tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-142439882012-01-25T23:01:44.445-05:00here are some of my ramblings and thoughts about lifeNathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.comBlogger2041100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-58370879017844579032012-01-21T18:39:00.001-05:002012-01-22T14:43:29.490-05:00

This was a fun year of reading. I didn't get to read as many books as I had hoped last year, but I did spend almost 2,000 pages with Alexandre Dumas, which will be 2011's reading achievement. Here's the list: Books Read in 2011 Babyhood - Paul Reiser ^ The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - F. Scott Fitzgerald ^ The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-4948539690133719672012-01-09T19:53:00.000-05:002012-01-09T19:53:35.173-05:00

I was able to take a few days off of work over Christmas and when combined with work holidays, I ended up being home for 12 days. It was wonderful and so refreshing after a really busy November/December at work. We were able to spend Christmas at Jamie's parents house and her brother and Danielle even made it up from New Orleans for the night. It was so fun to all be together and have fun with

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-77074974266638443372011-11-15T21:53:00.001-05:002011-11-15T21:55:22.772-05:00

What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than laying on a blanket looking up at the trees and clouds. I didn't think she would be up for it, but she lasted about 15 minutes. She was so adorable!

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-80433162393303795362011-11-07T22:03:00.002-05:002011-11-07T22:03:28.485-05:00

For Jillian's birthday, we had taken pictures every month on/around the day she was born so we could see how much she had grown. It was really fun to see how little she was in the first one and how busy she seemed in the 1 year picture. We kept all the pictures to ourselves so we could reveal them at her birthday party, but we hadn't figured out how to display them. We ended up with a wall of

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-8675239349515233062011-05-22T09:53:00.000-05:002011-05-22T09:53:48.462-05:00

This is my 200th blog post! Once I realized that my next post would be the 200th, I wanted to wait until the other milestone to post them together (which explains the lengthy delay between posting). The second major milestone is that I finished reading the full, unabridged version of The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas. This has been a goal of mine for several years. So many people

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-23511784721557836122011-01-26T21:51:00.003-05:002011-01-26T22:00:45.109-05:00

Here is my annual post of what books I read over the last year, so I can remember what I read early in the year and keep track of them. My goal last year was to try to read more than the previous year and I'm excited to say that I succeeded! Here is how I did compared to last year:2009: 24 books2010: 30 books This is in part due to being in a book club since late 2009. We meet every six weeks so

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-23693439211283437732011-01-17T16:46:00.000-05:002011-01-17T16:46:16.915-05:00

Here is the rest of the story of Jillian’s first few days. ************************ I left the family in the waiting room as I wanted to be back in the recovery room when Jamie was brought in after surgery. When they rolled her in, she was really out of it. She was coming out of the general anesthesia and was in a lot of pain. They had ordered the pain medicine prescription and were waiting for

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-71355094284293708792011-01-03T16:57:00.001-05:002011-01-03T16:57:00.250-05:00

I have wanted to blog about this many times over the last four months, but things have been busier at home and at work than I had originally thought they would be.  Watch out, this is going to be a really long one! ************************ Throughout the month of August, Jamie had been experiencing some swelling in her legs related to the pregnancy.  For the first several weeks, it would

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-25408931377050122882010-07-25T16:02:00.002-05:002010-07-25T16:33:11.268-05:00

For nine consecutive years, four of my college roommates and I have taken a weekend to enjoy reconnecting with each other, since we live in three different states now. It has always been a fun time to remember things that happened in college, make fun of the guys that we know so well, and marvel at what God is doing in each of our lives, through both good times and bad. This weekend was

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-54057869436790264722010-07-13T10:43:00.003-05:002010-07-13T10:49:43.583-05:00

Jamie and I are at the beach this week and for the first time, I made homemade cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing for breakfast. They are so delicious! The recipe made 12 of them so we'll be eating them for the rest of the week. So fun!

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-83433013792263614542010-06-29T08:54:00.002-05:002010-06-29T08:54:00.266-05:00

We have entered into the world of gardening this year. A community garden started up this spring just down the street from us and we were able to join up with a friend from church and share a plot. Jamie posted some more information on our adventure here if you'd like to read more about the beginning of it.We purchased some starter plants and a few seeds, since it was pretty late in the season

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-12562963981631431672010-06-27T15:24:00.002-05:002010-06-27T15:57:19.477-05:00

What a fantastic movie! Jamie and I went with a few friends to see Toy Story 3 on opening night and it was wonderful! Looking back over the blog, I was skeptical about another sequel in the Toy Story line, but man was I not disappointed in this one. Rather than just being another story about the toys, this movie happens several years later, when Andy is going off to college and has to decide

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-33637420188418208172010-06-08T09:13:00.001-05:002010-06-08T09:13:45.356-05:00

For my birthday this year, Jamie gave me two envelopes to choose from, both were a weekend trip where we would Priceline a hotel and enjoying being in the city. The choices were Nashville and Atlanta and the envelope that I opened turned out to be Nashville. I was excited as I hadn't been there in years and wanted to go back for a visit. We spent the week before we wanted to go trying to get a

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-18299198559546380642010-06-02T17:00:00.000-05:002010-06-02T17:00:00.605-05:00

Have you ever had a book that you just couldn't make it through, even after multiple attempts, but were still interested in reading it because other people said it was a good book? Here is mine:I picked it up two different times in college and each time was only able to get about 50 pages into it. I was so confused by it and had no idea what was going on. People kept telling me the book was

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-16059718968833460182010-05-28T17:34:00.002-05:002010-05-28T18:14:24.007-05:00

Last weekend, Jamie and a friend had a conference in Raleigh and I decided to drive with them over there to see some of my college friends. We drove over on Saturday and I dropped the girls off in downtown Raleigh at the hotel. I met up with my friends Chuck and Lauren for dinner at their house. I had not visited them since they moved to Raleigh a year ago from the Myrtle Beach area. Their

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-14103518983825533072010-05-22T08:58:00.002-05:002010-05-22T09:24:26.346-05:00

Over the last several weeks of our community group at church, different people have been sharing about where they are in life and what God has been teaching them. Our group is going through a lot of transitions as many people are leaving to go with the new East Atlanta church plant and others have graduated from school and are moving on to other cities. We were able to host the group this past

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-31375239069257938562010-05-18T18:01:00.002-05:002010-05-18T21:28:39.170-05:00

I thought I'd post some things that I've been thinking about today:I am both excited and sad that the season finale of LOST is on Sunday. I think it is going to be a really fun ending! We are going to be travelling that day so we are going to watch it Monday night instead.The next Pixar movie, Toy Story 3, is coming out soon (June 18th)! It has been fun to see promos on TV this week. I know

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-59342197471558986862010-05-16T14:04:00.004-05:002010-05-16T14:24:29.803-05:00

I love to bake. Not so much cooking (though I'm learning to grill!) but definitely baking. I think it comes from my mom who baked a lot while we were growing up. I developed quite a sweet tooth and spending time with my extended family who also enjoy baked goods certainly didn't help. I think one of the reasons I'm drawn to it is that baking has a lot of order and precision to it, you can't

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-60538187678813426922010-05-09T15:00:00.000-05:002010-05-09T15:00:00.530-05:00

I was talking with my friend Seth at community group several weeks ago and we found out that we both play tennis. I mentioned that I hadn't played in quite some time as several of the people I used to play with regularly had either moved away or didn't have a desire to play much any more. He told me that they were starting up a mini league within the church of 16 people to play singles and

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-11723683716667395572010-05-07T21:26:00.004-05:002010-05-07T21:38:20.042-05:00

We had another appointment this week and we were able to find out that Baby Smith is a girl! I do not think we could be more excited. We asked the person doing the ultrasound to not tell us, but rather to write it down on a card we'd brought so that we could find out together, at home rather than at the doctor's office.It was so fun to open it and then get excited about all the things that come

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-55980920622128885392010-04-23T09:34:00.003-05:002010-04-23T13:35:10.913-05:00

It is official, I am now in my 30s! I feel like the actual event of turning 30 was kind of anticlimactic. I guess it is because a lot of my friends from college and most of my friends in Atlanta have already turned 30, so it really just feels like I'm catching up now.It is a weird feeling of moving into a new decade as an adult. The last time it happened I was in college and looking back on

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-82297253632595649202010-04-09T10:40:00.001-05:002010-04-09T12:42:04.855-05:00

It has been much too long since I've posted here. I will admit it has been a really wonderful break from the blog though. I needed a break from posting, thinking about posting, feeling obligated to post and then having guilt that I ignore the blog. This is supposed to be fun right?There has been a lot going on lately, I'll let the picture below explain:That's right, I'm going to be a dad! We

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-59316964084125791652010-02-04T17:19:00.004-05:002010-02-04T18:02:33.815-05:00

I found this blog article the other day and thought it was interesting. Over the last few weeks, I've felt the need to disconnect more often electronically. Not that it has necessarily happened, but feeling that it should. To this end, I've culled down my Google Reader subscriptions a good bit, though there are still a lot (so many friends blog and I want to keep up!), and consciously tried

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-68526074876142422832010-01-22T15:20:00.000-05:002010-01-22T15:20:51.100-05:00

Jamie and I were talking the other day and realized that in our almost 4 years of dating, engagement and marriage, we have never actually ordered pizza for the two of us. The funny thing is, I actually really enjoy pizza. We possibly ordered it once for a party at our house, but it was obviously a very rare occasion to merit it. Is it abnormal to order pizza so infrequently?

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-13072652009808314912010-01-12T21:05:00.000-05:002010-01-12T21:06:18.122-05:00

For Christmas this year, we had the chance to visit both the Van Houtens and the Smiths. We started out with having Jamie's parents and some friends over for Christmas Eve dinner and church. It was fun to be in Atlanta for Christmas Eve as we are usually travelling and don't get to go to our own church that night. We packed up the car and headed over to their house to spend the night so we

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-1894157021333406872010-01-02T19:46:00.000-05:002010-01-02T19:47:01.039-05:00

I took a few pictures of our new house (that we are renting, just to clarify). I'm missing our bedroom since we were packing for vacation, the 3rd bedroom/office since it was our main box storage/unpacking location and the bathrooms, because well, they are bathrooms!Here is the view from the street. We are loving the enclosed two car garage!Here is our dining room, with a view of the back porch

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-5297850849869569792010-01-01T18:20:00.003-05:002010-01-01T18:39:25.355-05:00

Happy New Year! I can't believe it is already 2010, I will be 30 this year and that is kind of surreal. It is time for my annual post of what books I read this year, mostly for posterity's sake, but also because I think it is fun to remember and keep track of them. My goal last year was to try to read more and I'm excited to say that happened this year! Here is how I've done the last three

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-43469782740730498012009-12-29T13:37:00.006-05:002009-12-29T20:22:54.512-05:00

One of my good friends and the best man in our wedding, Greg Lanier, recently helped write, edit and self publish a book with someone he met on a missions trip to Kenya in 2005. His name is Genesis Njeru and he spent time interviewing several different people that live in one of the largest slums in Africa, Kibera, which is located in/near Nairobi. It was fascinating to read more information

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-70776452249906803732009-12-22T13:25:00.006-05:002009-12-22T13:30:07.992-05:00

I have always loved watching the Muppets, they used to crack me up when I watched the reruns of the Muppet Show and they still do. I saw this today and thought I'd spread the Christmas cheer. Hope you have a merry Christmas!

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-67019116538225529842009-12-03T13:09:00.001-05:002009-12-03T15:07:11.925-05:00

I've been absent here for a while as we have spent the last three weeks, taking a break for Thanksgiving in the middle, to pack up our current house. We've been working like crazy to clean up, pare down and pack and move boxes. We even got a little painting of the kitchen in the new place finished. We are excited to be renting a house that doesn't share a wall with anyone, has a second

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-17435457787157288682009-11-09T19:35:00.008-05:002009-11-10T13:10:46.628-05:00

I wanted to share a quote from one of the books I'm reading, called the Silence of Adam by Larry Crabb.I wonder if the central passion that rules our culture today is the passion to make life work. We think it should work: if not life in general, then certainly our lives at any given moment. We should feel good about ourselves, enjoy friendships, make a decent living, find a doctor who can cure

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-26182723989226210852009-11-01T20:46:00.006-05:002009-11-01T22:02:19.587-05:00

I finished reading this book a few weeks ago and I've been wanting to post on it ever since. If you have not heard about this book, it is definitely something you should read. The book is about the current state of the global slave trade. The author and his wife discovered that many of the people who worked at their favorite Indian restaurant were actually enslaved by the owner. The author

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-64928593719774077712009-10-10T13:53:00.002-05:002009-10-10T14:09:36.344-05:00

My friend Lisa works with the International Justice Mission (IJM) in Cambodia. She was in the States over the summer and shared about the work they are doing with children who are sold into prostitution there. She shared this quote with us and it gave me a different perspective on the beatitudes, so I thought I'd share it here for you to read as well.“Blessed are the poor… not the penniless,

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-61213391755151998482009-09-22T20:42:00.001-05:002009-09-23T17:20:01.706-05:00

Labor Day weekend is Fantasy Football Draft Weekend for the Doran family (Jamie's mom's side of the family). Her brother Pat has been doing this for years and Jamie's dad, uncles and cousins also participate, along with several of Pat's friends from all over. Jamie and I have never gone up for the weekend as neither of us participate in the draft, but this year decided it would be fun to go.

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-38874718058638170732009-09-21T16:18:00.002-05:002009-09-21T16:41:48.701-05:00

We sang this hymn last night at church and I really appreciated it. It was to a different tune than I'm used to and it really helped to draw me into worship last night.Jesus, Lover of My SoulJesus, lover of my soul, Let me to Thy bosom fly,While the nearer waters roll, While the tempest still is high.Hide me, O my Savior, hide, ’Til life’s storm is past;Safe into the haven guide; Receive my soul

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-54946761108335031192009-09-09T17:42:00.006-05:002009-09-10T20:34:22.197-05:00

Yes, I know, it is already September, but I wanted to post about our fun Saturday driving all over north Georgia and metro Atlanta. It was the last Saturday in July and my friend Will was getting married.The wedding was up near Dahlonega, at a ranch/camp in the mountains. It was a morning wedding, so we had to get up really early and get on the road to make it in time. It was an outdoor

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-85778637238929598892009-08-27T12:41:00.003-05:002009-08-27T12:46:56.028-05:00

We got an email at work earlier this summer announcing that we could wear jeans on Fridays up until Labor Day weekend. Now I was able to wear jeans at my old position at the radio stations, so this wasn't really a big deal to me, but now that I'm at the corporate office, where the dress code is a little stricter, this brought woo-hoo's of joy out of people's offices down the hall. It is

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-10703115977011370652009-08-20T18:24:00.004-05:002009-08-20T19:58:47.631-05:00

Jamie and I got to spend last week at the beach in Seagrove Florida (right next to Seaside, and between Destin and Panama City Beach on the panhandle). We had a fantastic time and were really able to relax. We had a funny trip back, which I wanted to mention first before going into more detail about the trip.On the way back to Atlanta on Saturday, we were driving on a two lane road and passed a

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-11213671302240638412009-08-07T12:25:00.003-05:002009-08-07T12:34:35.335-05:00

Well, my sister did it, she and Jesse are married! The wedding was so wonderful and tons of fun. I'm still sorting through the many pictures, but wanted to post a couple before we head out of town. I'll have more details and pictures soon!

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-80655366993184679692009-07-31T07:52:00.003-05:002009-07-31T07:55:27.913-05:00

I had hoped to post during this past week about our fun Saturday, which included a wedding, time with family and lawn game day, but this week has gotten away from me. I'll comment about those things early next week. My sister is getting married tomorrow! All of the family has been arriving and we've been working to finish last minute details. We are all so excited and can't believe the day is

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-39934276038349803712009-07-24T08:25:00.004-05:002009-07-24T09:06:10.907-05:00

I haven't done a book club in several years, the last one I was in we read through the Chronicles of Narnia (my 3rd time, I love them!) and Anna Karenina. When our friend Michele mentioned wanting to start up another one, we thought it would be fun to do it again. They book that was decided on was A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and we didn't already own a copy of it. The idea was to do this as

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-34448868274051318042009-07-06T22:15:00.003-05:002009-07-06T22:22:33.872-05:00

Today we got word that my parents were finally able to sell their house in Florida! They had a family seriously looking at it and even put an offer on it a month or two ago, but it took a little longer than expected for the closing to complete. They had it on the market for about 9 months. My dad moved to Birmingham in October to start his new job while my mom and the dog held back to try to

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-36636051766144481822009-07-01T20:05:00.003-05:002009-07-01T20:30:57.318-05:00

How have I not blogged about Up yet? I guess the last month has been busy. My sister is getting married in a month, I can't believe it is so soon! We've had fun with invitations, throwing a shower and having family in and out of town to help get ready. It has been a fun month and only one more before she is Rachel Fishman!Back to the movie though... we went to see it with a few friends on

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-67651653490624633122009-06-23T12:20:00.007-05:002009-06-23T16:05:21.329-05:00

Over the last couple of months, I've had the chance to finally read a few books that several of my friends had read and recommended. Oddly they both involved animals, from a circus in the first book and from a zoo in the second. I really enjoyed both of them though they were rather different.Water for Elephants - Sara GruenJacob's story takes place during and around the travelling circuses in

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-25085277003735487112009-06-20T20:32:00.005-05:002009-06-20T22:37:17.087-05:00

Jake's and I go way back, to the summer before I moved to Atlanta actually. Chuck and I discovered it and I found my favorite ice cream ever, Key Lime Piescream. It was delicious!Over the last 6 years of living here, the company has made terrible management and location decisions, having opened and subsequently closed roughly 8 to 10 stores, so many that I've lost count. They kept closing my

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-51852958105720443842009-06-11T14:52:00.002-05:002009-06-11T15:11:12.022-05:00

Tennis is my favorite sport to play. I took lessons growing up, played on our school's team through middle and high school and then played socially with friends throughout college. There is just something about being out on the court, the clean lines, the green and white, the clean and crisp net (harder to find it seems), the sound of a can opening, the smell of the felt and rubber, the first

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-33867761355073005602009-06-02T20:03:00.004-05:002009-06-02T20:17:18.442-05:00

My cousin Mark graduated from High School over Memorial Day weekend.  The main ceremony was on Friday night, but there was also a program on Friday morning.  Jamie, Rachel and I took off for Memphis about 8 pm on Thursday from Atlanta.  It is a bit of a drive, so we didn't arrive until about 1 am Central time.I really love being with my extended family.  My aunts and uncles are so much fun to be

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-89181528490146308412009-05-19T18:59:00.002-05:002009-05-19T19:17:08.202-05:00

I'm so excited about heading out of town.  This weekend we are driving over to Memphis to be with our relatives there to celebrate my cousin Mark's high school graduation.  I'm so excited for him and cannot believe graduation is already here.  He is going to UT in the Fall, which makes for interesting rivalries during football season in our family, since we already have several Gators and a

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-80363829724526588932009-05-12T19:25:00.002-05:002009-05-12T19:41:25.139-05:00

My Mom was finally able to join my Dad in Birmingham about two weeks ago.  We were so excited to be able to go and surprise her at the new house for Mother's Day.  Rachel, Jesse, Jamie and I drove down Saturday evening and headed back Sunday afternoon.  It was a quick trip, but was so fun to see my parents in their new city and celebrate with them.  We also got to go to church with them and my

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-58869868338234676082009-05-08T20:03:00.002-05:002009-05-08T20:17:47.907-05:00

There was much progress made today on the car and insurance front.  I took some time at lunch and went to the Dekalb County Public Records office to pick up a copy of the accident report.  The insurance company asked if I could fax it to them as it usually takes a while for the police to get them a copy.  I called her this afternoon and faxed it over to her.  She said the investigation was still

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-1319337686769322292009-05-06T11:16:00.002-05:002009-05-06T12:28:47.926-05:00

Along with my "new" job, I have some of the perks back from when I first moved to Atlanta and worked at the corporate office.  One of those is periodic Braves tickets, with what I think are great seats.  I hadn't been to a game in the last two seasons, but was given some last minute tickets for the Mets game on Monday night.  Now I don't really follow the Braves on TV at all, but I do love going

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-22270164847016584342009-05-01T14:09:00.002-05:002009-05-01T14:41:07.440-05:00

That is what my morning has been like so far.  I got up early to head to my discipleship group this morning.  As I was driving down Clairmont, crossing over N Druid Hills, a car went from the turn lane on the other side and was right in front of me as I entered the intersection.  I slammed on my brakes, heard the screech and squeal of tires on asphalt, followed quickly by a crash as I rammed into

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-392973546306913872009-04-16T18:48:00.003-05:002009-04-16T20:01:57.152-05:00

The day has come and gone, I am officially in the last year of my twenties.  Funny thing is that it doesn't seem like a big deal.  Since many/most of my friends are already in their thirties, I feel like I'm just catching up.  I did however celebrate like I was 8 years old again, more on that in a minute.  This birthday was fun as the celebrations lasted about 5 days.My parents came in town on

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-10401450966592352752009-04-10T11:15:00.000-05:002009-04-10T11:15:00.638-05:00

Okay, not really, but that is what I've been telling people when they ask what happened to my face.  A few weeks ago I went to the dermatologist to have a scar-like spot on my face checked out.  Turns out it wasn't cancerous, but was a tumor that would continue to scar me, so she wanted to remove it.  Thankfully the area they cut was pretty well numbed throughout the morning, so it didn't really

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-47933242755712451092009-03-13T20:41:00.002-05:002009-03-13T20:58:08.561-05:00

Pixar's next masterpiece will be debuting on May 29th, only a few short months away!  I'm so excited to see what they have come up with next.  This movie is called Up and is about a 78 year old man who hooks balloons to his house to fly it to South America for the greatest adventure of his life.  It sounds weird I know, but with the other random movie ideas they have successfully come up with in

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-62769911701031410282009-03-11T08:46:00.003-05:002009-03-11T08:52:18.242-05:00

I found this video online this morning, it is a stop motion music video and is very well done. Check it out if you have a few minutes!I did have to click the arrow to the right to get rid of the ad that pops up as it blocks the bottom part of the video.  To do that, click the up arrow on the right, then the button that is right above it when the ad appears.  That should shrink the screen enough

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-77217690028682856182009-03-05T13:19:00.004-05:002009-03-05T13:44:31.901-05:00

So I really like fonts a lot.  I used to have a typed/printed list of all the fonts on my computer so I could flip through and find one I liked.  This was before the versions of Word came out where they would show you what it would look like in the font box before you selected it.  I was designing small handouts and always wanted to have fun/creative fonts.  My roommates in college actually

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-84154034064347825882009-03-02T12:17:00.005-05:002009-03-03T09:56:40.468-05:00

This past Sunday afternoon we got several inches of snow in Atlanta!  I haven't seen this much snow falling or even on the ground in the 6 years I've lived here.  The weather reports were predicting snow, but as we've come to know, they are often wrong when they say it will snow in Atlanta.  It is usually up in the N Georgia mountains, not way down here in Metro Atlanta.  It was raining on the

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-44049286806022398502009-02-27T14:11:00.002-05:002009-02-27T14:27:28.419-05:00

This falls in the category of what on earth were they thinking.  I heard this story mentioned on the news this morning and just had to share it with you if you haven't heard.  I read the second one first which doesn't have much information, the CNN post was much more informative.1. Woman answers ad for bird by offering kids as payment(CNN) -- Trading two children for a bird landed three people in

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-55449947556475158952009-02-19T20:50:00.003-05:002009-02-19T21:38:52.524-05:00

For Christmas this year, one of the things Jamie gave me was a digital photography class at Callanwolde.  It is the same place that we took the darkroom class and really liked a lot.  Since I've been shooting digital for a few years now, it has been fun to take this new class.  It is 8 weeks and we are halfway through now.  The first several weeks were about the different aspects of digital

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-67322706980119433932009-02-07T22:10:00.003-05:002009-02-07T22:25:05.270-05:00

I really do, there is so much I enjoy about the first day of the weekend.  I love sleeping in (actually probably more than I should).  I could easily sleep until 11 am every weekend, though often there are things that need attention before then.  I love eating, relaxing, the slower pace and more.  Today was a fun day, I got up early (8:45 am) and headed to brunch with friends I don't get to see

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-39043729930638326302009-01-22T18:37:00.003-05:002009-01-22T18:54:03.292-05:00

I wanted to change up the list of books on the right of the blog, but didn't want to just delete my list of books read over the last two years, so I thought it would make a semi-interesting post.  I've enjoyed making note of what I read, so often I forget what I read earlier in the same year. I'm not sure what that means, maybe I don't have the best reading comprehension.  It is fun to go back

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-25579004494363783122009-01-18T17:00:00.000-05:002009-01-18T17:00:15.314-05:00

Since our trip into the city from the airport took a long time, we left extra early so we wouldn't miss our flight.  We still hadn't had a bagel in New York City, so we decided to get one in the food area of Grand Central Station on our way out.  It was really fun and somewhat stressful of an experience as we didn't really know the protocol and the lady wanted us to go faster.  I think ultimately

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-52046474730926036832009-01-11T15:12:00.004-05:002009-01-11T15:25:19.869-05:00

Tuesday was full of rain. We woke up to hard rain and wind and were very glad that we’d accomplished all we had so far on our trip. We slept in a little since we knew it was going to be a long day. We asked the concierge for a good diner that was pretty close so we could have a big breakfast. He suggested the Comfort Diner which was just a few blocks away. We had huge pancakes and eggs and

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-57583420615629850542009-01-04T19:16:00.007-05:002009-01-04T19:43:51.693-05:00

We watched the news to see the weather for the next few days, and found out it was supposed to rain on Tuesday.  We had planned to go to the Brooklyn Bridge that day, and it was the place I was the most excited about photographing.  We decided to switch our planned days, so we got dressed quick and headed over to Rockefeller Center to see the Today Show and hopefully get on television.  Since we

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-33394142916622293292009-01-02T18:07:00.002-05:002009-01-02T18:11:39.569-05:00

One advantage of staying where we did is that we were able to walk to Redeemer PCA instead of having to deal with the subway to get there.  We went to the early service since that is the one that Tim Keller was preaching at that day.  It was fun to finally worship there and to hear him preach.  We saw someone that goes to our church in Atlanta, another person who was an elder at our church but

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-21826935165074653322008-12-31T17:25:00.006-05:002009-01-02T18:11:21.091-05:00

We got up at the crack of dawn to gather our things since our flight was pretty early.  Jamie had the “fun” idea of walking from our house to the downtown Decatur Marta station so we could ride it to the airport.  We hoped it would be a good way to get accustomed to riding the subway in New York, but it actually wasn’t, I liked the New York system a lot better!Our flight was to Newark, NJ as it

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-54023390261275752008-12-30T21:43:00.003-05:002008-12-30T21:49:13.023-05:00

I figured that since it has been two months since we returned from New York, it was about time that I wrote something about it and posted some pictures. It has been a busy couple of months with the holidays and changing jobs, so sorting through our pictures took me longer than normal. I’ll be breaking the rundown from our trip into several posts over the next few days (though you may have

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-53348172355918448072008-12-29T16:01:00.002-05:002008-12-29T16:16:00.903-05:00

This year we celebrated Christmas the weekend before with Jamie's family.  We combined it with birthday celebrations for Jamie's Dad and aunt.  We had a lot of fun laughing and eating a ton.  It is so fun that her family is all within a few minutes drive and we can celebrate with them often.My family is still in the process of moving closer together.  My dad is in Birmingham and my mom was up for

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-83954764929736292482008-12-19T14:32:00.001-05:002008-12-19T14:34:46.274-05:00

After several days of crazy traffic and crowds, I'm officially finished with all my Christmas/December Birthday shopping.  I chose to mark the occasion with a celebratory Peppermint Chocolate Chip milkshake from Chick-fil-A, it was amazing!  That's all I've got for today, hooray for the weekend!

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-56804359167329174692008-12-17T18:36:00.002-05:002008-12-17T18:40:58.429-05:00

So here's something fun.  Today Jamie and I left work at the same time.  Jamie's commute is roughly twice as many miles as mine is.  Usually it would take us about the same time to get home.  This afternoon however, Jamie went to the gym, worked out and then still made it home before me.  Unbelievable!  I made a poor decision about the way to make it home when 285 is way backed up.  I can say now

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-61405760220137027382008-12-10T17:17:00.000-05:002008-12-10T17:17:44.736-05:00

That is a pretty bold title, but last night Jamie and I had what we both think was one of the best meals we have ever had.  Several of our friends went in together and got us a gift certificate to Bacchanalia (www.starprovisions.com), which has been rated by the Zagat Guide as one of the best restaurants in the city for many years.  They have a Prix Fixe menu with four courses and each course has

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-88622430561843689502008-12-07T21:10:00.003-05:002008-12-07T21:40:00.859-05:00

I finished up my job as Systems Administrator on Friday afternoon.  I didn't leave the office until a little after 6 pm, which was a fitting end to a job that often required staying late.  I turned in my badge, keys, laptop and cell phone, which was so weird!  This has been the first weekend in about 6 years that I haven't had to think about work, check my email first thing in the morning, answer

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-20333147726626515432008-12-03T10:38:00.001-05:002008-12-03T10:38:41.546-05:00

Oh how I love having 4 consecutive days off with nothing to do but hang out with family, eat a ton of food and watch football.  We had a lot of fun with Jamie's family on Thursday, got to see my family on Friday and then watched college football rival weekend pretty much all day on Saturday.Sunday morning we met Rachel and Jesse and drove over to Birmingham to see the church where my Dad is now

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-87740691895785938652008-11-29T10:32:00.005-05:002008-11-29T10:57:06.906-05:00

Every year, my office has a baking contest during the Thanksgiving luncheon.  The items are judged by taste, appearance and creative name.  The prize is always a KitchenAid stand mixer, which is so fun!  I won the first year with my chocolate cake titled "Death by Framboise".  My entry this year was a chocolate, chocolate chip cake with cream cheese icing.  It was a really delicious cake.  For

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-33073631437662752762008-11-28T13:18:00.003-05:002008-11-28T13:24:48.674-05:00

Earlier this week, Neal Boortz mentioned me on WSB AM 750.  I had just helped him get his Blackberry working and he was so excited.  Then he found out I was leaving.  I couldn't figure out a way to post the audio, so I made it into a video (but it only has audio).  Check it out, I thought it was pretty fun!

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-41636530370983588082008-11-17T22:58:00.000-05:002008-11-17T22:58:00.612-05:00

On October 24th, I accepted a new job with Cox Radio Corporate. On December 8th, I will officially be a Research Analyst!This job came about when my friend Kara resigned from her position to stay home with her daughter. I used to work at corporate when I first moved to Atlanta almost 6 years ago and so I know most everyone there. When I found out she had left, I was quick to call one of the guys

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-90581711451241419522008-11-14T20:43:00.004-05:002008-11-14T21:17:12.460-05:00

Today is World Diabetes Day, the day recognized by the United Nations for global awareness of diabetes.  The goal of the day is to raise awareness of the prevalence of diabetes, teach people of the early warning signs, and to seek a cure.  Though there is insulin to help people stay more in "control" of their blood sugars, this is by no means a cure.If you are wondering why their logo is a blue

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-70650293746703424282008-11-08T12:40:00.003-05:002008-11-08T12:50:33.945-05:00

Our church has recently started having a Men's Ministry and events to get together. I was not able to attend the retreat that was earlier this year and though they have occasional breakfasts on Saturday morning, 7-8 am is way too early to rise on a Saturday! This past week they held an event on a weeknight and I was excited to be able to attend. It was a beer and cheese pairing/tasting. It

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-47446832267699650872008-10-29T19:06:00.003-05:002008-10-29T19:08:07.558-05:00

We just got back home tonight from our trip and it was amazing. We are exhausted from all the walking we did, but came away loving the city and already planning what we want to do the next time we go. I'll have more details this weekend once I have a chance to go through the many pictures we took.

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-62718539423077068552008-10-19T14:35:00.005-05:002008-10-20T08:05:57.039-05:00

My parents have lived in Orlando for 27 years, pretty much my whole life that I can remember. He has been the Associate Pastor at Orangewood Presbyterian Church for that entire length of time. There have been three Senior Pastors during his tenure and several Assistant Pastors that have come and gone. 27 years is a really long time to be in a pastoral role in the same church. That type of

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-63648473033434688382008-10-17T13:12:00.004-05:002008-10-17T18:28:18.805-05:00

Last night, Jamie and I had the opportunity to go see the musical Wicked at the Fox Theatre. I had wanted to see the show when it came 2 years ago, but wasn't able to get tickets. This time we knew we had to go, so Jamie got tickets with some of her coworkers that had a deal to order them before they were actually on sale.We really didn't know what to expect, except that it was the back story of

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-56340654320971548772008-10-09T08:19:00.003-05:002008-10-09T08:36:47.503-05:00

It's true, we are finally going to New York City! I have wanted to go since I can remember, probably some time in middle or high school. Though many friends have gone and one of my cousins actually lived there for a while, I have never had the opportunity to go. We are going at the end of October, so hopefully the weather will be nice, and will be there 5 days and 4 nights (really only 3 full

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-50507902620246731162008-09-26T07:24:00.002-05:002008-09-26T07:33:31.180-05:00

Things have been busy around here lately.  I've been given some new responsibilities at work which have proved to be quite overwhelming the last three weeks.  In between weeks of crazy work have been weekends away, fun travels with friends, family and a wedding.  It has been great but being home last weekend with Jamie and able to crash for the most party and watch football, was really a great

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-44700294046412030602008-09-04T07:58:00.003-05:002008-09-04T08:20:15.389-05:00

One of the funniest things about where is live is that our neighbor in the next house plays the bagpipes.  I mean really, how random is that.  The first time we heard it, we were sitting on the couch in our living room, when we heard a bagpipe.  I was trying to figure out where it was coming from, thinking maybe it was a CD or something, because we couldn't see who was playing, they weren't

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-26147029510521579472008-08-20T17:44:00.007-05:002008-08-26T13:00:30.815-05:00

I love going to visit relatives. It is just so much fun to be with family and to hang out where they live. Vacations usually involve lots of food (mostly sweets), tons of laughs, and usually a plethora of games. This year was no different. My extended family live in Memphis, TN and for the last 30 years or so have rented lake houses on Greers Ferry Lake in Arkansas for a week during the summer.

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-55597753331837771332008-08-14T08:44:00.002-05:002008-08-14T08:47:04.927-05:00

Today I'm continuing my month long (August) tour of the South by spending the day in Greenville, South Carolina. I'm here for work, I drive up for the day (2.5 hours each way) and then work for 5-6 hours. It makes for a pretty long day, especially since I have to get up slightly earlier than normal and then get right in the car. I'm not normally a morning caffeine person, but today I

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-45165405575915916812008-08-08T19:49:00.003-05:002008-08-08T19:57:47.839-05:00

So today was a 3 shower day, I love it when that happens. There is nothing better than feeling clean! I had a quick shower at 5:45 am before my discipleship group, then another after the gym at lunch and the last one after mowing the lawn when I got home from work. It is a rare day but a fun one!Today is 08-08-08 which means the start of the Olympics. I love watching them when they come on

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-38650177543668920152008-08-01T14:30:00.000-05:002008-08-01T13:31:59.839-05:00

It has been a busy couple of weeks and to celebrate the beginning of the 8th month of the year, I thought I'd post 8 fun things that have happened recently. Hope it isn't too long!1. MTW REV - Last week was MTW's Readiness Evaluation week where people who hope to go serve on the field long term come to be evaulated. Earlier this year at another REV, I was able to meet some of Jamie's missionaries

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-57342756164325527412008-07-23T12:09:00.002-05:002008-07-23T13:07:57.451-05:00

I really don't enjoy going under the knife. I've never been one to break bones or need stitches more than once or twice. Some might say I'm more of an indoor person and they would be right. Not that I don't enjoy being outside, playing tennis, running, sitting on a porch or in a hammock, but I'm not a serious hiker, camper or outdoor adventure lover. This is mostly irrelevant to this post

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-79524134036680679632008-07-13T15:05:00.006-05:002008-07-13T16:50:44.105-05:00

The 4th of July is always a fun holiday, I love being off of work for the day, though it doesn't often fall so favorably as this year with it being on a Friday. It is so fun to have the long weekend off as well, since for the last two years, I have done the unthinkable. I have gotten up before I normally would get up for work, on a holiday. I'm sure you know how big a deal this is, sleeping in on

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-67947773123392432842008-07-13T14:56:00.003-05:002008-07-13T15:05:46.286-05:00

We did end up seeing Wall-E the other weekend and I loved it! I think I grew to like it more during the week after seeing it. The more I thought about it, I remembered certain things that happened or was amazed by the creative geniuses at Pixar. It is a love story between robots, one of which has been left on earth to clean up after the humans. It is unlivable for them now, so all humans have

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-5149682982538565962008-06-27T10:50:00.004-05:002008-06-27T10:59:40.415-05:00

WALL-E, the latest Pixar movie arrives in theaters today and I'm so excited! It is a very different premise for a movie, but that's one of the things I love about Pixar. They have yet to dissappoint me in their previous 8 movies, so why should they start now? I've heard some mixed reviews, but I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing it this weekend. I'll post some thoughts on it afterwards!

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-84961705865398739632008-06-18T22:45:00.003-05:002008-06-19T20:24:12.791-05:00

Earlier this week I finally finished the book I was reading, A Quest for More by Paul David Tripp. It was one that my dad recommended as his favorite book, maybe even surpassing Knowing God, which means a lot to me and was definitely worth reading.This book was excellent. It did take me a while to read, as I was reading several other books as well, and for that I'd really like to read it through

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-11501716235029990512008-06-15T19:53:00.003-05:002008-06-15T20:31:26.410-05:00

A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to go to Orlando to celebrate my friend Amy's wedding. She and my sister have been great friends for years and we all grew up on the same street. It was so much fun to celebrate with them and the wedding was wonderful. Amy and Brian have something different in common, they are both triatheletes. They are actually participating in an Ironman competition in

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-56010569469828102562008-06-15T19:14:00.005-05:002008-06-15T19:50:24.145-05:00

My dad called a little over a month ago and said that a friend from Orlando was letting my parents borrow their vacation home on Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga for the week after Mother's Day. He thought it would be really fun for Jamie and I and Rachel to come over and surprise her. We already had several plans as that weekend was Jessica's graduation from PSI, but coincidentally that was

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-9981818132150597802008-06-03T07:42:00.002-05:002008-06-03T08:17:59.745-05:00

Wow, have I ever been delinquent on blogging this month. There have been several things I've wanted to write and pictures to post, I just haven't made time to do it. Hopefully a few posts with some more details in the next few days about our weekend travels and other happenings.

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-89431707230900176722008-05-08T12:01:00.002-05:002008-05-08T12:10:05.825-05:00

I was reading at lunch today from A Quest for More and this passage stood out to me. "When Christ isn't central in the life of a Christian, his Christianity will always get reduced to theology and rules. It will cease to be the central organizing principle of his life. It will give way to other powerful motivations and move to the fringes of his life. I think this is the experience of many

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-69124629500215115902008-05-05T20:35:00.003-05:002008-05-05T20:44:15.897-05:00

Well, it finally happened. The inevitable occurrance with these crazy increasing prices. Tonight I paid $50.85 to fill up my car. I drive a Honda, with not too large of a tank. There is no reason it should cost me over $50 to fill it up. Wow, that's even before the anticipated $4/gallon expected this summer. I think that's about all I have to say about that. I'm going to enjoy my Dr Pepper

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14243988.post-15093743868241919832008-04-28T10:31:00.005-05:002008-04-28T10:53:54.300-05:00

The other day, my dad recommended a fun book that someone had recommended to him. It is called Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath. It talks a lot about how people need to determine their strengths and work on those areas to actually succeed, rather than spending so much time working on their weaknesses. Interesting concept and I'm not sure you should give up entirely on your weaknesses, there is

Nathan Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664207294908702293noreply@blogger.com1