Haiti Trip, Day 8 - April 10

Today was our travel day to come home!

Sunrise the day we left

We woke up at 4:30 to finish packing and eat a bit of breakfast. I woke up with a sore throat and the sniffles. We left at 6 am to drive over the mountain to Port Au Prince. CJ and I rode in the truck and everyone else in the van. It was a blessing in disguise because Sarah got car sick and needed a barf bag! I would have needed one too if I had been in the van!

Last picture at the orphanage!

Waiting to board the plane in Port Au Prince

Our plane was delayed leaving Haiti so we were late getting to Miami. By the time we landed we had less than an hour to go through immigration get luggage, go through customs, and recheck bags. Luckily our plane was delayed an hour so we made it, but we still spent that hour literally RUNNING through the Miami airport.

We made it to Dallas and had a chance to sit and eat. Finally we landed in Kansas City at 11 pm. We were greeted by Glenn's family. They're so sweet! One of our bags got left in Miami. The airport is delivering it tomorrow... I hope to be sleeping! :)

It wasn't fun traveling with a cold and a fever, but I made it! I slept through the car rides and plane rides. All in all the trip was great and I'm very glad I went.


************

I hope you've enjoyed reading through my 'journal' of the trip. A couple things I miss about Haiti... the porch! Life is so much more simple there. I miss the quietness of just sitting. Still not sure I would want to repeat the trip any time soon, but I'm so glad I had the chance to experience it. I would highly recommend going on a missions trip if you ever get a chance!! Missions are definitely not my calling in life... but kids are, so this was a good one!

My blog will now return to it's regularly scheduled program. :)

Haiti Trip, Day 7 - April 9

Today is the last day of work. We painted the last house and mopped. Drex said it should be ready in a couple of weeks. After lunch we all went to the market. Then Michelle drove around so we could see Jacmel.

Sarah is a pro painter! :)

CJ, me, and Jarret painting... nice views don't you think? lol

The house after we were done!!! :)

For dinner we had pizza and then one last sit down on the porch. For tonight's devotion we wrote in each other's journals. There is talk of coming back next year. I think I would need some time before making that decision.

Walking through the market was quite the experience...

Haiti Trip, Day 6 - April 8

The wall is nearly complete for the most part. Jarret and Glenn spent some time digging space by the garage. Then we all went to the one house that's not yet livable. We swept out all the dirt and rocks. After it was all out we had to power wash the mud off the wall. While some did that, some of us scrubbed the walls with bleach. Others swept the water out and off the porch.

The kids are on Easter break this week so today they had chores. They picked up trash, washed chairs, etc. After lunch we went to see the souvenir lady. She had some of the most beautiful stuff for cheap! I bought a box, 2 bracelets, and a painting for $12 - US.

Buying souvenirs

Michelle and Larry took us to town for dinner. It was at a hotel that serves the 'elite' - very nice with a wonderful view of the ocean. Good food too - I had a cheeseburger. :) CJ had goat, which I tried... pretty tasty!

Our group at dinner

I'm getting to the point of the trip where I'm ready to get to sleep in my own bed. One more work day before we fly home. Tonight's devotion was from Jarret. He gave his testimony of growing up Lutheran. God put us all here for a reason - tonight we shared our stuff and our similarities.

Haiti Trip, Day 5 - April 7

Today we worked until lunch time. I threw rocks for a bit and then helped Michelle with activities for the kids. For lunch we had rice with bean sauce, something that tasted like potatoes (can't remember what they called it), banaan , and chicken. I was kind of scared, but it was good!

After lunch we took the school kids to the beach. It was so beautiful! Nothing but sand and water for miles. The kids enjoyed it as well. It wasn't too far either, but it seems like a whole other world.

The kids getting ready to swim!

All day Friday is a travel day - so really we have two more days. Tomorrow the souvenir lady is coming AND we're going into town for dinner. I don't even really miss the 'stuff' and getting bogged down by it all. It's been nice to just hang out on the porch instead of running.

Glenn's devotion tonight was Matthew 6:1-4, which says, "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

After he read this passage we went around and shared the motivation for coming on this trip, and also what we've gained. I felt the tug on my heart and followed what God said. I've gained a far more humble heart. I don't ever want to forget this feeling. The way they live - and the people have sacrificed their own lives to be here....

Haiti Trip, Day 4 - April 6

Today the girls cleaned the depot and played with kids. the guys helped the workers haul rocks. It was hot today! So far it has rained every day, which is ok because it cools things off.

Drex says that wall should be done tomorrow, so hopefully we can work on the kid's house. Also, today, Missy helped shave the boy's hair. That was fun!

CJ and I went to the market with Michelle and Jo - very interesting. A lot of people milling around, shouting, meat hanging from the tents with flies all over. I made it without gagging, so I'm good!

Michelle, me, and CJ took the older kids to the soccer field. They love it! Saw some neighbor kids, had a little contest to see who could make a goal. Then we took a little walk around, then came home.

Some of the kids playing soccer... or futbol :)

We had an awesome devotion tonight from Andria, talking about how even though we all suffer, Christ died. We all come here broken, yet needing to do a bigger mission. We all have our 'stuff'. There must be a reason God placed this group in this place...

Tomorrow for lunch we're getting a real Haitian lunch and then going swimming. Yay! Dishes in cold water are odd too. :)

Haiti Trip - Day 3, April 5

Today was good! We woke up and had breakfast, watched the kids go to Sunday School. We sat around and talked on the porch until it was time for church... oh, and went to the roof to see the view! Church was good to experience even though I only understood one sentence and one song. There was a guy that sang "In The Secret" and he was great!

The kids leaving for Sunday School

After church we came back to the orphanage and had lunch. We're eating pretty good for where we are... it's good we brought our own food! :) The afternoon was spent looking around the property. It rained again, but it was a nice break from the humid air!

The orphanage has 38 kids and 3 dogs - along with 6 nannies. Each nanny has 8 kids that she's responsible for.

Before dinner we went for a walk up the street. It was interesting to see this part of town. Michelle kept calling Wayne Jerry. That was a riot! Sarah calls Keary, Casey. I think by the end of the week we'll all have different names... :)

During the week we'll get to go into downtown and experience the market. I was kind of disappointed that we didn't go to the beach today. I would have loved to see it - I hear they're beautiful!

I love our group - we have so much fun together.

Tomorrow the work begins. The women are going to be helping Michelle with some things and helping Jo with the food program. This is when they have people come in to get milk and rice and beans to feed their babies.. giving them an opportunity to keep them instead of giving them to HAF.

The guys will be moving rocks. There's still much damage from the storms.

Bunk beds are evil! Last night I slept on the top bunk - tonight we pulled my mattress to the floor. :) It's weird taking cold showers and washing dishes in cold water.

Not Me! Monday

Well, now that there's only a few hours left in Monday... :)

Not Me! Monday was created by MckMama. Her son Stellan is still in the hospital and they definitely need your prayers. Please check her blog for updates!!!!


In the last week I did NOT spend a lot of time hanging out with kids when I should have been hauling rocks, helping build a flood wall.

I did NOT just about gag while walking through the market...

One day last week I did NOT wake up at 3 am and take a 30 minute nap at 5:30 am, before waking up at 6 to cook breakfast for our group. I do NOT love good conversations at 3 am!!

I did NOT get used as a jungle gym for kids... when I should have been hauling rock... :)

I did NOT miss my church kids while I was gone and I did NOT just rejoin the gym.


What have you NOT done this week?

Haiti Trip - Day 2, April 4

Today we flew from Miami to Port Au Prince. We sat in the plane for 2 hours because some guy checked his bags and didn't show up. So they had to search all the luggage to remove it from the plane. That was a good time!! There was an irrate woman sitting behind us that was constantly yelling in French - apparently she was more annoyed that everyone else that we were delayed. :) The airport in Port Au Prince was interesting - full of people yelling (in French Creole)... a LINE of people waiting outside; made you feel very uncomfortable. We had a woman from the orphanage traveling with us. She had been in the states visiting her family. That was a definite blessing!! If she hadn't been with us, it would have been more interesting than it was.

The Jacmel Airport

From the Port Au Prince airport, we drove a couple minutes to the smaller airport so we could fly to Jacmel. The plane was tiny, but the flight was beautiful... the ocean is so blue! At the Jacmel airport we met Drex & Larry. They loaded all the luggage and drove us to the orphanage. It started raining just as they finished tying it all down.

When we arrived, the kids were there waiting to greet us. After a short meeting and then dinner, we all sat on the porch and sang songs. The kids were loving all over us and taking pictures of each other. Such different personalities, they're all precious!

Drex, Jo, Larry, & Michelle are all at the orphanage full time and are great! Ever since seeing the video about The Hands & Feet Project, I felt the tugging in my heart to come. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity. Even in the short time we've been here I feel humbled and guilty at the same time. We are fortunate to have what we do.

The kids waiting to greet us

Haiti Trip - Day 1, April 3

Today we met at Wayne's at 11 am to pack our supplies. We'll be wearing flip flops when we aren't working, so CJ and I went and got a pedicure first. Love starting a vacation with a pedi! We flew from Kansas City to Dallas to Miami. It was interesting with 7 of us and all the luggage!! We met the two other people in Miami as they were flying from Chicago. It was hard to get a cab to the hotel... we had to take three (3). CJ and I rode in a taxi and the guy claimed to never have heard of our hotel. Even after we gave him the address...CJ turned on her GPS and suddenly he knew where he was going. It was a long day of travel and tomorrow we leave for Port Au Prince. **As I wrote this in my journal, it was 1 am and we were waiting on pizza. :)* I'm anxious and nervous for the unknown, but very excited to meet the kids.

*There wasn't much to write this day as all we did was travel to Miami. It'll get more interesting I promise!!*

The KC portion of our crew - CJ, Jarret, Sarah, Glenn, Wayne, & me

Six Word Saturday

Well... it's still Saturday, but I'm posting this a little later than I normally do. It's been a crazy day! :) Visit Cate at Show My Face to get started! :)

Swollen ankles, nasty cough, updates soon!

Welcome back to me! I've been gone for a week and have been having a good time catching up on all your posts. I'll be posting updates and photos of the trip soon.

The time is here....

See that little counter over there??

Go on. Take a look.

Yup. It's time.

As you're reading this, my flight is leaving Kansas City to Dallas and then on to Miami. I'll be gone until next Friday, when I arrive back in KC at 11 pm. I will definitely blog about the trip when I get things in order - and some sleep I'm sure! :)

I'd like to once again thank you all for your prayers of support and encouragement. At times this adventure has been nerve racking. I've felt God's presence during the journey and can't wait to see what He does with our group in Haiti.

Thanks again... and I can't wait to catch up on all your postings next week. :)

God Bless!

My Life in Pictures, Day 5

Go to Everything Except the Grill to join the photo challenge! Today's challenge: Something Old



I love old buildings, especially churches!!! Cute little country churches are the best! :) This picture challenge has been a lot of fun... kind of a crazy week for me, but I managed.

My life in pictures, day 4

Go to Everything Except the Grill to join the photo challenge! Today's challenge: Something you do every day



Eat. I love food - obviously. Maybe I need to learn to dislike it. :) I didn't have time to take a picture today, so I had to pick one I already had. This is me and CJ on a train ride in Colorado. Love it! Tomorrow's challenge: Something Old. We'll see if I have time to post tomorrow before I leave. :)

My life in pictures: Day 3

Go to Everything Except the Grill to join the photo challenge! Today's challenge: View from your Front Door



This was the view I saw on Saturday afternoon. Giant snowflakes abound!! :)


Tomorrow's challenge: Something you do each day

My life in pictures Day 2

Amber over at Everything Except the Grill is hosting a photo challenge. Today's challenge: Something on your table



So, this is my "nightstand." The stack of books includes a Bible and a notebook so I can jot things down. My favorite thing on this table is the "Live, Laugh, Love" thing.

Tomorrow's challenge: The View From Your Front Door

Giveaway!

There's a super giveaway going on!!! Visit The Reality of Happily Ever After for details! She's giving away a FREE blog makeover! Who wouldn't like one of those???

The makeover is brought to you by .

Again, visit The Reality of Happily Ever After to enter!

Titus 2 Tuesday!

What have you learned from a woman this week (or ever)?

Whenever I write my "Titus 2", I think for a long time and ponder my story with this person.

What can I say about AnneMarie?

She's amazing.

She's a sweetheart.

Our journies have had paths in common and I'm glad they crossed. I am so blessed to know this woman, I can't even really describe.

I met AnneMarie when we worked together several years ago - can't believe it's been several!

At first, I wasn't too sure about her. :) It took me awhile, and slowly but surely, we grew closer. We had some great times working together, but staying there was not in God's plan for either of us! We also had some challenging times... like the time we were in lock down for 3 hours!!! If I had to pick anyone to go through that situation with, I'd pick her. :)

This wasn't the day of the lock down... lol

The one thing that I've always loved about AnneMarie was her attitude of gratitude. She always showed such joy... even though I know that she wasn't feeling it on the inside. I wouldn't have guessed it then, but I know now.

AnneMarie recently shared her testimony with her church. In it, she stated that one verse that got her through was Jeremiah 29:11. While I like this verse, one other verse that reminds me of AnneMarie is Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, and who have been called according to his purpose."

AnneMarie has definitely been called... and she definitely loves Him... and all things are working for her good! Although I was honored that I had witnessed to her; what AnneMarie doesn't know is that her testimony recharged me and also gave me a sense of hope.

I always look up to people with great faith and those who show the light of Jesus. I never thought that I was an encouragement and witness to others.


You can listen to AnneMarie's testimony HERE!!! Scroll down and click the mp3 link for March 22. :)

One thing I've learned - lately - from her is that you never know who you're planting a seed in. I listen to K-Love radio at my desk all the time... always have. I always like when people ask what I'm listening to... gives me a chance to share. Maybe God will open the same opportunities for you to share your story.

My Life. In Pictures

Amber over at Everything Except the Grill is hosting a photo challenge. I love it! I'm such a shutterbug anyway. The challenge is photograph something each day and share the details of your life... in pictures. Today's challenge: Something New.



I picked something that's relevant to my life right now. Since I'm leaving the country in a few days, I chose this. The luggage is semi-new (I got it for Christmas) and everything inside it is new; travel size bottles, razors, swim suit, clothes - including my Easter skirt on top.

Tomorrow's challenge: Something on your table... Hmm.

Not me!

Here we are, another Not Me! Monday! This blog was created by MckMama. Her son Stellan is still in the hospital and they definitely need your prayers. Please check her blog for updates!!!!


In the last week I did NOT vote for Danny Gokey on American Idol... 5 times. Why on earth would I do that?!

I did NOT buy a bunch of clothes for Haiti and justify it by saying "I NEVER buy clothes!" I also did NOT accomplish anything on my to-do list... and it keeps growing... this includes staying up way too late to NOT finish laundry!

I NEVER get annoyed when I see how people raise their children. I would NEVER! Some kids are in for a rude awakening when they join my class. :) Miss Leslie doesn't play nice when it comes to skimping out on manners!

I haven't NOT called any of my family to talk to them before I leave. I wonder if it would be bad to keep NOT doing that?

Happy Monday and remeber to keep praying for Stellan!

Another award!

I just received the Kreative blogger award from Meg. She's the one that got me into this blog world. I love her layout and her ideas. Go show her blog some love!

The rules are:
1. Post the award on your blog, and link to the person who gave you the award.
2. List seven things you love.
3. List seven blogs you love.
4. E-mail or comment on those blogs to let the people know you've given them the award.

My 7 Loves (in no particular order):

1. My family & friends - I don't know what I'd do without them!
2. Rain - So peaceful
3. Baseball - One of the best past times. What beats a summer day, watching ball, eating hot dogs?!
4. Pictures - Looking at and taking
5. Kids
6. Pedicures - I'm weird about feet, but I love when mine are all soft!
7. Traveling - Nothing beats a new adventure around the corner or a day trip!


7 blogs I love:

Soaked to my Soul

Just Tabitha

INfertile Myrtle

Take Me the Way I Am

According to Ashley

JAM Adventures

Pampering Beki

Six Words

Describe your life in six words. Go to Show My Face to join!!

One week: shopping, packing, going crazy

or

Weathermen have no idea what's happening!

One Week

I can't believe it's here.

Tonight was our fundraiser dinner... we raised approximately $1,100. Awesome!!

I can't believe one week from today we'll be flying to here:

Haiti's beach

and living here for a week:

Main House @ the Hands and Feet Project

and hanging out with these kids:

Don't they look precious?!

Keep praying for us!! It's much appreciated. :)

God bless!

Titus 2 Tuesday

What have you learned from a woman this week (or ever)?

I thought since last week I shared about my mom, that this week I'd share about my stepmom. My stepmom used to be this annoying woman who (I thought) had the goal of letting me never see my dad again. In the time I've been blogging, I've shared a lot about my relationship with my mom and my dad, mostly the downs, because they've definitely shaped my journey and who I've become.

My stepmom is no different. There were many times when they (being my dad and her) would have her nephews for the weekend... instead of me and my brother. When my brother lived with them, he was constantly complaining about her. He still does and some days I can't blame him. In the last couple years as my relationship has progressed with my dad, so has my relationship with my stepmom. There are a lot of things I've come to learn about her.

Last week I told you all about my mom and my "mommy wishlist." Let me preface this next sentence with: this is very hard for me to say. I've been churning it over in my brain for awhile and it doesn't get easier the more times I say it. My stepmom, in all honesty, is my mommy wishlist.

When I'm on the phone with her, she doesn't hang up the phone until she says "I love you." She is.. how do I say.. a lot more loving than I am used to. At first it was scary for me, but I've managed... and I enjoy it.

My stepmom, me, and my sister

I'm Waiting

For the last couple of weeks I've been pondering the movie Fireproof. Some of my single friends have currently watched the movie, and have said they didn't like it for different reasons. As a single person you need to watch the movie for the messages... not constantly thinking, "Where's my partner?" etc., etc.

One thing that struck me was the song "I'm Waiting" by John Waller... check out the lyrics and see if this hits the nail on the head.


I'm waiting
I'm waiting on you, Lord
and I am hopeful
I'm waiting on you, Lord
though it is painful
but patiently I will wait

I will move ahead bold and confident
taking every step in obedience
while I'm waiting
I will serve you
while I'm waiting
I will worship
while I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'm running the race
even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on you, Lord
and I am peaceful
I'm waiting on you, Lord
though it's not easy
but faithfully I will wait

I will move ahead bold and confident
taking every step in obedience
while I'm waiting
I will serve you
while I'm waiting
I will worship
while I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'm running the race
even while I wait

I will move ahead bold and confident
taking every step in obedience
while I'm waiting
I will serve you
while I'm waiting
I will worship
while I'm waiting
I will not faint

I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on you, Lord...



This is my prayer. That I can serve, worship, and patiently wait no matter how hard it is. It's been quite some time since I've "searched" for a guy. I'm a member of a Christian dating site - and rarely log in. Hmm... is he right around the corner? I don't know, but I'm going to keep living my life until he shows up! By the way - this is an excellent movie; married or single! :)

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog was created by MckMama. Her son Stellan is in the hospital and they definitely need your prayers. Please check her blog for updates!!!!


In the last week I did NOT get hooked on Dancing With the Stars... Nope, that would just be another reality tv show for me to watch. I also did NOT feel like I did not nothing but eat. Nope, my pants aren't feeling tighter at all... :)

I did NOT make my final payment for Haiti. 11 days... eek!!! I was NOT so emotional that I cried all the way to work... and again later that night. I would NEVER cry for no reason.

One of my church kids did NOT fall and begin bleeding, while she was in my care. I also did NOT avoid my mother's text message this afternoon. Nope I would NEVER. I am NOT super excited because my car is almost paid off. That would NOT make me happy at ALL!


Happy Monday, everyone! Remember to keep praying for Stellan!

Six Word Saturday!

It's time for Six Word Saturday!! Visit Show My Face to get started! :)

Ugh... there's so much to do!!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Picture of the week

As this week winds down - sort of. :)

Wishing everyone well on their March Madness brackets.. and maybe even some relaxation.

Me and Crystal

AI recap

Ok. I've been avoiding blogging about American Idol, but this week, I just have to!! For the most part I like them all for different reasons, but here are my thoughts on the top 11.


Danny - I love Danny even more after watching him sing "Jesus Take The Wheel." He gave me goosebumps! I've always loved the song, but never have gotten goosebumps before. (More blogging about Danny coming soon).

Scott - I like Scott, but sadly I don't think he'll last a long time. He's not exceeding like the others, which makes me sad.

Michael - I love this country boy!! He did a good job with Garth last night!

Adam - Ok. Where do I start? I dislike him... a lot. Before last night I was on the fence about him, but 1) He messed with Johnny Cash, and 2) He was bad at it!!!!

Lil - I like her. Last night you could tell that she was out of her element, but she did good singing Independence Day.

Kris - I love, love, love him!! He did awesome singing Garth too.

Anoop - I'm so glad Anoop redeemed himself from last week!

Alexis - I'm kind of the fence about her too. I like her singing, but I'm mildly annoyed that the judges constantly want her to be 'dirty'. No variety?

Megan Joy - She changes her name every week... seriously. Not sure on her.... her voice is... different; sometimes that's a bad thing.

Matt - Hmm... kind of on the fence about him too. I think he's good, but there's something about him..... He did do a good job singing a Carrie Underwood song - that was surprising!

Allison - I'm not sure about her; I think her voice is weird... :)


So who will be booted tonight? I hope it's Adam!!! :) We'll find out in an hour (central time).

Titus 2 Tuesday

What have you learned from a woman this week (or ever)?

This week I'm going to share a bit about my mom. My mom has lived her life in Nebraska, raising kids - me and my three brothers. For the most part my mom and I get along. For the remainder of the time, I'm either annoyed at her, she's annoyed at me, or something's happening. Since I was 5 years old, it's always been my mom, my brother, and me. When all these other people started entering our lives, it got... well... weird.

The thing I love about my mom is that she's absolutely hilarious. When I look at my parents, I can definitely see where I get my sense of humor. She's a strong woman who's dealt with a lot in her life. She tries to be the rock, when I really know that she has to have times of break down. There has been one time in my life when I was all consumed emotional and my mom was there to catch me.

To this day, I don't ever recall my mom telling me she's proud of me or that I look beautiful. She always finds something to critique me on - whether it's that my hair is curly (in her eyes, this is not 'fixing' it), or whether it's that I didn't wear enough makeup. Is it the job of a mom to critique?

My mommy wishlist: Some days I wish my mom understood me. I wish she wasn't jealous of me having a life, that she never did. I wish she would tell me that she loved me - without me having to say it first.

But.

At the end of the day, she's my mom and I love her.

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Here goes my first attempt.

In the last week I did NOT get my last shot for the Haiti trip and I also did NOT get my prescription filled for malaria pills. I couldn't figure out why they had to order them. Doesn't everyone ask for those? :)

I was also NOT so busy that I couldn't keep my schedule straight. Nope, that would never happen to me. I also did NOT have time to watch stupid reality tv. Nope, I would NEVER. Speaking of tv, I do NOT love watching 90210 and am NOT a month behind.... it's ok it's not new until March 31.

I did NOT have 9 girls between the ages of 3 and 8 at my house. I did NOT keep them up way past their bedtime and let them eat everything they wanted. I would NEVER do that. This past weekend is NOT a total blur and it did NOT end like this:




What did you NOT do this week?

It's Amazing...

• How much bigger my room looks when it's clean.
• How you can see a friend once or twice a year and always pick up where you left off.
• How much you can miss someone whenever you hear about them.
• How much it hurts when a "friend" doesn't respond.
• How something you used to have/do all the time, you no longer miss.
• How the more things change, the more they stay the same.
• How fast time goes when you don't want it to, and goes slow when you wish it hurry up.
• How you can be constantly 'labeled' like you're no more than that.

It's been a crazy week and it's only going to get worse before the weekend is over. Last night I had dinner with a friend from high school, which was great! Tonight I had church and ended up bailing on my cousin - I felt horrible, but I am exhausted! Tomorrow night we have a sleepover for our missionettes girls (at our house). Saturday we're working Women of Faith for K-Love and then going to dinner with my friend Crystal. Sunday we have church and a K-Love concert (Kutless). Whew!!! Happy weekend everyone. :)

Welcome to Tuesday!

What have you learned from a woman this week (or ever)?

It has taken me awhile to decide who to write about today. I've changed my mind so many times. This week I'm writing about my friend Crystal. Crystal and I met when I worked at a college in Lincoln, and she was a student. I immediately loved her. She has such a sweet heart, was funny, and the most independent woman I knew.

A little bit of Crystal's story: Crystal was a normal teenager with goals and dreams. She ran track and was a cheerleader. Shortly after graduating from high school, she was involved in a car accident that left her completely paralyzed from the waist down. She relies on her wheelchair for full daily mobility, but she doesn't let that stop her. She has an amazing faith, a wonderful personality, and the willingness to never give up.

We got closer when Crystal introduced me to Ms. Wheelchair Nebraska. I planned the graduation for our school and Crystal thought they might benefit from me helping with their pageant. They instantly welcomed me into the group as one of their board members. By 'they' I mean Crystal and her brother, which was the entire group at that time.

I was a member of this group for 5 years before I moved to Kansas. At one point I had lost my job and almost had to move back in with my parents. Crystal was determined not to let that happen and offered me a place to stay with her. I lived with her for a year before I moved on. We've always been close - sharing faith, ups, and downs. One of my absolute favorite moments with Crystal. If you've seen the Friends episode when Phoebe is trying to turn off the smoke detector....

Well, one night, the smoke detector was beeping CONSTANTLY!!! Crystal's house had very high ceilings, which made things even more interesting. Here I am, standing at 5' even... standing on the arm of the couch, trying to grab the stupid thing. Crystal is sitting in her chair staring at me and then has this brilliant idea and says "OH! Try my gripper!" I am literally BEATING the smoke detector with this thing. The top pops off and then we see.... it's hooked into the ceiling. OH MY GOSH!!!!! During this whole ordeal I had to state that it was our Friends moment of the day. We finally left it and her brother-in-law came to fix it. :)

Since I moved to Kansas, we've remained in touch, always picking up where we left off. I haven't seen her since last Memorial Day Weekend. We rarely talk on the phone, but sometimes email. Crystal will be in Topeka on Saturday judging the Ms. Wheelchair Kansas pageant... so we're hanging out! Am so excited! :) Here are some pics:

me and Crystal at Ms. Wheelchair Nebraska, 2007 pageant

Crystal and I last Memorial Day Weekend