tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52504198041763121942024-03-05T10:53:30.291-05:00random thoughtsIt's that wonderful old-fashioned idea that others come first and you come second. This was the whole ethic by which I was brought up. Others matter more than you do, so don't fuss, dear; get on with it. ~ Audrey Hepburn ~Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-47384488408387794332010-08-31T12:22:00.004-05:002010-08-31T12:25:37.721-05:00Would You Like to See My Classroom(s)?<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Up first is my Typing... errr... Keyboarding.... ummm... Touch System Data Entry classroom </span><span style="font-size: small;">(the name has changed a few times, this latest new name drives me crazy!)</span><span style="font-size: large;">:</span></strong><br />
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<em>Disclaimer: you'll have to excuse the patches of torn paint that can be seen in some of these photos. I've asked repeatedly in my 7 years here to have my room painted over the summer. The torn paint appeared when the Christmas lights held up by packaging tape left by the previous teacher were taken down when I came to Hildebrandt...</em><br />
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<strong>looking over the left half from my desk:</strong><br />
(on the wall is Claude Monet's <em>Dusk</em> and <em>The Seine Near Vetheuil</em> as well as printing instructions way off to the left)<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>The front of my classroom -- bulletin board with school information, work turn in area, and reams and reams of printer paper!</strong> In the past I've covered that brown chalkboard on the far left with colored butcher paper. I think I'm going to find some contact paper that is subtle and cover it permanently. This year I may hang my Mary Engelbreit posters there. I rotate between those and my patriotic poster collection randomly over the years.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_MEx8Cc93y6E/THBQDFkhVhI/AAAAAAAAF0A/3jOm6yJIgdk/s1600/IMG_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_MEx8Cc93y6E/THBQDFkhVhI/AAAAAAAAF0A/3jOm6yJIgdk/s320/IMG_0003.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><strong>looking over the right side:</strong><br />
(on the wall: Vincent van Gogh's <em>Wheatfield with Crows</em>, <em>Cafe Terrace at Night</em>, and <em>Starry Night.</em><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">And this is my Exploratory Language classroom down the hall:</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>This year, because of the number of students we lost to a new school opening, a lot of us are teaching two or more classes. I'm teaching Explortory Language this year -- a course that looks breifly at a wide range of languages and communication to allow the students to see the history and shaping of language/communication and to also help them decide which foreign language they would like to persue. It should be a really fun and interesting class... As long as the kids are interested. Unfortunately some have signed up or were dumped into the class without understanding what it is and we have some challenges to overcome... </strong></div><br />
<strong>Coming into the classroom:</strong><br />
across the top of the white board is a topper with all the flags from around the world. I think on the blank bulletin board, I'm going to hang a few photos from my Russia and Mexico trips OR a big poster with "Hello" or "Welcome" in various languages.<br />
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</div><strong>My desk area. Desk is a little bare, but that's what happens in a secondary classroom!</strong> <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>So excited to have a window to let in some natural light! I have two of these small guys and I found this awesome suncatcher at the dollar store!</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_MEx8Cc93y6E/THBQPPoGnEI/AAAAAAAAF0U/iWDZDAHXDYY/s1600/IMG_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_MEx8Cc93y6E/THBQPPoGnEI/AAAAAAAAF0U/iWDZDAHXDYY/s320/IMG_0013.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>student computer area (though, we'll just go to my computer lab down the hall when needed) :</strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong></strong></div><div style="text-align: left;">(on the wall above the computers: The Acropolis of Athens in Greece</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_MEx8Cc93y6E/THBQQYUvmbI/AAAAAAAAF0Y/qJ7b5aa6PV8/s1600/IMG_0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_MEx8Cc93y6E/THBQQYUvmbI/AAAAAAAAF0Y/qJ7b5aa6PV8/s320/IMG_0014.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>a closeup of the bulletin board I made from flashcards off the dollar rack at Target: famous landmarks from around the world. I have two sets so I could hang the descriptions next to each landmark photo.</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_MEx8Cc93y6E/THBQIG2yWsI/AAAAAAAAF0I/myljJBiJcwc/s1600/IMG_0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_MEx8Cc93y6E/THBQIG2yWsI/AAAAAAAAF0I/myljJBiJcwc/s320/IMG_0009.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>from the front of the room looking back.</strong></div>(on the left is school information and on the right is a poster titled The Art of Currency, showcasing with history of various types of currency from around the world. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_MEx8Cc93y6E/THBQS0jYAqI/AAAAAAAAF0c/E8AQzKnifoc/s1600/IMG_0015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_MEx8Cc93y6E/THBQS0jYAqI/AAAAAAAAF0c/E8AQzKnifoc/s320/IMG_0015.JPG" /></a></div>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-83876849932403924462010-07-07T09:31:00.007-05:002010-07-07T10:41:54.746-05:00a week of experimenting...So, on my trips to visit my (second ;)) <a href="http://ourfamilychatterjournal.blogspot.com/">cousin</a>, we have fallen into the habit of experimenting in the kitchen. The last time I was in Omaha (in October for our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#%21/album.php?aid=2195689&id=34414981&op=6">30th birthday blowout weekend</a>!), we tackled <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe?id=8222804">Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon</a> -- or as we referred to it, Beef Booya. I'm sure Julia would <i>not</i> have been impressed with our nickname. haha. And yes -- we were indeed inspired by the movie <a href="http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/julieandjulia/">Julie and Julia</a>.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>So, this time around we decided to continue our new tradition. TR has been researching and using raw milk lately, so we had a bit of fun with that. First, in an attempt to use some of the soured milk that she had on hand, we made a really great <a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/517-maximize-your-real-milk-and-cream.html">custard pudding</a> (the recipe is about half way down). It was perfect with fresh berries.<br />
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We also attempted <a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/517-maximize-your-real-milk-and-cream.html">cream cheese</a> (first numbered bullet halfway down at link -- it had a great texture, but tasted a bit off -- we weren't sure if the milk had gone too bad or if that was normal, so we ended up chucking that experiment). <a href="http://www.nourishingdays.com/?p=912">Homemade yogurt in the Crock-Pot</a> was the last milk experiment. <br />
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One of our first new "meal" type recipes was from Jamie Oliver -- we tried out his <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/crunchy-garlic-chicken">Crunchy Garlic Chicken</a>. It was a really great crusty chicken with a lot of flavor. We ended up with not enough coating, so we assume our chicken was a lot bigger than Jamie's. That night we also tried out his french dressing from an article on <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/other-recipes/jam-jar-dressings">Jam Jar Dressings</a>. This also turned out pretty well and I'm interested in trying some of the other ideas he lists for these.<br />
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One afternoon, we were sitting on the couch and TR begins describing this amazing thing her grandma has always done with rice crispy treats. I realize she's describing <i>my </i>grandma's rice crispy treats. ;) Well, they are sisters afterall. Turns out, we've both grown up eating these treats... So, it seemed only right that we make them this week. I present the <a href="http://greencottagerecipes.blogspot.com/2010/07/jones-family-secret-rice-krispy-treats.html">Jones Family "Secret" Rice Crispy Treats</a> (I'll post the following recipes in their own posts. be sure to click on recipe titles to not miss out):<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyatZzwN747FCICfTYS6PsVzX5seA98nJ6udJZ701CpIWE2OvjvZKxyC7FdT0U3B2z-UAs0NUcVyq_s3qaHTCvhq4IlcPX3510TZJPWjAr2vOK_2Xdv7kz089iCamR65UoyywveSObU1MC/s1600/IMG_0062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyatZzwN747FCICfTYS6PsVzX5seA98nJ6udJZ701CpIWE2OvjvZKxyC7FdT0U3B2z-UAs0NUcVyq_s3qaHTCvhq4IlcPX3510TZJPWjAr2vOK_2Xdv7kz089iCamR65UoyywveSObU1MC/s320/IMG_0062.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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On the Fourth of July, we decided to be all-American and have homemade hamburgers and potato salad (courtesy of James) and finish off with apple pie. TR makes a killer crust and we decided to tackle <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/12/scrumptous-and_i_do_mean_scrumptous-apple_pie/">Pioneer Woman's Apple Pie</a> recipe. We didn't do the last couple steps with the pecans and caramel sauce, mainly because we didn't have caramel sauce, but it was <b><i>awesome</i></b> with just the topping she gives instructions for.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbHl4HMnq_OnGDqw8DtaawMT-wFNyWobrsGPxbRdZ-elEwNKQCugGvHpdvTMdEsUnGa_LTyteHov9ItCcIWt5wFv_D3xOC6UiBKJU_85CVjzWXkTAdOxvFqf8scJ-DkoTLnPoq-AtPRSe/s1600/0704001612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbHl4HMnq_OnGDqw8DtaawMT-wFNyWobrsGPxbRdZ-elEwNKQCugGvHpdvTMdEsUnGa_LTyteHov9ItCcIWt5wFv_D3xOC6UiBKJU_85CVjzWXkTAdOxvFqf8scJ-DkoTLnPoq-AtPRSe/s320/0704001612.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>our pie ready to hit the oven!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLv0HwUwKCcGUDUf1lkuCnH9rTJzPm6pysrEWV_xtn8O7iH_27sYofM2o13YoHNrM6ZY6ITCVCpg3xjpncdA-zzvWIqUp-Vlm4XiXGYxsl77GZjipFgoY8wIYaMdR7q9RsH1H46tIC_0b6/s1600/0704001846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLv0HwUwKCcGUDUf1lkuCnH9rTJzPm6pysrEWV_xtn8O7iH_27sYofM2o13YoHNrM6ZY6ITCVCpg3xjpncdA-zzvWIqUp-Vlm4XiXGYxsl77GZjipFgoY8wIYaMdR7q9RsH1H46tIC_0b6/s320/0704001846.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>fresh from the oven... </i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-lRUtAOhYjC0KxEqkDjtQbrnarLdwQJ16VRDasUJCPqwm8hXrZP5TEnCPmFYp4xSf5hh0VBjIAGwTaWQy2mewAv_DqjYcTI8xtovbGo1-FWlAr7mhTDHXJysaUejfTIvnifFMzKfgWlQO/s1600/0704001848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-lRUtAOhYjC0KxEqkDjtQbrnarLdwQJ16VRDasUJCPqwm8hXrZP5TEnCPmFYp4xSf5hh0VBjIAGwTaWQy2mewAv_DqjYcTI8xtovbGo1-FWlAr7mhTDHXJysaUejfTIvnifFMzKfgWlQO/s320/0704001848.jpg" /><i>a</i></a></div><i>and topped with freshly made whipped cream. </i></div><br />
For our final recipe, we moved on to <a href="http://greencottagerecipes.blogspot.com/2010/07/sarahs-homemade-tomato-sauce.html">homemade tomato sauce</a>. Our friend, Sarah, had given this recipe out quite awhile ago and we had been drooling over it since. It turned out extremely well and is most definitely a keeper! It's an intimidating looking recipe, but actually quite easy. It's a perfect recipe to triple and can for later use.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8smJL08fKG4gBUsf-R4MVc2xtfkuySTFDREou-fAAGJLssQJ-ZbK2vNQCcXNO5MmmDzTyaxwpTPXC1MrLO4Oy6PJayksuCUZ081ZkroKVW4X7v6BilJ5zE_aoOIMLaCox0ikgmDz5AaTs/s1600/0704001636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8smJL08fKG4gBUsf-R4MVc2xtfkuySTFDREou-fAAGJLssQJ-ZbK2vNQCcXNO5MmmDzTyaxwpTPXC1MrLO4Oy6PJayksuCUZ081ZkroKVW4X7v6BilJ5zE_aoOIMLaCox0ikgmDz5AaTs/s320/0704001636.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>our tomatoes during the boiling and skinning process.</i></div><br />
It was a fun week in the kitchen and I think we definitely have set new precedents! This will be hard to beat... but, I'm sure we'll find something new to tackle on the next trip. :)Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-67279667947496402652010-06-29T19:55:00.003-05:002010-07-07T10:22:55.683-05:00What I'm Loving -- Edition 2I think it's time for another <a href="http://kmcmullen.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-im-loving.html">What I'm Loving</a> post!<br />
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Up first -- <b><a href="http://www.got2b.us/got2b-main.htm?got2b">got2b smooth operator smoothing lotion</a></b> (click <i>what's new</i>, then <i>smooth operator</i>). I looooove this stuff! <br />
<a name='more'></a>I was previously using another brand of serum that promised to help hair stay straight and frizz free. However, I recently received a sample of <b><span style="color: #ea9999;">got2b's smooth operator</span></b> and tried it out. At first, I thought the scent was a little much, but honestly it has grown on me and I really like it now, especially when I randomly catch a whiff of it throughout the day. Smooth operator makes my hair incredibly soft and silky, keeps my hair from flyaway frizz, helps protect my hair from heat damage, but the very best part? My hands are not sticky at all after I work it through my hair! Even after washing my hands with soap and water when using the old product, I would still feel a little sticky sometimes... Not so with this stuff! My only complaint? It comes in a pump bottle that does <i>not</i> screw back down into a closed position. I travel so much that this is a really big deal for me. I just took this product in two (one being extremely long) car trips and one flight and managed to not have even one mishap with it (despite my eye makeup remover dousing several shirts!), however, I would imagine I'm <i>extremely</i> lucky to not have had the pump spout pushed around and leaking by the time I reached my individual destinations.<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">**Via BzzAgent and a BzzCampaign, I received a sample of got2b smooth operator as well as coupons for a free full size product. I was not otherwise compensated, nor was I required to write this particular review.**</span><br />
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On to my next big find -- I have never <i>ever</i> been so excited about a hair accessory. See, I have thin hair. So, 99% of hair accessories either A) don't work for me or B) look ridiculous. Ponytails look kinda silly on me because I have like 10 strands of hair, so they just look limp and lifeless. I have always wanted to toss my hair up in a messy bun and be done with it and no product has ever let me do that. Sticking 25 bobby pins in thin hair doesn't do much for a simple look either. Enter my trip to Walgreens one Saturday in May. I went down the hair aisle just to see what they had and discovered Goody had a new product: <b><a href="https://goodysimplestyles.com/index.php">Spin Pins</a></b>. Yes, I was skeptical. No, I did not want to spend 6 bucks on a product that probably was going to get buried in my bathroom drawer along with a dozen other hair items. But, in a moment of optimism, I grabbed them. WOW! Am I impressed. Goody claims that the Spin Pin does the work of 20 bobby pins. I believe it! It securely holds even my limp hair in a nice, yet loose / kinda messy bun. The pins look like a really long bobby pin shaped into a double corkscrew. It's so easy to twist my hair in a bun, screw in the first pin through the top, then I screw in the second pin from the bottom. I do have to add one sometimes two regular bobby pins to capture a few flyaways, but I'm cool with that. I've worn my hair in a bun for the past several weeks. I seriously think I may wear my hair this way for the rest of summer! Spin Pins come in brunette and blonde; I have the brunette one simply because that was all Walgreens had; however it still blends in my blonde hair. I'm really excited to try the Modern Updo Maker pin as well.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Here's my hair after a 10 hour day in one of the first days I used the pins. Never would my hair hold up like this with just bobby pins! A little wispy, but not bad! I've gotten better and find that I can easily get my hair up in seconds. This is a big deal for me! Once and awhile my hair is honery and it takes a couple tries, but I'm always successful! Excuse the bad lighting and therefore blurry photo...</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTlR5MEHjz59CDvtXbsfyJypv7GJi09kyF-Xa1Yxix9gUFzKPnHGI0fnmUcv8MqhbXqfdoXjzuJjve1ZvQLoBsuH0HlhzBL5qMtIM2xqF1435EfKQohYrMln0txce8VrTCMYgYgntXk8w/s1600/IMG_0041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBTlR5MEHjz59CDvtXbsfyJypv7GJi09kyF-Xa1Yxix9gUFzKPnHGI0fnmUcv8MqhbXqfdoXjzuJjve1ZvQLoBsuH0HlhzBL5qMtIM2xqF1435EfKQohYrMln0txce8VrTCMYgYgntXk8w/s320/IMG_0041.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://store.annamariahorner.com/evemdr.html">This dress</a>. So who wants to buy the pattern and make the dress for me? I'll take those patterns/colors on the fabric, too. Thanks. ;) I don't know if I'm brave enough to tackle it myself... But I'm loving the maxidress trend that's popular right now and I love the hippie/patchwork vibe on this dress! hmmm. Maybe I'll get brave and order the pattern myself to try. ;)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-15238813309420186402010-04-07T11:30:00.015-05:002010-04-14T10:36:27.780-05:00ummmm...so, apparently it's been a year since I last wrote. wow. I seriously had trouble for a few seconds figuring out how to start a new post. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">haha</span>.<br />
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Sometimes I figure <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Facebook</span> does a good enough job updating my friends on my life. But, I think some of you that (used to) read my blog may be missing some stuff? Though you probably gave up on this blog a long time ago...<br />
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So a quick catch up.<br />
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<strong>~ my girls' Bible study</strong><br />
<strong>~ THE MOVE to Illinois</strong><br />
<strong>~ Lost and Found Ministries</strong><br />
<strong>~ a new Ford Escape!</strong><br />
<strong>~<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">VBS</span> planning and Summer planning begins</strong><br />
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I'll try not to ramble too much about the above items, but I needed a bit of a list to hit the highlights. :) And, yes, my list is random and out of order. Much like I live my life. Does this surprise anyone? I think not. :)<br />
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<strong>~ my girls' Bible study ~</strong><br />
I've taken on the role of Bible study leader for the 9<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">th</span> and 10<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">th</span> grade girls in our high school youth group. Last semester was my first go at it and we've continued on this semester. I'm solo leading it because we simply couldn't find a second person that fit well with what we needed. Turns out that's been good. Our youth group is still growing, but for some reason this age group for girls is small. Only 4 or 5 regular attenders small. ha. the 11<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">th</span> and 12<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">th</span> grade girls is nearly 30 strong, and our incoming 8<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">th</span> grade group is HUGE. but... these current 9<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">th</span> and 10<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">th</span> girls? small. and only 3 of them actually attend study. but they are faithful. :) We're a flexible group. We meet at church, at Chick-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">fil</span>-A, at Starbucks... Wherever we feel like we want to go that week. This semester we're studying <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Discipline-Glad-Surrender-Elisabeth-Elliot/dp/080073131X/ref=dp_ob_image_bk">Discipline The Glad Surrender by Elisabeth Elliot</a>. The girls are mostly enjoying it, though sometimes it's hard for their age to relate to the examples Elliot lays out.<br />
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<strong>~THE MOVE to Illinois ~</strong><br />
So, mom and I have finally convinced dad to move back to Illinois. That's the short story version. :) Mom and I have been ready to go back to our family and our roots in Illinois for years. And we finally got dad on board around Thanksgiving 2009. Well, sometimes he's on board and sometimes we're dragging him along the tracks next to us. ;) It's a semi-slow process though. First, we have to sell our land in Trinity and the house near <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Tomball</span>. Everything is on the chopping block to be sold. I created a <a href="http://www.circle4ranch.com/">website to sell</a> the land, house, and equipment, furniture, etc that we don't want to move for reasons of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">convenience</span> or just because it's time to let them go. It would be nice to wrap this all up over the summer and move then, but like I said -- everything has to be sold first! We've had some interest in both the house and the land. It's possible we have our buyers, but we're not holding our breath quite yet. Also on my plate is a job search! I've applied to the state board in Illinois for my teaching certificate. I would imagine they will be issuing me a provisional certificate and give me a year to complete some type of requirement of some kind. I should be hearing from them any day on that. When that gets settled, I can start applying <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">seriously</span>.<br />
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<strong>~ Lost and Found Ministries ~</strong><br />
Last May, I joined the board as secretary for a ministry founded by my cousin, Teri Rae, in 2006. Lost and Found Ministries is a non-profit ministry that is currently focused on short term mission trips, domestic and abroad. The basis for the ministry is <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%202:14-17&version=NIV">2 Corinthians 2:14-17</a>. You are welcome to become a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Lost-and-Found-Ministries-Inc/99816273452"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Facebook</span> fan</a>. ;) Currently, we are in a holding pattern as we wait for some things to line up in a red tape sort of way. But, we meet weekly via chat on Google and talk. Ah, modern technology! ;) We are also studying <a href="http://www.maxlucado.com/fearless/">Fearless by Max <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Lucado</span></a> as a team.<br />
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<strong>~ a new Ford Escape! ~</strong><br />
It was time to trade in my F150. It was starting to give me a few problems and it was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">certainly</span> the gas guzzler. I was not impressed with the idea of going to a car size vehicle, yet I had to be frugal <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">with</span> what a chose. I needed better gas mileage and lower payments (which would include a rollover from the fact I was upside down on my truck). I would have loved to get another Jeep Cherokee. Or to look at Toyota 4Runners. But... they were out of my price range. The <a href="http://www.fordvehicles.com/suvs/escape/">Ford Escape</a> seemed to fit my needs. It's like a mini Explorer. The only downside I see is the limited leg room in the backseat, but really -- what do I care, I don't ride back there! ;) And the big pluses? Lower payments, lower insurance, and better gas mileage means I'm saving a little bit in three areas, making a much happier bank account! ;) So, meet my new Escape:<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457468619739094546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVdcUG9wonMr3YtG5lcd6Iemv5oux8deYoCtxhol42p_7HrWa21OaQcQGcRbXGV_5c9PcNpmm4hJ1yx7hZFGJmehKNZ6yegtNqd6qEBb3QYynqHrNV3C1y7X0qJWWk8pmpMRvnl63BGAPB/s320/escape.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
<strong>~ <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">VBS</span> planning and Summer planning begins ~</strong><br />
Yes, you read that correctly. Year number 3 of directing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">VBS</span> is upon me. I'll be working with the youth pastor on the 5<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">th</span> and 6<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">th</span> grade program this year. Last year, we split those kids off from the younger kids giving them a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">VBS</span> that fit their age a bit better. It went really well last year, so we're doing it again! I co-directed with my friend Kim last year and she is staying on to direct with the children's pastor over the younger group. So <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">VBS</span> planning is about to be in full swing. Elsewhere this summer, I plan on an Omaha trip which will include a quick weekend in Missouri to meet with the other two <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">LaF</span> board members. The Omaha trip will probably be a short one, (hopefully at least 2 weeks though) at the end of June, and then it will be back to the heat of Texas to hopefully pack, pack, pack!<br />
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And I think that wraps up the most excitement around here. I shall try to update more often. perhaps an entire year won't pass by this time before I venture into a blog post. Considering this is a marathon post and if you've made it this far, I am seriously impressed! :)Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-52838674960992831922009-04-06T22:43:00.002-05:002010-04-14T10:39:51.498-05:00what i've been up to.to my, <span style="font-style: italic;">ahem</span>, roaring crowd of 2... a little update. this may be a long post about a lot of little nothings.<br />
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march brought a lot of busy weekends. the first weekend brought <em>reverb</em>. i've been working with the high school youth quite a bit -- mainly just going to <strong>prime time</strong>, the sunday night worship and group study. <span style="font-style: italic;">kim, do you remember spiritfest at graceview?</span> that was pretty much what reverb was. the students stayed in homes of tbc families in small groups. they were divided by their age/grade levels (junior high through high school) and each group had two college students (that drove home from their college lives to spend the entire weekend doing reverb). on friday night, we had a concert with <a href="http://gatlinelms.com/">gatlin elms</a>. throughout the weekend, our speaker brandon, led 4 sessions with the kids. the rest of the weekend, gatlin elms led worship. the in between time was filled with food, bowling, and hanging out. we had about 60 kids, i think. it was a huge success all around. tons of work went into and the kids had a blast.<br />
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i did a lot of group driving, working in the kitchen, and trying to catch the sessions and worship time. my group to drive had cassidy as their college leader. it was neat to hang out with her a bit and watch her interact with her girls. she's a pretty amazing girl.<br />
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a few photos (click on them to make them larger)...<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Bo06fwBItpdFlVWUV830NCeTnfhWF10N5D2cQzPViYPMTkYyO4pvDjF7o8T-F-cV2m3VNks3Wq3jddEXBzEdK0p8ha-a0uuC5Id4GEM6J_QmCMwdK3oH6ok_6DBvSd9hx3Hx7L-nPijf/s1600-h/reverb+01.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321779105644790594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Bo06fwBItpdFlVWUV830NCeTnfhWF10N5D2cQzPViYPMTkYyO4pvDjF7o8T-F-cV2m3VNks3Wq3jddEXBzEdK0p8ha-a0uuC5Id4GEM6J_QmCMwdK3oH6ok_6DBvSd9hx3Hx7L-nPijf/s320/reverb+01.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 213px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">shaun kicking off friday night.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFynm9kJ0Rbqq60C7cGqmMyyfk841sKrUNwoz6g8ObXJOfLh51M5Vf-vtI8JGEBJNQshjNatTD7PAfi8Y3v1Zz4KnrFBALsqF8xdVnqah4159-n2tjnDzazfHBU3AkwyBoZvxbfOM9hr5O/s1600-h/reverb+04.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321779694563735266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFynm9kJ0Rbqq60C7cGqmMyyfk841sKrUNwoz6g8ObXJOfLh51M5Vf-vtI8JGEBJNQshjNatTD7PAfi8Y3v1Zz4KnrFBALsqF8xdVnqah4159-n2tjnDzazfHBU3AkwyBoZvxbfOM9hr5O/s320/reverb+04.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 213px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">gatlin elms concert.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-81yKmNKB1CQXDKRCGGJma0ZPa7zAOSZrD-57Wn59HRW_p4UKOTeOfLBFMiuA3-pUWI9nUeJPlyocpnFS_WeRlhSGHU0gbhh6c_CHGHtSVgP6IVsfaBfOCytw5EWRxCyk8NpfGWiytdF/s1600-h/reverb+09.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321779530023197602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-81yKmNKB1CQXDKRCGGJma0ZPa7zAOSZrD-57Wn59HRW_p4UKOTeOfLBFMiuA3-pUWI9nUeJPlyocpnFS_WeRlhSGHU0gbhh6c_CHGHtSVgP6IVsfaBfOCytw5EWRxCyk8NpfGWiytdF/s320/reverb+09.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 213px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">the speaker, brandon.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXz_i9GZINwlRVnNQQyEiQA4br1ilNvTRGSzXJL2l7tgCyg0PAdxF3Kmn3OfSIuQpv-lOenfoNgc-fVceDKLtH7Dnlwu_OSA0xtSWiM9H4qji2GHIe-wutIV1iNwJlQgYUlnoXYtc0rxMz/s1600-h/reverb+11.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321779910288910434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXz_i9GZINwlRVnNQQyEiQA4br1ilNvTRGSzXJL2l7tgCyg0PAdxF3Kmn3OfSIuQpv-lOenfoNgc-fVceDKLtH7Dnlwu_OSA0xtSWiM9H4qji2GHIe-wutIV1iNwJlQgYUlnoXYtc0rxMz/s320/reverb+11.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">a few of the 7th and 8th grade girls i drove around<br />
with cassidy and samantha.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGvqF6sKNysjgw-gaFIxtFOJriUizyIRurHbql6NmuolZtVDSeK1WIOkSKjg_MGZRiBnCowZ6byCSgCaqDUiQoM0luoLSTGaUs-Jld2U1RPzl9sDCISvPO22FSBCO_9pD6RZQieiBHNoXA/s1600-h/reverb+06.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321780357805811298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGvqF6sKNysjgw-gaFIxtFOJriUizyIRurHbql6NmuolZtVDSeK1WIOkSKjg_MGZRiBnCowZ6byCSgCaqDUiQoM0luoLSTGaUs-Jld2U1RPzl9sDCISvPO22FSBCO_9pD6RZQieiBHNoXA/s320/reverb+06.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 213px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">worship with gatlin elms.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiecTHlwFk4IHLUBUHwQbRLpg2uufg2c15bsIO5dUH5IMPQ4sy_DuyapZp7bpTZPhr0yMHfpLlVtSnp8nFM2lrjjwZFSlBEHLBfv924q-xn2FssixJx7LLhtSrdVPs2_OMAGNoqFOEnHDLb/s1600-h/reverb+41.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321780564422901954" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiecTHlwFk4IHLUBUHwQbRLpg2uufg2c15bsIO5dUH5IMPQ4sy_DuyapZp7bpTZPhr0yMHfpLlVtSnp8nFM2lrjjwZFSlBEHLBfv924q-xn2FssixJx7LLhtSrdVPs2_OMAGNoqFOEnHDLb/s320/reverb+41.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 180px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">the group.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjewhUIpNmcQ7-U57f8nYxo7xZzOwNxM5vpMkXoZIkRCfi4Zsfc6kvrTsGkkjfs0-LjBWxL91nCT9BTkZ4ecaJnyI840lAOwlf0eo0LY2C2JZiGRmsulcjKqfI3cpofLfgevVefzpgg4blo/s1600-h/reverb+42.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321780740856696898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjewhUIpNmcQ7-U57f8nYxo7xZzOwNxM5vpMkXoZIkRCfi4Zsfc6kvrTsGkkjfs0-LjBWxL91nCT9BTkZ4ecaJnyI840lAOwlf0eo0LY2C2JZiGRmsulcjKqfI3cpofLfgevVefzpgg4blo/s320/reverb+42.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 256px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">the college students, our leaders.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cz4e2T5kcpNr2qieKvC7bK43trmEqSsVLtOcj4d-MT3fg5rw_Q7y4xELwmvZf6IsxrzxdFT-fDfAKoXsTP5rZZ2P8uXkV7aazenoVW8ZgqyXkGkpqOsXRKGuTuDQ51YwQbYRsDeJ0PqE/s1600-h/reverb+44.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321781033545565362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cz4e2T5kcpNr2qieKvC7bK43trmEqSsVLtOcj4d-MT3fg5rw_Q7y4xELwmvZf6IsxrzxdFT-fDfAKoXsTP5rZZ2P8uXkV7aazenoVW8ZgqyXkGkpqOsXRKGuTuDQ51YwQbYRsDeJ0PqE/s320/reverb+44.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 213px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">the, <span style="font-size: 85%;">ahem</span>, adults...</span></div></div><div></div><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">all the photos from reverb are courtesy of dee. i wish i was half the photographer she is!</span><br />
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<div></div>the next week was spring break. pretty uneventful, since it rained for over half of the week. <em>sigh</em>. klein isd took a week earlier for spring break than most of the area school districts. the following week was, of course, beautiful weather... on monday, before the rain started, i got to head downtown and hang out with jamie and her boys for the whole day! we had a fun day eating at <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.lupetortilla.com/">lupe tortilla</a> (yum!!) and a quick target trip. i also got to hit up <a href="http://www.oldtownspring.com/">old town spring</a> with a friend on tuesday. i hadn't been there in years, so it was fun to wander around and do a little shopping... and of course, eat at the infamous <a href="http://www.wunschebroscafe.com/">wunsche bros cafe</a>.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrhLrHtUDLybt-5bk888fuFmy7ac7L8p1OnoARqZr739vvrv-P3yoZg7HTXQ4F5lS1L0Al7Sa67HKan5jL2QXJpnVE7rzHtS-DLjwwOgYdL4wIIlIskmtTbMKe0C3GAcYJuIrpCIy0RgQ/s1600-h/IMG_0013.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321783902660843122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrhLrHtUDLybt-5bk888fuFmy7ac7L8p1OnoARqZr739vvrv-P3yoZg7HTXQ4F5lS1L0Al7Sa67HKan5jL2QXJpnVE7rzHtS-DLjwwOgYdL4wIIlIskmtTbMKe0C3GAcYJuIrpCIy0RgQ/s320/IMG_0013.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">the bell boys.</span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidYZfuCVXRLMl4wX9hpiejFPmBSenwxu2Mq3mkVlBVNr5WqOwkuJgMlseKmbHA-1SnXIw5nA4gwenxsMwiEYuffWurpuIjkg0dsPmyOJGB9q2OZGmqdQfVpzcre2FyCNIawoffyoFzDy0S/s1600-h/IMG_0026.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321783084337753490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidYZfuCVXRLMl4wX9hpiejFPmBSenwxu2Mq3mkVlBVNr5WqOwkuJgMlseKmbHA-1SnXIw5nA4gwenxsMwiEYuffWurpuIjkg0dsPmyOJGB9q2OZGmqdQfVpzcre2FyCNIawoffyoFzDy0S/s320/IMG_0026.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /></a> <br />
<div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">jamie and i.</span></div><br />
<div>i went camping the third weekend in march at <a href="http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/inks/">inks lake state park</a>. amanda invited me to go with a group that her cousin had pulled together. it was a fun weekend. but, wow, was it cold friday night. and the ground was hard. i think i got my fill of camping for awhile! ;) we visited <a href="http://www.longhorncaverns.com/">longhorn caverns</a> on saturday afternoon. i hadn't gone on a cavern tour since years ago, when my family went to <a href="http://www.americascave.com/">meramac caverns</a> when we lived in missouri. so, it was a lot of fun to walk through them and hear the history behind the caverns. sunday afternoon, amanda and i stopped to take pictures in the bluebonnets near <a href="http://www.chappellhilltx.com/">chappell hill</a>. that was fun... i'd never really done that before!</div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GxRb8TSdOOB99fmMiNSH39ITjIKWufdIPAm-kmaAb3wu61-ixgBbMM-2_KyndVkP143IelyoJpgWnzumAo7H_e6yVlvGKIyoV9tlZMTJwgRvFxlfv_1Adt9-jPeFGWZNh-gfz_DP23gD/s1600-h/100.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321784759296936930" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GxRb8TSdOOB99fmMiNSH39ITjIKWufdIPAm-kmaAb3wu61-ixgBbMM-2_KyndVkP143IelyoJpgWnzumAo7H_e6yVlvGKIyoV9tlZMTJwgRvFxlfv_1Adt9-jPeFGWZNh-gfz_DP23gD/s320/100.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 147px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqn732buvinhECZulrJ0Dq9BfZ-tMGWb0aYvW1wqoja7KFs0Xsro5gH54XLb9Aj2KpoblKZaW6TET19MooLmfSC1Ch1UoBmRk_qqCN345jNS-Qe_ccKal7tKh6DrHOMQGNOPE2PScotBfZ/s1600-h/IMG_0078.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321785611355238354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqn732buvinhECZulrJ0Dq9BfZ-tMGWb0aYvW1wqoja7KFs0Xsro5gH54XLb9Aj2KpoblKZaW6TET19MooLmfSC1Ch1UoBmRk_qqCN345jNS-Qe_ccKal7tKh6DrHOMQGNOPE2PScotBfZ/s320/IMG_0078.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">a partial photo of the field we stopped in.<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">oh, alright... the ditch on the side of the highway.</span></span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNHdYZ3siCP-qGCvAhPaAbDY72D7Ut96EJG8FNaNJalC-D7Xey1YYi_PgspmMiP5ws6IQbz1czU_tIGaIz8hbncHVDL0-faHGmQbeOufMdokc9etOOC8SLMw5Kc-gvTd7Plz_ShW_XqtFl/s1600-h/IMG_0075.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321785953730103250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNHdYZ3siCP-qGCvAhPaAbDY72D7Ut96EJG8FNaNJalC-D7Xey1YYi_PgspmMiP5ws6IQbz1czU_tIGaIz8hbncHVDL0-faHGmQbeOufMdokc9etOOC8SLMw5Kc-gvTd7Plz_ShW_XqtFl/s320/IMG_0075.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">indian paintbrushes and bluebonnets.<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">shhhhh... i actually like the indian paintbrushes better.</span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;">but don't tell my texas friends...</span></span></div><div></div><br />
finally, march wrapped up with the tbc ladies retreat. i had been working on the planning committee since january, so it was nice for it to finally be here and see our work come to fruition. it was a fun weekend, with lots of laughing, eating, and bit of shopping. and of course a speaker and worship. our retreat has been at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_Top,_Texas">round top</a> for the past few years. we schedule it during <a href="http://www.roundtop.com/antique1.htm">round top weekend</a> (which has turned into round top week <em>or more</em>, i think), so we get to head out for antique and junk shopping on saturday afternoon. there are tents upon tents upon tents of junk and vintage and antiques. i love sifting through that stuff. no good buys, this year though. i go with the wrong group to do the real digging for good stuff. i swore last year and i'm swearing again this year -- <em>and i mean it this time</em> ;) -- i'm switching shopping groups. :) <br />
<div></div><br />
<div>whew. march was busy! april is uneventful, so far. or so says my calendar. right now, the event to look forward to is flying to omaha in july to visit <a href="http://ourfamilychatterjournal.blogspot.com/">teri rae and her family</a> for two weeks!! :) of course, that's after vbs in june... i'm directing again this year with my friend, kim. i'm sure things are about to pick up in that planning area real soon. we've been doing a little planning and recruiting... but it's time to hit the ground running on that!</div>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-7287367687232180232009-03-07T01:10:00.002-06:002009-03-12T07:08:44.975-06:00what i'm loving...<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://messythrillinglife.blogspot.com/">My Messy, Thrilling Life</a>. Brin at Freeman House writes a really great blog. Those of you that follow Pioneer Woman and MckMama will find that<span style="font-style: italic;"> same little something</span> over at Freeman House. But, she is closing her blog on her 30<sup>th</sup> birthday next month. I am <span style="font-style: italic;">incredibly bummed</span>, because I just discovered her a couple months ago! I’m busy trying to read her archives and I’m finding some really great words of wisdom and some yummy recipes buried there. I’ll be sad when I can no longer check in on her blog… She really is an inspiration on so many levels.</p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Greek yogurt. Yum. My favorite right now is <a href="http://www.greekgodsyogurt.com/html/yhoney.php">Greek Gods Honey</a>. Greek Gods has other flavors… but I love the honey flavor too much to stray. Plus, I have this thing against Pomegranate potpourri (<span style="font-style: italic;">it’s stinks, okay?</span>) and it’s all I can think about when I see the carton of yogurt. I’m not a fan of figs… so, the fig flavor is lost on me, as well. But, the honey… Yum. It’s just a distinct hint of honey flavor behind the yogurt. And I love the firm, creamy texture Greek yogurt has as opposed to the thinner versions.</p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://www.wickedstitchdesigns.com/med_sqflap_mess_cb.htm">This Wicked Stitch Designs camera bag</a>. I'm really in love with this bag. This bag company is pretty darn cool with some great bag designs... but the best part is that you get to pick the fabrics you want used in your custom bag! But, I would <span style="font-style: italic;">lovelovelove</span> to have <a href="http://www.wickedstitchdesigns.com/med_sqflap_mess_cb_allviews.htm">this exact bag</a>.</p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Redeeming-Love-Francine-Rivers/dp/1576738167"><span style="font-style: italic;">Redeeming Love</span> by Francine Rivers</a>. I read this book quite awhile ago, but it's been on my mind lately. I think I need to pick it up again and reread it. Unfortunately, I lent it out and I'm pretty certain I'll never see it again... but that's another story. Anyway, I'm usually much more into crime and political dramas and suspense books. But this book... <span style="font-style: italic;">oh, this book</span>. It's the retelling of the story of Hosea (yes, <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> Hosea, from the Bible). It takes place in the Gold Rush of 1850 where a kind farmer marries a prostitute. An unlikely relationship becomes a story of love, trust, and hope. The story is also a reminder of God's unconditional love for us. hmmmm... looks like Amazon has a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1576738167/ref=dp_olp_3">few used copies</a> for about 3 bucks. <span style="font-style: italic;">Time to order a new copy</span>.</p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><center><a href="http://www.wildolivetees.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Wild Olive Tees" src="http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd214/millers97/wild%20olive%20images/wildolivebutton.png" /></a></center></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://wildolivetees.sslpowered.com/Pages/site_template.html">wild Olive tees</a>. Very cool Christian tees! A little bit funky, a little bit classy, and an awesome message. Plus, 10% of the profit from each tee goes to non profit organizations and charities. Currently, they are spotlighting <a href="http://members.shaohannahshope.org/site/PageServer">Shaohannah's Hope</a>. I'm loving the "<a href="https://wildolivetees.sslpowered.com/Pages/rooted.html">rooted</a>" tee...<br /></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-49766288997816076482008-12-30T14:34:00.013-06:002008-12-30T15:23:58.779-06:00Crested Butte Ski Trip<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj81YdV37GYVtM6k_uAeJ94qdg4gwdtMeXMXsFadoIS4hAK7uKL3IDXdse1A1Kv3bQtts4b-uT-I1DfNfbQnQQEStzoXPx_QZj1SRImb5MrP6mIthZK05t8VPeu7s9fuILMD41DyIS_yTKa/s1600-h/1221081409.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj81YdV37GYVtM6k_uAeJ94qdg4gwdtMeXMXsFadoIS4hAK7uKL3IDXdse1A1Kv3bQtts4b-uT-I1DfNfbQnQQEStzoXPx_QZj1SRImb5MrP6mIthZK05t8VPeu7s9fuILMD41DyIS_yTKa/s320/1221081409.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285692245702666226" border="0" /></a>So, as I mentioned in an earlier post... I went as a leader to <a href="http://www.skicb.com/">Crested Butte</a> with the TBC youth. What a fun time! It was great getting to know Shaun and Abby (our youth pastor and his wife) and Guy (another adult leader) better. It was a whirlwind trip, but full of memories. Of course, I'm sure the most memorable is the <span style="font-style: italic;">missing van keys</span>. But, I'll get to that in a moment. We started out Friday night, so that we could drive straight through the night (hoping the kids would be less restless and would sleep -- in other words... leave the drivers alone. ha) We had an uneventful drive up until we got to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_Pass">Monarch Pass</a>. It was a bit of a tense drive going over. But, we made it just fine. Here's a photo from my passenger seat (I drove the dead-of-night-middle-of-nowhere-Amarillo-to-Raton portion). The van/trailer in front of us is Shaun, Abby, and several kids:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS7cumNc3U97p4xqDjJB2eZNCMNBaig-LTd3GzkLR0dhFkBginIpvUfCZwBR_qXHselr6kXXbS8RicCZnuSfHiSom5mYO2yr-3lyfzdmGzrcpHlQ9OhIV27MidimJkL8pHfu_jVaHT1yF4/s1600-h/1220081144.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS7cumNc3U97p4xqDjJB2eZNCMNBaig-LTd3GzkLR0dhFkBginIpvUfCZwBR_qXHselr6kXXbS8RicCZnuSfHiSom5mYO2yr-3lyfzdmGzrcpHlQ9OhIV27MidimJkL8pHfu_jVaHT1yF4/s320/1220081144.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285692121543757186" border="0" /></a>Once we arrived in Crested Butte, it was time to grocery shop. Note to self -- Do not grocery shop after a 20+ hour drive with 18 teens. Talk about delirious decision making. The remainder of our time was spent skiing (well, for some!), playing Catch Phrase in a huge circle, cooking and eating, and hanging out. I did attempt to ski, but between my ineptitude and a so-so instructor, I was doomed. Someday I may try again. But, the second day of skiing of was a great day for the skiiers (lots of powder), so I chose not to weigh down any of our team with a crappy skier. :) Instead, I hung out around the lodge, drank overpriced coffee, and went down to the town to browse the cute little shopping district:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmRZSVZndanbmqRggd0lPQhJSY9o0swoo6eCcptOpdWCrehM1AkrMZwY9jrAEdsNGI_j_-QhCmOythyphenhyphenEqpke3rdJlZS1j-UKs5rOs8RuQ6Qwb0RiC64WYYrLFhg44jcpUVfxWG7gp5Y27/s1600-h/1222080947.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmRZSVZndanbmqRggd0lPQhJSY9o0swoo6eCcptOpdWCrehM1AkrMZwY9jrAEdsNGI_j_-QhCmOythyphenhyphenEqpke3rdJlZS1j-UKs5rOs8RuQ6Qwb0RiC64WYYrLFhg44jcpUVfxWG7gp5Y27/s320/1222080947.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285692372378980354" border="0" /></a>The day of our departure promised a storm in the afternoon. So, Shaun and the rest of us leaders decided leaving first thing Tuesday morning was wise (the kids were supposed to get in a half day skiing). So we start the packing up process with a departure time of 10:30. About 9 am, one of the girls asks for the van keys. Shaun can't find them. We do a little searching. Still no keys. More searching. No keys. Turn the couch cushions and Shaun's room upside down. NO KEYS. Okay, time a for leader meeting. Start looking at contingency plans which range from the ridiculous to the plausible to the most inconvenient. At one point, we think we've found them in the console of the (locked) van. Call a locksmith. Turn out to be Shaun's Xterra keys. Tear the van apart. No keys. We've moved on to just laughing at this point. What else are we going to do? The locksmith turns out to be our saving grace. He moves mountains for us to get things moving in the middle of the day, the day before Christmas Eve, in a small town. After many many phone calls with the rental company, the locksmith, the Gunnison (nearby town at the bottom of Mt. Crested Butte) Chevy dealership, and others, we find out we can indeed get a new key made. So starts the shuffling of kids down the mountain. I sit with a group at the Gunnison McDonalds, Abby sits with a group at the condo while Guy drives back and forth getting us all down. Shaun goes with the towed van to get our keys remade. After an hour or so at the McDonalds, Shaun calls me -- we have a key, he's on the way, Guy is bringing in the last of the kids, and we have a full <span style="font-style: italic;">ten minutes</span> to get on the road before we lose daylight mid drive and therefore don't want to risk Monarch Pass. By the grace of God, we make it safely and we are officially on our way. At the time we originally planned to leave before our early departure decision was made.<br /><br />We had some amazing kids on this trip. Such a fun group and also well-mannered. They were great at offering to help cook or clean up. Always remembered to say thank you to Abby and I after we cooked for them. And we also got a few compliments on a well behaved group from various locals. Including at the McDonalds where I contained half of them for over an hour during the van madness.<br /><br />We pulled in to TBC right on time and I rushed home to do laundry and start the second part of my Christmas vacation... Omaha! The rest of the Ski Trip photos (nothing real exciting and all from my camera phone, but pretty nonetheless) can be found in <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/album.php?aid=2147314&id=34414981">my Facebook album</a>.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-22053889292156001672008-12-11T21:21:00.006-06:002008-12-11T21:44:18.381-06:00MckMama's Rebel for a Cause<center> <a href="http://mycharmingkids.net/"> </a><br /><a href="http://mycharmingkids.net/"> <img src="http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r208/jennisajoy/BLOG%20DESIGN/ONCEUPONABLOG/RebelForACause.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://mycharmingkids.net/"> </a></center><br />I just donated a small amount to <a href="http://www.mycharmingkids.net/">MckMama</a>'s raffle-way, Rebel for a Cause. She has teamed up to create an AMAZING giveaway based on raffle tickets sold to donate money to three incredible ministries. MckMama has blessed me so much on her blog and in her story of her sweet baby Stellan and the miracle that God performed in her womb. And in her incredible sweet way, she has created a way for her blog readers to recieve something while supporting these awesome ministries. I would be totally blown away if I won this incredible Canon package; but more than anything, I just wanted to be a part of this in some little way. And, yes, my donation was very small. But, one thing that I have learned while raising money for missions trips... God takes a small amount and simply multiplies it. There is no other way to explain it. It <span style="font-style: italic;">just multiplies</span>. Like the fish and the loaves of bread. <span style="font-style: italic;">So, God, multiply my donation and send it on it's way to bless many hearts.</span>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-1769702221033100912008-12-10T22:32:00.011-06:002008-12-10T23:20:23.222-06:00Home for the Holidays at TBCThis past weekend our church did a huge event called Home for the Holidays. It was actually a two day event filled with all sorts of fun! We started out Saturday morning with a luncheon and tea for the ladies. We had somewhere around 25 tables set up. A different woman (or sometimes two) in the church was responsible for decorating and hosting each table. I shared a table with our music pastor's wife, Amanda. I had a lot of fun getting to know her a little bit better while we were setting up the table and then on throughout the morning. Here's a photo of our finished table with our combined decorating items, skills, and ideas. (Excuse the bad and uncreative photography, I just couldn't get a good angle and finally quit trying. ha.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivGUiwzccdQcO9foo1lr9NS0sbaY1nWjhH7d9dMUe7FRQEblNB7zNdxAgKKORYkwNwh36NfsvUzsaHrbRCdyJhegwZ73SUh4StkL44niYt8wAeV0IJ-jATQH7nUEf-juAf3Ooq6j7SLjmj/s1600-h/IMG_0036.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivGUiwzccdQcO9foo1lr9NS0sbaY1nWjhH7d9dMUe7FRQEblNB7zNdxAgKKORYkwNwh36NfsvUzsaHrbRCdyJhegwZ73SUh4StkL44niYt8wAeV0IJ-jATQH7nUEf-juAf3Ooq6j7SLjmj/s320/IMG_0036.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278388091370433970" border="0" /></a>We were entertained by a thought provoking skit and had a wonderful message by one of our ladies. We also got to sing a little Christmas music. Finally, we had a wonderful lunch catered by <a href="http://melscountrycafe.com/">Mel's</a>. There were so many fun tables to look at, too. Ours was by far the most simple table, but I think it still looked classy and we did get several comments on it.<br /><br />Sunday night was the BIG NIGHT. It began with a performance by our children's choir, Awaken. They did a fun little musical... It really was precious. Then we all moved outside. We had three bands come in for concerts. <a href="http://www.lindseykaneministries.org/">Lindsey Kane</a> is just the neatest girl ever! We (the ladies' ministry at TBC) met her at our retreat this past March when she came in as our speaker and worship leader for the weekend. She just fits so well at TBC and we all wish she would move to Tomball. :) Only if she brings Jenny, her percussionist, with her, though! We love her, too.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTzOePEvCqrb_t0YJQDE8mvyON2K-CrPDwJhhDLyH-KkpHp1HmLvQ8xdwl-83qoZvvPKjXWBUquLVT5rTF3wRQp6Uq-y5MPhb0U5PBAcKut6ULkjbkqOUk_FTdkGqoqqP-mwVU3lrxw1WW/s1600-h/IMG_0058.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTzOePEvCqrb_t0YJQDE8mvyON2K-CrPDwJhhDLyH-KkpHp1HmLvQ8xdwl-83qoZvvPKjXWBUquLVT5rTF3wRQp6Uq-y5MPhb0U5PBAcKut6ULkjbkqOUk_FTdkGqoqqP-mwVU3lrxw1WW/s320/IMG_0058.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278394183699513682" border="0" /></a><br />Next up was <a href="http://www.myspace.com/gatlinelms">Gatlin Elms</a>. TBC has a strong connection to this band as well. One of the guys is one of our very own TBCers. I had never heard the guys live before and they really were fantastic!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqWR7cMdjaulDemkHdIusUWluUNpTv33UCjV2Jh6uM3yQZC4UpqLbbM4PQB78D84tpYBE5tBKuSAXHZ80y08ke5qAUozvy1V-sNoG9TBZEJkkKUJVRnu6meDMkiglYvvdOv4WnBSH4jdKZ/s1600-h/IMG_0075.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqWR7cMdjaulDemkHdIusUWluUNpTv33UCjV2Jh6uM3yQZC4UpqLbbM4PQB78D84tpYBE5tBKuSAXHZ80y08ke5qAUozvy1V-sNoG9TBZEJkkKUJVRnu6meDMkiglYvvdOv4WnBSH4jdKZ/s320/IMG_0075.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278394678538430242" border="0" /></a><br />Our headline band was the <a href="http://www.robbieseayband.com/default-new.aspx?source=splash">Robbie Seay Band</a>. These Houston guys are really making a strong statement in the Christian music industry. It was quite cool to see them live, also.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1hznBKLplvyzUp5z6rs3ZkjaIP_YRTzjLRNeFjSojktCniFRN7KG9rbJGY0KOEVANrwlRSBtn-YEnZnvCOwnjH40ggFuACBre56aR55Jlm6R5HbRX6yPcqe8AaYwTGy6piE-JznfvjkK/s1600-h/IMG_0110.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1hznBKLplvyzUp5z6rs3ZkjaIP_YRTzjLRNeFjSojktCniFRN7KG9rbJGY0KOEVANrwlRSBtn-YEnZnvCOwnjH40ggFuACBre56aR55Jlm6R5HbRX6yPcqe8AaYwTGy6piE-JznfvjkK/s320/IMG_0110.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278395196821632306" border="0" /></a><br />Amidst all the live music we had a live nativity, Santa on Candy Cane Lane, food, hot chocolate, wassail, and lots of fun! It was a huge success, especially for a first year event. We've already started talking about "next year".<br /><br />And with the end of that, I can breathe normally for a few days. Until it's time to pack and leave for the ski trip. And then on to Omaha! Stay tuned for those updates. I'm sure I'll have some good stories and photos.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-60288109968540211102008-11-22T17:06:00.003-06:002008-11-22T17:24:53.637-06:00i must be crazy.Just sign me up for the insane asylum, because I just cemented my craziness. In the matter of 3 days, I booked my Christmas vacation solid. SOLID. Let me start at the beginning...<br /><br />I've been keeping an eye on plane tickets to Omaha, Nebraska since about April of this year. I didn't have specific date to fly, but I knew I wanted to go see <a href="http://ourfamilychatterjournal.blogspot.com/">my cousin</a>. Well, the summer went by and there were no good deals. I looked a bit for a long weekend during the school year... nothing. Until I put in a search for tickets on Christmas day. I found an awesome deal! So, in the matter of few short hours I made plans and booked my ticket for December 25th through January 1st!! So exciting!<br /><br />Then... I get a phone call from our youth pastor Friday evening. He needs another chaperone / relief driver for the <a href="http://www.skidaddy.com/tomballbible/">high school ski trip</a>. Free ski trip? Um, yes please. So, now I'm leaving on December 19th at 5 pm (um, did I mention I get off work at 4 pm on the 19th?) and driving to <a href="http://www.skidaddy.com/tomballbible/mountain.aspx">Crested Butte, Colorado</a>! We come back at 2 pm on the 24th (please God, don't let us be late!). I'm pretty excited about the trip! I've never skied in my life (please God, don't let me break anything!) and don't own a single ski item. I've got some borrowing prospects that should work out really well. My goal is to not purchase much besides socks and other personal stuff... Because remember that Omaha trip? I need a winter coat for that! I live in Texas. I use heavy sweaters and sweatshirts for a "winter coat".<br /><br />By the time I get back, I'll have a whole three days before I go back to work! I think I may be sleeping those three days... ;)Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-51847263985798704312008-11-07T17:56:00.003-06:002008-11-07T18:05:59.690-06:00prayer alarmsi'm really horrible at remembering things. i just made a commitment to pray for <a href="http://thompsonsjourney.blogspot.com/2008/11/court-on-monday.html">courtney and her family monday morning</a>, as they face another morning of unknowns with maggie's adoption. but, like i said... i'll probably forget all about it until i read her update on her blog. so, i'm setting the calendar on my phone with an "event" at 9:30 am to pray for them. i keep my phone on silent at work, but it lights up when i get a text or an event reminder, so i usually catch the message on time. i've found this works great for praying at a specific time for a certain issue or just things that i need to make a note to myself about. sure beats writing it on the sticky note that i will inevitably lose!!Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-60499505572372642342008-11-05T17:54:00.004-06:002008-11-05T18:00:09.516-06:00after the rantafter i've wallowed in my attitude since about 8:30 last night and posted my rant below. i read <a href="http://www.informz.net/pfm/archives/archive_680951.html">this article</a> recommended by my pastor. it makes me feel better than i have all day. go read the whole article. but this is my favorite part:<br /><blockquote>"So this is no time for Christians to go into the bunkers. No time to wail or moan over our retirement plans. This is a time to repent, to pray more, to give more. It’s a time for Christians to lead, encourage, and minister to a faltering country in a faltering economy.<br /><br />This is a time for the Church to get serious about Christian discipleship. Enough cheap grace."</blockquote><br />oh and read my post below. it was therapeutic writing it and i'd hate for it go unread! ;)Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-35773046764346143482008-11-05T17:35:00.005-06:002008-11-10T10:48:34.182-06:00the day aftersomeone asked me today how i felt about the election results. well, here's how i feel.<br /><br />i was very sad, disappointed, and angry this morning. this is beyond being bummed that my party "lost" last night. i am deeply concerned for the future of this country. just as adamantly as obama supporters believe that good change is coming, some of us believe that change is indeed coming -- but it won't be good<br /><br />i was not completely enthralled by mccain. i had issues with him as well. but, obama's politics are way beyond what i can support. this feeling i have has <em>absolutely nothing</em> to do with the color of his skin, his birthplace (wherever that is), or his lack of experience. my concern has everything to do with what he has promised to do and his voting record.<br /><br />i already donate money to charities and causes that i deem appropriate for my bank account and my beliefs and my wishes. i do not appreciate the suggestion of higher taxes that will force my money to go to programs that i do not agree with or to people who do not work to their full capacity.<br /><br />i believe obama has marxist tendencies and mccain should have hit hard on that.<br /><br />my feelings also have everything to do with the people he may very well be placing in his cabinet, in the supreme court, and/or in other prominent positions and what their political history is. i have seen and heard the histories of the men and women that obama has surrounded himself with. many of them scare me. and i see these as being very viable prospects for obama to chose from.<br /><br />i agree that america is in a hard time. our economic crisis is a huge worry. i am not discounting this problem. but, i don't believe the answer lies in electing a president that is so ill-informed and inexperienced. yes, i believe in the checks and balances of our government. but, both our house and senate are now majority democratic. it will be even harder for the republican minority to make a dent.<br /><br />after 9/11, anne graham lotz (billy graham's daughter) was asked about how God could allow something like 9/11 to happen. she replied:<br /><br /><br /><blockquote>"I say God is also angry when he sees something like this. I would say also for several years now Americans in a sense have shaken their fist at God and said, God, we want you out of our schools, our government, our business, we want you out of our marketplace. And God, who is a gentleman, has just quietly backed out of our national and political life, our public life. Removing his hand of blessing and protection. We need to turn to God first of all and say, God, we're sorry we have treated you this way and we invite you now to come into our national life. We put our trust in you. We have our trust in God on our coins, we need to practice it."</blockquote><br />well, i just wonder if that's not what's happening now. however, i still believe, that ultimately God is in control. He feels our hurt and anger right now. He has a plan. and He will be vindicated.<br /><br />it's now time to rebuild the republican party and take it back to the days of ronald reagan. that is what we need now.<br /><br />having said all that. congratulations to those of you who are overjoyed and excited about obama's election. i truly hope and sincerely pray that the next 4 years are not as dicey as some are projecting. i don't want to see terrorism on our doorstep again or out of control taxes. what's done is done. all we can do now is hope for the best.<br /><br />so, here's to drinking the kool aid america. i hope we're ready for this ride.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-5005977728925043622008-10-31T15:45:00.002-06:002008-10-31T15:55:05.940-06:00dear mr. obamathis is a really powerful video that has been circulating the internet and youtube for a few months. today, it made front page news on the fox news website. i have a couple friends that are posting it on their blogs as well. from my understanding (and that understanding includes men i have known directly involved in the iraqi war), the majority of the soldiers feel that the war has done good. and if we were to pull out now we would undo everything. this video is one soldier's opinion. it's a shame our mainstream liberal media can't find more of these soldiers, rather than the ones that are disgruntled. not that i am downplaying the tragedies of war. but, i am saying that our media finds the worst of the worst stories and refuse to balance it out with the good ones. anyway, i'll quit rambling (for now) and post the video.<br /><br /><c> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TG4fe9GlWS8&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TG4fe9GlWS8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> <c>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-25416762073057700462008-10-20T14:35:00.002-05:002008-10-20T14:46:14.876-05:00pick a chef 2008<c><img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/PACfall08partic.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /> <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/IWasAdoptedfall08.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /><c><br /><br />as many of you know (i think), i have several of my recipes posted on <a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/">recipezaar</a>. i mainly post them out there for easy access. when someone asks for a recipe, it's easy to direct them there. the ones posted are ones that i get requests for quite often. or ones that are a little different and not already on recipezaar. i do like to be the different one, you know. ;) last spring, i was "adopted" in the pick a chef event. a fellow recipezaar-ite chose three of my recipes to make, photograph, and then review. i was pleased to get such high comments from her that this year i decided to "adopt" myself. i made four recipes, but my by far favorite was the <a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/298164">creme brulee</a>. it's not quite as good as i've had in restuarants, but pretty darn close. and it was very easy to make. i was also "adopted" this year and once again my recipes were given high praise! pretty cool, eh? you can check out the rest of <a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes.php?chef=505183">my recipes here</a>.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-76398654569006306472008-10-18T08:21:00.003-05:002008-10-18T08:25:03.238-05:00vintage aprons<a href="http://anapronaday.blogspot.com/"> <center><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3040/2885521533_6a205e800d_o.jpg" /></center></a><br /><br />i just found this fun blog. i love vintage aprons! i'm just always too cheap to buy them. but this fun little contest could make me the winner of one! i guess you can go enter, too. just try not to hurt my chances too much. :) enter <a href="http://anapronaday.blogspot.com/2008/10/weekly-apron-giveaway_18.html">here</a>.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-12422257040382948902008-10-07T22:24:00.005-05:002008-10-07T22:50:50.820-05:00lauren's weddingi had the honor of attending <a href="http://www.laurenandrussell.weddingwindow.com/index.cfm?fa=welcome">lauren and russell's wedding</a> this past weekend. liz and i have been friends since 5th grade. life often takes us down different paths and puts different people in our lives, but we are always in the background of each other. there are so many sweet memories of our friendship. and hilarious memories. and wild memories. and... well, you get the point. :)<br /><br />i was so excited to get to see her family, as well. the boys (andy and john) are all grown up. and while i have semi kept up with them through the world of myspace and a random target run-in a couple years ago -- it was amazing to see them as young men. and so tall. i mean seriously. TALL. and lauren's mom, susan, looked incredible. she was so beautiful in her gold outfit, beaming in joy for lauren and russell.<br /><br />the wedding was in dallas at <a href="http://64.143.20.141/index.htm">arlington hall at lee park</a>. wow. was this place ever amazing?! the chandeliers, the decor, the history -- the entire place was beautiful and exquisite. the ceremony was outside and then we all went across the path to arlington hall for dinner.<br /><br />i drug amanda with me for the weekend. i needed someone to do my make up. ;) seriously, it was fun to get away for a couple days and just hang out. and besides, i needed someone to get lost with me every time we ventured out (stupid google maps and construction!). our hotel was really nice and we slept like queens in the fluffy beds. on sunday, we dropped in on the state fair on a whim. it was fun to walk around, but it was pretty hot and we were tired. so, we didn't last long, especially since the entertainment didn't start for a couple more hours and we had a long drive ahead of us. and besides, like <a href="http://web.mac.com/thebakkfamily/iWeb/TheBakkFamily.com/Ellie%27s%20Blog/83D28D37-3AE8-474C-B0B6-31CB1229C546.html">ellie posted</a> -- it's all about the people watching anyway! ha.<br /><br />so, here is a sample of my favorite photos. go check out the rest of them <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2136230&l=d31ee&id=34414981">here</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl78-BhqV-5soLf5RZk8thmRVmBXfrUNMN6Ixo9J1vGxoCyrv4u2TAK9B8YOjFXrN8qZEIuR9VDJfxfVEpmACA7kypeblM808Dx0yxzY49fon9zH99BudvjZoPyXZWZ8cZ_WiGSOTfQvAU/s1600-h/collage.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl78-BhqV-5soLf5RZk8thmRVmBXfrUNMN6Ixo9J1vGxoCyrv4u2TAK9B8YOjFXrN8qZEIuR9VDJfxfVEpmACA7kypeblM808Dx0yxzY49fon9zH99BudvjZoPyXZWZ8cZ_WiGSOTfQvAU/s320/collage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254624773144665362" border="0" /></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-31859153793429154382008-10-02T19:34:00.004-05:002008-10-02T19:57:08.637-05:00my mosaicthis was so fun! here's the rules:<br /><p face="georgia" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Answer the following 12 questions about yourself:<br />1. What is your first name?<br />2. What is your favorite food?<br />3. What high school did you attend?<br />4. What is your favorite color?<br />5. Who is your celebrity crush?<br />6. Favorite drink?<br />7. Dream vacation?<br />8. Favorite dessert?<br />9. What do you want to be when you grow up?<br />10. What do you love most in life?<br />11. One word to describe you?<br />12. Your Flickr name?<br />Type your answer to each of the above questions into <a href="http://www.flickr.com/" target="_blank"><u>Flickr</u></a>’s search. Using only the images that appear on the first page, choose your favorite and copy and paste each of the URL’s into the<b> </b><a href="http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/mosaic.php" target="_blank"><u>Mosaic Maker</u></a> (3 columns, 4 rows)… Enjoy!</p><p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">mosiac maker is a cool website that lets you take photos from a flickr account or your computer and build them into a mosaic in a variety of sizes. you don't have to sign up to use the free service, just build your mosiac then save it to your computer.<br /></span></p><p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">here are my answers:</p><p style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">1. kelly<br />2. chips and salsa<br />3. tomball high school (i cheated on this one, went to page 2 because page 1 was mostly a kid's senior pictures)<br />4. black<br />5. wentworth miller (sigh)<br />6. coffee<br />7. italy<br />8. creme brulee<br />9. world traveler<br />10. friends<br />11. ecelectic<br />12. mcmullen (i cheated again. i don't have a flickr account, so i just used my last name. close enough, right?)</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk-eygKM7LXgFrRqdvxfnUh4cR7e3D-Np8sqBcb-6xcWFvoBYkAxVpaQi_dK5v9e5qYW3Ip6onb1EqyzVkQRhBHBYYBMpFy01bh7tAd7dpVfnRoIEDe5SfrOfao74AMHXuQZtQp91_eXCi/s1600-h/mosaic2782763.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk-eygKM7LXgFrRqdvxfnUh4cR7e3D-Np8sqBcb-6xcWFvoBYkAxVpaQi_dK5v9e5qYW3Ip6onb1EqyzVkQRhBHBYYBMpFy01bh7tAd7dpVfnRoIEDe5SfrOfao74AMHXuQZtQp91_eXCi/s400/mosaic2782763.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252720835661980978" border="0" /></a><br /><br />and the photo credits... you can click on the link to see the full photo, and if you're really curious, why it showed up in the search for my answer.<br />1. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/prozac74/184936863/">The "R.Kelly"- Song...</a>, 2. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aloalosabine/2477749601/">homemade fresh tomato salsa & guacomole</a>, 3. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/miss_jackie_2006/1772066765/">the Stage</a>, 4. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/205407028/">Aurorus Reflectus Colosseo</a>, 5. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/legallush/299673769/">299496522_fffb454ec4_b</a>, 6. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ippy_ippy/1120056965/">coffee & the city</a>, 7. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bcnbits/134741553/">Venice</a>, 8. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mg02/502362281/">crème brûlée</a>, 9. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/blogrodent/2291857857/">World Traveler</a>, 10. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mojo74/1182205597/">Friends silhouetted</a>, 11. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/miarossy/560438123/">Vienna - Hundertwasser Haus</a>, 12. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/99491151@N00/2766624565/">McMullen County Line Sign (McMullen County, Texas)</a><br /><br />ok, now it's YOUR turn. and leave me a comment if you accept the challenge, so that i can come see them!Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-61300397316918417602008-09-23T09:45:00.004-05:002008-09-23T09:56:54.900-05:00autumn<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizc-wqS43raoXQEIe3lKLKbCA4QEU76IfAikHGyhCZJRP0iR9yd6kICAaVlpV5BovWUZnfDTSxU3gFNGvqg3zxfQgytJktPN4tuJk1bqQ4m6MnS1lBCfq4Tzsp3Yq41TcNtl8ksjUMiyLQ/s1600-h/pumpkins+on+farm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124725350909362978" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizc-wqS43raoXQEIe3lKLKbCA4QEU76IfAikHGyhCZJRP0iR9yd6kICAaVlpV5BovWUZnfDTSxU3gFNGvqg3zxfQgytJktPN4tuJk1bqQ4m6MnS1lBCfq4Tzsp3Yq41TcNtl8ksjUMiyLQ/s320/pumpkins+on+farm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />yep, this is totally <a href="http://kmcmullen.blogspot.com/2007/10/i-love-autumn_23.html">my post</a> from last october. but i was reminded of it after reading <a href="http://thequeenb.typepad.com/the_queen_b/2008/09/20-little-thing.html">queen b</a><a href="http://thequeenb.typepad.com/the_queen_b/2008/09/20-little-thing.html">'s</a> (one of the blogs i unashamedly stalk) post today. and i just want to add starbucks pumpkin spice lattes to this list. it's a major oversight that it didn't make it on the list last year. what was i thinking?! i guess it's a little early to be dreaming of autumn, since the texas weather didn't get the memo on the first day of the fall solstice. but, a girl can dream. anyway, without further ado... my love affair with autumn.<br /><br /><div><div>i. love. autumn.<br /><br />i love...<br /></div><ul><li>pumpkins and gourds</li><li>leaves turning vibrant shades of amazing colors (well, not in texas, but i can still visualize this from when i lived up north)</li><li>indian corn</li><li>cooler weather -- those beautiful crisp days when the sun is shining brightly and the sky is so blue without a cloud in sight</li><li>yummy soups and sandwiches</li><li>thanksgiving day!</li><li>cozy fireplaces (okay, once again, notsomuch in texas...)</li><li>the scent of wood fires burning</li><li>hay mazes</li><li>warm, yummy cider</li><li>fall festivals and craft shows</li><li>the colors -- orange, yellow, gold, brown, red all melded together to create a kaleidoscope of fantastic proportions.</li></ul></div>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-46608461107083535972008-09-19T20:52:00.002-05:002008-09-19T21:11:33.906-05:00getting back to "normal"today i had to finish (okay, start) preparing for jamie's shower. so i ran around the woodlands and tomball checking with <a href="http://www.lamadeleine.com/">la madeleine</a> (i'm hosting it in their back room), gathering materials and a gift. things are starting to come back to normal. though, there were several places still closed because they have no power. and there are a lot of down power lines and trees, pretty much everywhere i went.<br /><br />klein isd is still closed. most campuses reopen wednesday, except for those without power. well, hildebrandt is without power still. i've heard two conditions for those buildings (seeing as how my administration hasn't contacted me yet, i'm going on rumors). some say we will return 24 hours after power is restored and some say 48 hours after. but, they do have to have time to check the buildings and restore food service after power is up.<br /><br />interesting thing i overheard at target today. as i'm shopping for jamie's gift, i overhear a woman on a cell phone. the cell phone is an important observation. she's also shopping at target -- there were items in her cart. as she's doing all this, she's complaining to the person on the other end of the line about how FEMA has been removing the POD locations. really? you're talking on your <span style="font-style: italic;">cell phone</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">shopping</span> at target while whining how your free food, water, and ice is disappearing?! amazing. now, believe me, we (as in my family) were <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> prepared the way we should have been for hurricane ike. we lost everything in 2 refridgerators and 1.5 freezers. everything. we did have plenty of water and food (maybe not what we wanted to eat, but it was food). ice is a whole other story. we needed ice badly and it was very scarce. we rationed our driving so that we didn't need fuel as much as usual. there are ways to survive without FEMA. especially in our area of houston suburbs. and that's all i'm saying. it just takes some responsiblity and maturity. and if FEMA is your only chance of survival through this... accept it graciously and get on your feet as quickly as possible. and don't whine on your cell phone while shopping about the unfairness of the POD moving on.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-26897057229142580412008-09-18T17:50:00.004-05:002008-09-18T20:51:27.574-05:00hmmm...as i catch up with my blog reading, i saw <a href="http://girltalk.blogs.com/girltalk/2008/09/with-our-prayer.html">this post</a> from last friday. i think it's still a fitting reminder.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-37387098710233986092008-09-18T17:50:00.002-05:002008-09-18T18:08:19.930-05:00we have power!!so, after 131 hours without power -- we got it back today!! we are very excited.<br /><br />we are also very, very grateful to our wonderful neighbors. after 3 full days of yard work on our part, we were still looking at the majority of 2 trees in the front yard and 3 trees in the back yard. then this morning... one of our neighbors showed up. about an hour later, another couple across the street showed up. we cleaned the front yard of ALL tree debris and got most of the backyard done. the tractor needs a new tube in the tire, though, so it's currently out of commission. the stuff left in the backyard needs to be pushed around with the tractor... so... we're done for the day.<br /><br />i've uploaded more photos to the facebook album. check them out <a href="http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2134165&l=11d2a&id=34414981">here</a>!Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-88989052304398934852008-09-17T11:32:00.005-05:002008-09-17T12:01:45.275-05:00oops...so... i just realized that it is wednesday, not tuesday. so, that means... we've been without power for 103 hours. i thought my first estimate seemed not as long as it felt!!<br /><br />and, i posted a few photos on facebook with captions. you can see them <a href="http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2134165&l=11d2a&id=34414981">here</a>, even if you don't have facebook. (click on the photos for the captions...)Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-13506792388159055752008-09-17T06:46:00.003-05:002008-09-17T07:23:28.384-05:00another day...i'm still alive despite the lack of electricity and running water. let me just say it's been 76 hours since we've had power (and will probably be longer). just throwing that out there. ;)<br /><br />klein isd (and most other districts) have pushed their start date to monday. i found out that hildebrandt (my building) has sustained a good amount of damage. the covered walkway outside my side of the building is torn up. the roof caved in over one of the computer labs on the other side of the building from me. and the roof leaked pretty badly in the main hallway; so that carpet is probably ruined.<br /><br />we spent the day yesterday working in the yard. we didn't get very far. there's a lot to clean and, of course, we had problems along the way. one of which was a malfunction of the generator. it blew up our directv receiver. yea.<br /><br />i went to amanda's to take a shower and use her internet last night. and then i managed to talk her into going to la hacienda for dinner. there was a 20 minute wait! and then the kitchen closed at 8. it's so weird to have a curfew imposed by the counties. i believe 10 pm is the general rule. but one of the main underlying meaning behind many of the city and county officials' decisions -- let's not be like new orleans was in the hurricane katrina aftermath. so far, we've done well. hopefully, we've died down in the national news a bit as well.<br /><br />today is more fun in the yard (i'm ready to go back to work instead of this! ha).<br /><br />i'm off to town to get fuel and non-perishables at the store. pray for me. ha. this could be a whole other adventure to post when i get home. or whenever i get internet next...Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5250419804176312194.post-40970314947039358942008-09-16T06:51:00.000-05:002008-09-16T06:52:33.592-05:00hurricane ike part threei'm really not sure why i started this running timeline of hurricane ike. probably out of sheer boredom sunday evening. but, now that i'm online for a few minutes, i'll post it here for posterity. i'll split the timeline by each day and post them seperately. i started with friday evening / saturday, so keep scrolling until you find part one.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monday, 6 am</span><br />Dad leaves to pick up the tractor from Trinity. I go back to sleep; it is too dark to do anything anyway. Our water is completely gone. Not even a trickle when you turn the faucet.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8 am</span><br />It’s a beautiful day. Thank goodness for nice weather during these days without power. Hear on the radio that one particular power company will be down for a minimum of 3 weeks as they have to rebuild their plant (or something). Gee… I hope that isn’t the one that supplies our company.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9 am</span><br />It’s time to face the refrigerator... Nothing is remotely cold anymore. We fill up about 5 trash bags from 2 refrigerators and freezers (keep in mind they are not full bags, otherwise they would be too heavy). We do find a handful of salvageable items. Half frozen tamales cooked on the grill becomes our lunch later on.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 pm</span><br />Dad has brought back a generator from a welding machine. It takes a little while to get it running, but finally we are able to plug in one refrigerator, run the septic system, and charge cell phones. Unfortunately, we were unable to save anything in our deep freezers. We’ll let those refreeze once we have power and throw the contents out later. Trash pickup is tomorrow and the load is already heavy without those bags.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5 pm</span><br />Find out we are among 5,972 other households in our zip code without power. That puts us in the group of lower outages than most zip codes. Not sure if that’s good or bad. However, it does confirm that we are NOT on the power company grid that is rebuilding. Hallelujah!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5:30 pm</span><br />Got to watch a little of the news while the generator ran. Lots of devastation all around us. We’ve also realized that the phone line is out – so no internet access, despite the generator! Talked to my grandma in Chester. Just as the news yesterday suggested, Ike visited them in the form of thunderstorms and power outages Sunday. Of course, all of their power has been restored.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6 pm</span><br />Dad brought Arby’s home for supper!! Definitely a highlight of the past couple days.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825795475591332059noreply@blogger.com0