Ireland in a Nutshell

Hi, my name is Julie Ledford and I’ll be your guest blog poster today. This is pretty significant for me because 1) I stalk check the Parkers’ blog regularly, and 2) I have never written a blog post in my life. So I appreciate your patience as I fumble through this important milestone in life. My trepidation is magnified by the fear of a spelling or grammar mistake on the blog of a teacher who always notices... but that’s neither here nor there.


Like the other guests for this week so far, I considered lots of different topics for my post. My husband Justin and I just completed our first Whole30 (I was inspired by Nicole and by disgust at the quantity of processed food we were consuming), but my findings weren’t that different from hers. In short, I lived on Nicole’s Whole30 Pinterest board, we’re glad we did it, and we will keep up some of it.

Instead, I thought I’d post about our trip to see Nathan, Nicole, and Ireland. You’ve seen some of the highlights of England already (including an April snowstorm and a chance encounter with Her Majesty), but after Durham we flew over to Dublin and spent a week working our way around the southern half of the island. The best two pieces of advice we got beforehand came from Nathan Parker (take only one small backpack each), and a nice Irishman at our local dog park (don’t make any reservations before you leave). It was the first vacation overseas that either of us had ever taken, but after how well that advice served us I’m not sure I could travel any other way! I am your classic Type A personality – I plan everything down to the smallest detail and I research ad nauseam before making decisions… so this trip was a refreshing change from that. If you’re at all like me (and maybe even if you’re not), you may be surprised that you don’t need much for a spectacular vacation in Ireland:

1. A small backpack (we’re talking junior high Jansport size, folks) with a couple outfits, toiletries, and some detergent to wash your clothes in the sink. You may never wear those clothes again because you’ll be so sick of them, but who cares! It was worth it because I have back problems, and this way we could just hop up some stairs or walk to the train station in the rain and leave people with rolling suitcases in the dust.

2. Layers. The three-in-one North Face jacket I got on clearance paid for itself on this trip, as we were in constant transition between rain, sun, wind, snow, coasts, mountains, and plains. We were prepared for all of it!

I actually used all of the features on the tag of this jacket - liner, waterproof shell, and both together.

3. Good shoes. Ireland is best enjoyed if you’re willing to get out of the car and go for a hike in Connemara or a bike ride on the Aran Islands.

From the top of one of the Twelve Bens in Connemara National Park

4. A small rental car with GPS. We mapped out a rough idea of cities we wanted to visit before we left, but that’s it. No schedules, no tour buses, just driving until we felt like stopping each day. This prevented me from being stressed that we might not make it to our next city for the hotel room we already paid for, or that we might not see the 67 things in Town X that I had read about. Justin and I each had a couple ‘must see’ places, and that’s it. Thankfully Ireland is more about the gorgeous landscapes and kind people than touristy checklists.

Justin in his new Irish hat with our trusty Peugot

5. One or two tour books max. We brought a (literally) pocket guide to Ireland and a book of B&Bs so that once we felt like stopping, we could find something with decent reviews. Every other house in Ireland is a B&B, so we never had a problem finding a place to stay. The fewer hotels, the better – the B&B owners were so fun, and after a huge Irish breakfast all we needed was a PBJ and a banana to get us through to dinner. 

The Cliffs of Moher are tall (an understatement). That's a castle on top there.

 

Gorse. It's like the Irish version of kudzu. But way prettier.

There are a few more things, but nothing you couldn’t come up with on your own. Besides, I don’t want to wear out my welcome and this post is getting a bit long. The end result was a relaxing trip with breathtaking views and sweet memories. So glad we got to share part of our journey with the Parkers - we miss you, nPn!

Because this isn't my blog.....

Hi! I am Abby, and I am usually found here, blogging about the sweet girls we are so blessed to parent.
I am honered to do a guest post while N squared get to travel. I've never guest posted in my whole life!
Like Amy posted yesterday, I was going to do a "Quite Like - Rather Dislike" post because I love reading the ones Nicole posts.
But then I couldn't think of anything to say. I thought about an edition about adoption (oh, my girls are adopted, in case you couldn't tell), but I decided not to.
That leaves me here....with nothing that I could think of interesting to say.....
So a picture of gratuitous cuteness. Seriously, could they have any more personality?

Then......it dawned on me. I have something to share. Something I've actually never shared on my blog and since this isn't my blog, I'm going to share it here.

It begins with a question. Who is Jesus? We have historical proof and documentation that He existed.

Think about it. It's the most important question you will ever answer in your life. A good man? A great teacher? Or the Messiah?

You must make that decision. No decision is still a decision.

I will say, without hesitation that Jesus is Lord and the Bible is God's true Word.

Which leads me to this point. Our death. According to the Bible, we are "destined to die once, and after that to face judgement" Hebrews 9:27.

What do we do with that information? Romans 10:9 tells us that if we "declare with our mouth 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

And you must know that He is the only way to eternal life (John 14:6 "I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me").

Now, life is messy, yes? It's hard, disappointing and sometimes it just sucks. But I have encouraging news. Those of us that belong to Him (and He wants all of us, it says so in 2 Peter 3:9 "...not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance"), He knows us. Psalm 139:1-4 says "O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely O Lord."

Don't think you have enough faith? Ask Him, He will give it to you. Matthew 7:8 tells us to ask and we will receive, we are to knock and the door will be opened.

Did you know there has never, not one single time, been an archeological dig that has disproven anything in the Bible?

So the Bible is true and Jesus is the Messiah. You must think on that.

If you have any questions, ask Nathan:)

Quite Like, Rather Dislike--Olympic Edition

While Nicole is traversing the land to the south, she will have a few guest bloggers. I have the privilege of being one of them. I have guest-posted once before--if you'd like to read my previous post, click here!

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Amy Erickson, and I have been friends with Nicole for about eight years. She was actually my Bible study leader and substitute teacher during my senior year of high school. Thankfully, we remained good friends after that.

Alright, enough of this intro business--onto the post! If you've read Nicole's blog for any amount of time, you've seen her Quite Like, Rather Dislike posts. I'm such a big fan of them that I've started doing a few on my own blog. In honor of that and the upcoming amazingness of the Olympics, I bring to you:

Quite Like, Rather Dislike--Olympic Edition 
(Disclaimer--although I love and watch all of the Olympics, gymnastics is by far my favorite, so you'll see a bit  lot of that in this post). 

Quite Like:

The stories of sacrifice, extraordinarily hard work, and success--like this one about Gabrielle Douglas who is a favorite for a few medals during these games. These athletes sacrifice so much for a sport they love and the chance to represent our country every four years.

Medal ceremonies--especially when USA is standing at the top. I can't make it through an entire national anthem without crying.

Photo Credit

Here is the Magnificent Seven--the girls who won Olympic gold in the 1996 Atlanta games. 

Rather Dislike:

Mistakes--they happen, it's inevitable, but in the Olympic games, a little mistake can (and probably will) stay with a person for the rest of his or her life. I can't imagine the pain of working so incredibly hard for your entire life, to have a trip, a fall, or a muscle twitch keep you from a long awaited dream. Not to mention the fact that the media will continue to play it OVER and OVER and OVER. Because of this, I will NOT post a picture or video for this "dislike," but I will say that I still cringe and get upset every time the video is played of one such mistake from the 2008 Beijing games. It breaks my heart for those athletes....

Different Time Zones--why can't every event happen live in MY time zone? Huh? :) 

Photo Credit

It drives me slightly crazy knowing that events are happening when I can't watch them live. During the Olympics, I won't turn on my computer or go on the internet on my phone. I have to be on the edge of my seat screaming and yelling at the TV as the action happens. If I found out results before, it'd ruin the suspense, the intensity, the magic. And we just can't let that happen, now can we? 

I could go on and on about my beloved Olympics. I am so jealous that Nicole gets to tour the Olympic grounds on her vacation. I can't wait to put on my USA Olympic shirt tomorrow and curl up in front of the TV to watch the Opening Ceremonies. 

For those of you who love the Olympics as much as Nicole and me, tell us why in a comment below!

For those of you who don't, I'd love to hear why as well (since I can't quite seem to wrap my brain around the fact that someone may not love this incredible event as much as I do!). 

Thanks for reading and commenting! Enjoy the GAMES tomorrow!

Don't We All Think Nicole Needs A Tribute????

Before I have a slight panic attack I need to take a deep breath...... whew. MY FIRST BLOG POST EVER! Not to mention my first post is on a very famous blog :). It's me, Kristen. Nicole's sister. I was thinking of starting a blog recently, but felt very overwhelmed just thinking about it. I have no idea how to start a blog, but I am, however, a very good blog stalker-I could be a professional, folks! So here goes nothing- a tiny little tribute to my sister. She deserves one don't you think?!

Nicole and I have always been close. Each other's best friends, #1 fan (you should have seen me campaign for her to win homecoming queen. Yes, I take credit), and my favorite person to talk about this man with....

 Don't judge. We LOVE us some Justin Timberlake. I remember when we went to Staples Center in downtown L.A. for his concert. We were in the nosebleed section both positive he "waved" to us. Ahh! The memories.

I haven't lived with Coley since I was a sophomore in high school. Can you believe that? She was so adventurous. Always moving and creating new memories for her to look back on. Nicole was so brave in my eyes. I preferred to sit back and look at the pictures of her adventures, but looking back now I regret not seeing the world with her! Wouldn't that have been fun, sis?

I guess we went on a few "adventures" hehe!

We have such a fun relationship now that we are adults! Even though we have always lived so far away, we talk more now than we ever have. Gotta love skype! I so enjoy our weekly chats talking about our weeks, our hopes and dreams, and well- sometimes about absolutely nothing at all! I feel like we both live vicariously through one another. Our lives couldn't be more opposite. I live in our home town of Bakersfield with my husband and 2 girls, and she, as you all know, is across the ocean sight seeing, living day to day, meeting new faces, and traveling with her husband. I have dreamed of traveling with my husband to far away places, and I know she dreams of raising kids and "living the loony tune life" as I like to call it :). I listen to her, and she listens to me. Both not understanding a bit of each other's lives, but being the perfect person to talk to all the same.

I remember when I had my girls thinking, "no one on Earth has their exact genetic make up but each other." This is true for me and Coley too! NO ONE. So I better be nice to her in case I need some kind of a transplant or something :). Sister's are a special thing. I feel so blessed to have one. I'm over the moon that my daughters, June and Winnie Paige, have each other too.

Aren't they just SO cute :). I'm such a proud Mama. As you all know, Nicole too, is a very proud Auntie!

Nicole, Coley, Sistor, Bear, Josie, Nikki, you are the most beautiful, sensitive, loving, brilliant, hard-working, selfless, hot, understanding sister a girl could ask for. How would I know anything about Pintrest, my tone-deafness when I really "get into it" (you never hesitated to let me know), not putting my feet on your beauty '86 "blue bomber's" dash or I was going to have to take the bus, *nsync's Christmas album, Mom's obsession with taking pictures and developing them in an hour so we would come home from the prom on time, our precious brother, Matthew's antics while our parents are cruising the Caribbean, Bebe-that's all I can say about her *tear*, going to sign and song with mom and doing our private shows at home, roaming the neighborhood in the hot Bako summers only coming home when we smell mom's warm chocolate chip cookies, you teasing me because I slept on my forehead so my formal hairdo didn't get messed up for church the next morning, piano lessons every Tuesday (for 10 years! ugh), me visiting you at Taylor and getting in a plane crash (it just sounds so cool :)), you giving me a play by play of my old boyfriend driving with another girl via pay phone (ha!), and all those high school Saturday nights watching SNL.

The "blue bomber"...

The list could go on and on....I miss you so much and can't wait for your long awaited visit at Christmas when we can reminisce in person! I am so proud of you and can't wait to see what God is going to do in you and Nathan's lives in England. I love you more than you know...

Love- Kristen

P.S.-Coley, you have no idea how close I was to posting the most embarrassing pictures of you ever. What are sister's for, right?  It just didn't go with the loving theme....rats for all your readers!

Kroger Fun (Tesco-Inspired)

Hey all!  This is Jenn, from in this city.  My post today is inspired by Nicole's sneaky shots of weird things at Tesco, which she posted about here, here, and here.

I went to the closest K-Rog (Kroger) armed with my cell phone and hopeful anonymity.  Indeed, there's a Publix closer to my house, but I thought I'd pick a less-frequented (by me) grocery store for this mission.  Also, it's the Kroger that Nathan and Nicole used to shop at when they lived in Atlanta, so it just seemed appropriate.

Let's start things off right.  Who buys this???

Hey, it is a value pack...


It's probably appropriate that this is next to the Spam, since they don't specify exactly what type of "meat" you're getting.

I know un-refrigerated milk is common in Europe, but this is America.  I'm a little suspicious of milk straight off the shelf.  And strawberry, at that.

I just found it funny that this brand was "PET" and their tagline is "The Dairy Goodness People".  Hmm...

Ahh, yes.  Generic "fish and meat sauce".

What the heck is "HP Fruity"?  Take a closer look at the picture on the bottle.  Isn't that London?  Perhaps that explains the lack of product explanation.  It seems the British feel no need to actually tell you what's in the bottle.

Is it a mustard?  Is it a mayonnaise?  Whatever it is, it's apparently famous!

Nope, they don't tell you what kind.  Just beans.

Isn't this British for "cookies"?

Just what I was thinking I needed as I browsed the frozen food section: cherry printed bowl covers!

 

 Yeah, I got some weird looks while in the store.  Like I said, there was a reason I stayed away from my normal grocery stomping grounds.  But, it was a fun little "project".  I think the Tesco still wins, though, for sheer quantity of un-identifiable condiments.

When I Grow Up, I Want to be Like Nicole…

These words have rung true in my life since I met Nicole almost eight years ago. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Amy Erickson and I am guest-posting on the blog for the day. I teach Junior High English, I’m 25, and I like long walks at night during the summers in Bakersfield (Sorry, had to throw that in there). I grew up in Bakersfield, CA, and I attended LBC with the Sampley family; however, I did not meet Nicole until my senior year of high school. I’ll never forget the day our high school youth pastor walked up to me and told me that I’d have a new Impact (small group Bible study) leader for my senior year. Honestly, I was quite bummed and skeptical at first. He told me that her name was Nicole Sampley—ok, I thought to myself—she’s a Sampley, so I guess she’ll be cool enough. He introduced me to her, and I’m pretty sure we were friends at first sight….

Since that day, Nicole has been my Impact leader, my substitute teacher, my mentor, my counselor, my shoulder to cry on, my inspiration, and my dear friend.

Because of that, I’d like to share with y’all (shout out to the Georgians) today some of the lessons that Nicole has taught me throughout the years (complete with examples!):

1.     The small things make a huge difference: When Nicole would sub for my classes in high school, she’d sometimes go off campus to buy me lunch (Baja Fresh—my favorite). I will never forget those simple times we spent together and how much they meant to me.  Nicole taught me to pay attention to details and do little things each day to make a difference in someone’s life.

2.    Good friends don’t always need words: Some of the best times I’ve spent with Nicole have been hanging out on her couch while she ironed loads and loads of clothes, or sitting at the table coloring in coloring books, or laying on her bed with my head on her stomach listening to her digest food (a bit strange, I know, but it gave us lots of giggles). Nicole taught me to appreciate every moment we had together.

3.    Laughter is some of life’s best medicine: Whether it’s quoting Brian Regan or YouTube videos or Nathan, we always have a good laugh—anyone that knows Nicole can attest to this. When I’m feeling down, I can look at a picture of Nicole and smile. When I’m sad, I can think of one of Nathan’s goofy (and amazing) faces and laugh. Laughter and joy soothe the soul, and Nathan and Nicole bring a ton of that into my life. Nicole taught me to laugh in the good times and bad—they will both pass. 

4.    Lots of other people (who aren’t as smart as me) have “done life” before me and made it just fine: Ok, this one probably needs the most explaining.  When I would feel stressed or anxious about something, Nicole would repeat these words to me (that her father often repeats to her). For example, when I was worried about going to college and living in the dorms and meeting new people and passing my classes, Nicole would say, “Amy, plenty of people who aren’t as smart as you have gone away to college and done just fine.” ::Deep breath and sigh of relief:: Ok, that makes sense; I really can do this. Mike and Nicole taught me that I can do whatever I set my mind to in Christ’s strength.

5.    Life is a GREAT ADVENTURE: Quick side note--For those of you who don’t know, Nicole is a HUGE Steven Curtis Chapman fan! In fact, she choreographed a music video to “The Great Adventure” for our Impact group to perform my senior year. I still remember some of the moves. J End side note. The chorus of the song is as follows:

Saddle up your horses we've got a trail to blaze
Through the wild blue yonder of God's amazing grace
Let's follow our leader into the glorious unknown
This is a life like no other - this is The Great Adventure

Life is an unpredictable adventure, but we must follow our leader and ride on.  I had the privilege of watching Nicole buy a house in Bakersfield, meet Nathan and get married, move to Atlanta, and eventually move to England (among many other things)—sounds like a great adventure to me. I am amazed at her willingness to embrace the great adventure and her positive attitude through every turn and curve and “roadblock” along the way. Nicole taught me to embrace the adventure and look at it with excited expectation, not anxiety.

6.    God is sovereign and His timing is perfect: This lesson is probably best illustrated by Nicole and Nathan’s meeting and marriage. I remember Nicole’s scores of suitors or lack there of at times (feast or famine, you know), and wondering when she’d find the one—not to mention, who that “one” would be. We’d talk and wonder and shed tears about it on occasion. And then came Nathan—not a moment too soon or a moment too late—and he was it. I could go on and on and on about how perfect he is for Nicole and how amazing their story is, but most of you know that (if not, Nicole can fill you in later).

One day in particular stands out in my memory. Before Nathan and Nicole got married, Nicole and I were in the LBC church parking lot for some reason, and we sat on the curb while she read me parts of a letter Nathan had written to her. I honestly don’t remember what it said, but I remember sitting there with tears streaming down my cheeks—tears of absolute joy for Nicole and tears of sadness (and longing) for myself. I’m not sure I even said anything, but Nicole turned to me, hugged me, and said that in time, I too would find someone like Nathan. This is when I truly began to understand God’s sovereignty in my life—how could you not while watching how intricately God wove these two amazing people together? I still think back to that day on the curb when I need a little reminder. I’m still waiting on God’s timing, but I’ll wait in confidence. J Nicole taught me to trust in God’s sovereignty and perfect timing, because if it were up to us, we’d screw it up.

I have such a love and admiration for Nathan and Nicole that I could truly post on and on and on, but I’ll spare you. In closing, I’d like to say that I have learned so many lessons from Nicole—I just chose to highlight six here—and I know I will continue to learn from her throughout the years. I admire her as a teacher, a Godly woman, a wife, a daughter, and a friend. Like I said in the title, when I grow up, I want to be just like Nicole. I did follow in her footsteps in becoming a Junior High English teacher (love it!)—now let’s see what other adventures I can muster up. Marriage? Moving across the country or the world? Only God knows what my next great adventure will be, and I only hope that I can embrace it with the grace, trust, and love that I’ve seen in my dear friend.

Thanks for reading. I'd love to read comments about the lessons that Nicole has taught you or the ways that she has inspired you through the years. 

Cheers!