So I am a complete slacker. Last post- 2/23/07 today's date 6/10/07-- oops!

Things have been good mostly just day to day life going on. Adam and I got back from Africa on the 28th or was it the 29th? Anyway. We really had a great time we went with a team of 32 from UBC and in conjunction with Baylor which took at group of 91 total. Adam and I lead half of the UBC team and Ben & Jamie the other group. I was really happy with the team we had they all got along and worked hard and tried not to complain. For me it was great to be able to put faces with names of these people we have been working with for 2 years now.

I took over 900 pictures while I was there - and probably could have taken even more. I felt as though we were there for a long time but on the way back it seemed as though we had only been gone a short time. It took me about a week to readjust to eating food here at home - it was rough but I am happy to report that all is finally well!! We are excited to think about going back next year. We have lots of stories (and pictures) to share, whenever you have the time!

UBC garage sale is next weekend so our week will be full of that- and then we are going to get a fence up soon in the backyard so the Winston can have some free space to run and I will no longer have to worry if the neighbors are outside before I take Winston outside!

So in the past few days I have come to the conclusion that I am a liar. Everyone will ask me, how are you? and I lie and say "oh, I'm fine, how are you?" Liar.

The truth is I am not fine, I am what could be described as an emotional train wreck. I am very angry, on edge, tired beyond belief, sad, slightly depressed, grateful, relieved, dumbfounded, exasperated and the list goes on.

This could be one of the worst weeks ever- if the show on VH1 was the worst week ever, you could bet your butt Adam & I would be on it this week.

On Tuesday afternoon, we arrived home to find our back door busted in. One of my biggest fears was now reality and my place of home, my place of safety had been invaded. I froze pointed and just said "door" Adam rushed in and once I heard Winston was ok I ran to the neighbor's house. My house had been raped- invaded, torn up-side down ~ my beautiful home that I and my husband WORKED hard to get, that sometimes go into the red to afford!

All they took, my camera. Which at first doesn't sound that bad. But this is my on the side, help to make ends meet or pay for unexpected expenses, money maker. (which I am actually still paying for) This was my, something I do ~ this is my life outside of work.

Thanks to great friends that are more like extended family we have fixed the door put new sheets on the bed, had safe place to sleep the first night and someone we trust to stay with Winston during the day.

I found out yesterday that the insurance company will only give me $500 for the camera because I used it for business purposes. The total value of all the took was around $1500-$1700. I am partly to blame that I don't have the serial number, in part because they even took the box that I got the camera in!

I spent part of yesterday trying to call pawn shops in Waco, only to be told that I would have to get a copy of my police report then come to each shop and then talk to management and be able to prove with out a shadow of doubt that the camera they had was mine.

Why is it that in this town it is easier for the bad guy- to steal, pawn, or sell your things- the things you actually worked for then it is for you to actually relocate those things? Now I know why there are so many pawn shops in Waco. The whole thing makes we want to vomit.

Also thanks to you, mr or miss or ms robber I can't sleep all the way through the night; I wake up when I hear a noise and try to hold my breath so I can figure out exactly what the noise is, without my breathing getting in the way. You have made me doubt the goodness of people, caused me to suspect things of people, you have made me angry which is not exactly good for a marriage nor my health.

On top of this my mother is now going to need surgery on her knee and I may need to go home to be with the fam. My sister is taking a trip to Germany for about 2wks, which will be fun for her and she could use some fun but will of course have me worried until she gets back. I have 2 weddings scheduled for this season and that brings along a whole other level of worry.

Not since October of 2005 have I ever been so angry, have I questioned why so many times, have I played the events of that morning in my head over and over finding all my faults and trying to figure out what could I have done different, could I have known, could I have paid more attention. One thing is for sure that the scar of this will also stay fresh, will also be open for a quick recall much like the one from October - it will continue me to question God and the fact that we live in a chaotic world where we have free will and why it is fair that people get to use their free will to make the lives of others suck. And it will continue to make me a liar by saying "I'm fine" because I am southern and that is what you do.

Happy New Year!

Today, I am back at work after a nice long break. So long that I was ready to be back at work, so nice that today at work I'm so bored and can hardly keep my eyes open.

Adam officially graduated and we survived the "attack of the parents" as Jen likes to call it. It was not to bad because both sets of parents got hotel rooms.

For Christmas, we decided to stay in Waco. After being surrounded by family for graduation, we thought it best to just stay home this year. Although I admit that Christmas really didn't feel like Christmas at all to me. Maybe it is because we slept until we wanted to get up rather than having to get up really early, and we ate normal amounts of food instead of massive amounts!

But the week between Christmas and New Year's was full of lots of sleeping in, shopping, finally building adam's desk and working on children's church/sunday school stuff. We bought a new dining room table from World Market (it was half off- way too good a deal to pass up).

For New Year Eve we had some friends over, it was nice and low-key and Winston didn't do too bad, although I think he handled his first meeting with a kid pretty well-- I think he was amazed that people could be that small. Speaking of Winston he got this strange purple squeaky toy for Christmas and he loves this thing ~ he is captivated by it, I call it Big Purple.

New Year's Day we had dinner with friends at Tom, Craig & Drew's place. Beth & Tom went all out and there was a ton of yummy veggies, it was great and helped us to remember why we decided to call Waco our home.

This is one of my favorite times of the year- the Thanksgiving-Christmas stretch of time. Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday, because it has become one of my more relaxed holidays. This year we had a small crowd at our house but there was still way too much food. I feel like this year time has gone much faster than last ~ I still have so many things to get done and no time to do them.

Adam graduates in 3 days! I can't believe that his seminary journey is coming to a close. We have been waiting so long for this and now it is here. The families are coming in to celebrate; therefore, this will be the first Christmas since moving to Texas that we will not be making the long trip home.

With graduation and now our first Christmas in Texas with just the 2 of us - I feel we are breaking lots of new ground.

My new job is going really well and I have had several moments were I felt reaffirmed in my decision to make the change. The type of work is very different from what I was doing before so I still feel somewhat like a fish out of water ~ but it's a work in progress and hey, at least my office is cool!

Adam and I have decided to go to Africa in the spring for a few weeks. We are going to go with UBC and be team leaders which is another word for "adult". We are both excited about it and I am really looking forward to this once in a lifetime experience.

My sister Jennifer came for a visit, it was great to see her and go shopping! I had forgotten how much I miss having girls to do that kind of stuff with...

well guess that's it for now

I REALLY REALLY REALLY LIKE MY NEW JOB!!!

Old habits die hard- and once again it has been over a month since my last post. Today was the end of a journey for me and the beginning of a new one- today was my last day of work at the job I have been at for 3yrs. Thursday I will start a new job with Baylor University.

I am very excited about it- I think it will be a new challenge and just a great place to work. So today I said all of my goodbyes and turned in my keys- it still feels sort of strange but I think it will all settle in once I don't have to get up in the morning and go to work there anymore.

I know that I have said this over and over- but I am amazed at how time works- how quickly it passes in lump sum but the parts of the whole go slowly. I think about myself this time last year, about my friends this time last year, and it is strange to think about how different and yet how the same things are. The scars that are on our hearts help us to remember the past- the funny thing about scars is that sometimes even though they have been "healed up" just looking at them sometimes brings back the pain.

I went to the cemetery at lunch yesterday and did some of Kyle's favorite things- I sat outside enjoyed the sights and sounds around me, I ate and I read. It was nice, and in that moment to know that we are now going to be calling Waco home for a bit longer felt really good.

Happy Halloween kids!

Life..

So life has been happening. I have several things on my mind right now- main one is my current employment status. The whole thing reminds me of that song from the 80's that says "should I stay or should I go now.." Either way for me in the situation there could be "trouble"

1. I run the risk of going crazy if I stay
2. I run the risk of putting us in a much much tighter financial situation if I go

Anyway, so I did apply for something new- but it may be more of just wishful thinking - I am trying to just stay indifferent in hopes not to let myself down if it all falls through.

None the less, it is an understatement to say I have been a little stressed.

I have taken on a role of planning children's Sunday school at church- and actually have found myself getting way more into it than I thought I would. The hardest part has been trying to find ways to teach our kids differently (to some extent) than we were taught, in hopes that they get a different view of church than some of us did- but I think we are making strides in the right direction.

Last weekend I bought a really awesome antique mirror from the Girl Next Door-- and I love it!

Guess that's it for now