Somewhere In Between...

The Heisman

2012-01-18T16:45:00.000-06:00

Robert Griffin III was a huge reason for all of Baylor's football success this year. He's extremely exciting, a great person, and has a very cool sock collection! I may be a little biased but I think he's totally deserving of the Heisman Trophy. The other night Baylor had a little Football Pep Rally thing and afterwards you could have your picture taken with the trophy. After waiting in line for nearly two hours we finally got our chance...

While we were waiting Landry sized himself up against Baylor's other third...Perry Jones III.

Another fun night!

Remember the Alamo...Bowl!

2012-01-17T16:45:00.000-06:00

After such an exciting football season there was no way I was going to miss Baylor's bowl game! There was a lot of hope that Baylor would get picked for a big bowl game, maybe the Cotton Bowl, and maybe even a BCS bowl. I, however, was just hoping Baylor would play in Texas! I was so excited when we were picked to play in the Alamo Bowl. San Antonio is a super fun city and it would allow many, many Baylor fans to make it to the game.

It worked out for me and the boys to take a little road trip and we had a great time. We arrived in San Antonio in time to check into the hotel and check out the riverwalk for a few minutes.

Then we hopped in a taxi and made our way to the game. The boys enjoyed some of the pre-game activities.

We went inside the Alamodome and found our seats.

I was kind of surprised that we were surrounded by Washington fans...including Joe Montana!

The game was super exciting. It was high-scoring and the lead went back and forth and back and forth! In the end, Baylor won! The balloons fell, fireworks popped, and confetti flew! It was really fun to watch the team celebrate afterwards. Since we were staying right on the riverwalk we decided to walk back to our hotel. It was so pretty all lit up for Christmas and so fun to hear random Sic'em Bears all along the way. We even stopped by the Alamo at about 1am!

The next day we got up and headed back to the Alamo, went to the mall, and finished up with a river taxi ride back to the hotel.

We really had a super fun time on the trip. It took us 7 hours to make it home but the boys did a great job and we all lived to tell about it!

A Season To Remember...

2012-01-16T14:38:00.013-06:00

The 2011 Baylor Football season was definitely one to remember. For me, it started out on a very high note with some help from Facebook and Twitter. Because I have many great friends I won a contest for a pair of season tickets for Baylor football. I have never purchased season tickets before because I just didn't think I'd be able to commit to attending every home football game and found it easier to just buy tickets for the games I was actually gonna make it to. And let's be honest, in the past attending Baylor football games has led to much frustration and much disappointment. So, to get tickets to every home game for FREE was awesome and led to many great memories and lots of great football! Besides attending every home game, I also got the opportunity to attend 3 road games and the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. Here's a quick recap of all the fun...

Game 1: TCU vs. Baylor - Baylor Wins!!
It took an unusually long time and a little off-roading to get to Waco for this Friday night game but it was totally worth it. This was an epic game that went down to the final seconds and put Baylor in the national spotlight. The Robert Griffin for Heisman talk began and I finally got some bragging rights over all my TCU co-workers! My good friends Kristy, Shane, Reagan, and Wendell attended this game with me and it was a blast. Besides winning, the highlight was probably seeing the couple in front of us celebrate like they just won a billion dollars. Baylor fans knew this year was finally going to be different!

Game 2: Stephen F. Austin vs. Baylor - Baylor Wins!!
I got to go to this game with sister, Ashleigh (BU class of 2007), and my college roommate, Stacey (BU class of 2004). It was tons of fun spending time in Waco again with these two! This game actually only lasted 3 quarters because of lightning but we still had a great time and as long as Baylor wins it doesn't really matter how long the game lasts! This is our only picture from the night...Pat Neff Hall is lit up in green after every Baylor win.

Game 3: Rice vs. Baylor - Baylor Wins!!
I was so excited to go to this game with Kristy and the boys! It is always fun to go to the game with them and really helps with my recruiting of the Bagg boys! This game wasn't all that entertaining so we had a little football game of our own. Kristy gave a great recap of this night here.

Game 4: Baylor vs. Kansas State - Baylor loses by 1 stinkin' point!
This was Baylor's first road game and both teams were undefeated going into the game. I watched this game on TV and spent most of the game pacing, praying, and hoping Baylor would come out on top. Alas, it wasn't in the cards and we lost the game in the final seconds by 1 point.

Game 5: Iowa State vs. Baylor - Baylor Wins!!
A couple of my former 4th graders went with me to this game. Jacob and Joseph are two talented football players and it was fun to watch the game with them. And, of course, Baylor won so it was all good!

Game 6: Baylor vs. Texas A&M - This one was kind of ugly!
It is always fun to visit College Station! I have several close friends who are Aggies and so this game is always important. The Rothenbergers were kind enough to allow me to tag-along and enjoy this game with them. Kyle Field is a special place and because of all the SEC/Big 12 drama it was definitely a hyped up crowd. After starting out strong, Baylor kind of fizzled and lost in a big way! This will probably be the last time Baylor and A&M play football for a very long time and unfortunately the Aggies have bragging rights for what looks like forever! It was a super fun day though and I'm thankful I got to enjoy it with great friends!

Game 7: Baylor vs. Oklahoma State - This one was very ugly!
Parker and I took a little road trip to Stillwater, Oklahoma to enjoy this game. It was my first time in Stillwater and I loved it. The people were so friendly and they had a great game day atmosphere. This would have been a stunning upset for Baylor, but it turned into a stunning defeat! We played horrible and it was a long ride home!

Game 8: Missouri vs. Baylor - Back on track!
After losing two games in a row there was a lot riding on this game. A lot of people said that if we lost this game, we wouldn't even make a bowl game. I was nervous going in but Abbee and Emma kept me calm. It was super fun to go to the game with these two girls and I loved exposing them to Baylor. I think Emma even enjoyed the game...she had told her mom that she didn't even like football! In the end, Baylor got win #5!

Game 9: Baylor vs. Kansas - Way too close for comfort!
This game was in Lawrence, Kansas and I had to listen to it on the radio. Kansas was having a really rough season and this should have been an easy win for Baylor. I actually gave up listening because we were losing bad going into the fourth quarter and I just couldn't believe we were gonna lose to Kansas! I checked back in with a few minutes remaining and was able to listen to the tail-end of what turned out to be one of the greatest come-from-behind-wins in Baylor football history!

Game 10: Oklahoma vs. Baylor - Unbelievable!
This turned out to be one of my favorite football games ever! Kristy, Alex, Reagan, Luke, Landry, and I made the trek to Waco for this Saturday night game. I'd be lying if I said I thought there was any way that Baylor would be able to beat Oklahoma but that is exactly what they did! Check out the video in the last post to see just how exciting that game was. It was definitely the biggest win in my time as a Baylor fan!

Game 11: Texas Tech vs. Baylor - Another great win!
This was technically a home game but it was played at Cowboys Stadium. It was nice to be able to go to a game just down the road! Parker, Landry, Luke, and I attended this game and had a great time! By this time, Baylor fans believed the team could beat just about anybody!

Game 12: Texas vs. Baylor - Woohoo!
My Dad and I made the trek to Waco for this game on a rainy, rainy day! Texas had just beaten A&M and we really needed RG3 to have a great game to better his chances at the Heisman. It was a great game and Baylor won again! It was really exciting to witness another huge win despite having to sport a pancho the entire game! Since my brother went to UT my Dad is a fan of the Longhorns as well as Baylor so it was fun to come out on top in this one!

Game 13: Washington vs. Baylor - The Alamo Bowl - Win #10
I'll need to make a separate post about the Alamo Bowl experience but this was a crazy game that fortunately turned out in our favor! I had the best time with Alex, Reagan, Parker, Luke, and Landry on this little adventure!

It was definitely a season to remember and not only was all the winning fun, it was really great to be able to share all the fun with great friends and family! It's been a long time since being a Baylor fan meant you actually witnessed the team win but hopefully that's the way it's going to be for a long time!

Oh Baylor!

2011-11-20T14:04:00.003-06:00

I'm going on 11 years as a pretty hardcore Baylor fan. We may not be the biggest, flashiest, or most impressive team around but we always play with heart. There is never a day that I'm not proud to be a Baylor Bear. The lows, and there are many, are usually pretty low. But, the highs, they are very high! Last night's win over Oklahoma definitely qualifies as a high!

Sic'em Bears!!

The Power's Out.

2011-10-09T19:35:00.011-05:00

It’s Sunday night and I don’t have to go to school tomorrow. I’m pretty sure I’ve never been more thankful for Christopher Columbus and his discovering America! Although, he didn’t technically discover “America” but he’s totally worth a day off of school! Anyway, after my plans to attend the Ranger game got nixed I thought I’d spend this cool, cloudy evening curled up on the couch watching something on Netflix. Just as I was about to wrap up some “chores” and head for the couch the lights began to flicker and then the power went out. According to the electric company it’s going to be at least 2 hours before it comes back on. Let’s just say that I was very frustrated by the fact that I had nothing to do but sit in the dark. As I was straightening up some things on my dresser by the light of my iPhone (thank you Steve Jobs), I remembered Haiti. So instead of just sitting in the dark I’m going to attempt to blog about my trip to Haiti...we’ll see how long my laptop battery (thank you Steve Jobs) lasts.

I’ve been meaning to sit down and blog about my trip to Haiti for um, well, a really long time! I just haven’t gotten around to it for some reason. Probably mostly because I don’t want to admit how much that trip made me realize that my life is full of luxuries. And if I put it on the blog, then maybe I’ll have to do something about that. Unfortunately, the frustration I just experienced about not having any electricity is a sure sign of how quickly I can revert to my old ways even after being deeply impacted by the conditions and people of Haiti. So, I’ll tell you about Haiti and I hope that by doing so it will hold me accountable to living a little more thankful, a little more intentional, and little more aware of God’s incredible blessings.

One Saturday morning in early August, seven of us left very early to spend a week in Haiti building a house for a family who’s former home was destroyed in the January 2010 earthquake. We arrived in Port-Au-Prince in the late afternoon and were immediately face-to-face with the 18 month-old destruction. Directly across the street from the airport was a "tent-city" where many people who lost their homes have lived for over a year and a half. They have literally lived under big blue and gray tarps for a year and a half.

After a very long and bumpy ride up the mountain we arrived at the Baptist Haiti Mission in Fermathe. It was already dark so we didn't get to see much of the mission that night. We ate dinner, checked out our accommodations for the week and pretty much called it a night. We stayed in a building that was one big room and two smaller "bedrooms" with bunk beds. There were windows on the building but they don't have glass so everything is pretty open. We went to sleep that night with the sound of all kinds of creatures doing what they do at night. Our bathroom was outside and about 20 feet down the sidewalk. I don't know how all of that sounds to you, but it was way better than I had anticipated!

The next morning we were awoken by the sounds of singing at the church...it was about 6:30 am. Talk about an early service! We got up and attended an English-speaking Bible study and then the "late" worship service at the church. The service was entirely in Creole and it was long. And we don't speak Creole so it felt even longer! Another side note, we were definitely underdressed! The Haitians take their Sunday best very seriously. We later learned that many of them walk miles to church barefoot so that their shoes will still look nice when they get there. We spent the rest of Sunday just kind of hanging out and resting up for the big week ahead. Here are pictures of some things around the mission...

Monday morning came and it was time to get to work. We did take a tour of the mission before we got started. I was amazed at the mission and all that it does to equip the people to help themselves have a better way of life. There is a hospital, a school, a church, a bakery, restaurant, and lots of other little ways for people to learn a trade. I think there should be places like the Baptist Haiti Mission all over the world...such a neat way to meet the needs of the whole person and still have the opportunity to share the gospel with them. After our tour, we loaded up on the back of a flat-bed truck and held on for dear life as we road up and down the worst roads I've ever seen. Once we arrived at the site we met the crew and then got started. We moved a ton of cinder blocks from there to here to there. The Haitians really did most of the "skilled" work so we just jumped every time we heard one of them yell "blok" or "mochi." Mochi was the concrete mixture used to cement the blocks into place. The walls went up pretty quickly and by the end of the day we were totally exhausted.

Tuesday through Friday was more of the same. Lots of block and mochi moving. We also put stucco on all the inside and outside walls. The roof, doors, and lock went on and that was pretty much it. This was basically a one-room house that eight people will live in. There's no electricity (hmmm), no plumbing, no gas. It's basically just a roof over this family's head. But this family was so proud of their new home.

We usually had a crowd of on-lookers watching us work. If you heard them say something about the blancs, you knew they were talking about us. I don't think they see many white people up in their part of the mountain and because of the misuse of billions of aid dollars that have gone to Haiti the people there are a little skeptical and resentful of Americans. Despite all that, the on-lookers inched closer and closer to us as the week went on. Getting to know the kids who were there kind of became my mission and when I tried my Creole out on them, they usually laughed. We still managed to communicate and by the end of the week the kids were all around us and even helping out with the house. We sang songs, took pictures and video of them (which they loved), and just tried to have fun with them. Here are the kiddos...

Interacting with the kids definitely was the highlight and most meaningful part of the trip for me. I just kept thinking...they have NOTHING and that's ok with them. I have SO MUCH and it's usually not enough! There's a big disconnect there for me! On one hand, visiting a place like Haiti made me realize how incredibly blessed I am. On the other hand, visiting a place like Haiti makes me think twice about how I spend my time, how I spend my money, and the things I worry about. I am overwhelmingly blessed and I want to do my best to honor God with all that He's given me. It's definitely good for me to remember Haiti...often.

Blessed

2011-08-16T20:51:00.002-05:00

A couple days ago I returned home from spending a week in Haiti. I'm still kind of processing what I saw and experienced and how those experiences will change the way I see myself, the world, and the future. One thing I know for sure, I am so incredibly blessed. Blessed beyond measure and blessed far beyond what I deserve. I'm excited about documenting some of the details of the trip here but for now, I'll leave you with a picture of my little friend Dudley. He couldn't speak English and I couldn't speak Creole, but high-fives, fist bumps, waves, and smiles are universal!

Dun...dun...dun...The Finals!

2011-07-15T23:46:00.005-05:00

Like I was saying, on Tuesday after school/work, Ryan, Meagan, and I drove back to Indianapolis to see Texas A&M take on Notre Dame for the Women's NCAA Championship (cough, cough...shoulda been Baylor).

This game started out with a little more fanfare than Sunday nights', including a very patriotic moment...

The Aggies came out on fire and it wasn't looking like much of a game at all. By half-time though, Notre Dame had come back and made it a lot more interesting. I think even more interesting than the game was watching all the Aggies and trying to explain to Meagan what they meant with all their hand gestures! In fact, at one point, the Aggies found themselves down quite a bit and things weren't looking so good, so I took one for the team and "humped it" along with the rest of the Aggies.

I'm not totally certain but I do believe that this was the turning point and pushed the Aggies over the edge to victory...

In the end, the Aggies won 76-70 and suddenly A&M fans everywhere realized they had a girl's basketball team! I kid, I kid. Seriously, super fun times with great friends. Gig 'em Ags! Until next year, that is.

2011 Final Four in Indy

2011-07-06T13:43:00.003-05:00

Somewhere along the way I've sort of lost interest in blogging, but as I was looking through some pictures I realized I never wrote about going to the Women's Final Four with Meagan and Ryan. I did share my sad little story about Baylor not being there, but never finished up with the actual event.

We arrived in Indianapolis on Sunday for the semi-final games a little early so we got to experience "Tourney Town." This was a big convention type thing that had all kinds of activities to help you get the real Final Four experience.

We played some hoops...

We pretended we were on TV...

Then it was time to head to the game.

We were lucky to see two really, really good games. Texas A&M beat out Stanford for a trip to the finals and Notre Dame took down Connecticut. A blow-out game would not have been fun for anyone!

Meagan had school the next day and Ryan had work very early in the morning so they slept while I tried my best to find our way back to Beecher. All I'm going to say is, everything looks the same in the middle of nowhere when it's pitch-black out! We eventually made it home and had a day off before we made the same trek back to Indy on Tuesday for the Finals!

ahhhh...summer!

2011-06-10T15:25:00.007-05:00

Whenever I begin to doubt that teaching is the career for me, summer comes!! Haha, just kidding. Although, summer is a great reward for being for a teacher. I'm one week in and have only found myself bored a couple of times! :) Here are a couple scenes from summer so far.

I was sitting by the pool today and I got this message on my phone...

Who knew that the iPhone was sensitive to the heat?

And, Baylor-dog got a haircut this week...

I have tried to reassure her that it's just hair and that it will all grow back! :)

redefinING

2011-05-16T16:14:00.003-05:00

I haven't been much of a blogger lately and I'm not really sure why. It's probably part not wanting to bore anyone with the things that have occupied my time, part me not wanting to bore myself, and part me trying to figure out why I even write anything in the first place! A lot of people blog to have a record of all the fun, exciting, memorable things that happen in their families. Others blog to just get stuff out of their heads. And still others for many different purposes. I haven't really figured out which category I fit into, but I'm leaning more towards just needing a place to think out-loud.

I feel like I'm very much in an ...ING place in my life. Thinking. Redefining. Reforming. Learning. Transforming. Sinning. Confusing. Convicting. Questioning. Reading. More thinking. ING is a powerful little suffix that has shown me over and over again that as badly as I want to have all the answers and do all the right things, I'm just not there yet. And, even better, I never will be! But, there is great comfort in knowing that!

Anyway, the deep thoughts are usually stirred up by something I've read or heard and these are a few things that have both convicted and challenged me...read at your own risk!

Guilty! Working on it!

I have several!

There's always hope!

These guys are far smarter than I and so are the people who have kindly brought these posts to my attention!

NERD ALERT!! NERD ALERT!!

2011-05-15T20:34:00.002-05:00

I guess in my old age I'm getting a bit wiser when it comes to all things financial, which is kind of strange considering I graduated from college with a degree in Finance! Anyway, in my younger day, I liked to have nice clothes, nice furniture, nice electronics, nice computers, a nice car. Unfortunately, all that nice stuff costs lots of nice money! Even more unfortunate, I didn't mind spending it!

So, imagine my surprise when I watched the TLC show "Extreme Couponers" and became hooked on the idea of getting stuff for FREE. Now, I don't think I'll ever be as extreme as the people on that show, but the idea of paying nothing for things that I (or someone I know) will really use is kind of exciting. See, N-E-R-D!

Anyway, I'm a week in and have made a couple trips to various stores in the area. According to my calculations, I have collected $23.19 worth of merchandise totally free!! That's like a quarter tank of gas!! Which is probably about how much gas I used to get all that free stuff! :)

Stronger

2011-05-01T20:41:00.002-05:00

I've currently got this song by Hillsong on repeat...

Stronger

There is love that came for us
Humbled to a sinner's cross
You broke my shame and sinfulness
You rose again victorious

Faithfulness none can deny
Through the storm and through the fire
There is truth that sets me free
Jesus Christ who lives in me

You are stronger, You are stronger
Sin is broken, You have saved me
It is written, Christ is risen
Jesus You are Lord of all

No beginning and no end
You're my hope and my defense
You came to seek and save the lost
You paid it all upon the cross

You are stronger, You are stronger
Sin is broken, You have saved me
It is written, Christ is risen
Jesus You are Lord of all
There is none

So let Your name be lifted higher
Be lifted higher, be lifted higher
So let Your name be lifted higher
Be lifted higher, be lifted higher

You are stronger, You are stronger
Sin is broken, You have saved me
It is written, Christ is risen
Jesus You are Lord of all

My how we've grown!

2011-04-19T22:26:00.004-05:00

Four short years ago...

Today...

I don't even want to think about what they will look like after the next four years!

These kids were and continue to be great evidence of God's grace, mercy, and sovereignty in my life!

A sad little story

2011-04-03T08:39:00.002-05:00

This morning I find myself back in Beecher, Illinois! Later on today, I will head to Indianapolis with my good friends Meagan and Ryan to enjoy some of the Women's Final Four activities. There's a lot of background involved in how I got here...

I remember watching the 1995 Women's Final Four (broadcast on network TV for the first time). Connecticut won the championship and Rebecca Lobo was their star player. I was 13 at the time and eating, sleeping, and breathing basketball. I immediately became semi-obsessed with Connecticut and my Dad even ordered me a championship t-shirt that I wore very proudly!

Fast forward ten years (2005) and I had left my love for Connecticut, but not basketball, behind. As a recent graduate of Baylor University, I was a working girl in the great metropolis of Waco, TX. Since I was still living in Waco it was easy to get to the Lady Bears homes games and the entire city became wrapped up in their NCAA tournament run. The Sweet Sixteen was a big deal. The Elite 8 was an even bigger one. Then, they made the Final Four. Baylor was making it very easy for any and all fans to get to Indianapolis to cheer on the team in their quest for a National Championship - something that had never been done at Baylor. I struggled long and hard with whether or not I should make the trip. I wanted to so badly, but I was on the verge of quitting my job and pursuing the whole teaching thing so it didn't necessarily seem like a wise financial decision. The night of the championship game I was back in Fort Worth for a meeting at the Region XI Service Center...the official beginning of my teaching career. After my meeting I headed over to my college roommate's parent's house where we watched the game together as we addressed invitiations to her wedding! Baylor winning was a HUGE deal in Waco and I pretty much have regretted not being there to see it in person ever since!

Last year, both the men's and women's basketball teams made impressive runs in the NCAA tournament. The girls making it to the Final Four in San Antonio and the boys making it to the Elite 8 in Houston. I chose to follow the men's team to Houston and missed out on yet another Final Four trip. So, early on in this season I decided that if Baylor was headed to the Final Four I was going too! The Final Four was going to be back in Indianapolis this year and I felt like it was a sign that Baylor would be back again too! And, because of it's proximity to the Chicago area, I knew there was a certain girl that would probably love to go as well!

This year's tournament began and Meagan and I watched in hopeful anticipation that Baylor would make back-to-back trips to the Final Four. Once it was down to 16 teams I started looking at tickets and travel options. Last Saturday, I was feeling confident and bought a plane ticket and Final Four game tickets. On Sunday, Baylor made us really nervous in a close game against Green Bay but eventually came out on top. Then, on Tuesday we met Texas A&M for the fourth time this season. Then, for the first time this season the Aggies won. I knew it would be a close game but Baylor's performance was quite disappointing. I didn't get to actually watch the game so I wasn't nearly as depressed as some people expected me to be. Although, the irony of me buying a plane ticket and game tickets to a Final Four that Baylor would not be at was not lost on me! We decided to press on and attend the Final Four anyway. So, I am here and in just a little while we'll be making the trek to Indy! I'll probably be able to enjoy the whole experience a lot more now that Baylor's not involved...if they were, I'd be a nervous wreck!

Play Ball!!

2011-03-24T20:19:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was a very exciting day in the life of my family! My nephew, Will, began his baseball career! It was so much fun to see his excitement build over the last few days and then to finally watch him on the field was very cool. Will got a hit and ran the bases with so much enthusiasm he totally missed second and third base! It was so funny! His team, the Giants, played a great game but came up a couple runs short in the end. Despite the loss, Will and friends were all smiles!

Another great moment came when Allie discovered that Will playing baseball might benefit her as well!

So proud to be their aunt!

Spring Break Adventure!!

2011-03-12T19:12:00.004-06:00

I decided to be a little adventurous this Spring Break and hopped in the car for a little road trip. My destination...Beecher, Illinois. I left yesterday right after school and drove 10 hours to St. Louis. Then, I got up this morning and finished the drive. It took a total of 14 hours and 45 minutes but I made it!

Meagan and I have already found ourselves laughing like crazy so I'm sure we're in for some fun times ahead! Here's a couple random pics from the trip so far...

The St. Louis Arch...

Meagan trying to take a picture of this gas station for Luke...

Another good one...

2011-03-08T21:15:00.003-06:00

“It’s easy to love cautiously. It’s easy to show expressions of love that are safe and kept within restrained boundaries. But loving wastefully always involves risk — there’s the risk that the love might be rejected, the risk that the love might not be reciprocated, and the risk that the loving deed might, in fact, be wasted. Yet is it not in loving wastefully that we display the inexhaustible love of God?”

~ Spotting the Sacred ~

My endeavor...

2011-02-17T20:21:00.002-06:00

"One must endeavor to be wholly like Jesus, who was gentle, pure, and kind; who hung out with the 'untouchables'; who valued every individual He encountered; and who taught us how to truly love one another."

~ Anne-Geri' Fann in How To Get Ready for Short-Term Missions~

Bieber Fever!!

2011-02-13T21:32:00.004-06:00

Last night Reagan, Jordan, and I tried hard to find something fun to do. We tried bowling...too crowded. We tried bowling somewhere else...too crowded. We tried laser tag...too crowded. It came down to seeing a movie or t.p.ing! So we went with the movie. Due to movie start times the only safe one available to us was the new Justin Bieber movie! We decided to embrace the Bieber Fever and join in on the craziness. This is how us buying tickets went...

Me: I need 3 tickets for Justin Bieber.
Ticket Girl: Ok.
Me: We have the Bieber Fever. (this is when Jordan and Reagan wanted to run far, far away)
Ticket Girl: Ok.

Once we got inside we had to wait in a long line before we could be let into the theater. We may have let a few other people know that we had Bieber Fever while we were waiting in line. I made them take their picture by the little sign...

J.P. and Reagan even fell for the Bieberry Smoothie. It was NASTY!!

Fun, fun times with these kids. I can't believe how old they've become!

I love the sunshine!!

2011-02-13T21:16:00.007-06:00

After what seems like forever, the sun and warmer temperatures finally made an appearance. I don't necessarily consider myself an outdoorsy person but on a day like yesterday there was nowhere else I wanted to be! Luckily, I found some little friends who enjoy being outside too! We headed to the park to do a little geocaching...but that quickly turned into...

...river crossing...

...rock-skipping...

...rock-climbing...

...and ended with a little ice cream! Great day!!

Snow day...birthday!

2011-02-13T20:48:00.003-06:00

I somehow won the snow day lottery and ended up getting my birthday off of work because of snow and ice. The cool part was that the roads weren't really that bad, so I didn't have to be bored all day! I love fake snow days!!

It was a good, good day. I got to sleep in, I got to have a fun birthday lunch with great friends, I got to go to the Apple Store, and I got to have a fun family birthday dinner!

One of the highlights was hanging out with these two goofy kids:

Yee-haw!!

2011-01-31T21:10:00.006-06:00

If you would have told me 20 years ago that this California-girl would grow up to not only appreciate Texas but to really enjoy it's Cowboy culture, I wouldn't have believed you! My eight-year old self was getting back to Cali just as soon as possible. And, look at me now...I have had the opportunity to attend the Fort Worth Stock Show not once, but twice this year and thoroughly enjoyed both experiences!!

Last week we took a field trip to the stock show and it was really fun to experience everything through the kids' eyes. They were genuinely impressed by all the animals. I asked one of my quieter students what his favorite part was, he grinned really big and said, "the poop on the ground!" I said, "So if I asked you to draw a picture of your favorite part you would draw poop?" He said, "Yep!!" I laughed for a long time at that one.

Then, I had the opportunity to cowboy up again on Sunday with my family. Will and Allie really dressed the part...

There's two things Allie really loves...pink and sugar! My Dad made her so happy with the perfect snack...

I was really taken by these cows...

I just couldn't get over how "pretty" they were. I know, it's strange!

Anyway, good times at the stock show for sure! I can't wait to go back next year, y'all! :)

The Next Generation

2011-01-29T22:37:00.009-06:00

Almost 4 years ago exactly my life took on a whole new purpose...BEAR HUNTING! What is Bear hunting, you ask? To convince these kids to love Baylor like I do...

That day was the beginning of many, many good times with those four kiddos and their families (minus the part where I backed my car OFF Kristy's crazy driveway instead of out of it). Anyway, those four kids have become teenagers...they're taller than me now, they're smarter than me now, and I don't think they think I'm nearly as cool as they once did! And, I also think I convinced exactly none of them to love Baylor like I do!! Although they're still willing to attend pretty much any Baylor sporting event with me, so there's still a small ray of hope.

While they're busy being teenagers, I'm working on the next generation of future Baylor Bears. Today, I had the opportunity to take Luke and his good friend, Will, to a Baylor Basketball game. We enjoyed a very exciting game that came down to the final minutes with the Bears coming from behind to beat Colorado. We spent a little time watching ourselves on the video boards. We enjoyed a little play time on the court afterwards, and even got an autograph from Coach Drew.

Here they are at mid-court...

A group photo that a nice Baylor cheerleader offered to take for us...

And, someday we hope to be as big as Perry Jones III...

It was another great day in Waco, and another great Bear hunting experience!

Texas Bowl = Choke Bowl

2011-01-02T21:43:00.004-06:00

Now that I've had a few days to process all that the Texas Bowl was (or wasn't) for Baylor, I feel like I'm ready to write about the experience.

First of all, Baylor actually getting to a bowl game was a really long time coming and the excitement among Baylor Nation leading up to the game was very cool. I got email updates at least twice a day discussing tickets sold, pictures of what the team was doing, and all the fun that was going to be had at the 2010 Texas Bowl. As soon as we became bowl-eligible in October my one Christmas list item was a trip to whatever bowl Baylor ended up going to. So, the excitement began for me on Christmas day when I opened this...

Early Wednesday morning my sister Ashleigh (BU Graduate '07) and I loaded up and headed south. We decided to take the Aggie way to Houston so that we could make a quick stop at the Baylor bookstore. Our quick stop turned into an hour-long Baylor gear shopping spree! Apparently, I have no fiscal control when I step into that store!! By the time we got back on the road it had started raining pretty hard and didn't really stop the whole way to Houston. Here's a view from the road...

We had planned to arrive in Houston by 2:30 to take part in all the pre-game festivities. As we were nearing the stadium at about 1:45 we received word that because of the downpour in Houston all those activities were cancelled and the gates wouldn't open until 3! Now we needed something to do to kill a little time. We didn't want to get too far away from the stadium so luckily there was a Cavendar's right across the highway. I have never set foot in that store before so it was sure to be a fun time. We wandered around and I stuck my foot in a couple pairs of boots. Ashleigh abandoned me every time a worker approached leaving me to look like a total dork. I returned the favor by making her take my picture with this guy...

We stepped outside of the store and were close enough to see the stadium...

However, there was a lot of rain between us and the game. I'm kind of a weirdo about having wet hair so Ashleigh made the sacrifice and let me use her umbrella. We were discussing whether or not it was worth it because sometimes you get soaked just trying to get the umbrella into the car with you when Ashleigh informed me of my mom's special umbrella-into-the-car move that saves you from all the mess. Apparently, I have never seen my Mom in action because I ended up with a bruised hand and this...

This may have been one of those you had to be there moments, but the entire trip to Houston was worth seeing Ashleigh standing on the porch of Cavendar's Boot City doubled-over laughing at me and realizing there were people watching the whole thing in the car next to us! Good times!

Anyway, we finally made into the stadium complete with wet hair, wet clothes, and wet feet! By the way, I think I'm shrinking in my old age...I'm the short one again!

The anticipation and hope for a stunning Baylor bowl game victory was very real! Reliant Stadium was FULL of Baylor fans, it was really cool to be a part of it! Unfortunately, it became apparent about 1 minute into the game that while victory was still possible we would have our hands full. Not quite what I was expecting. By the end of the first quarter we realized that someone gave the Bears the wrong game time because they most definitely didn't show up! In the end, we played horribly and pretty much embarrassed ourselves with the whole world watching. Which we were totally fine with because that's pretty much the way it works with Baylor Football!

Ok, I've taken a few deep breaths. We had a great little trip and had tons of fun...it was totally worth it! It's just a game, we had a good season and definitely have something positive to improve on. And these are the days of our lives...the Baylor version!

Merry Texas Bowl Eve...

2010-12-28T19:58:00.003-06:00

Tomorrow's the big day! After 16 years Baylor will play in a bowl game again! To say that I'm excited is definitely an understatement. Houston, here we come...again! :)

Random Christmas Tidbits

2010-12-24T16:57:00.003-06:00

Here a just a few random things I've learned/realized/or thought about the last couple days...

#1) Last Friday (the 17th), I realized that what I wanted the most for Christmas was 2 weeks off of school! I have had a great first week off of work and am looking forward to many more fun-filled days ahead.

#2) I love, love, love giving gifts. I don't love, love, love wrapping gifts. It has taken me a really long time to find the motivation to do a mediocre job. Maybe my amazing, cool, smart, funny, wonderful sister will help me with my last three gifts??

#3) I have a Christmas addiction to "Snowball" cookies.

My Mom makes them every year and she usually has to hide them so I don't eat them all. I stopped by my parents house last night and nobody was home, I found the snowballs and left a note that maybe next time she could find a better hiding space. :) The other day I declared that snowballs were like crack to me, unfortunately I didn't think about the fact that my 4-year-old niece and 5-year-old nephew were in the room. Luckily, they didn't ask what that meant! Although, that same afternoon Allie asked, "How do I get high?" She was trying to figure out how to make her stool a little higher. :)

#4) I heard this song on the radio and love the Christmas message...

For All The World

by Philips, Craig, and Dean

Rejoice! In a manger lay

The promise of Gods love for us

For everyone

Rejoice! Here upon this day

Our immanuel has come

Blessed hope for all the world.

This Christmas feels kind of different for some reason, in a good way! I'm definitely more aware and in awe of God's love for me and His sovereignty. When you stop and think about what Christmas means and how something so small could come to do something so HUGE it gives an incredible dose of perspective that I definitely needed! It is a very Merry Christmas indeed!

The Showcase

2010-12-19T00:10:00.008-06:00

Two of my favorite boys are celebrating birthdays this week and our favorite thing to do seems to be going to sporting events so that is exactly what we did! It worked out perfectly that the American Airlines Center was hosting a little doubleheader featuring Texas A&M vs. Arkansas and Baylor vs. Gonzaga.

When all was said and done, A&M took care of business in an intense overtime game and Baylor didn't! I believe I was the only one disappointed in that outcome!

We had pretty decent seats and watched the entire first game from there. However, I still stand by my March 2010 statement that if there is a half-empty stadium/arena there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to move to a better, unoccupied seat. So, in between games we "upgraded" our seats to 10 rows behind the Gonzaga bench. Much better!

We upgraded our seats again with just a few minutes left to play which made a little picture from the floor easy to get...

When I looked at this picture the thing that stuck out the most was how tall these boys have gotten!! Check out this picture from our first Baylor/Aggie experience almost four years ago...

They're still wearing the Aggie gear (my attempts to convert Alex have totally failed) and they have both passed me up in the height department! Despite Baylor losing and realizing that I'm the short one, it was still a really fun day!

Happy Birthday Alex and Reagan!!

It seemed like an emergency...

2010-12-13T20:44:00.004-06:00

I had to make an "emergency" trip to Walmart tonight on my way home and because I hadn't been home since I left at 7 this morning I tried to talk myself out of it. However, when I thought about what I needed to buy it was just too important to wait until tomorrow...

As I unloaded my items it struck me as kind of funny that these three things constitute an emergency at my house! Gotta keep B-dog happy!

Thank goodness...

2010-11-16T23:59:00.010-06:00

...there is more to life than football!

I have loved being a Baylor Football fan this season, there have been some very high highs (beating UT...in Austin/that week in 1st place of Big 12 South/Ranked in top 25 for consecutive weeks/being Bowl-eligible) and I have tried hard not to blog about them because I didn't want to jinx my Bears! The magical season came to a screeching halt this past weekend.

I have had this game, Baylor vs. A&M, on my calendar for months. Since the start of the season I pretty much had this one down as a definite W. Then the Aggies had to go and change their quarterback and get a little momentum going. I was really nervous after they were able to take down OU!

I guess I was so nervous about this game that I gave absolutely no thought to the trash-talking/vandalism/pranking my good friend Deneise might do prior to this game. Seriously, never even crossed my mind. And, we're right across the hall from each other this year so she had very easy access to my room. Anyway, Deneise posts this picture on her blog Thursday night so I knew I was in for something once I arrived at school the next morning. Honestly, it's about time somebody put some words up there...

I must admit, she did a good job.

I especially appreciated that she took care of that day's morning work for me...

I had a little bit of a hard time explaining this one to my class...

Fortunately for me, our principal is a Baylor grad so she doesn't stand for this kind of stuff. She was sure to tell the whole school on the announcements Friday morning how much Mrs. Rothenberger LOVES the Baylor Bears! I wish I had a picture of Deneise's face...priceless!

Anyway, Deneise did a great job Aggie-fying my room ...it's been kind of like getting home from a week at the beach. No matter how many times you shower, you still find sand in weird places. It seems like I take one picture down only to discover a new one...usually up very high!

As for the actual game...I headed to Waco Saturday afternoon with some of my favorite people...half of us in green and gold, half of us in maroon, and one in blue?? The green and gold people really enjoyed the first half of the game and maroon people really enjoyed the second half! In the end, Baylor came up short. Fortunately, we all ended up happy by playing a little football on the field afterwards. And, here's the only picture from the night (my new favorite picture)...

Chicago...in pictures

2010-10-25T21:22:00.013-05:00

Here are a few pictures from my trip to Chicago with Alex...

Our first stop, Navy Pier...

Alex really enjoyed this "statue" and I was impressed with the huge Lego statues:

We did a little driving, and a little sleeping...

We watched some basketball...

We did some exploring...

We tried to get a good picture of all of us...we failed!

We played a little football...

We did a little studying...

We hit every McDonald's we could find...

Our trusty car, affectionately referred to as Jimmy?!?!...

All in all, it was an amazing weekend spent with great people! Thanks to the Williams crew for taking such good care of us and allowing us to spend the weekend with you!

Whirlwind weekend...

2010-10-25T00:06:00.005-05:00

I just arrived home from a crazy, fun, and all-around great weekend visiting some of my favorite peeps in Chicago! To truly appreciate the crazy parts of my little adventure we must start at the very beginning!

First of all, my good friend (cousin to Meagan and Lexie/nephew to Ryan) Alex joined me on this trip. We thought we'd take advantage of way lower airfares and fly to Milwaukee instead of Chicago. The money part was perfect, the only problem was that the optimal time to depart DFW was 6 AM Friday morning! Yikes! So, the plan was to leave the house at 4, park the car in remote parking, and still have plenty of time to make it to the gate. Here's how it went down...I set my alarm for 3. My alarm went off at 3. I snoozed the alarm one time. It went off again at 3:09. I turned the alarm off and somehow made my way back to the bed. Somehow, by the grace of the good Lord above, I woke up at 4:44!! 4:44?? We were supposed to leave at 4!! I threw on my clothes, woke up Alex, and started packing my last minute items, knowing in my gut that there was no way we were going to make it. By 4:51, we were pulling out of the driveway and headed to the airport. We had to ditch the remote parking option and began to have hope that we might make it when we pulled into a parking spot at 5:23. We ran to the ticketing counter where we had a little trouble with the self check-in option, waited in line at the counter and just as we realized the security line was insanely long we heard the final boarding call for our flight to Milwaukee! I asked the nice security lady if there was anyway we could "cut" in line since we were in serious danger of missing our flight, her response was a stern look as she pointed to the back of the line. Maybe she's not a morning person!! I'm not exaggerating at all when I say that the there were easily a hundred people in front of us in the security line. We did the "Six Flags" style maze of a line for approximately 15 minutes. We finally got the opportunity to undress and lay everything we own on the x-ray machine at 5:49. Two minutes later, with shoes, belt, toiletries in hand we RAN to the gate. The nice airline people saw us running and asked if we were headed to Milwaukee. We said yes and once again, by the grace of the good Lord above, we boarded our plane! The crazy thing was, three more people got on the plane after us!! When we made it to our seats Alex and I gave each other a high five and let out a very big sigh of relief!!

By the time we landed, we'd both spent some time sleeping and were ready for the real fun to begin. Getting from the plane to the rental car continued our little comedy of errors and I was starting to wonder if something might really go wrong before too long. We eventually made it out of the airport and stopped at McDonald's down the road for breakfast. We paused and acknowledged that the only reason we were sitting at McDonald's in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at 9:04 was because there was a God above who loved us and took very good care of us! Fortunately, things really calmed down after that! This stop at McDonald's inspired Alex to collect as many Monopoly pieces as he could and we made a total of 9 trips to McDonald's over the next two and half days! Don't worry, despite not winning anything, Alex still believes the Boardwalk piece (and a million dollars) is destined to be his!

After a short drive south to downtown Chicago we were able to park the car and really see a lot of the city. We started at Navy Pier and you couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. We rode the ferris wheel, did the crazy maze, and walked all the way to the end of the pier. We decided to leave the car and walk to Michigan Avenue where all the really cool stores are. We checked out Niketown, Eddie Baurer (my favorite store ever), and Playstation Headquarters. I thought it would be super fun for Alex to have lunch at the ESPN Zone Restaurant, but when we arrived we discovered it was no longer in business. Bummer! No worries though, we were in downtown Chicago, surely we'd find some place cool to eat. And boy did we, we had lunch at Subway! :)

Our plan was to be in Beecher about the time that Meagan and Lexie got home from school so after our amazing lunch and a little more sightseeing we made our way back to the car and headed south once again. About an hour later, we pulled up at the exact same time as everyone else! We had a nice little reunion in the driveway and then made our way inside. Friday night we did what all good Texans did, we watched the Ranger game! It was pretty exciting to watch as the Rangers clinched the American League Championship!!

Saturday morning we got up early to watch Meagan play basketball. I've always thought Meagan has a lot of natural basketball talent and she's a fun player to watch. Her team easily handled their opponents and we all had a great time cheering her on. After basketball and a little lunch we headed to the movies! We saw Secretariat and it was really good. I may or may not have taken a little nap at one point, but it really was a good movie. :)

We spent most of our time on Sunday enjoying the beautiful day in Beecher by Geocaching. If you're unfamiliar, you should google it. Meagan, Alex, and I have some pretty crazy geocaching memories from back in the day so it was fun to revisit that little activity. And, of course, it did not disappoint. We had some success and some trouble but all in all we had tons of fun!

By the time we got back to the house it was time for Alex and I to head north. We stopped back in the city for a couple more stops and then we were on our way back to Milwaukee. We really enjoyed the experience of being at the airport well before our flight and not having to run shoe-less to the plane!

That's the story...I'll write another post with pictures!

A sports fan's ultimate weekend!

2010-10-10T19:36:00.008-05:00

Over the last three days I have attended four different sporting events and unfortunately witnessed 4 losses! Despite all the losing, it was still a ton of fun...

The weekend began on Friday night with the Brewer game. I wouldn't normally count this as blog-worthy but I got to enjoy the game from the VIP seats in the press box. The great food, drinks, and view make this a very fun experience. My good friend, Luke, was my guest...

I got up early on Saturday morning to head to Dallas with Kristy, Alex, and Parker. We were about to enjoy the much anticipated game between Baylor and Texas Tech. This game was extra fun because it took place at the Cotton Bowl during the State Fair. The game started at 11 and we made it in plenty of time, we even got to see the masked rider run the Tech horse across the field...it was pretty cool. Perhaps the best part of this experience, it was totally free! Thanks again to all my friends who helped to make that happen!

We watched the game until half-time and then experienced the fair during the third quarter. By the time we made it back in the 4th quarter, the game was really close and the Bears were still hanging tough. I'm thinking there was some questionable business going on that may or may not have had an impact on the final outcome of the game. Either way, the Bears fought hard but fell short and lost by a touchdown.

When the last second ticked off the clock we walked quickly back to the car and started the trek to Arlington where the Texas Rangers were one win away from a sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS. We left the Cotton Bowl at 3 and the Ranger game began at 4:07! My friends, Stacey & Kevin, got me a ticket to this game and because of the Baylor game I had to meet them there. Thankfully, Kristy was so kind to drop me off at the ballpark and deal with all the crazy traffic.

The game was going so well until the eighth inning and it all kind of fell apart. The record crowd was literally in shock! Our little group was so shocked and sad to have missed what was supposed to be history in the making that we just had to go back to the game today! So, while we sat in traffic getting out of the parking lot, Stacey bought tickets on her iPhone. We met up this morning after church and sat in the sun all day, hoping and believing that the Rangers would pull it together and get the job done at home. Unfortunately, they did not! At least I had fun with Sutton!

We left the game again very sad and disappointed. And hungry! So, we headed to Saltgrass to eat dinner. We had kind of a strange waiter who kept telling us random Ranger stories, then he came over to tell us Nellie Cruz (Ranger's outfielder) was sitting a couple tables away. We were a little skeptical about it really being him, but sure enough it was! As he got up to leave the restaurant we asked him if he'd take a picture with us and he was so kind to do it.

It was pretty sad to witness all the losing but it was a great weekend and being able to be at every game was super cool. And getting to hang out with so many great people was the best part of all!

I work with the BEST people!! - updated

2010-10-06T20:09:00.005-05:00

About a week ago I got word of a Twitter contest that Baylor was putting on. The contest was simple, the person who "tweets" a picture with the most people giving a "Bear Claw" by 5pm today would win 4 tickets to this weekend's Baylor vs. Texas Tech football game at the Cotton Bowl.

Now, I don't twitter. I have an account so occasionally when I hear something I can look at it. I didn't even know how to "tweet" anything, much less a picture. So, while I was intrigued I didn't give it much thought. Then I had a great idea! What if I got my class and a couple others to take a picture. Surely, a hundred kids or so would be enough to win! Fast forward to this week and I asked several of my amazing co-workers to help make the picture happen, and then they asked some other people. I'm sure it wasn't easy for them, they are all very loyal to their own colleges! We made a plan to meet on the playground and snap a quick picture...we may or may not have used the valuable time we were supposed to be spending teaching our kids about being safe in the restroom!

Anyway, the picture turned out great and the kids all looked like they love Baylor like I do...even those die-hard Horned Frogs, Longhorns, and Aggies put up a "Bear Claw" for me! When it was all said and done we had 251 claws! Way more than I had imagined. I went home Monday night "tweeted" my picture and crossed my fingers. Up until that point, Baylor had been giving updates on the current leader. The leader for the next two days was a wedding photo with 34 claws. I was feeling confident but was getting worried that my picture didn't go through for some reason. Then, this afternoon there were all kinds of updates, first 43 claws, then 66 claws, then 68, then 166. I was really nervous now, why didn't they post my picture? Five o'clock rolled around and I updated twitter and there it was! Our picture totally won the contest! When the Baylor guy emailed me he told me he was trying to build suspense by waiting until the last second to post my picture, I was sure to tell him thanks for that!

I'm so excited, but I'm even more grateful for all my teacher friends that went way out of their way to help me do something kind of silly! I mean, I know they would have rather been teaching about the restroom so it was so incredibly kind for them to make such a sacrifice! :)

I NEED TO ESPECIALLY THANK MRS. CHARLENE DENEISE ROTHENBERGER BECAUSE WITHOUT HER, THIS MASSIVE UNDERTAKING CERTAINLY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE. NOT ONLY DO HER SUPERB PHOTOGRAPHY SKILLS SHINE BRIGHTLY IN THE PICTURE, HER AMAZING ABILITY TO COMMAND THE ATTENTION OF OVER 250 PEOPLE AT ONE TIME IS SIMPLY, REMARKABLE. I OWE THIS WIN TO HER AND HOPE THAT SOMEDAY I MAY BE ABLE TO ADEQUATELY THANK HER FOR BEING SUCH AN INCREDIBLE EXAMPLE OF WHAT AN EDUCATOR SHOULD BE. THANK YOU SO MUCH DENEISE!

Here are the comments the picture has gotten:

-okay did these people call a fire drill or something? :) congrats!
-Love it!
- I bet these kids are all future Baylor Bears now.
-One never knows when the seed planted will bear fruit! But those kids now know about Baylor in a positive way!
-kudos to the person who counted all 251 of these sic 'ems!

Isn't it amazing how I can write so many words about a silly little contest! :)

Go Rangers!!

2010-10-03T18:26:00.002-05:00

I'm super pumped about the Rangers being in the playoffs! I've not been as big a fan in the last couple years, but the Rangers and I go way back. I celebrated their first trip to the playoffs in 11 years by buying a new t-shirt. I'm going to need it because I'm totally going to the game on Saturday!!

Everyone cross your fingers that it's a night game because I'm also hoping to win tickets to see Baylor play Tech at the Cotton Bowl in the morning! It will be quite a day!!

I LOVE FALL!!

2010-09-27T20:03:00.000-05:00

That is all.

From the schoolhouse...

2010-09-24T16:54:00.003-05:00

Here's a couple things that made me laugh out-loud today...

I went to visit some of my kindergarten friends during lunch today and the kid sitting across from me blew so many bubbles in his milk that they came out over the top of the carton. This is our conversation...

Me: Wow! Be careful, you've got a lot of bubbles there.
Kid: It's ok. I'm just pretenden' to be drinkin' a beer.

At dismissal today we were discussing our weekend plans...

Me: So, what are you doing this weekend?
Kid: I'm supposed to have a pepper rally (Pep Rally) but if it rains I don't think we'll be able to have it.
Me: You have what??
Kid: You know, a cheerleader pepper rally!
Me: Oh yeah! :)

The younger kids are WAY funnier than the older ones! :)

Learning curve...

2010-09-06T22:02:00.002-05:00

The new school year is in full-swing and it has brought one very major change for me! For the first time in my short teaching career I changed grades. After 5 amazing years (ok 2 amazing years and 3 pretty good years) in 4th grade I made the switch to 2nd grade. We're about 2 weeks in and it is definitely a different world. It's usually when I'm down on my knees tying shoes that I realize just how different it is. It is lots of fun though and 2nd grade definitely has it's bonuses, including the fact that kids do and say way funnier stuff! I'm still waiting on something blog-worthy but I'll share as soon as it happens. Since I basically have a brand-new job this year I've been feeling a little bit like a first-year teacher all over again. It's not really the greatest feeling in the world! You basically do the best you can and learn from your mistakes!

I saw this quote on facebook or twitter or something that really got me thinking...

"We trace our joys in the sand, but we write our afflictions on marble." ~ Charles Spurgeon

I'm trying hard to not write these early mistakes on marble, and instead choosing to find the goodness and graciousness of God in them. And, hopefully, that will be the major theme of this school year!

The culture

2010-08-14T13:58:00.003-05:00

Somehow I got distracted from finishing up my Peru blogging! I'll do my best to get back on track!

Besides only speaking Spanish, the Peruvian culture was very different than the United States! In a word, it was RANDOM! The overall atmosphere was much more relaxed. People kind of came and went whenever they felt like, there was no such thing as "being on-time." Whenever we were making plans to go somewhere we always had to ask if that was going to be Peruvian time or American time! For someone who likes structure and routine, this would be very hard to get used to!

We were able to see Chavin culture at it's finest because we were there for the beginning of the Fiesta del Carmen. This is a week-long celebration of the Virgen de Carmen where the people basically worship this idol with lots and lots of partying and cerveza! Lots of cerveza! It was very cool to see an entire town gather together to celebrate something, but SO sad to see that they were putting their hopes, dreams, and worship in something that wasn't real.

Besides the police patrolling the town on foot with giant machine guns, one of the hardest things to get used to was the random rockets shooting into the sky at all hours of the day and night. At first we thought we had found ourselves in the middle of a war-zone. We soon learned that everyone who claims Chavin as their hometown comes back at some point during this week-long celebration to pay their respects to Carmen. To celebrate the home-coming, the family shoots off a rocket for every person who comes home WHEN they come home...even if it's the middle of the night!

One morning we were awoken very early by this little band with a big sound! They marched around town ALL DAY playing the same song! Being a former band-nerd myself, I have absolutely no idea how they did this!

Merchants took advantage of the festival by setting up "shops" all along the streets and then lived in them for the week. They also included some of the craziest looking mannequins I've ever seen!

Another big part of the festival was a bull-fight! This happened to be the inaugural bull-fight in Chavin's new bull-ring.

I really didn't know that much about bull-fighting before this experience, but I can confidently say that I will probably never attend another one! It was so sad! Here's a little video of the festivities, it does get a little graphic just to warn you!

We learned later that this was definitely a bull fight gone bad...the matador missed a couple times and the bull probably suffered way more than it should have. So sad! This little girl's face pretty much sums up how I felt after the bull died:

Here are some more pictures taken around Chavin that kind of tell their own story about the culture...

Getting to experience another culture that was so incredibly different than America was definitely eye-opening! It not only made me very thankful for what I have and all that God has blessed me with, but it gave me the burden to pray for these people and others like them all around the world who desperately need to hear about Jesus.

The food

2010-07-23T23:08:00.014-05:00

Before the trip I seemed to be most concerned with Peruvian cuisine! I had heard rumors of guinea pig and random hairs! I must say that I feel like God took good care of me in the food department. However, there was guinea pig WITH hair!

We started every morning with breakfast at the hotel. We had bread with strawberry jelly (my favorite) and scrambled eggs. There was also the most amazing fresh-squeezed orange juice every morning. I don't even like orange juice and I could have had that to drink all day long! One morning, Yolanda (the hotel owner) played a little switcheroo and gave us Papaya juice...eck! Apparently she was offended that nobody was drinking it so I did my best to chug it down. I'll be good if I never drink that again. Rumor has it that our scrambled eggs were actually quail eggs one morning too. Luckily, I didn't find that out until much later.

For lunch and dinner we ate at local restaurants. At lunch we started with soup (complete with random chicken parts)...I usually passed! The main meal consisted of white rice and some kind of chicken or beef. I didn't take pictures of everything we ate but occasionally I remembered.

We ate this twice...Lomo Saltado (basically steak fajitas with french fries mixed in)...

Oddly enough there was a bit of Chinese influence. I don't remember what's it called, but it's just chicken and noodles...

This was just some kind of grilled chicken with rice and potatoes...

This was my favorite Chavin meal, it's called Aji de Gallina (shredded chicken with white rice and some kind of sauce)...

On our last night in Chavin we made like the Peruvians and celebrated with Cuy (guinea pig)! This picture was taken a few days before on our first trip to the same restaurant, it's Trevor and I with the real-live guineas...right in the restaurant...

They normally eat this on special occasions and I think it's almost always fried. We ordered one and anyone who wanted to try it was going to take a bite. Going into the meal I had absolutely NO intention of even trying it. Then I decided it would be handy if I ever got the old "What's the strangest thing you've ever eaten" question someday. I had a really hard time even wanting to pick it up for a picture...

You can see that someone was having to steady my arm because I had just discovered that one of it's intact feet still had fur on it...

Finally, they passed me a bite on a fork and it really did look like chicken! Here's Haley and I taking the bite together...

Here's my reaction to coming to the realization that I just stuck guinea pig in my mouth...

When we arrived back in Lima at 9:00 pm we immediately went to Chilis....

And all was right again! Other Lima meals included Fridays, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and Chili's again!

The task

2010-07-21T20:23:00.011-05:00

Once we got to Chavin our main task for the week was to spend time in the local schools teaching English. This isn't necessarily a great need, it's just an opportunity to meet kids and develop relationships with them. We spent two days at the elementary school in Chavin, working with a total of 8 classes if I remember correctly. Then, we spent two days at the elementary school in San Marcos, working with about 10 classes.

We taught them the song "Head, shoulders, knees, and toes" to teach body parts. The kids really enjoyed the song and it was cute to listen to them say choulders and choes instead of shoulders and toes! I have no idea how many times we sang the song but it was so many that by the last day Haley and I totally couldn't remember how it went. The kids in our group didn't understand what we were laughing so hard at! After we got the body parts down we (by we I mean the people who actually spoke Spanish) went on to explain that God made them and made them each unique and special and that He loved them. It was cool to watch them all sit (in a public school) and be totally captivated by a story about Jesus.

The entire school takes a 45 minute recess in the middle of the morning (this includes a snack bar) so we hung out with the kids and played games with them. These girls let me play Jacks with them but I totally stunk and they just kind of looked at me like, "why is this so hard for you?"

This girl wanted to show off her new song...

Jordan (Brian and Jenn's oldest son) was telling the kids about Jesus right there on the playground...

One afternoon we took a bunch of balloons, face paint, beads, bubbles, and toys out to the little park by Brian and Jenn's house to have a little "fiesta" with the kids. At first there were just a couple kids but it wasn't long until there were a bunch of kids and quite a few adults hanging around. This was definitely a highlight. It was was so neat to see the kids so excited about something simple like a balloon! There were several opportunities for the Spanish speakers to really talk to some of the adults and explain why we were there and explain why Brian and Jenn live there.

We also spent some time just playing with the kids. Here I am taking part in a serious game of Hide-and-Seek:

The kids were all really excited to see us around town and pretty much treated us like rock stars. They'd run up to you and give you a hug and then just follow you around all day. When we were leaving the San Marcos school on the last day several kids got out their notebooks and asked us to sign them! If only they knew how ordinary we really are! It was some good times. It was interesting seeing how schools in Peru take care of business (very relaxed) and it was neat to see that "playing" has no language barriers!

And, because I keep talking about Brian and Jenn, here they are with Jordan and Trevor...

Travel

2010-07-20T00:37:00.008-05:00

In an attempt to keep things organized, I'm going to blog by category! Since traveling to Peru was where the trip began I decided I'd start with that! Clever, huh! On this trip we traveled by air, van, land-bruiser, combie, taxi, and foot!

On Tuesday, July 6th we flew from DFW to Houston to Panama City, Panama to Lima, Peru! The total travel time was about 12 hours, in other words, it was a LONG day! Upon arriving in Lima (and praising God that all our luggage made it) and getting the "green light" we met Brian and began the even longer trek to Chavin. By the time the van ride began, it was about 2 a.m. on Wednesday!

(Side note-when going through customs in Peru you press a big button, and those who get a green light walk right through. Those who do not, stay and un-pack EVERYTHING to make sure they're not sneaking anything in. We were a little worried about this because we had 3 extra suitcases of random stuff for Brian, Jenn, and the boys...we didn't want to have to unpack or lose any of their much needed stuff. We pressed the button three times for our group and got a green light each time!)

Because I am an occasional victim to motion-sickness and because I knew we would be traveling in the mountains I took dramamine before we left the airport. I believe I was passed out about thirty minutes later and the entire 12+ hour ride to Chavin was very much a blur. This was a blessing and a curse! A blessing because hello, who wants to be awake for 12 hours of bumpy van ride?? And a curse because Haley and I were teased quite a bit for sleeping the entire way and not knowing about anything that happened during that leg of the trip! They were all just jealous they weren't in a drug-induced coma too! All of that to say, I don't have many details about the ride to Chavin. I do know that it took us 12+ hours to go approximately 200 miles away from Lima (if you were traveling in a straight line). CRAZY!! I also managed to come out of the fog long enough to snap a picture or two of this pretty lake up in the mountains...

These kids were looking cute and charging money for you to take their picture!

Once we got to Chavin we mostly traveled around town on foot. You could get just about anywhere in Chavin with ten minutes or less of walking. Occasionally, we all piled in Brian and Jenn's car, affectionately called the Land-bruiser. The people of Chavin didn't really know what to think about 13 gringos all piled in one car! If we had to travel to the next town, San Marcos, we split up and rode in the Land Bruiser and a combie (imagine a mini-van taxi with 12 seats that you can pile approximately 20 people into)! Most of the roads were paved but because of land-slides a lot of them are covered in dirt and rocks which makes for a very BUMPY ride! They also do this thing where they swerve to avoid pot-holes and other extra-bumpy parts of the road. It's all good until you see yourself swerving towards the edge of the road which also happens to be the side of a mountain!

After a week in Chavin we loaded up the same van and began the trek back down the mountain and back to Lima. We had our fingers crossed for a shorter return trip, but alas, it was even longer this time! The highlight of this day was probably a little unplanned stop for construction (when they're working on a two-lane road there is no-where to pass it). I was kind of sleeping (of course) and I heard someone in the back tell everyone to look out the front windshield. I open my eyes to find a man peeing at the back of the van in front of us, totally facing us! I couldn't believe it and shielded my eyes immediately!! I did manage to stay awake for a good portion of this trip and that allowed me to do a little video-ing. This is very rough but hopefully gives you a little idea what the road was like in places.

In Lima, we either walked or traveled by taxi. I have never seen traffic like that in my life! They turn right from the left-hand lane and left from the right-hand lane. They pretty much ignore stop signs and squeeze about 8 rows of cars into 4 "real" lanes! Everyone kept saying it was even worse than New York City traffic. I could not believe that we didn't witness a single accident! I tried to do a little more video-ing in a taxi...not sure you get the full effect because this was a Saturday...

Sunday morning we loaded up on a plane out of Lima, and after stops in Panama City and Houston we were home!

Home again!

2010-07-20T00:28:00.003-05:00

Well, I made it home safe and sound yesterday evening and have been working hard to restore my Diet Coke levels. Everything pretty much feels like I'm back to normal. However, I'm not sure you want to be normal after experiencing a trip like that. It never ceases to amaze me that when you go on a mission trip you sort of pray and hope for God to use you in some way that will make an impact on other people. I have never once planned for the way my own life would be changed by the experience. All of that to say, going to Peru was a great experience and I'm still kind of processing all that God did in me over the last couple weeks.

There was plenty of fun, crazy, random stuff that I'm excited about documenting here but the task is overwhelming! I don't really know where to begin! I promise I'll get right on it...soon!

Hola from Peru!

2010-07-16T11:00:00.004-05:00

I'm currently enjoying a little downtime in Lima, Peru! Everything has gone really well both here in Lima and in Chavin. I really enjoyed spending time in the elementary schools and it was neat to teach kids English. They were so excited to learn new words, and it was quite the experience to communicate with them in Spanish. I've definitely picked up a much better understanding of the Spanish language and I think I'm going to try hard to really learn to speak it!

There is much to tell about this trip, it will probably take several blog posts!! I'll be home on Sunday afternoon and then I'll get right on it. For now, I'll leave you with a picture...

I ate the guinea!! Ok, really I just tried the guinea! Yuck!!

Oh dear...

2010-07-05T10:08:00.004-05:00

I think going to a foreign country is definitely an out-of-comfort-zone experience. I haven't even left yet and the whole food thing seems to be an issue already. Here's a picture of a meal served to a group that just left where we're headed...

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts."

~Isaiah 55:8-9~

I'm not really sure what God is thinking on this one, but I'm just going to trust Him!

Yummy

2010-07-02T23:45:00.002-05:00

I'm about 3 days away from the big Peru adventure. You'll be glad to know I received my passport in record time, totally worth the crazy day in Dallas. I've also been vaccinated for several diseases I probably wouldn't get anyway, but it's always fun to throw a hundred bucks away. Anything for a little peace of mind, right?

Right now, my biggest worry is the food situation. The town we'll be going to is about 9 hours (by car) north of Lima in the Andes Mountains. It is called Chavin de Huantar. The missionaries we'll be working with, Brian and Jennifer, are long-time family friends and I feel certain they'll keep us on the right track food-wise. However, I just read this on Brian's Facebook page and now I'm a little worried...

"If I had found the 2 hairs in my food in the States, I would've barfed. But here, I'm like, "Hey, I live in Peru."

And this little piece of food information from Wikipedia also has me rattled...

"Cuy chactado: A dish more popular in the highlands is this meal of fried guinea pig. Often the indigenous women of the Peruvian Andes will raise the guinea pigs in their huts where they run around loose on the floors of the dwellings. Prior to consumption they can reach a surprisingly large size."

I think it's safe to say I'm going to be living on Peanut Butter Crackers for a couple weeks!

Big City Mishaps

2010-06-22T15:35:00.004-05:00

About a week ago I was talking with my friend Haley and she (totally out of nowhere) asked me to go with her to Peru. I'm such a bad friend that I didn't even know she and Shad were going to Peru in the first place! Anyway, to make a long story short, I'm going to Peru in two weeks on a mission trip. Did you catch that? I learned about an opportunity to go to Peru (on another continent) and would have to leave all within a 3-week time period. Crazy!

An important part of any international trip is a passport. I went to Australia ten years ago so I already have a passport. Unfortunately, they expire and mine did just that in May. So now I was in need of a new passport and I needed it pronto! I could take the risk of having it take exactly 3 weeks through the mail or I could wait until I was two weeks out and head on over to Dallas and apply for one in person. I chose the latter and today was the day. After struggling with the automated appointment scheduler I finally got an appointment. Today was the first day I could get one (has to be within two weeks) and since my schedule is so amazingly open right now I thought I'd just get it over with. So I left my house at about 12:15 to make in time for my 2:00 appointment. I know, I know, Dallas isn't that far away but I wanted to have plenty of time to make sure I was in the right place. I think I've talked before about how much I like downtown environments so I was excited about navigating my way through this process. Unfortunately, downtown environments don't like me! The whole experience was one comical error after another.

I make it to a parking lot directly across the street from the Federal Building in plenty of time. I'm sitting in my car, reading emails, listening to music, talking on the phone...all good. Then at 1:40 I decide I should probably head in, just in case I have trouble finding the right place. As I'm walking I totally forgot I had to pay for parking, but I'm proud of myself for planning ahead and having cash. So I go to the little machine, punch in my number, give it $10, wait for my receipt and change. Mishap #1: Machine clearly states...NO CHANGE GIVEN. Of course I see that AFTER I put my money in. I laugh the whole way back to the car to put my receipt in the window. There goes a couple days worth of Sonic Diet Coke!

I walk a good ways up to the building and as I'm ready to enter the revolving door...Mishap #2: Another sign, this entrance is for employees only! So maybe my parking spot wasn't so good after all. I had to walk all the way around the building to the entrance on the other side...and it's a big building...and it's like 130 degrees outside...and I was wearing jeans. By now it's about 1:50 and I'm starting to get anxious...not knowing exactly what I was in for I was afraid something bad would happen if I was late...you never know with the government in charge. I make my way through security and head straight for the elevator.

I stepped into the elevator with some guy...he immediately presses 4 and I press 9. Mishap #3: I needed to go to the 11th floor. I knew that the whole time but the highest the elevator went to was 9 and not wanting to look like an idiot I just pressed a number and waited til he got off and then pressed 1. So, the elevator goes all the way to the 9th floor and then it begins it's descent. Lucky me got to stop on every floor on the way down. I walk in the lobby and walk straight over to the other set of elevators that goes from the 10th floor to the 16th floor. So tricky!

Now, I'm on the right floor and I see the glass doors to the Passport office directly in front of me with two nice-looking security guards on the other side. Mishap #4: I tried to push the doors in and they only go out! Nice! I could tell the security guard wanted to laugh really hard but he did a nice job of controlling himself.

The rest of the visit to the Dallas Passport Office went much better. Unfortunately, I had to turn my phone off upon entering or else I may have had some pictures to document all the craziness. Just think Driver's License experience, except on the Federal level. I had to wait about 10 minutes despite being right on time for my appointment (good thing I left so early), only to learn that my passport wouldn't be ready until Thursday. The nice man said I could either come back or they could just mail it to me. Again, I chose the latter.

There's this place...

2010-06-18T22:41:00.005-05:00

Summer has been good...very good. I'm enjoying staying up late, sleeping in, and just doing whatever comes my way. I'm also really enjoying being outside these days. Not outside in the 100 degree heat but outside when the sun is setting and the air is moving. I recently found this place where I can sit and see for miles. The only sounds are the wind blowing, birds chirping, and an occasional something that I'm not smart enough to identify. Being outside, being still, and seeing God's glory in a way that literally brings me to a stop is definitely one of my favorite things!

Anyway, the other day I decided I was going to take my camera and try to capture some of the things I enjoy so much about this place. A photographer, I am not, but I did end up with a couple pictures that looked pretty cool...

I hope I never get tired of a sunset, a starry night, or the vastness of a big, blue sky.

Let the countdown begin...

2010-06-07T15:18:00.004-05:00

Two weeks from Thursday I'll probably find myself camping outside the Apple store. I can't wait!

Summer, 5, Nerdiness

2010-06-06T16:36:00.002-05:00

Perhaps this should have been three seperate posts, instead it will be one random post that's probably not worth your time!

Anyway, it's finally SUMMER! I am so excited to be done with another year of school. This year went by rather quickly and now I'm ready for the days to slow way down and the summer to drag on. I have no big plans and I'm certain I'll hit the boredom stage soon, but life is nice in the summer.

The end of the school year also marked the completion of 5 years of teaching. I can't believe I've been teaching that long. A conversation today with a student from my first class confirmed just how old that makes me feel...she will be entering high school in the Fall. High school?? They're already in high school?? It's been a great 5 years and I'm excited to see what the next 5 will bring.

I realized today that I'm officially a nerd. I went to the library. As if that wasn't nerdy enough, I really, really like the challenge of finding a book using the Dewey Decimal System. Weird, I know.

Here's to some lazy days ahead!

Happy Birthday, Baylor!!

2010-05-21T00:01:00.002-05:00

I can hardly believe that today, my dog, Baylor turns 1! Now, I've never really been one to make a big deal out of a pet's birthday but Baylor's special. :) I think the real reason for celebration is the fact that she has lived all but 9 of her 52 weeks with me and she's still alive.

Seriously, Baylor is a great dog and she's definitely taught me lots in her one year of life. Here's a few of the highlights from her first year:

- Baylor loves anything that is round and bounces. She has a collection of about 15 toys that she keeps close to her at all times.

- She can catch objects right out of the air, even if you throw them really hard.

- She sits, lays down, does Sic 'em, comes, stays, and goes to the bathroom on command. Well, she does it when it's just me...if anyone else is around she pretends like she doesn't know anything.

- She LOVES to chew things! Fortunately, she knows the difference between things she's allowed to chew and things she's not.

- She has given me not one, but two black eyes. She has a very hard head.

- She LOVES to be around people. She literally follows me around wherever I go.

- She can throw! Just a few minutes ago she threw a giant bone at me and it totally hurt my ankle. Playing fetch with your dog is fun, but having a dog that can play fetch with herself, that's awesome.

- She thinks it's really fun to dig holes and then watch me fill them up and cover the ground with expensive pebbles and then dig it all up again. It's a great little game we play.

- She is the happiest thing I've ever been around. She always has a smile on her face, and her tail is always wagging.

I think my favorite thing about Baylor is that every time I come home she's standing up on her back feet watching for me through the window. It doesn't matter how long I've been gone, or how little time I've had to spend with her she's always waiting for me with her tail wagging. That dog knows loyalty. She's also a really great listener! :)

There have definitely been days where I question my ability to properly take care of and love her, but I think my life is definitely better because Baylor's in it.

I have arrived!

2010-05-02T19:16:00.002-05:00

I received a very special letter in the mail yesterday:

My sizable (hahaha) donation to Baylor University this year has allowed me the opportunity to purchase "premium" season tickets for Baylor Football. Having the opportunity to attend every home football game would certainly be a dream come true!! September 4th can't get here soon enough! Well, maybe it can, there's no need to rush summer!

Jackpot!!

2010-04-22T18:19:00.002-05:00

I've always known that I could do great things with some money, it looks like I'm going to get my chance.

FEDEX EXPRESS NIGERIA
Head Office: 70 International Airport Road, Mafoluku, Lagos
Tel.: +234-70-41340949
Email: foriegnp@gmail.com

Dear Valued Customer,

This is to inform you that we are in possession of a certified bank cheque of $250,000.00 USD from the United Nations which is to be couriered to YOU.

You are listed and approved for this payment as one of the scammed victims to be paid this Amount, get back to me as soon as possible for the immediate payments of your $250,000.00 USD Compensations funds. Please contact us for more information.

Best regards
Jonathan Crawford
Delivery man
FedEx Express Nigeria

I didn't even know I was a "scammed victim!"

These emails always make me laugh.

I want one!!

2010-04-10T10:23:00.002-05:00

When I first heard about the Apple iPad I thought finally Apple is making something that I'm not really going to want! Unfortunately, I was wrong. My parents got one last weekend and it is pretty cool. I mean, you haven't played Scramble until you play it on the iPad!! So maybe someday I'll be able to add the Apple iPad to my collection of Apple gadgets!!

I think I'm ready to talk about it

2010-04-03T20:11:00.002-05:00

Well, the weekend didn't quite turn out like I had hoped but it will definitely be some of my all-time favorite Baylor memories. Seeing Reliant Stadium so full of green and gold was amazing! I was so proud to be a Baylor Bear!

When it was all said and done we lost to Duke. And just for the record, I didn't cry or get angry! The final score was 78-71 but the game was really a lot closer than that. Right before half-time we were down by 7 and came all the way back to lead by 3 at the half. It was probably the most exciting 2 minutes of basketball I think I've ever witnessed. We were screaming, jumping, and clapping so hard that our hands were red! The people around us were obviously Duke fans and I'm sure didn't enjoy our enthusiasm! If only we had finished the game that strong! I'm still so very proud of the Bears and very excited about what next year will bring!

I'm also pumped about the girls making it back to the Final Four. If only we didn't have to get past Connecticut for the National Championship. Anything can happen! To add a little more excitement, the final four is actually in San Antonio! I don't have plans to make the trek but like I said, anything can happen!! :)

Here's a few pictures from Friday night's game against St. Mary's (I don't have any from Sunday):

I can whole-heartedly say that 1,032 miles, 18 1/2 hours in the car, and a few dollars was definitely worth seeing Baylor play in the Sweet Sixteen and Elite 8. The best part though was getting to share the experience with some of my favorite people. Thanks to Reagan, Shane, Alex, and Kristy for supporting the Bears with me!

Awesome!

2010-03-27T17:42:00.002-05:00

It was everything I hoped it would be and so much more!! Sic 'em Bears!!

I also need to mention that the Baylor girl's basketball team is also in the Elite 8!! Woo hoo!!

Sic 'em Bears!!

2010-03-24T21:27:00.002-05:00

I may have mentioned last night that I'm a little excited about the Baylor Bears this week. Apparently, some people at ESPN are taking notice. I remember the day Scott Drew was hired at Baylor. He immediately came to campus and began meeting students and parents (it was move-in day for freshmen). I've met him a couple times since then and he just seems like a really nice man who knows that even basketball isn't the most important thing!

Still so very proud to be a Bear!!

Have you heard??

2010-03-23T22:42:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to make sure everyone was aware that my BAYLOR BEARS are STILL in the NCAA Tournament! Sweet Sixteen, baby!! That has happened exactly zero times before. Never. Nada. In fact, last week's first round win was the first NCAA Tournament win in 60 years. I've been a little beside myself with excitement. Can you see me smiling??

It's been fun to talk it up with my kids at school this week and I've been challenged to wear Baylor colors everyday this week. Two days down, three to go. After tomorrow I'm officially out of dress code green and gold so I'm going to have to get creative. I also offered extra recess to anyone who wears green and gold to school tomorrow. I'm teaching them the important stuff for sure!

Perhaps the most exciting part about Baylor playing in the 3rd round of the tournament?? Their next game is in Houston! I couldn't possibly pass up the opportunity to be a part of the madness, so I'm taking a half-day off of school and heading south on Friday. Hopefully, I'll make the same trip on Sunday!

Sic 'em Bears!!

I love...Spring Break!!

2010-03-13T12:12:00.003-06:00

I've only been on Spring Break for a few hours but already I love it. It's amazing how even year to year you forget how great (or bad) something is. I was really looking forward to this break from school but until last night and this morning I didn't realize how much better I would feel knowing I have absolutely nothing to do for the next week. I also never realized how much I love the sunshine. Today is shaping up to be pretty perfect weather-wise and it's already put me in a very happy mood. Here's hoping for a great week full of great weather!!

So BIG!!

2010-02-28T20:56:00.006-06:00

My friends have mentioned several times lately that they are learning things they never knew about me. Really important things...like the way I like to eat a cupcake, the fact that I love Saltine Crackers and American Cheese, my love for frozen oreos dunked in milk, my appreciation for a brainless task like folding sheets or vacuuming. I guess they're mostly food related quirks but I realized tonight that there is something I absolutely love that probably nobody in my life knows about...the sky at night!

I think I've even forgotten how much I enjoy a cool, clear night! It seems like we've been living under nothing but clouds for months. I stepped outside just a little while ago and caught my breath as I looked up at the moon. There's just something about the massiveness of the sky that makes me in awe of God's creativity, power, and sovereignty. To know that the God who created the whole Earth and everything in it sits above it all and sees me, is absolutely crazy! Not only does He see me, He knows me, He knows how many hairs are on my head (fewer everyday), He knows my every thought. And then to know that He sees all of us and knows all of us that well makes it that much crazier.

I guess I was in need of a reminder of just how big God is, and yet, how very involved He is with me.

Another one bites the dust!

2010-02-11T21:24:00.002-06:00

This week I turned another year older! I really haven't been ok with getting older since about 25, but this year was different for some reason.

The fun began on Sunday with a little family party. My Mom cooked one of my favorite meals and we had a really good time. A for sure highlight was my sister's gift to me. She's been working on a quilt for the last couple months that turned out amazingly well. I didn't even know she could quilt, although there's not much she can't do! I was also super excited to get some of my favorite green paper.

Then, on Monday I was able to work in a little birthday Chipotle trip with my good friend Kristy. She was also kind enough to bring me lunch at school on my birthday. The Rothenbergers took very good care of me as well with a little Pappasito's and some way too generous gifts. I finished off the day with one of the best parts of my week...watching the Biggest Loser! :)

The real point of this post is to not only thank all of the amazing people in my life who went out of their way to make my birthday a happy day but to ponder out loud how incredibly blessed I am. The people God has given me to journey through life with show me on a daily basis what it looks like to follow Jesus. They are real, authentic, caring, always anticipating the needs of others. I can't imagine doing life without them and have absolutely no idea where I would be without their influence.

Is this what I thought my life would look like at 28?? Well, no. Is it better than what I thought my life would look like at 28? Absolutely! And that's exactly how God works!

S'more fun!!

2010-02-11T21:15:00.003-06:00

I have been very lucky to be classroom buddies with Deneise's class the last two years. That girl is an amazing teacher and always comes up with the coolest things to do with her class and then she's kind enough to share with my class too! Last Friday she used a story about S'mores to have her kids practice their reading strategies and then they made S'mores. It was so fun and the kids loved it!! We may have enjoyed it a little bit ourselves. :)

Baylor Basketball

2010-02-11T20:59:00.003-06:00

For the first time in a really long time, the Baylor Men's Basketball team has been consistently winning big games! We've been ranked in the top 25 for several weeks in a row. It's no secret that I'm hoping one of my little kid friends ends up attending Baylor one day so in an attempt to work on that goal, Luke and I went to the Baylor vs. Kansas State game a couple weeks ago.

We left right after school and didn't return home until late, but it was probably the best Baylor sporting event I've ever attended. And, I've attended A LOT of Baylor sporting events. We ended up losing but it was still a great game and we had a super fun time! I'm really hoping Baylor makes it to the NCAA tournament and perhaps come away with some big wins!

Snow Day!!!

2010-02-11T20:18:00.002-06:00

I woke up this morning with my fingers crossed that there would be snow on the ground and we'd have a delayed start at school. Well, the snow part was right, but the school part didn't happen. After a little outside play time (Note to self: don't take your class outside first thing...they have a little trouble calming back down) we received word that we would get to dismiss early today and we don't have to go to school all day tomorrow!! Woo hoo! Normally I'm a little bummed that we have to make up snow days later on, but I'm thrilled to not have to work tomorrow! And, we've gotten nearly 8 inches of snow today, that's just crazy!

Today was one of the most fun snow days ever! I had Reagan and Payton to play in the snow with...it's just not the same by yourself. :) Payton had the great idea to sled down the hill in the backyard so I went to the garage and found us something flat and plastic. After a few failed attempts I decided I'd try going head first. And that my friends did the trick! I sailed down the hill and didn't come to a stop until I slid over a green metal thing and crashed through a couple bushes. I couldn't see anything but I could hear Reagan and Payton laughing hysterically so I knew it must have been quite the sight! I've got a pretty good bruise on my left knee and small gash on my right leg, but it didn't stop me from heading down a couple more times. Here's a couple pictures from our fun...

When Aggies move in...

2010-01-25T17:37:00.005-06:00

...crazy things happen!! Just kidding! I'm having a blast with the Rothenbergers. Apparently, I'm never home, but when we are home at the same time it's been pretty fun.

I was caught completely off guard the other night when I was about to go to bed and I found a little treat under my pillow:

I know it's strange but catching a glimpse of something under my pillow that wasn't supposed to be there totally freaked me out. Then I realized what it was and all I could do was laugh! It was a reaction even my good friend Kristy could appreciate!! :)

The following morning I got up and took a shower and apparently forgot to turn on the fan in the bathroom. When I was finished the mirror was fogged up and revealed a special message:

If you can't tell it says aTm and Reagan really big. Again, it cracked me up!

A huge bonus has been Shane's handyman skills. He's re-attached the smoke detector to the ceiling (apparently you just open the drawer to replace the battery and don't have to remove the whole thing. :)), switched the way the dryer door opens, and replaced the broken doorbell.

As far as I can tell, it's been a win-win situation for all! :)

All grown up!

2010-01-12T21:13:00.002-06:00

Sorry Meagan, I still don't have much news to report! :)

I've been watching a lot of basketball and attempting to do the Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred. I say attempting because I'd be lying if I said I can get all the way through that darn 20 minutes without taking a break! It's a whippin' for sure. I'm not even sure how many days I've done, but I'm pretty sure it's been more like the every-couple-of-days Shred. Surely that won't interfere with all my progress!

Anyway, back to the point of this post...look who's all grown up now:

I love this picture of Baylor, she looks like she's smiling!

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-24T15:04:00.005-06:00

My good friend, Meagan, emailed me the other day begging me to please update my blog! So Meagan, this ones for you...

No Christmas would be complete without a visit to see Santa Claus...

Thank you for your enthusiasm, Santa.

It's been snowing pretty much non-stop today! I think I enjoyed snow a lot more before I had a dog, but I think Baylor loves it. We went for a walk earlier and she kept her tongue out catching snowflakes the whole way...

Tomorrow's Christmas! I hope everyone has a wonderful day filled with lots of great things...Merry Christmas!

(Sorry Meagan, I guess I didn't have much to say.)

Doggie Day Camp

2009-12-13T16:47:00.003-06:00

Yesterday Baylor got the opportunity to spend the day at Doggie Day Camp! Who knew such a thing even existed??

We had a few minutes before "check-in" time so I got a chance to put Baylor on the scale for the first time in a long time. She weighed in at 54.3 pounds!! She still seems kind of small to me, but that's a lot of poundage.

After the scale, we headed to the PetsHotel where I signed her life away. I went back after lunch time to "spy" on her and see how she was doing. The dogs all play in a big room that has a glass wall into the store. Baylor was happily bouncing around from one group of dogs to the next. She even received a report card at the end of the day and apparently she did everything right! I'm so proud.

She was one tired dog when she got home and even laid down in the car, something she NEVER does! I'm sure she's eagerly awaiting her next trip to the Doggie Day Camp.

Sigh...

2009-11-29T20:20:00.003-06:00

I just wanted to say that I have had the most enjoyable week ever! I spent lots of quality time with lots of great people. I was able to attend not one, but two Baylor football games, including one at the new Cowboys Stadium. I didn't have to work. I got to sleep in. I got to spend nearly all day shopping on Friday and even bought something!

There's way too much to recount, it was just a really great week and I'm having a hard time with the fact that I have to go back to work tomorrow.

Three more weeks...just 15 school days!

I don't really know what to say...

2009-11-25T20:26:00.009-06:00

It's been quite awhile since I've found myself sitting at the computer to blog. There's been some super fun times that I wish I could document but the details are escaping! I'm thinking a list format might be easiest...

1) About a week and half ago my dog gave me a black-eye. I've never had a black-eye before but now I can say that it HURTS! I was bending down tying my shoes and Baylor got right underneath me and then jumped. Her very, very, very hard head hit my cheek bone. I wanted to roll around on the floor and cry, but I didn't.

2) I had the great opportunity to attend the Baylor vs. A&M game in College Station last weekend. The game was horrible, but it was fun to hang out with my friend Haley and witness her 2-year-old daughter's first "real" trip to Aggieland. A&M is a place rich in tradition and it was cool to see Abby experience that for the first time. See...I do have a little bit of respect for the Aggies.

3) I've been able to spend a lot of quality time with my good buddy, Meagan. This girl cracks me up!

4) I was able to lend a hand to my friend Stacey. She needed some help in the kitchen. If you know me at all you know how silly that statement is. We tried to make the famous Thanksgiving rolls. I had to leave before they were finished but I believe they turned out well! The highlight of this day was getting to feed Sutton and then him falling asleep in my arms. He's so cute!

5) Last night I got to attend the Dallas Mavericks game with lots of my favorite people. It was a great time filled with lots of unplanned adventures. We almost made an appearance on the 10 o'clock news too!

6) I've been off all week for Thanksgiving and I really, really, really enjoy days off!

7) Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! I've spent quite a bit of time pondering all that I'm thankful for this year. I can't believe that it's already been a year since last Thanksgiving. I feel like I did a pretty good job documenting all that I was thankful for last year and I can easily say that I'm thankful for all of those same things this year. I'm also extremely thankful that even though some things have changed this year, the people that are most important to me have remained constant. I'm so thankful for my family and friends that God has graciously placed in my life. I am blessed!

8) I'm already so excited for Black Friday Shopping! Always a fun time with my friends!

9) I believe I'm done!

Remember...

2009-11-08T19:50:00.006-06:00

Do you remember two weeks ago when I showed you how much Baylor was enjoying her new memory foam bed?

Well, she has really gotten a lot of use out of it the last couple days...

Not really what I had envisioned but I guess it's alright. And while chewing up your own bed might suggest that she's not the smartest dog in town, she does occasionally prove otherwise. The other night we were watching TV (seriously, she sits and watches TV with me) and she very calmly got up, put her paw on the door and waited for me to let her outside. Then today she let me know that she wanted to go for a walk by finding her leash and laying by the door with it...

Her current favorite pastime is playing fetch. She will alternate back and forth between her red and blue tennis balls for about 30 minutes. We've been working on her catching skills and she's improved quite a bit. It won't be long until she hits the road as an amazing trick dog!

Just for fun, look at how small she used to be...

Confession

2009-10-25T21:19:00.004-05:00

I have a confession to make. I recently discovered that I really enjoy Legos! There's just something relaxing about taking this:

And turning it into this:

I know, it's strange.

In other news, Baylor (the dog) had a Spa Day yesterday. She got a pumpkin spice bath (seriously?), her teeth brushed, her hair blow dryed and brushed, and a pedicure. She also came home to a new "memory foam" bed. I don't think she's spoiled or anything.

Sadly, Baylor (the football team) played like they were having a spa day yesterday. This season that held so much promise has suddenly turned quite disappointing. Luckily, I'm quite familiar with this type of thing! Don't get me wrong, I still believe we're capable of winning every game, even Texas!

Sic 'em Bears!!

Welcome to the gang, Sutton!

2009-10-19T22:38:00.006-05:00

I'm not sure if I'm going to have children of my own, but God sure has blessed my life with lots of great kids. And, my "favorite-kids-ever" gang got a little bigger in the last week.

My friends, Stacey and Kevin, welcomed their first baby, Sutton Brooks, into the world last Wednesday. Stacey and I have been friends since elementary school and were roommates all through college and for a bonus year after. We even spent four of those years living in the SAME room! We've had some pretty crazy times along the way and I can hardly believe that she now has a baby! I got to hold him on Wednesday and I thought he was pretty stinkin' cute then, but I can honestly say that 5 days later, he's even more stinkin' cute! Of course, the fact that he slept in my arms for well over an hour may have had something to do with it. :)

Here's hoping he'll wear the same shirt as me someday!

Poor Baylor

2009-10-12T22:46:00.004-05:00

Today was a big day for Baylor, she got "fixed." No puppies in her future. I know this a routine procedure nowadays, but for my little pup, it felt like major surgery. We arrived at the vet at about 7:30 and after signing all the paperwork and being promised a phone call when she was out of surgery, I left. By early afternoon I was starting to get a little concerned that I hadn't heard anything. Finally, I called and learned that she was doing fine and ready to be picked up. Thanks for letting me know, peeps!

Baylor definitely wasn't herself when I picked her up. She was very groggy, slow moving, and didn't try to jump once. She didn't even want to get in the car and I didn't think I could pick her up without hurting her. I'm sure it was quite a sight as I tried to talk her into getting in. Apparently she knew what was best though, she puked three times in the car on the way home. Poor dog.

Once she made it home she just stood there. She didn't lay down, didn't sit, she just stood and looked at me. Here she is sporting her new accessory. She loves it!

She also got hospital "necklace."

The one bright spot about this experience...The regular (totally inflated) fee for today's Vet visit was $1,195.35. My fee was $32.30, and eleven of that was for a pedicure. :)

In other Baylor news, she became a homeowner while I was in Chicago. Her "grandparents" really love her and took excellent care of her while I was away. They even bought her a house! She spent all night in it last night and looked so cute poking her head out at me this morning. I'd post a picture but it's too dark. Maybe Baylor will feel up to posing with it tomorrow. Thanks Mom and Dad for loving Baylor so much.

Chicago: A recap

2009-10-11T16:05:00.011-05:00

I just wrapped up a great weekend trip to Chicago to visit the Williams Family. We packed a lot of fun into a short time and I apparently came home exhausted because I totally slept for about 11 hours last night. Here's a quick recap of all the fun...

Thursday morning Payton and I headed to the airport at about 5:30 am. It was EARLY!! We arrived at the airport and everything was going quite smoothly. Our plane was supposed to take off at about 8, we would have a brief layover in St. Louis and then be on our way to Chicago. Unfortunately, due to a maintenance issue, we didn't take off until after 9. We missed our flight in St. Louis and got to Chicago a little later than planned. I have never "missed" a flight before so I was little concerned about how all that would go down, but it turned out to be quite a pleasant experience. I sort of feel like a real adult now that I've dealt with something like that.

Once we made it to Chicago we headed south to Herscher, IL where we were able to catch Meagan's basketball game. I've always enjoyed watching Meagan play, she's got such natural talent and catching a game was one of the main reasons for the timing of this trip. This isn't a great picture at all, but here's Meagan and her team stretching before the game (notice that the team she was playing against has a green and yellow gym-how appropriate):

Friday morning we got up and went and toured Beecher. We saw Meagan and Lexie's schools, the Illinois/Indiana State Line, and LOTS of corn! In the afternoon we loaded up on the train and rode into the big city. Chicago is a really neat city and it had tons of cool buildings. We ate dinner at a cool restaurant where you can write on anything. We also visited several really cool stores on Michigan avenue.

One of the highlights, for sure, was visiting The Bean. This is a giant bean-shaped sculpture that is made of shiny metal that reflects the city and anything else close to it. The memorable part was using the iPhone to locate The Bean in Millennium Park. The iPhone did great, but apparently I am unable to read maps and led us about 4 blocks totally out of the way. Keep in mind that it is FREEZING and we had already walked for awhile, so it made it all the more exciting to actually find the bean!

Saturday we spent some more time in Beecher and even got to experience Lexie's favorite place, Plum Creek Nature Center. It was a really cool place that you could easily spend hours enjoying. Chicago actually has fall so all the trees were different colors, it was really pretty.

A little while later, Payton and I headed back to the airport and we arrived home safely late last night. It was a great trip and it was especially great to see some great friends! I think I may miss them more now, but it was good to see their new world and hang out for a little while! Thanks Williams family for showing us the sights and taking such good care of us!

CHICAGO!!!!

2009-10-09T17:54:00.002-05:00

I'm here in downtown Chicago at the multi-story Apple Store! I'm thinking that Heaven may have some of the same qualities. Only way better of course! It's pretty darn cold here and it's been raining all day, but that hasn't stopped us from enjoying the downtown sights! I love it here!

I also am loving hanging out with this cool kid:

Later, yo!

Going on a trip on my favorite rocket ship...

2009-10-07T21:45:00.002-05:00

Ok, I'm not going on a rocket ship, but I am going on a trip! Tomorrow morning I'm heading north to Chicago. I'm super excited about visiting a place I've never been, but I'm even more excited about going to see Ryan, Shannon, Meagan, and Lexie. My good friend, Payton, is going with me and I'm sure we'll have many crazy adventures. I'll be sure to keep you posted! Later, yo!

Time to get serious

2009-10-04T20:42:00.005-05:00

Yesterday started out as such a beautiful day! I even took this picture of Baylor enjoying the cool, yet sunny morning (isn't she getting big?):

Then by about 2:30 things had changed and the weather did not really cooperate with my plans for the evening. For the third week in a row I was going to enjoy Baylor Football live! I was especially excited about this week's game because my good friend Kristy joined the fun. We drove through rain nearly the whole way to Waco and thought it might clear up right about the time the game was starting. We were wrong. It rained pretty hard for most of the first quarter and didn't show signs of stopping. Here's a picture of the boys trying to catch a little of the action:

About the time we (mostly me) gave up and made it to the safety of a restaurant the rain had stopped. Of course!! We still had a good time watching some of the game on T.V. and then finishing it up on the radio.

The Bears got another win to bring their record to 3-1. We need 3 more wins to be bowl-eligible and after the loss of Robert Griffin it's going to be quite difficult. Not impossible, but difficult. I still believe it can happen, but it's definitely time to get serious!! I wonder when the last time OU lost two games in a row was? Anybody?

No longer disappointed

2009-09-27T14:07:00.008-05:00

If you're going to be a committed Baylor fan you just have to get used to the idea that it's going to be a year full of ups and downs. For example, Week 1: Big win; Week 2: Big Loss; Week 3: Big Win! It's a roller coaster that I just can't seem to get off. If the team's playing in Waco, it's even harder for me to stay away.

After last week's disappointment I had no intention of going to yesterday's game, but had already secured tickets for the October 3rd game. When I got the tickets in the mail on Friday afternoon I was pleasantly surprised to find a couple bonus tickets for yesterday's game. Aren't Baylor people nice? I thought about giving them away, although I didn't know who would want them, but the Bears pulled me back in and I was able to find two more boys to enjoy the game with...

Here's a before picture of Luke and Landry (at the Bear Pit on campus):

Here's an after picture of Baylor's newest fans:

After visiting the Bears on campus and showing Landry that there was no way they could hurt him (this was our entire conversation on the way to Waco), we enjoyed a little pre-game fun...

The boys were totally into the game. They did the Sic 'em Bears, sang the fight song, and yelled at all the appropriate times. It truly made my heart happy! Once the game was very much under control (we were winning 41-7) we headed home. The boys quickly fell asleep and I was able to listen to the rest of the game on the radio. No disappointment this week, we won 68-13 and scored more points than any other college team yesterday!

It was a great day and I'm already looking forward to next week!

Disappointment

2009-09-27T13:59:00.005-05:00

Fall is here and that means it's my favorite time of year! College Football season! It is definitely not a secret that I'm a Baylor fan and every year I put much hope in my Bears. I don't really know why I enjoy football the way I do, or why I get so emotionally involved in the game, but I guess it's just the way I'm wired.

So, anyway, Baylor started out the season fantastically with a big win over Wake Forest. I woke up last Saturday morning unable to think about anything other than going to the game in Waco. So, I hopped on eBay and found a couple cheap tickets to the home opener against Connecticut. I was also able to find a couple boys (not on eBay) who were willing to go support the Bears with me.

We had a blast before the game even started...

Once the game began it was evident that this very winnable game was not going to end well. Even though the Bears made it interesting at the end, it was very sad day and a very long ride home. Alex and Parker didn't really care how the game ended as long as they got to spend some time on the field afterwards...

One of my very good friends, Deneise, knew how much this loss hurt and made me a "Get-over-it" cupcake. :) Wasn't that nice?

Baylor's Big Day

2009-09-16T20:39:00.004-05:00

Baylor (the dog) had a very big day today!

We started with a little visit to the Vet for some shots. We pulled into the parking lot and as I was getting out to let her out, she threw up all over my seat! Excellent! She's never done that before so I guess she just got a little car sick? Once we made it to the Vet she had to get 5 shots. She was amazing and didn't flinch one time. She's also weighing in at 31.5 pounds!

After the Vet it was time for our last puppy class. This week has caused a little stress because in order to graduate Baylor had to pass a test. She does most things very well but she was going to have to sit and stay for 30 seconds which is pretty much impossible for her. So class begins and guess who gets to do their test first? Baylor! Excellent, again! The teacher said that she passed with flying colors and she was particularly impressed by the "trick" portion of the test. Baylor showed off her Sic 'em (high 5) and even managed to sit and stay the whole time. We ended class with each dog getting a turn to wear the graduation cap and of course, Baylor didn't really cooperate so my pictures aren't very good. I'm supposed to be getting some better ones emailed to me soon.

Here's what I got:

Change of plans

2009-09-14T19:13:00.004-05:00

"And we know that for those who love God ALL things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

~Romans 8:28~

I can vividly remember this night 10 years ago. I was 17, a high school senior, and a band nerd who was super excited that I would get to miss early morning band practice to go to See You at the Pole at my school. My friends and I were pretty involved at my church and we were already looking forward to the following night's See You at the Pole Rally where we were gathering to celebrate and report on the day. I had plans to go with some friends and meet several others there. I was probably responsible for making sure my sister got there too. She was a freshman at the time and I'm guessing that I probably thought it was totally un-cool to have to take her with me.

The morning came and went and after school I was helping my Dad set up our new computer (I've been a fan of technology for a while now). When my friend who was supposed to ride with me called to say that she had changed her mind about going to the rally I decided that I could take it or leave it and convinced my sister that we should just stay home. Less than an hour later we were standing in our living room listening to Channel 8 interrupt Wheel of Fortune to bring the breaking news that there had been a shooting at Wedgwood Baptist Church. Shock...confusion...disbelief...fear...you name it, we were experiencing it. Not really knowing what to do, we got in the car and drove up to the church. I remember seeing helicopters flying overhead and thinking that the glow of emergency lights could probably be seen for miles.

The rest of the night is a bit of a blur, but I do clearly remember my sister being certain that her good friend, Cassie, was one of the ones shot. She hadn't been told that by anyone, she just knew it somehow. We were first told that she had indeed been shot but she was one of the ones who was taken to the hospital. By the next morning we learned that was a mistake and she was one of the seven killed that night.

It was a very rough few days that followed. It was an out-of-body experience for sure. I struggled with the fact that I wasn't there that night for a really long time afterwards (backwards thinking I know), but God has used that experience to show me how deeply He knows me and how involved He is in my life, even down to the very tiniest of details. Once all the police investigations had concluded there were hundreds of examples of God's sovereignty.

I was able to go to Wedgwood last night for a special service to remember what happened 10 years ago. It was a neat experience to see so many people that I haven't seen in 10 years, to worship at the church I grew up at, to remember to take every day and make the most of it. Even when life is flat-out unexplainable, God is still God and He's got it all figured out.

Somewhere along the way my plans for that night changed, but I'm more confident than ever that God's didn't.

I still love RG3!

2009-09-05T17:54:00.003-05:00

The day I have been looking forward to since last November has finally arrived! The college football season has officially begun and this afternoon my Baylor Bears did something no Baylor team has done in 2 years...they won on the road! A sad statistic for sure, but what a game.

I have been pumped for weeks because this game was being televised nationally on ABC. Imagine my disappointment to find out (last night) that the game was being trumped by the Oklahoma State game in our area. Fortunately, I did a little research and thanks to the "digital switch" I was still able to watch the game from the comfort of my couch! I find it kind of ironic that my fancy new U-Verse channels could not get me the game, but my trusty HD antenna did the trick.

Baylor led the entire game and was comfortably in the lead until the last 8 or 9 minutes when Wake Forest trailed by only 3 points. The defense stepped up big time and held on for the win. While it wasn't exactly his flashiest game, Robert Griffin III was still impressive and definitely gives us the confidence we need to win games.

I'm also going to officially predict that Baylor will win at least 7 games this year and make it to a bowl game for the first time since 1994!

Sic 'em Bears!!

How 'bout I just be a Bear??

2009-08-29T21:52:00.003-05:00

Sometime last year the school district where I teach started encouraging this little saying...

Someone says, "Who are you?"

Everyone yells, "I'm a Brewer Bear!"

While I LOVE the attempt at building spirit amongst students, teachers, and the community I was having a hard time buying into the whole I'm a Brewer Bear thing. Reason #1, I am indeed not a Brewer Bear. I am proud to be a graduate of North Crowley High School which made me a Panther, not a Brewer Bear. Reason #2, I was having a hard time reconciling being any kind of bear other than a Baylor Bear! Silly reasons of course, but I'm kind of known for holding onto things even if it doesn't make sense.

All of that has started to change this school year. I've caught the bug and I'm buying in. It helps that my former students are now of the age where they are participating in Brewer athletics. However, the thing that really sealed the deal for me was getting to enjoy last night's first football game of the season in the VIP room at the new stadium. It was pretty cool. I totally stole these pictures from Kristy and Deneise:

I'm not quite ready for a sign in my yard or anything, but I am proud to be a part of a school district that is working hard to instill a sense of pride in our kids and community! Sic 'em Bears!! Ooops, wrong bears. Oh well, it works! :)

Technology...new and old!

2009-08-23T21:10:00.004-05:00

Well, tomorrow is the big First Day of School 2009! I must say that I'm kind of in a weird state. I'm not really nervous which is kind of making me nervous! :) I'm sure it's going to be a great day though, it always goes by really fast.

Anyway, I've learned some new things about technology this week that have opened up my world to a ton of new possibilities. My good friend, Deneise, was showing me her parent letter and I was absolutely amazed at the finished product. It seriously looked like something that was professionally published. Imagine my surprise when I found out that she did using a clip art BOOK! I didn't even know such a thing existed! I'm guessing you make a copy of what you want to add to your document and then tape it on there or something?? This piece of "old" technology is definitely something I want to know more about!

I was also introduced to another amazing Apple product this week! iChat is a program that runs on Mac computers that allows you to instant message or video conference with other people. It's basically the same as using a webcam but it's so cool the way iChat works! I was talking to my friend Meagan the other night and it was so cool because even though she's a thousand miles away it seemed like she was sitting in my living room! I see many more iChats in my future.

Here are a couple screen shots from the other night...

Happy First Day of School everyone!! :)

Numbers

2009-08-19T20:30:00.003-05:00

If you didn't already know, I'm a bit of a numbers geek! Here are some significant numbers from my week:

24.8 - The number of pounds my sweet little puppy weighs! She's not going to be little much longer. She has gained 8 pounds in three weeks!

16 - The number of days until Baylor Football begins! Enough said!

4 - The number of days until the 2009-2010 school year begins! Yikes!

212 - The number of degrees (Fahrenheit) needed to boil water. As part of our staff development this year our principal showed us this video. It has really stuck with me and challenged me to do everything with that extra degree of effort! That extra effort has the potential to do incredible things and make an incredible difference.

20 - The number of kids that are counting on me to give that extra degree.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.

~Colossians 3:23~

It was fun while it lasted...

2009-08-12T22:34:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is my last day of summer...bummer! It has been a wonderful summer and I can't quite admit to being ready to head back to school. Usually by this time I'm a little bit excited about it, but this year, not so much. Oh well, it's coming whether I like it or not.

Adding a puppy to my life definitely made the last few weeks very interesting. It's amazing what you learn about yourself when someone, or in my case, something, is dependent on you. For example, who knew you could survive on so little sleep? Baylor's definitely had some great nights but just to be safe I'm still getting up every 4 hours to let her outside. She's also kept me a little closer to home the last couple weeks and somehow that has led to more laundry and more dirty dishes. I haven't figured this out though because she doesn't wear clothes or use my dishes! She's learning to appreciate her "free" time inside the house and can usually be found at my feet. She's mastered "sit" and amazed our puppy class teacher tonight because she already knew the command. I'm also pretty sure she gained about 4 pounds last week! I think she's going to be a big dog!

I spent Monday night away from home which added up to about 24 hours away from Baylor. I was really surprised at how excited I was to see her when I got home. She seemed pretty happy too! :) I think I'm quite attached to the little fur ball, who just so happens to be sporting a green and gold collar for the first time tonight!

It's been one week since you looked at me...

2009-08-02T21:35:00.004-05:00

I can't believe it's already been a week since I got Baylor! Wow, time is flying!

I promise I won't only blog about life with a puppy but that's pretty much all I've been doing this week. I must say, while it's been exhausting, it's been a great week. Baylor's still doing great and seems to have fallen into a bit of a routine. She's even sleeping all the way through the night!! Yay!

Baylor's also doing a great job learning some new words. Here are some of her favorites:

* No
* Sit
* Tile
* Outside
* Inside
* Eat
* Water

She's also been working on a couple tricks:

* Raising her paw when you say Sic 'em
* Growling when you say Aggie :)

We've got a big visit to the vet tomorrow morning which will include scheduling "the surgery" for Baylor. Hope everything checks out ok!

The Adventures of Baylor

2009-07-28T20:05:00.008-05:00

Well, I'm nearing the end of Day 3 with my new puppy and I can still say, so far so good! She's really super cute and I think she's pretty sweet too! I'm trying hard to get her on a schedule and today was a big day for that. She spent what will probably be close to a normal day, when I go back to work, all alone for the first time today. She really did great, thanks to my sister coming to let her out at lunch time. She's still accident free and hasn't destroyed anything either! She's such a good dog!

After I got home today we took our first trip to Petsmart. I think Baylor enjoyed riding in the cart:

After Petsmart and a little dinner we went for a walk (something we do about three times a day) and ended up at my parent's house where Baylor got to play with Amy (my parent's Golden Retriever) a little bit. Amy didn't really know what to think, but she did enjoy showing Baylor the pool! That little puppy has no fear apparently, she jumped right in and started swimming. I was very nervous and followed closely behind her the whole time. Here's a couple pictures of the swimming puppy:

Finally, because it's just too funny not to share, here is a picture of me holding Baylor right after I got her. As you can see, she peed on me, a lot. And, yes, I'm absolutely positive it was her and not me!

Introducing.....Baylor!!

2009-07-26T23:16:00.004-05:00

Baylor is a 9-week-old Golden Retriever. You probably remember that I've been thinking about this very big step for quite some time and today all the pieces just kind of came together. I drove to the very exciting town of Mineral Wells to meet her and she did not disappoint.

Here's a few important details about our short time together...

* As soon as we got in the car to head home she crawled all the way across to sit in my lap. Then she peed on me.

* After peeing on me she got comfortable and started to snooze. A few minutes later she started moving around and then she peed on me again!

* Our short drive out of Mineral Wells would not be complete without another potty stop, ON ME!! That's right, the dog peed on me three times before we even left the city. Maybe she was nervous??

* Her first poop was in my good friend Kristy's flower bed. Immediately after doing the deed, she stepped in it. It smelled really bad! And, she's done it two more times since we've been home. Is that normal?

* On our way home we stopped to meet my parent's dogs. They were not really excited to see her and left the room as soon as we put her on the floor. Seriously, they were scared of a cute, little puppy.

* We've been home for about 3 1/2 hours and so far there have been no accidents! She's getting used to her crate and only whines for a minute when I put her inside. She follows me around wherever I go and so far hasn't ventured outside of the kitchen.

All in all, I can't complain. I better get to bed though, I'm going to get up every couple hours to take her outside. Fun times!!

Happy Birthday, little man

2009-07-14T22:13:00.002-05:00

Today is my nephew Will's 4th Birthday! I can't believe that little dude is already four. He's so smart and very funny too! There's never a dull moment when he's around.

We celebrated his birthday last weekend with a little hoedown...

Happy Birthday, Will! I love you!

Going Home

2009-07-10T17:45:00.007-05:00

One of my favorite things about going away to college was coming home! That sounds funny but, seriously, my parents always went out of their way to make a weekend at home a great experience. Among other things, they always had the best food and plenty of Diet Coke. Even though I currently live 46 (approximately) steps from my parent's front door, going to their house still gives me that "I'm home" feeling. I gladly gave up my bedroom for out-of-town family who came to visit last week so that I could have a week-long "vacation" at my parent's house. It was so fun!

My Grandma, Aunt Lois, Uncle Jim, cousin Russell and his wife Tisha, along with their kids Ella and Tommy, all flew in from Oregon to spend the week. My Dad (the biggest fan of Texas I've ever met) was the ultimate tour guide and showed us all sorts of things. We went to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing here in Fort Worth where they print money. I had no idea that there were only two places in the United States that printed money! We went to the Stockyards and the Grassy Knoll in Dallas, the kids did some horseback riding and we all swam, a lot. The highlight of the trip was probably our evening visit to Benbrook Lake. Tisha's Mom had lived in Fort Worth for a while when she was younger and had mentioned several places that she remembered about her time here. One of the things she remembered was learning to drive on the roads around Benbrook Lake so my Dad felt compelled to show her the lake. As we were driving we came up to the dam and then eventually the spillway. Tommy, who is 7, happily pointed out the "dam spillway" and let us all know that when school starts in the fall he can't wait to write about the "dam spillway" in his "What I did over Summer Break" story. He was definitely channeling Chevy Chase in Vegas Vacation and we probably heard the term "dam spillway" about a hundred more times that night. Each time it created much laughter, which was made even funnier because Tommy didn't realize what was so funny.

The only problemo was when Will spent the night one night and he slept on the floor of the room I was sleeping in. There was a twin bed in there that he is used to sleeping on but since I got it first, he got the floor. All was well until he got up at some point in the night and got in the bed with me. I'm not really sure why I didn't get up and move to the couch, but you haven't really lived until you've shared a twin-sized bed with a three-year-old!

Family is good and I'm really thankful that we got to spend the week with all of them. In fact, it has been 10 years since we've all been together in one place. And it was the first time we've all been together since Tommy, Will, and Allie were born so of course we had to do some picture-taking...

This is my Grandma who is 94 with her great-grandkids. They all call her Mommell, a name Ella gave her.

This is my Grandma with her grandkids (somebody said Dam Spillway right before this was taken):

This is everybody:

Summer...I'm lovin' it!

2009-06-17T00:17:00.002-05:00

I used to be a much better blogger! I guess I don't really see the point in writing about my day anymore! Just for the super curious, it looks something like this:

- Sleep late (like really late)

- Watch TV/Work-out (occasionally)

- Swim/Run Errands/Swim/Swim

- Read

- Go to sleep

Isn't that exciting?? Throw in a few closets I've cleaned out, a couple baseball games, a trip to the Library, a trip to Putt-Putt, and that's basically all I've done since school got out. And, I'm totally loving my summer so far! I also finally figured out that my dream job would be RETIREMENT! :)

There are a few important things happening in my world that I feel like are worth noting-

- Baylor's Football season officially begins in 80 days 14 hours and 5 minutes (as of 12:25 am Wed)

- I'm seriously considering a trip to the doctor this summer (and I H-A-T-E going to the doctor)

- I either have a very deep bruise or something very wrong with my foot. I slammed it against a rock wall today.

- I get to go to Kid's Camp next week.

- It's officially June 17th so I can download the new iPhone update! How sad that this is actually very exciting!

Here's hoping the rest of the summer crawls on by!

SUMMER!!!

2009-06-05T15:17:00.006-05:00

I can't believe it's already here, but it's time for summer! The kids left at 12 and now I'm just killing time until I'm officially free. In fact, I'm not even supposed to have access to my blog from school, but I guess the firewall isn't working properly! :)

This has truly been an amazing year. I can't believe how lucky I got with my class. Each and everyone of my kids made me laugh on a daily basis and they really all tried to do the right thing 99.9% of the time. Each school year is so different from the previous ones and I've had different feelings about the ending of each. My first year I was just absolutely relieved to have survived and still have a job! My second year was amazing and I never considered how much I would miss those kids. The third year was great too, but I was very ready for summer.

And this year brings a whole new set of emotions. I've experienced things through my kids that I had absolutely no idea how to handle; the terminally ill Mom whose spent the last several weeks on hospice, the unexpected death of a Dad, the fear of not knowing who would be at home when you got there, and on and on and on. It has been amazing to watch them deal with life's most difficult situations. I'm completely convinced that this group of kids will grow up and do something that will change our world. They are beyond smart, they are kind, they are caring, they are funny, they are resilient, they are go-getters. And what are the chances that I'd get 22 kids who see the glass as half-full, who take on every obstacle with a smile, who value intrinsic rewards more than extrinsic ones. I know that this class taught me way more than I could have ever taught them.

While I'm excited to have a little time off, today is certainly bittersweet. I can't imagine that there will ever be a group as special as this one.

A letter to myself

2009-05-29T23:10:00.002-05:00

Dear Emily,

Next summer when you think it'd be a good idea to spend any amount of time in the sun without sunscreen, think again. It's not worth the pain, discomfort, blisters, and sleepless nights! Seriously, it's so NOT worth it. Don't be a dummy, use sunscreen! You can thank me later.

Sincerely,
Emily

Anybody there??

2009-05-26T22:31:00.002-05:00

It seems that it has been nearly a month since I last posted anything so I kind of wonder if anyone still reads this! My lack of blogging is mostly due to a lack of material but also a lack of time. The end of the school year is always a crazy time, and it's going to remain crazy for approximately 7 1/2 more days. Can you believe that, 7 1/2 days and another year is over? Time is really flyin'.

Anyway, my real purpose in writing today is to wish my Grandma Estes a very Happy Birthday! She was born on this day 94 years ago! 94 years!! Six more years and we are totally going to New York to be on the Today show. I think it's so cool to think about all the history my Grandma has experienced first hand, and one of my favorite things to do is listen to her talk about her life. She grew up in Louisiana and her family grew cotton on their farm. I vividly remember her telling me how much she hated picking the cotton because it hurt your hands so bad. It's a story I tell my class every year when we study the Civil War because I want them to get a small glimpse into what it must have been like to spend your days working as a slave on a cotton plantation. And without fail, every year one student will raise their hand and ask if my Grandma was a slave. It cracks me up every time! No, she was not a slave but she's certainly worked hard her whole life.

My Grandma is also very funny. I was thinking tonight after I got off the phone with her, of all the crazy funny things she's done. I would love to write about them, but I'm thinking she wouldn't consider them blog appropriate! In fact, she'd say, "Emily, you mustn't (I don't even know how to spell that) write about that!" One time we were staying with her and I was being my normal bad self and she told me to go outside and get a switch off a tree. I said, "get a what?" She explained what it was and I went and found the skinniest "switch" I could find. Little did I know that when it comes to a switch, bigger is better! I also remember a time when she asked me to drive her to the A-T and M to get some cash. Just thinking about my Grandma makes me smile!

My Grandma is definitely the spiritual cornerstone of our family. There's no telling how many times she's read the Bible through and she is certainly a prayer warrior. If there's ever been a big decision or something big happening, my Dad always says, "you better call your Grandma so she can pray for you." She spent the better part of her life as a Pastor's wife and I'm sure she did the job well.

And even though it's not both of their birthdays, I must say that God definitely blessed our family with two amazing Grandmas. They are kind, generous, caring, and very thoughtful. They are two people who are exactly the kind of people I want to be.

It seemed like a good idea at the time...

2009-05-03T18:18:00.002-05:00

So after working out this afternoon I thought jumping in my parent's new pool would be a good way to cool off. Turns out it was an excellent way to cool off. The water was about 71 degrees and the air temperature was about the same! About the time I hit the water I realized maybe it wasn't such a good idea. However, it didn't stop me from jumping in about three more times!!

Brrrrrrr-ito!

Twas the night before TAKS...

2009-04-27T21:23:00.003-05:00

And I have tons to do. However, I'm finding that now that I have several hundred television channels and a DVR at my disposal, I'm a lot less productive!! Just thought I'd take this opportunity to be even less productive than I was about five minutes ago! :)

Waiting...

2009-04-24T13:19:00.002-05:00

So I'm sitting here waiting for the AT&T people to come and I just happened to Google "golden retriever puppies for sale dallas fort worth." And look what popped up:

This is why I shouldn't even be thinking about getting a puppy. Ideally, I'd get one as young as possible as soon as school gets out. This little girl is ready to go home this weekend and she's the perfect color. Luckily, she's also a little out of my price range! I just can't see paying $950 for a dog!! But as I looked I started talking myself out of waiting until school's out, so I've decided I can't even look anymore! Six more weeks, which means my puppy needs to be born right about now. I'll keep you posted.

I'm so stinkin' excited!!

2009-04-21T20:25:00.002-05:00

When you see what it is I'm so excited about you might seriously wonder about me! :)

I have lived in my house for three years now. When I first moved in one of the first things I did was call to get Dish Network installed, because who wants to live without TV?? So a couple days later an installation person came to the house and began looking around. After about five minutes he determined that it would just be "too hard" to install Dish at my house. Apparently, the wiring in the house wasn't set up for satellite, only cable. After "discussing" it with the man he said he could do it but it would require a lot of re-wiring, a lot of time, a lot of destruction, and a lot of money. I said, "forget Dish" and was fine with calling the cable company to get set up that way.

I called the cable company who let me know that because my neighborhood was new, cable wasn't available yet. I asked when it would be available and they weren't able to determine that at that time. I called regularly and at one point learned that their projected availability was 2009!! Three years ago that seemed like it was really far away. Then, about a month ago, I came home from school to discover an advertisement for the cable company on my front door. Like someone had to physically place it on my door. I said, "SWEET!" and went inside and called immediately. Imagine my surprise when they let me know that even though they were advertising ON MY FRONT DOOR their services were still not available at my house. They are not sure why they are placing door hangers on houses that are unable to receive their service, I asked and they said they would get back to me, but I'm still waiting.

Since I've lived through all of that I was a little skeptical when I received another advertisement on my door. This time it was for AT&T Uverse. And this time it's totally available! Check it out:

That's right. This Friday I'm getting all set up with the latest and greatest TV technology! I even have to take a half-day off of work to make it happen, but it's going to be totally worth it!

Look what the Easter Bunny brought me...

2009-04-12T21:34:00.006-05:00

I got two books to read to help me decide if a puppy is in my future. But, seriously, who could not want one of these little guys??