setting up my phone, progress on the office :-)

Today I paged my secretary in my office while sitting in a meeting with another 'professional' in my field and asked her to please bring some information to my office.
I FEEL SO GROWN UP!!!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!
I mean, I have my own EXTENSION on the OFFICE PHONE!!!!
Yes I am being ridiculous. Have we met? Its the little things in life.
 And I made progress in clearing out more stuff. Muahahahaha! Another small victory. I have realized if you celebrate the small good things, the huge stressful things are not so huge. So I'm trying to remember to do that; to celebrate the ordinary.

 And that seems silly or childish or eccentric or ridiculous to some, and thats okay. Those people are usually more stressed out in life than I want to be. I'm working in a field God prepared for me and me for, but its a huge need and therefore got lots of challenges, baggage, politics and spiritual battles. So anyway. All that to say don't judge me while I have my little party about setting up my phone. And tomorrow I get to set up my own official voice mail! I kind of want to text some people to call me tomorrow just so I'll have some fun voice mails on there... teehee.
I've also discovered I have a gift for finding awesome crafts for kids to do; which gives me an outlet for my creative genius. :-) SOOOO happy. New excuses to dash over to Hobby Lobby! Yaay!

nap time

On the seventh day God rested.
Why do I continuously think that I don't need what God Himself decided to partake of?
The end of August and beginning of September has been wonderful but ridiculously busy. New life changes, adjustments, new coworkers, new job/church/ministry/lifestyle. For the first time ever, I've undertaken carving out a home in this crazy world. And I like it. My boyfriend likes it. My guests like it. My friends of facebook 'like' it, or at least the album of pictures of it (yes that pun was intended). It does look like a grandma's house; the furniture is all wood and there are lace curtains and tablecloths, and my Queen Anne chairs are a soft pink. But I still love it. And it was inexpensive! lol.
My Sunday school teachers so far have loved every idea I've come up with but one, and I am building good relationships in the office of the church I'm working in. I've gone nuts with entertaining and had at least one couple/family over per week that I've been here if not more and fed them good food and gotten lots of compliments on my cooking and decor :-) Its jacked my grocery bill but right now I can afford it and I love being able to finally entertain. I'm slowly discovering more and more missions majors and friends who have graduated Boyce who are still in the area and gotten lots of invitations to come have tea and catch up with friends who have gotten married and expecting or already had babies.
Aaaaand I'm tired.
This week has been the least busy so far, and I think its all catching up to me finally. I don't want it to though; I wish my energy would never run out. But Kyle and I ran some errands today and after the last one I was so tired my eyes started closing by themselves so he told me to put the seat back and lay down for our half hour ride back to the house. So I did and that was the beginning of about a two-hour nap. And I'm still sleepy. Thbbth.
The nice thing is I don't have anything on docket for tomorrow as far as going anywhere or seeing anyone. I do have to teach Sunday school to the older kids and am also doing the first Children's Church this Sunday as well. So at some point I need to put together lessons for those. I really would like to donate all existing material, literature, and curriculum this church has as its all old and out of date and just buy new stuff. But World War Three will ensue if I do that, so I must bide my time and strategize and be patient. 
And I've started laying seeds amongst the powers that be that the kids NEED their own Sunday school room! Kyle did point out that they haven't had their own Sunday School room in this church for about twenty years, so if I don't get it done this month or this year its not the end of the world. I don't think its the end of the world, its just I have cool ideas that I can't do unless we have our own room! And I just don't like the fact that the daycare has taken over the entire children's ministry area and now if Sunday Morning or Wednesday night kids ministry wants to do anything we have to make sure it doesn't conflict with anything the daycare does. Well... in my humble opinion that is not so humble, a church's priority ought to be the kids ministry not the daycare. But that's just me. So anyway.
I know things will naturally progress into a routine, but I wish it would hurry up and i would figure everything out! I need to get this job sorted and settled so I can get a second job to have some cash flow, and I'd also like to not be so exhausted all the time so that I could get back to needlepoint and painting and doing that sort of creative stuffs that is relaxing and satisfying to me.
Sooo stuff is going good but hectic :-)
Nap time is glorious thing!
~PrincessOuch~

curtains finish a room

 Jaci Velasquez was my hero when I was growing up. I remember in an interview she told someone that her favorite thing in life was her new house in Nashville, TN. The main reason? "Its mine. I picked out everything in it." At the time it made NO sense to me. Now it makes PERFECT sense!

 I have been accused of having an 'old lady house,' in that I have antique lamps, there are lace curtains hanging in the windows, and all of my furniture is wood or has wood on it. Max said, 'Yeah it may look like Grandma's house. But everyone LIKES coming to Grandma's house! Its homey!' And besides, vintage is in, right?

 Except for my bathroom. I have a dolphin bathroom. My parents sent me some of the many boxes I have in their attic. I'm trying to get them from there to here but its a slow process. But in the boxes they sent this last time were childhood treasures. My dolphin collection I'd been adding to since I was a wee lass in California up to a teenager was washed and framed and placed in little nooks and gives the bathroom such a fun, young, unique look. My outlet for my deep love of the sea. I love my bathroom! All the plants in it are real too. :-D It is amazing though how relaxing the wood and soft colors are. Its even more amazing how something so simple as hanging curtains changes the look of the room and gives it so much more of a finished feel. Its so nice to have my own PLACE. If I want to hang a picture on this part of the wall, I can. And do. If I'm not sure what to do with it, I can wait. And do. If I want to leave dishes in the sink overnight, I can. And do. If I want my kitchen to be spotless, however, I can clean it knowing it will STAY CLEAN until I mess it up again. It is so refreshing!!!!

 I've had a TON of company over, too. Its nice to be able to have friends come over and make them feel relaxed and feed them good food and then enjoy laughter for hours afterwards. I love entertaining people! Good food on good dishes with good company = a wonderful night to me. It gives both them and me a break from the stresses of our new found adulthood. I know this is the Ministry God has called me to for now at this church for this time, but I also feel a sense of God's calling when showing friends hospitality. The cool thing about my curtains for the living room and my bedroom is that I saw them at the free store on seminary campus while still a student and thought I would save them for when I had my own place. They fit the windows PERFECTLY! I told Gail, 'God picked out my curtains for me!!" The same with the bathroom; Max was browsing a second hand store and saw it. It was just one panel, but he thought it would match my bathroom and it does PERFECTLY!!! So God picked out my curtains!!!! I am so blessed. It is truly the little things in life :-) There have been plenty of bumps in the road on this new journey and season; I've already shed some tears of frustration and overwhelmed-ness, but still overall am just sooooooo blessed. :-)

Getting into the groove... I think

Movie: Ironwill. Will is a teenager getting ready to compete in a cross-country dog sled race, and the local Native Americans are helping him learn how to survive not only the wild, but the wild men he will be interacting with. "How do I know who to trust?" he finally asks. "Trust the dogs. Trust yourself." the old chief tells him.
Except I don't have any dogs, I just have a FISH!!!! At least dogs are fluffy and look at you with big understanding eyes. Fish just glub at you! lol
No its cool its just a little overwhelming, because almost every time I've met a new person in this church for longer than five seconds, they are pulling me into a hallway giving me some 'helpful information' i.e. pushing their agenda. Aaaaaand it kinda sucks because they seem so NICE at first and then its like, aHA, so THATS your angle!!!
But the youth pastor did pull me aside and said, "there's a psalm, I think its Psalm 2, where it says 'the nations cry out.' The context is that a new king has just taken power, which means there is a power vacuum. A new king means new policies, he's a new personalities, no one knows what to expect, everyone is vying for power trying to push their own agenda. I just want to encourage you that David survived, so will you. I forgot how frustrating it was moving into a new ministry till I saw your face last night and then it all came back to me. Don't worry, you'll learn the names and faces and politics of this church. Don't be discouraged.As much as everyone wants to tell you what THEY think ought to happen, God didn't call them to this position He called YOU and this is YOUR ministry right now. If they wanted it that bad they could of applied for it but they didn't. So just remember that. God called you here. You've got muscle so don't worry to do what you need to do."
And I had a meeting with one of the elders of my previous church as a last 'hurrah' before moving membership. He asked lots of questions and best way to describe the church I'm in now is  that its a country church with inner-city dynamics. Brother Andy, the elder, is in his 60's, has a Ph.D. in Josephus or some ancient historian like that, and told me today he has worked with drug addicts and homeless people for several years. 'Listen to people, hear what they have to say, and learn to use phrases that buy you time so you can consider what they are really saying underneath the words they think you want to hear. Trust your gut. Find outside sources you can trust to bounce ideas off of and for objective opinions."So I think today was God saying, 'breathe Rachel its okay."
I've never been part of any church for more than a couple of years at a time. The longest was probably the First Church of the Nazarene in New Mexico, and it was kind of chopped up as we went to another church for a while as well. But all that time, Baptists were kind of the special cousin in Christendom that we were just so glad we weren't part of. I've heard of scary tiny southern baptist churches, and now I am not only part of one but a leader in one! And its exciting but somewhat terrifying.
At first I was like, "I'm gonna grow this ministry and it will be awesome!" Which I still hope for, but I guess I'm tempered down a little to, 'I want this to work for several years. And I want this ministry to grow. But if all I do is make an eternal difference in the lives of the ten kids that are in the ministry now, that's more than enough for me right there.'
In other news, worked in what will be my office but is currently the 'children's ministry resource center,' a.k.a the dump spot for anyone who gets a good deal on crayons. Or the place where all the cardboard backs to pads of paper end up (instead of the trash can!!!) just in case they might be needed for a craft. The secretary and the pastor want to leave all that stuff in there after it becomes my office, and the youth pastor said "Oooooh no. They tried to do that to my office and then its not an office its your desk and phone in the supply closet. MOVE IT. Do not budge on that!"  Which quite frankly there are enough unused classrooms that there is plenty of space for the two bookshelves to go besides my office. Speaking of which,
I HAVE AN OFFICE!!!
I have absolutely no office furniture to put in there as of yet. But I have decided that I am going to have a cool office. I don't know what exactly that means yet, but... anyway :-)
Going to meet the WMU ladies tomorrow morning and work a banquet back on campus for some pocket change ;-)
Enough for now. Going to bed :-)
~Princess Ouch~

update

I realized the other day that I hadn't posted anything since May (hey that rhymed!) and a lot has happened since then.
 I'll confess I felt a little lost after graduation. My boyfriend was awesome at bearing with me through my mood swings of feeling completely carefree and liberated to raw panic and desperation of 'what do I do next?!'
He is very good at finding the balance of listening while I vent, offering sage advice, holding me and encouraging me, and finally just distracting me from whatever crisis (perceived or real) I'm currently reeling from by just going out and doing something fun.

]So for example we went to Mammoth cave, and we bee-bopped around visiting friends and family. Its been good to be able to keep in touch with so many different people. We had dinner with my good friends Sam and Svitlana Gantt. Kyle's met them but never for very long, so this was the first time for all of us to hang out. We had a blast, which was awesome because it was one of the first times for him to have a really good time hanging out with friends of mine from the Seminary. He's hung out with friends of mine from Boyce, but not the Seminary. So this was good on a lot of different levels.

I've also been able to see family a whole lot more this summer which has been GREAT! And my grandpa and I danced together at a friend's wedding anniversary. That was one of my most favorite memories of this summer, and maybe of this year. Yes, including Graduation. :-)

AAAAAND I have a job offer!!! To work as a Children's minister at a small church on the outskirts of Louisville. Its nothing glamorous but it has a LOT of potential and a lot of what they are looking for and open to are direct answers to prayer. Kyle and I visited a church and were visiting with the pastor afterwards who made an offhand comment about the need in the church. I said I was looking for job/ministry opportunities and the pastor said to send him my resume. I got it to him the next day and by the end of the week he was calling a committee in the church to consider me for the new Children's minister!!!!

 Its not final yet so prayers are still appreciated. But it is looking very positive!!!! So thats been a huge relief but also somewhat intimidating. I've never done anything on this kind of scale, but I know that if God wants me to do it He will give me the grace and discipline to do it well!
Kyle and I have been talking on a more serious note about future plans but no dates or blings as of yet for those who are curious ;-) Belieeeeeve me, it will NOT be a secrete if/when a big question gets asked ;-)

And that is all the news I have for tonight :-)
~Princess Ouch~

Spring Break Review

My school starts early in the year but has its spring break at the same time as the county's elementary schools so that the profs can have vacation with their families. As a result, spring break started Thursday and Friday Kyle and I went to the First Friday party he has with his friends he graduated with. The drive there was lovelier than usual, as Kyle took the 'back way,' or the more windy, hilly, country-side-and-wildflower filled way, because he knows how much I love over-hill-over-dell routes :-D

The First Friday party was refreshing and fun :-) It is made up of graduates from the same Christian College Kyle went to. Several are getting their Master's degree but a couple have settled down into their jobs - such as teaching Jr. High or Spanish. Our conversations ranged from goofy to serious to ridiculous to ridiculous plans morphing into actual plans for future First Friday parties. Kyle spent the night at his friend's cabin in the woods (which could be a show-home for Bass Pro Shops or Scheels) and I spent the night at our First Friday hostess' house. She and I talked for a while after everyone else left and caught up on what was going on in each others lives. It was very encouraging without the sour aftertaste of condescension or stress of having to acknowledge each others 'council'. Simply sharing and encouraging and listening. Haaa so refreshing!

The next morning Kyle's Brazilian friend picked me up and took me to the cabin in the woods where Kyle and his host had cooked the four of us breakfast. There was bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, biscuits, coffee, and orange juice. It was delicious however I couldn't help but laugh that it was made up of three proteins and a carbohydrate. It was GOOD, but definitely man-food ;-) Really delicious man-food ;-)


Came back to the 'Ville for Easter and checked on my plants. The house plant is from my friend's mother and then I bought the two herbs - basil - while grocery shopping. I took them with me later on in the week but the one basil for whatever reason died and half of the other one died. So I went back to the grocery store at the beginning of this week and replaced the basil. I was a little disappointed, as the first one had really cool variegated leaves, but this one didn't. To make it up to myself I found lemon verbena and rosemary so bought those too. I found a bunch of pots in the basement of the house I'm renting (with 4 other girls!) and planted lavender, sweet peas, columbine, peas, cucumber and lettuce in them. The lettuce sprang up during spring break and a few of the beans have as well! Confession I am super excited. I will confess I've put lots of prayer into them that I don't kill them as the year goes on!! :-)

I spent Easter with my very dear friends Amber and Mz Pat and Mr. Dudley. This is the third year I've done so and it was lovely as always. :-) Most of the guests are related to Mz. Pat, and then there's Amber and me, and also a Ethiopian lady Mz. Pat met at a Brazilian restaurant. I pigged out on the homemade dip for the chips in the kitchen while Mz. Pat and her daughters prepared the lunch and Amber and I updated everyone on the latest drama, gossip and frustrations at school (we're terrible, cynical seniors. I hope we'll be more grateful once we graduate... but we'll see)

I thought I had a training for my new job on Monday but it turned out it wasn't until Wednesday of this week, so I picked up my plants and dirty laundry and headed south to my boyfriend's parent's house for the week of Spring Break. Its the second time I've been there this semester, so it was good to be back after so long. Glorious days of sleeping in, going to bed early, and getting homework done. Monday Kyle surprised me and took me to Natural Bridge.

We bought ski-lift tickets after Kyle gave me strict instructions that we would not be buying any of the homemade, fresh, delicious looking fudge the gift shop advertised with a vengeance. After we got to the top of the bridge he asked me if I wanted to go on the trail to the right, like everyone else, or the one to the left, which no one was on. I decided to go to the left. Well, the lady down in the gift shop told us the trail to the right took about an hour to hike on. The trail to the left however was not mentioned. Three hours later we made it back to the parking lot where the car was. :-D Oh well. We like adventures and scenic... isolated... places :-D

Tuesday Kyle, his parents and I got all dussied up and drove to Louisville to see one of my favorite music groups:

It was funny because Kyle took me there a year ago when they were in town but we weren't dating yet... so lots of 'remember when,' or 'did you ever think a year ago that...' :-D

Wednesday we drove to Nashville to pick up my car from Pap, who'd been trying to figure out why the power steering on my car was capriciously going out. He got the air conditioner fixed but apparently the part needed for the steering is not made anymore and located in an area exTREMely difficult to get to. So I'll just be building my arm muscles whenever I drive unless they find a junked car and a very adventurous mechanic ;-) I was able to get reading done for my Interpreting Wisdom Literature class :-D Kyle's parents and I went to see the high-school rendition of Grease Thursday night, and Friday Gail and I both had some kind of stomach flu. Despite this I started and finished a book and wrote a book report for my book report, and got some writing on another paper done. So all in all it was a good Spring Break :-)

I demand cheesepuffs!

Today at Friendship they were short-staffed in the nursery/daycare, so I opted to help out there instead of teaching English like I usually do.
Parenting is an art form, science, and stranger than science fiction. Okay granted it will be easier when its just one-on-one and not a flock of a dozen bi-lingual ducklings all the same age, but still.
They have free breakfast downstairs and I hadn't eaten anything, so I brought it back into the playroom with the 2-4 year olds. One little boy came and put his elbows on the table and grinned at me charmingly.
'That's mine.' he said, with all the smooths suave possible.
'Nope. It's mine.' I replied and smiled. He blinked. This was apparently not the usual response he was used to. He tried again, as maybe it was just a fluke.
'That is my food.' again, the dashing, charming smile.
'Nope. Its my food. And I am going to eat it all, and you can't have any.' I retorted politely. Yes, I was getting sadistic delight in being ornery and contrary and not having anyone quote some doctrine or theological retort followed by an exhortation for my sanctification. Unfortunately this poor kid was getting the brunt of it. However, he was not to be deterred.
'That's mine.' he said pointing at my coffee. Smart kid, willing to compromise. However, no way I'm giving a charming, calm 3 year old caffeine!
'That is my coffee. You can't have it. You can have juice, but not coffee.'
"I demand juice." a little voice chirped behind me. I turned and a tiny little girl bundled in a snow coat was looking at me with the seriousness of a United Nations Diplomat discussing human trafficking.
"You what?"
"I demand juice." she repeated.
'you demand juice?'
'Yes. I demand juice.'
Now, my friend Amber has told me about this child and her vocabulary, so I assumed it was unique to her. However, as the day progressed, either all the kids heard her and noticed the positive results, or that is just how one says it in Hindi. Or they've learned that asking doesn't yield the same results as demanding with a stone-cold face.
One little boy liked bringing me a book and having me point to the various animals, and we would say their names and the sounds that they made. Or we'd say colors and shapes. However the rest of them caught on and all would try to close the book I was reading and shove the book of their choice into my hands.
'but this mickey mouse!!' they would wheedle when I would insist that I'd finish the book on bugs before I started the book on Mickey's outdoor activities. In the midst of the girls calling for Simba and the one kid insisting that a sheep sounded like a goat throwing up, a little voice cheeped into my ear,
'Chai?' and proceeded to shove a plastic teacup into my nose.
'Oh, is this a cup of chai?'
'Yes teacher. This is chai.'
So now I was explaining that sheep 'baa' they don't "bloooeehgh,' assuring the one girl that yes we WOULD read Simba again AND I was drinking pretend chai.
"I demand this book.' the future diplomat stated again.
'Look what is with the demands?! You are in no position to demand anything.'
"I demand this book.' she repeated.
'Say please or I won't read it.'
"I demand this book please.'
'No. You say, 'will you read this book please?'
'Dis book please.'
Close enough.
Kids are smart little boogers, and the strange new word 'please' spread rather quickly. One kid went so far when I still insisted on finishing one book before starting another,
'Teacher teacher teacher pleeeeaaaase please this book please!'
Alright I've got to cave at SOME point so I gave in to this kid. But then he realized that he could now get his way and kept interrupting the books that he himself chose for a different book. Finally I said,
"Why don't you read to me?" The kid didn't have a problem with it and began pointing out animals and sounds but then discovered he didn't like this role reversal so much so went back to 'teacher teacher you please!'
Now not to get stereotypical, because I merely mean this following statement as a matter of observation and nothing more, but all these kids were from India. There were two girls from Korea who were quiet all this time until we got to snack time. Then when they wanted more cheesepuffs, but didn't want to finish their goldfish, they would tilt their head back and nod it down violently, with a firm declaration of 'PLEASE! Cheesepuffs PLEASE!' and then look at us expectantly.
'Finish your goldfish first.'
"PLEASE!" with the same violent nod, 'Cheesepuffs PLEASE!' And it was rather funny and 'polite' so we caved.
'I demand more cheesepuffs.' the diplomat tried.
'Nope. How do you ask? Ask nicely.'
'Cheesepuffs... please?' she tried with halfhearted shyness.

Well we had tamed this flock of international children, and in the nursery there were about eight babies and it sounded like all of them were crying at the same time. I was dismissed from the very rational, easy-looking 2 and 3 year olds and sent to the den of irrational and demanding creatures under the age of 2.
They were all crying but for no apparent reason.
Well, it turned out the little Asian boy wasn't used to napping without being held the entire nap (yeah there's been this thread on my Mom's homeschool board about how Asians are all 'tiger mothers' and super-disciplined and stuff. I call false on that one. This kid had to be held in the right position with his blanket just so and rocked at the right speed to lull him to sleep and then you could stop with the specifics but don't you dare put him down. Discipline? Ha!) The little girl from India wouldn't drink anything besides chocolate milk (#1, why does any child under 1 year know what chocolate milk and 2 why are we capitulating to said demands?) The others were crying for various reasons and I discovered one little girl from India hiding under a table with her eyes about as big as saucers. She eventually came out to eat some crackers, which quieted down her friend who came to steal said crackers from her.
We eventually got them all quieted down except for a few whimpers here and there.
Yeesh.
I did walk down the stairs with two of the momma's when I went to get some food earlier and they were just about wringing their hands about how painful it was to leave their small children with someone else for two hours.
'In India we don't do this. We are with them or if we must go out we leave with relatives. Never with someone we don't know.'
'Well, you gotta do what you gotta do,' I replied, 'and it is for so short a time only once a week. It is good for them to meet new people and learn to be flexible.'
'Oh yes but they cry and it hurts my heart to hear my little one cry so! I cannot bear it.'
'A good cry is good for them every now and then. Strengthens their lungs to they can breathe better and become good singers in the future. That's what my mom said anyway.'
'Ohhh... your mother is very wise... this is a good thing for us to think on. At least it may bring us some comfort in the following times when we must be parted!'

Now, I realize that I am VERY single and have no offspring of my own. I do realize this. And I realize that the momma-bear/tiger/ferocious animal/nurturing hormones and instincts don't kick in until one bears one's own posterity.
HOWEVER.
I was telling my boyfriend about this over lunch and his reply was, 'Sorry but do these mom's ever spank their kids? They sound waaay spoiled. Like, a good smack every now and then is healthy for a kid.'
No we are not advocating for abuse at all, just some common-sense discipline. Kids LAY DOWN FOR NAPS, in a BED, not your arms!
Not to bash on international mommas, because the mothers here in the states need plenty of lessons as well (i.e. if your child owns an ipod they gosh darned as well have earned that money themselves through their own sweat and occupation. Not through you giving it to them because they deserve it!!! They don't!)

Anyway. It was really fun and as you can see makes for a good story. There were a couple points where I thought I'd go mad when the one 3 year old would not stop screaming in a high-pitched dying rabbit sort of way, but other than that it was fun. :-)
However, I am looking forward to being back with the adults teaching them English and how to master the difficult 'b,' 'p' 'th' 'v' 'r' and 'l' sounds. We have mostly Asians in our class and these consonants/diphthong/sounds are especially hard for them to pronounce.

Off to clean the bathroom and study for Apologetics 3 before work.

~Princess Ouch~

Senioritis

Yesterday somewhere between 34 and 37 tornadoes touched down in my area of the world. I'll be honest, I got scared at one point. My boyfriend and I were driving to our friend's house who are older and have a basement and a great outlook on life. He had the radio on and would turn it down occasionally while his mother called with updates she was watching two hours away safe in her basement. Then the sirens started and the rain hit. And that's when minor panic set in. I didn't do anything, I just looked at Kyle with something resembling a scared rabbit look.
"Don't worry, we'll make it there in time." he said, holding my hand. I still put my head on his shoulder tho as it seemed a more safe position than sitting up ;-)
We made it to Pat & Dudley's basement and our friend Amber was already there. We squeaked in between the two massive storm systems and while we waited to make sure no more fronts were headed our way watched the devastation of the areas around us.
We were still able to go to a party that evening that some of his friend's from college were hosting. It was really fun. They all went to the same Christian college. To be honest, they make me kind of envious. They have all been out of school for about three years and still meet up every month, sharing food and stories and having fun times. They are all laid back but still trying to live the Christian life. Obviously they aren't perfect, but it was such a different feel from any of the gatherings that I've ever gone to with people from my school.
Anyway. I stayed at one of their houses and Kyle went to his buddy's cabin in the woods for the night, and then we drove back to the 'Ville this morning. I had to work and he graciously waited for me and rescued me from eating cafeteria food. Instead we went and got Cajun.
He left in the evening after we got Amber and got some Italian frozen yogurt. Mmm. They let me pick it over DQ, even though I know they preferred the pure unhealthiness of ice cream with cookies and chocolate instead of bizarre plant-flavored yogurt ;-)
Aaaand then he left and Amber is Skyping some good friends of hers and I have been trying to wade through my theology homework. I rewarded myself after each chapter I read by watching a segment of Iron Man 2, which I haven't seen yet.
I feel like such a horrible Bible College student: I hate the Theology classes. I LOVE the Bible classes, but I detest studying Theology as a formal discipline. The reading is boring and the professor I'm taking right now is ALL lecture. And its not funny engaging lecture, its like the theology book narrated type lecture. *sigh* And I ought to enjoy it. My soul should delight in such things. But honestly I'd rather read Ecclesiastes straight through five times than read a chapter of my Theology homework or have to sit in the class for another 3 hour segment. Which is all very terrible of me.
And my boyfriend and parents keeps reminding me: you are down to counting just WEEKS until graduation, just a few more WEEKS! You can make it! This too shall pass!

Yeah... and then what?
Still don't know.
I know I know. NO ONE does. But still. I went into this with a plan. All that has fizzled and I haven't any explanation for it other than, "God isn't leading me that way right now. He knows what He's doing, but He hasn't let me in on it yet."
*sigh*
So yeah.
I guess I"m about to be introduced on Skype to Amber's friend. More later.
But yeah for all those concerned, I am FINE from the Tornadoes!!!

The Zoo

My boyfriend was able to come up for Sunday and Monday. Sunday we went to the Deaf Church together and I embarrassed him when the pastor was going over a list in Ecclesiastes about earning money. "We could earn money," he signed, "or we could steal it." he was going to go on to say borrowing as well (this was not a list of stuff that he was encouraging, he was just listing options before saying the most godly option was to earn by your own sweat) when I signed, 'Careful! He's a cop!" and pointed to Kyle. The whole church erupted in laughter and lots of handcuffing signs were pointed at Kyle and whatever church members were not in favor with the person signing. It was hilarious. Then on Monday he took me to my internship luncheon. It wasn't very filling so we went to the restaurant where we went on our first 'date' before we were dating and then he took me to the Police supply store to get his Pap some boots that were on sale. He found some for me too, and now I have my first ever work boots from a police store! I'm wearing them right now and they are SOOO comfortable!

Then we went and picked up my friend Amber and went to the Zoo! We've been talking about it for months, and finally the day was fine enough we decided to do it.

Seems like every zoo I go to, there are always Peacocks running around. Is there some kind of law about that?
Comparing our hands to gorilla hands. Dey be huge, man!



There's this youtube that's gotten really popular called 'man on a buffalo.' Its these guys singing over a very corny 70's show about a man who rides a buffalo and rides around doing various heroic and hippie-esc things (like riding a buffalo for example.) There is also a statue of a buffalo in South Dakota of a buffalo that has been the prop for many pictures of me with friends and family over the years. So we decided that we just had to use the opportunity to continue with the good memories of buffalo statues, while singing, 'Man on a buffalo!"


Amber and I being Flamingo's. Pretty convincing, right?

OK so there was this old clunker van in the Africa section demonstrating what one would ride in if one went on a Safari. I told Kyle we HAD to go ride in it because it would help him get his feet wet in overseas travel and missions. He refused and I dragged and pushed him. Well, the poor man was trying to comply rather quickly and ended up bashing his head on the rim of the van door. :-((( So... this was me trying to cheer him up and him trying to look perturbed. Isn't he cute when he's steamed? :-D

Amber was a far more willing partner in crazy van photos.
It feels like pictures in front of signs marking the area one is in are a must, however there is rarely a good, natural, or fun looking photo in front of said signs. This is Kyle and I with the sun in our eyes after a VERY fun two hours at the zoo with our dear friend Amber!!!

And this is us at Logan's Roadhouse afterward. Mr. K had a gift card and I had never been to a Logans. And I keep craving steak these days. Its a very expensive craving, however I am blessed to have a boyfriend who dearly loves his steak as well. We got ours medium done and he said that it still wasn't as good as the steak I made him for his birthday :-DDDDD
And that was our day at the Zoo. :-)

Happy Valentines Day!
I had a wonderful bout with the 24-hour flu bug on Saturday, and so spent Sunday and the first part of yesterday recuperating at my friend's the Reeves house. Amber came over and made some amazing chocolate dipped strawberries for a bake sale at her church for Sunday.

I was very proud of myself for not snitching, but it was TEMPTING!


Kyle drove up on Monday and took me to Waterfront where we exchanged gifts. His was amazingly arranged and wrapped and presented with a flourish and a story.

Mine was, 'quick, close your eyes honey!" while I put it in his outstretched hands; no wrap. Ok lame but I had been sick all weekend!
I had been working on a cross-stitch for him since before Christmas: it was supposed to be his Christmas gift but I hadn't finished it in time, then it was going to be his birthday gift but it still wasn't done. I was determined to have it ready by Valentines day and got it finished literally an hour before he showed up. lol.


His gift for me was a gift basket: A Celtic grooves CD I had been wanting for some time (years, actually. I could have gotten it for myself however whenever I had spending money I never thought to actually get it), homemade goat-milk soap, lotion, and a sugar scrub (no he didn't make it himself. There is a quaint little shop in his hometown where he was able to buy it) And then there were of course chocolates, all inside a heart-shaped cardboard box with sparkly red tissue paper.


Then we went to get our very good friend Amber (read about her here). We weren't sure what her schedule was going to be, but when we picked her up we all decided that we were in the mood for lunch. Olive Garden was/is having a sweet deal of appetizer, entree and desert for $12 so we decided to go there for lunch.


Our waitress was a hoot and a half. I just snacked off of both of their actual meals as I wasn't quite ready to enter into the world of full meals yet. I did have their chicken and gnocci soup and it was A.W.E.S.O.M.E!!!
Amber had to go babysit for a few hours, so Kyle and I were able to hang out and catch up for a while :) Then Amber came back and Kyle asked if we wanted some dairy queen. While he was picking up the ice cream he picked up a bouquet of flowers and some of my favorite chocolates for the morning :-)




Amber was able to show him how to arrange them before I noticed what was up, and the next morning when he delivered breakfast for Amber and I from Panera, he also delivered the flowers, chocolate, and the cute eskimo card I posted a picture of above. :-)

So then he had breakfast with us and pumped up Amber's tire to her car which has a leak in it before seeing us on our way to class. :-)
It was his first time giving a girl Valentines day (although we did hang out last Valentine's day but weren't dating yet) and he seemed to start out nervous but he did AWESOME. As a result, he got himself one happy girlfriend... and a very happy best-friend-of-the-girlfriend as well :-)