be great. He gave the crowd a listen to his radio released song "Jesus is holding my hand"

Kelly's mom, Deborah, had my camera and caught this one of Devin. I kept it because it almost looks like he's walking a runway which of course makes me giggle.
Ian, the new bass singer, Devin, Me, and Doug. Ernie was actually not feeling well on this trip so he didn't come out after the show. Also, who knew my red pants were gonna get me talked about quite so much. Hilarious. The older ladies were trying to figure out who I was and kept referring to me as the girl in the red hot pants. Doug wouldn't let that phrase go either. So comical. Now you know why I agonize over what I wear. lol
The guys were recording a radio promo.
Up close with my guys. We hung out for quite a while after the show while the crew were getting things packed up. I found out my dear sweet friend, Devin, stood up for me about something and it just blessed my heart! I am blessed by our friendship over and over. I got my hugs from the guys and headed to the Williams' house. Deb and I stayed up until 1am talking and then I got up at 6:30am to get ready to head to Nashville.
2-25 Well, this wasn't the best way to start the trip to Nashville. After it raining from Vidalia to Macon, I got stuck in the "fast lane" just next to the Tanger outlets. Thank goodness Kelly's sweet Mama made me pancakes for breakfast or I would've been starving to death in the dead stop, car in park, traffic from a couple of accidents.
The TN River. Even though it was overcast, it still looked beautiful to me.
Lola Pearl, Nate and Kelly's dog, greeted me when I arrived.
They were so sweet to wait on me to eat a late lunch. I got there about 2 their time. This started a trend for the weekend...eating! They took me to a place called Rakas. It's a Mediterranean place that was featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. It was delicious! We ran around Hendersonville a little after that and stopped at Sweet CiCi's. It's an amazing yogart (ha) place! You get your yogart and then can put whatever toppings you want on it and then they weigh your cup to see how much it costs. Let's just say a cheesecake bite and reese peanut butter cups were involved

Seriously, I think I gained 5 lbs on this trip. This was my choice. I mean, you can't go wrong with chocolate!!
2-26 Kelly, Karen, Karlyn, Preston and I headed out for a beautiful day of shopping. (these two pics are out of order) After we were done shopping, we stopped at Blue Moon Barbecue which had just opened up. It was so delicious and so cutely decorated.

Karlyn decided to take a load off when we stopped at our last stop of TJ Maxx. Because I loathe that store, I sat with her.
All smiles
She wanted to play with the iPhone
silly face
These girls are bargain shoppers!
Saturday night on the town. Kelly and I went to Casa Vieja and had some yummy Mexican and to a place called Sam's afterwards. I love her more and more as we got to really know each other.
2-27 We went to Long Hollow Baptist Church this morning. Devin and Karen actually officially joined the church this day.

zoomed in, but cute

The family and Zak and I went back to Blue Moon Barbecue after church. It was once again delicious. Then it was nap time before a dinner get together later.

I love this guy. I can't believe God has allowed us to stay such great friends over the years.

Thankful to have Karen in my life and thankful she's loves D so much!

Met Micah Schweinsberg and Jackie Crist this weekend. They came over for dinner and a movie Sunday night and we had a great time. Micah plays drums at the church and Jackie sings with her family. Sweet, sweet couple.

2-28 My Dad's birthday. It definitely did not start off as a great day. It was raining and cold and I woke up crying and wishing I could hug him one more time.

Kelly was so great to me today...as were all my facebook friends that left me the most encouraging words. She, Nate, and I went to Mimi's Cafe for brunch. Oh my word at the french toast and bacon I dug into! Nate left us afterwards to go run errands and Kelly and I went to get massages. We did a little retail therapy, got some Starbucks, and went back to their apt to chill.

Spikit and Lola

Monday night we all got together for Zak's birthday which was 2-26. We went to the Loveless Cafe. The food was slap your Mama good. We stopped in the gift shop afterwards and took this pic. Devin & Karen, Nate & Kelly, Zak, Me, and Thomas. (Thomas plays banjo/guitar for the Isaac's. He's a character too.)

NashVegas!!!!!!!

Amazing band played at Margaritaville. This girl could sing!

Cute Couple

Love my new friend!

Shake Rattle and Roll.....

Music City USA stamp gives whole new meaning to the lyrics of the song, Small Town USA. Being a music lover and being in Nashville is just simply incredible!

3-1 Last day in TN :( I got up early to say goodbye to Karen and Karlyn before they headed off to school. Devin and Preston hung around a little longer before having to say goodbye. Did I mention I hate goodbyes! I met Zak for coffee at Starbucks and then went to Nate and Kelly's to hang out. We went and ate at Casa Vieja again before I hit the road. It was an incredibly beautiful day! I only cried...a little...on the way home. lol (Before some of you get your panties in a wad, I love my life in Vtown and my friends and family here, but I love my other friends too.)

Being aroung people who travel for a living, you get the insight on what gas stations from which to stop. Nate got all excited telling me about the QT and all the food options it had. I found one just south of Atlanta before I ran out of gas.

iPhones, Weddings, and Babies...Oh My!

Sorry for the delay in posting for the few people who do read this blog!

2-7-11 It was a sad night when after 1 1/2 years and lots of dropping my phone, it finally hit in just the right spot! I had just been to the AT&T store on Thursday night to get a new phone charging cord. The sweet guy helping me told me I was eligible for an upgrade, but I told him I needed to wait. Oh the irony!
That sweet guy, Jamie Phelps, came in on his day off to get me all squared away with the new iPhone 4. Happy Valentine's Day to me from HB Massage, Inc. haha It has a few newer, cooler features that my other one didn't have. It's actually quite sleek and small, but I got this massive case to protect my investment. lol
2-12-11 Jen Adams and Nate Luckey's couples lawn and garden shower. They are getting married on April 2nd.
Me, Jen, and Stacey
Opening her first presents...
Funny that she let Nate open the Belk box knowing it was probably china. :)
Glad her hubby was playing softball so she could go to the shower with me!
2-16-11 Oh Happy Day!!! I had previously told Stacey that when she got pregnant she better not send me a text or let me find out from facebook. She messaged me this day and asked me to go to dinner. I thought it was a little out of the ordinary since we just ate dinner together on Sunday night and had a little Grammy's party. Anyways, the day before I was doing a massage and thinking about my upcoming trip to Nashville. I thought, I need to tell her that if she finds out she's preggers and I'm out of town then she needs to call me and not wait. Also, she had text me the week before asking who the good OB's were in town for a girl she works with. In my defense, I didn't think anything of it bc she had already told me there were a couple of girls pregnant in her office. Hilarious how all these things happened. She got to my office and we were trying to decide where to go eat. I was typing away on my computer when she blurts out I'm pregnant. I screamed, cried, and then laughed. We went to eat at Longhorn and then went to Books A Million so she could get some prego books.
Calling her friend, Danielle, to tell her the good news.
So happy for my friends!!! Can't wait to meet Baby Bass in October!

DEAREST BABY DUVALL...

2-21-11 Dearest Baby Duvall,
You have been on my heart for quite some time now. Your Mommy showed me your 15 week ultrasound pictures via email and I got a little teary. I skyped with your Mommy the same night and she showed me her belly which got me teary as well. See, your Mommy was always like a sister to me growing up even though we are cousins. So, I feel like I will be an Aunt to you! I have been praying for you for a very long time. I am continuing to pray that you grow strong and healthy. I can't wait to see how you develop over these next weeks and months. I especially can't wait to find out what you are and start buying you little goodies. You are already bringing our family so much joy! I also can't wait until I can be with your Mommy and Daddy in May and get to hopefully feel you kick since you'll be about 6-7 months along. I just thought you needed to know that you are loved and being prayed for.
Love,
"Aunt" Heather

Valentine's Day 2011

Ok, so the Single Girl and Valentine's Day are not words that go together. I honestly had a hard time going to sleep Sunday night thinking about my Dad not being here to keep our deal. He told me he'd always send me flowers for my birthday and Valentine's Day until I got married. I of course know that it wasn't the flowers that made the dy special, it was the sentiment behind them. Side note, thanks to my Mom for a pre Valentine's Day surprise. A sweet friend of mine sent me a message about one of her girl friends that waited on the Lord and is now married and happy. I read it and wanted to say blah blah blah, but in all reality, I know God has a plan for me. So I accepted her words of wisdom and decided and prayed that I could make VDay a great day. My friend Sherri brought me these balloons and a card that her whole family had signed. Yes, I laughed and cried when she walked in with them. lol.
A couple of hours later, my sweet friend Kasey brought me these flowers. They are so pretty and thoughtful. She has sent me flowers for VDay every year since my Dad passed away. It truly does mean more than I can say. I'm so thankful for her friendship in my life.
I rounded out the busy, busy day of massage and selling gift cards by going to see my nieces. Me and Ella Grace got to hang out by ourselves while Gigi was drying Emma's hair.
EG-Let's make a silly face. AH-ok!

Mine and Emma's turn
We can both roll our tongues. Aren't you proud?

Before opening their presents from me


Movies and some candy...
Their new Hannah Kate outfits I bought them. They are so funny. They were hanging on each other and you couldn't see how cute the outfits were. So I said- stand up straight- and the over exaggerators decided they would look like toy soldiers in the pic. I could eat them up with a spoon! I hope everyone had a great Day of LOVE!

Just a typical Sunday

1-30-11 Sorry this post is out of order. I took all these pics with my phone and somehow forgot about them. I think it's hilarious how our Sunday family lunch now consists of chasing kiddos or passing the baby around. My how times have changed. Jay put his hat on Annyson and thus started the kids photo shoot for the day.
Bubba is now fully mobile so it was interesting trying to catch him. He's such a cutie pie.
Emma was spending the day with Gigi since Ella Grace was sick. Of course the first thing she said when she got there was, "My sister's sick" It was sweet.
Mary Bennett showing out for me

Shaggy Uncle Jay with A.
Aunt Susie has to have her moment with Annyson.
Emma wanted to hold Annyson. She gets to see her at daycare everyday and I think maybe help take care of her too. This was the solution...Emma sit in my lap with Annyson. Check out A's face!
Now she's smiling...
Yea, so what? There's no rule that says your family can't vote for you to win the Best of South Georgia contest. hehe I may or may not have bought 7 newspapers and told them they couldn't leave until they filled out their ballot. LOL Thank goodness we always have Kristy to entertain the children.
Emma and Kristy were telling us stories to round out the day. I'm so thankful for my family!

I Don't Want Crumbs...

2-9-11 This week has been an interesting one from the get go. God is still working in me about this whole "Prince" situation. I know I have to die daily to my self and not put my desires in front of what He has for me in the right now. I think it's just hard for me figure out how to deal with the emotional side of my desires. I don't know how to love or care for people without giving them my whole heart. (That's one question I'd love to know the answer.) However, I am so incredibly grateful that God is working in my life and that it's evident. Phil 1:6 says, "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
The last 5 days of my Bible Study focused in on the story of Leah, Rachel, and Jacob. You can read Genesis 29 and 30 for the whole story. The snyopsis is that Jacob loved Rachel and wanted to marry her. He asked her father for permission. The father told Jacob he had to work for him for 7 years to marry Rachel. It says Rachel was very beautiful and Leah her sister was not. The father pulled a bait and switch and Jacob ended up marrying Leah. Jacob loved Rachel so much that he ended up working another 7 years for the father so he could actually marry her. Leah wanted desperately for Jacob to love her that she kept bearing children for him hoping for a crumb of love to fall her way. She started out having the first one and hoping that would equal love. With her son, Levi, she drops her standards and simply hopes for Jacob to be attached to her. With her son Zebulon, she only hoped he would treat her with honor. Oh how many times I have been Leah and accepted less than God's best! Then you look at Rachel who had mutual love with Jacob. In modern day terms, she's pretty and has her man, what's her problem? She couldn't bear children. She became jealous of her sister. So even when you think "she's got it all" remember there's probably more to the story. Eventually after lots of craziness, God allows Rachel to have children. Even after she has the beauty, the boy, and the babies, she still isn't satisfied and goes after the household gods. They both weren't completely satisfied with what they had. Only God can truly satisfy! I want to get to the point where I am so content with my relationship with God that everyone else just seems like bonus! So that's where I am and that's what I'm striving for.

I heart Mark Richt...

2-7 At the celebration service for the life of James Eunice on Saturday, Jay Rome, a Valdosta Wildcat and new UGA Bulldog, delivered a UGA football jersey to John & Tammy Eunice. (James had been accepted to UGA and had plans of walking on in hopes to play football for UGA.) The jersey had Eunice on the back with the number 23 which was James' high school number. I'm sure other coaches might have taken the opportunity to do such a great thing, but only one did-Mark Richt! He sent the jersey with a note saying James made the team! The pic is of James' brother, John Eunice, with the jersey.

Here's a story from the Thomasville newspaper that I thought was pretty great!
http://http//timesenterprise.com/opinion/x353714385/Winning-isnt-everything


There isn't really much of an update on life last week. I had a really busy week at work and have been trying to run and workout 4 nights a week. I'm still enjoying my Bible Study and really don't have a lot of time for other stuff. I got to hang out with some great friends at different times during the week and that always makes me happy. I just wish some friends weren't so far away. I see another trip to Nashville in my future. :)