The Nutcracker - Part 1 (1999)

Annual Outing

This weekend will be the third annual Nutcracker viewing by myself and four of my favorite ladies! Kedra and Rebecca Burris, Laura Barlow, and Melissa Wilson will come up to Indy tomorrow night to see the Nutcracker Ballet at Butler University. I ALWAYS look forward to this.

Its that time of the year!!!

I love this time of year!!! I don't think I will ever be a true 'adult' around the holidays. I still get VERY excited on Christmas morning and can't wait to open all of the presents. Especially now that Lester and I live away from home we get especially excited to see all of our family and friends. This year for Thanksgiving my Aunt, Cousins, and their family are coming home from England! I can't wait to see their little ones and hear the older one's adorable English accent~ It should be good times~

At a lady's breakfast this morning were were asked to list some of our family's holiday traditions. Mine are vague, but still traditions. On Christmas eve we would always go to the grocery (usually Walmart) and get donuts for part of our Christmas morning breakfast. Afterward, we usually found Rudolph on tv to watch. Christmas morning we weren't allowed to wake the parents up until 6:30, I think it was. So, you better believe that as soon as the clock struck 6:30 we knocked on mom and dad's door. As the camcorder rolled, we opened gifts and stockings. When we were done, we put our gifts into neat display piles for when Grandma and Grandpa came to our house to see what we got. Mom would have biscuits and gravy or breakfast casserole ready to eat when our grandparents got there. Around noon we headed down to grandma and grandpa's for my dad's side of the family Christmas and stayed there until nearly bedtime.

Anyway, I love remembering all of the stuff we do around the holidays. It definitely gives me things to look forward to!!!

Matthew 18:5

http://mowensjourney.blogspot.com/p/fundraising.html

This couple has being trying to raise money to adopt a child/ren from Ethiopia for about 10 months. I don't know them personally, but I admire their faith in God to provide the funds for the adoption. They sell t-shirts, hand stamped cards, and coffee. Anyway, I was inspired by their story and I thought you might be too!

Sniff!!!

So, this is sort of random, but my mom brought up a thought that I've had so many times. She taught Sunday school at church today and they happened to talk about what smells you associate with certain memories. Isn't it weird how that works? I am a very "smell-sensitive" person, so I have this experience frequently. One of them is when I pass an oil rig. As strange as it sounds, I had a necklace that was made of pink plastic hearts. This necklace smelled like oil. Gross? Yes, but that's what it reminds me of! Most scents remind me of people or people's houses. Sometimes I have a hard time knowing what exactly it reminds me of. So, that's really all I have to say today. It was random, but I was just thinking about how amazing it is that the brain connects everything so perfectly! Just a thought..........

GLEEN!!!

So, from the time that Lester and I have lived here at good ol' Bent Tree, we have gradually made friends with this Libyan family a few doors down. The family consists of the mom and dad (not sure of their names), Mustafah (5), Sarah (3), and ??? (1). (They always tell me their youngest sister's name, but I can't ever understand them). Anyway, last summer they would come to our patio and color without saying much, but this summer we've seen their real personalities! Every time we went to the pool, they seemed to be there as well. Mustafah would insist upon Lester doing swimming races with him. If Lester won, he would get mad and go pout! One time we watched the dad drop Sarah in the pool with no pants on to go pee!!! There are sooo many cultural differences!!!

One of our favorite things is hearing them speak. The children can speak english very well with a slight accent. Every time they say anything with the letter 'R' they replace with with an 'L'. It's very amusing to listen to for some reason. The father is extremely hard to understand but continues to speak even if he knows we aren't getting it!

We've also noticed that the father does all of the activites with the kids. Not sure if this is a cultural requirement or if the mother just prefers to get them out of their small apartment. I can see as I walk by their apartment that they have very little furniture and very little decor. The two older kids share the spare bedroom and the 1 year old sleeps with her parents. It makes me realize how lucky I am that I can afford a two bedroom apartment and there's only two of us living here!

Well, the latest Libyan fun that we've had was Thursday night. Lester was sitting outside on the patio with the screen door open and I was organizing pictures on the living room floor. I hear the kids get closer and eventually they make themselves at home. They asked us where our crayons and pictures were and for snacks and the whole bit! It cracked me up! They're lucky they're so cute... ;)

Running? REALLY?!

So, as you may know, I have really enjoyed going on walks for the last several years and have considered that my primary source of exercise. Well, (drumroll, please)......I have been running! I know it's hard to believe! I don't really even believe it! I'm not saying I'm a star-runner, by ANY means, but I am doing more running than I ever have in my life. My goal is to be able to run a mile or two without any second thoughts in any conditions or situations.

How did I start running you ask? I just decided a couple of weeks ago that I was fully capable and I needed something to boost my confidence. I am very much struggling (still) with believing that I can do it, but I try my best to be positive and so far it's working pretty well. This may seem to be a small feat, but this is something that I'm very proud of thus far! So, I had to share!!

P.S. The picture shown is of Lester's family and myself at the mini-marathon. Rebecca and I walked while the rest ran. This may have been a slight part of my motivation. Not sure...

The Paleontologist's Glue

So, Lester has been gone ALOT in the last two weeks, so this weekend it was nice to have some company around. My sister, Hannah, and her boyfriend, Zak came to stay with us Friday night. We went to Buca di Beppo's to eat some amazing Italian food. The atmosphere never fails to amaze me. Our waitress was grumpy and not amused by me joking around with her, but the pictures on the wall and the stuff hanging on the ceiling is much to be appreciated. Later, we went on to Target and a movie at home, The Book of Eli. If you haven't seen this movie, you should. It's an EXCELLENT flick. I had seen it once, but the second time around it's even better.

This morning we went to Global Gifts, which is a Fair Trade store that sells many interesting items. A lot of things are high priced, but everything is so unique and you know it all goes for a good cause. After, a short trip to the store, we headed downtown to the children's museum!!! It was amazing!!!! Hannah and I voted the Barbie section best, while Zak was pumped about the Dinos. The Barbie section had any barbie a little girl would ever want, along with a runway to model down and a station to draw some outfits for Barbie to wear. About half-way through our trip in the museum Hannah stepped on the back of my flip-flop and broke it for good. Or so I thought. When we arrived to the Dino section I noticed this man that kept staring at my bare foot as I walked along. A while later, he asked me if he could fix my shoe. This 'paleontologist' as he called himself, led me to the "staff only" section and used 'bone glue' to fix my flip-flop. Not everyone can say a paleontologist has fixed their flip-flop. Shortly after, we left the museum to head for home.

Needless to say, another successful weekend can be noted for me!

The past 2 years~

Tomorrow (August 9th, 2010) will be Lester and my second wedding anniversary. It has gone soooo fast. To celebrate, we went to the IMA on Friday and Saturday we went to the state fair (classy, right?) and out to dinner at Kincaids in Clay Terrace. We had a really good weekend! As we were doing all of this stuff, i was thinking about all of the things we have experienced together in the two years we've been married. We have done so many exciting things. I can't wait to see what happens next! Here's a little look at the last two years of our lives.
*PCB twice
*Gulf Shores once
*Many hours on the road to each of our parents
*Two mission trips to Honduras
*My job change
*Moving from our first apartment to our second (thank goodness)
*Several movie viewings
*Lots of trips to the Monon (biking, running, walking)
*Butler football/basketball games
*A few Colts games
*Jimmy Buffett concert..haha
*Several nights sipping hot tea and eating popcorn
*Mini Marathon 2010: Me, walking and Him, running, but still!

All of these seem like such simple things, but so many memories are made through each of these. Driving between Indy, Mitchell, and Monroe City have given us time to have many good conversations, my job change has definitely changed both of our lives for the better, trips to Honduras are life-changing for so many reasons. I love the traditions we've formed and will continue to do. I can't wait to tell our children and their children all of the experiences we've had and pass on our traditions we will continue to form.
TO ME, THIS IS A HAPPY LIFE.... :)

Summer in the City

So, summer is quickly coming to a close and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I love the comfy fall weather and the fact that you can wear sweatshirts and sweatpants, but I REALLY love summer for several reasons as well. Here are a few of the reasons that I love summertime.


1. Lester is out of school. That means when he comes home from work, he's home, without homework.
2. It stays light outside for longer, making the day seem longer....I like it.
3. The noise the cicadas make
4. Church camp
5. I love being poolside
6. A bit of a tan is nice too
7. Dresses in warm weather are fun
8. The sun makes things seem happy all the time.. :)
9. Bike rides and walks on the Monon
10. Going outside without shoes on
11. Sweet corn and fresh peaches!
12. Family vacations we used to go on
13. Icecream tastes SOO much better in the summer!
14. Outside concerts
15. If it's not too hot, riding in your car with the windows down all while your music is playing very loudly : )

There are soo many other reasons, but I can't think of them right now. I've decided while making this list that I think summer makes me feel more free, if that makes sense. It must stem from having 'summer break' from school. I hope that this 'summer break' feeling continues for me. Its nice... hehe

My sister and her two friends and I went to the Jack Johnson concert on Friday. It was AMAZING! The lyrics of his songs seem to tell many stories. This song ("Good People") is one of my personal favorites. If I am interpreting it correctly, his concern is the people of today and the way they lead their lives. Why is it that everyone's morals and values have changed so that whatever we do is based upon what makes us happy and pleases us. Whatever the TV, radio, internet, etc. tells us is always truth, right? Maybe someday all of us (including myself) will wake up to reality and realize what's really important.

"Good People"
You win
It's your show, now
So what's it gonna be
'Cause people
Will tune in
How many train wrecks do we need to see?
Before we lose touch of
We thought this was low
It's bad getting worse so

[Chorus:]
Where'd all the good people go?
I've been changing channels
I don't see them on the TV shows
Where'd all the good people go?
We got heaps and heaps of what we sow

They got this and that and
With a rattle a tat
Testing one two,
Now what you gonna do?
Bad news, misused,
Got too much to lose
Gimme some truth
Now whose side are we on?
Whatever you say
Turn on the boob tube
I'm in the mood to obey
So lead me astray by the way, now

Where'd all the good people go?
I've been changing channels
I don't see them on the TV shows
Where'd all the good people go?
We got heaps and heaps of what we sow

Sitting round feeling far away
So far away but I can feel the debris
Can you feel it?
You interrupt me from a friendly conversation
To tell me how great its all gonna be
You might notice some hesitation
'Cause it's important to you, it's not important to me
Way down by the edge of your reasons
It's beginning to show
And all I really wanna know is...

Where'd all the good people go?
I've been changing channels
I don't see them on the TV shows
Where'd all the good people go?
We got heaps and heaps of what we sow

They got this and that
With a rattle a tat
Testing one, two
Now what you gonna do?
Bad news, misused, give me some truth
You got too much to lose
Whose side are we on today, anyway?
OK, whatever you say.
Wrong and resolute but in the mood to obey
Station to station desensitizing the nation
Going, going, gone.

We are Family :)

So, lately for some reason I've really been missing home/the country. By home, I mean Knox County and I even consider Mitchell to be home. It's amazing how you don't realize how much you appreciate(and need) your family and comfortable environment until you're taken out of it. So the intention of this is definitely not to depress you, I promise!! But, here are some of the things I miss about 'home'.
1. Singing random songs with my mom and sisters in the kitchen.
2. Hearing locusts on summer nights.
3. Driving to Speedy Pete's for a fountain drink.
4. Knowing nearly everyone that passes by you.
5. Going to rural king with dad (yes, i enjoyed this...lol)
6. Working at Charlie's Candy.
7. Riding 4-wheelers on the Burris farm in Mitchell.
8. Mowing the lawn (i know i'll probably not feel this way when we have our own home)
9. Hearing all of the local gossip.. hehe
10. Going on walks with my mom in Monroe.
11. Moore & Miller's with Caitlin & Liz.
12. My precious VW Jetta :(
13. My mom's homeade water and Sunday night breakfasts.

Although I frequently miss the things and people from home, there are also things I enjoy about living in Indianapolis. Lester and I are both excited about what our life will be like when he's done with pharmacy school. I guess what we'll see what God has planned for our future!

Clean Water, Toilet Flushing, and Crazy Driving~

Our trip to Honduras was amazing! We provided so many things for the people of Honduras in a mere 10 days! Among 160 of us on this particular Torch trip, we built 14 houses, served 500+ people in medical clinics, painted a church and its pews, did a few VBS', food and clothes distribution, and so much more!

After several days of work, we spent a day and a half relaxing in a nice hotel in the city of Tegucigalpa. Although the rest was nice, it seemed SO wrong being in such a luxurious place when there were thousands of people near by with no electricity or clean water.

Above all emotions that Honduras gave me, I think that thankfulness was the most prominent. Every time I get in the shower or brush my teeth, I can remember the unclean water. Every time I put on shoes with sturdy soles, I can remember the children without shoes at all. Every time I crawl into my warm, comfy bed, I can remember those without any place to sleep.

So, even if Missions don't seem to be your thing, you should definitely consider it if you have the opportunity! It gives you the chance to open your eyes, serve others, and most of all, serve God!

Jesus Te Ama

So, I have wanted to start blogging for a while now, but never know what to say. I thought since my summer is full of many exciting things I would start now! Thursday we leave for Tegucigalpa, Honduras for the second year and I have had a mixture of emotions. I have been through the cycle of nervousness, anxious, and now excited! We have so many activities planned that I know will be great! (I have also been packed for a week, not that I'm counting!) Among these things we will be doing VBS, give little girls a "princess day", passing out food and clothing, building houses, holding a medical clinic, and much more!

My goal is to use my talents in the most useful way possible. I sometimes doubt my abilities and limit myself in the ways that I can minister to others. I also know that God and other people see my talents and are much more aware and confident in them than I am. Anyway, that's my thoughts for now, I'm sure the topic of Honduras will be on my mind for a while so I will update you on everything that goes on!