Oh Baylor!

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.

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

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!

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

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!

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

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!!

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

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!

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

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!!

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!!

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...

“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...

"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!!

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!!

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!

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!!

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! :)