The Weekend

This weekend, for the first time since moving to Auburn, I went home. We did tons of fun things on the farm, including...

meeting the newest member of the "family", El Grande,

picking a load of corn for the local wildlife,

watching an absolutely gorgeous sunrise (no filter!),

upholstering the seats on the new horse buggy,

making stuffed mushrooms,

taking a ride on aforementioned horse buggy,

watching another sunrise,

helping my little brother put out birds for a hunt,

bottle-feeding the calf,

snuggling with this little cutie,

and enjoying having my dog back!

Hey, y'all!

Hey Day:an Auburn tradition that dates back to the days of WWII, where everyone wears giant name tags and says "hey" to everyone.
It's a way to celebrate the Auburn family, to remind us that we're not just 25,000 individuals who happen to live in the same few square miles.
I lost count of how many times I was greeted by name and wondered Do I know them? How the heck do they know me? before I finally got used to it.

This is one of the reasons I love Auburn: finding everyday ways to celebrate our loyalty to our school and each other.
This is Auburn, and I love it.

It's Here! (Maybe)

Y'all, today is the first day of Fall, and I couldn't be more excited! It's been soooo hot here, and with the high humidity... well, forget anything besides tshirts and shorts. But, for the first time since I can remember, Alabama has got this season thing right.
The first day of Fall has brought temps below 80 (which is a blessed relief from the heat) and a cooler breeze. I just had to wear boots and a cute top to celebrate, of course. With this being Alabama, I know the weather's going to change again, and we'll probably have 90 degrees for Thanksgiving to compensate, but I'm going to hold out hope that the heat is gone.
As if.

The Makeover

Over a month after move-in, our common room is finally beautified!

From this...

To this!

Coffee tables: Thrift Store find, $10 each with our student discount

Curtains: Amazon, $16

Rug: Walmart clearance rack, $20

Pillows: Thrift Store find for $2 each

Fabric etc. to recover pillows, $15 (tutorials to come on how-to)

I'm so excited to finally be finished- we've been planning this since move-in day! 

...And I Love It.

This is Auburn.

Sitting outside the stadium for 2 hours in the Alabama sun and occasional shower, waiting for the gates to open. 

Claiming our seats, then waiting 2 more hours for the game to start, still in the hot sun.

The Eagle's flight around the stadium.

Staying in our prime seats when the game is delayed for lightening.

Singing "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" with a few thousand dedicated fans, as the skies open and we get soaked.

Cheering our team on to victory, then linking arms and singing the Alma Mater.

Walking home in the dark, sunburnt, exhausted, soaking wet, but still with a smile on our faces.

This is Auburn, and I love it. 

Plus, I got to see this little cutie; I taught her in Sunday School at my home church!

Another First

Yesterday was my first day to officially work in the campus library! We painted the windows around the main entrance to advertise a tailgate for the game this weekend. War Eagle, y'all!

Drastic

Before

After

Turns out my hair is naturally curly. Who knew?

The Weekend

For my first weekend in Auburn, I went with the BCM (Baptist Campus Ministries) to Chewacla State Park (pronounced just like it looks), which is about 10 minutes from campus. There was ultimate frisbee, a cookout, and hiking to the falls, which made me feel rather adventurous and nature-y. The falls are gorgeous, if you ever have the chance to go.

Sunday night, the BCM hosted a campus-wide Scavenger Hunt, during which we posed with Cam Newton, asked the Foy Info Desk how many Oreos it would take to fill Jordan-Hare Stadium (6.4 million), pretended to step on The Seal (read the story here), and photographed other Auburn traditions.

Going all over campus reminded me of why I chose Auburn in the first place- because it feels like home. Even though I was surrounded by almost strangers and got turned around several times, this place feels right. 

There really is something special about Auburn, and I hope you come one day to feel it too.

Starting From Scratch

Starting from scratch is exhausting.
The past few days have been full of running, packing, and remembering, along with tons of forgetting. But. I am moved in. My teeny tiny dorm room is full, even though I sent some things back home with the parents. Most of my dishes, minus my coffee cups and a few pans are going back into the back of the closet, waiting for a bigger kitchen. Almost all of my sewing things, except my machine and very basic supplies are packed away. It's odd, not to have a pair of work boots or "farm jeans" or a shotgun, but I'll get used to it. It's all just stuff, and that I can live without.
Leaving the people behind is an entirely different matter.
Last weekend, my family threw me a surprise party, and over 100 people came to wish me well before I left.

 

There were some people there I may never see again, because of old age and cancer. In case you've never done it, saying goodbye to everyone you know and moving 3 hours away where you can count the people you know on one hand is hard.

Starting from scratch is also a grand adventure.
There are literally thousands of people in this big world to meet, things to do, places to go and wonders to experience. Even though I'm sad because of the people I've left behind, I'm excited about the marvelous plans God has in store for me. I'm sure there will be good times and bad, laughter and tears, joy and anger, but I'm trusting Him to get me through it.
I know that He's got the instructions, and that this is just another step in my journey to becoming His masterpiece, made from scratch.