Asia and Chocolate

introducing ...

So, like I mentioned in the last post ... my lack of blogging (and returning e-mails or twittering) is due to spending the weekends with a special someone and talking on the phone for hours on end every night. No time for sleeping, much less blogging. 

some info:

We've been dating for about a month and talking for several months before that. We like each other ... a lot.

He lives about 1.5 hours from my house, teaches social studies to unruly 8th graders and coaches wrestling and football. He plays rugby and enjoys an occasional round of golf. He loves Jesus, his dog, and me, but not in that order. :)

Meet my guy. Sorry no pics yet.

This weekend will be spent in Atlanta with the boyfriend, my brother, sister-in-law and some of my friends from Indonesia who are visiting the States. On the agenda are the Georgia Aquarium, IKEA, Buckhead Church and good food. 

Maybe photos to follow. Must sleep now. 

here's to ...

• making it home after 36 hours (one delayed flight, one missed flight, two flights on standby and getting home at 3 a.m.)
• sleeping for 10 solid hours in my own bed
• taking a wonderful hot shower
• drinking Indonesian coffee in the afternoon
• working from home
• updating my blog with all of the fun pictures and stories from my trip (sometime later this afternoon)
• wading through 333 e-mails in my work inbox
• seeing my family
• being able to wash AND DRY my clothes in clean, soapy water
• central A/C
• chatting with friends
• making memories with my favorite people on the other side of the world

Graduation Day update

Hello from the other side of the world.

It's been great to be back and see all my kiddos and friends. Cinderella, their spring production, was awesome! They even got a spot on the local morning news the next morning. Seriously, they were incredible!

Today is graduation day and nine of my former Latin students (and friends) are graduating. I can't wait to celebrate their accomplishment at the banquet tonight. It's going to be so fun ... but I'd better bring tissue because I know it will be emotional. I'm so thankful, though, that I made the decision to come back for this like I promised. I wouldn't want to miss this moment in their lives. :)

Sorry for no pictures. I am using my roommates computer and I'm not going to upload my pics to her computer. Hopefully later I'll be able to connect with my computer and upload some pictures. I took a bunch while shopping with some friends yesterday. And I know I'll have a bunch from graduation today.

Gettin' hitched ...

My best friend's wedding was yesterday, in case you didn't catch that, and I was the Maid of Honor. It would be just like me to schedule a 10 day out-of-country excursion the day after my best friend's wedding. But I guess I'm not on my game if I'm not stressed out a little, or a lot. :)

The wedding was lovely, a small outside wedding at the retreat center next door to my house. Her parents are the founders, so it was the perfect place. The weather was a little hot for the occasion - I think it topped out at about 94 degrees, but at least it wasn't raining. The day started with hair at 9:30 a.m. and then followed by lunch and doing our makeup, pictures and then the wedding and reception. It was an ALL day event, but it was actually quite fun.

Congratulations John and April! I pray your marriage is blessed!

Some captured moments:

The bride-to-be getting her hair did

the back of my hair

John's sister, Audra, practicing walking outside in her heels. Too cute! :)

 

Isn't that a gorgeous cake??

The beautiful bride!

The vows.

I will rejoice ... and pray

Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.
For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

Habakkuk 3:17-19

Though the valley comes will we still rejoice in the LORD. Yesterday was a hard day for me as 10% of my company was let go. This included a former boss and mentor, friends, co-workers - basically 60 members of my work family.

It's hard to process and deal with all of the emotions. That's what my post yesterday was referencing if you hadn't figured that out.

Please pray for my friends who now are out of jobs and for those of us still with the company who have to pick up the pieces.

retroposting

With being out of town, I forgot to mention a big day.

On April 9, my little brother turned the big 2-5!!

Happy Birthday Jonathan!

Happy Birthday Stephen!

My little brother (#4) turns 18 today. My we're gettin' old.

Bloggers + Compassion = Change the world

You might notice some new images on my blog real estate over to the right. Carlos and Anne - who have lively little picture links over there - and Randy, Heather, Shaun and even more blog rockstars are setting a new precident for blogging. They are changing the world with their blogs.

Sixteen bloggers will take the trek to Uganda to spread the word to the world about children who need Compassion.

Make some noise blog world!!!!!!

Ragamuffin Soul and me

Welcome all you Ragamuffin friends who have jumped, skipped, hopped over here from Los' blog and wanted to see how cool I must be. :-)  I hope I meet all of your expectations.

I'd like to return the favor to Los and say that I would love to meet him, and a few others.

1. The Blog Father himself: Carlos Whittaker. iPhone. St. Arbucks. Apple. L.A. Ink. He's a celebrity, what else can I say?

2. Jenn Collins. She does live Life in the Real World. She's a communications director, which I think is cool. And even though we found each other through blogs, we do have one friend in common. Small world. We also tend to have the same struggles. We were going to meet when she was supposed to come to the communications conference at my church, but it didn't happen. One day it will!

3. Anne Jackson. Such a great writer ... so good that she's writing this book for a well-known publishing house. And I love books and writers and women who speak truth, live in freedom and are authentic. I think I could learn a lot from her.

4. Lots of Scotts. This mom and her triplets are funny, thought-provoking and totally adorable. J-Mom is one of the most consistent bloggers I know, as well as a fantastic writer. She has a way of turning real-life events into spritual lessons. I always walk away from her blog challenged and uplifted. I'd love to go on a play date someday ... even though I don't have any kids yet. :-)

There are a few of my blogger friends I'd like to meet in real life. I didn't realize before making this short list that I know most of the people whose blogs I read. Hmmm, wonder what that says about me?

Who would you like to meet?

To my overseas family.

Do you ever have those moments when you miss someone so much it hurts? It's like a little pin prick that sets off the reminder in you, telling you that someone is not there. It happened to me today when I found a Christmas ornament that my 7th grade class made together last Christmas. I nearly cried putting it on the tree this afternoon.

Merry Christmas to my "family" on the other side of the world - Indonesia. I love you and miss you!!!!!!!

(It's EARLY Christmas morning right now ... 1.30 a.m. and I need to go to bed. Santa's coming!!)