This morning...



We have picnics every week. We thought for sure this week we'd have to eat inside. Too cold. Too icy. Too much.

This is us at noon.

The sun was shining.

The weather, warm.

It happens every week. Our lunch days are always sunny.


knock on wood.

*knock*
*knock*

I love lunch.

Tomatoes.
Cucumbers.
Anne's homemade dressing.

Brain food-- yepyep. I'm hoping that the mixture does some kind of karate chop kick to my noggin because this week and the next need to be focused and creative.

focused enough to create :)

That's right... it's deadline time again! Let the interviews begin!

Look what I learned to do!

Found a fun Web site. It's for wee ones, but... they have "Wacky Web Tales."

You give a few adjetives, verbs and proper nouns, and you get a tale






All who think this is really fun say "aye."

*AYE*

Party people,

I am sitting at Sweet E's with my dear friend, Kate. She's diligently fighting writing two essays to gain admission into seminary. I'm preparing to delve into a light-hearted true tale about students. I have high hopes that it be entertaining.

But first, hello.

Hello from this Sunday, Jan. 11, 2009.
A day that can't be repeated.
A day that should be remembered.
Here's what I'm seeing.
*a bearded red-head snoozing on a blue couch. He reminds me of a friend named John--and though he's not wearing them now, I have a feeling he rocks suspenders often. He was reading a book. I don't know what it's called. The spine and cover are resting on his crossed and reclining legs. I think he's been here a while: his iced drink has no ice.
*sitting snuggley close under a black-and-white painting of Darth Vader is a couple reading A Purpose Driven Life aloud.They go back and forth from book to a laptop the young man has on his lap.
*behind me is another couple working on a shared laptop. They're speaking another language. I'm not sure what it is. For sure not Spanish. For sure not French. Maaaaybe Arabic?
*the sound of scraping chairs makes this place seem active, though everyone around me is either sleeping or working.
*conversations can't be separated, not even the one in another language. It's all a murmur.
*The coffee in my mug was steaming 10 min ago, but is now the perfect temperature.

I think I shall drink it.

this makes me so happy :)

Richard Schickel - "Memory is the personal journalism of the soul."

In 2008...

I was blessed with roommates for the first time in two years! I love them both immensely. Alicia, Anne and I were in a Bible study together at my apartment over at Meadow Oaks over the summer. Anne was thinking about moving, and I think I pursued her pretty heavily to be my roomie :)Anne and I will forever celebrate anything by holding hands, jumping in a circle and screaming at the top of our lungs. And my AliciaBoo-- I had never met Alicia, but now just a few short months later we've bonded through oven fires, Twilight peeks, Fightin' Texas Aggie anything and hopefully lots more midnight trips to Sonic. She's my very favorite A.P. '08.





(photos by Bud)
In 2008, baby Grace was born! A few weeks after the prettypea was born, Edith, Megan, Bud and I went on a road trip to hold her. With breakfast burritos in the back seat and the sunrise telling us the day had begun, we took off. Between the four of us, I think we shared the baby well. The next day, my arm was sore from holding the baby... sweet burn :)

In 2008...



I bought a house :) Yep! I sure did! I'm sitting in it right now... on the couch... with a dismembered Christmas tree to my right. It was just a few months ago--July-- when MawMaw, PawPaw, Janelle, Langeston and Mom, Dad, and SNJII sat in this empty living room, on dirty carpet and prayed over the little hut. It was just after I signed my initials on perhaps 300 pages of legal documents, making 3709 mine. Tam came to town that same week. My sweetsweetsweet 1/2 of a best friend painted almost every single wall in this place. I can see her in the walls :). I can see my parents in the walls, too. They took off an entire week to help me move in and get to feeling homey. The biggest reminder though is I can see my Savior in the walls. It's absolutely nuts how perfect the house worked out. I got out of my apartment lease early. It's three doors down from family. My old running trails are to the left; my church is to the right. It's plumb perfect.

In 2008, I had some of the best weekends of my life in San Marcos with my pallypal Katherine. She's a good 'un... and she's mine (though I realize she's other people's too). Also traveling... I went to Denver to see my K!!!! I got to see where she lives and partake in her generosity :) Aaaah! I had so much fun in that Denver town. In a couple of months, I get to go back for the homegirl's nuptials!!!!

In 2008, Jesus has swooped and freed me from ugly, nasty stuff in my life. Like, how it's not meant to be X. Like how life is meant to be lived with Him. Like how discipline and freedom mix to make the sweetest, shiniest, multi-colored fireworks show around. Ah, how I wish this computer's USB port could fit on my heart. It could be so much clearer... but alas.

In 2008, I was part of the ingaural launch of some cool stuff going on at work. I love my work, and I love the people there. In 2008, I bunkered down for a lame-o College Station Ike-hit. It wasn't so lame elsewhere; we were blessed.

In '08, I explored a nuclear reactor. I started hanging out with middle schoolers on Wednesday. 2008 was the start of my second year in BSF. I went to my second ever gala and wore the same dress as I did to the first! In 2008, Meg and Bud got married :) I started guitar lessons... started dance lessons... started Spanish class... HAHAHA, and I didn't stick by any of them.

But, that's OK... because in 2008, I learned that my real hobby is people. So, here's to people and here's to the other adventures in 2008 I didn't mention and here's to 2009!

Here!
Here!
Here!