Farewell, Wesley Eugene

A year after Adam and I were married, I started to get baby fever. I was wise enough to realize that I wasn't ready for an actual infant, but I needed to scratch that growing maternal itch somehow. We researched local dog breeders and animal shelters, tried to adopt a pair of chihuahuas, looked into some Miniature Pinchers, and debated what kind of dog we wanted to become our first baby.

We decided we wanted a Yorkshire Terrier. Growing up, my family had one and she lived a long, eventful life. Yorkies stay small, don't shed, and are great snugglers.

We went to see a local breeder and after realizing that actual, full-blood Yorkshire Terrier puppies cost $500, we settled on a half breed. Wesley Eugene was half Yorkie and half Brussels Griffon. He was also half price.

When we first brought him home, he weighed right at one pound. He fit into the palm of our hand and Adam carried him around in his shirt pocket, like a furry pocket protector. In the winter, I cut the foot off tube socks and cut armholes in the remaining tube to make him sweaters. My grandmother crocheted can koozies with armholes for Wesley's going out sweaters. 

We were in love. I treated Wesley as if he were an infant. Wesley had his own clothes, and he accompanied me everywhere. When Adam was in grad school, he went to college parties with us, riding in a doggie version of a Baby Bjorn. I had several purses that I would carry and his head just barely poked out the side. I was righteously indignant when I was told I couldn't bring my dog grocery shopping. He went everywhere with me.

Wesley Eugene was like a real, live teddy bear. I carried him like a baby and treated him like one, too. Every year we would host a big birthday party for him and invite all his doggie friends. I'd bake homemade treats for the dogs and encourage each one to wear a party hat. Wesley Eugene has three scrapbooks just of his life.

One year we had to take an emergency trip to Colorado to rescue Adam's parents who had wrecked their car and needed a ride home. We rode back home in Adam's Toyota truck with his mother in the front seat, his dad in the back, and Adam and I rotating driving or backseat about every 100 miles. Wesley came, too, climbing in whatever lap he wanted to and barking at every single motorcycle. He stood at the four corners and was able to mark  his territory in four states that day.

We took him on our trip to Washington, D.C. where we called him Cradle of Independence Wesley. He wore his red, white, and blue koozie sweater for that trip. 

Wesley hated motorcycles and cats and loved to tell our across the street neighbor to get back inside his house. He intimidated postal workers and once made a large, burly FedEx delivery man run for his life because he could hear approaching barking and didn't know it came from a 5 lb. dog.

He was blessed at our Methodist Church three times and one of our former pastors still greets me with questions about Wesley Eugene's health...even before the kids.

Wesley Eugene turned 13 this summer without any fanfare. We have actual human children now, and I put all my energy into organizing child parties and left the dog parties behind. He didn't seem to mind. 

He was kind to the children and tolerated their messing with him a bit. 

Wesley Eugene was a faithful companion for 13 long years. His health has been rapidly declining since this summer and yesterday we had to let him go. 

Wesley Eugene, we love you and you will be missed.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

What a week! 

Since last week, we've had many adventures and many places to be grateful. Here's a smidgeon of what I'm grateful for today.

1. Independent woman

I took both kids to Wal-Mart this week. I had my list and Claire had a few items she wanted for a recipe she was working on. I left her on the baking aisle with her list and told her I'd be right back. When I returned, she was consulting with a Wal-Mart employee about her list. She had located this giant, at least 6' 5" male employee, and wasn't intimidated at all. She confidently told him what she was looking for and he was helping her find it. He told me how impressed he was with her confidence and intelligence. He said she was as smart as the kids on The Parent Trap. I took it as a compliment.

2. Coffee study break

I have a few unscheduled hours on Thursday mornings. It's dedicated homework time. This week,  however, I took the study session to Avoca coffee shop. The shape of the steamed milk alone makes me happy.

3. Laughter, again

Although, frankly, I laugh all the time, there were three times this week that I laughed so hard I lost my breath. I am lucky to have so many funny people in my life. (I'm married to one of them.)

4. Cute kids

Claire has two American Girl dolls, (Thanks, Grandma!) so she and Paul split them up to parent them one on one. Paul was super cute being a dad and Claire was super cute being a mom. Notice how Claire's glasses match her doll's? Totally coincidence. 

5. Wheel of Fortune

I love watcing Wheel of Fortune with the kids. We work as a team to solve the puzzle. Soon, they will be better than me.

6. Staying afloat

Mid-terms and papers are on the horizon, and I anticipate having to crawl into a hole until those get done, but for now, I am staying afloat with all my responsibilities. Family, jobs, homework, home stuff. It's all in balance right now and I'm grateful.

7. The Pope

This week at the gym, I have been grateful to watch all the exciting Pope press coverage. It's much better than the violence usually covered by the media. I'm not Catholic, but I'm a fan of this Pope. Even his car is cool!

8.  Family time

Last weekend we had some long-lost cousins in town. They haven't been lost, but they haven't been around the DFW area since I was a kid. We had an unofficial family reunion and we all had a great time! Swimming, talking, and hanging out at another cousin's new coffee house. It was awesome.

9. Private Coffee House

My cousin Maddie just opened up a bakery and coffeehouse in Waxahachie. It's called the Back Porch Coffee House. It's been her dream to open a bakery, and now she's got one. The whole family filled the place up on Saturday. You can check them out at the super long link. http://waxahachietxcoc.weblinkconnect.com/events/Ribbon-Cutting-ForBack-Porch-Coffee-HouseTuesday,-September-22,-2015,-1000-am-4156/details

10. Weird illness

Poor Paul missed a day and a half of school this week for a weird illness. He had a fever the first day, but the second day we just kept him home to make sure he was okay. He was. Instead of nursing him, I supervised his Lego playing and reading. I'm grateful he just had a fever and wasn't miserable at all.

No, Thank you!!

Happy Saturday! I started writing this post yesterday morning, but had to rush off to my 8 a.m. theology class. It's still important to me to be conscious of my blessings, so here's my list for this week:

1. Fallish weather

It's not brutally hot any more, and I am thankful. Yesterday I sat on a patch of grass in the shade and journaled. Feeling the grass underneath me and the breeze, even though it was in the 90s, felt like fall had officially arrived.

2. Birds

I wear dorky birds in my hair when I work at school. It started out for me....How can I be stressed or grouchy if I have a bird on my head? But then I realized it made other people giggle, so I started doing it more. I had not, until this week, ever taken my birds to Brite Divinity School. It's hard to have a serious conversation with a woman with a bird clipped in her hair, so to be serious, I hadn't worn them. I wore a bird this week and no one on campus missed a beat. It was just like "Oh yeah, that's Sarah. She's a little bit goofy, but oh well." 

3. Homework time

Every day after we walk home from school, the kids and I sit down at the dining room table and all three focus on homework. They are old enough to do their homework mostly independently, so we all sit together and think, think, think. 

4. Free lunch

On Tuesday I went to lunch with the church staff. We went to a brand new restaurant in Weatherford and it was delicious. Then a couple from church came to eat lunch as well. They bought all of our lunches. Woohoo! There IS such a thing as a free lunch. I had one this week and I am grateful.

5. Mr. Fix It

We need a new mattress on our bed, but we just don't have time to go buy one right now. I was complaining about back pain the other day, so Adam engineered some sort of reinforcements for the bed frame. We still need a new mattress, but thanks to his engineering mind and some 2X4s, we aren't waking up with back pain any more and can survive until our calendar allows us to get a new mattress.

6. Venus Fly Trap

A few months ago on an impulse, I bought a tiny Venus fly trap. I water it every day, hopeful that one day it will replicate the Venus flytraps of cartoon reputation. Although it doesn't move independently like in cartoons, it caught two flying insects this week. It's been fascinating to watch. One of the bugs is still sticking out of the leaves. I'm curious if that part of the bug will just fall off or eventually get sucked in. Either way, watching a plant digest a bug is fascinating. The plant came with a note not to feed it actual meat. Good to know

7. My personal library and our Little Free Library

We are bookionaires. (It's like being a millionaires with books.) We have books in every corner of our house. I am fortunate that since I'm such a fast reader, I am able to keep up with my theological reading as well as reading books for fun. As soon as I'm done reading a book, I put it in our Little Free Library in our front yard. We've met many neighbors that way and love sharing our love of literacy.

8. A drive long enough for pod casts

Because it takes me about 35 minutes to get to my church work, I'm able to keep up with several pod casts and friends' sermons. It's like I attend news conferences and several churches all at one time in my car.

9. Space to breathe

Adam took the kids on a Boy Scout's fishing adventure this morning. I have been left at home unattended. So far I've done some laundry, some homework, and some work-work. I've also had some space to breathe and think and pray and I am grateful.

10. No complaints

I have absolutely nothing to complain about right now. Everything is right in my world and I am grateful.

Thank God it's Friday!

Woohoo!

Here's what I'm thankful for today:

1. The best part of a three day weekend

Last weekend was a three day weekend, so this week was a four day work week. It's Friday! Hallelujah!

2. Friends that make time for me

Some of my favorite people are the busiest. I am grateful that I was able to connect with several of them this week via email or in-person chats. I always feel more grounded after touching base with friends I haven't seen in a while. I also feel energized after talking and listening to people about real joys and real problems. I also had lunch with my favorite friend, my husband. 

3. Keeping caught up with homework

Another school week down, another week I was able to complete all my homework! If you would like to read my UMC Book of Discipline, you can borrow it at the end of the semester. I am fascinated by it! 

4. Surprises

I have another friend who sent me a giant happy book. I checked the mail on Tuesday and there was a huge box for me. My friend Jennifer had sent me volume 1 of the best Bible dictionary available. I was ecstatic! (See picture? Excited!) 

5. Labor Day weekend perfection

Last weekend we had family and other loved ones come over and swim and eat and laugh. Several times I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe. Listening to discussions of certain presidential candidates almost made me spit water across the back room.  Yelling girly words to distract the men from listening to our conversation was hilarious as well.

6. First presentation down

Yesterday in my Methodist History and Doctrine class, I made a presentation about a John Wesley sermon. I was anxious, but it went well. If you would like an explanation of John Wesley's views of "Circumcision of the Heart" let me know and I will share a beautiful handout with you.

7. Grown up conversations with kids

I called the house yesterday from campus and spoke with Claire. We had the best conversation. It's so fun to hear her speak like an adult, advocate for what she wants, and be silly. I am so proud of both of my children and their beautiful hearts and hilarious personalities.

8. Miracles of time and space

Yesterday when I woke up, I realized it was one of those days with a milion puzzle pieces in my schedule and not a clue as to how they would all fit together. But through the miracle of the time and space continuum, I finished my homework and presentation, made it to class, and made it to both meetings I had to attend. I also met Adam and picked up dinner for the kids. By the end of the day I felt like I had lived two days.

9. AC repairmen on call

We love our air conditioner repairman. We love him! If you need a recommendation, please let me know. He'll be featured at Casa Boyette today because something is wrong with our unit. 

10. Connecting the dots

I'm taking two classes that are focused on history right now. It's exciting to me to go back and re-learn some history that I've known for years but through a theological lens. I love stories about the Tudors, but now I'm learning about the role of the church in the Tudors history. And connecting the dots between the first churches and the history of Methodism and history I've known before gives me pause and several "aha!" moments.

Thanks, Again

Today we wrap up our second school week, and I am thankful.

Here's my list for the week:

1. Catching up with friends

By this weekend, I'll almost be done catching up with everyone I lost contact with over the summer. I am grateful for the various rhythms that the changes in seasons bring and I'm grateful for several friends that keep up with me and keep me grounded. I have a good mix of friends I listen to and friends that listen to me. I am thankful.

2. Connecting the dots

In Theology class, we are learning some church history. In Methodist History class, we are obviously doing the same. What is exciting to me is taking history that I've known my whole life and connecting it with what I'm learning today. I understand a more complete picture this way.

3. Pumpkin spice coffee creamer

Starbucks isn't serving Pumpkin Spice lattes just yet, but I've already bought the flavored creamer and am enjoying the tastes of fall.

4. Swimming

We are so blessed to have our very own swimming pool in the backyard. The kids favorite after school activity is walking home and immediately getting into our swimsuits. We swim for a bit before we come in and do homework. It's just enough to reset our minds and our body temperatures. I love living in Texas, where I can swim and drink Pumpkin Spice lattes in the same day.

5. My blender

For uses that were certainly purely academic, I bought a sturdy blender in college. Nearly every day I still use the same one, now making healthy fruit smoothies for breakfast. It's entertaining to me to think of what I used to put in my blender and what I get excited about now. 

6. My new owl

At the local elementary school where I work, I'm known for my fancy hair ornaments. I buy fake birds at Dollar Tree and wear them in my hair. This week, my friend Teri became aware that I didn't have a fall bird for my hair. I've been wearing spring birds in the fall. Thank God she remedied the situation and now I have a fall owl. 

7. Three day weekend

Woohoo! We made it to the weekend, and now we have time to catch our breath and catch up before our  third week of school starts.

8. Not having to worry

Claire's teacher told me this week how much she enjoys having her in class. I thanked her. Paul's teacher told me this week how lucky I was to have two excellent children. I thanked her as well. I am grateful that our children are loved and appreciated beyond the walls of our home. I am thankful that already, they are loving, productive members of society. 

9. Teamwork at work

At church, I am grateful to work with people as a team. It's exciting to see when one of us starts something or has an idea and then the others pitch in and make it happen. We all have different gifts and I am grateful that they compliment each other. I'm also happy to be part of the team at school and be one of the people that works behind the scenes to help.

10. Being in the right place 

My schedule takes me to a different place nearly every day. I'll work at church, then school, then go to class, and home. I am grateful that in each one of these settings, I feel completely at home and in the right place for me. I have loved ones in each location and each setting fits me perfectly in a unique way. I am humbled and grateful.

First Week of School Thanks

Yesterday the family wrapped up the first week of school. Claire is now officially a fourth grader, Paul is a second grader, and I am back at Brite Divinity School working on my Master of Divinity degree. Adam is still Adam with his awesome engineering skills.

Here's a few pieces of grattitude from this week:
1. Ease of transition
We bought all our textbooks, school supplies and uniforms weeks ago. Switching from summer mode to school mode happened with no drama and no hardships. We were in summer and now we are in school and it went seamlessly. I am so grateful that we made the transition so smoothly.

In case you missed it, here's my first day of school picture.

2. Summer memories
This summer was possibly the best summer of my life. We had a wonderful, beautiful vacation to California that included an extensive road trip. We swam in the pool. We reconnected with friends. We relaxed. I read two to three books a week that had nothing to do with theology. I took my kids to work with me and the church and the kids were fine.

3. Wesley Eugene
A couple of weeks ago, our vet told us to prepare for the impending death of our Yorkshire Terrier, Wesley Eugene. He was very ill and if he didn't make a dramatic turnaround, we would need to put him to sleep. Adam and I had a hard conversation and I had many tears. Wesley is 13. He was our first answer to baby fever and he's been with us for almost all of our marriage. We made the decision to call the vet the next day and make an appointment to let him go. That same night, he decided to let us know he wasn't done living. He ate everything I put in front of him. Since then, he has steadily been getting back to his old self. The other night he woke me up barking at a helicopter flying. While I wasn't happy to be awake at 1 a.m., I was happy that he was feeling well enough to defend our territory against the threats of flying machines. He's a good dog and I am grateful for his life, however long that will be.

4. Banana bread
I'm not done delivering it yet, but I was able to make another tuition payment with banana bread funds. Thank you to all who eat and support my call to ministry! It looks like I will be debt free for another semester! (Those of you who haven't received your bread yet, it's coming. I promise.)

5. Good conversations
During summer, I am simply starved for adult conversation. I am so grateful that Adam and our budget allow me to only work one part-time job in the summer. I love being around my children and listening to the desires of their hearts and experiencing the world through  their eyes. However, by the end of summer, I am simply starved for adult interaction and want to talk about anything other than PBS shows or Magic Treehouse books. I have been so grateful this week to be around people with which I simply fall into good conversation.

6. New classes
This semester I am taking Theology I and Methodist History and Doctrine. Several people have said to me, "That sounds exciting." I always respond with, "It is SO exciting! I can't wait!" It took about five of these exchanges for me to realize that my friends were being sarcastic and not everyone is as enthusiastic as I am about learning in seminary. That's okay. I am grateful to be there because it is the right place for me. I'm excited regardless.

7. My two jobs
I love working at church. I love my coworkers and I have been constantly learning about ministry. I am so grateful to be serving where I am because it is the perfect place for me to grow. However, when I set foot back in the school building where I work as a tutor, I knew it was the place for me, too. It was good to be back at school to see the kids, to share my name, "Mrs. Awesome", and to listen and laugh with the teachers and administration. I love having a place where I show up, say, "I'm here to help," and do a wide variety of tasks from tutoring to moving boxes to labeling file folders.

8. My secret weapon for ordination and world domination
Since Paul was an infant, we've had a special babysitter. As the kids have gotten older and my responsibilities outside the house have grown, I have been so grateful to Gabby Rosas for being able to pick up the slack to care for the children when I am in class or in meetings. I am so grateful that when the children are in her loving hands, I never have to worry at all. She's smart, capable, and she loves them. I couldn't ask for more.

9. Jansport
Recently my backpack from high school started getting worn out. I know I look 22, but actually, my 20 year high school reunion will be next year. That means my blue Jansport backpack has been with me through high school, college, and children. It's also lifetime guaranteed. I sent it back to the Jansport warranty department and they fixed it and sent it back for free. I did splurge and buy a new one this year, but I'll be using the same Jansport backpacks until I'm in the nursing home.

10. Adam
I am so grateful for my consistent and consistently flexible, husband. He works hard and doesn't get upset when situations arise like my locking my keys in the house or all of us in the kitchen at the same time while he's tying to iron his work clothes. His brain and worldview are 180 degrees different than mine, but it almost always makes us better together. I'm so right-brained, I really value his left-brained nature.

Now onto homework, for which I am also grateful!

The Blessings of Banana Bread

This morning I dropped off two loaves of fresh banana bread to a friend from high school. Our 20 year reunion is coming up next year and I hadn't seen her since graduation. I marvel at how my life path has taken me on an unplanned route, and how grateful I am for it.
Next week I head back to class. I'm working to earn my Master of Divinity degree at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth. Eventually I want to work as a helping pastor in the United Methodist Church and also write Bible studies.
When we had children, Adam and I set up college funds for them. Each month we contribute to them and hopefully by the time they do reach college age, we'll have enough to cover what scholarships won't. That's been part of the plan. What wasn't in the plan was my return to school. So when I did enroll in seminary, it was with the understanding that it wasn't in the budget and I'd have to come up with the funds if I wanted to go. Adam and I both learned about debt the first time we went to college and I vowed not to get a student loan.
So instead of a student loan, I apply for scholarships and bake banana bread. Before I returned to school, I was brainstorming with my friend Ardis about how I could find money for school. She suggested baking banana bread. I love to bake, so it was a natural fit.
It's my fourth semester of baking my way through graduate school. This semester, so far, I've received orders for 57 loaves. Every dollar goes straight to my TCU tuition account, and so far, I've been able to stay debt-free.
I am so grateful to each and every customer. Not only does the money pay my tuition, it is a reminder again and again that I am not going to school alone or for my benefit. I am going to school to learn to serve God and God's people.
Those four eggs, four bananas, and two sticks of butter have also helped me build relationships and reconnect with loved ones from different stages of my life. Today I got to see and hug a woman I haven't seen in almost 20 years. Banana bread is delicious, but it also is an excuse for me to see friends that I've lost contact with. New friends and old friends help me by eating banana bread. Family does, too. On my customer list are high school friends, college friends, stay-at-home mom friends, teacher friends, home church friends, and new church friends. I am grateful for each one.
When I'm in class next week, I'll be thinking and thanking God for each and every person that has supported me in my ministry path. Banana bread and loved ones have helped me arrive this far; I can't wait to see what the future bakes up.

Thank you to my support crew

Last night, right before we rushed off to the circus, I arrived home from local pastor licensing school, where I had been since Sunday night. Licensing school is just a fancy name for Methodist ministry boot camp. From 7:45 a.m. to after 10 p.m. we were immersed in knowledge and relationship building with others pursing ministry goals in the UMC. We stayed at Stillwater Lodge, a Methodist retreat center located on the Paluxy River in Glen Rose.

For me, just arriving at Licensing School was a feat. Our classes were in two separate sessions, a weekend, then six days at home and five days there. Just before I left the first time, our sweet 13 year old Yorkie, Wesley Eugene, seemed to be on his deathbed and my childcare relief was stranded at Carswell AFB with a broken down car. I rushed to the vet, left Wesley in Doggie ICU, and met up with Mama Joy, our 80 year young friend who enjoys playing with the children. Since I left in chaos, I returned to chaos, and vowed to spend my six days home cleaning and organizing for when I was gone for part II.

I left the house Sunday afternoon with a two-page, ten-point-type written list of instructions about how to survive while I was gone. I had stocked the pantry with all the kids' favorites and simple meals Claire, age 9, could cook for lunch and dinner. The plan was to have our sweet babysitter, Gabby, watch them during the day and Adam, of course, take care of things at night.

I am proud of them. They didn't watch too much TV, they learned new things, the house looks normal, and they all survived, even Wesley Eugene. (In fact, I think Wesley put on 3 lbs while I was gone, making him a chubby 7-pounder.) There was a fire in the kitchen, but the kitchen didn't catch fire. Gabby took them to church for children's activities and to the library for books. She's been babysitting for us since Paul was an infant and I am so grateful to leave the children in her loving, qualified hands.

My husband, Adam, and I have different gifts and roles in the running of the household. Mostly, he takes care of everything outside of the house and I take care of everything in the house. He takes care of bills and I take care of babies. I had never been away from home for this long, so he definitely had to move outside of his comfort zone to pick up the slack while I was gone. I am so grateful for him and his patience with me as I pursue a life path that none of us planned. I certainly couldn't successfully balance all the duties in my life without his anchor balancing me out and keeping me grounded.

Licensing school for me was a gift in itself. Stillwater Lodge is beautiful and I made friends with the manager, who constantly provided everything all of us needed. A queen bed to myself and a jacuzzi bathtub. Beautiful scenery and a small beach where I wiggled my toes in the sand. Stars. That was beautiful and I will be savoring the images for a while.

The beach

We had a grueling schedule of classes. We were on task, with breaks for meals and leg-stretching, from about 7:45 a.m. to after 10 p.m. almost every night. That sounds intimidating, but I felt like a dehydrated woman in the desert who has been offered water. I was trying to ingest everything all at once. All the people, all the scenes, all the knowledge, all at once. Summer is always difficult for me because I focus on the children all day and sometimes forget that I am intelligent and can have intelligent conversations. So I went from discussions of the latest Arthur episode to theologies of baptism. I went from being surrounded by children to being surrounded by adults who are passionate about the same issues I am passionate about.

Part of the week included preaching. I had never preached a sermon and was worried about this for weeks. I had practiced, I had fretted, I had let several people read my manuscript, but I still didn't feel confident. I had received encouraging words from several friends and even a firm, inspirational talk from one. I still dreaded it.

I am firm in my call to ministry. I know that God has equipped me with gifts that are useful for the church. I am constantly affirmed in my call when I get excited about planning worship or helping a team get organized to communicate their message to the congregation. I love working behind the scenes designing graphics, planning communications, listening to people share their story, helping others clarify and communicate. I love teaching Bible studies and leading prayers. I love writing about my faith and God and sharing it with others. In all that, though, I don't feel comfortable preaching.

Part of it is lack of training. I've never had any public speaking training and what I know about writing sermons came from this session and a crash course a friend was able to give me before I left. Of course I've listened to thousands, but as far as creating one, I am at a loss.

On my assigned time, I approached the podium, spoke about two words and then began crying. I couldn't do it. I dried my eyes and face, took a deep breath and tried again. I got about five words out and had to leave again. All of the sudden I was crying uncontrollably and couldn't even catch my breath. Anxiety and self-doubt was taking over. I did get through it the third time, but not without some tears during.

I share this because what happened during and after made it worth my public vulnerability. Two ladies from my group left with me and got me laughing with silly metaphors about Jesus. One taught me her personal meditation techniques and the other had me breathing through a coffee stir stick to steady my breath. Both of them sang hymns to me and encouraged me.

Afterward, I had several honest and open conversations about anxiety with another friend. That's a problem I've dealt with for a long time, but being honest about a problem like that with someone that hasn't experienced it isn't usually helpful. If you fall apart in public like that, though, it's a blessing in that it opens the door for others to share their story with you. I can't pretend I wasn't anxious because I was standing in front of a room displaying my anxiety. I do feel better knowing that other people have similar problems. Those conversations helped me feel better and more hopeful that I can become better equipped to deal with it when it arises suddenly.

So now I'm back home, full of  new knowledge, and empowered to face the future, whatever it holds. I am grateful for new friendships. I am grateful for everyone back at home who helped me get this far. I am grateful for everyone who continues to help push me forward. Enough theology, though. I've got to mop the floor.

Vacation! Photos included.

We are home from our non-stop vacation to California. I'm almost caught up with the laundry and have spent hours sorting and editing photos. Between both of our phones and our real camera, Adam and I took 1,200 photos. Using all of them creates a 52 minute slideshow.

I edited out the duplicates and the extraneous shots of children sleeping or beautiful tree trunks. So if you want to enjoy our vacation photos, the slideshow is 15 minutes.

http://youtu.be/Yb66cIVkHaw

We started here in Fort Worth, TX. Our first night was spent in Childress, TX. Then on to New Mexico and Arizona. Lots of driving and night two and three were in Williams, Arizona. We lucked out and were upgraded at the Motel 6. Unfortunately the penthouse of the Motel 6 had a broken air conditioning and no coffee or even kleenex. We were still grateful we scored the nicest room in that hotel.

We spent a day at the Grand Canyon and then headed to California. We stayed in Mammoth Lakes, CA, which is apparently a ski resort town. Thanks to Priceline.com, accommodations were just as cheap as the Motel 6, but so much nicer. The next day we drove to Yosemite.

Yosemite was beautiful and we were all surprised at the enormity and majesty of the park. We drove for two hours inside the park to get to our destination at the waterfall. Hiking was much easier there than at the Grand Canyon because of shade trees and lower temperatures. The kids waded in lower falls and we all looked for bears in the trees. Due to wildfires during the last few years, some of the trees had burn marks, but life was sprouting from the places of destruction.

The next day we drove to the Redwood forest, which was our ultimate destination. We spent a day exploring trees that were bigger than our car. We even drove through one.

The next day we drove to San Rafael with a stop to see the Pacific Ocean. It was very cold, but both kids were impervious and put on swimsuits anyway. Adam put on his suit and got in the water to supervise/act like a kid himself. I had to stay dry to take photos....(also, I can live without getting in the cold water.)

The next day we drove into San Francisco and met up with one of my lifelong best friends, Anabelle Garay. Anabelle was a bridesmaid at our wedding and is also Claire's godmother. It was fun to see her at home in California and explore some of the sites with her as a personal tour guide. We rode a streetcar, saw Ghiradelli Square, and even drove down Lombard Street. We also found an excellent used bookstore. 

After a day in San Fran, we headed home. The first night was spent in a small city in California, just two hours away from San Francisco. The next day we stopped to see the Hollywood sign and get stuck in Los Angeles traffic. We made it to Tuscon that night. The next day we drove and drove and drove with only stops for bathroom, gas, and lunch. We made it home at 3:45 a.m. the next morning.

Memories I want to savor of the trip: Paul reading books so fast we had to keep buying more, the kids sworn in as Park Rangers at three parks, Adam's excellent driving on all the mountain roads, the cold ocean water, and trees bigger than our car. Also, the hilarious situations that packing animal masks provided us. 

We were lucky to see so many breath-taking views in one trip. I only read three books because most of the time I was just soaking in all the natural beauty surrounding us. I am so grateful.

Summertime!

We wrapped up the school year with Claire finishing third grade and Paul finishing first. Both kids recieved so many awards at the awards ceremony that they couldn't all be announced.

Paul laughing with his buddies after receiving his awards.

Claire reading the giant list of her awards.

The next week, we started summer. The first day of summer, the kids were completely spastic, and of course, that was also the day I had to take them to work with me. With two kids bouncing (literally) off the walls while I tried to get work done, I was worried about the long summer stretched ahead of us. By the end of the week we had caught our breath and started a new rhythm, so the kids and I both calmed down and breathed a sigh of relief.

We were able to get up close and personal with one of the elephants.

Our first big field trip of the summer was to Cameron Park Zoo in Waco. I have made a friend who is also in UMC ordination process and we decided to meet halfway between our houses, in Waco. The zoo is much smaller than the FW Zoo, but there were no crowds and the zoo featured tons of shade and several spots with air-conditioning. We had a great time and even brought our niece, Morgan.

I have no idea where the boy gets his goofiness from.

We've taken other field trips this summer to use our memberships to fabulous places in DFW. The kids spent 45 minutes programming robots at the Perot Museum. We've been to the library twice already. We celebrated Adam's birthday at Six Flags. Paul had a pool party for his birthday and has played about six baseball games. Some days we have been very extravagant and just stayed home.

By far the most hilarious event of the summer so far has been the animal masks. I was alerted to Amazon's abundance of latex animal masks by my friend, Stacy. Adam and I decided they were a must to keep us entertained on our vacation road trip. They were so hilarious that we couldn't wait to wear them, though.

Yesterday we went to the FW Zoo and both kids took their masks.

At first I said, "Paul, get down from there!" But then I realized he was being a squirrel by crawling up on a fence like real squirrels.

It's a bird feeding a bird. It's Claire hilarity!

Thankful Thursday

Today is the first Thursday I haven't been swallowed up with classes and homework. I am so grateful.

I'm back to my thankful list. I enjoy writing this as a way to help me appreciate life as well as keep me writing. Finals are over for the semester...(In one class, I earned an A. Still waiting on hearing back from the other.) I've got 14 hours complete of my 81 hour Master of Divinity Degree.

Paul and I at the school carnival.

Here's what I'm thankful for today:
1. New tunes
My best friend Stacy has alerted me to lots of new music. My iPod is full of new bands, thanks to her. I love playing new music and having friend that knows exactly what I will like. Thanks, Stacy!

2. New rhythm
So class is over, finals are over, and now I've got a little more space in my schedule. I love this time when everything seems possible and my schedule has a little bit of flexibility.

3. The power of "unsubscribe"
I am on an "unsubscribe" me spree! I have realized that getting 50+ emails a day is too much for me, so I am taking my name off as many lists as possible. At one point I was giving my email address out like it was candy. No longer. If I don't want to hear about that business, I won't give them my email address. So simple, but it took me a long time to understand.

4. Awesome coworkers.
I have two jobs and at both this week, I have laughed so hard I couldn't breathe properly. I love working at the elementary school because I show up and I never know what to expect. Yesterday I helped with talent show applicants and learned all sorts of new, hip dance moves and terms. (How to do the stanky leg dance here.) I love working at the church I work at because everyone that I work with has an incredible sense of humor. We laugh at ourselves, we laugh at each other, we laugh and laugh and laugh.

5. My husband
Adam has really picked up the slack this year and helped out so I could go to class or study. He keeps me laughing and supports my pursuits. He's a keeper.

6. My kids
Paul came home last week with a paper that said he is now reading on a fourth grade level. He's six.
Claire is learning to play the piano as fast as she can and is also reading several chapter books a week. I am so proud of how smart and kind my children are.

7. My other support team
I am thankful for all of you who have listened to me this year as I tried to keep everything in balance. When I finally graduate, I will have to make copies of my degree because I am certainly not doing this alone. I am so grateful for every single encouraging text, hug, email, phone call, and coffee break.

8. Excellent classes
I took two classes this semester and both challenged me to rethink much of my life and interactions. Pastoral Care reminded me that it's not my job to solve everyone's problems. My class comparing Thomas Merton and Howard Thurman brought issues of racial struggles and social justice closer home.

9. On Demand TV
Adam and I DVR pretty much every show that we watch. With our schedule and my homework load, we were behind several episodes on some of our favorite shoes. This week, now that we have time to watch the TV, the DVR bit the dust. Fortunately, almost all of our TV shows are available On Demand, so we didn't lose very much when the technology gave out.

10. My gym
A new gym opened by our house and for $10/month, I can go work out as much as I want. Three workouts a week means that I'm paying less than a dollar a workout. Woohoo! Maybe you'll be seeing less of me. Surely you'll be seeing a more fit me.

Thank you, thank you, thank you

I am currently reporting live from inside a whirlwind that is my life. Somehow I am standing on my own two feet, but that is not by my own accord. I am propped up by loved ones and a giant stack of books, not to mention that pile of items I need to take to Goodwill.

www.sxu.hu

I tutored once a week at a local elementary school. I love working there because it has no connection to anything else in my life. I can show up at school and be a grunt. I never know what the day will hold, so I show up with open hands, ready to do whatever is needed. (Including that time I had to scrub caked-on cheese. Hilarious.) 

I was working in communications at a church in Weatherford, but got elected to serve in children's ministry while the church searched for a children's minister. Not what I expected, but I had fun and learned about developing a leadership team and a rotation of helping hands. I also was challenged several times to look at Bible stories in a new way when the children quizzed me.

My grandfather's health began failing and he moved to hospice and then passed away. I was called and honored to be helpful and present in that process as well.

The children upped their extra-curricular activities and Adam and I worked hard at tag-team parenting to accomodate my class schedule and homework load.

As the fall semester ended and the holidays set in, our family came down with the flu. We all had our flu shots, but this was apparently a unique strain. The positive aspect of having the flu during the holidays is that you are forced to slow down. Once we all recovered, we were already in the habit of staying home, so we spent the holidays being together at home. It was the least stressful holiday season I can recall.

And now we are in full swing of the spring semester. The kids are back at school and this was my first week back at seminary. My stack of textbooks is daunting, but I am hopeful and enthusiastic about my classes. I'm taking Pastoral Care and Counseling as well as A Comparative Study of Howard Thurman and Thomas Merton. I've received some good-natured teasing about the weightiness of the subjects, but I am looking forward to how both classes will stretch me and teach me.

The church was able to hire a new children's minister, and I've been passing duties to her. Starting next week I'll really be able to hit the ground running and hopefully be able to write and improve church communications. I'm looking forward to that with great anticipation.

Since my duties at church scaled back, I upped my tutoring to two days a week. I enjoy being around students and helping with administrative tasks. The kids can't remember my name since I'm not there every day, so I answer to the name "Ms. Awesome."(As a joke, I shared that story with one of my professors, who proceeded to address me that way the rest of the first class.)

Meanwhile, I've been pursuing ordination as a deacon in the United Methodist Church. My ultimate goal is to be a helping pastor and Bible study author. I'd like to work behind the scenes helping the church and its people while writing curriculum for the church.

After much paperwork and a panel interview, I was approved as an official candidate for ministry in the UMC. I think yesterday I said, "I'm so excited!" at least 100 times. The sentiment still rings true.

So for those of you that support me with prayers or buying and eating my banana bread, thank you. For those of you that keep me sane by checking on me and listening to my chatter, thank you. For those of you that help me stand, thank you. I am grateful to you all.