Time for a change...

Oh Moses.

Wade and me at his sponsors' house. :)

Well, I decided it was time for a change to the blog layout! So enjoy the new color scheme! Because I'm such a fan of lists and I can't think of anything more clever to do, here is a list of recent happenings:

1) I have been off work for a total of 3 days and I'm SO.BORED.

2) Wade is in Kenya and I miss him terribly. But we did Skype on Saturday which was great! Skype is not as hard to figure out as I was afraid of. :)

3) I was in Annapolis last weekend and we watched the Parade of Lights which is where all the boats/yachts decorate for Christmas and then parade around. It was interesting and fun!

4) I am done with my Christmas shopping. 3 gifts left to wrap, which I keep avoiding.

5) I have a horrible cold. I sound like a boy going through puberty! It's ridiculous. Plus I've used more kleenex in the last 3 days than I have ever used in my life. This is not normal for me!

6) I'm having dinner with Julia tonight and it's going to be so fun!! :)

7) I'm probably having dinner with Misty-misdemeanor tomorrow night (and possibly Megan GORDON) which will also be a lot of fun!

8) I leave for Gulf Shores in 4 days. I WILL get a tan, no matter how chilly it is. I can't let Wade get too much darker than me! haha

9) I promise to start blogging a little more often. Especially pictures. Be looking for my pictures from Gulf Shores soon!

10) Christmas is here and I can't even believe it! This fall went by so fast. I hope the spring also goes fast- and I'm looking forward to doing a lot of traveling on the weekends.

11) I made my first batch of home-made macaroni and cheese and it turned out to be pretty decent. Actually, really great!

12) Last night was the neighborhood Christmas party. I had 2 glasses of Riesling wine (which my sister tried to tell me I was going to die because I'm also on cold medicine). At least all I had to do was walk upstairs to get home because the party was downstairs in my landlords' house.

13) I hope you have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I AM NOT...

I saw this on Jennifer's blog and thought it was fun. I guess you write opposites of how you honestly feel! Plus I have nothing else to do...so here goes:



1) I am NOT desperately ready to see Wade, and I am NOT thinking only about when I do get to finally see him again!

2) I am NOT supposed to be going to bed because I have work tomorrow.

3) I did NOT have 3 sodas this week.

4) I did NOT promise to go to work with a more positive attitude this week and then fail at every attempt...and then cry a lot when I had a rough week...

5) I did NOT skip the Wednesday staff meeting.

6) I do NOT remember one of my Christmas presents that has already been ordered and then repeatedly remind the person who ordered it for me that I am looking forward to getting it!


Well, that's all I've got for now. I guess I really am kind of tired. But here's a picture of the best date ever to leave you with... (except they're at the top...I can't figure out my new laptop!!!)

From east to west...

Last night I was reading Psalm 103. The Lord really spoke to me through this scripture and I wanted to share it, although I am not so great with words...so I will leave you with the verses that stood out to me and hopefully the Holy Spirit will bring you some joy over the realizations of God's greatness.

"The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are from the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust." (vs. 8-14)

"But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children-
with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts." (vs. 17-18)

And these scriptures remind me of a quote from a newly favorite movie of mine...
"I am a great sinner...Christ is a great savior."

Faithful Citizen!

Hey friends! It has been waaaaaaaaay too long! Here's what's been going on with me:

First and foremost, I voted today! Early voting is definitely worth it. We only had to wait somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes. Although, Dad and I had to wait for Mom to finish bubbling. Apparently she is a bubble perfectionist when it comes to voting. I can only imagine what it would be like if she were one of my students taking the TAKS! haha As a second-time voter I had much less confusion. I am just ready for the election to be over and find out who the next man in charge will be.

I've seen 2 AMAZINGLY GOOD movies recently. The Secret Life of Bees and The Duchess. Both tear-jerkers so take your tissues!!! You have to see them though. I promise your life will be changes (well, that may not be entirely true, but it's a good thing to say to sway people to do what you want them to).

Wade was here a few weekends ago. We drove to Lubbock for the Tech vs. Nebraska game. He understands what I mean now when I say there is nothing to do in Lubbock. He also understand the smell of cows blowing in the wind...

I don't know if I even posted about when I went to visit Wade in Annapolis! That was a month or so ago. It was so much fun! I am so glad that I can visualize it now when he's telling me where he is/went/is going to.

My laptop is slowly dying so I am using my dad's until my new one comes. Supposedly it was shipped out today so maybe I'll get it by the end of the week?! Then I will post a picture of the beautiful flowers that my (not so) secret admirer sent me by surprise! What a great guy...

My house=Lizard Lounge

A few weeks ago I was getting ready to take out some trash as I was on the phone with my amazing boyfriend. As I picked up a bag that had been sitting in the kitchen floor, a lizard (gecko to be precise) JUMPED out at me, causing me to scream in poor Wade's ear. I looked and looked for the lizard and could never find him. Of course, for awhile there I was paranoid that it might be on me! But I don't think it ever was. I was hoping it had crawled back under the bag and was going to end up outside on the curb with the trash.

No such luck. The lizard apparently still lives in my apartment. That's right...he is still shackin' up in my kitchen!

What do you do to get rid of a lizard? You can't squish lizards with a shoe or a fly swatter like you can a bug. I'm not brave enough to catch it in a cup because they are too fast and will run out of the cup before I can throw it out a window!

You see- these are times when I need Wade here. A man. A man who is not afraid. A man who is definitely not afraid of a 1 inch lizard...

The imposter...

Moses, ready to kill...

A lil love, a lil hate.

HATES: when Moses knocks over things, burning food smells, spiders, roaches, tornadoes, waking up early, wanting things and not having them, not being able to talk to/see Wade as much as I want, migranes, colds that last for more than one week, being cold!, when things don't go as I plan...

LOVES: Colorado, any beach, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, books by Francine Rivers (currently reading The Scarlet Thread), taking pictures, the stars on a clear night, pretty music with or without words, going on walks which may one day turn into runs(!), my family, Wade, thunderstorms without tornadoes, game nights...

Faithful

I survived week one in my third year of teaching 3rd graders! Having a 3 day weekend was very refreshing.

Saturday my Mom, Dad, sister (Kelly) and I went to Greenville to visit my Grandad. Every time I visit him it gets harder and harder to see him in his condition. He is in his 9th year having Parkinson's Disease. It is a very complicated disease. Luckily, the progression of his disease has been rather slow. He started off having tremors in his legs and hands. Now it is much more disabling. He can hardly do anything for himself. But when I see his situation, even though it is painful to see him, I see how big, detailed, and faithful the Lord is.

This man, my Gradad (Rev. Harry O. Ball), married a woman at a young age. Her name was Patricia. A few years later she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclorosis (or M.S.). This was at a time when doctors didn't know much about M.S. They didn't know whether or not it was contagious. People looked down upon my Grandmother because of her disease. Even so, my Grandad stayed with her. Soon, she became paralyzed in the legs, and eventually her entire body was paralyzed from the collar bone down. She could do nothing for herself. My Grandad had to turn her in the middle of the night (to avoid bed sores), had to cook for her, had to feed her, bather her, fix her hair, put on her clothes, the list goes on and on...What an amazing man of God to stay with the woman he loved and take care of every detail of her life. Even the things we cannot think of at the moment.

When my grandmother died at a firly young age, my grandad was suddenly diagnosed with Parkinsons. I think it was about 3 years later he re-married. His wife now is very active and strong. As his health continues to fail, she is there for him and helps him with every detail of his life. She has to do all the same things he had to do for my grandmother.

Isn't it amazing how God took my grandmother from this world to be with Him, which yes, was sad? But it was necessary. My grandad would not have been able to provide for her the way he had always done as his Parkinsons progressed. Then the Lord provided my grandad with a wife who is there to help him. His timing is perfect. When I see what He has done in my grandad's life, I think:

What a good God we have- one who provides for every detail of our life!

Anyway, that's what I have been thinking about since we saw him this weekend...Sorry this one was so long. For those of you who made it all the way through- I hope it blessed you- even just a little bit. :)