My Not That Exciting but Perfectly Fine Life

Introducing My New Blog

2011-03-28T18:51:00.000-04:00

My life no longer reflects the title of this blog – some would argue it never did. I agree. So given this, the new adventure I’m on with God, as well as a desperate need for an updated blog look, mosey on over to my new blog when you get a chance and see what’s happening.

An Ode to The Turd

2010-06-21T18:51:00.001-04:00

I wasn’t very excited about you the day we met.

To me you were a means to get from point A to point B.

The fact that your interior color reminded me of fecal matter

Led to your unfortunate name

The Turd

Which I secreted from many

who wants a car called The Turd?

My lack of naming creativity was your dismay, I’m sure.

However, we’ve had quite the thrilling six-year stint

together you and me.

We’ve moved homes three times.

Once you had a garage

those were the days.

But mostly, you’ve been exposed to the elements 24/7.

Thanks for being such a good sport

and not getting rusty on me.

Then there was that fateful day

When I trusted the hand motion of another driver

and got us both in a bind:

My pocket book and your front and back bumpers.

You weathered that storm well too, and might I say, you sure do look good all new!

Sorry about that yellow paint on the driver’s side mirror.

I’ve always wondered why they put those yellow painted cement posts so close to the ATM.

Now I know…guess if it wasn’t for the yellow post, it would have been the ATM!

You were a great companion and friend

between my various destinations

Illinois, Bloomington, Florida, Pennsylvania,

but mostly work, home, and church.

It’s just too bad that I recently figured out the front seats can hold up to three people.

Shoot, we could have had a party of six going on as often as we wanted!

You weathered the random car seat carriers well between my nephews and friends.

And anyone who was graced by your presence seemed to appreciate the solid Turd that you are.

Oh, and I can’t forget our dead of winter trips

where I held your driver’s side door shut as tight as I could since it simply wouldn’t latch.

You were always faithful to warm up enough so the door could close

by the time we reached our destination.

I at least got a good upper arm workout especially while turning right.

Whew!

We have been through a lot together, haven’t we?

I would be amiss not to mention the wings you tried to spread.

I don’t blame you,

but do you really think loosening your door upholstery

would help you be free of me?

Or maybe you were just craving some tender loving care.

Well, you got it.

I lovingly fastened your fabric back to the door frames…where they are meant to be.

Alas, now it’s time to let go of you.

The day I paid off your debt, I started saving for a new car.

Yet that never stopped you from running smoothly and doing your job well.

Thank you for being such a faithful friend.

Soon, you’ll have a new loving owner who will hopefully have better naming abilities.

I cherish our six years together and am even brought to tears

thinking of how good you’ve been to me.

Farewell to my faithful friend, The Turd.

May you have plenty of opportunities to create happy memories with your new owner

And many more years of smooth running.

Birthday Fun and More Change...

2010-05-04T18:29:00.000-04:00

So I’ve pretty much abandoned blogging of late. It seems I go in seasons with this. There’s been a ton going on…so forgive me for my tardiness in posting. I don’t know how many people are really interested in my ramblings anyway…for all I know I could be the only one that reads it…and that’s because I write it. :)

So, let me catch you up to speed. I celebrated my birthday in April and it was the most beautiful birthday I can ever remember. It was 80 degrees! It was a breezy, sunshiny day. I couldn’t have asked for anything better, really. I felt so loved by you, my friends and family…lots of cards, phone calls, and texts. My co-workers had decorated my desk with daisies and I had a bouquet of daffodils welcoming me when I arrived at work.

After work I visited Foster Park…one of my favorites in Fort Wayne…and took quite a few pictures of the blooming flowers. I’ve never seen so many flowers in bloom on my birthday…yet another gift.

I had dinner at Flat Top Grill with my small group – what a fun bunch of girls. Plus, Flat Top Grill was late in bringing out my dinner, so they gave me a $10 certificate plus a free dessert. Dinner was already free that night since receive their emails and they sent me a coupon for a free dinner during my birthday month. Talk about amazing customer service. Michelle H. made me a birthday dessert…pound cake w/ strawberries…two desserts in one night = delightful.

I celebrated my birthday during Easter weekend with my family. It was amazing to be with them over a holiday and so close to my birthday. We went to Ivonhose one night and Gerson had the balloon man make me a tiara to celebrate. I was slightly embarrassed but like a good sport I wore the balloon get up for my thoughtful brother-in-law.

In other news, Christin decided she wanted to get in on the first-time buyer tax refund so she put an offer on a house and it was accepted! You know what that means…we’re moving! It’s about time since I’m on a 2-3 year rotation for moving. I don’t relish the idea of change and packing all my stuff up once again. However, I’m super excited to continue living with Christin and there are a lot of benefits to living in a house. Let’s see, there’s a garage, there’s a yard where I can garden, and there’s more space to list a few perks! Christin’s best friend from college, Sarah, is moving in with us since there are three bedrooms. So, it will be our own little bachelorette pad I suppose. I’m looking forward to getting to know our new neighbors. Closing is June 1st but we won’t be moving until sometime in July since we want to do some painting before we move all of our stuff in.

I’m also really excited about the new things God is doing in my heart and life. He’s been healing my heart and continues to do so. He’s also been teaching me, challenging me, and growing me. Life is full, and I’m so thankful for His guiding hand in everything.

I’m sure there’s much more I could write about…but this will have to do for now. I need to head to small group. So until next time, God bless you, friend!

The Potter Knows the Clay

2010-03-21T15:28:00.001-04:00

I’ve been reminded lately how quickly life as we know it can change. The most recent change in my life is that James and I are no longer dating. The pain and grief has been strong. But I serve a God who is stronger and bigger than this pain. For that, I’m thankful. He’s healed my heart before, and I trust He’ll do it again.

God has used many songs to comfort me and bring about healing in the past, and He continues to do so. This is one of many songs that speaks to where I’m at and gives me great comfort.

“The Potter Knows the Clay”
I know you’re going through the fire
It’s getting hard to stand the heat
But even harder is the wondering
Is God’s hand still on me
It’s lonely in the flame
When your counting days of pain.

But the Potter knows the clay
How much pressure it can take
How many times around the wheel
Til there’s submission to his will
He’s planned a beautiful design
But it’ll take some fire and time
It’s gonna be okay
Cause the Potter knows the clay

Friend, I just came through that fire
Not too very long ago
And looking back I can see why
And that my God was in control
But on the hottest day, I’d cry
Oh, Lord, Isn’t it about time

But the Potter knows the clay
How much pressure it can take
How many times around the wheel
Til there’s submission to His will
He’s planned a beautiful design
But it’ll take some fire and time
It’s gonna be okay
Cause the Potter knows the clay

I heard this song played on the radio yesterday and found it comforting.

"Healing Hand Of God"

I have seen the many faces,
I fear in the pain.
I have watched the tears fall plenty,
From heart ache and strength.
So if life's journey,
Has you weary and afraid.
There's rest in the shadow of his wings.
I have walked through the valleys,
The mountains and plains.
I have held the hand of freedom,
It washes all my stains.
If you feel the weight of many trials,
And burdens from this world.
There's freedom in the shelter of the Lord.

Chorus:
I have seen,
The healing hand of God,
Reaching out and mending broken hearts.
Taste and see the fullness of His peace,
And hold on to what's being held out.
The healing hand of God.

I have touched the scars upon His hands,
To see if they were real.
He has walked the road before me,
He knows just how I feel.
When you feel there is not anyone,
Who understands your pain,
Just remember all of Jesus' suffering.

(Chorus)

Cast all your cares on Him,
For He cares for you.
He's near to the broken and confused.
By His stripes,
Our spirit is renewed.
So enter in the joy prepared for you.

(Chorus)

The healing hand of God (x2)
And hold on to what's being held out (x2)
The healing hand of God
Oh Oh Oh Oh

As for this next song, it’s been a long standing song God has used to minister to my heart over the years. I have a strong sense of God’s presence whenever I’m listening to it and allowing the truth of who He is to poor over my soul. I drink it in, often I cry, and God meets me there in my brokenness. This is a song I go to often, and I’m never disappointed when I do because God draws me to Him through it, reminding me of who He is and of His rock solid faithfulness.

"I Am" – Jill Phillips

Oh gently lay your head
Upon my chest
And I will comfort you
Like a mother while you rest
The tide can change so fast,
But I will stay
The same through the past,
The same in future, same today

CHORUS:
I am constant; I am near
I am peace that shatters all your secret fears
I am holy; I am wise
I'm the only one who knows your heart's desires
Your heart's desires

Oh weary, tired and worn,
Let out your sighs
And drop that heavy load you hold
Cause Mine is light

I know you through and through;
There's no need to hide
I want to show you love
That is deep and high and wide

Oh gently lay your head
Upon my chest
And I will comfort you
Like a mother while you rest

God has been so faithful to me many times before, and He still is in this trying season. I know He doesn’t waste anything, and I pray He’s working this circumstance out for His glory and for the good of His children. May you also take comfort in His faithfulness, sovereignty, and great love in whatever fire of life you’re facing. Remember, the Potter knows the clay, so it’s gonna be okay.

Where in the World has Jamie Been?

2010-02-10T21:53:00.001-05:00

Good question. I had quite a go at blogging in November and then all the sudden there was silence. Let me splain. No there’s too much too splain. Let me sum up. (Yes, I spelled explain wrong on purpose. That’s for all you Princess Bride Fans.)
Christmas was in Illinois this year at the new/old homestead. Old because it’s been in the family for years. It was my Grandparents house and where my Dad grew up. New because it’s where my parents are moving to. In fact, my Dad arrived there this week with all their earthly goods. He’s now surrounded with stacks of boxes and misplaced furniture. My Mom is still in Florida as today was her last day on the job. The house closes next Tuesday. We’re so thankful they were able to sell it. I’m really looking forward to having my parents closer and being able to visit them on the farm. I can’t wait for all the fresh garden goodness that will be forth coming this summer!

I totally got off topic there. Christmas was great although we missed Gerson, Betsy and Jayden as they spent the holidays in Bolivia. The rest of us enjoyed the short amount of time we had together. Peter was there with us, and we recently had a sibling gathering in Gas City to say farewell to Pete. He’s headed to Iraq next month and could be gone up to a year. Please keep him in your prayers.

I spent New Year’s with my best friend Claire, which as you know we always have a great time when we're together.

Among all of this, work has been keeping me quite busy these days with our annual fund raiser and other added responsibilities for this season.

So there you have it – Christmas, New Years, sibling gathering, and work responsibilities have been keeping me occupied these days. Tonight I’m home trying to recover from a sinus infection. So, I thought I’d get a fire going in the fire place, sip on some tea, and settle in to catch y’all up. I have no idea how regularly I’ll be posting as this season proves to be very full. I continue to meet with my small group on a weekly basis as well as Melanie. We’re about half way through the CTO material and continue to do life together. I’ll be sure to post again whenever I have blog worthy news and the time to write. Until then, stay warm and try to enjoy this winter. As for me, I’m yearning for spring but trying to appreciate the beauty of the snow. Every season has its purpose, I know. So may we join together in fully realizing the purpose of this season while readying ourselves to celebrate the beauty of spring once it finally arrives!

A Season of Thanksgiving: The Rest of My Siblings

2009-12-13T20:32:00.001-05:00

Our Thanksgiving holiday plans were changed at the last minute this year due to illnesses. We were all quite sad, but I was thankful for plan B. The original plan was for Betsy, Gerson, Jayden and me to spend Thanksgiving in Wisconsin with Andy, Elissa, the boys and Elissa’s parents at Elissa’s parent’s house. We dearly missed our Wisconsin family, but I’m thankful we’ll be able to see them over Christmas in Illinois. Plan B ended up being a small family gathering in Gas City with a last minute dinner thrown together. I must admit…for a last minute dinner, it turned out pretty good! I made Cornish hens for the first time with a recipe I found online. Gerson, Betsy, Jayden, and I enjoyed a low key weekend together and played three games of Settler’s of Catan… the Seafarers edition. We each won one game so we ended the weekend on happy terms.

I loved being able to have extended time to just be with Betsy and Gerson and talk about matters of the heart. They have so much wisdom and encouragement to share. I also really look up to them and their parenting . The way the love and care for Jayden is evidence of God’s love flowing in and through them. I’m savoring every minute I get to spend with them since the plan is for them to move to Texas this coming summer.

I also dearly miss having Andy and Elissa close by. I’m so thankful for their friendship and wisdom they have to share about life. Watching them parent is also quite encouraging to me. I see how much work it is…but admire their steady patience, loving discipline, and creative interactions with the boys. I tell you what; I’ve got plenty of people to go to for advice whenever my turn comes.

I’m so thankful for all of my family and consider myself rich in love because of them.

A Season of Thanksgiving: My Parents

2009-11-22T18:19:00.000-05:00

I’m so thankful for my parents...for their love, their wisdom, their prayers, their discipline, and their faith. They’ve seen me at my worst and at my best and have stuck with me through it all. I’ve found them to be full of wise council from their years of life experience. Their love for each other shows me it is possible for a couple to stay married and have a wonderful life together in our society. Both of them have called me on numerous occasions to share a scripture verse with me…one that is particularly meaningful for whatever situation I’m facing in life. I’ve not ever doubted God’s love for me and I think that is in large part because of my parents overwhelming demonstration of God’s love to me through their own loving actions and words. I appreciate that they know what to say, how much to say, and when to stop and let God do the rest of the work. I’m so thankful they desire to be a part of my life and yet have given me the freedom to spread my wings and fly. I’m thankful for the sacrifices they’ve made for me over the years. How do I express my gratitude? Saying thanks just doesn’t seem to be enough. Mom and Dad, I love you with all my heart and am grateful beyond words for both of you.

A Season of Thanksgiving: Claire

2009-11-15T21:58:00.000-05:00

Whenever I spend time with my best friend, Claire, it’s like taking breath of fresh air. This weekend I visited her in Bloomington and celebrated her birthday over a delicious slow paced Mediterranean dinner. It was absolutely perfect. What a special friendship God has given us. We met in first grade and have been friends ever since. And our friendship just keeps getting deeper and better as time goes by. How do I sum up 21 years of our friendship? It’s rich. It’s an iron sharpens iron kind of relationship. It’s filled with laughter. It’s filled with fervent prayer for each other. It’s seen seasons of tears, and we’ve come out better for those seasons because of each other. It’s silly. It’s fun. It’s amazing. And I’m so thankful for Claire and her friendship. Love you, Claire!

A Season of Thanksgiving: Peter and Jayden

2009-11-11T21:55:00.000-05:00

I just got off the phone with my brother, Peter, wishing him a happy Veterans Day. What a great man he is. I’m so thankful for him and his character. He's a man of integrity and that is a beautiful thing. I appreciate the sacrifices he makes as he serves our country. He just recently moved to Texas to go full time in the Army and will be deploying to Iraq sometime after the first of the year. He’s already spent one year in Afghanistan, so this whole deployment thing isn’t entirely new for him. I’m so thankful for God’s protection over him in that year and am praying for God’s continued protection as he goes on this new assignment. I’m thankful for all the veterans who have selflessly served our country over the years. We have so much freedom – but it has come a cost, and I don’t take that lightly nor for granted. Peter is also very generous and of course a great big brother when it comes to teasing his little sis. Andy and Pete are pros in that area. But I wouldn’t be near as feisty without them in my life, and I would be lacking in a lot of laughter. So, thanks Peter, for your integrity, your generosity, and yes, even your relentless teasing and tickling. Love ya, Bro!

Also, I would be amiss not to mention that today is also my nephew’s 1st birthday! Jayden was born 9 weeks early a year ago today and there were several times we were uncertain if he would be able to pull through some complications he had while in the NICU. I’m praising God for his precious life and am so thankful for his health and the joy he brings to all of us. Seriously, his smile is to die for! I’m also praising God that my sister, Betsy, is still here with us. We had quite a scare with her health as she was carrying Jayden due to preeclampsia. But God worked miracle upon miracle…and I’m so thankful!

A Season of Thanksgiving: Angie

2009-11-09T21:13:00.000-05:00

Tonight I had dinner with my old roommate, Angie. And let me tell you, I’m so thankful for her! I can’t even begin to tell you how God has used her in my life. And to think we were perfect strangers when we moved in together. As often is the case, God certainly showed up and had a hand in that whole situation. Angie is one person who has taught me to be ok with the messiness of life…to embrace it and accept what is, is. She also has great insights and has spoken truth into my life many times. Tonight as I sat and listened to her tell a story of what God has been challenging her with and leading her to, I was refreshed by her obedience to God and God’s faithfulness in her obedience. We also have a similar sense of humor…and love to laugh together! God has used her to shape me into a better person. It’s the whole dynamic of relationships…even though sometimes they’re messy….it’s a beautiful thing. We need each other. Thanks, Ang, for your friendship and willingness to do life together. Love ya, girl!

A Season of Thanksgiving: Fall

2009-11-08T18:29:00.002-05:00

I’m so thankful for beautiful fall days! Yesterday and today we had unseasonably warm weather and I quite enjoyed soaking in the sunshine and warmth. I still wasn’t feeling back to 100% health wise so I didn’t get to be outside as much as I wanted. But I drank it in as much as I could. I'm also thankful for the vibrant changing colors of leaves in the fall. They are mostly gone now, but I sure did love them and appreciate them at their peak. I would have loved to get outside with my camera this year and capture the sites, but since I didn’t I’m sharing a picture from Brad Pontius. He’s my best friend’s (Claire) dad and practically my second dad. He’s also a great photographer. Funny both my Dad and Brad have that in common! Check out Brad's picassa album for more beautiful photos. He does great work!

A Season of Thanksgiving: Nephews - Spit Up, Diapers, The Whole Package

2009-11-07T09:40:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I had the pleasure of babysitting one of my nephews, Johnathan. He’s about 8 months old and quite the mover! We had a very eventful time together. He first surprised me with a very full diaper. This was the spilling over kind of diaper…not fun. I didn’t realize it until after I had done the diaper change…and then I saw it…all up the back of his shirt. Yuck! Now, remember, I don’t have much experience changing diapers on very active 8 month olds. So, in the process of me removing his clothes, John managed to spin around on the floor and the next thing I knew I had some of his “surprise gift” on my pants! Shortly thereafter he spit up and then sat in it. Thankfully, my friend, Melanie, showed up in the midst of all of this and we managed to get everything under control. It was at that moment I questioned my desire to be a mother some day. But then after having him fall asleep in my arms later in the day I realized how precious this moment with him was….and all the spit up, dirty diapers, and crying are worth special moments such as these. I love all my nephews dearly and am so thankful for each one. They have such a way of making you feel loved…simply for existing. There’s so much love in a child’s heart to give. I could learn a lot from their unassuming, non-judgmental, free for all love.

A Season of Thanksgiving: Jesus

2009-11-05T18:12:00.001-05:00

Words can’t express my gratitude for Jesus…the One who died for me, forgives my sins, accepts me where I’m at while beckoning me to just be in his presence and allow him to transform me. He has been so many things to me over the years: a pursuer of my heart, a comfort in rough seasons, a healer of so many aspects in my life, a protector even when I’m clueless (I’m sure I have no idea the extent of his protection, but I have a feeling it’s been a ton!), a disciplinarian in my wayward moments, a source of strength, a friend when I’m alone (and when I’m surrounded by people too), a provider in times of need, a guide when I’m at a loss of what to do next, a patient one in my sometimes slow obedience, a truth teller when I’m believing lies, and my source of hope when all seems at a loss. One of my favorite authors is Alicia Britt Chole. I just finished her devotional, “Intimate Conversations,” and she concludes it with one of her primary guiding principles in life. It captures my sentiments as well.

Life is not about the scenery.
Life is all about the Company.
God is with us.
And his presence is enough.

A Season of Thanksgiving: Tea

2009-11-04T20:42:00.000-05:00

This may sound like a trivial thing, but I’m so thankful for tea today. I’m on the brink of a full blown cold and am sipping on some peppermint tea as I write this. It’s so soothing to my throat and gives me that warm fuzzy feeling that makes me just want to crawl under a blanket and fall asleep. In fact, I think I’ll be doing that very soon. I do enjoy a variety of teas including black, white, green, and herbal even when I’m feeling well. Maybe herbal isn’t a category of its own? I don’t know. Everything seems a little foggy to me right now. I just googled it…and yes it’s considered a category of its own. At least it is on Celestial Seasonings website. Anyway, to quote my best friend, Claire, “Tea makes everything better.” I concur.

A Season of Thanksgiving: My Community

2009-11-03T21:57:00.004-05:00

Tonight was small group night…and let me just tell you, I love these girls! They are terrific, and I’m so thankful for each one of them. I've discovered that real change happens best in the context of relationships which has made building community a passion of mine. For me, the important components of community are an environment of trust, support, and encouragement, the freedom to challenge each other, and the knowledge that no matter what, each one is loved and accepted. It's taken a long time for our small group to develop this kind of community but over time and with perseverance, we’ve been blessed to have all these things and much more. Each woman brings such a unique and wonderful contribution. I miss these girls when I don’t get my weekly dose of them. The above picture was taken during a retreat we took together last spring. Can’t wait for our next retreat! Thanks Amy J., Michelle Z., Christin, Michelle H., and Amy S. for doing life with me. It’s an honor and a privilege to be a part of each of your lives!

A Season of Thanksgiving: Christin

2009-11-02T21:58:00.001-05:00

I’m so thankful for my roommate, Christin. I must say, I’ve been blessed with a number of great roommates over the years. I’m thankful for each one of them and their contribution to shaping me as a person. Christin has been my roommate for 2 ½ years now and has proven to be a delight to live with. She never fails to give me a good laugh nor does she fail to give me a good scare (literally – she jumps out from behind walls and says “boo” or something of the like)….on a daily basis! Her laughter is infectious, her spunk is inspiring, her generosity is all encompassing, and her listening ears and words of encouragement are quite refreshing. She’s simply full of life and a joy to be around. Her effect on me leaves me a better well rounded person. So, I would be amiss to not thank God for her. Thanks, Christin, for your friendship and love for life.

A Season of Thanksgiving: Intro & The Five Senses

2009-11-01T19:05:00.001-05:00

November has arrived and has peaked my appreciation meter. I’ve found that counting my blessings brings healing. It also brings a better perspective on life and points my thoughts toward those things that are good, lovely and worthy of thinking of. In light of that, I will be posting several blog entries about random things I’m grateful for during the month of November. It won’t be an all encompassing list as I think it would be impossible to mention every single blessing in my life. Instead, it will be those blessings that are at the forefront of my mind for whatever reason. I hope you’ll take some time this month to count your blessings as well. Let's get started!

The Five Senses

I’m so thankful to have the ability to experience all five senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling. Have you ever stopped to think about those things? They make life so much more enjoyable. I’m thankful I can see brilliant sunrises and sunsets. I’m thankful I can hear my loved ones voices and a variety of music. I’m thankful I can smell homemade bread baking, scented candles burning, and fresh flowers in bloom. I’m thankful I can taste the downright goodness of anything sweet . Yes, I’m guilty of having a sweet tooth. I also love the taste of different spices mingled together to create a flavorful dish that ends up bursting in my mouth. I’m thankful I can feel the softness of baby’s skin and a hug from someone I love. These senses are all gifts…ones I don’t want to take for granted. In fact, I think I’ll go enjoy the tastiness of some homemade pizza right now and thank God for the ability to experience its flavor with every bite!

A Comedy of Errors

2009-10-23T22:54:00.000-04:00

Today was an eventful day to say the least. Little did I know all that would transpire when I rolled out of bed this morning. I should have guessed a crazy day awaited me when I woke up in the middle of the night with my glasses on my face. I remember distinctly placing them on the books on my night stand prior to going to sleep. And as far as I know, I didn’t get out of my bed prior to waking up. So at some point while I was sleeping, I reached over, picked them up, and placed them on my face. As if I can read in my sleep! This morning I woke up and my glasses were laying on my nightstand, not on my books…proof that I didn’t dream it up.

This morning was going pretty smoothly until I opened the door and saw a river running down our neighborhood sidewalks. It was pouring buckets of rain. So, I dashed out to the car splishing and splashing through all the water which resulted in a wet and chilled girl. The drive to work was a bit tense as I tried to make the familiar path through the downpour and huge puddles. I was relieved to arrive in the parking lot at work only to knock over my coffee as I was gathering my things to take inside. I caught it quickly – but it still spilled.

I proceeded to get our guests settled for the morning show I produce and everything went smoothly until the show began and we couldn’t hear one of the guests speaking. I had given the engineer the incorrect microphone number. By now, I’m sure you’re figuring out…it was a very OFF day for me today. The rest of the show went well thankfully. It wasn’t until afterword that my next little hiccup occurred. I was cleaning up the studio, gathering more items than I probably should have, and ended up spilling one of the guests’s left over water down the front of me. As if I hadn’t gotten wet enough coming into work!

Oh but it gets better. I was sitting at my computer, doing business as usual when I heard it: the sound of death when it comes to computers. It was a loud, deep, buzzer sound that proceeded a warning message that of course I didn’t understand. So I called the IT guy in for assistance. He suggested I finish the task I was working on and then restart…a logical solution…most of the time. Today was different. I couldn’t finish what I was doing because the error message kept coming up. So I did the next best thing…I restarted my computer. Shortly thereafter I was staring at the blue screen of death. We tried to revive it, but alas, our efforts were useless. It was time to bury my beloved computer.

Since I was out of a computer at work, I decided to go home and work from my laptop. So, I got in my car, very frazzled mind you, and drove home. As I was getting settled into work at home, I realized I was missing my cell phone. This was a problem since I don’t have a home phone, and I had told my co-workers to call me if they needed anything. So, I started to frantically search for it thinking this is the last thing I need. I ran back out to my car thinking perhaps I’d left it in there. But no, it wasn’t there. When I came back inside I was greeted by an ugly black spider. I loathe spiders. Let’s just say it joined my work computer. After sweeping my eyes through my apartment and dumping the contents of my purse, I finally thought to look in my coat pocket. Sure enough, inside of it was my cell phone.

My first attempts, yes I made several, to log onto our internal work website were fruitless. I had to call our IT guy once again and ask him for help. I soon found out I needed to enter my entire email address, not just my user name. So, I did, and bingo I was logged in! Mind you, I don’t normally have this much difficulty with my computers. Remember, this was a very strange Amelia Bedelia kind of day for me.

When the work day finally came to a close I decided to make chili soup for dinner – a perfect choice for such a rainy day. That is until I was stirring the ingredients and they splashed into my eye. Thankfully it wasn’t painful…just felt weird for a while. By this time, I was laughing...a little bit.

Christin came home and made me go exercise with her to get all my pent up bad day energy out of me. It really did feel good to work out. Upon our return I entered the kitchen and screamed at what I thought was a jumping bug, gaining Christin’s attention quickly of course. I soon realized I was screaming at a fluttering leaf. This time I collapsed on the floor in laughter. A great way to end the day, don’t you think?

English poet, Lord Byron, once said, “Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.” I agree with him. Hope you’ve had your fill of laughs….it’d be a shame for such a comedy of errors not to produce several belly full’s of laughter!

I’d like to say I was laughing throughout the entire day – but I can’t say that I was that grace filled. At one point when I was simply exasperated, I opened my Bible to Psalm 34 and this is what I read.

“I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are discouraged take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.”

This scripture was enough to focus my perspective on what really matters, so I started thanking God for those things. Next time, I think I’ll turn to scripture a little earlier in the day. Good idea, don’t you think?

Fireside Chat

2009-10-11T20:35:00.002-04:00

It’s currently 64 degrees in my apartment…Christin and I are trying to last as long as possible without turning the heat on. Why? Cause we’re goofy like that. Today is the first day I’m considering giving in. I decided it’s a perfect day for a fire in our fireplace…so I built the first one of this fall. I love sitting by the fire. There’s just something about it that makes my heart smile…don’t know why. Add a cup of tea and a few burning candles…and I’m a happy girl. Wish you were here face to face with me to enjoy it. But since you're not, I'll fill you in via the blogosphere.

Family Time

It’s been a full summer and fall for me. I traveled to PA with my Mom for our family reunion back in July. It was great to see everyone…although I didn’t feel like it was enough time to have a good heart to heart conversation with anyone. You know how when there’s one big mass gathering it’s hard to know where to start and it’s hard to go much deeper than small talk? Well, that was mostly my experience. I was glad to see everyone though and am enjoying keeping up with my cousins through facebook now. I did have a wonderful time traveling with my Mom though. We had several hours in the car for mommy/daughter time. I wouldn’t trade that for anything!

I’ve also had the pleasure of spending time with my sister and her family since they are currently living in Gas City. It’s been wonderful to have them so close by and to take a weekend jaunt every once in a while to visit with them. Jayden is doing really well…and will turn one on November 11! It’s so hard to believe just a little under a year ago he was fighting for his life. We praise God for the miracle’s He’s done in Jayden’s life. Last weekend I had a very special visit with them. Betsy and Gerson dedicated Jayden to the Lord. Now, they’ve done this many times throughout Jayden’s health problems. But this time they wanted to do it in front of their church – the people who prayed and supported them in very difficult and uncertain hours. My cousin, Dean, is the current pastor of their church so it was even more special that he got to officiate the dedication ceremony.

Rekindled Friendship

I’ve also been spending time reconnecting with an old college friend of mine, Melanie. We had lost touch of each other right after we graduated and then last spring she started going to my church. She was there a couple months before we ever ran into each other (it’s a large church). Actually, the way we reconnected was really fun. Our church has a video each Sunday featuring the journey’s of those who attend there. We were doing a series about community so that month there were various small groups featured on the “My Journey” videos. Our small group happened to be one of them. So, as soon as Melanie saw me in the video she nearly stood up in church and yelled my name…I’m not kidding…ask her…she’ll tell you the very same thing. But she didn’t for which I’m grateful. She did run up to a friend of mine whose in leadership at our church after the service and asked if she knew where she could find me. So she directed her to me and thus began our renewed friendship. The fun part is that Melanie did not know the Lord in college but has in the last year decided to commit her life to Him. Shortly after we reconnected she asked me to take her through CTO…I was honored and humbled to be asked. It’s been quite the journey. CTO (Called to Obedience) was a tool God used in my life to bring about major change in my heart, so I’m thrilled to be taking Melanie through it. What a challenge it’s been to go through the Bible study again and continue to fine tune my faith. It’s been a great reminder that while we can experience freedom in Christ here on earth, we will never reach the finished product this side of heaven. I’m asking God to help me be ok with that. Life is just messy. But it’s also good.

Recent Readings

I recently finished reading Red Moon Rising by Pete Greig and Dave Roberts. It’s the story of a 24/7 prayer movement that started back in 1999 in Chichester, U.K. by a man (Pete) who was given a vision by God of a faceless army of young people in every nation waiting for orders. It wasn’t until a little later that things started to come together and 24/7 prayer rooms were born all around the world as he obeyed Christ’s leading…all connected by their 24/7 Prayer website. There are many amazing stories in the book of how God worked supernaturally to unite these prayer warriors and continue to grow the awakening of our great need for God in this generation. Many of the prayer rooms were launched in marginalized places such as a building that served as a bar scene. They went to places where I imagine Jesus would go. He spent plenty of time with the marginalized in His time. There have been teens high on drugs that have come off the streets into these prayer rooms curious about God…begging to be witnessed to and then giving their lives over to Christ as a result. There was one prayer room that saw every single person who was on their list to pray for salvation become a Christian in the first week of the prayer room being opened. Young people camp out in these rooms in the wee hours of the night and pray their hearts out to a God who is answering their prayers. They are in essence, changing the course of history through their prayers.

I went and visited one of these prayer rooms a while back. It’s about 25 minutes away in Columbia City in the basement of a church. There’s something powerful about walking into a room where prayer has been the focus for hours on end. I was moved by the experience. I loved how the room was set up. There’s a wailing wall where post it notes are hanging, filled with prayer requests for loved ones. And then there’s a wall where answered prayers are listed. The room was divided into different areas where you can focus on praying for the leading officials of the community, for Jerusalem, for youth, for the sick, etc. But they also encourage you to pray however you feel led whether that be through writing poetry, drawing, listening to music, etc. They don’t box prayer into a neat little package of bowing your head, closing your eyes, and folding your hands. I appreciate that. There are so many ways to communicate with our Creator, and this movement is celebrating that and embracing it. God is honoring it and moving in ways I’m sure no one had ever imagined possible. Red Moon Rising was published in 2003, so I’m sure there’s many more amazing stories I’ve yet to hear or read about. It’s exciting to me to see my generation stepping up to the challenges of this world through prayer. And now I’m left with the question, how will I respond? God’s stirring something in my heart these days regarding prayer and communion with Him…but I’ve yet to get a clear vision of what that looks like. So I wait.

A Waiting Season

Speaking of waiting, I continue to wait on the Lord regarding my singleness. I must admit, life has been so much more peaceful since taking a break from E-Harmony. Some of you have said that you like to live vicariously through me and my dating life. I have no idea why! Dating is messy, sometimes painful, and usually hard work. Others of you have said, “I’d hate to return to my dating days”. I can resonate with that except that I’ve yet to leave my dating days. Well, it’s a growing experience at least…and fun at times. I am an advocate of growth. But I can’t say I love the process. Christin and I have gotten a good laugh out of the bouquets of flowers we’ve received from men we simply aren’t interested in. Mind you, these men have been giving us flowers on the first date…so we’ve not had a chance to say, “no, thank you.” So, I live in the tension of the here and not yet…trusting God with it all. I realize my singleness is a blessing in this season because I’m able to do many things I wouldn’t be able to do otherwise. So I embrace that and move forward taking advantage of those opportunities. I’m sure many of you are also living in your own season of the here and not yet. Life is full of waiting. And that’s ok. Whatever you’re waiting for now, I pray God’s grace will be enough for you in the middle of tension and uncertainty. May these scripture verses encourage you as much or more than they have me in my seasons of waiting and facing the unknown.

“The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” Isaiah 58:11

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

San Diego Adventures!

2009-09-06T23:02:00.000-04:00

Summer is nearly over and I have yet to share the details of my trip to San Diego with you. My vacation was back in July. Oh dear. I’m dropping the ball when it comes to this blogging. So I will digress and do my best to recall the adventures I and six of my friends had in California.

Perhaps you’re wondering why we chose San Diego. There really was only one criterion our destination location had to meet – and that was simply somewhere we could spend ample time on the beach in wonderful weather. San Diego met that criterion so we booked the flight. I was thrilled because I’ve always wanted to visit California. It didn’t disappoint me at all.

The weather was absolutely perfect – in the 70s or low 80s while we were there. I’m told it’s like that year round. I also noticed there were tons of young people. You’d think the place would be booming with retired folks considering the weather. But I didn’t see too many seasoned folks.

Allow me to introduce you to our traveling party. There’s Sarah, the girl with great taste in music and a knack for being the last girl out the door for dinner. And then there’s Erin, the girl you never have to guess what she’s thinking cause she’ll tell ya! She’s also a great driver – thanks to her for doing a ton of driving on the crazy California roads. Christin, my roommate, is often the life of the party and never too far away from a belly laugh. She’s also a bit frugal. When she heard about the $30 fee to check luggage, she decided she was going to manage to stuff all her luggage in two carry on bags. The rest of us thought it to be impossible – thus upping the anti to her challenge – and by golly she did it! Kat decided to get on the same band wagon but forgot to ask one of us to carry her toiletries. As a result she lost a whole can of hair spray, her sunscreen, lotion and of any other liquid item she had managed to cram in her bag. But being the smart girl she is – she managed to throw in her Garmin (handy little GPS that it is) and saved us a lot of headache while traveling roads unknown to us. And then there’s Leandra who has an innate adventurous spirit and is always travelling. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think she’d have a degree in it! Thus, she makes for a great travelling companion. And finally there’s Michelle – the girl who asks lots of great questions and is always ready to face whatever lies ahead with a compassionate spirit. And so there you have it our young, fun, and crazy group of girls. I had a blast with them. In the picture above from left to right is: Erin, Kat, Michelle, Me, Sarah, Christin, and Leandra.

My co-worker, Diane, had introduced me to one of her relatives who lives in San Diego, Stan, by email prior to our trip. So I had arranged for us to go kayaking at mission bay with him the night we arrived. They were running a special and it was only for that night. So even though it wasn’t the most ideal activity to do after a long day of flying, we wanted to take advantage of it. We hadn’t accounted for the rush hour traffic however, and thus arrived 10 minutes after the departure time. We were instructed by the person in the boating store to go out to the bay and see if we could find Stan. If so, then they would set us up and allow us to do the tour. If not, then we were out of luck. So, we wandered out to the bay onto a peer filled with parked boats yelling at the top of our lungs, “Stan!” “Stan!” “Stan, where are you?” Much to our chagrin, Stan was nowhere to be found. One of the girls spotted the kayaks off in the distance and we accepted the fact that we were not going to be able to participate in that adventure after all. We moseyed our way back up the pier wondering if any eyes were peeking out from the boats watching this strange parade of 7 girls. When we arrived at the gate we had entered we realized it was locked! We were locked in! It was unlocked when we arrived…why was it locked now? There was no way around it as the pier was over water and the gate was topped with barbed wire. So we waited, wondering what to do. Finally, a man pulled up in a truck, parked it, and walked over to us. He unlocked the gate and let us out for which we were very grateful. Once we got on the other side, we realized it was a private pier! So we scurried out of there not wanting to be charged with trespassing. Although, we weren’t too worried since the man who opened the gate for us didn’t say anything. I’m sure they were glad for the entertainment at least.

We decided to explore Mission Beach since our first plan didn’t pan out. Some of the girls were brave and waded into the ocean – I say brave because it was getting dark and there was a chill in the air. Not to mention the water there is always cold. But I’m glad they did because as they were frolicking in the water I was capturing it with my camera. And one shot I took captured the fin of a dolphin unknown to me until much later when I got home. It's at 1:00 in this picture just past the furthest person. After enjoying the beach for a bit we ended up at The Coaster Bar & Grill for dinner. I had some delicious fish and sticks and some of the other girls had a fabulous margherita pizza. It was right up there with my New York margherita pizza experience. Our choice of drink? A pitcher of water. Strange considering our location…but I don’t think anyone of us would claim to be “normal” whatever normal is. Let’s just say, we were all trying to watch our pennies!

The next day we decided to split ways. Erin, Christin, Sarah, and Kat decided to go to an Angels game in L.A. while Michelle, Leandra, and I opted to stay back and find a beach to spend the day at. Let me just tell you…a beach we did find. Everything about it was perfect…except for one thing. We happened upon it after an hour of driving around. We thought we’d hit the jackpot as we stood at the top of a cliff overlooking a sandy beach and the ocean. So, we decided to venture down the steep stairway and pathway that looped down the cliff and made our way to the perfect secluded beach front…only to find some surprises when we reached the bottom. We had happened upon a nudist beach…the only one in San Diego. It’s called Blacks Beach. Of all people to spend the day at a nudist beach – it would NOT be us three girls. We got a kick out of that. Apparently we were on the edge of it so we made our way a little further away from our “care free friends” and did not attempt to go back the other direction the entire day (once we realized the seemingly invisible “boundary” line.) It was a peaceful day, I must admit. Apparently not many other people wanted to venture out to this “scenic” spot.

On another note, here’s a little word to the wise: don’t leave a bag of chips (even if they are still sealed) unattended on the beach. All three of us took a walk down the beach and upon our return found our sun chips scattered all over the beach due to the hungry sea gulls. The gull of them to do such a thing! Maybe that’s where that saying comes from. The walk was worth it though. We found this house – called the Mushroom house – that was at the end of the beach. Apparently the real house is at the top of the cliff and they use a pulley system to get up and down between the two houses. Towards the end of the day Leandra was swimming and I saw a fin behind her and naturally freaked out. I was in the water too, so I yelled at her about the fin and then promptly made my way to the safety of the sand. We decided to approach the life guards and ask them about this fin – was it friend or foe? We soon learned it was a friend – a dolphin. But as we approached them – half jogging, half walking – the life guards asked us if we’d been stung by a sting ray. We assured them we had not been. They were relieved because it was time for them to pack up and go home. It was then that we learned these waters inhabit sting rays. Great to know after I’d already spent plenty of time crashing in the waves and doing everything but shuffling my feet like you’re supposed to do in sting ray infested water. Oh well…we were done and we had managed to have a great time while not getting stung. Praise God! As we climbed the steep cliff at the end of the day we had the privilege of seeing a dolphin swimming across the shoreline against the sunset. It was stunning. We topped off the evening with a delicious Mexican dinner at Casa Adams. And thanks to the multiple applications of sunscreen, we managed to keep from burning. A good day all around.

The next day we all ventured to the world renowned San Diego Zoo. Now I know why it’s so popular. It was simply breath taking. The landscaping was beautiful and the animals were given so much space to roam. It’s what you would want all zoos to be like if possible. I took tons of pictures of turtles…hmmm, I wonder why. Seems like a strange animal to have an affinity to…but I do. We watched the tigers feed and Erin fed a giraffe. Her goal was to get the giraffe’s tongue out as far as possible…I think she succeeded! We enjoyed a fun sea lion show and I made a point to take in the koala exhibit for my sister, Betsy. We spent almost all day there, an easy thing to do, and then headed off to another beach. This one was called Birds Beach. It’s no wonder. There were sea gulls everywhere! They had managed to pluck a squid out of the ocean and were feasting on it while we were there. Such a lovely thing to watch as we ate our burgers and fries. Are you picking up my sarcasm?

There was a couple getting wedding pictures taken there that evening as well. I think we witnessed four different wedding activities while we were in San Diego. That night we enjoyed watching the sun set on the beach…it was simply perfect. Oh to have that opportunity every night of the week. But alas, corn fields and barns set atop rolling hills can make for a beautiful sunset as well. Good ole Midwest. I really do love it. But I love the ocean too! We ended the day in the hotel hot tub. And the events of the hot tub adventures are to remain a mystery to you. We’ve got to have a few memories that only we get to reflect upon. Now I’ve got you wondering, don’t I?

Our fourth vacation day entailed a trip back to Blacks Beach for a seven mile hike. We had arranged to do this hike with a “Meet Up” group that Stan was a part of. So, we finally met Stan – we were beginning to wonder if he really did exist! He and his wife were very pleasant to talk with and we met some other great people on the hike as well. The write up about the hike did warn about the nudity – but it said it would be a short portion of the beach. Let’s just say, my definition of short and theirs must be different. While it was great to get out and exercise, it was disheartening to be exposed to so much nudity and such an oppressive spirit. It’s hard to describe it. I left that place with heaviness in my spirit and wasn’t relieved of it until later in the day after praying with Leandra. That afternoon we enjoyed the beach from Coronado Island…home of one of the top ten resorts in the world. Leandra, Christin, and I ventured into the lobby of the resort and enjoyed some Moo Time ice cream in the shopping plaza. Later that evening we enjoyed some sea food by an old Navy ship at a restaurant called The Fish Market.

Our final full day in San Diego did not lack in adventure. We enjoyed sleeping in and taking it slow start to the day. Then Christin, Leandra, and I rented a three-man kayak and ventured into the ocean with it. We were excited to see leopard sharks swimming below us on our way out and then again when we returned to shore. Apparently they are of little danger to humans unless you consume them on a regular basis. Apparently they have high levels of mercury in them so it’s not a great idea to make them your dinner. But you’ve no worries of them making you their dinner either. At one point in our kayaking journey, Christin informed us that she felt sick – sea sick. I didn’t believe her until I glanced behind me and found her losing her lunch over the side of the kayak. Poor Christin. We made it back to shore shortly after that and munched on pretzels to help ease all of our nauseous stomachs. Once the queasiness had lifted we drove a short distance down the shore line and met up with Erin and Kat at Seal Beach. Michelle and Sarah had left that morning. So it was just the five of us left. It was fun to watch the seals wriggle their way up and down the beach, into the water and back out again. They’re such a funny creature to watch. We ended our final evening in San Diego with the finest Mexican Food yet! The name of the restaurant escapes my memory, but I do remember what I ate! It was a beef guacamole enchilada with a side of the best cheese I’ve ever tasted on homemade tortillas! Wowsers! I’m drooling now just thinking of it. I only wish my stomach was bigger so I could have cleaned my plate. There was no sense in taking it home since we were leaving bright and early the next day. I ate as much as I could though and don’t regret it at all!

And thus ends our delightful excursion to California. The next day we turned in our car rentals, a Ford Fusion and a beautiful Chrysler Sebring convertible, and headed back to good ole Indiana. Oh what lovely memories. It was a vacation well worth it. If you haven’t taken a vacation lately, I highly recommend it! You can view the rest of my vacation pictures in my Picasa Album if you're interested.

In Loving Memory of Grandpa Gail Bennett

2009-08-21T20:14:00.005-04:00

What an emotional week. Last Sunday, August 16, my Grandpa Gail passed on into the arms of God. My Dad was with him and had some sweet conversations with him before he died. We’re so grateful for that. While it was wonderful to see my entire immediate family, it was also heart wrenching to say goodbye to my Grandpa. I no longer have any living Grandparents. It’s weird to have my parents as the oldest generation. They are now the “Grandma” and “Grandpa” of our families. It just doesn’t seem possible.

In honor of my Grandpa, I’d love to take a walk down memory lane. I have so many memories of our visits with him and Grandma on the farm. The most fruitful time to visit them was in July. Not only were the blackberries plentiful for the picking, but the fresh garden sweet corn and sun kissed tomatoes were bountiful. I always loved picking the berries and making blackberry pie with them. To this day I think of my Grandma Verna whenever I make a blackberry pie because she taught me how to make it. Below is a picture of me and Grandpa picking blackberries together before he was too sick to do so. This is how I remember him. And no one had sweet corn like my Grandpa raised. It was so good it didn’t even need butter or salt!

Grandpa always liked to have plenty of bird houses stationed around the farm. So, whenever we’d visit in the spring, he’d be sure to lift the lid and show us the baby birds and/or eggs in each nest. And there was always the tour of his parade floats. He was quite a crafty man and sure knew how to build a float among other things including step stools and baskets.

I remember this one time we went fishing in the pond by his house and we were catching fish quicker than Grandpa could put the worms on the hook. He didn’t seem t o mind though. He’d take the fish off the hook for us and put another worm on it. Now that’s my kind of fishing! No squirmy worms or touching the scaly fish. Then we’d take all the fish we’d caught back to the house, dress them, and cook them up for breakfast! I’ve been known to eat weird things for breakfast including ice cream – but I think fried fish beats them all.

In the colder months, we always had the opportunity to explore the basement filled with “treasures”, or Grandma would pull out her painting supplies and we’d make a “masterpiece.” And there were always Grandpa’s stories. I can see him now, sitting in his recliner talking over the radio dialed to the weather channel and the TV going on in the kitchen.

Grandpa’s desk was another place of wonder as a child. He had a drawer filled with special games and puzzles just for us kids. On top of the desk was an M & M dispenser we frequently visited. I think the most M & M’s I was able to squeeze out of it was 6….and that was after a good jiggle, shake, and shimmy! As the resident Grandpa, Dad has now officially inherited this treasure. I’m sure we’ll all continue to enjoy some yummy treats as a result.

As I reflected on all these memories, I’ve been reminded that it’s the little things in life that add up to mean a whole lot more than you can ever imagine them to be. So, next time you take the hand of a toddler, taste the sweetness of garden freshness, feel the softness of baby skin, witness the miracle of life, smell the fragrance of your favorite flower, or cozy up under a blanket next to a glowing fireplace, take in the fullness of that moment and appreciate it for what it is. Simple pleasures add up to so much so I wonder why we try to complicate it with gadgets and gizmos? Maybe I’m living in the wrong century. Nah, I guess I’ll just keep a fresh perspective and reserve the right to enjoy the simple things of life.

Before I wonder off on a rabbit trail…I must say that I’m so thankful for the rich inheritance I’ve received – a love for Christ. All of my Grandparents loved the Lord and are now healed and walking free of pain in the presence of their Creator. I’m delighted that I only had to say “see ya later” to each of them. They passed on their love for Christ and that is big – I recognize this and am so grateful.

I'd like to say I was stranded on a Remote Tropical Island...

2009-06-16T19:01:00.004-04:00

I can hear you now…she’s still alive! I know, I know. I’ve not blogged for the past two months. I’d like to say I was off on some remote tropical Island without computer access, but if I said so I’d be lying. Although, I must admit, living on a remote tropical Island does sound like a lovely past time. I’m afraid my blog got put on the back burner between life unfolding and me becoming a member of facebook. Yeah, I caved in and joined Facebook. Never thought I would see the day. Actually, I was required to do so for work – I guess I could have declined, but come on – my workplace is stepping into the 21st century and I decide to hold out? Not a good idea. After joining facebook, I realized it’s actually fun and a great way to keep up with friends and relatives. Who would have thunk I’d be saying that. Don’t get me wrong – I still love face to face time – prefer it actually.

I’ve also been on another little journey – online dating. I’d say it definitely has its advantages and disadvantages, but overall, I’m glad I’m giving it a try. I’ve come away with plenty of funny stories which I will refrain from telling on here out of respect for those involved in the stories. It’s best to keep that as unpublished work for now, I think. If you’d like to hear more about it, give me a call. Otherwise, just know that it’s been a great learning experience. The journey has brought on many emotions. It’s been humorous, disheartening, nerve wracking, flattering, encouraging, uncomfortable, and even fun. I decided to join the online dating scene for a few reasons:

I figured it would be a great learning experience. It is and has been!
It’s the 21st century and I really think it’s a good idea to experience this common way of finding a mate. In a 2006-2007 poll of 10,000 married couples, 18% of them (age 20-44) met online. And the percentage was even higher for those in the 45-54 age bracket at 31%. Keep in mind, those statistics are a couple years old – so who knows what the percentage is by now? I’m guessing even higher as online dating has become even more common.
I figure I’m going to give God every opportunity to introduce me to my future husband. Silly as it may seem, online dating could very well be the venue He chooses. Time will tell. If not, I will not regret a minute of it because it’s been such a great learning experience. What I have learned and the growth that has taken place in me through this experience will not be wasted.

So if you’re single, praying for a mate, and keeping an eye out for opportunities – give online dating a try. You just might like it, and who knows what might happen as a result? Just a side note, I’ve only tried e-harmony but I highly recommend it. I have a friend who is on Match.com, and we both agree that e-harmony does a much better job of matching you with compatible members. Plus you can choose to go through guided communication before talking about anything and everything with your match. You can learn a whole lot in those first four steps of guided communication, so it helps weed out people you know you’re not interested in pursuing up front. e-harmony is a little more costly than Match.com, but I think you get what you pay for. But be forewarned, it can be rather time consuming!

In other news, I’ve turned a year older and maybe a year wiser? I’m now 27 years old. It’s hard to believe, really. Thirty is encroaching more quickly than I’d like, but I might as well embrace it because it’s coming. Yeah, yeah, I know. I’ve got three more years. You’re right. I’m going to embrace today and enjoy it. That’s all I’m guaranteed anyway. Besides, 30 isn’t as old as I used to view it as a child. Funny how that changes the older you get. My birthday celebration was very nice even though I was sick with a staph infection. Several of my girlfriends came over that evening and celebrated with me. A few of my co-workers stopped by during the day and brought plenty of birthday wishes from my co-workers. I also got to talk with all of my family. I felt loved.

The majority of my time in recent weeks has been spent loving on my adorable three nephews and enjoying my siblings. I love having my sister close by and am trying to take advantage of that as often as possible. I know it won’t always be this way…but I’m not going to think about that right now.

If you’re looking for a good book to read, I’d highly recommend Mark Batterson’s Wild Goose Chase. I’ve got two chapters left before I finish the book, and it’s been a great read so far. It’s all about how chasing the Wild Goose (the Holy Spirit) is an adventure and addresses the cages we tend to allow ourselves to stay in. i.e. the cages of responsibility, routine, assumptions, guilt, failure, fear, and the future. He addresses each of these cages and shares why it’s so important to break free of them in order to follow the Holy Spirit on the great adventure life is meant to be as a Christ follower. He uses very pertinent Biblical examples and weaves them into what that looks like via modern day examples (mostly from his own experiences). It’s eye opening, challenging, and well worth your time to sit down and read it!

And with that, I’ll sign off for now. Perhaps it won’t be two months before I post next time. Here’s hoping!

New York City, Part Two

2009-04-11T19:20:00.020-04:00

We were able to pack a lot of site seeing in for the short amount of time we were in NCY. Here are a few snippets of what we saw.

Ground Zero

What a sobering experience it was to stand across from where the Twin Towers once stood and imagine the chaos and tragedy that was experienced right where we were standing on 9/11. We couldn’t see the ground where they were working because they had a fence surrounding it. All the buildings next to it looked like they had been repaired and in good working order. The area was busy with people – just like any other part of the city. Not far from Ground Zero was Trinity Church - the beauty and serene setting of the church invoked me to quiet my spirit. I could have spent more time in the grave yard. There’s something wonderful about spending time in grave yards. I can’t explain it.

Down the road a bit there was a temporary memorial. This sculpture stood in the plaza of the World Trade Center for three decades. It was entitled “The Sphere” and was conceived by artist Fritz Koenig to symbolize world peace. While it was damaged during the tragic terrorist attacks of 9/11, it stands here as an icon of hope and the indestructible spirit of our country. If you look down to the far right of the picture you can see an eternal flame. It was ignited on September 11, 2002 in honor of all of those who we lost.

Battery Park

We thought about going to Ellis Island but by the time we arrived at Battery Park where the Ferry launches off, we realized it would take us a good three hours or more to visit Ellis Island and we didn’t want to spend that much time there. So, we admired Lady Liberty from afar and also enjoyed this photo opportunity with a look alike right there in the park.

We also took a moment to observe the memorial honoring all the fallen men and women who served the U.S.A. and are buried in the American Coastal Waters of the Atlantic Ocean. There were slabs of concrete that had name after name listed on them.

Wall Street

We walked right down Wall Street. It was quite an enjoyable experience. It was kind of surreal to be standing right next to the New York Stock Exchange – a place I normally only hear about on TV. Federal Hall was down this pathway as well as a great view of Trinity Church. The street was alive with activity - lots of street vendors and tons of people. Actually, that could pretty much sum up New York.

Central Park

It rained a couple of the days we were there…actually it rained/snowed one of those days. We had one simply gorgeous day and for that we’re thankful. So, the day we were to see Central Park, it was raining. The men were out with the horses and carriages non-the-less. We didn’t ride in one, but they sure looked fun. So, my view of Central Park was a bit gloomy, but hey, I got to see it!

Brooklyn Bridge

I was also delighted to see the Brooklyn Bridge. It reminds me of Spot Collin in the movie Newsies. If you’ve never seen it, rent it. But be forewarned…it’s a musical. So, they do break out spontaneously into song. It was one of my favorite movies growing up though. The Brooklyn Bridge wasn’t that far away from South Side Sea Port where we dined for lunch. They had a little mall we walked around in, but it wasn’t much different than what we have here.

Grand Central Station

Well, it certainly lives up to its name – grand it is indeed! I wasn’t able to get any really good pictures of the inside because of the lighting, but everywhere you looked there was marble. The ceiling was so tall and grand with chandeliers and the USA flag hanging down. It was breath taking really. We used the facilities there and happened to enter the restroom as they were cleaning it. We were very pleased they only chose to clean half of the restroom at a time – how clever! They had a wonderful food market as well. There were booths of everything from fruit, veggies, bread, and seafood, to even a variety of spices. We trekked out to see the trains and found that they were quite boring and looked old and dirty. But hey, whatever gets you from point A to point B, right?

Overall Impressions

I loved the diversity represented there. It didn’t matter where you were, there wasn’t someone far from you who was jabbering away in another language, and almost everyone had a foreign accent.

I noticed that no one paid attention to anyone else – accept the locals had an uncanny awareness of when it was safe to cross the street even when the light said differently. It wasn’t uncommon to be walking down a sidewalk and see people listening to their iPods in their own little world or in a group of people doing something crazy. It doesn’t matter –nobody seems to notice if you do something crazy. You can yell out I LOVE NEW YORK CITY! And no one bats an eye.

The taxi drivers are as crazy as Bolivian taxi drivers. They weave in and out of traffic as if they can do it in their sleep. All I can say is I’m so glad I wasn’t behind the wheel on those streets!

While the city has a beauty all of its own, I missed the beauty of the great outdoors. And I got tired of fighting the crowds and being around people all the time. Guess that goes to show I’m not a big city girl. Not to mention, everything there was a pretty costly. Was the trip worth it? Absolutely! Would I go back? I don’t know. I feel like I got to see a ton. The only real draw would be a Broadway show. But if I want to see another show, I think I’ll look into a traveling one or go to Chicago.

New York City, Part One

2009-04-05T21:03:00.011-04:00

I went to Bedside Baptist this morning and Rev. Sheets preached a wonderful sermon about the importance of rest on the Sabbath. I took him very seriously and am practicing what he preached! I’ve actually been sick with a serious infection all week. It’s completely zapped me and I’ve missed all but 5 hours of work this last week. Unfortunately, I’m not the most gracious sick person. It’s extremely hard for me to stop and just focus on getting better. The inconvenience of being ill really gets to me. But I have to keep reminding myself there are positives about this whole situation.

I finished reading The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom which in turn has challenged me to keep a positive attitude about being ill. Betsie Ten Boom was always praising God and focusing on Him even in the most difficult of circumstances. At one point she and Corrie were placed in a terribly cramped, dank, and dreary room with hundreds of other cranky, smelly women. And as they entered their new prison home at Ravensbruck Betsie challenged Corrie to thank God for EVERY thing in that new place – including the fleas dancing around on their moldy straw beds. Corrie was sure Betsie was wrong in thanking God for the fleas as there couldn’t be any positive thing that came from them. Weeks passed by and they noticed all the guards stayed out of their quarters. This was very unusual since they were prisoners. So they started a nightly Bible study (a very risky move on their part) and never once were threatened by the presence of a guard. They soon found out why. No guard would step foot in there because of, you guessed it, the fleas. So I look at that story and think, there’s something positive in every little thing – even the annoying and inconvenient circumstances of life.

So, perhaps one positive would be that I have time to finally blog about my New York City trip! Char, Lynne and I arrived in the Big Apple on St. Patrick’s Day. There was a St. Patty’s Parade in Times Square when we arrived although we missed it since we were very hungry so we decided to get a bite to eat a local diner. I think the easiest way to tell you about the trip is to divide it up into a few different categories rather than tell you the details of each day. So here we go!

Travel

We decided to fly rather than drive – a wise choice, I must say. We had a brief time to make our connection in Detroit on our way there so we rushed from one terminal to the next. Char and I were a little ahead of Lynne. At one point Char and I were entering a moving walk way and there were these two really tall African American men in front of us. One of them reached over and shook someone’s hand. I thought to myself, how strange! What is this, a meet and greet? Char said something to them about us being in a hurry to catch our next flight and they graciously moved over and let us be on our merry little way. A few minutes later Lynne caught up with us and said, “Do you know who that was back there?” We said, who? She said, “It was Isaiah Thomas.” And we both responded, “Whose that?” Ha! She then informed us that he used to play basketball for IU. Apparently he was named one of the 50 greatest player in NBA history. And we simply bi-passed him. We decided we had better be a little more aware of our surroundings in case we ran into someone famous in NYC. As far as we know, we didn’t see anyone famous during the rest of our trip. Of course, with our track record we could have very well ran into someone famous and had no clue.

Once we got into the city we either walked to our destination or took taxi cabs. The starting fee for a cab was$2.50. It wasn’t the cheapest way to travel, but we weren’t really comfortable navigating the subway system. Char is the most directionally aware between the three of us and she said she even gets turned around when using the subway system. So, we stuck to taxi cabs but used them as sparingly as possible.

Dining

I found that eating for cheaper than $8 is impossible. I was delighted to see Chipotles directly across from our hotel and quickly introduced Lynne and Char to it. They had never been but fell in love with the food as much as I have. We also enjoyed a little diner called Cosmic’s. They had delicious food but frowned on splitting the check. The first time we managed to figure it out ourselves although it took us a good ten minutes to read the waitresses handwriting and then do the math. The second time we figured the cashier could split it for us. Well, it just so happens the owner was at the cash register when we were ready to pay our bill. He was a sturdy Greek fellow who had a gruff temperament to say the least. We asked anyway and the next thing we know he’s yelling at the waitress walking by reminding her to ask if the customers want separate checks. We informed him that she wasn’t our waitress and he relied, “I don’t care! They all need to know.” Whew! We got a good laugh out of that. So the next time we went, we decided to be up front and simply ask the waitress to separate our checks. She granted our request, but you could tell she wasn’t thrilled to do so.

Our worst dining experience was at Rockefeller Plaza. There were several places to choose from and we just happened to make a disappointing choice. It was a Kosher Deli. I ordered a roast beef sandwich (repeatedly since the man taking my order couldn’t understand me for some reason) and ended up with corn beef. I also had chicken noodle soup – it was the blandest soup I’ve ever tasted. All to the tune of a little over $10. Sigh.

Our best dining experience was at Trattoria Dell’Arte. We had the best Margherita pizza. The curst was as thin as a cracker but tasty as ever. The cheese was excellent and was complimented by fresh basil. It was oh so yummy. To top it off I had a to die for chocolate cheese cake. Mind you, it didn’t taste like cheese cake. It tasted like the richest dark chocolate cake yet had a very light consistency. The icing was very runny and reminded me of the taste of brownies before you bake them. I couldn’t consume it all in one sitting, but have no fear, I ate it for breakfast the next morning. I know it’s not a typical breakfast food, but I’ve never been conventional when it comes to breakfast. This meal was by far our most expensive meal – but well worth it. The pizza was $20. The cake was $10. And my one glass of coke was almost $5. The ladies each had a salad that was $16. The atmosphere of the restaurant was great though and so was the service. Our waiter was quite fun without being flirtatious – a very refreshing thing indeed. The weirdest thing about this restaurant was that it was decorated with body parts. There were drawings and sculptures of ears, lips, noses, feet, etc. everywhere. I guess it makes your visit memorable if nothing else!

The best coffee I had was in Little Italy at a quaint little place called Caffe Palermo. Probably because it was loaded with sugar and milk! They claimed to have the best cannoli on planet earth so I tried it. But I must say, I’m not much of a connoli fan. The waitress here was our favorite. She was a native New Yorker who was quite upset at how difficult the government is making it for the middle class to make a living there. It was fun to talk with her.

Shopping

So if you want to go shopping, NYC has any store you can imagine and more. We visited the famous Macy’s where I was shocked to find a whole wall of elevators – 10 total! There were at least three floors of just shoes. I can’t remember how many floors there were total, but it was huge. We also visited Saks on 5th Ave, Bloomingdales, and Century 21 Discount Store. I didn’t buy anything at these stores, just wanted to experience them. Here’s a pic of me posing as the pink statue next to me in Saks. I figured might as well do something fun there since there was no way I could afford anything! We also went to M&M World where you could find anything imaginable with the M&M trademark on it. I purchased some playing cards there. They also had M&M’s any color imaginable. I’ve never seen so many. They sold them by the pound.
The most memorable shopping experience was in ChinaTown where they sell “look alike” handbags of the more expensive brands. They also sell scarves, jewelry, hats, etc. But they also have an underground market where they sell the “real” thing for a lesser amount. It’s illegal I’m sure and I have a sneaky suspicion they are dealing with stolen goods. It seemed like every minute I had someone coming up to me saying “hand bag?”, “Gucci?”,“Coach?”, “ Wrist watch?” All in hopes of taking us “down under” behind locked doors to wheel and deal. We got used to saying no often.

There were lots of little tourists’ shops especially around Times Square. I stopped outside a luggage store once to purchase some postcards and went inside by myself to purchase them. There were two gentlemen behind the counter. One was Indian and was very friendly. He said the word “beautiful” right away and it was shortly after that I realized he was talking about me since he kept saying it. While I was flattered, I didn’t know quite what to do with that compliment. I was glad to return to the street with Char and Lynne.

We didn’t bother to go into Daffy’s. See this pic – it says Clothing Bargains for Millionaires. Can’t imagine what kind of “bargains” are in that store!

Broadway Show

While there were many hi-lights on this trip, I think my favorite part was going to see Wicked on Broadway. It’s the story of the two witches prior to the Wizard of Oz. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it. But I fell in love with the story and the music right away. The characters were so likeable. I understand the book is darker than the show so I probably won’t venture into reading it. But I’d recommend the show to anyone. The set was amazing and the music was even better. Char and Lynne had both seen Wicked in Chicago and said both shows were equally as good. So, perhaps next time I want to enjoy some good theatre I’ll head to Chicago. Although, I hear the traveling tours are just as good. So, perhaps an interesting show will come to Fort Wayne, Indy, or Bloomington sometime.

To Be Continued…

Ok – so there’s so much more to share, but I’m going to have to finish with part 2 later.

Baby Boys Galore!

2009-03-21T21:34:00.003-04:00

My third nephew, Johnathon Philip Bennett was born to Andy and Elissa on Sunday, March 15! He and Elissa are doing well. His name means God is gracious and it’s in honor of our Grandpa John, (Johnathon’s Great- Grandpa). And his middle name is in honor of Elissa’s Dad, Phil.

I’m so excited to meet this little fellow and to see Joshua again in a couple of weeks. I love nephews! I’m sure if I ever have any nieces, I’ll absolutely love that as well. For the time being, I’m going to bask in the joy of being an Aunt to three adorable nephews!

Jayden continues to improve and is getting closer and closer to being released from the hospital. Betsy and Gerson are beside themselves with excitement at the possibility of having him home with them. I’m amazed at how much he’s changing and growing. Here's a recent picture.

Spring Fever

2009-02-08T20:59:00.001-05:00

I’m getting the itch for spring…how about you? That’s why I’m so thankful for this little warming lull. I know it won’t last long due to the nature of Indiana winters, but hey, I’m enjoying the “warmth” while it’s here. I’ve always said only in Indiana can one experience practically every weather pattern in one week. I think it was the week between Christmas and New Years that we had one extreme to another. There was snow and the ground already and then soon to follow was that nasty ice storm. Thankfully the ice didn’t stick around very long due to the rising temperature. I remember walking outside without a coat on and not being cold at all! This is very unusual for me when it comes to winter. Soon to follow was fog. And then back to the dipping subzero temperatures we’ve endured of late. Ah, gotta love Indiana. Although, I must say I do love all four seasons. I just tire of the cold faster than any other season.

So what have I been doing with my spring fever? I’ve been remembering springs of past and how much I love the blooming trees outside my apartment and potted plants on my balcony. Can’t wait to go to the Farmers Market and pick out this year’s flowers and herbs! Since I can’t get outside and enjoy any of that just yet, I’ve been in the cleaning and organizing mode. Yesterday I spent the entire day doing just that. It was lovely. There’s nothing like the just cleaned and no clutter feeling. Still have some more cleaning out to do…next project will be tackling my closet. And then, if I’m brave enough perhaps I’ll sort out all the stuff under my bed. That could be interesting. The next few weeks look full of fun activities, so that will be a good distraction while I wait for spring to arrive. I just keep imagining it and thinking…it’s coming. And that, is usually enough to keep me plugging away…that and lighting a few candles, plugging in the twinkle lights, and enjoying a good cup of tea by the fireside.

I’d say the funniest thing that’s happened to me this winter due to the absolutely frigid weather was a little tug of war with my car. One morning, I walked out to my car not suspecting anything to go awry only to find that my driver’s side door didn’t want to latch shut once I had opened it. Now, this had happened to me once before last year, but by the time I had my car warmed up and I was ready to drive away, the door was ready to latch shut. Not so much this time. I spent plenty of time scraping the ice off my car and allowing the defroster and heater to do it’s magic (so I thought). But nonetheless, it wasn’t ready to stay shut. So, I did a very stupid thing and drove to work holding my door shut with one hand while keeping my other hand on the wheel. Can I just say, turning corners with an open door is hard to do safely? I don’t know why God chooses to keep me safe in my stupidity, but He does. Thankfully I was able to hold onto the door and keep it shut until it finally shut about three minutes away from my destination. For the next few weeks, I entered my car from the front passenger’s door. At first I was a bit self-conscious. But then it became the new normal, and I got pretty good at scooting across the front seat. It wasn’t until I drove my sister to Indy that I realized two people getting in the passenger’s side door is kind of weird…and it’s really no fun getting the door shut on my face. Not that Betsy did it intentionally…but who gets out of a car on the passenger side and thinks, oh I better leave the door open because the driver is going to be following in my footsteps? Not a natural response. So, I decided to inquire a little further into how I could fix my non- latching door. A big thanks to Michelle’s husband, Steve, who fixed it by simply spraying some Bicycle lubricating oil on the car door latch. It’s now a happy little door that closes without force, and I can open it without fear of repeating my previous tug of war scenario as described earlier. *Sigh* What a relief.

Bonding with Baby Jayden

2009-01-28T20:17:00.006-05:00

So, I don’t have much time to write a lot today. But I just can’t go another moment without telling you about my handsome nephew, Jayden. We had our first bonding experience this last weekend. I got to hold him for the first time. He opened his beautiful brown eyes long enough to check out his Aunt Jamie. I loved every moment together with him. He filled his diaper with a present for Mommy while we were there and then he “baptized” her while she was giving him a sponge bath. It was quite an eventful day.

He’s now in his own room of which Betsy is affectionately calling “The Hilton”. The Doctor’s are still uncertain as to when Jayden will be released to go home. He still has several hurdles to jump before that happens. Your continued prayers for Jayden’s health and provision, strength, and patience for Betsy and Gerson are much appreciated. We have much to be thankful for. Jayden continues to grow and is well over 6 lbs now. He’s also quite the little fighter. He’s living up to the meaning of his name – God has heard our prayers.

A Tribute to Grandma Dorothy

2009-01-04T19:39:00.002-05:00

It’s with great sadness we said goodbye to our beloved Grandma Dorothy this weekend. She died last Tuesday, December 30. She lived 90 wonderful years. Born at the end of World War I, but in the midst of a flue epidemic, Grandma survived while her twin did not. She was thankful to have survived…as were many of us…for she was such a blessing to many. While she had a gentle spirit about her, she also had enough spunk to get her point across whenever she needed to. I will always remember her love for God, her love for her family, her love for cooking, her love for flowers, and her love for reading. She had the gift of hospitality, always leaving her door open to anyone who would walk through it. She had a way of making everyone feel at home. Whenever I would go visit her and Grandpa, I would often find them in the living room each morning having devotions together and praying. What a wonderful testimony they were to me and many others. Grandpa John and Grandma Dorothy were born in the same year and died in the same year. And now, they are dancing at the feet of Jesus together. This is why I rejoice. They left a godly heritage, are no longer separated, are free of pain, and lived 90 wonderful years together.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-04T19:12:00.006-05:00

Happy New Year! I don’t know about you, but I’m thrilled to be in the New Year. Last year was a hard year in many ways, not only for me but for many of my friends and family. While trials are a breeding ground for growth (a good but painful thing), I’m thankful for a new marker in which a new season is awaiting to break forth. Yes, I understand there will be more trials. Yes, I understand there will be more pain. But there will also be new joys, new adventures, and more reasons to praise God for His sustaining love, comfort, grace, and peace. Isaiah 35:2 states it well, “Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy!” This is a picture of restoration in a dry and barren desert land…a picture of what God longs to do in each of our hearts. I’m excited to see how the Lord continues to restore my soul, and how He works out everything for my good and His glory. I’m learning the most important action on my part is continual surrender to Him. Yielding to God’s way and giving up my “rights” or preferences doesn’t always come easily. But when I do, I’m never sad I made that choice. And I marvel at what God can do with open hands and an open heart.

Christmas this year was simply delightful. Our entire family was together (except for Jayden since he’s still in the NICU). Our family hasn’t been all together since Betsy and Gerson’s wedding. So, it was great to celebrate Christ’s birth together. We all gathered at Betsy and Gerson’s home in Gas City. I was in charge of the meals since Betsy and Gerson have been through enough stress of late with moving to the U.S. and then caring for Jayden via the NICU in Indy. My parents and Peter drove almost 10 hours the day before Christmas Eve through the ice storm so we could all be together. The trip normally takes 3 hours. We’re so thankful they made it to Gas City safely. Aunt Betsy and Uncle Rick followed later in the day and stayed overnight in a hotel since the roads were so bad. We’re glad they arrived safely the next morning.

We were sad that Jayden couldn’t be with us on Christmas day. Everyone took turns going to see him in the NICU. I stayed back since I have the opportunity to see him a lot more often than the rest of my family. This last week was particularly a hard one on him. He has a few complications, and the Doctor’s are perplexed as to what’s causing these complications. It doesn’t look like he’ll be leaving the NICU anytime soon. I got to see him this weekend and was shocked at how big he is. He’s over 5 lbs now…a very good thing. We’d covet your prayers for God’s continued healing touch on Jayden, wisdom for the Doctor’s and Nurses, and strength, peace, and courage for Betsy and Gerson.

Here’s to a better 2009 filled with God’s grace and peace.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-23T18:34:00.005-05:00

November has been filled with many good things! I started it off spending a much needed girl’s weekend with Claire. We enjoyed some shopping, some girl talk, and the warmth of a fire in my fireplace. We also celebrated her birthday. It’s hard to believe she’s 27 years old! That means I’m soon to follow. How is it that my 20s are flying by so fast?

The following week Jayden was born. I’ve spent much of my time and energy since then either with Betsy, Gerson, and Jayden or preparing their home for them to move into once Jayden is released from the NICU. We also had a little family reunion last weekend. Andy, Elissa, and Joshua came down and got to meet Jayden. It was great to be together, play games, and be entertained by Joshua. He’s still simply adorable and full of energy.

As Thanksgiving Day draws nearer, I’ve been pondering on all that I’m thankful for. So, I thought I’d share them with you.

I’m thankful for my relationship with Jesus Christ. His love and grace astound me.

I’m thankful God is the same yesterday, today and forever. I take comfort in the fact that no matter what transpires on this earth He is unshakeable.

I’m thankful for a loving family and that we get to be together this Christmas.

I’m thankful for nephews…they have a special way of making you feel loved.

I’m thankful for my friends and community with whom I do daily life.

I’m thankful for my job….it’s one that I love, grow in, and am challenged by regularly.

I’m thankful for my co-workers…they are always so gracious and are in many ways like family to me.

I’m thankful for God’s grace in my life to allow me to become wiser and stronger through and after trials.

I’m thankful for restored joy and hope.

I’m thankful for all the service men and women who are fighting for our country and sacrificing their time, energy, and sometimes lives in an effort to keep us safe.

I’m thankful for all the little things in life that make me smile like the fire in my fireplace right now, a good cup of hot tea, a fragrant candle burning, a delectable dessert, and Mama’s fried chicken to name a few.

I’m thankful for God’s provision for all my needs.

I could go on for a long time listing things I’m thankful for. But this covers the meat and potatoes of what I’m thankful for. I hope and pray you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day wherever you are. My heart is full with gratitude. May your heart be filled to the brim and overflowing with thankfulness as well.

I'm an Aunt Again!

2008-11-13T21:10:00.005-05:00

What a week it's been! They decided to start the process of inducing Betsy on Monday night because her health was continuing to become more fragile. The Dr. was concerned more for her health and knew Jayden would be fine if he was born at any point. I drove down and picked up my cousin Amy on the way Monday afternoon. Amy has had two high risk pregnancies and was willing to stand in the gap while my Mom and Dad were in route. Having never had a baby…I was so glad Amy was there to give Betsy helpful tips and coach her through the process.

Mom and Dad’s flight was supposed to arrive at 8:40 p.m. but their plane got delayed due to engine complications. Wouldn’t you know it? Doesn’t the plane know a baby’s being born! Come on! They quickly figured out a way to reroute their journey in time to arrive by midnight. Our cousin Tim picked them up and they got to the hospital around 1 a.m. Betsy was so happy to see them as were the rest of us.

Gerson is such a wonderful husband to Betsy. We watched him sit next to Betsy, hold her hand, and smooch her every now and then. It was evident he was absolutely exhausted, but he was determined to be in this for the long haul. Betsy’s blood pressure spiked up too high around 11 p.m. so they gave her an epidural at that point…hoping it would help her blood pressure to go down some. It did along with the help of some other medication. We were grateful for that because we didn’t want to have to make any big decisions before Mom and Dad arrived.
Early in the evening Betsy started having contractions. Amy and I started to quote The Princess Bride and Betsy soon joined in. Whenever she was talking she didn’t feel the pain of the contraction. So, we got into a rhythm of asking her questions to get her to talk for a while. It was a good focus point for her.

The night was long and hard on Betsy. Gerson and Mom stayed with her while Amy, my Dad, and I went back to Liz’s house to get a few hours of sleep. We were back at the hospital on Tuesday morning and Betsy looked tired and ready to be done with this whole labor process. They let her continue though until about 1 p.m. when they decided her body wasn’t cooperating to have a natural birth and it was time for them to have a birthday party via c-section. Gerson went in with Betsy during the whole c-section process and held her hand.

So at 2:05 p.m. Jayden Adriel Tejeda was born. Jayden means God has heard and Adriel means a member of God’s flock. Very appropriate for all that this little one has been through. He’s actually 2 lb 6 oz. I had been misinformed previously. He is 14 inches long and his lungs are very strong. They had to put a breathing tube in his chest because the medicine Betsy was on affected his breathing. As soon as the effects of that medicine wore off though they removed the tube and then gave him oxygen through his nostrils. Today, he’s completely off oxygen and is doing well. The Dr. doesn’t think the calcification in Jayden’s liver is anything to be concerned about at this time. They are keeping a close watch on it but don’t anticipate any complications from it. So, we’re praising the Lord for that!

Betsy said he’s a little fighter. Yesterday he kept sticking his foot out from under the blanket and kept trying to remove the blind fold he had on since they put him under a bilirubin light for jondus. The light should be taken off in a couple of days.

Betsy is still in the hospital and hopes to be released on Saturday. She’s doing well considering all she’s gone through. Yesterday and last night were hard, but today was a better day. In fact, she got to hold Jayden for the first time today! She was a very happy Mama, and the nurse said Jayden was the happiest he’d been all day when he was in his Mama’s arms.

In other news, Gerson is headed back to Bolivia this Monday, November 17 and will be there until December 3. He has to return so he can defend his thesis on November 25th and also so he can finish packing up their house. Please pray for him specifically on the 25th and leading up to it as his thesis defense is the last requirement he needs to fulfill before he can graduate. He has been functioning on little sleep of late, so your prayers for him to have clarity of mind, rest leading up to the defense, and the ability to present his thesis well are invited and welcome!
In light of Gerson being gone, we have arranged for Aunt Hazel to be with and care for Betsy next week. Aunt Betsy will be flying in right after Aunt Hazel leaves to care for Betsy during Thanksgiving week. I will also be with both Betsy and Aunt Betsy over Thanksgiving. We’ll probably find a restaurant on Thanksgiving Day and let them do the cooking and the dishes. While I enjoy cooking, especially for the holidays, I think I’ll be completely fine with letting a restaurant have the honors this year.

This weekend we’re going to have a Bennett Family reunion. Everyone will be here except for Peter (we’ll miss you Pete!). Andy, Elissa, and Joshua are driving down from Wisconsin with Elissa’s parents. Mom and Dad will be there already, and I’m heading down after work tomorrow. It will be so nice to have us all together. Mom and Dad head back to Florida on Monday, but it won’t be long before we’re all back together again since we plan to have Christmas in Indiana. We’re praying Betsy and Gerson will get to bring Jayden home for Christmas.

Celebrating the Big and Little things in Life

2008-10-25T13:37:00.007-04:00

Do you ever have a circumstance in your life where you have to keep reminding yourself, “God is bigger than this”? Well, that’s been the case for our family as we’ve prayed fervently for Betsy, her and the baby’s health, and Gerson’s arrival to the U.S. It’s been quite the journey and we’ve seen God work out every detail along the way. While some things seem to continue to fit in the unknown category, we are so encouraged to see God’s hand in it all. After much prayer and anticipation we are celebrating that Gerson will be on U.S. soil with Betsy on Monday night. It’s so wonderful to know they’ll be together again and can face the unknowns of this pregnancy together. Thanks for your prayers.

Last weekend I went to the Group Life conference at Willow Creek near Chicago. It was a really good experience. I came away with a lot to chew on and be challenged by but was also affirmed in a lot of what our small group is already doing. Over all it was very encouraging, and I’m glad I went.

Speaking of small group, last week we had a fun week and carved pumpkins together. Christin carved a cat figure into her pumpkin and I stuck with a silly smiley face. I tried to bake the pumpkin seeds but ended up burning them. It smelled worse than burnt popcorn. I had the bright idea of dressing up too. Rather than coming up with a costume, everyone just brought their old bridesmaid dresses and we all tried them on and danced in our living room. We even did our dog pile…it’s tradition now to do at every wedding we all attend.

There are many things that make me smile. Yesterday I smiled because Andy called me and told me that my adorable nephew, Joshua, had just taken my picture off their fridge and started kissing it. Oh if that doesn’t do my heart good, I don’t know what will! I miss that little guy and am glad we’ll all be together for Christmas this year. Pretty soon I’ll have two more nephews to love on, and I’ll be in Aunt heaven. What has made you smile lately? I’d love to know!

Playing Catch Up

2008-10-15T20:29:00.008-04:00

Life has been crazy of late, so I’ll try to summarize what’s been happening. Otherwise, I’d have to write a book…and I don’t have time to write a book just as I imagine you don’t have time to read a book! So here we go.

Half Marathon

Well, I did it! I walked the entire 13.1 miles and finished the half marathon before they closed the course. They asked all participants to be done within four hours…so that was my goal…to simply finish within four hours. I’m pleased to say I actually finished in 3 hours and 21 minutes and 32 seconds! I know, that’s a loooooong time to be walking, but hey, I’m just thrilled I finished. This is a pic of me and my training partner, Tammy. It was great because I got to walk with my friends, Tammy, Michelle, Lynne and her husband, Doug. That made it a lot more fun and gave me the motivation to finish. Will I do it again? Who knows? If I remember the pain I experienced in every inch of every muscle in my body after the race, it’s going to take some convincing for me to do it again next year. We shall see. It was a great accomplishment for this year anyway.

Back Home in Indiana

My sister, Betsy, flew to Indy due to a medical emergency in late September. She’s been having complications with her pregnancy so Gerson and she decided it would be in her and the baby’s best interest to receive medical care here in the states. Unfortunately, Gerson couldn’t come with Betsy because he has yet to get his spouse visa. He’s in the process of making that happen and has an interview date with the U.S. embassy in LaPaz on October 27. We’re praying he can get here ASAP so he and Betsy can be together during this very difficult time. You can read all about their story and get updates on their blog. Your prayers for them are much appreciated!

I’ve loved having Betsy close by and have been spending as much time with her as possible. My Mom flew into Indy a few weeks ago as well. It was great to be able to hang out with both of them. The plan is for Betsy and Gerson to live in Gas City over the next year while they raise support to for their next ministry assignment. I’m going to love having them only an hour away!

Kendallville Apple Fest

I missed the Johnny Appleseed Festival since I was picking my sister up from the airport that weekend, so I was glad to get a little taste of fall in at the Kendallville Apple Fest. I met up with Claire and John and John’s parents – Mom and Dad Roth. I had some potato soup, some apple cider and a bite of apple with caramel drizzled on top…a fallish sort of treat. The only unfortunate thing about the festival was it was so crowded you could hardly walk. I struggled to see any of the booths because I was so focused on not spilling my apple cider as I walked through the crowd. Take a look at the sea of people behind Claire and John in this pic. Crazy!

Halloween Décor

Do you know that Halloween is the most decorated holiday? I’m less than thrilled about the décor my neighbor has decided to display. I walk out my front door and there before me are skeleton hands sticking out of the ground along with other bones and a skull in front of a tombstone, the upper torso of a scary looking man coming out of the ground, and flesh colored arms and a foot with blood dripping down and bones sticking out of them. Not to mention the huge spider web with the biggest spider imaginable plastered right in the center. Now that’s where I draw the line folks. I’ll just be glad when I don’t have to look at it every day. Notice, I'm not posting any pics of this display!

Road Trip

My Dad flew into see my Grandpa Gail this last weekend, so Betsy and I headed to southern Illinois to meet up with them. It was nice for all of us to be together. Betsy and I decided to take a little photo shoot around our Grandpa’s farm since Gerson is just aching for pictures of his beloved wife.

We spent some time visiting with Grandpa Gail and then during the remainder of our time we cleaned out the freezer and refrigerator since he’s now living in a nursing home. We were thrilled to see a sparkling fridge at the end of the day….although the process of getting there was a bit daunting and at times disgusting. It gives me the motivation to keep up with the cleaning of my own fridge.

While we were on the farm, I took advantage of the wood scraps in the shed and stocked up on kindling firewood for this winter. I love a good fire in the fireplace...especially on blistery winter days. I'm looking forward to that.

We also visited my Grandma Verna’s gravesite and then stopped at my Grandpa John’s gravesite on our way back home. I hadn’t seen Grandpa John’s gravesite since they had the tombstone engraved. It’s so beautiful. They had the entire farm etched on it…simply breathtaking.

I think that about catches you up on what’s been happening. Hopefully it won’t be another month before I post again.

Magic Pants, Metavari, Super Glue, and More

2008-09-07T19:57:00.009-04:00

So, I’m training to walk a mini marathon…13.2 miles. The longest walk I’ve done so far is 8 miles, and I was ready to be done at that point. The longest I’ll walk prior to the big race day is 10 miles, apparently the excitement of the day is supposed to carry me over the extra 3.2 miles. I imagine it will. It’s been fun to have a goal to focus on this summer as I’ve trained for it. Guess I’ll have to pick up a new exercise routine once it’s over. That’s only natural anyway since it’s going to get cold outside. Our apartment complex has an exercise facility, so perhaps I’ll frequent it. Who knows? If Christin has anything to say about it, she’ll be dragging me there at 11 p.m. every so often. She likes her late night work outs. Me…not so much. I like to be in bed by 11 p.m. We shall see.

A week ago our small group went to see Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. I quite enjoyed the movie and at the end found myself disappointed it was over. I wanted the story to just keep going. Alas, I guess I can’t hold out for that. Michelle Z. has read the book s and said the movie pretty much covered them all. So, I doubt there will be a third one. The second movie didn’t make me cry like the first movie did, but it was still pretty good. After the movie, Christin came up with the idea of finding our own magic pants. In case you’ve never seen this movie, the girls come across a pair of pants that magically fit them all (crazy since they are all different heights, weights, and sizes). So, they declared them magical, and sent them to each other in their respective summer destinations on a weekly basis with the anticipation that the pants will make something good happen. So, in our own search for magic pants, we traipsed into the handicap bathroom stall in Barne’s and Noble and swapped pants. Yup, five girls in one bathroom stall, taking turns trying each other’s pants on in hopes of finding one pair that will fit every single one of us. We all found it quite humorous…not sure what the few poor souls who entered the bathroom during this episode thought, but it sure was fun. Amazingly we found two pair of pants that fit all of us…both Michelle Z’s and Michelle H’s. Even so, I don’t think we’ll take up the tradition they created in the movie.

The next morning I took my friend, Leandra to the airport at 5 a.m. Since I was up at the crack of dawn, I decided to go raspberry picking. We went the week before but showed up at 10:30 a.m. only to find all the berries had been picked! All but the green ones…and those weren’t going to do us any good. So, this time Michelle Z. and I arrived just after the farm opened at 7 a.m. There were plenty to pick…in fact, I picked 5 lbs. I froze a lot of them since there was no way I could eat 5 lbs before they went bad. I have this great holiday punch recipe that the raspberries will be great in. Christin and I made pancakes one evening and I put raspberries in the batter…oh so yummy. I’ll have to do that again.

Last night Christin and I joined up with some friends at Calhoun’s Soups, Salad’s and Spirit’s to enjoy a concert by Metavari – a local band with a very unique style. Andy and Michelle are friends with some of the band members so that’s how Christin and I were introduced to them. Christin and I didn’t know what to expect, but were pleasantly surprised and quite enjoyed it. Here’s a brief bio (taken from their website) of the band and a better explanation than I could ever give on what their style is:

“Formed in 2006, songs were piecemealed by airmail between the members of the band who lived in Indiana and a remaining member who was living in the Far East. The band recorded bits and pieces of ideas and slowly formed songs over the course of several months. Combined with their use of digital programming, Metavari experiments with sonic textures, self-manufactured tones and vintage equipment to develop a style that is purely organic and undeniably digital.”

Here’s a pic of Karri, Michelle H, me and Christin at the concert last night. It’s been so nice to have Karri back in the Fort for a couple of weeks. She and her husband Jim have been in Philly for school this past year and now they’re headed to Burundi for 8 months serving with World Relief. Karri was a part of our small group before she moved, so it was a treat to catch up with her and hang out. You can keep up with their African adventure on their blog: jimkarri.blogspot.com.

And for those of you who need a good laugh today, I’m just the girl to provide you with that. I’ve done something very silly, and I assure you, you’ll find it funny. You see, Christin decided to fix her shoe with super glue earlier today. As she was in the process of fixing her shoe, she laid down the super glue bottle on one of her coasters. Later this evening I picked up the coaster to place my drink on it only to find a blob of goo with my fingers. Not thinking much of it, I proceeded to try to wipe the goo off, rubbing it between my pointer finger, my middle finger and my thumb. Shortly thereafter I connected the dots, realizing Christin had been playing with super glue earlier and that this goo was most likely the aftermath of her endeavor in fixing her shoe with nothing else but super glue. I don’t know if you’ve ever gotten super glue on you, but let me tell you, they don’t call SUPER glue for nothing. I tried washing it off with water first…no use. Then I tried using face scrub in hopes that the abrasiveness would make some sort of dent. That didn’t work either. Then Christin whipped out some goo gone claiming that surely it would work in getting the glue off my fingers (all the time laughing hysterically at the mess I’d gotten myself into…thanks to her). All of this to no avail. Right now as I type, I still have the glue plastered to my fingers. I guess I’ll have to wait until the dead skin sheds before I’ll be free of it. I now know how cats feel when you put tape over their paws…I can’t feel a thing. It’s quite annoying. Maybe I should try sandpaper next? Any suggestions?

Color Me Happy

2008-08-12T18:38:00.008-04:00

I cannot express to you how much joy and happiness I experienced during this last weekend! I made the familiar journey to Bloomington for a girl’s weekend with Claire and her Mom, Gail. I took Friday off of work and drove down Thursday night so I had the pleasure of sleeping in a bit on Friday morning and enjoying a lazy breakfast out with the girls at Café Delish…and delish it was. I had biscuits and gravy. Next up was a walk around down town Bloomington and the IU campus where flowers were abundant and beautiful. I love flowers. This picture was actually taken at Oliver Winery...another place full of beautiful gardens.

After our leisurely stroll downtown, we picked up the pace and went to a Jazzercise class. Claire and Gail have decided to take up this form of exercise for a season, so I joined in for the experience. It was an hour of intense workout which I proceeded to feel in my muscles for several days after. It was a fun experience though, and now I can truly understand what it’s like when Claire or Gail talk about it.

For relaxation after our hard core workout, Claire’s Dad, Brad, took us out on Lake Monroe in his small motor boat. Small it may be, but slow it is not. I loved sitting at the front of the boat letting the wind hit me and feeling like I was free to fly. It’s a similar feeling to riding a motorcycle but better because I don’t really have the fear of wiping out and being killed or forever maimed. Plus I didn’t have to wear a helmet. The most exciting thing was hitting the waves, bobbing up and down from the waves, and getting splashed by the water. We enjoyed a Kentucky Fried Chicken picnic in the boat as we watched the sun slowly set. It was a perfect way to close the day.

Saturday was just as pleasurable. We slept in again and then stopped by the farmers market on the way to Gail’s. There’s was an art fair taking place which made it even more interesting. I bought a ceramic coffee mug and some clover honey. I love the Bloomington Farmers market…it’s a great place to be on a Saturday morning.

The big event scheduled for Saturday was the Indianapolis zoo. We decided to take a little detour on the way there though and stopped at Oliver Winery to enjoy the beautiful flower gardens and some free taste testing. I’m not much of a wine fan, but I think I may have found one I can at least tolerate. The less it tastes like alcohol and the more sweet it is the better. You might say, why bother? Well, I don’t most of the time. Just curious to see if there’s anything out there I might like.

The zoo was great. We spent three hours there walking around and taking in the sites. During our visit we managed to feed the giraffes (watch out for those long tongues!), pet the dog sharks (their skin reminded me of velvet), watch a 15 minute dolphin show, and enjoy seeing some fun animals including a Walrus sucking algae off the glass tank it was in…yum, yum. We topped off the day with a lovely dinner at a Moroccan restaurant in Bloomington and a movie.

Sunday was just as lovely except for the fact I wasn’t ready to go home. I was simply having too much fun. None-the-less I made that three hour journey back to the Fort and eased into the new week watching the Olympics….gymnastics…my favorite sport to watch during the Olympics.

The weekend before last I had the pleasure of visiting my cousin Amy, her husband Dean, and their kids Kristin and Joshua. They’re now living in Gas City since Dean is the Pastor at the church I grew up in. It was fun to hang out with them and see some of the ladies from the church during a Saturday morning prayer breakfast. My good friend Liz came over in the evening and we had a Tupperware party since Amy had salvaged all the Tupperware Grandma Dorothy had in the house…which was plenty. We split it up – making a pile for Betsy for when she moves here, giving Liz some since she’s moving soon and doesn’t really have any kitchen supplies, and I took a few items since most of my containers are cheap plastic ware. All parties were happy…especially Amy since she was clearing out space in her house.

Amy and I also mastered the art of frying fish…quite the entertainment, I’d say. I managed to burn the oil at first, but then the second time around we got the hang of it. After frying the fish, Amy got a hankering to go fishing. So we traipsed out to the pond and did just that. It was the first time I’ve ever put a worm on my own hook. Grandpa Gail has always been my go to guy for putting worms on my hook. Amy was willing to do it for me, but I kind of wanted to see what it was like. Well, let’s just say it’s not a particularly enjoyable experience. The worm almost senses the puncture before it happens, tenses up and tries to squirm out of the situation. Once I won the battle with the worm I had the pleasure (do you sense my sarcasm dripping here?) of seeing worm guts explode onto my fingers. YUK! I did manage to catch three fish but Amy had to pry them off the hook for me. I simply couldn’t get the right angle on it. We just threw them back in the pond. Perhaps we’ll catch them another day. I imagine I’ll be visiting them often and look forward to more fun cooking experiences and whatever other crazy things we decide to take on.

I love lazy Saturdays...

2008-07-26T15:51:00.005-04:00

I love lazy Saturdays, how about you? Today has been one of those lazy Saturdays. Right now I’m sitting at my desk enjoying the pitter patter of a summer afternoon rain. I don’t know why it gives me so much joy, but it does. The cool air and soothing sound of the rain just does my soul good.

My roommate Christin has had a couple of hard weeks with a variety of things going on in her life. So, one Friday night not too long ago, we decided to spontaneously head to Chick-fil-A to get a quick bite to eat. It was dress like a cow night and get a free chicken sandwich. Unfortunately we left our cow costumes at home, but had other coupons we used anyway. We were pleased to meet this cow there though. Who goes to Chick-fil-A on a Friday night and takes their picture with a cow? Apparently we do. Crazy girls. It was fun.

Last weekend I went to Wisconsin with my co-worker, Cindy, and her family. They were headed up there for a family wedding reception and it just so happened they were driving close by where Andy and Elissa are now living. So they dropped me off and I got to spend a couple days with them and my oh so cute nephew, Joshua. Andy gave us a tour of where he works. Despite what the sign says here, we all entered into Andy’s workplace since we were with one of the employees. Such rebels. The place is filled with all kinds of machinery that looks complicated and potentially dangerous. I came away thinking, I’m glad Andy works there and not me. Especially after hearing him talk about measuring different projects out…anything having to do with numbers makes my brain hurt.

Then we drove over to the place they’ll be moving into in September. It will be nice to picture them there. It’s a five hour drive to see them and you have to go through Chicago…so I’m not thrilled about making that trip on my own…but imagine I will at some point. Maybe I can coerce Christin into coming along sometime.

I finished reading The Shack this week. Wow! What a read. It was soooooo good. I came away from it with so much to chew on. I’m going to have to go back and read it again because it’s jam packed with insights and thoughts to mull over. I’m sure I didn’t catch them all the first time around. It is so creatively written and is so fresh. I loved it because I’ve grown up with in the box thinking when it comes to my faith, but this is anything but trapped in a box. The picture it gives of the Trinity is beautiful. I’m doing a study on the Holy Spirit right now, so it was particularly interesting for me to see how the author, William Paul Young, depicts the Holy Spirit. Actually, his whole picture of the entire Trinity was intriguing and insightful. What’s crazy about this book is that it is fiction. Just goes to show that story telling can be just as powerful as or sometimes even more powerful than a self-help or how-to book.

On another note, Francesca Battistelli’s debut album, My Paper Heart, is now available to purchase. The best part though is you can listen to the entire album for free on her website. So, I went there and did just that wondering if perhaps her song, I’m Letting Go, was really the only one I’d like. I was pleasantly surprised to find I love her entire album. I love her style of music, her voice, and her lyrics. I can relate to many of the songs. So, now I know it’s worth buying the CD.

Last night we celebrated Michelle’s birthday. We saw Mama Mia and then went to Baskin Robbins for some yummy ice cream afterwards. I had Jamocha Oreo…oh so good. Michelle had Cherry Chip and Christin had a donut filled with gooey cream. Mama Mia was a fun chick flick. The music was catchy and it was over all a really funny movie. I don’t remember the last time I was in a movie theatre that was filled with so much laughter. While I don’t necessarily agree with the morals they pushed in the movie, I thought it was an entertaining and fun movie none-the-less. Next up on my movies to watch list is Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. The first one was so good; I hope this one isn’t a disappointment.

Home Sweet Home

2008-07-03T19:48:00.003-04:00

It’s always so wonderful to go on a long journey. At the same time it’s always wonderful to come home even with the mixed emotions of desiring to stay “in another world” just to rest from day to day responsibilities. At the same time, the world of responsibility isn’t that bad. It gives one a sense of purpose. So, I’m home now engulfed in reality and wading through my long to do lists. I’m just as thankful for those to do lists as I am for the time I had away from home. Canada was great to say the least!

I’ve been thinking about the best way to share about my trip. I think I’ll be able to share more if I break it into days. I took so many pictures and we packed so much in each day. Even though I’m breaking it up into days, there’s no way I’m going to be able to post all my pictures. To view my picture album click on this link: http://picasaweb.google.com/jamiejbennett.

So, here we go! Grab a cup of coffee or whatever your favorite drink is and join me on my journey to Canada.

Canada: Day 1

2008-07-03T19:39:00.005-04:00

I took Monday off of work to pack and run any last minute errands. The bus wasn’t scheduled to depart until 8 p.m. so I was glad to have the extra time to prepare. Before meeting up with Leandra I took a little detour to my old elementary playground. I wanted to walk down memory lane and also desired to start my trip off in a playful way since I was headed for vacation…had to set the mood ya know. The funny thing is the playground doesn’t look anything like the one I grew up on. They’ve replaced all the playground equipment. But I had fun swinging and walking the balance beams anyway.

I took a walk by my old house too. The tree I planted in the front yard has grown so much…it’s hard to believe how huge it’s gotten. I love visiting it and thinking about how my Dad and I planted it from a tiny seed…and there it stands tall and strong. Amazing.

After my little walk down memory lane I met up with Leandra and then we headed over to LightRider Ministries to load up on the bus and head out. LightRider Ministries is a not-for-profit organization that provides retreats on wheels. One of my favorite things on this journey was the fact that every day we had devotions as a group. There were a total of 35 of us on the bus. The first thing we did as we left Upland was pray and have devotions. Each day someone shared their testimony (sometimes more than one person) and it was always such an encouragement to hear how God has been at work in each other’s lives.

Since it was over 3,500 miles roundtrip and a 42 hour drive one way, we had no time to stop at hotels along the way. So, you guessed it, we slept right there on the bus. We had three drivers that rotated sleeping and driving. I’m not sure if I got a wink of sleep the first night on the bus. As a matter of fact, I’m not sure anyone did. While it was quiet, we were all struggling to get some shut eye in. It sure is an interesting sensation to fall asleep in a moving vehicle of that size with a window on my left and at my feet. I was assigned the bunk on the second deck above a table at the front where the wind shield was located. There were four of us sleeping there…it was about the size of a king size bed except not quite as long. We decided to put our feet toward the windshield in case there was a wreck in hopes of landing on our feet rather than being knocked unconscious. Not sure how much of a difference it would have made, but thankfully we didn’t have to find out. It was fun to pop my head up in the middle of the night and look out the windshield…it was like I was surfing on my back. Weird. One night we hit some really big bumps along the way and I found myself bouncing to the point of my whole body being suspended in the air. Now that was fun!

Canada: Day 2

2008-07-03T19:32:00.003-04:00

This day was pretty uneventful as it was our scheduled travel day. We spent all day on the road only stopping for breakfast, lunch, and supper. We had breakfast in New York, lunch in Massachusetts, and dinner in Freeport, Main. There was a shopping outlet in Freeport so they gave us a couple hours to walk around and do a little shopping if we desired. I had a lobster roll and clam chowder for dinner…it was yummy. Can’t beat seafood by the ocean. This was the first time I’d tasted lobster and I must say I had expected it to taste better. It didn’t really leave that much of an impression on me. Perhaps that’s because it was on a sandwich? I don’t know. It wasn’t bad, but I think I was expecting to be wowed by it since I heard so many people rave about it. Non-the-less, I tried it and enjoyed it.
We played catch phrase on the bus, a fun game to make the time pass quickly. We arrived at the Canadian border sometime after 10 p.m. I can’t remember the exact time. I just know we were all in our PJ’s and in bed. Thankfully we didn’t have to leave the bus. We filled out the paperwork and passed it back down to the officials. They didn’t even ask to see our passports. It was a pretty easy crossing to say the least. We all slept a little better this night…I guess we were getting used to sleeping while in constant motion.

Canada: Day 3

2008-07-03T19:01:00.009-04:00

Talk about a room with a view…I woke up in a bus with a view. As I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and settled my focus outside the window, I couldn’t help but be filled with awe at the beauty surrounding us. We had arrived at Peggy’s Cove, a tiny fishing village dating back to 1811. It’s one of the most photographed places in Canada…and I can see why. The coast is made up of granite boulders over that are remains of the last glaciers.

The lighthouse is quite a focal point although it no longer serves as a beacon. Instead, it operates as a summertime post office – the only Canadian post office housed in a lighthouse. We only had a couple hours there, enough time to eat a hearty breakfast, explore the land, and take a few photos. We didn’t venture toward the darker rocks as these areas are considered the danger zone. People are engulfed by vicious and unpredictable waves every year in these areas. There are signs everywhere warning you to stay away from the dark rocks, but tragically, some people don’t head the warnings and lose their life as a result. I didn’t see any huge waves while we were there.
After our breathtaking tour of Peggy’s Cove we drove to Halifax where our first stop in the city was the Citadel. It’s now a national historic site of Canada. Our tour guide was a wealth of information and had a fun personality. As you can see he’s wearing a kilt, a common garb on many of the other young men in the fort as well. I don’t know how they stand the cold in those things…it had to be in the 50’s the day we visited and that was a “warm” day to them.
We arrived in time to hear the cannon at noon. The men were dressed as the Royal Artillery of 1869 and reenacted drills taken from British Army manuals of that period. It’s a tradition to fire the cannon at noon every day save for Christmas Day. I was expecting it to be louder than it was…although I did jump in surprise as I was trying to get a picture of the cannon as it went off. Since I jumped, I didn’t get the shot…oh well.

This sailing mast was used to send out messages to the city of Halifax. There was another smaller sailing mast right next to this one in which the fort used to post internal messages in a code only the army knew. Today, they like putting fun messages up including birthday salutations or something just plain silly.

After a chilly tour of the Halifax Citadel we headed in doors to the Maritime Museum. There were all kinds of ship models and artifacts recovered from lost ships to see there. They also had a wealth of information about the Titanic. Halifax was the closest port to the tragic accident, and as a result they had the grueling task of trying to save any survivors and then collecting and burying the deceased. Many were buried at sea, but some were brought to shore and buried in Halifax. We visited one of the cemeteries where some of the victims were buried. It was so sad to see many of the tombstones without names…just numbers since there was no way of identifying the person they buried.

For lunch we ate at Tim Horton’s….they’re everywhere in Canada and a more affordable option so it quickly became a favorite. After our time in Halifax we drove to Truro and dined at Murphy’s Fish ‘N Chips for supper. Bet ya can guess what I had for dinner…yup…fish ‘n chips. It was delicious.

After dinner we checked into the Pallister Motel , and I enjoyed my first shower of the trip. After two days of traveling, I was thrilled to clean up and refresh myself. The motel itself was quite old and looked like one of those motels you’d see in a scary movie. However, the accommodations were just fine…especially after living on a bus with 35 people!

Truro is famous for their Tidal Bore, a natural phenomenon which is seen in very few parts of the world. The Bay of Fundy is located right next to the Pallister Motel and is noted for its extremely high tides and for its tidal bores. In the Bay of Fundy, the rise and fall of the tide is greatly amplified becoming a wave varying from just a ripple to several feet in height. It actually causes the river to change its flow as a result of the wave flowing in over the outgoing river water. The bore arrives twice a day, and if we wanted to see it, 1:00 a.m. was the appointed time. So, rather than falling asleep and then getting up in the middle of the night, Leandra and I opted to just stay up for this natural wonder. Here we are out in the cold, dark night, awaiting the Tidal Bore. We heard the wave coming about a minute or so before it arrived and enjoyed watching the bay fill up rather quickly. It’s said the high tide at the Truro viewing site is reached in just over one hour from arrival of the bore. I can believe it as the bay filled up swiftly in just the short amount of time we were watching it.

Canada: Day 4

2008-06-30T21:56:00.008-04:00

We started off day four with a breakfast buffet at the motel and then headed out to catch a ferry ride to Prince Edward Island. The ferry was huge! So big we drove our entire bus on it. There were other large vehicles that came aboard as well. We then walked up to the top deck and enjoyed the hour and a half ride over to the island. It was rather cold and overcast that day, but it was still pretty and a fun experience.

Once we departed the ferry, we drove over to Charlottetown, the capital of PEI, and had lunch at a little Café. We soon found out our American dollar is not worth as much as it used to be. Our $20 is only worth $19 in Canadian money. It’s rather unfortunate.

After lunch we took a tour through Founders Hall. We heard the story of Canada from its inception in 1864 up until modern day. We walked through “The Time Travel Tunnel” to learn all about the history of Canada. Their use of multi-media and modern day technology helped engage us and find the experience quite interesting. They used beautiful artistic displays, on-screen trivia games, drawers, cupboards, and other media to present their story. We each had a headset that narrated our passage through the tunnel. The whole experience was quite unique and made me think I’d enjoy learning about more history if I could learn in this kind of setting all the time.

Two of the Founders Hall Confederation Players came on board our bus after our little history lesson and gave us a driving tour of Charlottetown. It was absolutely beautiful by the shore. The houses were gorgeous as well. I was sad we couldn’t take the walking tour or at least stay a little longer to take a walk along the boardwalk. I enjoyed the sites via the bus none-the-less.

After our driving tour we drove to Cavendish, home of Anne of Green Gables, and checked into Kindred Spirits Country Inn. This place was amazing! It’s family-owned and operated and had all the amenities one could hope for. It had a wraparound porch, simply lovely! And our room was huge. Leandra and I got lost in a king size bed. After sleeping right next to her on the bus, I hardly knew she was in the same bed here. Her Aunt Susan slept on the hideaway sofa. The bathroom had a Jacuzzi and a shower. It reminded me of a master bath. I’ve never seen anything like this in an Inn. Not only that, but the Inn had a pool and hot tub. There was also this huge chess set you could play with. It felt like I was in Alice and Wonderland when I was standing amidst the chess set. Sadly, I didn’t have enough time to engage in a game since they kept us so busy site seeing.

Our Inn was within walking distance of the Atlantic Ocean so we decided to take a leisurely stroll down a beautiful lane to the ocean front and spent over an hour soaking in the sand dunes, crashing waves, and rocky shore. The water was too cold for swimming but we stuck our toes in until they turned red from the cold. I collected several rocks and a few sea shells while I was there and have made a lovely candle holder out of them. I just dropped them in the bottom of a round glass globe and placed a tea light on top. After our visit to the ocean, I sunk into our king size bed and enjoyed a long night’s sleep.

Canada: Day 5

2008-06-30T21:02:00.011-04:00

The next morning we woke up to a homemade country style breakfast buffet. There were eight different juices to choose from, coffee, yogurt, fruit, and hot food served on glassware. I sat outside on the porch and felt like a princess. I’ll tell you what, I certainly ate well on this trip.

After breakfast we headed over to Green Gables. We toured the house…it was so quaint. I loved these geraniums in the window. The sunlight made them look so happy. And Anne’s room was quite pretty as well. We walked through the barn and I “milked” the fiberglass cow. Then Leandra and I braved the haunted woods. As you can see we got a little scared…it is the haunted woods after all!

After we got “frightened” in the haunted woods we decided to take a walk down lover’s lane. There were beautiful bridges all along the trail. The greenery and flowers were enough to do any heart good. I could have spent a lot more time walking those trails…but as usual on this trip, we simply ran out of time.

The next stop was the Lucy Maud Montgomery homestead. There we saw a group of people gathered under a big white tent celebrating the 100th anniversary of Anne of Green Gables. We didn’t plan to be in Cavendish on the 100th anniversary of Anne, but it sure did work out nicely. They issued stamps in honor of Anne on this day and had pictures of the new stamps on the cookies and cake they served at the party. Several in our group crashed the party and enjoyed a cookie, including Leandra and me.

We grabbed lunch at a place called the Boardwalk. There were several stores there along with a few restaurants. We opted for Subway and then indulged in some Cow’s ice cream. Cow’s is a very popular ice cream shop on PEI…and it’s very tasty. The ice cream is made from an old family recipe that originated in Cavendish. I had Raspberry chip...yum, yum!

We headed over to Avonlea Village after lunch and enjoyed a live concert. Gilbert played the base guitar and Anne tapped danced. All the characters from Green Gables were at the village interacting with us. They did a little play for us…the scene where Anne breaks the slate of Gilbert’s head in the school room after he called her carrots because of her red hair. They also had a portrait studio where you could choose all kinds of old fashioned clothing, dress up, and they’d take your picture for free. Leandra and Mickey decided to dress up as Anne. I opted for some general clothing…but with puffed sleeves of course! We also took a little buggy ride while we were there. I enjoyed some Raspberry Cordial on the ride….no, not Red Current Wine…it really was Raspberry Cordial.

The entire group hadn’t been to the ocean yet, so that was our next stop. I enjoyed walking the shores again in a different location than we’d been the night before. I picked up a few more rocks and shells but decided to keep my feet out of the water this time. We had devotions overlooking the ocean that day…simply stunning. We parked on the cliff which was quite scary. We all envisioned the cliff caving in and the bus rolling into the ocean. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. I must say, our bus drivers really knew how to drive and get in and out of small parking lots. We joked it was one of their favorite things to do…driving into small areas just to show us how skilled they were. Really, I think they just couldn’t help the situation at times. It made for an adventurous ride, that’s for sure. Kudos to Mike, Buck, and Rich!

That evening Leandra and I enjoyed soaking in the hot tub…until our skin started looking like prunes. It was so relaxing and a perfect activity to do before boarding the bus the next day for our long journey home. Each evening the Inn has cookies and tea at 9 p.m. in the foyer. We decided to participate on this particular night and I’m so glad we did. I tried Mango Passion Fruit tea…it was scrumptious. It was fun to visit with my new friends over tea. As Claire says, tea makes everything better. I have to agree.

Canada: Day 6

2008-06-30T20:47:00.007-04:00

I started the day off with Blueberry pancakes, a scone, bacon, a plum and coffee. I also tried blueberry pomegranate juice and grapefruit juice. My preferred choice of juice was still grape though. Our first stop of the day was Lucy Maud Montgomery’s home where she got married. Apparently people from all over the world come there to get married. The Japanese culture loves Anne of Green Gables. In fact, the books were translated into Japanese because they look up to her character so much.

All the furniture in the house was the original furniture when Lucy lived there. There were guest books everywhere we visited, so we made it a point to sign our names wherever we went. They served us tea and cookies after we toured the home and then we took another carriage ride…this time by the Lake of Shining Waters.

We drove to the L.M. Montgomery school at Lower Bedeque where Lucy taught for about a year in 1898. She had 14 students and taught until March of that year when her Grandfather died and she went back to Cavendish to care for her Grandmother. This school was used up until 1963 and then closed. The property continued decaying until the middle 1980’s when they decided to restore the school. It’s kept open today for tourists by the Friends of Lucy Maud Montgomery Inc. It runs completely on donations.

We enjoyed some more sea food for lunch at Gateway Village. I had the best Clam Chowder ever. We did a little more shopping here as well. We soon found out if you’d been to one gift shop, you’d been to them all. The good news was if you couldn’t decide if you wanted to purchase something at one of them, you just had to wait until the next gift shop and you’d pretty much be guaranteed to find the same thing there.

We had devotions overlooking the Confederation Bridge…it’s a nine mile bridge over a 7 mile bay. We took this bridge back to Nova Scotia rather than riding the ferry again. But not until after we traveled back to Charlottetown and saw the Anne of Green Gable’s Musical. It was quite an entertaining musical although a bit different than the movie, book, or play. I enjoyed it non-the-less. We hopped on the bus after enjoying the show and started to head for home.

Canada: Day 7

2008-06-30T20:18:00.008-04:00

This time we traveled west across Canada instead of going south through the New England states. So, we got to see more of Canada this way including all kinds of French signs. Our waitress at breakfast did a great job of speaking English, but you could tell it wasn’t her first language. We stopped for a few hours in the old walled in city of Quebec and had lunch there. Before we ate lunch we decided to walk around the city and take in the sites. Everywhere you looked, it was beautiful. It was as if everything was calling out, “take my picture!” The old buildings were three or more stories high and simply stunning.

It was a rainy and overcast day but we were still surprised to be caught in the middle of a downpour. There were a few thunder claps and strikes of lightening, but the rain left the biggest imprint on my memory. The roads became a river before our very eyes. We eventually found a tunnel to duck into and shortly after that the water began backing into the tunnel. Our feet were soaked and our pants were drenched half way up to our chins. Poor Leandra was just soaked clear through everywhere because she didn’t have an umbrella. She did have a rain jacket, but alas, it didn’t serve the very purpose of its existence. I offered to share my umbrella, but she didn’t think it necessary at the time. And then the downpour was on us too quickly to react in time. The city was celebrating their 400th anniversary. It seems we had a knack for joining in on anniversary celebrations unintentionally.

After our three hour stay in the Old City of Quebec, we hit the road again and popped in Anne of Avonlea. I’ve seen it several times, but it’s still just as good as it always was. I came to the conclusion that Megan Follows plays Anne better than anyone else. It just comes naturally to her.

That night we went to bed knowing it would be a bright and early morning as we were due to cross the U.S. border at 4:30 a.m. And cross at 4:30 a.m. we did. Of course, getting into the U.S. was much more difficult than getting into Canada. They asked us to get off the bus in a single file line with our passports in hand. So, all 35 of us dragged our greasy selves out of bed and traipsed into the building in our PJs. I’m sure it was quite an entertaining site, although I find it hard to believe the security guards had a humorous bone in their bodies at all. The only facial expression they wore was a solemn look of intimidation. Thankfully we all made it through without any complications. We were scared for Leandra for a few minutes as we watched the security personnel take her passport and walk it way back into another part of the building. Apparently she had asked if they had stamps there. His response was only a grim look until he walked away and then came back with her passport stamped. She was a little nervous there for a bit as were we all. But dog gone it she got her stamp! We were thankful for the bathroom break as well…any bathroom other than the one on the bus was wonderful.

Canada: Day 8

2008-06-30T20:15:00.005-04:00

We stopped at the Auburn Cracker Barrel and enjoyed some breakfast. I had French toast. We arrived in Upland at 11:30 a.m. and I made it to Fort Wayne at 12:40 p.m. I cannot tell you how excited I was to take a shower and flop on my comfy bed for a nap. As I said before, leaving is great, but so is coming home.

So was it worth it? Absolutely! Would I do it again? I think I would. Leandra proved to be a great traveling companion. I imagine we’ll venture out on another road trip sometime soon. Well, not for a while since she’s off to England for a month to work at a camp. But we’ll fit one in sometime after we replenish our vacation funds.

I’m so thankful for this trip. The timing of it was impeccable. How often does someone get an opportunity to do something they’ve desired to do for a long time just plopped in their lap? I see God’s hand all over this. A verse that has come to mean a lot to me over the last couple of months is Psalm 103:1-5

“Praise the Lord, O my Soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.”

In my pain and struggles over the last several weeks, I’ve made it a practice to “forget not all his benefits” by daily taking inventory of everything I’m grateful for and praising God for those things. I’m so amazed that even in pain and suffering, the Lord “satisfies your desires with good things”. My trip to Canada is proof of that. I’m praising the Lord for this and am celebrating his love and compassion.

Storms, Sleep Over, and a Surprise!

2008-06-09T20:55:00.008-04:00

It seems the storm from a week ago has brought a rush of storms into the area. Crazy! I've enjoyed them. Although I imagine everyone whose dealing with flooding in the middle of the state isn't enjoying this so much. Today I was at Dick's Sporting Goods when a storm hit...I looked outside and the rain was flying sideways. The lightening looked wicked...the kind that comes straight down. The electricity actually went out in the store...there weren't many people there so it wasn't that big of a deal. It was kind of fun. I was actually really glad I was there instead of in my apartment on the second floor. There's just something about tornadoes and storms on the second floor that doesn't bode well. But I like the second floor on all other accounts...well...perhaps the grocery lugging is a bit challenging at times...but I'm always up for a good challenge.

Speaking of storms, Friday night we had a doozy. There were tornadoes in the area. Our small group had hoped to go camping Friday night but took one look at the forecast and thought better of it. Instead all the girls came over here for a good ole sleep over. We had homemade pizza, homemade caramel corn, and lots of other yummy food. One thing is for sure...we never go hungry when we get together. These girls know how to throw a party! We stayed up late into the night watching a movie and talking. Anyway, at one point we looked outside and the sky was yellow...so we turned on the TV and realized the gravity of the situation. The severe storms were to our east, but there was a chance of tornadoes in our area nonetheless. After about 15 minutes of watching the weather man on the TV we stepped outside on the balcony and beheld a beautiful double rainbow. I savored the moment, thinking of God's promises and how He's so good.

Earlier in the day, I got a phone call from my friend Leandra asking me if I wanted to join her on a bus trip to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. It was quite out of the blue, so after she explained that her sister was unable to go and there was an open spot on the bus I understood a little more of why she was asking me to join her for a road trip to Canada. The crazy thing is it's scheduled for next week! I have always wanted to go there and could hardly believe the opportunity was at my front door. So after the initial shock, I managed to rearrange my schedule, get time off of work, and said a resounding YES! The timing of it couldn't be more perfect. I'd been thinking it would be really nice to take a vacation about now, but had no idea of where to go or what to do. And then, plop, God placed this in my lap. Another moment to look up to the heavens and say, "God, you certainly know better than I...thank you for caring so much".

So, next time I write on here, I'll most likely be sharing beautiful pictures from my road trip. Canada, here I come!

Cultivating a Grateful Heart

2008-05-31T22:05:00.008-04:00

Last night it stormed…really stormed…and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I’ve been waiting for an all out thunderstorm with pounding rain, flashing lightning, and booming thunder. They’ve been forecasting such a storm over the course of the last few weeks…but it always seemed to escape us. Last night…it finally hit. I’m so thankful. There’s just something about a good storm. In a way it matched the depth of all the emotions I’ve been feeling over the last month or so. And beyond that, a good thunderstorm reminds me of God’s power. I used to be frightened by storms, but now I’ve grown to love them. I guess I’m starting to take after my Dad in that way. Last night I sat in bed reading as the storm was brooding outside my open window. I enjoyed the light breeze until the storm went full force and started blowing the rain through my screen window. So, I closed it but the left the blinds up so I could fully enjoy the lightening as it raced across the sky. I stayed up until mid-night reading and watching the storm…not caring about the late hour…just soaking in the beautiful night that it was, embracing the moment.

I finished my book this morning and was so inspired by it. It’s called Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life by Shauna Niequist. Shauna has such a beautiful writing style. The book is really a series of essays about life. Each essay makes up a chapter. The essays include topics about forgiveness, jealousy, friendship, loss, love, etc. But all the chapters have much more interesting titles than what I’ve listed above…she has a unique way with words…very creative but not so much that you come away thinking…what was all that fluff she wrote about? Instead, you come away thinking…how clever. Her illustrations and word pictures drive her points home and leave you with a better understanding in the end. I was struck by her honesty and often times I found myself saying, “you too?” I could relate with her and came away thinking I could really enjoy being friends with this girl. The whole book was like a breath of fresh air to me. I’ve been inspired to celebrate the seemingly little things…that really are extraordinary once you stop and think about it. The last few weeks I’ve made a habit of writing down several things at the end of every day that I’m thankful happened during the day. I decided I needed to cultivate an attitude of gratefulness so I don’t fill my thoughts and heart with gloom and doom. It’s been very therapeutic and has kept my perspective in a good place. So I thought I’d share some of the things that have happened in the last couple weeks that I’m thankful for.

A couple weekends ago I headed to Bloomington to hang out with Claire and John. Claire is a true bosom buddy. We’ve known each other since we were six years old and every year our friendship grows deeper, stronger, and richer. I can’t thank God enough for her. In an effort to lighten my mood we filled the weekend with fun activities. By the end of the weekend we had played the Nintendo Wii, bought the exact same tennis shoes (no kidding – we can get away with it since we live in different cities), taken a few walks, gone to see Prince Caspian (it was opening weekend), and bought flowers at the local farmers market. I planted my flowers later in the week. It was the most therapeutic thing I’ve don’t yet, I think. It’s funny how flowers can make me so happy….but they do. Now they grace my deck and patio outside my front door. It was the first time I had played the Wii. Even though I came away stinking sore from it, I really enjoyed it. We played tennis, baseball, bowling, ping pong, boxing, and several other games. The boxing was what did me in. After the second time of boxing against Claire I found myself so sore that I grimaced that night whenever I turned over in bed. Nonetheless, I was thankful I could feel my muscles…I was alive and that’s something to be thankful for.

The following weekend Andy, Elissa, and Joshua came to Fort Wayne for a wedding. I had the joy of babysitting Joshua while Andy and Elissa attended the wedding. So, Joshua made his debut trip to the zoo with his Aunt Jamie. I must say, he’s still a little young to fully appreciate the entirety of the zoo. For example, he was more interested in the pool of water below him than the monkeys or dingo on the other side of the water. He was quite the trooper though and did really well while we were there. Christin, Bob, Thomas, and Chairith went to the zoo as well. Of course, we had to get a picture of Bob by the bobcat sign. We had a great time hanging out…and the weather was perfect.

Christin is another huge blessing in my life. She provides just the right amount of humor relief at just the right time. She’s also been really sensitive and attentive to my needs. This last week we took an evening to play frisbee golf at Shoaf park. I had never played frisbee golf, but found it to be a fun group activity. I’m not really that good. It’s just like golf…the lower the score the better. The best score I got was four. I almost got three but the frisbee bounced off the goal so it ended up being four. Oh well. Later that evening we went over to Bob’s place and played Rock Band...a video game made up of an actual guitar, drum set, and microphone for singing. Again…this was another first for me. I ended up playing the drums and very much enjoyed it. I played percussion in high school, but never learned how to play the drum set. So I enjoyed a taste of what that would be like.

I’m also thankful for the spunk and determination that seems to be resurfacing in me. Christin, Michelle, Leandra and I were playing frisbee on Memorial Day and Christin threw a wild one that ended up perched in a nearby pine tree. She had no intention of climbing it after assessing the situation, however; I couldn’t resist the challenge. I climbed through the branches in my tevas, brushing away the pine needles and the thorns intertwined with the tree until I finally reached up and grabbed the stray frisbee. It felt so good to tackle the dilemma at hand. My brother, Peter, doesn’t call me a monkey for nothing.

Speaking of Peter, he had a rather exciting event happen this week. He works for the Department of Education for the state of Florida and presented a U.S. flag to Governor Charlie Crist. The flag was flown in Afghanistan while he was serving there last year . I’m so proud of him for his willingness to sacrifice in service to this country. I’m also so thankful he’s back in the states and safe. It’s wonderful to be able to talk with him often.

I’m also thankful for my job. I’ve had a lot on my plate at work lately…well really that’s all the time with my job. But lately, deadlines have been approaching and I’ve had to stay busy to get the job done…which has helped me to focus my mind on the tasks at hand rather than drifting off and getting sad. I’m amazed at God and how He works. I produce a live talk show and occasionally I have to prepare encore shows when we’re unable to do a live show for whatever reason. Well, a few months ago I chose an encore show to air next week. Little did I know when I picked it out a few months ago how much I would need to hear the message packaged in that show at this very moment. The featured book in the encore is The Power of Letting Go by Pam Vredevelt. The very question she asks in her book and during the interview is the question I’ve been asking a lot lately. It’s simply this: How can I embrace today, release my yesterdays, and prepare for tomorrow? The answer in a nutshell is release yesterday by surrendering the why – instead look for what God can do and how he’s going to show his power through this hard situation. Embrace today by accepting that what is, is. And prepare for the future by starting to ask, “God, what are you up to?” I was encouraged by these three points Pam made in the interview.

When life is hard and God is in us, our broken places can become the windows where His glory shines through.

When life is hard and God is in us, we who are broken pots can become trophies.

When life is hard and God is in us, we can rest assured that somehow, some way God will bring his redeeming glory to bare in our lives and in the lives of others.

I also have a new song for this season called I’m Letting Go by Francesca Battistelli. It describes exactly how I feel right now. Her CD doesn’t release until July, but she’s released this particular song to radio stations across the nation and you can download it for free at musicremedy.com. Check it out when you have a moment. I love her style.

I also love this warmer weather. I’m excited for our apartment pool to open up. I have a feeling I’ll be utilizing it often this summer, basking in the sun and reading to my heart’s content. There’s nothing like reading by the pool. The warmer weather has also brought my neighbors outside more. I have several new ones…and they’re so friendly for which I’m thankful. It’s lovely to have neighbors to share potting soil with and to talk about neighborly things with.

So, my heart is encouraged even in the middle of my pain and grief. God has shown me in so many ways His great love for me. He has invited me to enjoy the fullness of His love in the celebration of the everyday occurrences He’s brought into my life. The more I stop and embrace them, the more I soak in His love and come away with a sense of His healing touch on my heart. I’m so thankful I serve Christ…a mastermind of the heart…of my heart.

A Season for Grieving

2008-05-14T21:59:00.002-04:00

I turned 26 years old since I last posted on here, and I feel old. While I celebrate the 26 years of life God has given me, I also grieve the fact I can no longer check the age box that says 21-25. I now have to check the box that says 26-30. There’s just something about being categorized with a 30 something that makes me feel old. Not that 30 is old and not that I’m old. I realize this. Regardless of the truth, some ages just make you feel, old ya know? Maybe I’ll feel young again when I’m 27. Who knows?

It seems like 2008 has been a year for separation…a season of death of sorts. My Grandpa John passed away in March. While I know he’s in heaven and out of pain, I still miss him. And then more recently Andy and Elissa moved to Wisconsin. It all came about rather suddenly. Andy lost his construction job due to a poor economy and several weeks later secured a job in Wisconsin near Elissa’s parents. It’s a great opportunity for them, and I’m excited for the possibilities this job may offer them. At the same time, I miss not having them only 45 minutes away. It was nice knowing they were there if I needed anything or if I just wanted to take a little road trip to see them and get some family time in. Now my little road trip has been lengthened by at least 4 hours. While I grieve that they are no longer close, I’m so thankful for the season we did have to live near each other. It was wonderful to be able to get to know Elissa…which wouldn’t have happened as easily if they lived further away. And it was wonderful to be able to be there through Elissa’s pregnancy with Joshua and to celebrate his birth and much of his first year of life. He’s really too cute for his own good. I’m going to miss that little guy. He brings so much joy to my heart. I believe the Lord has given me the gift of a deeper friendship with both Andy and Elissa over the last few years and that is priceless and will last even through the miles of separation. Word has it that where I lost a brother and sister-in-law, I’m gaining a cousin! You see, Dean and Amy have been appointed to pastor my home church in Gas City. So, it looks like I’ll still have a tie to those parts after all. I look forward to visits with them. And, Lord willing, in January Betsy and Gerson will be home from Bolivia and will be settling somewhere in Indiana for at least a year. I look forward to having them close by as well.

And even more recently than Andy and Elissa moving I’ve experienced another separation that brings me to a whole new level of grief. After much prayer and seeking counsel, Josh and I broke up. We agreed it’s not the right timing to continue moving forward. While I know this is God’s will and that we are in the right place, my heart is still broken. Even in the midst of the peace God’s given me, tears flow freely and sometimes my chest hurts so much it feels like it could explode. Apparently extreme emotional stress can release enough adrenaline to literally stun the heart into mimicking the symptoms of a heart attack. The good news is there’s no physical damage to the heart. The bad news is it takes time to feel better. I’m learning a whole new side of patience these days. The tears come swiftly, when I’m least expecting them, even in public, and I get so frustrated just wanting this season of grief to be over. But my wise friend, Jess, reminded me of God’s promise in Matthew 5:4 that says, “Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.” There’s nothing to be ashamed of in my tears and it’s a part of my healing process. So even though it’s rather inconvenient at times, I just let them come. I’m also reminded that God makes everything beautiful in His time. He’s already given me so much through my time in dating Josh and has been at work making something beautiful all along. Indeed, he’s already made many things beautiful out of our relationship on so many levels. And I’m trusting he will continue to make something beautiful out of this, even now in all the pain and anguish. I’m waiting on the Lord and trust his Word will not come back void. I’m claiming Psalm 147:3 over my own life. It says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” I keep asking God what it is he wants me to learn in this season of grief, because I know there’s a lesson in here somewhere. There is purpose in all of this. Psalm 138:8 says, “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever, do not abandon the works of our hands.” I believe the Lord has not abandoned me and will fulfill his purpose in me.

I take comfort in Ecclesiastes 3:4 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” I trust the laughing and dancing are on the horizon. The beauty of spring outside gives me hope of a new life to come. I’m just trying to keep myself in the position to experience joy again. My family, friends and co-workers have blessed me in many ways giving me brief moments to experience joy again whether it be through lending a listening ear, giving me a shoulder to cry on, offering a prayer filled with hope, speaking an encouraging word, giving an embrace, or even surprising me with a gift of flowers to cheer my sorrowful state. I’m so thankful for everyone’s support and love...don’t know how I would make it without ya’ll. I have much to be thankful for...even for this season of grieving.

A Tribute to Grandpa John

2008-03-16T21:19:00.004-04:00

Last Saturday, March 8, my Grandpa John entered into utmost bliss. He passed on from this world and is now in the presence of Christ, free from pain and grief. Grandpa lived a full life. He was filled to the brim with love and acceptance for others. Strangers might have found him a bit gruff but those of us who knew him, knew he was just one big teddy bear. He loved to tease the living daylights out of me and anyone around him. That was one of his love languages. One of my fondest memories of him was his talent of wiggling his ears. As I stood in front of his casket looking down and thanking God for my Grandpa’s life, I wished I could see him wiggle his ears one more time. I guess that will have to wait until we meet again in heaven. I imagine he’s driving the best of the best tractors and being as ornery as ever right now.

The hardest part of the funeral was seeing Grandma Dorothy grieve. The most precious moment was when my cousin, Debbie, sang Amazing Grace at the end of the funeral and Grandma sang the entire song with her. The funeral was beautiful and a true celebration of Grandpa John’s life.
Another one of my cousin’s, Tim, wrote another verse to How Great Thou Art in honor of Grandpa. Tim's wife, Arin, sang it while he accompanied her with the guitar. Here it is.

Between green fields, tall with the summer growing,

John gave his time to land and family.

He loved you Lord, in reaping and in sowing

His life declared, my God how great though art...

His life did indeed declare how great our God is. I’m so thankful for the heritage he left and the memories I have of him.

This picture of me and Gramps was taken in 2004 during my college graduation celebration with my family. It was one of the last times all four of my grandparents were together.

I’m celebrating my Grandpa’s home going because 2 Timothy 4:7 rings true in his testimony, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Now that is something to celebrate.

Spring, Come Hither!

2008-03-02T14:42:00.010-05:00

I do declare the promise of spring is in the air! As I walked out to my car one morning this week I heard birds chirping and it made me smile even though everything in sight was snow covered and it was only 7 measly degrees. It didn’t matter…the birds chirping were enough to give me hope of warmer air, spring flowers, and a sun kissed face. I’ve found there are advantages to this snow though. Another morning this week I went out to my car to find it snow covered and naturally needing to be cleaned off before driving on my merry way to work. Well, this so happened to be the case for one of my neighbor ladies as well so I took the opportunity to introduce myself. It was a brief exchange of conversation, but at least it was something. I find it difficult to meet my neighbors even though I live in an apartment complex. Everyone pretty much keeps to themselves. So, I was excited for this opportunity and hope to be able to run into her again…perhaps on another snowy morning over the next few weeks.

Life has been so full for me, I’ve not had much time to blog and I do believe I need to regress a couple months…back to January…and let you know that Peter arrived home safely from Afghanistan. We are all so grateful for this! He managed to make the drive up from Florida a couple weeks after he arrived back in the states. Andy, Elissa, baby Joshua and Peter all stayed at my place for the weekend. It was loads of fun. We played games, saw some pics Peter took over the past year, and just enjoyed hanging out and talking.

I recently visited Claire and John Claire at their lovely new home. It was surreal to drive up to a house…with a garage and a yard! CRAZY! I’m so glad for them though. They’ve chosen some great colors to paint the house. I’m excited to help decorate little by little as I go visit. We went shopping this time to look for some bargains on decorative items but only found a bathroom rug. I did find a non-spillable coffee travel mug though! I was quite excited. So far it has worked like a charm. I’ve taken to drinking half-caffeinated coffee every morning and forgoing my one a day pop at lunch time. It’s a bit healthier and I don’t get the sugar logged feeling nor the sleepy effect from the coffee as I do from the pop.

Yesterday I enjoyed seeing Shadowlands at the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre. The drama was based on the life of C.S. Lewis. It was refreshing, very well done (including the props, staging, and acting), and very moving. It’s a story of love and loss. C.S. fell in love with a lady later in life and found that he had only just begun living once he allowed himself to love. She becomes terminally ill shortly after they fall in love, they marry, and then she dies after a brief remission. I loved his honesty with his friends when they asked him how he was after the fact…trying to give him all the pat answers you give someone whose grieving. His response was: I’m not ok. Where’s God in this? Does He care? Why the suffering? This is a mess! At the end he concludes that the pain he suffers now is part of the happiness then. He didn’t regret loving her, even though it was so hard to lose her to death in the end. The drama was beautifully done, an enriching experience.

Why the Silence?

2008-01-04T17:12:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! I hope 2008 is off to a great start for you.

The last two months have been absolutely crazy…as you can probably guess since I haven’t blogged the entire time. Today, I plan to play catch up and fill you in on what’s been keeping me so busy. Life has been full of wonderful things.

I visited Claire and John the first weekend in November. We had a grand time together as we always do. The following weekend Andy, Elissa, Joshua, and I visited Grandpa Gail in Illinois. Grandpa loved seeing his great grandson again.

I spent Thanksgiving day at Andy and Elissa’s and enjoyed loving on my nephew. It was so nice to be at home for Thanksgiving weekend this year. I was able to put up my Christmas décor and also enjoy some time hanging out with friends. I got to see the lighting of the downtown Santa Claus, Christmas Tree, and wreath with Rachael and her family…something I’ve never been around to see. So that was fun…even though it was raining the entire time. Made for less of a crowd that way! Amy, one of the girls in our small group, also got married Thanksgiving weekend. Our small group did our infamous dog pile…and this time I managed to get a picture with the help of a friend. We’re crazy girls. One thing I can say though…we do have fun!

As I reflected on the year this Thanksgiving I had so many things to be thankful for. I’m thankful for my family, my community of friends, my health, a job that I love, the list goes on. The one thing that stood out the most to me though is my gratefulness for God’s transforming power in my life. He really has transformed my heart and soul and mind over the last year and a half and I’m ever so grateful. It’s happened through the process of a discipleship study, Called To Obediance. The whole process is basically taking God’s Word, applying it to my life, with a witness (Rachael) who loved me through it, called me out on some hard things, gave me freedom to be in process, and encouraged me to keep seeking Christ first. We’ve also gained a friendship from it. I look back and see God’s hand in it all and am so excited for the freedom He’s brought into my life. I’ve officially graduated. In fact I graduated from both CTO and Financial Peace University (for the second time) on the same day! I had decided to take FPU again to see about moving to the next step in the baby steps. After being in the class for a while, I realized I’m not ready to move to the next baby step Dave Ramsey has mapped out, but it was good to take the class anyway. It was a good encouragement to keep up my current money management practices. I’m a little over a year into this new system…and it’s working pretty well.

During the last week of November I managed to attend a Casting Crowns Concert and hear Rob Bell speak in Indy. Rob was on his “The God’s Aren’t Angry Tour”. It was excellent. I had never heard him speak…don’t think I’ve read any of his books either. But I’m convinced this is one gifted man. He spoke for an hour and 45 minutes straight and not for one second was I bored. In fact I was captivated the entire time. He had a powerful message about Jesus coming at the reconciliation of the ages. I was rapidly taking notes the entire time so I could look back and reflect on it since I’m not the best at remembering things when I just listen…writing helps it stick. If you ever get a chance to hear him in person, go for it. It will be well worth your time.

December has been filled with Christmas celebrations and another wedding. Angie (my former roommate) and Randy got married on December 15. It was absolutely beautiful. I was basically Angie’s personal assistant/wedding coordinator. I didn’t get as many pictures as I wanted because once we got to the church I got more involved in my responsibilities than taking pictures. I’m sure the photographer did a great job of capturing the event though. The picture to the left was taken the morning of the wedding at Angie's house right before we left for the church. The day started at 8 a.m. with me picking up her and Ashlynn (her step-daughter) for a hair appointment. It was a wonderful relaxing morning. Everything went smoothly once we arrived at the church as well. It was the first day of a major winter storm…thankfully the brunt of the storm didn’t really set in until that night. It was really special to be a part of their day since I’ve been there with Angie since day one of their relationship. It’s so exciting to see them start this new phase of their journey. Congratulations Randy and Angie!

For the last couple weeks I’ve enjoyed spending time with my family in Florida. I picked Betsy and Gerson up in Indy (where one of the first things Gerson and Besty did was build a snowman) and then headed to Illinois to visit Grandpa Gail the Friday before Christmas. He had a minor stroke a few weeks ago and is currently in the nursing home. We had a great visit with him and would have never known he had a stroke when we saw him. He wasn’t confused and was able to recall his life history as Gerson inquired about different things. We’re praising the Lord for a precious visit. He continues to improve daily.

The next day Gerson, Betsy, and I made the long cross country trek to Florida to visit our parents and Aunt Betsy and Uncle Rick. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were filled with lots of yummy food (I ate until I could eat no more), games, and good family time. It was rainy and cloudy the majority of the time…ironic huh…we go to the sunshine state and get rain and clouds. By the end of the week it did reach the upper 70s and the sun came out to play here and there. On Saturday we went to the beach …we were thankful the weather was nice for our short time there. Gerson was like a little kid…it was the first time he’d seen the ocean up close and personal. We couldn’t swim because of the rip tides…although it was so cold I wouldn’t have wanted to submerge myself in the water if there weren’t any rip tides. That didn’t stop Gerson though. He managed to dunk himself even in the shallow end.

So far Gerson’s impression of all that he’s seen in the U.S.A. is that God is very BIG! He’s never been out of Bolivia before this trip so he’s seeing a lot of things for the first time. It’s been great fun to watch his reactions.

As we usually do when we go to Florida, we played lots of games. This year the favored games were Settlers of Catan, Apples to Apples, Dominos, and Bang. Settlers is a strategy game…in fact I think I posted about this game previously. Betsy and I were the most familiar with it and ended up winning several times. We were shocked the men didn’t win as they usually do in strategy games…give ‘em time and I imagine they’ll surpass us. We played Bang only one night and let me tell you it was a hoot. There are so many rules and cards with different meanings we ended up cheating without knowing it until it was too late. There was a mixture of laughter and frustration as a result. It’s one of those games that takes a while to master I guess.

I apologize for not getting a Christmas card sent out this year. As you can see, life has been full. So, know that I wish you and yours the best in 2008. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make His face shine upon you and encourage your heart today.

My First Car Accident

2007-10-20T21:24:00.000-04:00

Well, it's official, I've now been in a car accident. Almost two weeks ago I was on my way to work trying to make a left hand turn onto a VERY busy street. Did I mention my view was blocked to oncoming traffic to both my right and my left? Well, it was. There was a man to my left who hastily waved me to go through (a typical gesture at this intersection since it's often busy) so I hastily went forward to make my left turn. Unfortunately, there was a car going straight coming from my left, he swerved to miss me, but I ended up hitting the side of his car with the front of mine. Oh, but it's not over yet. My first instinct was to get out of the intersection. So, what do I do? I back up - unfortunately before I looked behind me to see if anyone was there. The guy who waved me through ended up trying to go behind me to get around the accident...well, he didn't get around the accident...instead he became a part of the accident. I backed into him. At this point, you can throw your head back and laugh out loud...because it's a perfectly natural instinct after hearing this crazy tale. I wish it were just a tale, but it really happened. It was counted as two accidents, my fault. Which means I've got to dish out two deductibles in order to get both my front and back bumper fixed. Ouch! Thankfully I have an emergency fund so I can cover the cost.

I have learned a lesson or two from this whole episode. The first being don't trust anyone when they're waiving you through. It's better to wait until you can see traffic for yourself. I also learned if you waive someone through and there's an accident as a result, you can be held liable by the insurance agent. So, lesson number two: don't waive anyone through...it will most likely get both you and them in trouble. So, back to driving 101 at the age of 25. Fun times.

Fall is in the Air...

2007-10-03T17:05:00.000-04:00

I'm so thankful to step outside these days and breath in the fall air. I love fall. I love the brilliant oranges, reds, and yellows of the leaves (although most are still currently green). I love the feel of crisp air against my cheeks while wearing my most comfortable hooded sweatshirt (who cares what it looks like...it's comforable and that's what matters, right?).

I'm looking forward to using the fireplace in our new apartment this fall and winter as well. It should be quite entertaining the first time we try to get it going...Christin and my knowledge on fire starting is a bit limited. That won't stop us from trying though!

Our internet has already acted up and we're currently lacking service but I hope that will be remedied soon. I don't really have a lot of news. Just wanted to share my excitement for fall!

I'm Online!

2007-09-21T16:35:00.000-04:00

I'm finally connected to the Internet at home! Thanks to Ben (Rachael's husband). He hooked me up with my new laptop and also set up my Internet. Verizon sent a self install kit and I'm just not computer savvy enough to do it myself. I'm grateful for his help!

Hopefully this means I'll be posting more. The last couple months have flown by and I haven't had a lot of time to blog anyway, but now that I'm set up at home, I'll try to do better.

Last week I met Claire and John at the Johnny Appleseed Festival. We spent a couple hours together enjoying the coolness of the day - it was really perfect weather - and taking in the sites of the festival. I had some scrumptious chicken and dumplings and homemade root beer.

I also worked on a service project with a group from my church last weekend. We started prepping a detached garage to paint. Tomorrow we're headed back to finish the job. It's supposed to be really nice weather again. I love fall.

On another note I started a Beth Moore study with some women at work two weeks ago. We're doing her Believing God study and it's excellent so far! Which reminds me I need to do my homework for today. There's 5 days worth of homework each week and it can take between 30-45 minutes to complete each day. It's well worth the time and effort though. From the start she has us memorize a 5 statement pledge that basically summarizes the entire study...this is it:

1. God is who He says He is.
2. God can do what He says He can do.
3. I am who God says I am.
4. I can do all things through Christ.
5. God's Word is alive and active in me.

Pretty cool, huh? I love it because it goes hand in hand with what I've been studying via CTO this last year. For those of you who don't know what CTO is, it's an in depth Bible study I've been going through with my mentor Rachael. CTO stands for Called to Obedience. I'll probably reference CTO since it's been such a life changing experience for me. That's what happens when you get into God's Word...it does become alive and active in you. I'm so thankful for how God has been and is at work in me.

Well, until next time...hopefully sooner than later.

Where did August go?

2007-09-06T16:29:00.001-04:00

Is it just me or did the month of August fly by? Family reunion was fun although it was blazing hot. We were "camping" if you can call it camping. We borrowed a camper and thankfully it had air conditioning. It was great to spend time with everyone. It's kind of weird though because all my cousins are grown up and are having their own kids which is fun but puts a different dynamic on the reunion from when I was younger. But life is just different as a grown up, isn't it? My Mom and Aunt Nancy are pictured left and to the right is Andy practicing for our Sunday morning church service we had outdoors.

I still don't have internet at home but am getting my rear in gear and am going to do something about that within the next couple of weeks hopefully.

I just finished reading "The Rest of God" by Mark Buchanan...it was excellent! He talks in depth about Sabbath keeping. I really appreciated his approach to the subject. It was convicting, yet freeing all at the same time. There's no pressure to get up and just do it because that's what you're supposed to do. He takes a whole chapter to address legalism even. Instead he lays it all out there for you to see why rest is so important and challenges you to think about what activities in your life are life giving so you can focus on doing those things to be restored. This is a book I'll want to read again...and there aren't too many of those. I came away desiring to make Sabbath happen in my own life and really take a hard look at how that might look. It's easy to get sidetracked and trapped in the crazy cycle of life in this chaotic world where the typical answer to "How are you doing?" is "Oh fine...I've been really busy." I cringe inside whenever I hear that…and please know I’m guilty of saying those very words. Although I must say I’ve become more sensitive to this now and hope and pray a lifestyle change happens as a result. I desire to be refreshed and renewed as I’m sure most everyone does and that’s not going to happen by keeping the pace of this world. I’m going to have to go against the grain… which is a typical action when following Christ so I’m learning. I’m thankful I don’t have to do it all in my own strength because I would certainly fail if I did.

Onto a lighter topic…last night I went raspberry picking with Rachael and three of her kids, Ethan, Raven, and Xavier. I came home with about 2.5 lbs of raspberries at $2.50 per pound. They are delicious and I wish I could share them with my Mom because I know she absolutely loves raspberries. If I could send them in the mail I would. Rachael and I decided the cause of the price hike for berries in the grocery stores is because of all the mosquitoes you have to fight when picking them! There were swarms of them around us the entire time….biting through our clothes and the whole nine yards. Oh what fun…and what memories. But dog gone it…we’ve got raspberries to show for it!

It's Been Too Long!

2007-08-03T16:34:00.000-04:00

It's been way too long since I've posted anything and lots has happened since then. The reason for my delay in blogging is the simple fact that I moved. In the process of moving, I no longer had internet connection or access to a computer at home. Since then I've bought a notebook computer...but I've yet to get internet connection at home. I decided to stay after work tonight since it's been too long. If I don't blog now, I'll never catch up!

My new apartment is fabulous...although I have yet to take pictures of it...those are forthcoming. I still have a few boxes to unpack and some pictures to hang in my bedroom. So, here's what's been happening aside from my move. Amy (from my small group) and Tom got married on July 21st. It was a beautiful wedding. I think my favorite part was the throwing of the rose petals as they excited the church as a married couple. We did our famous dog pile at the reception...this time it was video'd. I feel sorry for Kari...she was on the bottom.

The weekend prior to that Andy, Elissa, Joshua, and I took a road trip to see Grandpa Gail Bennett. We celebrated his birthday and also introduced his great grandson to him. The trip took a little longer since we needed to stop for feedings/burping and such. Oh but he's well worth the delay! Can you tell I'm simply smitten with my nephew? Look at him...he's adorable! I'm not a bit bias either. We had Grandpa's wonderful sweet corn, fresh tomatoes from the garden and I picked two ice cream buckets full of fresh blackberries. It was all oh so good! Can't beat July on the farm.

This week we had our last small group with Karri DeSelm. She and her husband Jim are headed to Philly next week. It's so sad to see her go...we're going to miss her a ton! Although, since their families live around here, we hope to see them during the holidays at least. Here's a picture of us all laughing...I was nominated to lay across everyone since I was the one pushing the button on the camera and we were running out of room.

This weekend I'm just chilling and next weekend I'm headed to Illinois for my family reunion. It will be great to see everyone again. I'm sure I'll have more to blog about after that.

Summer Fun

2007-07-05T19:37:00.000-04:00

The last few weeks have flown by in part because of all the fun festivities I've been doing. The first exciting event was Michelle's wedding. I had the honor of being her personal assistant...which was a perfect fit for me and I enjoyed it very much but I must admit I came away from the festivities exhausted.

Trishelle (the wedding coordinator, pictured left) and I are worked closely together to make sure the day ran smoothly...for which I'm quite thankful that it did. There were no real emergencies except for the fact that Michelle's seamstress had forgotten to complete her alteration job on the wedding dress. Oops! Michelle's Aunt quickly sewed it prior to the wedding and after the pre-wedding pictures. Kudos to her for doing such a great job with that.

So Michelle made her way down the isle with her freshly altered dress just fine. The ceremony was beautiful and was a testimony and witness of Michelle and Andy's genuine love for the Lord.

Everyone in our small group but Amy was able to make it to the wedding. We did our famous (or infamous) dog pile. The tradition has begun I'm afraid and there's no stopping it. I didn't capture it on the camera...but I know one of the girls did and I'm hoping to get a copy of that. There's just something crazy about seeing eight girls dressed for a wedding piled on top of each other on the dance floor. It definitely makes for a good laugh. For now a perfectly tame picture will have to do.

The day after the wedding I came home from church and fell into bed. I didn't even bother with lunch I was so tired...and that's unheard of for me. I slept for a good two and a half hours and then decided to tend to my growing hunger after some much needed sleep.

The following Friday I met Andy, Elissa, and Joshua as well as Claire, John and John's family at a Wizards game. This was the first timeI had seen Claire and John since they've returned to the states to stay. It's absolutely marvelous to have them back. I also enjoyed holding Joshua and getting a little hang out time with my nephew.

The following day Angie and I had our long awaited garage sale. It turned out to be a beautiful day and a lot of people came out to buy our "junk". You know what they say, one man's junk is another's treasure. Well, I believe we proved that to be true. It's amazing what people will buy when it "such a good deal".

I'm so thankful I've taken the time to simplify my life as I've prepared for this move. Everything we didn't sell we dropped off at Good Will. I've been on vacation all this week and have packed quite a few things. It's funny...I keep looking for all those knick knacks to fill the little spaces in my boxes...but there are none to be found....thankfully. Packing has been quite simple this time around.

Since Claire and John are spending this week with John's parents in Angola, we've taken every opportunity to spend time together. Monday Claire and I went shopping for 12 hours! Can you believe that? I hardly can. Well, in that time frame we also checked out my new apartment complex and sat down to eat. But the majority of those hours we spent looking for great bargains. We found quite a few and enjoyed just being together.

Yesterday I spent the 4th of July with Claire and John and John's family. They were gracious enough to adopt me for the day. They're always very welcoming and I enjoy hanging out with them. We played a game that is similar to horse shoes at John's family reunion and simply enjoyed the beautiful day and the great company. I think I'm going to squeeze in one last hurrah with Claire and John this Saturday before they head back to Bloomington and then off to Wyoming to pick up their car from Claire's brother and sister-in-law, Joel and Laura.

Today Rachael kindly helped me move Betsy's furniture to the storage unit in Marion. Andy met us there and boy am I thankful. He's so good at packing and it took his master mind to fit everything in the small space we had available to us. My biggest accomplishment was driving a 16 foot moving truck there and back. Crazy! It really wasn't as bad as I had anticipated...though a little intimidating at first. Thankfully we had a safe and successful trip. Save for the one piece of furniture we left behind on accident. Oh well, we'll get it there eventually!

This week of vacation has been the perfect mix of fun and accomplishing some things in preparation for my move. It's hard to believe it's almost Friday though.

What's next? I've got to finish packing in time for the big move...which will be here in no time. And then the second wedding of the summer, Amy and Tom's. Tis the season to move and attend weddings. I'll be thankful when fall arrives. Perhaps, just perhaps things will slow down enough to enjoy the autumn colors, apple cider, and the good ole Johnny Appleseed Festival.

Middle of June, Already?

2007-06-18T21:46:00.001-04:00

Can you believe it's already the middle of June? One more month and I'm moving once again. I gave my last rent check to Angie tonight humming to the tune of Pomp & Circumstance. I've officially graduated from writing her any more rent checks. What a weird thought.

I've been busy packing, sorting, and pricing for our upcoming garage sale. I've also been keeping busy with other activities such as bridal showers, moving a friend, helping with wedding preperations for Michelle and Andy's wedding this coming Saturday, celebrating Christin's birthday, and baby sitting my adorable nephew, Joshua. All of these are great things and I've been thrilled to be a part of them. At the same time I sometimes feel like there's so much going on it's hard to sit down and relax. Our pastor has been teaching a sermon series about the Sabbath and it's been very refreshing to hear and also challenging for me. Resting doesn't always come easy for me, but I'm committed to making it happen.

After I returned from Hope City, I went to Menards and bought some flowers for our deck. I'll have a balcany where I'm moving so I'll be able to transfer them easily. Here's a picture of a Gerber Daisy I purchased and is now gracing our deck. I love Gerber Daisy's! Well, I love any flower, really, but especially Gerber Daisy's. They're such a happy flower.

Hurricane Katrina Relief Work

2007-05-27T20:31:00.000-04:00

Wow! May has been one crazy month! I guess you can probably tell that since I haven’t posted anything since early on in the month. It’s been filled with some great things though!

My parents flew in for a week to meet their new grandson and to spend time with family. It was wonderful to have them here. One of my favorite meals my Mom makes is fried chicken. So while she was here we requested she make it for us, but this time I learned how to cut up the chicken. I don’t know if I’ll be able to remember it…but at least I’ve done it once and can hopefully pull it from my memory bank when I try it again.

The day after my parents went back home, I got up at 4 a.m. and traveled to Gulf Port, Mississippi with a group from my church to help with the Katrina relief effort. It was a long day as we didn’t arrive at camp until around 8 p.m. Steve drove all but two hours…kudos to him for his perseverance and stamina! Even though the trip was really long, I really enjoyed my travel companions! Brianna and Linda were loads of fun to travel with and I soon found out our week was to be filled with lots of laughter.

Our camp facilities were very nice…I’ve been told the nicest of any volunteer camp around. For that I was very thankful! There were 20 bunk beds on one RV camper. A bathroom in the middle separated it into two rooms with 10 bunks on each end. In addition to the two bunk houses (one for men and one for women), there was a Bathroom bunk house where two more toilets, 3 showers, and 3 sinks were located on the women’s side as well as the men’s side. We convened daily for breakfast and supper in a larger trailer that was connected to a storage room and kitchen. We packed our own lunches after breakfast every day and ate on site.

My favorite aspect of the campsite was being right there on the ocean front. We just had a road separating the campsite from the beach. I managed to walk the beach three times and would have loved to gone more, but our schedule didn’t really allow for that. One evening we had a sharing time, another evening we traveled about 40 minutes away to eat a restaurant called The Shed. The name reflects what it looks like literally. It was a barbeque restaurant filled with plenty of character. The protocol was stand in line, order your food, find a seat (we sat outside at picnic tables), and wait for a waitress to come out and scream your name at the top of her lungs at which point you flag her down and confirm it is indeed your order by giving her your last name. I’m amazed they still have their voice by the end of the day.

Anyway, the last evening we were there we hit the road after cleaning up and packing so I didn’t really have time to enjoy the peacefulness of a stroll along the beach. Swimming is officially allowed, but no one is really encouraging it. There has been a lot of yucky stuff wash ashore along with items that could be harmful i.e. glass, metal, etc. I chose to stay on the beach but others braved their way into the water. While walking one day I saw jelly fish washed ashore as well as a large horseshoe crab turned upside down. Linda flipped it over with a stick so it could swim back into the ocean.

Well, it seems I’ve written so much already and haven’t even told you about the service project I was assigned to work at. Leave it to me to be long winded! I worked at the same project site all week long. It entailed moving Ken Wetzel and his family to an old church parsonage that was being renovated because the previous tenant had let it deteriorate. Ken was given the Presidents Call to Service Award from President Bush in 2006. He and his wife, Dawn (pictured on the right) survived Katrina and he has volunteered for 5 different organizations ever since the storm including HCRN, the organization we volunteered with. Their lease was up this last week and it was imperative to get the parsonage in livable condition for the Wetzels so Ken can continue to help with the Katrina relief. I believe they said 1.5 million people were displaced by the hurricane. Many of which are still living in trailers and terrible conditions. It’s not uncommon to see concrete slabs with debris lying all around where a house or building once stood. There are plenty of piles of metal and concrete as well. If you look closely you can see just that behind me in the picture to the left.

My duties were widely varied, yet I still came away without learning much about dry walling and insulating as I had initially thought would be a big portion of our responsibilities last week. Well, plans changed. So, my work entailed packing up items in their old house and loading/unloading several truck loads, cleaning the old house, doing some touch up paint on the old house, painting the kitchen (two coats) in the new house, helping discard of a large pile of construction debris out of their new front yard, helping put new trim on the kitchen ceiling, holding their adorable 15 month old, Elizabeth, cleaning up the new house, and arranging furniture and boxes to make the new place a little more livable.

Others worked hard to get door handles on the doors, ceiling fans hung, electrical work completed, and plumbing finished for a functional bathroom. I’m sure there was plenty of other work completed I’m not even aware of. Even though there were several finishing touches to be done on the house, we left them with a livable home…which was our goal. And as we were reminded all week, don’t feel bad about what work you can’t accomplish because another group is coming right behind you. Hope City has volunteers scheduled for every week throughout the year.

We were required to keep our hours recorded because the government says our volunteer work is worth $18 an hour if we were to be paid. Our group put over $20,000 worth of work into the rebuilding effort this last week. Amazing!

Others in our group worked at a few other sites doing some demolition, insulating, and painting. Holly, one of the girls on the work team, didn’t realize insulation is itchy and pretended it was a boa and wrapped it around her neck as if she were at a fashion show. She soon realized her mistake!

I’m praising God for your prayer support, safe travels, wonderful weather, strength to keep working each new day, good health, new friendships, great teamwork, an opportunity seized to serve and get beyond myself. The work was hard and took a toll on many muscles I didn’t even know existed. I also didn’t do my hair or wear make up all week and sleeping didn’t always come easily. But it was all worth it, because it’s not about me. It’s about Jesus Christ and how he chooses to allow himself to be reflected in my life through my obedience to him in whatever comes my way. It’s humbling to think he’s chosen me to be a vessel for Him.

And now, I challenge and commission you to step out in faith and do something beyond yourself by serving as Christ would serve. Whether it be volunteering a week of your time at Hope City or serving a neighbor in need wherever you live. You’ll be amazed what an impact serving can make in your life and in many others.

Claire and John's Visit

2007-05-06T16:46:00.000-04:00

It was so wonderful to see Claire and John and spend some time with them this weekend! John was in his friends wedding, so they came home to Angola for whirlwind of a weekend. We really didn't see much of John becuase of all the wedding festivities he participated in. Above is a very happy John and Claire at Bob Evans where they enjoyed good ole U.S. food such as a rasberry belgion waffle, smooth coffee with real cream, and delicious milk. They enjoyed the special treats and savored them since it will be two more months until they can enjoy that again.
We spent 2 hours in Wal-Mart just enjoying the convience of the store and all it had to offer. Claire and I bought the same shirt in different colors (we've always had similar tastes). It works since we live in different cities, but we still have to be careful when we get together for a weekend. I still remember when we dressed the same on purpose when we were in grade school. We're crazy girls! I don't know what we were thinking. Claire also decided she wanted to get her hair cut since she wasn't pleased with her latest cut in the D.R. She got more layers put in and it looks great!
Friday we enjoyed the outdoor's on the Roth's deck, but Saturday it was a little bit cooler...hence the sweatshirt and jacket! John's parents live next to a lake in the middle of the woods...it's what you would think of when you think of a retreat center...except they get to live there all the time!

We slept in on Saturday, checked out Meijer, enjoyed lunch at Arby's and shot the breeze until it was time for everyone to head to the wedding at which point Gail and I headed for home since we didn't know the bride and groom. We thought about crashing the wedding, but then thought better of it and hit the road instead. It would have been fun though to have been able to say "I've crashed a wedding!" Oh well, perhaps another time.

The time flew by so fast. I can hardly believe it's already Sunday! I'm really looking forward to their return to Bloomington in June.

I'm an Aunt!

2007-04-30T19:20:00.000-04:00

I was ecstatic yesterday when I got the call. My nephew had finally decided to enter the world! Joshua Andrew Bennett was born at 8:58 a.m. He was 6 lbs 14 oz and 19 1/2 inches long. He has brown hair and blue eyes and is as cute as a button!

I was glad he was born on a Sunday because I was able to go spend the afternoon with Andy, Elissa and Joshua that way. It would have been more difficult to take time off of work had he been born during the week. It was amazing to be holding him only hours after he had been in the womb. Such a small and precious little guy.
It's quite sur real to think Andy and Elissa are parents and I'm an Aunt! Tears of joy have come a few times. I'm just overwhelmed with the miricle of life.
Elissa was doing really well when I saw her. We're praising God for a speedy and safe delivery. She was only in labor for 7 hours which is amazing! Even so, giving birth is quite an achievement. Kudos to her! And kudos to Andy for being such a loving husband and great daddy. He even changed Joshua's diaper a couple times while I was there. Of course he offered the job to me but I declined...although one of the diapers was so messy it was a two person job and I ended up helping.

My heart is filled to the brim with joy...I can't imagine what it's like to be a mother....Elissa must be about ready to burst with happiness. What a gift.

Michelle's Bachlorette Party

2007-04-30T18:53:00.000-04:00

Friday night we surprised Michelle with a bachlorette party. She thought she was going to Flat Top Grill for dinner with her sister who had come up from Indy to spend the weekend with her. She was really confused when she ended up at Club Soda and we were all there to welcome her! We enjoyed an evening of delicious food and great company.

Christen made the tiara veil for Michelle to wear and gave her some fun beaded necklaces to wear. One of them was a hottie whistle. Whenever she saw a cute guy she was supposed to blow the whistle...well she didn't really play along with that game...but it was funny anyway. There was a wedding party there having their rehearsal dinner and the groom kept standing up and giving speaches. He was a bit wasted, I'd say, and at one point he was probably standing on his chair giving his speach for about a half hour. I think Michelle attempted to blow the whistle to get him to sit down and stop making a fool of himself, but nonetheless, it didn't work.

I had a salad, grilled chicken, and aged, cheesy, mashed pototoes. The potatoes were the best by far! I'm really glad the no smoking law is going into effect soon. Club Soda is a bar, so smoking is free for all. My clothes smelled just aweful when we left...not to mention the fact that the smell left me with little appetite which made it difficult to really enjoy my food. It is a fun atmoshere though and we did have a great time together.

Above are pictures of Christin and Kari making some funny faces. When you get these two girls together it's a hoot! If one starts laughing, watch out! Once they get to laughing there's no stopping them for quite some time. After Club Soda we went back to Christin and Michelle's apartment. Below you'll see us wrapping some presents and doing final preperations for the party before Michelle showed up. We told Linda (Michelle's sister) to drive her around for a while so we could get set up).

After she opened her gifts we put on some music and danced the night away. Well, some danced the night away...I tried a bit, but I must admit I'm a terrible dancer. Christin has it down...so maybe she'll teach me some moves since we'll be roommates soon. I landed in bed at 1 a.m. which is totally uncharacteristic for me even on the weekend. But hey, a late night here and there is fun...it keeps me young, right?

Ahhh, Spring has Sprung

2007-04-22T21:58:00.000-04:00

It was 77 degrees today and absolutely gorgious! I spent part of the afternoon outside basking in the sun. Quite a change from last week! Angie, Randy and I went downtown to Headwaters Park this evening and took in a Japanese festival. I had green tea ice cream...let's just say it was a great thing to taste test but I won't be craving it ever again.

Well, it looks like our background check and paperwork cleared for the apartment complex...so it's official...we're good to go. I've officially packed two boxes...both are filled with books and I have a feeling I might end up repacking them into smaller boxes. Oh well.

I'm still waiting for my nephew to be born. If he's going to come in April...this week is it! I know Andy and Elissa would like him to come in April, but I'm guessing it will be May 2nd since that's when the next full moon is. We'll see how good my guestimate turns out. I'll keep you posted!

Sunday Night Popcorn

2007-04-15T18:16:00.000-04:00

Well, it's Sunday night and I'm doing one of my favorite things to do on a Sunday evening...eating popcorn and drinking Dr. Thunder (Sam's Club's version of Dr. Pepper). Last time I was eating popcorn for dinner I talked to Claire on skype...and I was informed I should never just have popcorn for dinner. Sorry, Claire. I just like it...and I only have it once a week if that.

It's the middle of April and we had snow actually accumulate yesterday! Unbeleivable! Ofcourse it's gone today since the sun melted it. I'm ready for some warmer spring weather.

Things are beginning to get lined up for my move. Angie decided to NOT sell her house for the time being...so that means I don't have to worry about the possibility of moving out earlier than I had intended... which is a very good thing. Christin and I landed on a place to live and are just waiting to hear back from them on our paperwork. They have to run a background check on us and probably a credit report. But they're currently holding an apartment for us and we plan to move at the end of July.

The apartment is what they call roommate friendly. It has two bedrooms the same exact size, two walk-in closets the same exact size, and two bathrooms the same exact size. It's a complex so it will have perks such as a pool, fitness room, maintenance, etc. I still think I'm going to miss living in a house with a large yard and garage to park my car in. Oh well, you give a little and you take a little, right?

My motivation for sorting through things has slowed down a bit. When I look at the big picture it seems like such a daunting task. I've already set aside a lot of stuff to get rid of. Three more months and I'll be moving...ready or not here it comes.

I've taken this weekend to get a few things done and also to relax. Part of me has a difficult time relaxing knowing all I need to accomplish within the next few months...but alas, rest is good. I continue to learn that delicate balance.

My 25th Birthday!

2007-04-11T20:23:00.000-04:00

Well, can you believe it? I'm 25 years old now... a quarter of a century. I feel 25 years old just becuase I've been preparing myself for this birthday for the last few months. I guess I thought it would be depressing to turn 25 or something, but once it got here I had been thinking about turning 25 for so long it didn't seem odd. Maybe turning 26 years old will be hard?

I'm thankful for my friends and family who made my birthday special. It started a week early with Michelle, Christin, and Kari (all girls from my small group). We went to the Olive Garden and enjoyed a delicious meal! The servers even sang Happy Birthday to me Olive Garden style!

By the way, Christin...my soon to be roommate, is the one sitting directly across from me. Toward the beginning of my birthday week, a freeze warning went out. I was quite sad about this considering all the spring flowers were already blooming! So, I did what any girl would do...I cut them and brought spring inside! I used my Grandma Verna's tea pot for the vase and it worked pefectly!

It snowed off and on all week...including my birthday! I only remember it snowing one other time on my birthday and that was when I turned 15. I also had mono that year. Here's a picture of our back yard deck I took on my birthday...proof that it did indeed snow.

My parents sent me a birthday package so I decided to open it up at work on Friday. I was pleasantly surprised to find new dishwear inside! I love the cheerfulness they bring! They're pictured below.

After the Good Friday service at church Christin, Michelle and Andy (Michelle's fiance), and I went out for icecream at Cold Stone Creamery. Yummy!

Betsy and Gerson called me first thing in the morning on Friday and sang me happy birthday. Gerson even sang in English while harmonizing...I was quite impressed! I spoke with Peter for a half hour on Saturday. It was quite a treat since I havn't been able to talk with him since he was deployed in January. And then I wrapped up the weekend with Andy and Elissa at their place on Sunday. We hung out, took naps together, played Dominos and ate some very yummy food! Andy and I had a fun wrestling match and luaghed until my stomach was sore. All in all, it was a great celebration!

Moving...Again?

2007-03-25T18:11:00.000-04:00

I realize it's been quite some time since I last posted anything. Let me just tell you it's been a crazy two weeks. Before I go into detail about what's happening here, allow me to reccomend a movie called "The Ulitmate Gift". It was released in theatres two weeks ago and is produced by Fox Faith. I found it to be very enjoyable and thought provoking. It wasn't cheesy like a lot of Christian films are. They did an excellent job in casting the characters...I laughed, almost cried, and came away personally challenged to be thankful for the simple things in life I often take for granted. I'd encourage you to check it out.

And now for the big news...two weeks ago my roommate, Angie, got engaged! Yup, engaged. Crazy, huh? So, I guess you know what that means? I'm moving once again. She and Randy have set the wedding date for August 25, 2007...yup only 5 months away.

So, in the last two weeks a lot has transpired. Christin and I have decided to be roommates since her current rommate, Michelle, is also getting married this summer. We went apartment shopping yesterday and made a lot of progress but we haven't made any final decisions yet since there were a couple places we couldn't see the layout we liked. I'm really excited to live with Christin...she's full of energy and is tons of fun to be around. We also have a lot of the same friends, similar values and an established friendship with each other.

I'm hoping to move the first of August...that is if Angie's house doesn't sell before then. She's putting it on the market in April. So, if it sells right away, I'm going to be looking for a place to live soon after that. I'm hoping and praying the timing of it all works out perfectly.

It's been a great year living with Angie. We're coming away with a newfound friendship as well as having learned a whole lot from each other. We even have the same sense of humor which has provided us with plenty of long, hard, belly laughs leaving us with sore stomachs the next day. I'm sure we'll miss each other and our well established daily routines.

I guess I'm on a year to two year rotation bases for moving. I'm begining to wonder if I'll ever settle down. It's kind of crazy. This time around I'm taking the time to go through all my stuff and pitch or set it aside for a yard sale. I'm being brutal with my sorting... I have to. I've been blessed with having a lot of space so I haven't had to purge much. But, now I'll be moving into a much smaller place and Christin has furniture we'll be using. There will likely be very little storage space where we end up living. Angie and I are planning to have a yard sale...so I'm motivated to do what I should have done a long time ago...purge, purge, purge. A difficult task for the saver in me.

Well, I think that about sums it up for now.

Elissa's Baby Shower

2007-03-18T19:46:00.000-04:00

Last weekend Elissa's Taylor Friend's hosted a baby shower for her. It was a relaxed afternoon of chatting, playing a fun game, eating very yummy food, opening gifts, and painting onesies for Baby Bennett. He's going to have some very unique clothes when he's born. See for yourself below! It was tons of fun to be creative in this way.

Cute, eh? Can you guess which one I made? The turtle ofcourse! Below is picture of the entire group minus me...I was taking the picture. I haven't quite figured out how to use my timer. And below this pic is the guest of honor...Elissa and Baby Bennett. I'm going to be an Aunt in about one month! I can't wait! What fun!

Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre

2007-03-05T19:25:00.000-05:00

This last weekend I took a road trip to Bloomington to see my second family, Claire's family. Even though Claire and John are still in the D.R. I thought it would be fun to hang out with whoever happened to be at the Pontius home this last weekend. We attended a murder mystery dinner theatre on Saturday night. Each of us were assigned characters. Gail was Lindsey Dagger (Instead of Wagner) - the Bionic Chick. Brad was Lee Minor (Instead of Major) - the $6 Bionac Man (instead of the $6 million Man). And I was Linda Stopthat (instead of Ronstadt)- a famous singer in the 1970's who's hit songs were "You're No Good," "Don't Cry Now" and "When Will I Be Loved." Lindsey was always asking if people wanted her autograph so everyone would always say oh Stopthat...hence her last name. As you can see...all of the characters were played off of famous characters.

Gail wore a dress her Mom made in 1976. She looked smashing in it! She was really the only one dressed wholesomely...everyone else dressed like...well like people in entertianment did in the 70s.

Once I was all ready to go I helped Gail do her make up. She had bought this great neon green and yellow eye shadow to go with her dress...unfortunately it didn't work out too well. We went for the glamorous look instead of the freak look since they didn't work out.

As you can probaly tell, we teased teh daylights out of my hair. But by the end of the night it was falling even though I sprayed tons of hairspray on it.

Here we all are...ready to go party! I got my skirt and shirts at Goodwill...they were quite the find! Below is a picture of some of the other suspects. Jackie- the owner of the Manhatten Club - was the victim. Of course everyone at the party had motive for killing her...we just had to figure out "who done it".

Everyone had a script to follow and the point was to stay in character the entire evening. Of course, that was rather difficult considering it was a group of people who regularly hang out together. There were only parts written for 8 people and there were 13 of us total. So, I ended up being one of the extra people...which meant I didn't have a script and I wasn't the murderer. Brad and Gail were also extra characters. We had fun guessing who the murderer was.

Here's a pic of Brad I just couldn't help but post. I think the pink boa is very becoming on him, don't you think so?

The murderer turned out to be Jimmy Hoffa...who actually was Gloria (I can't remember her last name). You see Jimmy/Gloria had a sex change and Jackie had found out. You say, what's the big deal? Well, the big deal is that Gloria was a women's lib activist and if Jackie revealed her/his secret, well her/his career would have ended. So, she/he killed Jackie. Crazy twist, huh? Below you'll see we had plenty of time for celebrity pictures!

The Bionic couple show off their stuff!

And after all that, Linda Stopthat was able to only sign her autograph once this weekend...tisk...tisk. Even so, a fun time was had by all.

Baby Shower

2007-02-12T18:57:00.000-05:00

This last weekend Elissa and I took another road trip...this time we went to Carmel for our cousin Stephanie's baby shower. It was great to see family and be there to support Stephanie and Jeff and their little one on the way. Here's my cousin Debbie and her daughter Victoria, and below them is my cousin Amy.

As you know, every baby shower has to have games. Well, this one was no exception. One of my favorite games was guessing what kind of "baby poop" was in eight different diapers. They had taken 8 different kinds of chocolate and smashed them up and placed them in diapers. Some of them looked like the real thing...it was quite difficult at first to convince myself to smell it in order to make a good guess. I must admit...it was a funny site. You can see Aunt Nancy and Aunt Joanie were getting a kick out of it too!

In another game, they had three ladies...the grandma's to be and great grandma...race to see who could drink 3 oz of apple juice out of a bottle. They found it more difficult than they expected...it too was quite funny to watch. Here they are guzzeling it down!

Overall, it was a fun time together and I'm looking forward to family reunion in August when we can spend more time together!

Road Trip and More

2007-02-12T18:18:00.000-05:00

The last two weeks have been what feels like one big whirlwind! It started off by going to the CBA Advance Expo in Indy for work. We went to see what books are coming out soon so we can be at the forefront in scheduling interviews with authors of new releases. We also got to see a pre-screening of Amazing Grace and The Last Sin Eater. Both movies were really good, but I'd have to say my favorite of the two was Amazing Grace. It's the story of William Wilberforce...an abolitionist in the 1800's. It was very well done and had a message worth talking about. The Last Sin Eater also has a message worth talking about, but the book by Francine Rivers captures the story better than the movie. It never fails...books are always better.

After spending a few days in Indianapolis, Andy, Elissa and I took a road trip to Sumner to see Grandpa Bennett. He's quite lonely these days. We arrived on Feb 2, the 1 year anniverary of Grandma Verna's death. So, it was good we could be with Grandpa at that time. I think the best part of the trip for me was being able to put my hand on Elissa's tummy and feel the baby kicking and moving around!

You can see how much the baby is growing in the pics above! I'm excited to meet my nephew soon...he's due at the end of April.

And to finish off the weekend, I went to a Super Bowl party hosted by Karri...one of the girls in our small group. Above you'll see Christin and Michelle sporting their support for the Colts. This pic was taken after the big win, ofcourse. We had a few Bears fans at the party...but they left early...I think they saw it coming.

On another note, have you heard about the New 7 Wonders of the World? There is a campaign going right now and you can vote for the new 7 Wonders of the world at www.new7wonders.com. There is only one of the ancient 7 Wonders of the World still standing...the pyramids. You can learn all about the candidates on the above website and then vote for your favorite. They are taking votes through this summer and will announce the New7Wonders on 07.07.07. Clever, huh? I still haven't decided which of the 21 options is my favorite.

Personal Retreat

2007-01-23T17:40:00.000-05:00

Last weekend Angie and I went to a place called the Chalet in Comlumbia City. It's a house the Family Care Center provides to those in ministry to use for personal retreats for a small fee. It was wonderful! We were close to a lake and woods surrounded the house. The picture of the deer was taken from the kitchen window! The last day we were there it snowed quite a bit. What a treat it was to enjoy the peaceful nature surrounding us.

I had never gone on a personal retreat so the experience was very new to me. It was great to get away from the TV and computer and just be. I spent a lot of time praying, journaling, and reading scripture. I had come with a list of questions I wanted God to answer for me, but He had a different plan. Funny how He always wins out, huh? Instead of addressing my questions, he drew me into His presence and showed me many aspects of His character. I had taken my Jill Phillips CD with me and played the song "I Am" after reading a devotional that triggered me to remember some words from this song. It was a perfect way to begin my journey of being reminded who God is.

I came away reassured that He is my Refuge, my Protector, my Savior, my Strength, my Rock, my Guardian, my Defender, my Master and Ruler, my Shelter, and my Shield of love in whom I can trust. Wow! Let's just say I came away filled with joy from being in the presence of Jesus and am so thankful His agenda was different than mine. As far as my questions go...I'm still bringing them to Him and waiting expectantly for His answers. I'm learning God doesn't want me to just seek answers, He wants me to seek Him. And so I will.

And that's the end of this mini sermon!

Socks and More

2007-01-15T19:43:00.000-05:00

It never fails...Dad is always happy with some new socks! Not just ANY socks though...only those good ole yellow toe socks!
I couldn't resist this...Pete was taking up the ENTIRE couch ya know! He asked for it! I really don't think he minded. It was great to hang out with Pete. He's safely in Afghanistan now beginning his year of service. I'll be glad when he's safely back home.

Cozy Fireplace and Mom Hugs!

2007-01-15T19:27:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm still reminiscing about my Christmas break...and I'm also procrastinating. I have a pile of papers to file and a budget to tackle...but blogging sounds so much more appealing right now. I also just downloaded these pics onto my computer...all the more reason to blog now, right? Above you will see me and Peanut enjoying the cozy fireplace. Ah, it makes me sigh just thinking of it. Perhaps someday I'll have a fire place of my own to enjoy.

And here, I'm enjoying my fill of Mom hugs! You can't get enough of those!

Spending the Holidays in Florida

2007-01-03T21:43:00.000-05:00

Well, this picture depicts what I just got finished doing...relaxing and taking it easy in the sunny state of Florida. I arrived home around 11 p.m. last night and couldn't wind down enough to go to bed until mid-night. When 6:45 a.m. came around I wasn't exactly ready to hit the ground running, but I did anyway. It's been a long day and I can't believe I'm sitting here blogging when I should be getting ready for bed. Oh well. The cat pictured above is Angie's and his name is Jinga. He was so adorable we couldn't resist taking a picture.

My trip entailed playing games with my family, shopping, celebrating the holidays with family, and sleeping in until 9 a.m. every day! The picture above shows us playing Ticket to Ride. We call it the train game. It takes a lot of strategy and we discovered that by the first 15 minutes of the game you can become one frustrated person. Simply put, the object is to complete routes that you draw. Well, with four people and overlapping routes, it's easy to have your well mapped out route blocked or taken over by someone else. Peter and Dad won a lot. Mom and I spent a lot of time being frustrated. Oh well, it was fun anyway.

We also went to a place called Wakulla Springs last Saturday. It was 80 degrees and sunny...a perfect day for the boat ride we took. We saw all kinds of wildlife during the ride...allegators, turtles (my favorite) and lots of birds.

It was great to have Pete with us for most of the week. Above is a self portrait of us...hence the cut off heads. Oh well, it gives it a modern look, right? We saw Peter off at the airport last Thursday. They let us go past the security check point with him since we are military family. It was good to have the extra time together as Pete waited to board the flight. He'll be leaving for Afghanistan any day now. It was really hard to say goodbye but we're set up to talk on skype so that will be good.

Overall it was a great vacation and believe it or not I'm glad to be back home getting back into a daily routine.

David Phelps Concert

2006-12-20T20:19:00.000-05:00

Last night I went to the David Phelps concert with Andy, Elissa, Michelle and Kari. Let me just tell you, it was fantastic! David has such a pure and powerful voice. And to make it even better...it was a Christmas concert! It lasted 3 1/2 hours though. I couldn't believe it. Intermission wasn't until 9:30 p.m. The concert was well worth staying for the entire time though. Kari and I stayed until the last song...I guess we missed the encore song...but that's ok. Andy, Elissa, and Michelle had to leave early. Below are some pics of us at the concert

In other news I'm headed to Florida on Friday! I'm so excited I can hardly wait. I've been starting my packing tonight. Tomorrow is going to be a crazy day at work trying to finish up last minute stuff and getting as much done as I can. I know I'll hit the ground running when I return, so the more I can get done now, the better.

I've been fighting a cold of late and thanks to Rachael I learned that garlic is a natural antibiotic. So, I thought I'd try it out. It works! I've been taking these garlic pills three times a day plus a multi-vitamin and am feeling much better, thankfully! I can't even imagine how aweful it would be to get on a plane to go home for Christmas feeling sick. Not fun at all.

Well, incase I don't get a chance to blog again really soon, Merry Christmas!

Weekend Fun

2006-12-10T16:40:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe another weekend has come and gone. It's even more hard to believe that Christmas is only two weeks away! Crazy!

Yesterday I slept in and slowly made my way out of bed. It was so nice to have a relaxing start to the morning. I don't have enough of those! Then I got to work on cleaning the house, making sugared pecans for our small group party this week, and other random things on my to do list.

Lator on Angie, her Mom, and I went to see The Nativity Story. It was sooooo good! I came away feeling so joyful and peaceful all at the same time. It was so moving I shed a few tears at one point. I'd highly recommend this movie to anyone and everyone. It's kid friendly as well...so no worries about that.

Finally, I ended the day by going bowling with a group of people who attend the CORE. I go to the CORE every Sunday night. It's a service for 18-30 yr olds. Anyway, they were getting together from 9-12 p.m. last night to go bowling so I decided to go. I think the first 4 times I bowled, I hit the gutter...oops. By the end of the night I had gotten 3 strikes and a couple spares! I was quite excited! I had several people compliment me on my "talent". I assured them it wasn't talent...it was pure luck as I don't even remember the last time I bowled. Perhaps with some training I could aquire some talent...but seeing as how that's not my priority right now, I'll just have to be an amateur and be pleasantly surprised whenever I do well in the game. Speaking of the CORE, I need to get ready to go.

December Already?

2006-12-04T21:19:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it's already December? There's only 21 days until Christmas! Only 18 until I get on a plane and head to Florida to spend Christmas with my family! This last Saturday I went to a church in Berne to see Handal's Messiah performed. It was absolutely beautiful and a great way to begin Advent. Speaking of Christmas I need to finish putting up my decor. So, I'll sign off for now.

The Flood

2006-12-04T21:00:00.000-05:00

Since I didn't get a chance to post pics from the flood, I thought I'd reminisce a bit and show you what we awoke to that fine October day. This first pic shows Randy (Angie's boyfriend) digging out all the gook (is that a word?) that was in our sump pump. It smelled like a sewer. Thanks Randy for doing such a yucky job!

Most of the water stayed on the beige carpet, but as you can see in the picture below, it did run into the blue carpet a bit. Fortunately we didn't have to rip up the blue carpet.
As you can see there was no hope for the beige carpet unless we ripped it up. It's all back to normal now and I'm even enjoying my Christmas decor!

The Final Touch

2006-12-04T20:50:00.000-05:00

After the third coat of red paint we decided to keep the wall as is in the dinning room rather than sponging it. I'm thankful to be done with that room...soon we'll be moving onto the kitchen and stairwell. Here are a few pictures of the dining room. We pulled all the colors together with a center peice on the table and picture hanging on the wall. Angie and I are pleased with the end result. I read that one of these colors stimulates conversation and appetite (I can't remember which one...I'm thinking it was the orange). It will be interesting to see if we notice a difference. :)

Painting....again

2006-11-18T17:52:00.000-05:00

Today I painted the dining room. One wall is tomato red and the other walls are pumpkin orange. We're not very happy with the way the red went on so we're thinking about sponge/bag painting the pumpkin orange over the red and perhaps adding a chocolate brown to the mix. We'll see what happens. Perhaps I'll post a picture later.

I'm headed to a cookie making gathering tonight. It should be fun. I imagine I'll break my diet and have a little chocolate.

It's hard to believe next week is Thanksgiving! Time sure does fly...even if you're not having fun. More so though when you are having fun. I'm headed to Bloomington to be with the Pontius family...my home away from home. It will be weird without Claire and John this year. I imagine we'll catch them on skype.

In other news, I just learned this week that Peter is going to get to come home for Christmas before he heads to Afganistan in January. I'm absolutely thrilled about that!

Not much else going on here at the moment...at least that I can think of. So, until next time.

Road Trip to PA

2006-11-10T21:38:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago Angie and I took a road trip to see Aunt Nancy and Uncle Ken in their new home! It was a great weekend! We had fun shopping on Saturday downtown Pittsburg on the strip. There were tons of little shops with lots of fun things ranging from food to any kind of trinket you could ever want. We ended the evening by going out for pizza and yes, doing a little bit more of shopping in one of the local malls. Sunday we went to church in the morning and then drove to another town that was close by to walk by the river. It was a beautiful little walk. We took a little break to enjoy the setting sun...that' what Uncle Ken and Aunt Nancy are doing in the picture below.

This picture is us doing shadow art! Oh what fun it is to play in the sun! Can you guess who is who?

I'm Online at Home Now!

2006-11-04T22:08:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm finally online at home which hopefully means I'll be able to keep up on my blog a lot better. There's always plenty to write about, but I don't find that I want to stick around at work after hours in order to update my blog.

My roommate and I had quite the adventure last weekend when we woke up to a flooded basement due to the sump pump malfunctioning. There was about 3 inches of standing water in some areas and boy was it cold to my bare feet! Looking back now it's a miricle that neither one of us got electrocuted. There were several items plugged in, including my TV, VCR and DVD player which was plugged into a power strip that was on the floor almost covered in water! We quickly unplugged it and when Angie picked it up it was hot to touch and had actually melted in some parts. SCARY! Praise God for looking out for us and protecting us!

Thankfully, not much was damaged from the water. I threw out a pillow and a blanket, but I think that's all. Only a portion of the basement got flooded which is a very good thing. My furniture wasn't harmed and we were able to get the water out of there with an emergency sump pump very quickly. We sucked the water out of the carpet with a carpet cleaner and then ripped it up and dried it out. It doesn't have an oder and it dried nicely, so we're going to put it back down.

Rachael, my friend and mentor, loaned me her AirSource (which helped purify the air) and some cleaning solution from Shaklee since she sells Shaklee products. So, I'm quite thankful for that and am so happy to know that the chances of bacteria and mold growing now are extremely less because of the Shaklee products I borrowed. You can learn all about Shaklee products at Rachael's website: www.shaklee.net/rmasten.

The First Snow

2006-10-13T14:59:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we had our first snow. Ofcourse the ground is too warm for it to stick, but hey it sure was pretty coming down! Speaking of snow, are you aware of the new snow flake postage stamps that are coming out this year? They are actual pictures of snow flakes! To read more about the man who photographed them visit this long link:
http://www.usps.com/communications/news/stamps/2006/sr06_045.htm

If you want the short version, here's a blurb I found on the Internet:
The 2006 Winter Holiday Season will be celebrated on stamps in October when the four "Holiday Snowflakes" stamps are issued. Physicist Kenneth Libbrecht added new meaning to the term "freeze frame" by photographing actual snowflakes. Because fallen snowflakes start to melt and lose their shape in mere minutes, Libbrecht quickly transferred the snowflakes from cardboard to a glass slide using a paintbrush. He then snapped the photos inside a temperature-regulated enclosure using a digital camera attached to a high-resolution microscope.

Pretty cool, huh?

Family and Hair Styling Details

2006-09-30T17:26:00.000-04:00

Here are some more family pics. The last two were taken when we went to Indy to visit the Lancasters over Labor Day weekend.

By the way, Carole, you had asked if my hair is easy to style. Let me just say, I have never used more product in all my life. Would you like to know the process? First I put moose in my hair, then hair dry it, then curl it, then style it with piecing paste and then hair spray it...heaven forbid it move from it's place once I've spent so much time investing in it. Silly, I know...but it's a new fun style and I like it for now. I'm getting faster with the whole routine. Practice makes perfect, eh?

Stairs to Storage

2006-09-30T17:23:00.000-04:00

Here's another cool pic I took. These stairs take you to Andy and Elissa's storage unit...which by the way is REALLY HOT. Ellissa was looking for some papers in there and let me just tell you, it was quite stifling in there.

Peter

2006-09-30T17:20:00.000-04:00

Here's a picture of Pete that I took when we were together a few weekends ago. I really like the black and white look! Anyway, isn't he handsome? Girls...he's still single.... OK. OK. I'll stop with that now. Anyway, just wanted to post this pic of my bro.

Settlers of Catan

2006-09-30T17:10:00.000-04:00

Here's a close up of Settlers. It's really a complicated game, but fun once you get the hang of it. Basically you want to build roads, settlements and cities. The way you build any of those things is by collecting resources such as wood, ore, wheat and brick and then trading them in for whatever it is your building. It's all in the placement of your first road link and the luck of how the die lands. Ofcourse there is a point system and the first one to reach 10 points wins the game. You might say, "that's must be a quick game if you only have to get 10 points." Trust me, nothing could be farther from the truth. Remember when I said it's a game of strategy? Anything with strategy takes FOREVER! Nonetheless, it's a game worth checking out!

Family Fun & Games

2006-09-19T16:47:00.000-04:00

This last weekend I trecked my way down to Upland to spend the weekend with Andy, Elissa and Peter. Pete flew in to see family in the Midwest before he's deployed to Afghanistan. We spent the weekend chatting, playing games, and watching a motorcycle race that came through Andy and Elissa's landlords property. That was fun becuase thier landlord, Larry, took us for a ride in his jeep. I was in the back standing up enjoying the many acres of woods and the feeling of the breeze sweep over my face. Pete was standing behind me and it's a good thing becuase a couple of times it got a bit rough and I might have fallen backwards had he not been there to catch me although I did have a pretty good grip on the jeep. It was just nice to know he was back there.

Among the games we played was The Settlers of Catan. I had never played it before but enjoyed it once I caught on to how it's played. It's a strategy game, so explaining it took probably a good 45 minutes. And it lasts forever! But non-the-less, it's definatley fun. I tried to post a close up picture of the game, however the computer is being slow and refuses to upload it. So, perhaps I'll try again later. We also enjoyed a few rounds of crazy canasta.

I'm sad I won't get to see Peter for another good year and a half probably. But, I guess that's just the way life is. As my Mom always says, "such is life". But at least we had a good weekend together.

Fall is in the Air

2006-09-11T16:39:00.000-04:00

Well, it appears fall is in the air. I love fall... it's my favorite season. I just love the crispness in the air and the brightness of the changing leaves. How odd that leaves are in their prettiest state right before they die. There could be some symbolizm in that, but since I'm not in the mood to write a deep dialog about leaves, I'll leave that comment stand by itself.

It's funny how with every new season my schedule seems to change somewhat. I guess that's only natural. So, for this fall, I have a lot of things going on. They're all very good things, ofcourse, it just seems the pace of life has picked up once again. Which is why I haven't really updated this blog in a while.

For instance, every Wednesday night I'm attending this class at church called Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. Each class we watch a video of Dave teaching and then discuss it with the small group afterwords. We've only had one class so far, but I can tell this is really going to change the way I manage my money and as Dave Ramsey says, I could change my family tree. He really gives some great ways to manage your money, and I'm at an advantage since I'm so young...that is if I impliment what he's teaching. He has a way of really motivating me to do so though, and he's very funny. If you'd like to visit his web site it's www.daveramsey.com. I'd highly recommend his class, or if you don't have a class to attend where you live, his book is a good place to start.

I also have small group every Tuesday night and it looks like I might be joining a girls volleyball team in Decatur...just to fill in when they need me. We've entered the "we just want to have fun" level. And it's a good thing if I'm going to be filling in becuase that's about all I accomplish when I play volleyball. I really enjoy the sport, but seeing as how I was a runner in high school I never had the opportunity to learn the sport and play. Beach volleyball is the best!

I've also recently discovered a group of 20 somethings that meet every Sunday night and study the Bible together. Here's the blurb they had about it on their web site:

The Core is a ministry of young adults (singles and marrieds, 18-30 years old) who Sacrifice in Worship, Serve in Ministry, Soak in Teaching and Share in Community.

It's a part of Pathway Community Church here in Fort Wayne, but there are over 14 different churches represented in the group becuase it's probably the only one reaching out to this age group. I've gone a couple of times and it's been really good, so I'll probably go whenever I'm in town on the weekends.

So, that's what has been happening here for the last couple of weeks. Until next time, hope you enjoy the beginnings of fall.

A New Look

2006-08-23T17:42:00.000-04:00

Here's my new hair cut...I decided to go for a more fun style. I'm 24 years old and by golly, I ought a look 24, right? So, here it is! This pictures is a self portrait...so it's not the best quality...but it works.

Ahhh, Relaxation!

2006-08-23T17:30:00.000-04:00

Here I am just chilling out now that my room is painted and put back into order. It feels so fresh, crisp, clean and just plain welcoming. I love spending time in there now and am so thankful I was able to paint it. Three of the four walls are the beige you see in this picture and the other wall is the dark burgandy you see behind the headboard of my bed. Ahhh, the joy of a freshly painted room!

Painting Prep and Process

2006-08-23T17:04:00.000-04:00

This last weekend I decided to tackle my room and paint it. I've wanted to paint it ever since I moved in but just got around to it last weekend. I ended up moving all the furniture by myself and ended up popping a blood vessil in my eye...I'm guessing from straining when I shoved my furniture around. So, I've been wearing glasses all week until the redness in my eye clears up. Fun times! It's funny becuase preping the room takes more time than actually painting it by the time you move everything, tape everything, wipe all the cob webs away, vaccumme, etc. etc. Above are some in progress pictures. You can see it was just a boring white room with lots of scuffs on the walls.

Saying Farewell

2006-08-09T17:04:00.000-04:00

Saying farewell was a bit difficult since Claire and I have been best friends since first grade. It will be different being away from her for so long. However, now that we're both hooked up with blogs and now that technolodgy has come a long way since our parent's day, it will be a lot easier to keep in touch. Besides, I think a year will fly by so fast. Time seems to speed up the older I get. I'm exctied for Claire and John and all the new things they will encounter while they're on this adventure.

Brad and Gail are pictured above...they have invited me to come to Bloomington any time I want. They are practically my second parents and are great fun. I plan to make some trips down that way and hang out with them. It will be good for all of us, I'm sure.

Preparing For the Big Trip

2006-08-09T16:54:00.000-04:00

Claire and John had accomplished a lot before their last weekend in Bloomington in preperation for their trip to the DR. They still had a few last minute items to check off their list while I was there i.e. packing. They were debating on whether to take 5 bags or 4 taking into consideration the over weight fees and extra baggage fees. They finally determined 5 bags would be cheaper than taking 4 over weight bags. Well, if you want the rest of the story, visit their blog at www.johnandclaireroth.blogspot.com. It's worth checking it out, trust me.

I was able to help them with one very fun task...spending all their gift cards! Since they are both teachers, they have recieved quite a bit of gift cards from students in the last year or two. So, it was fun to do the shopping thing...although Claire would probably disagree on that note. I enjoy shopping non-the-less.

The plant that Claire and I are standing by in the above pictures is a plant I gave her many, many years ago. She named him Pete. He was just a little thing when I gave him to her and I'm amazed every time I see him how much he's grown! So, ofcourse, we had to take a picture by him.