Meet my new niece!

Claire Abigail May

Born June 30, 2010

5:16 pm (EST)

8 lbs, 19 inches long

(what a face!! she's all enh, I'm cold!)

Pretty Awesome Weekend

This past week was slightly stressful for many reasons. My cousin was just diagnosed with cancer and work was crazy due to some staffing changes. I was really looking forward to the weekend but didn't really care what I did - just wanted to relax. Well, I definitely did that!

Friday evening I was invited to a dinner at a friend's house. The chef was a friend who had just returned from culinary school in Italy and wanted to share his gift. I was thinking -oh, just some pasta and wine and good conversation. OH MY GOODNESS. It was so good. It ended up being a 5-course dinner that took all night and I loved every minute of it. The group that was invited was kind of an eclectic bunch, and we switched seats often so I pretty much got to talk to everyone. Love it!

Saturday I spent the day on Lake Travis with my friend Stacie and other friends from Camp Eagle. It was really fun to be outside all day in the sun. It probably was hot temperature wise, but we were in the water and shade so much, I didn't even notice. It all ended with a BBQ at Stacie's parent's house and conversation that lasted until midnight. Awesome!

And today I got up early and worked in the yard, mowing and weeding. After a shower and good lunch, I'm ready to relax again for a bit before church. I love my life!

Would you choose to suffer?

I had a very important meeting today with my financial counselor. Amongst the items we discussed was the possibility of me getting an extra part-time job. Ever since I graduated from school in December, I knew at some point I would need some extra income for a few months to help speed up the payoff of some debts. Well, that time has come. I always hoped I wouldn't have to, but now I'm faced with the fact that I might have to.

We had a good discussion about possibilities and she suggested looking at my current place of employment. What an idea! I really had not thought of that. I haven't taken any steps in that direction yet, and for now I'm just trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I might be working 50 or 60 hours a week.

I'll be busy. Let's say I want to do 12 hours extra a week. That's 3 days of 4 extra hours (say, 3:15-7:15 pm). I wouldn't get home until 7:45 and in order to be ready for work the next day, I'd need to be in bed by 9:30. Granted it's only 3 days/week, but that means I only get a few evenings a week free. Could I do that?

One thing my counselor reminded me of was to think of times in my life where I had to do something for a year or so that was hard. Or went through a hard time knowing it would be over soon. Immediately I remembered when I've been sick and had to be on the amazing-but-chipmunk-cheek-inducing steroids. I knew it would be over soon. And it was. Looking back it wasn't that hard.

So that's how I'm going to approach this next year. It will be over soon. And in several years, I can look back and say I worked hard to get through it and Lord provided. I firmly believe that if I put forth the effort and trust the Lord, He will bless me and take care of me. Heck, he does that even if I don't trust Him. That's how awesome He is!

Trip Home

My extended weekend home was wonderful! It felt so comfortable and familiar, and while it was easier to say goodbye this time than last time, it was still hard. I feel kind of a limbo-like place where Austin is becoming my home and Lawrence still feels like home. I definitely enjoyed it, though, and have some pictures on facebook for your pleasure. (Side note: when you fellow blogspot bloggers add pics to your post, is there an easier way so they don't all get posted at the beginning of the text? tips?)

This is the first time in my life where I have not had a change in lifestyle or season. I am still working through and through, and while I did take a 5 day vacation, I'm used to having a few weeks off in between activities. It's odd, but I think I like it. Just in transition, learning how to be an adult!

I flew Southwest roundtrip, which is my preferred airline. They're a bit more friendly, sometimes sing for you, and don't charge extra for your bags. I know it's only $10-15 and probably is calculated into their fare, but it's the mere convenience of not having to pay that makes it appealing. AND! If you're quick enough, you can sit in the front row and be the first off the plane! After flying SW over the years I've developed a seat priority plan:

1. First, if ANY of the seats in the front row is open, sit there! More leg room! (Yes, you aren't allowed to have your bag in front of you, but if it's a short flight, just hold your book.)

2. If #1 isn't possible, or it's a long flight, shoot for the exit row. Again, more leg room! They'll ask if you feel ok sitting there and can perform the functions blah blah, but who ever needs to?

3. If none of the above are available, I go for an aisle seat.

Typically, because I stalk the website the minutes before I can check in, I'm in the A group and #1 and #2 are very likely. I'm not a huge fan of flying, so I try to get off the plane as soon as possible and/or stretch my legs out as much as I can.

I just booked my flight to Marco Island in August today and can't wait to go! Maybe I'm obsessed with travel? Who knows!

Romancing the Past

Life is interesting. I've been a little distracted this month with being sick, going to camp almost every weekend, and getting ready for my intern. Now that I'm kind of back in focus, my schedule shifts even more as I'm going home next week. Sigh.

One thing I do want to share is something I learned last night in my Beth Moore Bible study. We were discussing the Israelites and their reaction to wandering in the desert. At one point, they start talking about how they wish they were back in Egypt where they got to eat meat! Oh, how glorious it was! So much better than manna!

Beth Moore's point was that we often romanticize the past when our current situation is rough. We often pull out the old pictures, read our old journals, and take a trip down memory lane in effort to think how great of a time it was.

Visiting camp has been a great distraction this month. Last weekend, I brought my scrapbook so that Jason could look at it. I loved going through it and remembering how amazing those summers were - the Lord working through me, the crazy adventures and nights of thunderstorms. I visited with the summer staff, secretly wishing I could have summers off so I could just even be at camp. But I never though about the mornings I woke up and didn't want to be there, or the storms that gave me hypothermia and made me really scared, or the times I really didn't like Jason for the task that he gave me. At least I never though about it until last night when Beth Moore was talking about romancing the past. Then it clicked. I was using camp to live in the past because I didn't really like my present.

I was bitter.

I keep wanting my trials to be over, to get some respite, to breathe. But I can't do that. I need to focus on today and only today. Yes, it may suck, but it's what I've been given. And what the Lord has given me is for my good, will result in His glory, and it exactly what I need.

I just need to believe it.