sweet home chi omega.

Missing these girls this week and all my ags in College Station! Reunion is coming!

hall of fame.

Football fanatics (a euphemism for freaks at these things), NFL players, and me. Can you guess which one doesn't fit? Well on any normal day, I am just your Aggie/Red Sox fan who follows the game, but never gets too into the details. But come the first weekend in August, it is all about football.

For those of you who don't know, my dad is veterinarian and an artist who sculpts for the NFL Hall of Fame. Interesting mix, I know. This year, his 8th and 9th busts: Russ Grimm and Rickey Jackson, became enshrined into the famous hall alongside Emmitt Smith, Floyd Little, Jerry Rice, John Randle, and Dick LeBeau as the class of 2010. This weekend marked my third trip to the "football promiseland" known as the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio and I have to say 3rd times a charm is definitely true! It was wonderful ceremony, full of inspiration speeches (that we're shorter :) that truly celebrated each player. After the enshrinement, my dad, Kathi and I celebrated Russ Grimm at his after party and for the first time ever, my dad's bust was actually at the party and people were all have their picture taken with it! Pretty cool to watch!

closing fireworks at the enshrinement!

we don't know them haha

While most people would assume that the best part of the weekend is seeing famous people or meeting players, it is definitely not the reason I go. I am there for my dad and to celebrate what a wonderful gift he has been given. My dad is truly talented and has been given the ability to create art and impact people's lives with his passion for painting and sculpting. It is a surreal moment when the busts are unveiled and you realize YOUR dad sculpted that! Not many girls can say that! I am so proud of all he has accomplished and thankful for his constant reminder that you can pursue multiple paths in your life.

Glory of God.

On Monday I was surprisingly given a new project for my last three weeks here with Points of Light. While I was thankful for the compliment, the task is extremely daunting and frankly I have no context on the subject. I have been tasked with writing a case study on the merger from 2007.

I have been researching for the past several days, in addition to wrapping up my other projects, and have found myself frustrated with my lack of knowledge! Every article leads to more questions and less direction than before I started. But I am reminded and have found much comfort in this verse this summer...

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23-24.

Regardless of how it turns out, I know that in everything I do it is for His glory, not for men.

Have a wonderful day! Texas in 3 weeks from today!!!

Until next time, mal

Countdown to Texas: 20 days

hey, soul sister.

Hello August! What a busy few weekends it has been! I promised I would update on last weekend in South Carolina, so here it is...

I flew to South Carolina to meet my family at Myrtle Beach to visit a dear friend of our family, Bob Hughes (or as we call him, "Bo") Bo was in the coastguard in WWII with my grandfather. He has been apart of my life for as long as I can remember and has been like a grandfather to me ever since my grandfather passed away when I was in the 5th grade. He is definitely apart of our family and time with him always leaves me very thankful. Even though Bo is 88 now, he is still loves life and enjoys each day. He even went out with us on the boat on Saturday afternoon! When the waves started getting pretty rocky, he just laughed and said "these are just good sleeping waves."

We spent the weekend laying by the beach, eating some great seafood, and listening to stories from who knows when. We looked through old pictures and I learned more about my grandfather as a young man. Apparently, he was quite the ladies man! Bo promised that he will be at my college graduation next May, just like he was at my high school graduation, so I am holding him to it!

loves his Bar L hat :)

It was a wonderful weekend and such a nice break! It was great to see my two nephews too! They are quite the handful these days, but aunt mal did make major brownie points with the carousel ride at Barefoot landing!

tabor city, north carolina

little river, south carolina

Since this past Tuesday, my mom has been in Atlanta for a vet conference and it is great to have her here! I will definitely be sad to tell her goodbye tomorrow morning. Even though I have had to work and she has been in meetings, it's been so fun to have company in the evenings. I've showed her lots of great places in Atlanta and we even found a great new yogurt place in Little Five Points, near my house.

On Saturday night, we went to the Train concert for her convention. I have to admit I was a little skeptical about a concert for the vet conference and wasn't sure what to expect, but it was AWESOME! They put on an incredible concert and we had a great seats!!! We were 6 rows back! It was a very fun night, pretty impressed with those vets :) On Sunday evening, we went to church at Buckhead and my mom really enjoyed it. While it was definitely different than what she is used to, she really enjoyed the message. It was my first time to attend the 6 pm service and will probably go again. It was a smaller crowd than the mornings and lots of young people. The service always rejuvenates my spirit and I always wake up on Monday mornings wishing it was Sunday again!

Well it's back to work today, but I am off to Ohio on Saturday for the NFL Hall of Fame Induction! My dad sculpted 2 more heads for the HOF and it's always a good time! Excited for my third trip to the football "promise land." Sorry for the super long post, but I am FINALLY caught up!

Until next time, mal

Countdown to Texas: 22 days 

peach state update.

Hard to believe it's already almost AUGUST!!! My time here in Georgia is beginning to wind down and I can hardly believe that I have been here since the end of May. It has been a busy two weeks of family visits, but has been so wonderful.

Two weeks ago, my dad & Kathi made a visit to ATL for the weekend! I showed them my apartment, work, and a few great restaurants I've found. They were even impressed with my driving in the BIG city (that's big for me!). On Saturday, we had lunch at Yeah! Burger, a trendy burger place, and went to my first Braves game. Baseball is definitely one of my favorite sport (one of the few I understand all the rules) and I really enjoyed Turner Field. On Sunday morning they went to church with me in Buckhead and it was definitely a culture shock! For you Aggies, Buckhead Church is very similar to our "Breakaway," but BC is a little louder and lots more video, etc. They were great sports and ended up enjoying the sermon. We spent the afternoon at the Georgia Aquarium and saw Inception (crazy, good movie). It was an enjoyable weekend and I am very glad that they spent some time in the Peach State. As my dad said, "Who knows where we will be visiting next year?!"

One thing I realized that Sunday was that I will really miss going to church in Buckhead when I am back in Texas. It has become one of my favorite parts of living in Atlanta and Sunday mornings have often become the time I feel most at "home" here. One of the greatest reminders of being away from home has been that the Lord is constant in His love for us and that it far extends my personal comfort zone. Through the ups and downs of this summer, He has remained faithful and reminded me daily that He is right beside me with every step. One of the great women I work with shared with me that she was reading, "The Me I Want to Be" by John Orberg in her bible study. I picked it up last week at Barnes & Noble and haven't been able to put it down. I highly recommend it. It is an engaging, devotional-style book about becoming the best version of the person God created us to be. Not the best version of someone we "think" we should become. As I start to think about my senior year of college (WHAT?!) and the big decisions ahead, it has been a refreshing reminder that God is in control. Completely. He already knows the person He wants me to become and I just have to trust in His perfect plan, seek after Him, and the "details" will work themselves out.

Well that's all for today, but I will update you on my trip to South Carolina soon! But here is my favorite picture from the weekend...

Hope you have a peachy day :)

Until next time...mal

wedding weekend in the lone star state.

Happy Friday, everyone! Whoop for the weekend!

I am very excited that the next two weeks include spending time with my wonderful family. Tomorrow dad and Kathi are visiting in Atlanta and next weekend I will be in North Carolina with mom, Larry, and the whole fam! I can't wait! While I have enjoyed my weekends of solitude I am not sad to see them go :)

Last weekend was such a great celebration of one of my favorite couples. I had the privilege of being in one best friend's wedding and watched Miss Molly Simpson become Mrs. Nason!  What an absolute joy! She was a BEAUTIFUL bride and probably the calmest one in history (no joke, she should teach a class!) Despite a "hurricane-like" downpour at the outside rehearsal dinner, both Molly and Zach remained in great spirits and smiles were all around (see picture below). We enjoyed great Tex-Mex at Joe T's and heard sweet toasts. The bridesmaids stayed at a precious bed and breakfast in Fort Worth and enjoyed our last night with our single Molly!

trying to keep the bride dry on the way to the rehearsal.

The wedding was gorgeous and truly reflected both Molly and Zach's personalities. The flowers and Tracy Luther cakes were great! (Banana Nut is my new favorite TLC, shocking I know!!!) I really enjoyed getting to know all of the bridesmaids throughout the wedding process and it was neat to see Molly's different relationships with each of us. Saturday flew by and before I knew it I was headed back to Georgia on Sunday afternoon. While my trip was fast and furious, it was still just great to be back!

I can't believe today finishes my 7th week here at POLI and I am over halfway through with my internship. I am now fully involved in evaluating the college programs and developing the internship program. Sometimes I get frustrated with the details and am always wanting to make huge progress everyday, but the Lord is reminding me to be patient and I am learning to take my time and watch the pieces fit together. I am excited to see what the next 5 weeks will hold and plan to soak up as much knowledge and experience as I can!

Here are couple pictures from the weekend:

bridal room before the wedding.

EB, Siobhan, & Mr. and Mrs. Nason

Lots of love! Until next time, mal

New York, New York!

It's July!!! I can hardly believe it! I'm sorry that I haven't been very good at blogging lately, but work has been crazyyy! I don't even know where to start on the last three weeks, so I will jump to the last 6 days in NEW YORK...

The National Conference on Volunteering and Service that was co-convened by Points of Light Institute and The Corporation for National and Community Service was held in New York City. For a little background, the first part of my internship with POLI has been to serve on the "Core Conference" team, the details/planning group behind the conference. I had no idea what I was in for, but the blessings from serving on this team have been countless. What an incredible group of people. I am so very thankful and honored that I had the privilege to serve alongside each of them. While they are all very different and unique, each of them made an effort to welcome me and truly include as a part of the team. It was a crazy four weeks full of many long hours, but it was all worth it.

So back to NYC...We arrived last Friday (I can't believe it's been a week ago) at the Hilton and went right to work! It was so exciting to see all of the signage and beginning of the build outs for the conference. I got right into the city and went on my adventure looking for some missing supplies; it was kinda nuts walking downtown NYC searching for a Staples of all things. But over the course of the weekend, the Staples employees and I got on a first name basis :) Saturday and Sunday I was on support staff for a pre-conference training event for volunteer managers from across the country. While I enjoyed the event, the best part was definitely the company. I had the best time working with both Lori Jean & Tricia! On Saturday night, I had a break from real world and got to see a great friend. Frank was in NYC for the weekend and it was very nice to see a familiar face and catch up life on things other than work. We walked through Times Square, Ground Zero, and across the Brooklyn Bridge, I even rode my first subway. It definitely made miss Texas and all of my family and friends back home.

My biggest role for the conference was to plan and execute the two VIP receptions at Radio City Music Hall that were held before our opening events. I was in RCMH from 9 AM until 11 PM...INSANE, but I am definitely not complaining. The caterers did a phenomenal job and flowers were beautiful. I was very nervous planning an entire event from Atlanta, but it went better than expected. My role during the parties was to act as buffer between our security, RCMH staff, and our guests. It was joy to greet all of our guests and I really enjoyed meeting so many leaders in the volunteer sector. Monday’s opening event “Here’s to YOU!” was wonderful! Guest speakers included our CEO Michelle Nunn, Patrick Corvington (CEO of the CNCS), Mayor Bloomberg, Al Roker, Laysha Ward (CEO of Target) and many more. PS22 school choir performed “I’ll stand by you” and  “Empire state of mind.” It was awesome!!!! You should definitely check them out on Youtube. Monday’s evening award show was equally as exciting with Broadway performances from West Side Story, In the Heights, and Million Dollar Quartet. Over 15 individuals/companies were recognized for their dedication to service. Monday was truly a breathtaking start to the conference!

Tuesday, I was a staff lead on an Immersion Learning experience in Queens, New York. An “immersion learning” is an off-site workshop opportunity for conference guests to experience service in NYC firsthand. My job was to make sure 85 people got on an off the subway and made it Queens, since my first time on the subway was only 2 days before it was quite the experience! But we all made it and learned a lot from the organization in Queens. Make the Road New York is apart of the Center for Neighborhood Leadership. An organization dedicated to activating leaders within their communities to make a difference for their futures. It was a predominately Hispanic community and I really enjoyed getting to interact with the residents. Many of them were at the center to simply learn the basics of English to ensure a better future for their families. On Tuesday, I went to the biggest party I have ever been to! The Target Party for Good was held at Pier 36, overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge. It was beyond beautiful! The party’s purpose was to make 150,000 meals (yes, you read that right) for the families of New York and to celebrate volunteer service. It was incredible!!!! Two new flavors of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream were released: Berry Voluntary and Brownie Chew Gooder and lots of celebs made appearances. It was such a fun night!

Wednesday was the last day of the conference and it ended with the announcement of next year’s location…THE BIG EASY! New Orleans, baby!!! We passed out thousands of masks and beads and people were already excited for next year! The six days flew by! While I didn’t have much time to enjoy the city sights, I had a great time and learned so much. I am back in Atlanta now for another 2 months, but will be in TEXAS next weekend!!!!! I can’t wait to see my family and friends and to celebrate one of my best friend’s weddings! Molly (almost) Nason…one week countdown!!!!

I didn’t get take many pictures, but here are a few from Saturday…

LOTS OF LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Until next time, mal

dinosaurs, geckos, arabia...oh my!

Every weekend that I am here, my goal is to explore some of the city and take in a little Atlanta culture. On Saturday, I visit the Fernbank Natural History Museum. I have always loved museums and the omni was typical Saturday outing when I was a little girl. I had high hopes for the museum, but was sadly disappointed in the permanent collections. I have to say as a true Texan, I wasn't too fascinated with the evolution of the Georgia topography over the last 3 million years! Other exhibits included dinosaurs and lots of live geckos. While I'm sure my two nephews would have loved these geckos, little snake-like lizards REALLY aren't my thing! However, despite the lack of excitement from the museum I did really enjoy the IMAX: Arabia. It was about the Middle East and the Arabic culture. It made me miss and want to go back to Qatar! It's amazing how even a thousands of miles away just watching something familiar really made my day. In addition to the great film, the building was beautiful and all in all the museum wasn't a complete bust!

Fernbank Natural History Museum:

It's hard to believe that tomorrow starts my third week at work! I feel like I just got here and am still getting lost to prove it :) But I am finally starting to get the hang of it! Less than two weeks from today, I will be in NYC!!!!!! Whoop!

Missing you all terribly! Until next time, mal

summerfest & sunday.

What a wonderful weekend!

On Saturday afternoon I headed out on my adventure to Target across town and ended up in bumper to bumper traffic. Hundreds of people were all walking down the street. There were young couples, families, and everyone in between. After a few miles of following the traffic, I decided that I had to check it out. After walking about a mile, I ended up in the middle of "Summerfest," an annual art show, in the middle of Virginia Highland. It was a long street, full of local art vendors with little booths that reminded me a lot of the Granbury square on Fourth of July weekend. There was a live band playing and I really felt like I got a since of the local crowd for the first time here. I really enjoyed the afternoon and all of the little boutiques in Virginia Highland! After my two hour detour at the festival, I finally made it Target which strangely enough I had to take an elevator to get to! An underground Target was definitely another first to add to the list!

This morning I went to church at the Northside United Methodist's contemporary service. It's a huge church, but the familiar songs and friendly people were very welcoming. The sermon was about Saul's change into Paul and the opportunity each of us have everyday to become more like Christ. The pastor talked about how real change is often uncomfortable and even awkward at times. I felt like the sermon's was directed right at me and my current situation. My entire life I have been surrounded by my incredibly loving family and wonderful friends. They have encouraged me through every trial and rejoiced in every success. For the first time, I am truly on my own and am learning to navigate a new city by myself. The Lord (or as I heard it this morning, Lawd :) brought peace to my overwhelmed mind and reminded me that I just need to take it, one day at a time.

It's back to work tomorrow and I'm excited for week two! 

Lots of love! Until next time, mal

eastern standard time.

Hello family and friends!

Since many of you have been asking how Atlanta and work are going, I figured I would create an easy way to keep everyone in the loop! Now I can't promise that it will always stay updated, but I will do my best!

As most of you know, this summer I will be living in Atlanta, GA as an intern for the Points of Light Institute. I can hardly believe that my first work week is already finished! Wow, what a week it has been! I live in a downtown neighborhood and can actually walk to restaurants and little shops! Definitely a little different from home! It is an urban atmosphere with lots of young couples. It is going to take a while to get a lay of the land (since I'm not the best with directions), but I am making improvements. I finally got to work the same way twice yesterday! Now that is progress!

I love work! Little different than the past two summers at Glen Lake (man, do I miss those Nike shorts everyday!), but I am really enjoying it! Everyday is something new and different. I feel like I have already learned so much and it's only been four days. For the first three weeks, I have been put on "Conference Planning Team" that plans the National Conference on Volunteering and Service. Just a little context, but it is the largest conference on volunteerism and changes locations every year. This year it will be in New York City, I can't wait! http://www.volunteeringandservice.org/ <-- better idea of what it is! Since conference is "convened" with a service corporation out of DC, there are daily multiple conference calls with the DC office. I really like face to face conversations, so I'm having to get used to these for now. I have definitely jumped in head first and am already working. If you follow NCVS on facebook, you can see my daily updates on the Resource Exchange from now until conference!

Well that's a rundown on work and Atlanta for now and I'm off to start exploring the city a little! It's Saturday and I am loving having some downtime! I've researched some churches in Atlanta, so I'm excited to try one tomorrow.

I love and miss you all! Until next time, mal