I am not a blogger. Have you figured that out yet?
My niece was born 3 weeks ago. She is beautiful and perfect. I was fortunately able to go and meet her when she was only 2 days old! With any luck, and massive amounts of prayer, I hope to be an aunt that is able to be an active influence in my niece's life. I want to be able to take her out on Saturdays to the zoo, or be so close that I can babysit when mom and dad want to go out, and spoil her absolutely rotten, because I am the aunt and that is what aunts can do! :-)
Needless to say, I am counting down the days until I see her again. 8!!!!!!!!
Dear blog, I am very sorry to have neglected you for so long. My last post being August 22nd makes sense, considering that my semester began on August 25th and I've been running around like a crazy person ever since.
I am anxiously awaiting my little niece Libbie's entrance into the world. I wish I were in Nashville right now instead of trying desperately to finish assignments in case I need to take off quickly one of these days.
I am feeling utterly tired and sarcastic this morning, but somehow I cannot manage to write an amusing blog for you to read. I miss my sister and I am getting a niece sometime in the next 8 days, at the latest on November 4th. That's about all I'm focusing on right now :-)
I try not to be overly serious on here...but prepare yourself for a sappy-fest!
I am so blessed!
1. I have a wonderful family- a sister who loves me and is also about to bring another member of my family into the world!, a sweet brother-in-law who adores my sister, a mom and dad who tolerate me still living with them at the age of 23 and take me on amazing vacations to Cancun.
2. The absolute best friends anyone could ask for. (yes, my friends are better than yours.) Not only do I have amazing girl friends here ranging in age from their 20's to their 60's, I also have friends in Virginia (and other scattered places) from college. My friends forgive me when I don't answer my cell phone because I left it on silent. I even have friends who still love me and send me texts that say "you are amazing" when I haven't spoken to him in months.
3. I have a God who thinks I am beautiful and sent His son, his only Son, to die for me. This should have been first on the list. Forgive me, it's after midnight.
4. I have the opportunity to continue my education so I can pursue my passion of teaching children. So many people don't get to do what they are passionate about as a career, and I look forward to it!
5. Did I mention that I am crazy about my family and friends and feel so blessed to have them in my life? Just checking... :)
6. I am the proud sponsor (through Compassion International) of a beautiful little Ecuadorian girl who will be 6 in October. I feel so blessed that I am financially able to share with this little girl who her mom describes as a good, obedient, and peaceful child.
Big Brother is on right now--gotta love how they tear each other apart. It's really amazing. Last season, they were backstabbers and mean. This year, they are LOUD. They yell at each other like EVERY day. And no one cries as a result of these fights...it amazes me, really!
I think I might make an interesting reality TV personality...I would be crying all the time, but I wouldn't let people step on me. A real Christian--not ones that go on and create "Team God" and continue to backstab and lie. Not a pastor's son who immediately starts having sex with a blonde bimbo. But a real Christian. It'd be pretty cool.
Anyways, off to Cancun tomorrow, so it's time to reeeeelax :-)
6 days until beach! I am staying in this lovely resort. and I am so excited! I thought for this occasion, I would list my top vacations I've taken in the past, not really in a particular order.
1. Grand Bahama, 2006- My mom and I took a girls vacation, and we had a blast just hanging out at the hotel pool and taking a ferry to the neighboring Port Lucaya to shop and eat at our fave restaurant there--the Irish pub!! LOL.
2. Disney World, Christmas 2002- Yes, I convinced my family to go to Disney World for the Christmas before my 18th birthday. It's amazing...our Christmas Eve plans were ruined and we were wading in water up to our ankles through pouring rain, but it was really one of the more fun Christmases I can remember. Plus it was one of the last family vacations we got to take with my sister!
3. DollyWood, 2006 (I think!)- We were actually staying outside of Pigeon Forge, but Dollywood was one of the big things we did. It was an awesome vacation--we stayed in a cabin in the woods, and there was a jacuzzi! And Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt were there!
4. Niagara Falls- I think I was in elementary school when we did this...but I can still remember the feeling of the mist on my face as we rode under the falls on the Maid of the Mist. Truly a breathtaking sight.
5. California, 2005- We went to San Diego and went to TWO zoos. I've always loved zoos. The wild animal park was amazing, and the San Diego zoo wasn't bad itself. Also, I had the best Mexican food I'd ever had in old town. Then a few days later we moved onto LA, went through the beach I read about in the Christy Miller series, then went to Disney Land/California theme parks (16 hours!). Then into LA where we did Rodeo Drive (lame) and went to see the Jay Leno Show live (awesome!)
6. Yellowstone, 2003/4???- Another beauty of the world. The nature was gorgeous.
7. Disney World 1993- this was when I was 8, and was the first trip I remember to Disney. Everything was so magical!
8. Carnival Cruise, 1996- My first cruise! We got to dress up for dinner, and I learned the Macarena!
9. Myrtle Beach, basically every other year in between these!
10. Virginia Beach, Spring Break '03- I went with my mom because my Spring Break trip to Scotland/England got cancelled. It was cold! But we had so much fun!
I have been so blessed with having awesome family vacations, and an awesome family, period!
I have been asked to update! I thought I would post something that I wrote yesterday while preparing for leading my small group. Please enjoy :-)
To say my heart plunged into my stomach when the Pharisee burst into my room was an understatement.The moment he grabbed my arm, pulling me away from the man in my bed, I knew that I was going to die.I clutched at blankets and discarded clothing, anything to hide my immodestly dressed figure.I screamed as I landed on the clay ground and the lump in my throat made breathing even more difficult than the cloud of dust our scuffle had caused to invade my lungs.The angry man wrenched me to my bare feet and slapped me, leaving bold red marks across my face.
“What do you want?” I cried, trying to regain any of my confidence.
“What do I want?” he sneered.“He will answer.And he will pay.”My eyes flashed to the man in the corner, who was hurriedly dressing.He looked back at me with cold, blank eyes and I realized quickly that he wasn’t the man that the Pharisee was talking about.If it wasn’t him, who were they after?
He pulled me out the door and into the city streets quickly.I struggled, but I was nothing against the power of this man’s anger.He reached the temple courts and threw me at a man’s feet.The rabbi Yeshua.I had only heard about this man—performing miracles, giving sermons, and spending time with outcasts—people like me.I barely heard the shouts of the Pharisees.The calmness and gentleness that radiated from this man, this teacher, overpowered me.
The man who had dragged me from my home spoke.“Teacher, I found this woman in the act of adultery.In the Law of Moses, we are commanded to stone such women.”He paused, it seemed, for effect.“What then do you say?”
I couldn’t see this man’s face, but I stared at his feet from my place on the ground, tears rolling down my face.I cursed the white fabric of my undergarment that clung to every curve I had.No one would ever forgive me.I didn’t deserve any forgiveness—I was an adulteress, a sinner, an outcast.The teachers had found in the law that I was unworthy to live any longer, and I was about to die.
The man kneeled on the ground.I felt his eyes on me for a brief moment before he started to write on the ground.I glanced up at him, incredulous.What was he doing?The teachers still taunted him, asking questions, almost daring him to answer.He stood, and the crowd and the teachers hushed, waiting with bated breath for his answer, hoping, praying, that he would condemn himself by answering.“If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”He stooped back down beside me and continued his scribbling on the ground.
I threw my arms over my head, waiting for the self-righteous Pharisees to throw their stones and incite everyone else to violence.The stones never came.The shuffle of retreating footsteps began, and I raised my head.I watched in amazement as everyone left, the older citizens first, and the Pharisees reluctantly last, surely cursing this Yeshua in their heads, and already beginning more scheming of how to trap him in another way.
He stopped scribbling in the dirt and rose to his feet, brushing the sand from his garments, and held out a hand to me.I hesitated, but took his hand, which was worn with calluses like a carpenter, but at the same time, warm, comforting, and gentle.He pulled me to my feet and asked, “Woman, where are they?Has no one condemned you?”
“N-no one, sir,” I stammered, unsure of what to say.Surely a man so good would have a few words to say about the actions I had committed.
He pulled the wide sash of fabric from around his waist and gently wrapped it around my shoulders, his eyes filled with a love I hadn’t seen since my father had died.“Then neither do I condemn you.Go on your way and sin no more.”And he was gone.
I fell to my knees and cried.The fabric around my shoulders was still warm from his touch.I felt lighter than I had in years.I had deserved the punishment that the Pharisees had been ready to give me.How could this ordinary man, who traveled around teaching, have been able to fill a void in my heart that had been there as long as I could remember?I rose to my feet slowly, wiping away my tears.Why?By vouching for me, he could have suffered the fate of stoning himself.Then I knew.The rumors that this man, this Yeshua, was our Messiah were true.I wouldn’t need married men or empty pleasures to fill the void any longer.My God has stopped for a moment, held out his hand, and forgiven me of it all.
Auntie Roo is sooo excited. I've never been quite this excited about a baby. I guess it's because I was the youngest, so I've never witnessed anyone in my immediate family go through pregnancy. My one and only sister is having a child and it's kind of cool to witness a miracle. Her baby belly gets bigger every time I see her. If I could buy ANYTHING for my niece or sister, here is the list:
The cutest diaper bag ever. My sister has picked a brown and pink one...so this is just a little more flamboyant, and fabulous.
I love these. Every little girl needs a little animal print in her life. Especially my niece.
Car seat cover. Both useful and pretty! That way my sister and her husband can get a gender-neutral carseat, and Libbie can have the girliness she deserves
:-)
I think this is a pretty sweet baby sling. It's not pink, unlike the other items on the page, but it is stylish and pretty. Could be used if my sister ever has a boy, too.
A comfy glider for my sister (or brother-in-law, in fact) when there are late night baby wailings. :-) I think I would prefer this in the olivey-green that would match their nursery set.
I never thought the best friends I would make here would be (for the most part) divorced women.
My small group consists of mostly single women--in every decade 20's-60's. Excepting us girls in our 20's and one woman about to turn the big 4-0, the rest have been divorced. Amazingly, most of them are not bitter and have accepted it and gotten through it with God's help. It's really nice to be able to learn things about Christ from them because they have so much to share.
People really like it when you cook not out of a box.
I made Emeril's Tex-Mex Gooey Casserole (click the link for the recipe--and do it! People love it!) for my small group for dinner tonight, and it was the biggest hit! I got so many thank-yous for my COOKING (which I must say, is not particularly a forte of mine.) even from the 12 year old daughters, and a sweet little 6-year-old. It's not that I don't enjoy cooking, but because I still live with my parents, I don't cook all that often. I may have to amend that--I think it would be an act of service that my mom deserves.
Time for some of myFAVORITE QUOTATIONS!! (Random fact: People who use the verb "quote" instead of the noun "quotation" get on my nerves.)
"Delighting thyself in the Lord is the sudden realization that He has become the desire of your heart." ~Beth Moore
“If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together, there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart, I'll always be with you.” ~Winnie the Pooh
"Grace's worst is better than the world's best." ~James Manton
"When things are looking bad, God is up to something good!" ~a woman from my church
"It's in every one of us to be wise Find your heart, open up both your eyes We can all know everything Without ever knowing why It's in every one of us by and by." ~John Denver and the Muppets
More to come when I actually have my quotations journal with me...
Deanna Pappas is CRAZY. And ABC is EVIL for misleading all its viewers.
For those of you who have not watched "The Bachelorette" like I have this season, here is a small update.
DeAnna got rejected by Brad Womack a couple of seasons ago on the Bachelor. He didn't pick anyone that time. I'm glad I didn't watch that season...what a loser. So, since he was a loser, they let her on to find love again as The Bachelorette this season.
Well yesterday, at the Season Finale, DeAnna was down to two men:
Jason Mesnick, Accounting Executive, and single father of a gorgeous 3-year-old boy
Jesse Csincsak, Pro Snowboarder and amazingly awkward person.
To me, the decision was simple. Jason--a single dad already settled in Seattle, Washington with a real job, who was totally in love and ready to be married. Jesse--a 26-year-old adventure-lover who didn't really seem ready to settle down (2 weeks before he proposed, we watched him tell his dad that he wasn't sure that he was ready to settle down and be married).
Not to mention Jeremy, the 3rd place man . When she cut Jeremy instead of Jesse one week ago, I was shocked beyond belief. This is when I began to think that DeAnna might just be an idiot. She proclaimed that Jeremy was "perfect" for her, but sent him home. She cried. She cried when she sent like every guy home. I would have slapped her if I were Jeremy and asked why SHE was crying. Lame.
And then there is the matter of last names. Who on earth would CHOOSE to have the last name Csincsak over Mesnick? Honestly, Deanna. Have fun with telemarketers for the rest of your life. And having to spell your name for EVERYONE. Take it from someone who has had their last name mispronounced and misspelled their entire life...you chose wrong.
Dear Jason, if you read this, I am single and ready to settle down. We can discuss the whole Seattle thing later.
Applying SPF 45 multiple times in a day should prevent you from getting sunburn. Unfortunately, for this pale princess, that was not the case. This is the 3rd time I've gotten burnt in the past 2 months...no, none of these times did I go without sunscreen. And it annoys me when people say, "You need to learn to wear sunscreen!" But I do enjoy the looks on their faces when I informed them that I was, in fact, wearing sunscreen, of a higher SPF than they have ever even tried. NO, I don't want skin cancer. I would also like to not have to wear long sleeves and pants when I hit the beach this summer.
#1 The smell of cookies baking may be the best in the world.
I made peanut butter cookies with chocolate chunks and mini peanut butter cups tonight. (Don't be impressed, they're the refrigerated kind you buy. My sister would be ashamed.) The smell of them cooking was just awesome.
#2 One of my favorite things to do is watch movies.
In fact, I, Auntie Roo may be a movie-whore. I have a pretty extensive DVD collection. And yes, in fact, I do own a VHS of "From Justin to Kelly." If you don't know what that is, shame on you. (I also own the Britney Spears classic "Crossroads"...this was before the lost her mind.)
My friend and I watched Mad Money tonight. It has Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah, and Katie Holmes in it. Pretty much an unexplainable trio. It's a cute movie. Not my fave, but a cute movie.
My sister. VanderbiltWife, has a blog that I love to read. She lives about 12 hours away, so I find it's a good way to catch up with my sister's life. I have never been good about keeping up a blog, so unfortunately, she does not have the same connection to my thoughts as I have with her life. Again, I might try to actually do this. Does it stem out of boredom in a job that does not always give me ample things to do?Maybe.
In a previous blog, I made about 8 entries before I got bored trying to be deep and insightful, when I'm not really.
So here they are...very random thoughts from me.
Pets that can do tricks are cool.
Yesterday I watched Pet Star (Mario Lopez looks even better than he did in his AC Slater days). There are bulldogs that can skateboard, a squirrel that could waterski, a poodle that could pick specific things out of a purse (sometimes I cannot find ANYTHING in my purse, so this is amazing to me). I decided yesterday that I wanted to train my three parakeets, Elvis, Marilyn, and Sammy to tandem bicycle. You cannot deny that would be the COOLEST trick ever.
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