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