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!