8.30.2007

sing it, willy!

well, i'm on the road again. This weekend, I'm headed to Chicago (please no referring to it as "chi-town") for Robyn & Austin's wedding!

Robyn and I went to Baylor together and were in lifegroup together. We have a pretty special friendship- I feel like she's seen some pivotal moments in my life and I, hers. She is a compassionate friend who is so easy to be around. And she's marrying a hilarious & awesome dude. So, I'm excited and honored to be pulling bridesmaid duty this weekend! I will give y'all the scoop upon my return.



Having said this, I am sad to leave behind at the homestead, one very devoted med student and one very lick-y dog. My 2 boys will be "roughing it" without me and I can't wait to hear what they eat for supper. I will miss those two a lot.

8.25.2007

i need a timeout

Dear Bloggy Nation,

I am sorry I have been an awful blogger. No updates in almost a calendar week? blasphemy! let it not be heard of.

Ah, summer- when the days stretched out before me like the blue in the ocean. I blogged, I kept my house sparkling. I went to the Y twice a day. Ah, summer.

Actually, I really am so grateful to be working. Yes, it does change my days, clearly. But my last pay check came in from teaching last week, so good thing I have a job, right? I really like the ladies back in student affairs that I work with- they are a funny conglomeration (spelling?) but we all have each other's backs. and we laugh a lot. That is great news! Right now, in pharmacy admissions, we are finishing matriculating the incoming students- they will start sept. 18th with orientation. But they have to get a lot done by then- paperwork, immunizations, etc. etc. Its a lot of handholding, but its fun. Meanwhile, applications for the next admissions cycle are coming in and we're beginning to process those and get them ready for admissions committee meetings. Interviews will start in November and then begins the busier seasons of hosting kiddos on campus, etc.

Adam, meanwhile, is studying his little head off because he has his first BIG exam on Monday. Now so far, he has done very well on the quizzes. (Why does quizzes have 2 z's? that seems odd.) Anyways, sometimes he'll ask me to come in and help him study. So, I try. Yes, I try to pronounce the words. They are difficult. So, I kinda make up nicknames for the anatomy words. I don't know if thats too beneficial for his studying. But its fun! Its kinda like a game show, you know? And I'm bob barker with my long, skinny microphone. Right now, Adam is at the anatomy lab looking at cadaviers in preparation for the practical part of his test. He always smells so good after anatomy lab.

joke.

Well, the other day I told you all our exciting plans for the fall- but now we have a very very exciting addition!! On December 30th, Brooke and Free are coming to visit us!!!!!!

We are so happy that they can come and play in the snow with us and we can play boardgames and cards and sled and laugh just like old times in Waco! B & F are such loyal, thoughtful, hilarious, honest, fun, and wonderful friends. They would do anything for us and we love them! So, we are excited that they are coming to Erie as a finally married couple in December and we get to spend New Years Eve with them!

A few pictures to demonstrate whats going on around the house today:






exciting, no?

8.19.2007

wild animals

short story:

this morning i had my long run at the peninsula. it was really early and there weren't many people on the trail, so I, as a woman, was trying to be cautious and aware of my surroundings. I was running down a winding part of the path and all of a sudden as i rounded a curve, something darted out in front of me. I gasped, it was.. it was...

a wild turkey.




mr. turkey was HUGE, his head was almost up to my shoulder! he ran in front of me for a few moments and then darted into the woods. i was kinda scared he would peck me and give me a black eye like those ostriches in 'dude, where's my car'. but alls well that ends well.....

8.18.2007

reroute

Oh, and to address the marathon dilemna. Well, since Houston was out of the question, due to work conflicts, we had to regroup. We kept doing our training and thought and decided to do the Dallas White Rock marathon! Now, it is over a MONTH before the Houston marathon so we are having to bump up our schedule, but I think we'll be fine.

So I'm excited to do my first ever 26.2 miles with my best pal, Mary lou, back in Texas! Yeehaw!!!


mary lou

Also, my mom might come and do the half marathon! double louisiana trouble. she's the boss- she gives us good coaching on marathon training. what a buff young lady.

cafe con leche?

In fifty years, he never worked a day. To him, nine to five was odds on a horse.
- Archie Bunker

Well, the 1st week of work is finished and I'm alive! Actually, I really like this job in admissions. The gals I work with in Student Affairs are fantastic and lots of fun. Wild and crazy guys. Its a big change to go from teaching to a job in an office with grown-ups. Teaching is difficult because you have to be totally engaged 24/7. You can't just slip out and go to the bathroom or zone out for a second, you know? Or the kids will go wild and eat your lunch. Thats why they have to give teachers the summers off. Or else they would go bananas. So, work so far, is fun and funny at times when people call with the craziest questions about applications and admissions and stuff.

Adam and I get to eat lunch together in the caf everyday just like a little high school couple or nursing home couple. either way. but its nice to get to have a break in the middle of the day to catch up. Adam's first BIG test is a week from Monday and today he is at the anatomy lab with some professors practicing for his practicum on some dead dude. Basically there will be a lot of pins on a cadavier and he will have to tell them what they are, what they do, etc.

Today is fantastic, feels like fall. The high for the day is 68!! how fall like is that? And I'm excited because we have some exciting weekends approaching. On labor day weekend, I'm in Robyn's wedding in Chicago. On Sept. 14th, my besty Mary Lou is coming to visit! On Sept. 22nd, we have brooke and free's wedding in Waco! and on Oct. 4th my parent units are coming into town! Fall is glorious.

8.13.2007

happy hour

Well, today was the 1st day of work and it went very well, amigos. i really like my coworkers and i am gettins slowly eased into the application/matriculation processes. Adam & I got to eat lunch together too! And I must take a moment to brag on my husband, he got a 97 on his 1st quiz! Yay Adam!!!! smarty pants mcgee.

i got up early to walk powers this morning in hopes that he would sleep all day, but instead he somehow opened the cabinet underneath the sink and got the rotisserie chicken out of the trashcan and finished that bad boy off. crazy mutt. he had the guilty quivering look when we got home and then we figured out why.

Well, sad news - i can't do the houston marathon. everyone in student affairs is required to work 2 saturdays out of the year- 1 is in june for graduation and the other is january 12th (the day before the marathon) for white coat ceremony. booooo. so now i'm looking online for another marathon to do around the same time so i don't lose my momentum.

all in all, great day! i love my job so far and adam is doing great in school and powers ate a whole chicken, so there you go..

8.10.2007

gone a-pickin'

i found my thrill
on blueberry hill...
-Fats Domino



Today my pal, Sarah, and I went to pick blueberries at a farm. Adam loves blueberries so much that he makes that kid on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory look neutral. Anyways, blueberries are expensive at the store, but if you drive down 99 you'll hit a farm that sells them for 2.50 a QUART if you pick them yourself.
The day was warm but Sarah and I talked about everything under the sun and I got stung by a bee on my middle finger. Actually, it was my 1st bee sting of my life!! 24 years sans bee sting and then boom.

the bushes


me searching for that perfect berry


sarah is a speedy picker


Then, Sarah & I were driving back to her house and we passed the new chic-fil-a that they are building They had the cow out front holding up a sign that said free chicken sandwiches! anyways, josh, sarah's husband loves the chickfila chicken sandwich and so we pulled a u-ie and drove up.

thanks, udderless cow.
good day

8.09.2007

working girl

yep, just strap on my white keds and call me pam. i am a working girl.

except i can't wear keds, i have to wear businessy clothes. turns out, i don't really have those, since i used to teach and wear things to impress small children- they always loved the bright beads and dinosaur tee & capris. Anyways, excepting my interview suit, i didn't have any professional clothes- went on a short trip- now i have something to work with- the pencil skirt, slacks, dressy shirt. you know. buy! buy! no, sell! sell! sell! (phoebe)

today i had to go to lecom to fill out a mountain of paperwork and meet my co-workers. I smiled and tried to remember everybody's name (sarah, sarah, brown hair, sarah eats a pear-a, no.. sarah has a pet bear-a?....my devices don't always work so well). good times. and i met my little cubicle. hello cubicle.

we are very grateful for my job and also to be insured that i don't turn into crazy dog-lady. there's only one place for crazy dog-lady to go... she turns into crazy bird-lady. sitting in the park, feeding the birds bread crumb, letting them rest on my shoulders. a gentle creature. not me, though. i am a professional, by george.

adam has 1st quiz tomorrow. well, besides his orientation quiz he took- which he ACED by the way. i helped him study by calling out questions. it was humbling. i could not pronunce half of the words and had to sound them out. good thing i'm not in med school. b...b-l...blooo.... bloood... blood? just kidding, i knew that one. adam has been getting up at 5 a.m. every morning faithfully to study. he says he studies best in the early morning. i sleep best in the early morning. we have so much in common

8.08.2007

chinese freeze tag

do you remember chinese freeze tag? the rules varied from playground to playground but, basically, if you got tagged by whoever was 'it', you had to stand there, frozen, with your legs in a 'v'. then, you couldn't unfreeze until someone crawled between, underneath your legs. There was always the kid who would just act like he didn't get tagged. Everytime, he would either throw a fit "nuh-uh!! you didn't get me" or once he had been tagged, he would wait a few seconds, then just unfreeze and jump back in the game, even though, clearly, noone had crawled between his legs! THEN, if someone called him on it (like me, i had a thick sense of justice as a kid), he would lie and then cry. Ah, I remember that kid. Anyways, I have been tagged, thanks to my colorado pal, jen.

The Rules:

1. Post the rules
2. List 8 random facts or habits about yourself.
3. If you are tagged, then you must Post the rules and list 8 random facts or habits about yourself.
4. After you post, tag people and let them know they must read your blog for the rules.

okay, so.

1. Anyone who has ever slept in the same room with me can tell you this, I am obsessive about my nighttime water/bathroom ritual. I cannot fall asleep without water beside my head, and mind you, it has to be enough- half a nalgene or more. I cannot fall asleep with anything in my bladder. The result? I go to the bathroom, get in bed, take a sip of water. Minutes later, I feel the urge, I go to the bathroom, get in bed, take a sip. Sometimes I have to throw a water refilll in because my nalgene levels get to low. Repeat until asleep. Now, in college, I was AWFUL about this. My roommate, caroline, would always say "dribble, dribble" when I went to the bathroom because, well.. you can figure that one out. But I have gotten better since being married and lately am down to only 1 or 2 trips before sleepy-town.

2. Although I've had no formal training, anyone who has lived with me will tell you that I love to dance. While I'm waiting on the microwave to finish, while my husband is reading and i get antsy, while I'm talking on the phone, I do it all the time. and poorly. But its fun.

3. I feel guilty in grocery stores, if I try the sample from the sample lady but then don't take whatever she's pitching. So, say she's like "here try this bbq sauce on this piece of beef!" i'l be like, "okay. (taste) oh wow. thats so good." and she'll be like "here's a recipe and here are the different sauces" and she'll point to the sauces. and i'll be like "okay! great!" and i'll grab a bottle. but then, once i'm away from her, i'll put the bottle down somewhere on the bbq aisle, well, okay. sometimes not on the bbq aisle. because, honestly, i don't need that sauce! Adam's always like, "you're absurd. she doesn't care!" but i made her FEEL like she made a sale. so maybe, just maybe, her confidence will boost and she WILL make a sale! a-ha! no? yeah, probably not.

4. I used to have my nose pierced in college. My mother loved it! not.

5. I want a pink Vespa scooter. In college, my roommate Caroline had a blue electric scooter, and me, Lindsey, and Caroline would all 3 ride on it to class or sometimes to parties. Sure, it was a tight fit, but we like closeness. Then, Adam had a moped that we would ride around on when we were dating in school. It was so fun and had an incredibly silly horn. I think the snow and ice might prohibit the use of a pink vespa scooter up here in Pennsylvania, though.

6. I remember every morning of my childhood, waking up to the sound of my mom putting on her makeup. Well, actually the sound was her hitting the bottle of face makeup against the palm of her hand 3 times. Everytime, the same rhythm, the same noise. Now, I do the 3-hit.

7. My dad would ring the bell for the salvation army at Christmas outside of the grocery store. He would let me come when I was a kid and we would sing carols. One time, my best pal, Mary Lou, came too and we had on red santa hats and were singing "Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer", and also, me and Mary Lou had these LOUD shirts on with pictures of Santa puff-painted onto them. and we got our picture in the paper. Good times.

8. When Adam and I were dating, I would play the "trust game" with him, randomly, without telling him. I would plant my feet, lock my legs and lean forward or back. He would always catch me, though. He's good at that.

You're it, fellow bloggy friends.

8.07.2007

hallelujah!

so, just got an email from the hr director and i GOT THE JOB!!! yay, if i accept i will be an admissions counselor for lecom pharmacy school!!!!! thank you, Lord!

the delay? well, the hr lady had some unexpected business out of town and just returned. hot diggity dog.

8.06.2007

bookworms

I am a book lover through and through.

As a child, I had thick bangs and freckles. I remember elementary school, suddenly becoming self-conscious about things that, days before, I didn't know were even issues. Being called out of class for G.T. (lovingly referred to as geek training by classmates). But books were always my escape. My best friend, Mary Lou, and I would read the same books and then act out these scenarios during our play time. We would transplant into a scene full of promise and adventure where we were indispensable and always did what was brave and good. We borrowed scenarios full of discovery from our favorite books and jumped in. The best times were when you forgot yourself for a moment. When you almost believed that you were somewhere else doing something fantastic and divine.

The best books are the ones you try to prolong. You pull yourself away and try to engage in other things- chores, phone conversations, anything to avoid this wonderful story being over. The best books captivate you and make your heart beat wildly with anticipation. One part of you needing resolutoin- your eyes speed up, flying down the page. You exhale slowly and command your mind to stay present, read carefully, because you don't want to miss a single word. The best books teleport you to new places that you can see and feel, places that you know better than ones you see daily. The best books draw you out of your secure dwelling and give hope. They inspire and you find yourself dreaming dreams you hadn't thought to. The best books fill you with sadness when they are finished. Not because of a tragic ending, but because the romance is over, you have said goodbye to friends and places and ideas.

That love of story is in all of us, even if you're not a booklover. My husband loves movies like Gladiator and Braveheart. Its the story that captivates us. I love that Jesus saw that in us- our love of stories. That he told us stories, ones that stir hope in us, that make us yearn for eternity. Stories that make us want to jump in and live right and true lives, full of boldness and faithfulness. His stories don't end bittersweetly, though, for the hope is real and present.

go bookworms.

8.05.2007

3 cheers for running!

hip hip hooray.

lately as i've been training for this marathon, i've been more aware of how much my thoughts and what I choose to dwell on impacts my running. The same is completely true in life. In running if I focus on the pain or discomfort, then I'll let those thoughts eat at me and I'll want to quit, I'll slow down, I won't run well. However, if I focus on being thankful for legs & the time to run, if I focus my thoughts on the joy and release I'll feel when I'm done, if I focus on the parts of me that do feel good and the improvement i see in my running, then my run will thrive.
Likewise in life, if I focus on pain or the things i don't have, then I'm likely to be discontent & not so much a vessel for the love of God. But if I focus on the glory of eternity and the love of Christ and the work He's faithfully doing in me, then I'm more likely to thrive daily.

It works the same way with comparison. If skinny mclonglegs fastrunner girl zooms by me, am i filled with envy? does it make me want to quit? do i want to trip her??? or am i encouraged by her fast skills- encouraged to run faster myself? do i choose to admire her and work harder myself or to tear myself down by comparison?
what about in life? am i discouraged by brothers and sisters that i see walking in the Spirit and thriving? Do i listen to thoughts of comparison and beat myself up and throw a regular pity party? or do i focus instead on the Lord's heart of diversity and his unique giftings he's given different ones of us? do i rejoice in others success and feel encouraged to run harder too?

Thoughts are funny. They can be looming and heavy, overpowering and sometimes oppressive or they can be light and dainty- something barely remembered that floats on by. Sometimes they are barely a whisper and other times they are consuming and fill our heads like thunder. The mind is a battlefield. The good news is that we are not enslaved to our weird, fleshy thoughts. With the power of the Spirit, we can choose to fill our heads and think of things that will encourage us, help us run harder, and helps us love others well.


Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
-phl 4:8

8.03.2007

Carpentry much?

Well, no word on the job. I take that as probably a no-go, but thats okay. the Lord is trustworthy and he gives good gifts to his kiddos and I remain confident that He will make a way for a job! yeehaw!

Thereafter, Hagar referred to the Lord, who had spoken to her, as "the God who sees me," for she said, "I have seen the One who sees me!"
-Gen 16:13

'tis good to know that we are seen & known by the Living God and that in our restlessness, craziness, pain, highs, and all of life, he is MORE than enough and draws near to us little ragamuffins because of his great compassion.

Adam is enjoying med school. I think he is becoming more confident and less intimidated by the huge amounts of information and super smarties. he IS a super smarty, by golly i say. its nice to be his cheerleader during this season of life. Its nice that doing random everyday things at the house help contribute to his success like cooking supper, etc.

also, in great news, KIKI, one of my besties in the world, is engaged!!! sadly she is in colorado and i haven't even met Kevin. but he did a GOOD job proposing with a very creative day in the mountains. we love her and are so stinking excited.
a picture from their proposal:

8.02.2007