4th of July and Adoption Updates

Well I have a post hanging out there about my trip to The Gospel Coalition but there's a lot of thinking required in that post. When it's been more than 100 degrees each day for two weeks, thinking is in short supply. I mostly do things that require little brain power and little more action than lying on the couch. At least I am honest.

Fourth of July was fantastic. We spent it at my parents' house. I realized it was the first time off and my first trip to their house since Christmas. I call their house our refuge and I totally mean it. My parents moved a week before my wedding five years ago.  What this means is that their home is not my home. So, going to visit them isn't exactly like going home. In reality, it's kind of better. I don't have a ton of people to catch up with. In fact, I only know a handful of people. I don't need to go a ton of places. Please. They live in a town of a handful of thousand people. There are not a ton of places in the option menu. A Wal Mart. A grocery store. A McDonalds. I visited one out of three.

All of this to say, when I go visit my parents, I mostly just relax in their home, enjoy their HGTV (we don't have that channel at our house and my mom and I share a love of it), spend tons of quality time with the people who raised me, and get in some good exercise. My parents are both exercise gurus so it's rare that we go to their house and don't get some sort of physical activity. This time there was an exercise class and a 5k. Let me tell you a little story about the exercise class.

So my mom is a little bit of a hometown hero. At fifty something years old, the woman runs every morning with a  group from her hometown that she and my dad founded. Then, several nights a week, she also does some sort of cardio class. She was even written up this week in her town's fitness center newsletter for her inspiring story. She likes to take me to classes with her when I visit. Her friend Susie is the perfect instructor: one part Barbie, one part demon, all parts physically fit.  Susie was teaching on Tuesday and Mom had promised we'd be there. I hadn't been feeling the best but I'd run four miles the day before so I figured I was out of the woods.  Eh. I figured wrong.

The class was circuit training and let me say for the record it takes a whole different kind of fitness to do strength circuits than it does to jog a few miles. I get there, grab my weights, plyo-ball, and mat, and start the class.  We start with lunges and I for sure know I can feel it. But I am the youngest one in the class, I am the visitor, and I am a little stubborn, so I keep going full speed ahead. Here's the thing about me: most people will stop when they feel that natural "I don't feel good and my body is telling me to stop" feeling. Not me.  I am a competitor at heart and those of you who share that trait know it makes everything a competition. I start to feel shaky. I start to feel dizzy. I keep lunging. At the start of our third circuit, I realize I may need to just march it out and try to gain composure. As I do that, I realize, it's too late. I run out the door, outside to the 104 degree heat, and proceed to dry heave for about four minutes. I come back in and try to rejoin. I can't feel my hands and feet.

Yes, I am that girl. The girl who can't finish the aerobics class.

And so my mom the rockstar grabs her things and takes me home.  The questions immediately began asking if I was exercising for two.

Because everyone knows that near passing out during exercise is the first sign you're pregnant.

I am not pregnant.

I. am. not. pregnant.

But it seems like you can't do anything at 28 years old without someone asking.  Especially if you turn green in an aerobics class.

I went home, took a shower, and felt the best I've felt in days. Seriously.  But it did mean I walked the 5k the next day. I wasn't about to risk turning green two days in a row in a small town that talks.

For the record, I am back to my normal self and even ran 4 miles today.  But I do have a bone to pick with Susie--my legs are still on fire from all those lunges.

In the adoption world, I realized I hadn't given a report lately.  Let me say this--it's so very slow in our side of the world. But in a small victory, there were 15 referrals (referral is a child-family match) in the month of June. In one week alone we had eleven. ELEVEN!!!! Usually it's a victory if we have one in a week. Heck, the average has been one to three infant or toddler referrals in a month. So the numbers were staggering!! Amazing!! And we so praise God for his answering our prayer for referrals.

The next question is always, "Oh my goodness! What number are you now? Are you close!?!?" And the answer is.

No.

We are not close.

We are not even close to close. We are, as of today, unofficially number 56 and 17 (infant and toddler lists). You may look at 17 and think that seems close but the reality is the toddler referrals are few and far between.  So we still think 3-5 years is accurate. But we also know we serve a God who is amazing. And he provided us with 15 referrals in June so anything is possible!!

Alright, well, I'm off for now.  I've got things to do. But not lunges. I am sworn of of those babies for a while.

Did I just say babies?

UGH.

The Week After

After a weekend like last weekend, this week was fairly uneventful. I make it a habit to take a week (or sometimes a month) off from training after a race. It allows me mental and physical recovery. And more sleep.  Which I never argue about.  Anyway. we sort of committed on race day that we'd do a full marathon this spring. We'd been kicking it around for months and the high of a personal victory on race day caused me to temporarily lose my sanity and officially agree to running 26.2 miles this April. Because I hate my life, I guess.  E is a great motivator but sometimes he gets a little overzealous. On the ride home all he wanted to talk about was our running plan for the week. In reality, the only running plan I had for this week was running to the grocery store to restock our fridge. With anything I wanted. So I placated him by letting him talk, having no intentions of actually running at all this week.

I did set my alarm on Monday. I even laid out clothes. But I whined and in the end I won. We slept in the extra hour. By Tuesday, I told him my evil plan: we weren't going to run this week. We were going to take a week off. He protested. He tried to motivate, encourage, complain. But I won. He didn't even attempt persuasion by Thursday.

He does have a calm persistence about him, though, which is one of the reasons I married him. That sounds bad. He only had to ask once, ladies, and three months later, we were husband and wife. So the quality is why I married him--not because he literally was persistent. Anywho, he convinced me today we'd go on a run. In his head, it was a 10 mile run. In my head, it was 7. His head won. Which explains why two hours later I was crouched over at Hobby Lobby begging the cashier to just hand me my receipt so my BFF and I could go get water and make my life seem worth living again. OK, that's a little dramatic. The run itself was not so bad. Good, in fact. It was the whole, "oh I will just jump in the shower and run to get some Christmas gifts without thinking about drinking any water" thing that really got me. But I have an understanding friend who did manage to get me water and didn't complain at all when I was all crouching Jess, hidden stomachache at Hobby Lobby. It worked out. I got two frames for grandparent presents at half off.

If you are wondering if I am seriously going to talk about running for this entire post and if you should just skip it because no one cares, I am officially done. Read on, Sister. The rest of the week's events could be summarized quickly: I worked a lot, some people hit my car (see two posts ago) during the first snow, and we did some fun things. Because I am all about words, I will spell out those fun things.

Wednesday night was Family Christmas Celebration night at our church. E and I have volunteered with it for the past three years and it is just a hoot. Our children's ministry staff is so very creative and knows exactly how to tap into the hearts and minds of kids. I can't wait until our little ones can attend these events because they have the amazing capacity to draw kids in, make them feel whimsical and fun, and still drive home the true meaning of Christmas (or Easter, when it's an Easter event obviously). This year was spy themed. So, of course, we dressed in all black. Luckily, we were given the easiest, best job ever: we managed the dessert tables. This meant two awesome things: 1. we got to greet all the families and see the adorable children and their excitement 2. we got first dibs on all the food. Kind of kidding on the second one. But seriously, tons of great desserts there. The kids learned that Jesus came as a spy in enemy territory to save the enemy (that's us folks). Such a cool way to put it and I had more than one family tell me how much their kids loved it and how it may have been their favorite event ever. I'd say that's a win for sure.

Thursday we spent in our favorite Thursday night position: parked in front of the couch to watch Thursday night TV. I made a pretty delicious dinner (if I do say so myself. Am I allowed to even say that?) and then we just chilled til bedtime. Wow. So needed.

Which brings me to yesterday evening. I got off work just a tad bit early and E surprised me at the dry cleaner. That's an odd sentence but it is 100% true. From the dry cleaner, we went to Starbucks, had some coffee and bought my new favorite Christmas mug (which I plan to use all year) and checked movie times. And then we saw a movie I have been waiting to see for approximately a month.  I have been DYING to see it. I have asked every weekend. Take your guesses. Are you ready, people?

It was...

THE MUPPETS!

Seriously. I love me some Muppets. We carried in our favorite candies (rulebreakers--I know) and laughed our little heads off for the entire movie. It was adorable!! It was cheesy enough to know it was cheesy and it made fun of itself. Every character you can imagine made an appearance. Plus, there were tons of cameos. I laughed all the way through the credits (where they sang my FAVORITE) Muppet song. I am definitely going to have to buy it.

If you are wondering on the content, I would say it's fairly appropriate. There's some violence--punching to be specific--in a couple of scenes. They make reference at one point to a TV show called "Punch Teacher" and then show a kid punch a teacher. And there are some "fart shoes" which make farting noises in a couple of scenes. All in all though, I would say it's fairly child-appropriate. You might need to talk about why punching isn't a good choice.

So yes, if you had any question as to whether or not we were just big kids at heart, worry no longer. It was just the best date night ever! I would say I'm way past my word limit so I am going to rest up for E's work Christmas party. Enjoy your weekend. Go see the Muppets:).

Runnin Maniacs

Well, I didn't plan to have time to write this post until after work today. And then I got ready, headed to work, had to pull over on the side of the road due to snow and sliding. And got hit. Twice. By two different cars. So, I am at home, happily working on plenty of work things. And here's a little update about the weekend.

Last weekend was the event we had been training for for months: the St. Jude Memphis Half Marathon. While it was the third time for E, Dad, and I to run it (and the second time to raise money for the hospital) it was Mom's first go at it. Each year, it becomes a bigger deal for our family. This year we spent a little longer in Memphis than in years past. We also had more team members and raised more money than ever before. Here, our journey in pictures:

In the Suburban, taking the lovely journey toward Memphis. Yes, my mom is on Facebook. We also watched "Friends with Benefits." I do not recommend watching this, let alone with your parents. It's pretty vile for the first hour. You've been warned.

Once we got checked in, our first stop was the expo. We got our race numbers, turned in the last of our fundraising money, and did a little shopping. This photo is from the Heroes area (the fundraising runners). How can you see that sweet face and not want to raise money? Impossible, I say.

Some of the St. Jude staff from the expo. They were excited to be photographed. They were also super nice.

One of E's purchases. I can't really say no to shopping when it benefits the kids. Who am I kidding--I rarely say no to shopping:)

Doing a little pre-dinner running strategy discussion. Dad, E, and Ken are seriously strategizing (or something)

I did a little hydrating. With wine. Then I drank water for the rest of the night. Promise!

My ticket to the Heroes pasta party. The best, most inspiring, emotionally exhausting dinner I attend each year.

The Mizzou Maniacs in full force. We're only missing E. We managed to meet our team goal of $4,000. I also met my goal of $600. Woo hoo. All for the kids! The dinner included speeches from the president of the fundraising portion of St. Jude, Hal Higdon (one of racing's biggest coaching names), and a family whose son is currently in treatment at St. Jude. What an amazing night. This was promptly followed by sleep. Or it would have been. But it took hours to get sheets for our pull out. So, basically, sleep followed as promptly as we got our sheets. 

Up and at em early! Hubs shows off his excitement for the run. And his new shirt:).

Here I am at the start of the race. Perfect weather!! It started at about 45 degrees. I'm excited. And a little nervous.

I would love to show you pictures of me running. Unfortunately, I was busy running. You can check the website and put my name in if you really want to see me in action. Instead, here we are at the finish. We had our fastest race time ever: 1:52:00, beating last year's time by 8 1/2 minutes. Yes, E ran with me the whole time. He's awesome like that.

Mom and Dad finished together as well. Nice job, you two!! They finished faster than expected and were still madly in love at the end. I'd call it a win.

Naturally, the first thing you want to do when you finish a run is replenish and rehydrate. Two-in-one with a nice glass of Coors Light. But really, the metabolism is going so fast at that point, it's mostly just a big glass of carbs. 

I don't even like beer. But seriously, friends, the carbs. I tell you. The Carbs.  In total before we left the arena I had a banana, a piece of pizza, a cup of soup, a gogurt, beer, a chocolate milk, and a water. And then we went to eat lunch:).

I saw these two ladies and their tutus and had to take a picture. My challenge to my mom was to wear a similar costume next year. She promises to comply.

Once we got cleaned up, we headed to our favorite celebration spot: Rendezvous. If you have not been to BBQ at Rendezvous, you need to go. No really. Go now. And ask for Robert Jr.'s section. He's awesome. And he's Justin Timberlake's favorite so how could you go wrong? He promised me I was just as good as Justin Timberlake. I thanked him for his honesty.

Mom and I celebrated her first half marathon with a miniature bottle of champagne. Because there is no better place to drink champagne than a BBQ spot with checkered table cloth.

A half slab of ribs. Dry rub. So. Very. Tasty. MMmmmmmmm. I dream about them all year and get them every December!!

When we finished, we ran around and looked at the sights in Memphis. Like the Christmas tree at the Peabody Hotel. 

And the Peabody ducks. If you haven't heard about the Peabody ducks, you can read about them here.

Famous Beale Street. We run down it but don't have time to see much. So we took a closer look.

Here's the Hard Rock.

And some Hard Rockin' Men. Or Hard Running ones.

When it was all over, we took the first train back home. And by train I mean Suburban. It's such a hard weekend emotionally. I high fived lots of kids. And cried at the pictures of those we're fighting for. And those we're fighting in memory of, whose fight is over. I met amazing people and heard the stories of kids wise and brave beyond their years. I can't wait to do it again next year. Next year's personal goal: $750. All of it for an amazing organization.

Gratitude

A day of gratitude is:

waking up and running with 100 other people in a small town, with all proceeds going toward a family in need.

setting a personal best in the 5k and watching all my family finish the race too.

drinking a good cup of coffee while making a birthday cake for my grandpa from scratch and watching the parade.

watching my mother and two grandmothers master Thanksgiving dinner with ease and patience.

seeing four dogs merrily chomp on their Thanksgiving treats shaped like turkey legs and squirrels.

seeing my mom cut out Connie Britton's son's picture and place him on the fridge so we could have a reminder of the one who will soon(ish) be at our table.

enjoying a glass of wine in a beautiful goblet with a puppy by my side and great blog posts on my laptop.

weeping during a prayer of Thanksgiving, knowing that I am more blessed than I deserve to be and probably more blessed than I will ever understand.

eating so many delicious things that I don't have room on my plate for turkey and don't care.

snuggling in with the husband for an afternoon nap on a weekday.

listening to my grandparents tell stories of their elementary school days and knowing I am blessed to get the chance to hear these stories.

watching HGTV with my momma when I need a break from everything else.

falling asleep with a full belly and a full heart.

The Birthday Recap

I know you've all been waiting on pins and needles to read exactly what TV shows we watched for my big day.  Because, you know, everyone gets so excited for the big 2-8 celebration.  Well, you will be happy to know we changed our tune a little and we actually went out to dinner.  Seriously.  I know.  But it was a special day and E had a great day at work, too, so we enjoyed Thai food and happy hour beverages at our favorite Thai restaurant.  And then. AND THEN.  We got "The King's Speech" from Redbox. People, it was epic. Except for the fact that my administrative assistant told me the kids say epic means totally horrible. I tried to protest but he promises this is the new slang.  If this is true, it was not epic. It was the opposite of epic.

Speaking of work, I am in the middle of a big time in our office. That big said, my portion of the big time includes putting together multiple page, giant spreadsheets.  So really, the most exciting part of my big work project is deciding on my cutest shoes for the day (which no one else will see) and listening to Zero 7 on Pandora.  And yet, somehow, I am making great progress and truly like what I am doing.

In other news, Gabby went to the vet today. She is 28 pounds at 4 months old.  She is the cutest puppy I have ever owned.  And this is not a dis to Rigo--we adopted him at a year old.  Newest photo of Gabs...

Yes, she is a beaut. And she loves socks. And underpants. As evidenced by the pairs I keep finding her frolicking in the yard with.

And friends, I know this has nothing to do with anything and it's not the highest quality but I have to show you anyway.  How great is this photo!?

Have a great midweek! I'll be watching new TV shows and eating tuna casserole.  It's no King's Speech and Thai food but it will do.

Twenty-Eight

In a mere matter of hours, the clock will strike 12:01 and it will officially be September 19--the day of my birth.  What am I doing for my birthday? Well I firmly believe in the Dave Barry quote, "There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age 11." So yes, Hubs and I plan to have a lovely night at home watching whatever TV sounds good.  And my best friend and I will do dinner Tuesday, just to celebrate another year of our friendship.


The lovely thing about parents (or at least my parents) is that it doesn't matter how old you get, they still celebrate like you're five.  The difference is, when I was five, I asked for Barbies. No, I don't remember but if I were a guessing woman, I would say I asked for Barbies. I do remember my fifth birthday. I had just gotten my pink plastic frame glasses and was wearing them as I held up a full hand, proudly displaying all five fingers, to show I was officially one hand old.  I was so old.  Anyway, I am not five any more.  I am out of fingers. And toes.  And thus, my birthday request from my parents have gotten a little more practical.  I requested a new laundry separating tote. One with lift out baskets, four dividers, and caster wheels.  Kind of like this.

Well, actually, it's exactly like that. From Target.  I couldn't be happier. Or older.  But seriously, I can lift out my laundry, one load at a time. and I can WASH the baskets. It's amazing.

My parents didn't stop there, though. They knew my love of organization. So, when they came up for the football game yesterday, they also brought more organizational hoopla.  I am now the proud owner of plastic stackable recycling bins. They have a new home in my garage and make everything sharper and more sorted.  Seriously, for a girl who loves organization, nothing says "I'm 28!" more than a laundry sorter and recycling sorters.

Because they spoil me so, I also got some Pampered Chef display dishes. And some great earrings.  And a kick-tail tailgate (see what I did there!).  The joy of all of it really was seeing them and celebrating with the family I've loved and had from the very beginning.  I am blessed. Blessed beyond imagine. I am getting closer and closer to my blog title being obsolete.  And yet, I march on, each year better than the one before it.

So tomorrow, I will open my eyes (God-willing) and celebrate one more day in one more year of blessings, knowing that whatever happens, it's because God thinks it's best for me.

Thank you to Mom and Dad for a fabulous beginning, a foundation in Jesus Christ, and for loving and supporting me each and every moment to this day.

Thank you to my dear, dear husband for making me feel special, loved, and grounded each year we spend together.

And thank you to God for letting me have each day.

I'm off to watch the rest of the Emmys.

One Milestone Down

Well, in short, I graduated.  Stay tuned for the "in long" version.

Friday the 13 I graduated.  Yes, I have many posts about how significant that date is for my family.  Pretty cool. What was not cool was the length of my ceremony.  The family and I met at Ingredient, a sandwich/wrap/burger place close to campus. After a quick dinner, we headed to the Hearnes Center at 7pm.  FOUR HOURS LATER I left.  Here is a picture of me: (and please forgive the quality of these photos.  Iphones: they're convenient but there not professional quality).

Just kidding.  Look closer

Still kidding.  This is my mom's view.  Here's from my view

Yes, that's me.  You can tell now that one of those little blue hoods in the other pics was me.  Next to me is my friend Jonathan.  We started the program together and met on interview day a little more than two years ago.  We shared several classes, tons of comments, papers, beverages and conversations.  It is only fitting that we got to end our journey to our masters' degrees together.  Jonathan is a little crazier than me and decided to continue on, without stopping, to a PhD.  I wish him the best and promise to be there as the non-stressed, non-school person when he needs it.

The ceremony was for all masters, PhD, and EdD candidates, so it was a long one.  Children fell asleep, students stored snacks in their sleeves to make it through, and a few moms with cameras passed out due to exhaustion.  Just kidding.  Well, except about the kids.  A few highlights (and lowlights):

--they thanked all the moms.  The moms. At a grad ceremony where the average student age was probably 30 and a lot of people are married/ partnered.  I think that says a lot about our culture.
--They gave away 3 honorary degrees.  It was two too many.  And three too many speeches
--Each one of us on the floor was on facebook or twitter on our phones all night.  So much has changed since undergrad.
--I really did keep my cell phone (and lip gloss because I am, after all, a lady) in the long sleeve of my gown while I went on stage
--Several people cheered their loved ones on with cowbells and air horns.  Not to be outdone, my dad downloaded this beaut

Yes friends, that is a cowbell app.  How special.

In the end, I did graduate.  Here's me with the other masters in higher education students.

And my favorite photo, here's the man who put up with all the long nights, whining, and tears.

I crashed around 11 and woke up early for a great shin-dig on Saturday, hosted by my Mom (ok, maybe we should have all thanked them) and attended by friends and family.  What party is complete without a cake...

And here are some friends and fam at the party

 Yes, it was a joyous and wonderful weekend.  And it's back to reality.

If you're wanting to give me a graduation gift, don't forget you can still get a piece of our adoption puzzle by clicking on the ChipIn link.

Thanks to everyone who has loved on me and supported me in the past two years.

Here's to graduation!

Graduation

Be prepared that this post is long...

In a little over two months, I will graduate from my masters program.  It's weird to me.  It feels like it happened very slow and very fast all at the same time.  I know my blog has been somewhat lonely since I started the program, but it seems like I just wrote the post about starting classes.

Yesterday, I received an email congratulating me on meeting the requirements for graduation. Today, I received an email reminding me of the grad fair where I can order my cap, gown, and (this time around) hood.   Much like in my undergraduate years, these emails flooded me with relief and a little stress:  this is really happening! 

God has a funny way of helping me grow and reminding me of where I've been all at the same time.  The email I received about graduation also contained the dates, times, and locations for the graduation ceremonies. In an institution of our size, we have numerous ceremonies.  My ceremony is Friday, May 13 at 8:00 p.m. in the Hearnes Center.

Let me break it down to you as to why this exact date and time is so very symbolic to me.

First, for those who don't know, the 13th is a big thing for the hubs and me.  Specifically, Friday the 13th is even more special.  You see, Hubs proposed to me on Friday, April 13, 2007.  On Friday, July 13, 2007 we were married.  We started our jobs in our current city on August 13.  Our new home has the number 13 in the address (which we did not know until we closed).  We celebrate every Friday the 13th.  It is our special day.  More important than our anniversary, it allows us to remember the little things and celebrate the Lord's hand in our life and our love for each other.  Now, my grad school graduation will be added to the list of important family activities that landed on Friday the 13th.

Lest you think it ends there, something heavy hit me about the announcement of my ceremony.  You see, going to the same institution for undergrad and grad school does some funny things to a person.  Or I should say, does some funny things to me.  I had known the date and time of my ceremony for a few months but the location was news to me.  The Hearnes Center.  Not a big deal.  It's the largest place to hold a graduation ceremony.  What's weird to me is that almost exactly five years ago, I stood on the floor of the Hearnes Center to receive my Bachelors in Arts.  The same floor.  And yet, on May 13, 2011, I will be in a completely different place.

I left undergrad feeling alone.  Uncertain.  Unhappy.  Unwanted.  And unprepared.  This had nothing to do with anyone but me.  My family was all there--smiling, taking pictures.  My future employers--the family who would help me find my place in the world while I watched their daughter--were there.  I had plans--a job even.  Yet, as I stood there on that rainy, chilly, day, all I could feel was alone.  I was so far away from my God I could have had the world but it wouldn't have mattered.  I didn't have it together.  But most importantly, I had no idea why I didn't have it together.  I knew I was a mess.  But I wasn't ready to fall back into the arms of the God who loved me and the family who supported me.  So I stood on that day wanting to be anywhere but in my cap and gown.  Wanting to run back to the certainty of college--the ability to pretend that the real world didn't exist.

My God held tight to me.  He held me and taught me even when I didn't think I wanted him to.  And though I didn't know it, he was teaching the same lessons to a tall, dark, and hansom young man I would meet four months later and marry just more than a year past my graduation.

Friday May 13, I will stand in front of the loving family I had there the first time.  I will stand with a husband who sacrificed alongside me for two years to make this day happen.  And most importantly, I will stand there clinging to the promises of my Father in Heaven that he will never leave me nor forsake me.  That I can love him even when I don't understand.  And that he will love me.  I can stand in confidence.  Not in my job.  Not in my abilities or knowledge that I learned.  And definitely not in my ability to make plans and be certain they will turn out as I wish.  But I can stand confident that no matter what happens, I am not in control.  After five years, I have learned the best control of all is no control at all.

And I look forward to standing in the same spot and being in a different place.

2 Corinthians 7:15-17 (English Standard Version) (from biblegateway.com)

15And his affection for you is even greater, as he remembers(A) the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. 16I rejoice, because I have perfect(B) confidence in you.




Here's to growth.

Christmas Miracles

1 Cor 16:4 "Do everything in love."


1 Cor 13: 13 "So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."


Each of us has those holiday traditions that are incredibly important to us personally.  In general, everything about Christmas makes me happy.  I love my special nativity my parents got us when we got married, complete with specially-made box for safekeeping.  I'm a big fan of our tree, matching and full of bold colors.  And I truly enjoy my special Christmas hand towels.  But nothing says Christmas to me like outdoor lights.  Ever since I was a child, I enjoyed the day that my dad would take his life into his own hands, climb up on some (usually icy) ladder and hang off our roof attempting to arrange the perfect light combo.  When I got old enough to not request multi colored lights layered with green and orange (my favorite colors) I actually got to give input on how I thought the lights should be.  


One year in particular, life was busy at our home and my parents had decided that maybe we would just do indoor lights.  I was about 13 or so this particular year.  My mom mentioned at the breakfast bar one morning that we weren't going to do lights this year, and I think my face immediately turned to something resembling a child whose Christmas was taken by the Grinch. The next day, my dad was up on the ladder with dozens of light strands all around him.  When I asked, he said he couldn't bear to see me all sad and if lights meant that much to me, they meant that much to him, too. Never have we had a Christmas without outdoor lights.  Even though  I don't live in their home any more, they still have lights up every year and it's been referenced that this is partially because of my love for them.


Flash forward to this Christmas.  This is the first Christmas in our new home and I was so excited to put up Christmas decorations that I couldn't even wait until after Thanksgiving.  A week before turkey, my house had 4 trees, 6 hand towels, 4 stockings (for my brother and Rigo, of course), 2 wreaths, and one nativity.  I was so excited to put up lights!!  The "star" on the tree of Christmas--our outdoor lights.  I prepped them and laid them out. Unfortunately, Hubs and I got a little busy with work. About the time life slowed down and we had a free weekend, we got 2 1/2 inches of snow and everything in our little yard was covered in ice.  I resigned to the fact that we would just have to waits for lights til next year.  I said this to my mom, who was supportive and assured me that they would look beautiful next year and sometimes life just gets in the way of the things we want.


As I was putting the finishing touches on my final paper yesterday morning at 9 a.m., there was a knock at my door.  I wasn't expecting anyone and I was a little taken aback by the knock.  I opened the door to see my darling dad standing there.  He smiled and said "I'm here to put up your Christmas lights.  Your mom said you weren't going to put any up this year, so I bought some especially for you."  Anyone who knows me can tell you I am a little sentimental and I cry at, say, a good All-State commercial.  Of course I melted like a baby.  I was overwhelmed by my dad's kindness and expressed love.  My brother showed up a few minutes later, and as I finished the paper, they finished my lights.  Now, the back story is that my dad had to wake up at 5:30 a.m. in order to get there in time.  My mom says this wasn't an issue, because he couldn't sleep he was so excited.  Friends, that is true love.  He was gone in a flash--didn't even stay for lunch.  But as I pulled out of my driveway on the way to a Christmas party, my face lit up at they sight of our lights.  I am sure that's all he wanted.


I feel honored to have a dad who loves the Lord and loves me too.  And the awesome thing is, both of my parents are such servants that they show these kindnesses to people in their small town on a daily basis.  I know when the Lord said the greatest was love, He was speaking of the big things, like his son sacrificing his life.  I also think he was talking about the small things, like taking a few hours off to string Christmas lights on your daughter's house, simply to see her smile.  Or cry.

It's a bad photo but enjoy the sentiment.

Here's to Christmas miracles and awesome families. 

A Time To Mourn...

So I come from a family where pets are treated like people. If you can't tell from my photos, I have a beautiful yorkie who is spoiled rotten with treats, toys, and clothes. He is one of three, however, as my brother and parents each have a yorkie of their own. Last night, Truman the yorkie left this world. He was just over a year old and ran into the street. We are all just traumatically sad over it. With my parents being empty nester these days, Truman was like their new addition. He had his own room, toys, food, and he even got to lick my parents' plates when they finished with dinner. All the kids at church choir knew him, and people at church even bought clothes just for Truman. When we got the call last night, the sadness that entered the room was almost physical. Little Truman will never be replaced. He was an energy and a joy, even if he was "just a dog." We will miss him. Pray for healing for my parents specifically. He was definitely their little man.

Happy New Year!

I don't normally believe in New Year's Resolutions. This year, however, I have made a commitment as close to a New Year's Resolution as I have ever done. A friend and mentor of mine challenged me to read the entire Bible this year. Not in a cover-to-cover format (the Bible isn't really set up to do that way), but instead in a format set out by a guide she sent out. This is a fairly daunting task for me, but I am also pretty excited. I will keep you all posted as to how it is going, and hopefully, just like my lenten commitment, this will keep me somewhat accountable. So... wish me luck. Today I have Matt 1:1-17, Acts 1:1-11, Psalm 1, and Genesis 1-2. Pray for me if you wish. I am hopeful that this will be a life-changing challenge for me.

So moving backwards, New Years last night was great. I would post pictures but we didn't take any. Pete, Eric, and I had a great dinner of crab legs and twice baked potatoes at home. We then watched TV and played video games all night. I barely noticed it was midnight until Eric checked his watch and freaked out. It was just perfect.

Moving backward even further, our Christmas was lovely. We made it to services right after they had started. Luckily, my mother had a welcoming committee waiting for me--no joke. No fewer than three people said they heard I was coming late and that my mother had given them directions on where I was to sit. Hysterical! The situation is so funny because I don't really know any of these people, but since it is my parents' church, everyone knows me. It's entertaining. After services we all headed home and opened presents. Eric and I got some great housewears and some other fun stuff. Part of our Christmas from our parents also included our trip to the Alamo Bowl.

We left for the Alamo Bowl Sunday directly after church. Eric, Mark, and I met Mom, Dad, and Pete in Springfield. We made the 14 hour trip in one day. Dad drove the whole way, and we were asleep in our hotel by 2:30 AM. We were up and out on the River Walk fairly early, and spent the whole day enjoying the sights. We met up with my aunt and uncle and headed to the game. Our hotel was close enough that we were able to walk, which worked out well.

The main event, the game, couldn't have been more stressful! Winning in overtime definitely made for a poetic ending, but I was so nervous I was about to throw up. Luckily, we did win. Walking back from the stadium, we were right next to Marching Mizzou. They played "Hey Baby" and all the fans sang as we walked. That will be a favorite football memory for years to come. We celebrated with margaritas and then were asleep and back in Missouri by 10PM the next day. It was a fast trip, but I wouldn't have missed it for anything!

Here's to New Years, Bowl Games, and great times with family!

The Night Before The Night Before Christmas

So I got to see my little bro in the Nutcracker this weekend. He was awesome! It's so amazing how talented that kid truly is! I tried to take pictures, but it didn't work out so well for me. I'll try to have my camera figured out by the next performance. Here is one of him just being his cute little self:

The 23rd of December is kind of a funny day. The anticipation is there, but Christmas still kind of seems far away.

I had the day off today so I got to do some of those final things before Christmas. I wrapped a gift, baked some bread, and finished some shopping. Tonight, I hope to read the Christmas story. It kind of helps me center the season on what's important.

Christmas is just one of those things that immediately transports me to my youth. Right now, I am watching "Babes in Toyland" with Drew Barrymore and Keanu Reaves. It's one of those movies we almost ruined on VHS because we watched so many times. (Remember how VHS's could be ruined with use?) We also had the same predicament with the Care Bear's version of the Nutcracker. Same goes for Mickey's Christmas Carol. We were big Christmas movie-watching kids. Although we aren't going to watch any of those movies when I get home, I am still looking forward to spending some time with my siblings and family for Christmas.

I am working tomorrow so I will get to Christmas Eve services a little late, but I know that I will get there in time for my favorite part. For as long as my dad has been a pastor, the very last part of Christmas Eve services has remained the same. It's so special to me. We pass out the flimsy candles and sing, in candle light, "Silent Night."

Silent Night

Holy Night

All is calm

All is Bright

Round Yon Virgin,

Mother and Child

Holy Infant,

So tender and Mild

Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Silent night,
holy night,
Son of God,

Love's pure light.

Radiant beams from Thy holy face,

With the dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus, Lord at Thy birth

Jesus, Lord at Thy birth

I just love reflecting on the importance of that quiet, still, cave-dwelling (most likely anyway) moment. Even as a baby, Jesus was Lord. And his purpose, although not yet realized, was to save us with redeming grace. How powerful. Birth is always powerful. I can't even imagine at this point, how powerful it will be when I go through that process and meet my child. But for our savior, his birth was such a blessing for all of us. I don't remember every day. I don't even recognize hima quarter of the time that I should. But on this one day a year, we all get a day to remember the one who redeemed us. Who saved us. Who bought us even though we were worth nothing. Wow.

May this Christmas time be a time of remembrance, redemption, family, and tradition for all of us.

Here's to Christmas. And to Silent Nights. Merry Christmas and May 2009 be blessed!

Happy Birthday to My Little Brother

Happy Birthday to Marky Thomas. He is 21 today. From the day he was born, he was MY baby. And today, he is my grown up friend. I love you, Mark! Have a great birthday and I will see you on Friday!

Home again, Home again!

Oh man. It is a Monday morning, and, not only am I in my own city for once, but I have the day off and am staring across the table at my gorgeous groom. What an amazing treat for this holiday week. Wow! I love my job more than any person should, but, after a long fall on the road, it is nice to be home, sipping pumpkin lattes and worrying about Christmas cards instead of deadlines and index cards (I write all info about prospective students on index cards). Anyway, it's just so lovely.

So before I post a few pics, a little about my current thoughts. We are reading a book in my small group called "Humility" by CJ Mahaney. If you haven't picked it up, I highly encourage it. It's a quick read, and easy enough. It is changing the way I think about my human condition. As a human, I am inherently flawed. That's easy enough for us all to remember, right? "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Rom 8:28. That's something I have been told for most of my life. But what Mahaney does is takes it a step further. Not only are we all flawed, but our flawed nature makes us focus on our pride. On us. We try to take the glory away from God and away from his power. I live for me. But as a Christian, I don't get to live for me. Jesus sacrificed himself so that I could live AT ALL. And as a gracious act of thanksgiving of that sacrifice, I am to self-sacrifice. Be HUMBLE. And how often does this play out in my life? About 1 percent of the time. That's probably an overstatement. As a human, even when I do good things, I don't always have good, humble motives. We all want to be recognized, to be noticed. But God tells us, throghout Mahaney's book, that he notices those whose lives are humble and motives are pure. So my heart has really been focused on that for the last day or so. I want to have clean hands and a pure heart. How do I get there? Daily resignation to my sinful nature. Daily recognition of my savior's great love and sacrifice for me. Daily submission to his word. Living it out. I am not there. And probably won't get there. But I need help. So, feel free to call me out. Question me. As a body of believers, we are called to lift each other up and support each other in our goal to be immitators of Christ. So, off I go on my journey. Really, if you have about an hour, read the book. And then if you are in CoMO and want some coffee, call me and we will discuss.

So this week is Thankgsiving! Finally! We are headed out tomorrow to my parents to enjoy the holiday. Family is such a huge part of my life, I am thrilled to have a great family that I enjoy so much! Hooray for family!

My pictures are taking too long to load. I will post next time.

Here's to family, faith, and thanksgiving!

On the Road Again

So it's been a while with the blog. I would say it's because I have been busy. And I have been busy. But the real truth is that I am just not always sure what to blog about. Here's a sampling of the activities in the last three weeks.

*Our lovely cousin moved into town to go to school. I have seen her several times, and she seems to be doing well. She promises to cook for the boys while I am on the road.

*We had a family reunion. The newest addition to the family, a ten month old, was there for her first reunion and it was soooo fun to watch her. Maybe "family reunion" is not an accurate title for the weekend. It maybe should have just been called "The Molly Show." Yeah, we all just watched her. And football.

*Speaking of football, MU is 2 for 2. And we are 2 for 2 watching. The IL game was stressful, the SEMO game, not so much. The funniest thing--our score both games was 52. Weird.

*I am finally on the road again! I am writing from a hotel room in my territory. After watching 5 episodes of Notes from the Underbelly, it occured to me that I am officially not busy and that I had time to write.

I am enjoying my first night on the road, even if it did include a Mexican dinner that did NOT automatically come with chips and salsa. Yeah, have you ever even heard of such a thing? Me neither. So I paid 5 bucks for my chips and salsa, making my total order 18 bucks without tip. NUTS I tell you! I barely got to eat any of it since I was so full from chips and salsa. UGH!

Other than that, I am enjoying the road. The boys had poker night tonight so I didn't miss much at home. I will be out two nights this week as opposed to my normal 5 so it's kind of a nice start. I know I will be ready to come home by Thursday.

Not a profound post but a post nonetheless.

Here's to fall!