Since we are so close to another weekend I thought that I should share two noteworthy happenings of my past weekend. One of them was a childhood dream come true (well, sort of, but more on that later.) The other was something that I had hoped wouldn't happen for a long time to come, my realist side would always tell me that it would happen, but hey, you can always hope right? Let's start with the sort-of-fulfilled-childhood-dream.
When I was young I loved to read (still do, but in a different way). I loved all of the different worlds I could enter. I would come away from many books wanting to bring a certain part of that book to my world and experience for myself what the characters of the book had experienced. Somehow I would get a picture in my mind that these things were "romantic," not in the lovey-dovey definition of the word, but more in a rosy, vintage way. Two things that really stick out to me that I really wanted to do for the longest time were apple-picking and ice-skating. I've tried to remember what books I could have read that would put the ideas that these things were "romantic". I can't. But, somehow, somewhere, the idea entered my mind. This Fall I was able to go apple-picking and therefore fulfill one childhood dream. It wasn't "romantic," "rosy", or "vintagey," but it was a lot of fun! So as you've probably picked up on, this left me with the childhood dream of ice-skating to fulfill sometime in the future. Well, on Saturday I went ice-skating....Sort of....If you can call what I did ice-skating. My analogy loving mind is trying to come up with some sort of a mental picture for you...But I am not having much success. The closest I can get is to tell you to imagine the clumsiest person you can, then imagine that person blindfolded and very, very tipsy....On skates.....On ice. I had known that I wouldn't be a good ice skater. I didn't know how bad that meant I'd be. I fell. A lot. If that ice-skating rink would have been a pond or a lake with a weak spot a lot of people would have been drowned. Some of my very kind and patient friends attempted to help me stay standing but it just wasn't working. After a while of falling every 5 (or at least what seemed like 5) steps I decided to sit out and watch for awhile. Note: if you have to sit out of ice-skating and you are watching the people on the ice DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT, set your focus on the 5 year old little girl out there who is an amazing skater. It could quite possibly shatter your confidence. Anyways, after watching for awhile I decided that I should get back out there and try again. Thanks to one very special friend who put up with my incredible slowness, I made it around the rink three times without falling. I think I found out that I can't talk and skate at the same time (one of the only things I've ever found that I can't talk and do at the same time.) I also discovered that ice-skating is a lot like life. You fall down, you get up, you fall down, you get up, and you get the picture. So, I now have another childhood dream fulfilled, and another career crossed off of my dwindling list. But I would totally do it again!
The sad thing that happened on Saturday was that I lost my sunglasses. I got them when I moved here in September, and I loved them. They were the pair of sunglasses I swore I'd never have because they were big. I went through a time period in my life where I didn't like big sunglasses. Matter of fact I despised them. But then that all changed. I decided that the next pair of sunglasses I purchased would be big. And they were. And I loved them. They actually lived longer than most of my sunglasses typically do. Usually I get a pair and lose them in about a month. But not these ones, that was how I knew they were special. They didn't get lost when I went flew to CO in Nov, they didn't get lost in all of the vehicle changing I did while in CO, they didn't get lost on the way back, they didn't get lost on the way to and from OK in Dec, and they didn't break or get lost when I fell with them on the ice. But I go to the grocery store, take them off to try on some reading glasses and leave them in the basket when I leave the store. By the time I got to my car, realized that I had left them, and got back to check the basket they were gone. I was crushed. I feel like I let them down. I have finally come to grips with the fact that they are gone and I have to let them go. But it's not easy. And the thought of buying a new pair crushes my soul...Like a grape (for all you Tangled lovers out there;)
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Friday, February 8, 2013
I'm still alive
Dear Readers,
This post is to prove to you that I am still alive, I didn't fall off of the face of the earth, I wasn't kidnapped, I didn't get lost and/or stranded on a deserted/no technology available island, I didn't.....Well, you get the point! I am still here, and I apologize for the lack of posts. The biggest reason for a bare blog is a terrible lack of my ability to convert the many tumbling, swirling thoughts in my head to something understandable in written form (most of the time the thoughts aren't terribly understandable in my head either, so don't worry, you're not missing out on much.) This post will be an attempt to catch you up on what has happened in my life since September 2012.
In September I moved 1,200 miles away from my home in Oklahoma to Virginia for a job with Home School Legal Defense Association. That was a big move, but one I felt that God led me to. There have been many adjustments to get used to, but the biggest one has been being away from my family. Going from being the oldest of 7 kids to being on your own is quite the change. A very quiet one at that! Thankfully God has provided me with a living situation that has been an incredible blessing. And I LOVE my job. I am a receptionist so that means I get to answer phones and talk to people which is one of my favorite things in the world to do!! The people I work with are amazing and it's been a blessing working with them.
In October I started feeling like I was getting a lot more settled into my job. During that month I had the incredible privilege of helping the Generation Joshua office prepare for the Student Action Teams that would be deployed at the beginning of November. Lots of work, but I loved it!
In November I headed to Denver, CO to help lead a Student Action Team. If you imagined me with about 4 hours of sleep every night, adjusting to the altitude, not eating very much, and drinking lots of coffee and earl grey tea, you'd have a slight picture of that week! All of those factors combined create a person who runs around in a lot of circles like a chicken with it's head cut off, forgets some very important facts, and doesn't handle stress as well as she normally does. But despite the high stress of the week, God used it in some amazing ways in my life. I met some of the most incredible people! I was blessed to have a mom on my team who was such a joy to work with and get to know. Also, my family got to come and help out that week and I was so happy to see them and spend a couple of extra days after the team ended with them in Colorado Springs touring Adventures in Odyssey and seeing some dear friends! A little later that month I celebrated Thanksgiving with some new friends.
In December I got to see Handel's Messiah in the Washington Cathedral. That was one of the best things I've ever done! The only downside was losing my camera somewhere while I was there. ( Note: Do not carry the flash drive storing your pictures in the case with your camera.) In the middle of the month I was Oklahoma and family bound! After some slight travel delays, I made it safe and sound. It's an amazing thing how you can be gone from home for almost 4 months, come back, and feel like you are picking up where you left off. I got to spend a little over two weeks at home and we had a blast. Sleepovers and singing hymns and Christmas carol in the living room, in front of the fireplace with my two youngest siblings, seeing Rise of the Guardians with my sibs, Les Mis with my mom, Dutch Blitz, Apples to Apples, Spiced Cider, Coffee, Christmas Cookies, Christmas Lights, hugs and kisses, and late night talks were some of the best parts of being home. Did I mention how happy it can make you feel to hear your 9 year old brother tell you after the completion of singing a hymn at bedtime "Tatum, I love it when we harmonize." Best.thing.ever! Someday he'll know what real harmonizing sounds like, and he'll know Tatum fails miserably in that area, but for now we'll let him think that we harmonize together :) The worst part of going home was leaving again. Going to the airport and leaving behind 5 crying siblings and your mom isn't an easy thing to do. But, knowing how you are loved is priceless.
I can't think of anything very noteworthy besides work in January. And we are only 8 days (already) into February so I won't comment on it yet!
So there is a very short summary of my life over the past 5 months. I am excited to see what adventures God has in store for me over the next months! One of my goals is to write here more. But I need help. I'd love a list of suggested posts or reader questions to start with. I do much better at that than just coming up with a subject off of the top of my head (as you my have noticed.) So shoot me your ideas and comments and I'll do my best.
This post is to prove to you that I am still alive, I didn't fall off of the face of the earth, I wasn't kidnapped, I didn't get lost and/or stranded on a deserted/no technology available island, I didn't.....Well, you get the point! I am still here, and I apologize for the lack of posts. The biggest reason for a bare blog is a terrible lack of my ability to convert the many tumbling, swirling thoughts in my head to something understandable in written form (most of the time the thoughts aren't terribly understandable in my head either, so don't worry, you're not missing out on much.) This post will be an attempt to catch you up on what has happened in my life since September 2012.
In September I moved 1,200 miles away from my home in Oklahoma to Virginia for a job with Home School Legal Defense Association. That was a big move, but one I felt that God led me to. There have been many adjustments to get used to, but the biggest one has been being away from my family. Going from being the oldest of 7 kids to being on your own is quite the change. A very quiet one at that! Thankfully God has provided me with a living situation that has been an incredible blessing. And I LOVE my job. I am a receptionist so that means I get to answer phones and talk to people which is one of my favorite things in the world to do!! The people I work with are amazing and it's been a blessing working with them.
In October I started feeling like I was getting a lot more settled into my job. During that month I had the incredible privilege of helping the Generation Joshua office prepare for the Student Action Teams that would be deployed at the beginning of November. Lots of work, but I loved it!
In November I headed to Denver, CO to help lead a Student Action Team. If you imagined me with about 4 hours of sleep every night, adjusting to the altitude, not eating very much, and drinking lots of coffee and earl grey tea, you'd have a slight picture of that week! All of those factors combined create a person who runs around in a lot of circles like a chicken with it's head cut off, forgets some very important facts, and doesn't handle stress as well as she normally does. But despite the high stress of the week, God used it in some amazing ways in my life. I met some of the most incredible people! I was blessed to have a mom on my team who was such a joy to work with and get to know. Also, my family got to come and help out that week and I was so happy to see them and spend a couple of extra days after the team ended with them in Colorado Springs touring Adventures in Odyssey and seeing some dear friends! A little later that month I celebrated Thanksgiving with some new friends.
In December I got to see Handel's Messiah in the Washington Cathedral. That was one of the best things I've ever done! The only downside was losing my camera somewhere while I was there. ( Note: Do not carry the flash drive storing your pictures in the case with your camera.) In the middle of the month I was Oklahoma and family bound! After some slight travel delays, I made it safe and sound. It's an amazing thing how you can be gone from home for almost 4 months, come back, and feel like you are picking up where you left off. I got to spend a little over two weeks at home and we had a blast. Sleepovers and singing hymns and Christmas carol in the living room, in front of the fireplace with my two youngest siblings, seeing Rise of the Guardians with my sibs, Les Mis with my mom, Dutch Blitz, Apples to Apples, Spiced Cider, Coffee, Christmas Cookies, Christmas Lights, hugs and kisses, and late night talks were some of the best parts of being home. Did I mention how happy it can make you feel to hear your 9 year old brother tell you after the completion of singing a hymn at bedtime "Tatum, I love it when we harmonize." Best.thing.ever! Someday he'll know what real harmonizing sounds like, and he'll know Tatum fails miserably in that area, but for now we'll let him think that we harmonize together :) The worst part of going home was leaving again. Going to the airport and leaving behind 5 crying siblings and your mom isn't an easy thing to do. But, knowing how you are loved is priceless.
I can't think of anything very noteworthy besides work in January. And we are only 8 days (already) into February so I won't comment on it yet!
So there is a very short summary of my life over the past 5 months. I am excited to see what adventures God has in store for me over the next months! One of my goals is to write here more. But I need help. I'd love a list of suggested posts or reader questions to start with. I do much better at that than just coming up with a subject off of the top of my head (as you my have noticed.) So shoot me your ideas and comments and I'll do my best.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)