Catching Up

Hello, my favorite readers! I wanted to take some time to catch you all up on the happenings of my life and foreshadow a few of the exciting things that are coming up in the next few months! 

I have had a busy, busy, busy semester so far! I think in my last life post I had just started my first day of second semester. If I remember correctly, I was being relatively optimistic about how this semester would go, how I would love all my classes, etc. Well to say that is the farthest thing from the truth would be an understatement. I do love kinda love my classes, but this semester has been kicking my butt. The first few weeks my motivation level went from a 10 to a 0 real fast. I've had to kick it into gear lately because, let's face it, I'm Morgan Wade and not doing my best is not an option for me. Things are beginning to look up, and there are only 70 days left of this semester, or 39 class days - however you want to look at it (Thank You, Jesus!). I'm discovering a lot about myself as a COM major, and I've been able to successfully narrow down the career fields I would like to go into based on my strong dislike for large groups. I'm thinking about a career that is heavily reliant upon interpersonal communication, which is still a plethera of options! Just say a prayer that God leads me where He wants me! 

As for other life things, I have gained two new babies in my life that I am absolutely smitten over. Al's cousin, Mallary, had her second baby boy, Lucas Avery, on January 22nd. I've been surrounded by girls all my life, so a boy is very refreshing to me. He is so handsome, and I can't wait to watch him grow up! Al and I have already decided he is going to be one of our ring bearers when we get married in a few years - safe to say we'll have the cutest ring bearers ever. If Lucas is anything like his brother, Drake, he will be a firecracker and his mama and daddy will have their hands full!

The other new baby in my life is one who is especially dear to my heart. On January 31st, my sister gave birth to my very first niece, Lorelei. I've been waiting for the day I would have a niece basically since forever. I had planned in my head what it would be like to see her for the first time and hold her for the first time. I had a picture of what she would look like since I found out she was a girl. However, when the moment actually came and all those pictures became a reality, it was nothing like I expected it to be. The first time I saw her, as well as saw my sister being a mom, a feeling that I had never felt in my entire life came over me. Kayla and I talked about it later on, and she got the same feeling. It was such a peace and an overwhelming amount of love. Honestly, my heart is so full of love for her that it could very well explode. I have wonderful aunts that I am very close to. I know how I feel about them, and it makes me tear up to think about the relationship that Lorelei and I will have. I can't wait to watch her grow and see everything she is going to accomplish. She is stunning, and I am so in love. I will be spending my first few days of spring break with them, and I can't wait! I haven't held that girl since she was a day old, and I can only imagine how big she's gotten in a month! I'm so proud of my sister and Harris, and I'm so excited to finally be Aunt Moe!

I've also been watching my goddaughter grow up before my eyes. I literally cannot believe how big she's gotten. Part of me wants time to slow down (as does her mama), and part of me is excited to see her grow. She is such a special part of my life, and the place she holds in my heart is one that only she could fill. I could write an entire post on just the things I love about my Sophia Lorraine, and it wouldn't even begin to cover it all. I truly love her with all my heart, and my relationship with her is one of the most important relationships in my life! 

Al and I celebrated our three and a half years, as well as our fourth Valentine's Day together, and both were perfect days! I think we've both realized that the longer we date, the less we care about what we do together as long as we're doing it together. 

We spent our three and a half years laying out on the hammock for most of the day because it was the only remotely warm day we've had all winter. It's hard to believe we've been together for this long. Sometimes I feel like we just started dating yesterday. All I know is just when I think I can't love him any more than I already do, he does something to prove me wrong. 

For Valentine's Day, we just went down to the mall and shopped for a little bit, had an early dinner at Olive Garden, got home by 6:00, shared an Oreo pie, and watched Bridesmaids together. It was simple, and that's just the way I like it. I'm so lucky to have this guy as my forever Valentine. I love doing life with him! 

We'll also be taking our second vacation together the last part of my spring break, and I literally can't wait! Stay tuned for the Spring Break post that is to come!

One of the most exciting things that is happening in my life is that my best friend since second grade is getting married in May! Mine and Alex's friendship has always been one that I've treasured. We knew from a young age that a friendship like ours was one-of-a-kind, and we've both always held it close to our hearts. Alex is one of the most beautiful people I know, inside and out, and I'm lucky to be able to call her one of my best friends. I am SO excited that she has asked me to be one of her bridesmaids. I'm truly honored that I get to stand with her on her big day! We've been having some fun with wedding/bridal showers, as well as working on ceremony and reception details! This weekend we're going bridesmaids dress shopping, and I'm sure that will be an interesting and fun experience! I'm so enjoying helping her with the little things, and I'm soaking this time up because I know it won't happen again until it's my turn to get married! I love my Alex Wickel (almost Moss).

These are just a few of the exciting things that have happened in the past month and a half! So many more exciting things are on the way, but I wanted to give a little update! I am so blessed, and I'm so thankful to God for everything He has given me in this season of my life. I'm soaking up these last few weeks of being a teenager (My birthday is March 21, in case you were wondering hehe). Stay tuned for a post to recap spring break, as well as a post that explains why I'm so excited for my twenties! 

Thank you all for reading!

XOXO, 

Morgan

Seeking Him

Hello lovely people! After listening to one of the most spiritually challenging messages last night at Overflow (the college ministry here in Wilmington), I wanted to share some of my thoughts on this ministry that I have come to love... and maybe in another post, after I've pondered it a little more, I'll share my thoughts on the message that really stirred my heart. 

To begin, let me give you a little background on where I was spiritually when I came to college a little over a year and a half ago. I came from the most loving church in the history of churches - probably definitely a little biased in that regard. I started attending my home church, Jennies Branch, when I was 15 and instantly felt like I belonged. Over the course of the three years that followed, I was heartbroken if I ever had to miss a Sunday or a Wednesday at church. I learned so much about God in the three years I consistently went to JBBC. What I didn't realize at the time was how much it would change once I went away to college. I didn't realize that when you're on your own in a big world, you can start to feel very small. I didn't realize just how much I depended on my youth group and youth leaders from home to guide me in my walk with the Lord. That is the one thing I would tell upcoming, Christian college students to be prepared for: once you're in college, your walk with Jesus becomes completely your own and you choose how much you're going to invest in it. 

Cue PC3 Overflow. I heard so many great things about the college ministry in Wilmington before I ever came to UNCW. I decided in my second week of college that I would give it a try... well, let's just say I only tried once. I was so overwhelmed coming from a small, southern baptist church walking into one of the biggest churches I'd ever seen in the midst of a thousand college students. I was so out of my element and could not get past the picture of how church was "supposed" to be in my head. So, I opted out of going for basically an entire year, which ultimately meant I excluded myself from worshiping and learning with other believers for far too long. To say my first year of college was a struggle would be an understatement, and looking back on it now, I know that the reason has a lot to do with stepping away from church. 

Before this year started, I promised myself I would give Overflow a try again, but this time with an open heart and with the picture of how church was supposed to be wiped clean. And man... the Lord has blessed me so much. My walk with Christ has changed so drastically in the past five months, and for the first time in my life, I feel like I'm really getting to know God because I desire to. I credit a lot of that to Overflow because of the way it impacts my life. I have never felt as free to worship the Lord as I do when I'm standing in a room with a thousand other college students who love Him like I do. While we are all in different places in our relationships with God, we come together to praise Him for all that He is doing in this season in our lives. I've seen so many souls saved and lives changed in the time I've been a part of this ministry, and I pray the Lord keeps moving among us. 

In the past five months, I've learned more about who Jesus is and how much He loves me than I could have ever hoped to learn. I am not perfect, but my desire to seek God because I want to, not because someone is telling me to, has changed my life. In the book of Jeremiah, there is a verse that says "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Before this year, I was not seeking the Lord with all my heart. Oh, but what a difference seeking Him with all your heart can make because He is faithful to His promises. I have a long way to go in my relationship with Jesus, but I'm going to keep working at it and seeking Him until He calls me home or comes back and gets me! 

God is the one true King, y'all, and He is awesome! If you don't know Him, seek Him with your whole heart! I promise you'll find Him! If you do know Him and wish you had some people to learn more about Him with, come check out Overflow on Tuesday nights at 7 in Wilmington. We sing praises to the One who is truly worthy and really dissect the Word and figure out how it applies to this crazy college life! I've been so blessed, and I can't thank God enough!

I'm so glad you took the time to read this, and I hope you feel encouraged!

Until next time!

First Day of Class

Hey readers! Just wanted to give a quick update about my college adventures. I started the second semester of my sophomore year today (is this real life?). There is always a part of me that gets super nervous about the first day of school, but today was different for me. I knew that I only had Communication classes today, and it made me feel at ease. I think that is a good indicator that I'm in the right major. I felt super comfortable in my two classes today, and I have a good feeling I'm going to like my two other classes tomorrow. I'm sure there will come a point in this semester where I'll say, "I'm actually going to drop out this time" (because it always happens - sassy, college girl probs), but I think that feeling won't be as overwhelming this time around. Today I also got to spend time with my beautiful small group friends. I seriously love being around them because they are all so encouraging. Tonight we just spent time hearing about each other's breaks and playing fish bowl, but even in those casual moments with them I still feel so close to God. I'm so glad I found a group of friends to love me through these four years of overwhelming college life, and I'm glad I ended this first day back with them. 

I feel so fortunate for this opportunity. I know I take it for granted sometimes, but I do realize every day how blessed I am to be here doing what I love. I love to learn. I love COM Studies. I love Spanish. I love Wilmington. This is such a sweet season in my life. I've made such wonderful friends and memories in the past year and a half here, and I know my college years are ones that I will always remember. I'm going to try my best to write as often as possible. Last year went by so fast, and I don't remember a lot of what happened. This is going to be an exciting year for me, and I want some words to remember it by. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I love writing them. 

Before I wrap this up, I want to give a BIG birthday shout out to my sweet friend, Abbey! Even though we just met this year, I feel like I have known you for my whole life. We clicked instantly, and I know our friendship is going to continue to grow over these next two and a half years. You are so sweet and so encouraging, and I'm blessed to know you! I hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow because you deserve it!!! I love you SO big! 

That's all I have for tonight, friends. Until next time!

-Morgan

Hello 2015!

Happy New Year, everyone! I'm having a hard time believing the year 2014 even happened because it went by so fast. It felt like every time I blinked, another month had passed. I would like to use that as my excuse for why I gave up on blogging after March, but honestly I just forgot. College life will do that to ya. However, I'm making it a goal (not a resolution) to document my life more in words and pictures this year, and I think this blog is a great place to start. 

I thought a good first post would be to do a recap of the big moments of my seemingly nonexistent 2014 (just following in suit with my other favorite bloggers out there). 

First

At the beginning of the year, I checked an item off my bucket list: Find One Tree Hill filming sights. Living in Wilmington would not be right if I didn't search out the houses and sights from my all-time favorite TV show. Luckily, I had some equally obsessed friends who went along for the ride, and it was an awesome day! There are still a lot more places that I have to see, but that was a great start.

Second

At the end of January, I gained a roommate and a best friend all in one little package. While I knew Brittany for a few months before she became a roomie, I didn't know the depth of our friendship until I was coming home every day to her long stories and overwhelming generosity. Brittany made 326-19 feel like home, and my college life (and just life in general) would not be the same without her. 

Third

I finished my first year of college - PRAISE! I grew as a student and a person so much in my first year. I learned a lot about myself and about the world, and I am so thankful for this opportunity God has placed in front of me. There were definitely times that I wanted to give up, but I got through it, and I'm that much closer to getting my B.A. in Communication Studies!

Fourth

In May, I found out that my best friend since sixth grade was expecting a little baby! A few weeks after Cynthia told me she was pregnant, she found out she was having a girl!!! And as if all of that didn't already have me overjoyed, Cynthia and Daniel asked me to be sweet Sophia's godmother! After much anticipation, Sophia Lorraine Cox made her arrival into the world on November 13th at a perfect 6 lbs 11 oz. I am absolutely smitten with this precious little girl, and I can't wait to watch her grow. 

Fifth

As if one baby isn't enough to make this girl the happiest in the world, in June my sister Courtney told me (in typical, perfect Courtney-fashion) that she was also pregnant!!! This season of my life has been so sweet, especially with Court. I spent a lot of this past semester focusing on Courtney's pregnancy, i.e calling/texting every day, making solo road trips to VA, dying to find out the gender, planning/attending baby showers, going to ultrasounds. In about a month, give or take, I will have my first little niece who I already love so much. I can't wait to spoil that sweet girl rotten.

Sixth

I celebrated my third anniversary with my handsome boyfriend in August, and although we've only have three anniversary dates (obvi), this past one was probably my favorite. It was super spontaneous, and I enjoyed just spending time with Al. 2014 was an awesome year for our relationship, and we got to do a lot of things we had never done before, including taking our first solo vacation & road trip! I'm so thankful for my man and the endless ways he spoils me!

 

Seventh

In the way of church activities, I had a busy and fun year! I got to co-lead Vacation Bible School at my home church with three of the greatest people. It was one of the most difficult and thrilling experiences of my Christian life so far because it was literally just us four young adults leading a room full of middle and high school students. I also fell in love with the college ministry in Wilmington called Overflow, as well as spent more time getting to know and love my small group girls. And finally, I attended an Apologetics Conference in Charlotte with some people from my home church, and I learned so much about the Word and about who God is. The Lord is always so good to me.

Eighth

In 2014, I got to spend a lot of time with family. I don't know if this has always occurred and I haven't appreciated it as much, or if it was only this year that I got to see my family a lot, but either way I am thankful for it. I spent a lot of time with my Nana while she has been in a nursing home. I was able to see my cousins on my mom's side quite often, as well as one of my cousins on my dad's side. I spent a lot of time with my parents and my sisters. I ended the year with my dad's folks, and I'm incredibly grateful for a year filled with family.

I am so thankful for an incredible year, even though it seemed like a vapor! I'm looking forward to seeing what 2015 holds for me! The Lord has awesome plans, and He is true to His promises! 

Thanks for reading!

Late (Really Late) Birthday Post

As promised, I have an exciting birthday post for yall today! I know my birthday was almost two weeks ago, but it really was the best day and I just have to share! 

If you know me, you know that I love, love, LOVE my birthday! It's my favorite day of the year - not because of the presents and cake and such, but because people go out of their way to make me feel loved and celebrated. Every day should be like that. Every day we should go out of our way to make people feel loved. I think that's important! 

So here is a brief recap of my weekend of feeling the most loved I've ever felt in my life - Thank you for that, Jesus!

On Thursday night, Kayla, Britt, and I went out to dinner for a pre-birthday celebration (who doesn't love that?!). We went to Okami Japanese steakhouse on South College, and man oh man it was good! Seriously, it was too much food for one person but worth every penny. Plus, their early bird specials are great! If you're ever in the Wilmington area between 4 and 6, you should stop by Okami! My roomies are so sweet, and I love them both to death. I'm lucky to be going through this stage in my life with them!

Earlier that day, my sister gave me my birthday present because she couldn't wait much longer. I have been talking about the Disney movie Frozen since I saw it twice in theatres a few months ago! It's my favorite Disney movie by far, and I basically have told everyone that I want to own it. Well, my sis came through for me! I am now a proud owner of Frozen! If you haven't seen it, come over and we'll watch it!

That night I went to a dance competition on campus called Hawk It Out. One of the girls from my small group was participating, and she killed it. She won the whole competition! It was really cool, and I got to spend a great evening with some of my favorite girls in the world. God really blesses me through them!

On my birthday the next day, my sweet mama made me my favorite breakfast - breakfast casserole. My Maw-Maw use to make it for me every time I visited her because she knew how much I loved it. Now my mom makes it for me, and it tastes the exact same (insert bittersweet face).

Then, Al came over for a little bit and gave me my presents (yes, plural!). I loved every single one of them because I knew how much thought he put into them. He's the sweetest!

The prettiest flowers!

Bubble necklaces! I got a white one, too! And they're upside down, obviously!

Love, love, love this watch!

So thoughtful! It now hangs in my room at the apartment!

See, the sweetest! He also made me a huge card at his work, and it made me cry. He loves me so good! And there's more...

After he gave me these presents, he told me we were going on a picnic in the park. Neither one of us had ever been on a picnic before, so it was perfect! We went to Walmart and got picnic things, went to Subway and got sandwiches, then went to the park and had a sweet little picnic on the no-longer soccer fields. We don't really get to spend time together just us - normally we're always surrounded by other people, so this was a nice change. It was a beautiful day, and we had a lot of fun. Here's some pictures from that day:

Typical "us" picture :)

My mom and dad made dinner for me, Al, Britt, and Kay that night, and it was super good. My mama can cook yall, and my daddy is the grill master. I never go hungry, to say the least. After dinner, Al and I drove down to Myrtle Beach to eat dessert at The Melting Pot. Talk about the best dessert you'll ever put in your mouth! Seriously, I think we were both drooling the whole time. Nothing is better than melty chocolate and rice krispy treats, just saying. 

I ended the night with the love of my life, and there's no other way I would've wanted to end it. It was such a great birthday! Thank you to everyone who made it so special for me - all the people who texted me and sent me sweet messages on Facebook, all my family members who sent me cards and moola, and everyone who just made me feel loved. I'm so blessed to have people in my life who care so much for me. God is so good to me! 

I hope you guys enjoyed this belated post! I seriously suck at blogging. I'm trying, people. Have a great night! Love you guys!

XOXO,
Morgan

Let the Countdown Begin

Today marks 50 days until sweet summertime! That means in 50 days, I will officially be a college sophomore! I know what you're thinking, "Sophomore? In college? Weren't you just a sophomore in high school yesterday?" That's what I'm saying! I remember my sophomore year in high school so vividly! There's no way I'm moving into my second year of COLLEGE. Time, please slow down. It feels like this experience just started, and now in fifty short days it'll be coming to a close.

I remember being a kid in elementary and middle school and the days would drag on and on. There was always enough daylight to play outside after getting home from school. There wasn't anything time restricted me from doing because I was a kid. I didn't worry about stuff. Then in high school, time decided to pick up the pace a little bit. I wished high school away most days I was there, and the days started seeming shorter and shorter. Then one day, I woke up and high school was over. Now in college, it's like time is on speed. There's no slowing it down. You have to make a conscious decision not to waste that time on trivial things. That's one of the big things I've learned being here: your time is what you make of it. 

As strange as it is that this year is coming to a close, I'm not going to hesitate in telling you that I'm BEYOND ready for summer. I felt stress in a way that was unreal this year, and summer is going to be a beautiful time full of relaxation and happiness. I can't wait to soak up some sun (because this pale has got to go) with my friends! I can't wait to enjoy pool days with the cute kiddos I get to keep all summer! I can't wait for late nights and pretty sunsets and fun dates and Sunset Slush and reading for fun and VBS and a whole plethera of other things. Summer is a glorious time of year - I'm sure you agree! 

Just wanted everyone to know where we stood in the whole "Countdown to Summer" thing! Sorry for my rant about time... I guess it's just something you think about when you start to get old. This is a short and sweet post, but be prepared for a longer one after this weekend aka MY BIRTHDAY WEEKEND! Oh the fun that is on it's way! I can hardly contain my excitement! 

Have a great evening, folks!

XOXO,

Morgan 

Spring Break Plus a Week

I wanted everyone to know that I'm alive and well after my month-long hiatus from blogging. I always have every intention to sit down and write some, then I get busy or forget. I apologize if you're truly interested in my life and are dying to see what's going on (I'm looking at you, Tiffy!) Things have been great lately, and I couldn't ask for more.

Last week was my first college spring break - holla! Spring semester is flying by! I was so thankful spring break came when it did because I was way in over my head with homework and papers. I just needed some time for myself to relax and spend a week with the ones I love - and that's just what I did! I couldn't tell you exactly what I did because it all just runs together. It went by too fast for me. I only remember the highlights of the week, so I'll share those with yall. 

I helped my friend, Lexi, with her yard sale for her mission trip to South Africa. She raised a lot of money, and as always, God was faithful. Be in prayer for her during this special time in her life - she leaves at the end of May. 

I got to spend an evening with the sweet Lillian Willis for her birthday. Lilly and I hadn't spent any time together since this semester started, so I was in need of some time with her. We went to Osaka's for dinner and had Fuzzy Peach for dessert. In between, we had a lot of good conversation and laughs. I'm always thankful for her and her sweet spirit. She always lifts my spirits and helps put things into perspective in my life. 

Al dropped by to have some Peach with us!

I also got to spend time with my friend, Abigail, and her sweet little cousins, Hannah and Zoe. We went to the Boundary House and rode around Sunset Beach for a while after church on Sunday. Those girls never fail to make me laugh. I love having them in my life.

I spent a lot of time with Al (that probably goes without saying). We spend a lot of time together, so I can't really remember all the specifics of what we did. It rained a lot and was mostly cold the whole time I was home, so we spent most of our time inside. Saturday was a beautiful day, so we hung out on the hammock for most of the day - it's the little things that will always be close to my heart. 

I also got to hang out with my little sister, Lauren, a lot during spring break. Be in prayer for her, as well, because she has her first solo dance competition this Saturday. I've seen the dance, and it's absolutely beautiful. My heart is always so full of joy when I watch her dance - it brings tears to my eyes. She's going to do great, I just know it. 

My friend, Casey, and I went to lunch one day at Mexican. She goes to UNCW also, but we don't get to see each other a lot because of our schedules. I'm glad we were able to get together over break. We had a lot to catch up on. I'm lucky to have a great friend like her.

I got to spend a whole bunch of quality time with my family over break. My mom, Kayla, and I went to visit my Nana on Friday. She's a silly woman, but I love her to death. On Saturday, Daddy, Mom, Kayla, and I went down to Myrtle Beach to eat and shop. I love those times with them because they're few and far between. 

Lastly, my friend Ashley and I hung out on Sunday in between church services. Ashley and I have an interesting history, and I never imagined I'd be sitting at her house, laughing for hours on Sundays. She's one of my best friends, and I'm glad I was able to see her while I was home. 

That basically sums up my spring break. It was a wonderful week, full of love, laughter, and relaxation. This week has been not as relaxing because I've had a lot of work to do. It's almost over though, and I got all the work done that was due. It's almost the weekend - hallelujah! 

I hope you enjoyed this short recap of my spring break! There's no telling when I'll post again, but I hope you guys have a safe and happy weekend! 

XOXO,

Morg

P.S. MY BIRTHDAY IS ONE WEEK FROM TOMORROW! WHOOP WHOOP!