italy in 2004

summer of 2004 i studied abroad in Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy.

 

to my greatest delight, i found out morgan the one and only stallings was studying at the same exact school for the month!

 

here are just a few pictures morgan found today and emailed me. i find them very blog worthy. please note the nose ring. gosh i miss it....also please notice the hot italian friends we made...haha, they wanted to take us to get ice cream, but we remembered what our mommies taught us about strangers, and said "no thank you".

JLS - to - BE

scott and lindsay have a closet together. 

her shoes are on the right/his on the left.

her hats are pinned on the right/his on the left.

that is wonderful...

it's so close, i can taste it!

Lin & Scott are getting married in 13 days. Just sayin...

TEXAS missed you.

Welcome Home, Brittain.

We Love You!

Christmas Cookies!!

A few nights ago, I was feeling blue about the Christmas holiday and no mom. Zog was just sitting talking with me and asked me if there was somthing my family always did together, that we could do with the girls. As shown in my Christmas at the Killingsworth's blog, my family loves making Christmas cookies to bring the holiday cheer.

 

So last night, I get home after a crazy day, and the girls are all sitting at the kitchen table, with Zog's homemade cookies and tons of different colored icings and toppings! We spent almost 2 hours decorating cookies :)

 

Thank you friends. You give me way more than I deserve.

i am going to try to make these cute things....

Up in Flames..

(before the lake house was finished)

This is a crazy time. Lindsay is slowly packing up her room and taking loads over to her new condo. This condo is perfect for the Schardts to experience their first year as “one”. I think it’s not as emotionally taxing on me because it’s a slow process. I mean, I have expected her to embark on married life for almost a year now. I’ve known she was going to move out for a year and no longer be my bedmate (most nights). I think it’s a sweet treat that she is just down Greenville Avenue and I can easily go watch a flick with her and her man, my standard, most nights…..when they offer, of course.

We celebrated the life of Lindsay, her relationship with Scott, and the future marriage of the Schardts this weekend at the lake. We were delighted. At night, we had to open the doors to let the cold air in….to stop our sweat from shimmering on our foreheads, from dancing. I’ll spare you the details, as it is most likely only interesting to those who attended…



Anyways, we spent the night at my parents tree house. We call it a tree house because it’s built on stilts, located on a seriously steep hill. There are two parts of the house, joined by the middle, a breeze way located perpendicular to the cove. Into our cove is a one way road in and out. There are no more than ten houses on our block. Coming into our cove by car, you can see two houses on your left when you drive in and then ours is the third. I explain all this, to paint the setting. It’s winter, so the forest of trees are bare, allowing you to see down to the water. The tree house is level with the trees, so looking out the wall of window, that runs across the side of the house, is looking into the trees, with a serious jump to the ground.

We started the shin dig at 3, so we were all crashing by 1230. We each found our little spots to nook and sleep. Kim and Tori stayed up relating at the kitchen table. Lindsay, Julie (Beaner came in town!), and Lindsay’s sister, Lauren slept in the king size bed, on the side of the house with the kitchen and living room.

We found out on Sunday that when Kim and Tori were at the table, Tori was sure she smelled smoke, as from a fire. They sniffed around the kitchen and confirmed that nothing was burning. At about 2:15 they crashed on our side of the house and locked the door behind them.

Around 3 AM, Lindsay woke up to get a glass of water, because she kept coughing. Lindsay said she got up, and as she was walking to the kitchen, saw that the big window, in the master room was bright orange. She pulled the shade and saw that flames were flying past the window and the neighboring house was completely on fire.

This is where the trauma began. She screamed to Julie to get up and that there was a fire. She immediately came over to our door and banged until Laurel got up. Laurel unlocked the door as Lindsay told her the neighbor’s house was blazing. Laurel, in her controlled panic, sternfully told me to get up as there was a fire. I don’t remember hearing the banging on the door or anything else. I remember the noise of scurrying feet down the spiral staircase, that leads up to the loft in our room…as Tori, Melanie and Kim piled down in complete panic. Brit had slept with my phone, as she was texting Paul before bed… and somehow I found my phone and ran to the breezeway, laying my own eyes on the raging fire. There is a house between our house and the flaming house, but the lots are on a steep hill. The house next to ours is about 50 feet away and the one burning is around 400 feet, lower on the hill than the second house. The view was dead on.

I dialed 911 in panic and told them our neighbor’s house was raging fire. I can’t remember what else I said, and not knowing the address, other than our street address, I said they could find it if they just got to Elm Ridge Road. I told them it was HUGE and I had to get everyone out of my house. I realized everyone was running around, possibly screaming, but can’t really remember. I thought, “what do I need to get?” … Immediately I ran back to my bed and got my baby blanket. I have this reoccurring dream, that my parents house would burn down and in the middle of the night I would make sure to get my blanket. Baby blanket? Check. What next, my purse! I grabbed my purse on the other side of the house and my jacket located right next to it. I ran out of the house shoeless and jumped in Zog’s car at the top of the driveway with Zog and Jags already in it. The girls were somehow grabbing their bags and made it into cars.

Everyone was piling into cars, and I felt that I was the last one out, so I didn’t even look around. I just got out. I asked them if everyone was out and they confirmed. I called my parent’s house and thankfully they picked up. I was hyperventilating, shaking, crying, I’d say screaming but just talking in panic telling my dad his new house was about to burn in flames because the neighbor’s house was in flames from top to bottom, left to right, cove to the street.

We exited the driveway and I told Zog if we go left, we would be stuck in the cove, if we go right, that’s our only way out, but we could drive through the fire, as it looked it was taking over the street. We turned right. As we drove by the fire, we shrieked and took in it’s magnitude. This thing was huge. It was four stories, a McMansion as we like to call it. It was a month away from being completed and the wind was in full force. The fire was being blown through the trees, down the cove, and smoke was filling the sky, making it all different shades of scary.

We all pulled over outside of the cove, without sight of the fire and piled into two cars. I talked to my dad off and on as he and my mom jumped in the car to meet us. The firetruck came. One. About ten minutes later, a second. 15 minutes later 2 or 3 more. We live in the country, and it appeared that they weren’t too concerned about our welfare but thanfully Sherman, Texas was providing backup.

I remember telling my dad to call all the neighbors because we couldn’t tell them as the fire was taking over the cove. He said he would. He broke the news to the owner of the McMansion. An hour later, I asked a fireman how it was going and with complete surprise, he said that they had it under control, limited to one house in flames.

I was taken back. I went back and told them, then called my dad. I felt peace that “wow, maybe my parent’s new house wouldn’t be taken down”. Up until that point we were all convinced that we had just left behind everything that wasn’t in our cars and that whole cove was going down.

No. We weren’t being dramatic. Woods thought so when we told her. It wasn’t as if a part of a house was on fire, or there was a forest fire. It was as if 6000 sq foot, 4 story towering house in complete raging fire. Ten feet above the house was flying up with flames and all around it. It lit up everything and the trees were glowing. It was insane. The biggest fire we will probably ever see. And I hope I never see another one.

When my dad got there, we all felt it was okay to head back to the house, as it was “under control”. The girls got their stuff and cleaned the house while I quickly joined my dad and put out flaming parts of our forest, on our property for the next hour. The girls left. Laurel drove back to Norman at 5 in the morning. I didn’t even get to say bye. We were all in shock.

I followed my dad to the neighbor’s house, closest to the fire. I ran around (in chacos) their house looking for a hose. I surprisingly found one immediately and started to hose down their wooden walk way that was spotty of fires. The wind would blow and the smoke would suffocate me and my dad … so I calmly said “I don’t think we are cut out for this job, I think we should stick to our property because I will pass out from the smoke.” He agreed and we headed back. I decided to go in and watch the fire with my mom…As my dad worked with our crazy other neighbor climbing trees and cutting down high branches that were lit.

Sunrise came at 7 am and the place was still on fire. It went out by 8 or 9. The fire trucks stayed all day to make sure no new fires came up. The whole house was gone. The neighbors had a few thousand dollars in damage and a melted Jacuzzi.

I laid on the couch at the lake til noon in shock and exhaustion. That can take more energy out of a person that one person even has. I drove back with my parents. Late last night, my parents called and realized how traumatic the whole event was. The girls and I can’t stop thinking about it and are trying to make sense of what just happened.

My parents were telling me how we saved their house, by being there. Lindsay saved our lives by waking up. If she wouldn’t have woken up, a lot of hearts would be broken (husbands, fiancés, boyfriends, friends, family) as we would all be toast or covered in life-long burns. I just can’t imagine if she wouldn’t have woken up….

Christmas at the Killingsworths

  
 

Christmas has always been so wonderful in our home growing up. We were fortunate to be able to have a big tree with lots of ornaments, awesome christmas outfits as shown in the glorious pictorials above, decorate the exterior of our home in lights (never colored lights, dad wouldn't allow it with his design background), going to Prestonwood's Christmas show, making delicious cookies in our warm and cozy kitchen, while listening to KLTY and singing along. Most years (until the past couple) our family would go on a vacation with the Garys; skiing in colorado or swimming in hawaii. we always have the best time with the Garys, they are our family too. Christmas has always been a season of Christ and joy in the Killingsworth home; mom and dad always reminding us of the "reason for the season". We have been so blessed and I am so thankful for my families good memories together. 

the last picture is from 2 christmas' ago; i love this picture. this christmas will be very different, but so much good to look forward to and believe in. We will do our best to celebrate Christmas the same as always; remembering Christ and his perfect birth and life, making Christmas cookies, and singing carols.

I can remember mom singing Hark, the Herald Angels Sing around the house...I love that song.

Hark! the Herald Angels sing,

Glory to the newborn King!

Hail the heaven born Prince of Peace,

Hail the Son of Righteousness.

Light and life to all He brings

Risen with healing in His wings

Mild He lays His glory by

Born that man no more may die

Born to raise the sons of earth

Born to give them second birth

Hark! The herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn King!

Merry Christmas!!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Our Bestie & Guest-Blogger, Brittany Tavenner

As I drive down the street and the leaves so gracefully fall around me, I realize the seasons are changing. 2008 is almost over. It’s time to pull out the winter clothes from the back of my closet, wrap up in scarves, drink hot chocolate, sit by the fire, decorate for the holidays and soak in sweet time with my friends, whether that be sitting by the fire and watching Grey’s or sitting down for a hot bowl of soup with all the roomies. There is something about winter that makes you just want to take hold of a blanket, grab a hot drink and just SIT. Sit with a friend, sit with a boyfriend and just relax. I love that about winter. I love that it brings everyone inside. Together.

It’s crazy to look back at 2008 and realize this amazing, yet incredibly difficult year is almost over. 2008 was a year of many changes, some amazing, some extremely hard. We had two babies born, three parents pass away, three marriages, two engagements, a summer filled with lake trips and themed parties, our fair share of break ups and cry sessions, and the joy of falling in love. This year was filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. These changes shaped our 2008 in an indescribable way and will forever change our lives and our friendships.

While this season of life has not been easy in the slightest bit, I think the changes that have occurred in our group of friends have been a gift from God. We learned what it means to trust. Trust the Lord when it seems difficult to trust anyone and anything and trust one another. While we will never understand the “whys” of this year, we trust that this is God’s plan and through these trials of life He alone may be glorified. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6. I clung to this verse through this year as a constant reminder that I will probably never understand the “whys”, but I still have to trust Him. Trust him with all that I have and in everything I do.

We learned the meaning of hope. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4. We hope that God uses us, uses our trials, uses our friendships, to glorify Him.

We learned how the love one another. Love each other well. Love each other in a way that allows us to put aside or own desires and serve one another. To love each other unfailingly. Whether that meant sitting in the hospital at one in the morning, crying with each other until the wee hours of the morning, being present in the day-to-days, being joyful for a new marriage and celebrating the gift of life. We felt the love of Christ in every trial, in every joy. His unconditional love was undeniable.

So while this year has been a hard one, almost unheard of, I will rejoice and praise my God for we all made it. It is December and 2008 is coming to an end. We made it through a year that seemed to keep throwing us through new challenges of life. We made it. Together and stronger than ever. God has provided me with relationships that will last a life time, through the good and the bad. With every year and every trial and celebration, we grow closer. We grow closer to one another as we walk through these seasons of life together. I love each of them and I love doing life with them. I wouldn’t have life any other way.