Well hello there!

Hello, friends!!!

As you may have noticed, I've pretty much disappeared recently from Simply Suz. Woopsies. That's because I've been a busy bee purging & packing in preparation for our big move!

I hope to pop in every once in awhile over the next 2 months prior to saying "adios" to NC (actually less than that now!), however, I can promise you that I won't be posting quite as often as I have in the past. Blame it on the empty boxes that have yet to be filled.

Also, I'm hoping to soak up as much beautiful Carolina springtime before we head to the Sunshine State. In the few weeks since my last post, we did take a mini-trip to visit our besties, & hopefully we'll squeeze in some more of that before we push off!

In the meantime, I've had a lot of thinking-time while working my way through our closets, so I'll leave you with my (maybe-not-so-blog-worthy) random thoughts as of late!

Thanks for stopping by!
Suz

Susan's Random (& let's be honest...not-so-blog-worthy) Thoughts

1. You may recognize the photo above from my profile. It's one of my favorites taken with our old point-and-shoot in Glacier National Park in Montana (love love love that Park). I could use a vacation right now. I'm counting down the days until we head to the Northwest this summer (Seattle & Portland!). Is it August yet?
2. Speaking of cameras, our Nikon d90 turned one this month! It's been such a fun adventure learning a little more about photography in the last year. If you're ever interested in checking out more photos than what you get to see on the blog, check out our SmugMug page. (Just don't steal a photo without asking first!) One of these days I plan to write a post about "what's in my camera bag" since I've had a few folks ask camera questions in the last year... Don't hold your breath, though!
3. I've spent most of the last couple of weeks shuffling through our treasures junk in our guest room. It's become the repository for "out of sight, out of mind" & has been the focus on my purge.  I decided to take my time on the packing process to allow myself sometime to trim our belongings & get rid of stuff we either never use, or only realize we have when it's moving time. Plus, it's a good excuse to organize - one of my favorite pastimes.
4. There's not a TV in our guest room, so I have watched about every Hulu episode that I have even the slightest interest in while I go through file cabinets, shred & toss old college notes / CPA review books (I can't believe I've seriously been holding onto those for 4 years). It's an interesting exercise to go through the things you hold onto. My favorite part of packing, however, has been going through my old photos & little mementos I've saved over the years. I have been reminded of some great friends, family & memories. I'm a blessed girl.
5. While packing the other day (after I exhausted my Hulu queue), I found myself at the website I Am Second & became officially obsessed. I have watched powerful testimony after testimony of athletes, authors, celebrities, musicians, & regular folks who turned to Christ in the midst of very real struggles. Their stories & authenticity are truly powerful, & I encourage you to check some of them out. Some of my favorites so far: Ashley Rawls, former beauty queen, Christian Hosoi, pro skateboarder, Brian Welch, former Korn bandmember, Anne Rice, author of Interview with the Vampire, Baron Batch, college football player, Bethany Hamilton, pro surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack, Whispering Danny, tattoo artist, Christine Petric, adopted girl-next-door & college soccer player, I could go on & on.... There are so many great stories, each one a testament to the presence, glory, & love of Jesus. Watch them.. Promise it'll be worth your while.

(About I am Second) Second is a movement meant to inspire people of all kinds to live for God and for others. Actors. Athletes. Musicians. Business leaders. Drug addicts. Your next-door neighbor. People like you. The authentic stories on iamsecond.com provide insight into dealing with typical struggles of everyday living. These are stories that give hope to the lonely and the hurting, help from destructive lifestyles, and inspiration to the unfulfilled. You’ll discover people who’ve tried to go it alone and have failed. Find the hope, peace, and fulfillment they found. Be Second.