Friday, June 29, 2007

I want to go on vacation

Because it is summer, I feel like I should be going on vacation, but I am not. The only place that I will go this summer is Orlando. To many people, Orlando would be vacation, but I travel there once a month or so to see my family, which is nice and all, but not an adventure.

Luckily, I will be going to San Francisco in just over 2 months. Not only will this trip be awesome, but I will be heading there with my husband, and I will have a new last name.

If you have been to San Fran, and you have any ideas of things that I need to check out, let me know. By the way... 77 days until the wedding.

Congrats to Steph and David on their engagement. Looking forward to their wedding, as Slim and my first wedding as a married couple. Maybe I will even be pregnant by then:) HA.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Engagement pictures are up

So at 1:45am, Slim let me know that Ashley had posted the pics. I think that he stayed awake all night, just to wait for them. Enjoy- and let me know what you think.

http://web.mac.com/ashleybrockinton/iWeb/Ashley/Blog/25C542C4-3BC5-4748-B4DE-FBE28CF4349B.html

Make sure that you read Slim's comment and Ashley's response. It is pretty darn funny.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Lunch with a dear friend

Today, Linds and I met for lunch. It has been way to long, but we finally found a time that worked for the both of us. Even though it was only an hour at Grouper and Chips, the time was much needed. Lindsey is an amazing woman with such a heart to chase after what God wants for her. She has been through a lot, and doesn't look at those circumstances and ask God, Why me?, but instead lives each day ensuring that she is chasing hard after God.

Thanks Lindsey, for the gift of your friendship, and for your funloving spirit.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Models... I think not

Some of you may not know this, but a while back, I was in training to be a model... well a plus size model, well not really. There is a joke in my family, that goes a few years back-- here is the story.

In 2001, the McElhenys along with the Goffs, went to New Smyrna Beach for a summer vacation. While we were there, we traveled to Daytona to go to the mall and to a movie. Upon entering the mall, a questionable man approached me and asked me if I was a model- now mind you, I am taller than most, but I am definitely not model material. I of course laughed right out loud because I was probably the only one who saw the true humor in that statement. He then proceeded to tell me that he was Will Smith's brother, and they starred together in an up and coming movie, Ali. I proceeded to laugh again because I again saw the humor in this statement, as there was no question in my mind that this man was off his gourd. He told me that he would get me all these jobs, yada yada yada... so when we walked away from this man, the entire family was in hysterics. Larry Goff, who has seen me put away some food, found a large amount of humor in this statement, and every time I ate that week, he asked me if I was in training to be a model, for Sara Lee. Funny, huh?

Well tonight, I will actually have a photo shoot. I am super excited, because Slim and I are getting our engagement pictures taken, and we were pretty much guaranteed that we would be made to look like models, so stay tuned for proofs of that.

You can be checking http://www.ashleybrockinton.com/ the proofs and blog section to see them once they are up for viewing. We will not be doing the traditional, go to the beach and wear khaki, denim, and white, so you definitely want to check these out!

Sunday, June 24, 2007

The weekend in Orlando






This past Friday and Saturday, Slim and I went to visit my family in Orlando, for Brayden's birthday. It is always fun to be there, but it was really fast, this time.

I pretty much hate being away from my nephew and niece, and every time I am with them, I am reminded how big they are getting.

We celebrated Bray's birthday on Saturday. He was cracking Slim and me up with what he was saying while we were playing in his bedroom at my parents house. Brayden says to Slim... "Uncle Slim, you're getting little... or maybe I am just getting big." How cute is that? He also told me that when Uncle Slim and I have kids, we should name it Dude, if it is a boy and Poop, if it is a girl. For those of you who don't know. Dude is our dog's name.

Greg and Brandi swam with the kids for a while before we went in for dinner. Brayden could barely sit through dinner as he waited for his presents. He kept asking Greg if it was time yet...

Check out the pics of the cupcakes. These are great!






Greg and Brandi are bringing the kids here on Thursday while they go away for their anniversary. I can't wait to get some more time with them. I mean look at those sweet faces.

Friday, June 22, 2007

God is going to do BIG things.

Yesterday was a hard day for some dear friends of ours. All day I just kept getting excited that God was going to use this crappy situation to bring Him glory and to show Himself faithful.

It is easy to try and rely on our own strength, but when we are weak, then He is strong.

God, thank you for your strength. Thank you for showing yourself faithful time and time again. We know that you will do it again, because you never change!

...you give and take away... you give and take away... but my heart will choose to say... Lord, blessed be your name!

Happy Birthday Brayden James

My sweet nephew turns three today! Slim and I will travel to Orlando today to be there to celebrate with this sweet boy. There will definitely be new pictures added this weekend, so look forward to that!

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Heather and Jared's wedding


So... on June 2nd, 2007, two of Slim and my dear friends, Heather and Jared got married...


You can check out their pictures on http://www.ashleybrockinton.com/
(go to proofs to see every one)


Sam and Ashley are the best photographers around. They will be capturing Slim and my wedding as well. They will also be taking our engagement pics on Monday, so stay tuned to check that out.

Just me

So, I have been reading everyone else's blogs and so I decided that the time has come for me to become a blogger myself. I am going to use this space to share the exciting that God is doing in my life and the lives of the people I love.


Here is a small bio on me...

My name is Laura McElheny and I will become Laura Gillian on September 15th, of this year. God has given me a man with such a heart for people, and this excites me. I met Slim Gillian through Summit Church, and he is more than I could have ever imagined.

I moved to SW Florida 4 years ago, after graduating from college, and teaching in NY for 1 year. I taught 4th grade at First Baptist Academy, in Naples, Fl for 3 years, until God called me to something totally different. I now manage Home Instead Senior Care, a non-medical care provider for seniors, who live in their homes. God is just letting me care for people of all ages.

I am going to try and post daily, so that I can keep people informed of what is going on in my life, wedding plans and all of that.

Philippians 1:20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage, so that now, as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.