12

Time for a semi-real update. I have lots of thoughts rollin' around in the ole noggin, but I think I'm going to save them for a time that I'm not exhausted. Today at church was one of those days that I really, really wanted to listen to the message, but couldn't get my mind 100% focused. I kept thinking about other things. Important things. But it was still frustrating. So, I'll write more later when my eyelids don't feel like they weigh 50 pounds.

Last night we had a sleep over with the middle school kids we have bible study with in Holland. It was such a fun night! The boys stayed at Colton's and the girls stayed here with Julie and I. We took them to eat pizza, then bowling in Killeen, then we came back and celebrated Amado's 12th birthday with some cake and ice cream, went and played sand volleyball and laughed so hard, then came back with the girls and watched 13 going on 30. It was a good time.

Amado (one of my favs...shhh) was so excited to have cake and go bowling on his birthday, it was fun to make the night special for him. He got so tickled when we sang him happy birthday and asked him to blow out the candles that he couldn't blow them all out. It took him a good 3 minutes to get them all blown out. While Amado was taking forever to blow out all 12 of his candles I was thinking about what is was like to be 12. 7th grade. My biggest memories are singing a solo in the choir concert and messing up so bad, then looking over at the accompanist and totally trying to pass the blame off on her. I remember peeing in my pants in class from laughing so hard at a joke that wasn't even that funny, how embarrassing it should have been, but wasn't at all. I remember building a boat out of cardboard for a project convinced it would float and win the race, and it didn't. 9/11, that's a big 12 year old memory, that day I accidentally brought 2 travel sized bottles of vodka to school because they were in my mom's shoes I was borrowing. I freaked out and Danielle tried to calm me down by saying "if you get caught, at least you wont have to go to school anymore!" I remember going to my friend Cassie's barn almost every day after school, and one week trying to teach ourselves how to swing dance. It feels like forever ago, but it really wasn't. I don't think every 12 year old life is the same. I think people assume that because kids are young, they don't know much. That because they have only lived for 12 years they can't comprehend things like us 'adults'. Getting the opportunity to spend time with these hilarious crazies has shown me that they are so smart, and they have depth that can sometimes be hard to find and see, but once you do, it's amazing.

Almost there...just one more to go. And yes those are corn cob holders, in honor of Holland, TX.

Pillow fight. Not sure why it looks like it's snowing inside the house, it wasn't.

Picture Perfect

There is no way it could have been any sweeter.

You know you're in Holland, TX when...

After bible study the middle school girls are trying to find partners for the big corn cob relay next weekend.

When I asked what the corn cob relay was they all looked at me in shock, surprised that I had just asked such an absurd question. Then proceeded to explain that the corn cob relay is a race in which you place an already eaten ear of corn between your legs and hop to the finish line without it falling out.

I said something along the lines of "well, if you loose at least you still get to eat a tasty ear of corn before the race. That's quite a deal!". Then I was informed that someone else eats it before the race.

Some anonymous corn eater slobbers all over a corn cob that you then put between your legs?

"yeah..."
That's nasty!
"no it's not."

I love them.

Faithful

I've seen the Lord's faithfulness recently, not that I don't see it daily, but recently it's been so very evident.

I haven't been scheduled at work for the hours I need to survive. By survive I mean pay rent, insurance, and eat. Not hard right? Harder than I thought...

Anyway, since I'm not getting any hours at work, I've been looking for more work. Right when I started looking around my phone rang...sure I'll babysit for you. 3 more calls later, I have a shift at work, and 5 babysitting jobs.

Whoa.

Awesome.

Isn't it great to be provided for?

In other news, Kenzie our sweet (and very fast) dog decided that she would go for a run during a hail storm the other night. I ran after that dog for blocks knowing that if I lost sight of her I would probably never see her again. It kinda inspired me to run more though. So, thanks Kenz.

I'm loving living here. The roommates are great. We are having such a fun time. I finally got the motivation to decorate my room, now the rest of the house needs help.

I bought a new candle at Target yesterday and it smells SO good. I wish I could capture the smell and make it come through your computer so you could smell it. That might be scary though. If your looking for a candle though-- it's vanilla & rice flower.

Here's the cutie herself:

Robyn + Me usually = danger

Monday nights are Jon & Kate plus 8 nights. We meet in the Burt lobby and watch, then Robyn and I usually try and come up with something fun to do. Sometimes we succeed...

Don't try to curl your leg hairs

Officially moved into the new house. We are excited. 

It has been really great so far. 

No decorating has taken place, but we have everything moved in and it is totally livable. 

This weekend Julie and I went to Houston to get her a new car because her other car bit the dust. It was a good time. On Saturday night we watched almost 8 hours of So you think you can dance with her mom and dad. I got attached. Go figure. 

Today I slept in until 12:45. Felt lazy and worthless, but it felt good. 

I'm not getting the amount of hours I need at work and am searching for other ways to bring home some bacon. (maybe even literally because I have discovered a new love for BLTs)

Last night after bible study (the middle school bible study I lead), Julie and I were chatting with some of the kids and Christina, a super sweet middle school girl, asked if we wanted to see a burn on her leg. After showing us a big, nasty burn on her ankle I asked how it happened. Franklin, a funny, ornery middle school boy, replied "she was trying to curl her leg hairs". 

I love them. 

The many faces of Luke

Meet Luke. 

He's awesome. 

As you can tell. 

I took these pictures for his parents before they had their second baby, Cash. They were wanting some pictures of Luke before the new addition to the family. This is my first time editing pictures in this way and I still have a lot to learn and some experimenting to do. I'm liking them so far though...

Homeless Steve

Oh what fun summer is. 

I'm really enjoying myself lately. 

I have a couple of adventures to tell.

The other night Robyn, Brooke and I ventured to the wonderful city of Austin to see Sunshine Cleaning (which by the way was really good, but not funny. if you see it, don't go into it expecting a funny movie, because you might be disappointed).  We got some delish Freebirds and then had a couple of hours to spare so we decided to just walk around a little on Congress. Little did we know that it would lead us to get into a private members only art show at the Austin Museum of Art, and later to sit in on a House of Representatives meeting at the capitol. After we were done looking at fascinating art and learning about gas tax, we headed to the movie and had a grand ole time buying a $9 ticket that no one ever checked. Awesome. 

Then. 

Sunday night after Julie and I got done teaching bible study we were chillin outside FBC Holland, smelling the sweet corn in the air (not really, but i thought it might sound cool, since there is by far more corn than humans in Holland). Anyway, we were watching some kids play around and an older gentlemen approaches us with an offer to come visit his country home with him and his wife saying "it's just down the road". We follow them in their truck, driving, driving, driving. Thinking "OK, maybe it's this house..." Nope. After almost hitting a herd of deer (is herd the correct term?), watching a few of them nearly commit suicide by trying to jump over fences, and driving through a corn field, we make it to an awesome house. They were super sweet and told us we could bring friends over any time and that Beverly (the wife) would make us breakfast! It made me want to skip a few decades for a second and be sweet old people. I can wait though...

My summer school Statistics class got cancelled because it was just me and one guy registered. Kind of a bummer, but I'm not crying or anything. 

Keep the fun times rollin, Summer. 

Oh, and in regards to the title that I realized I never addressed. While in Austin Robyn bought a homeless guy (Steve) a pita.