So... it's been a little while... myspace has taken over my life. All of our students here have them and so it's a great way to keep in touch with them during the week. But I still wanted to say hello to all of you great people who still like xanga better. I don't blame you.

Quick update: Mike and I are doing well! Austin is the coolest place. We really love it! We celebrated our 6 year anniversary last Saturday by going to this great little restaurant with the coolest back yard complete with white lights on the trees and a live blues jazz band playing. Austin is full of the coolest hang out spots. Last night we found ourselves with a couple of good friends in a "Moroccan Lounge" relaxing on low couches, drinking strong Moroccan mint tea, eating baklava and talking until 2:00am with our new Venezualan friend about God. (I felt like I was in another country on a mission trip). It's also a hookah place... but we didn't go there.

We just got back from the best trip to Cancun a week ago! We went for our anniversary and because we really needed a break. It was amazing!! And thanks to frequent flyer miles and dear friends who blessed us with almost the whole hotel costs - it was extra easy to enjoy - knowing we could still buy groceries and everything when we got home!!  Not that we should be eating anything but salad for the next month - because of the all-inclusive temptations. But it was our season to feast!

It has been a super busy season for us - with three summer camps in July and then jumping back into the school year in August and September. Our calendar always seems to be really full - with events and leaders meetings and extra services. Life has been challenging, but with challenges can come growth and so we try to continually embrace the challenges. God is so faithful to never give us more then we can handle, though. We are really blessed!!

Enough talking - here are some pictures!!

Here is part of our hotel lobby:

View from our balcony:

The back of the hotel:

Our room:

One of the pools:

Our view from the Jacuzzi: 

The beach:

Yup - it was pretty great. I'd go back tomorrow if I could!!

I have returned from the world of no updating! Wow - so much to fill you all in on! Life is good!! But sooo busy! Always.

New York was WICKED fun!! Our friends James and Ruth continue to bless our socks off! We stayed at the Waldorf Astoria on Park Avenue. They took us shopping in Soho: 

This is James, Ben, me, Ruth, Thomas

We also went to the most amazing restaurants and then to see the best broadway show - EVER, "Wicked" It was so good!! Here is Mike and I after the show - I wore fake eyelashes! Fun!

We moved into our new house - which is so cute and perfect. Our computer's hard drive crashed and is dead and we lost everything on it - or I would post some pictures. I need to start over from scratch now. :(

The past couple months have been a whirlwind! James & Ruth have a lake house that we went to for Easter - here we are after a fun little tubing trip down the river: Nicole, James, Ruth, me, Mike, Skip, Ben, and Thomas on the bottom.

Our dear friends Jason and Sarah Jackson came to visit (lots of cute pictures lost from that visit).

Then my mom and dad came! What fun!!

(I think Mike was mid-bite in this picture).

We slept over at their RV one night and we got locked out so dad and I had to crawl through the window. (those are dad's legs)

Mike loves kissing dad:

 I love cuddling with mom:

Aren't they the cutest?

Last weekend we went to Mike's cousin, Ivory's, BEAUTIFUL wedding in NC. It made me miss NH. But it was lots of fun and great family time!

Now it is back to "normal". Services, j-hi kiddos, worship, and lots of outdoor fun, I hope! Downtown is the coolest place to live. The other day Mike, Skip and I rented Kayaks at a park 10 minutes from our house and kayaked on our beautiful river that runs through the city. We have summer camps almost the whole month of July that will keep us very busy until and during that month. Then it's back to school (for the students). Life is so very good! For those of you who have lasted through this whole update: way to go! I hope you are all doing so well!! Love you!

Currently Reading Revolution By George Barna see related

Crazy days! The wedding last weekend was lovely! Betsy was beautiful and it was wonderful being with the girls! This past week has been a whirlwind! We put on a play for the high school group on Wednesday and are doing the same show for the j-hi students all three services this weekend. Of course Mike is hilarious (he plays a sci-fi nerd - inspired by Dwight on The Office). I play a very straight-laced, kind of mean principal. Tonight's show I was struggling. I broke character at least 4 times. I had the giggles so bad! Yikes - very unprofessional.

Well, on Monday Mike and I leave for New York City! Our friends James and Ruth are taking us (along with two other friends)! We are only staying for two nights (we have service on Wednesday night), but we are staying at the Waldorph (a 4 star hotel) and have 4th row orchestra seats to see "Wicked" on Broadway (it's the prequel to The Wizard of Oz)! Our friends are blessing us - with the whole trip! We are really excited!

We have a retreat for our leaders next weekend and then we are moving next Sunday night and Monday! Yay! So much free time coming up!! We are excited though! Our dear friends who are renting/blessing us with the house are letting me pick out all the details. I went with the contractor to Lowes on Friday and picked out Mexican marble for the kitchen counter tops and tile for the entry, track lighting for the kitchen... Mike and I have been busy choosing colors for the different rooms, which they are painting for us. It's incredible! God is blessing our sox off!! He is so faithful! He really does want to bless us with more then we could ask or imagine.

BTW: The new Hillsong United album is GOOD!

Currently Listening United We Stand By Hillsong United see related

A Fur-REEEE CAR!

Wow. Why does God love us so much? Yesterday I was praying about mine and Mike's finances - well, I don't know if praying is the right word - maybe whining would be more accurate. Why do I always seem to forget how faithful God is? I was feeling discouraged and WORRIED (oh me of little faith)... we want to move out of our apartment and stop renting and invest our money in some sort of real estate - but then we will need to get another car if that happens because Mike probably won't be able to walk to work (he does most days since we share a car and work is across the street from us). And since we aren't exactly "rolling in the doe" I just couldn't see how all of this would be possible...

Weh-hell, Mike and I just made some really fantastic new friends - another couple our age who just moved here from CA and started coming to our church and want to make Christian TV cool and have the money to take a stab at it... they are super generous and just the coolest people. Last night after church, we all went to TGI Fridays and they asked us if we needed another car - because they have an extra one that they want to GIVE us!! WHAT?? People don't give cars away - ah, but I'm wrong again - they do! At least our new friends do. God is so good. I'm so blown away!

Anybody have a house close by you want to sell us for some wonderfully low price?? Give us a call!

In other news I had a fabulous 28th birthday last Friday! I was taken to get my nails done, had a surprise birthday lunch party at the Cheesecake Factory, shopped, and then went to my favorite fondue restaurant, the Melting Pot, with Mike. I also got so many loving cards and calls from many of you out there! Thank you! Here is Mike and I celebrating:

But WAIT - there's MORE!!!

So we just had lunch with our friend James (who is giving us their extra car). Him and his wife Ruth have this amazing home downtown that has a guest house in the backyard. Yes, it's a cute little 1,000 square feet home from the 1940's that they gutted out and totally re-did everything and completely furnished with Restoration Hardware furniture. It has a separate entrance and it's own driveway and even a private patio. They just really want to bless us and asked us if we want to move in, rent free for the first 6 months - then pay only $500 a month after that!!! AHHHHHHH!! It's incredible! What the heck - I feel like the floodgates of heaven have opened up!!

Currently Reading The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable By Patrick M. Lencioni see related

I got back from my trip to Dallas this afternoon. I drove up there Saturday afternoon for one of my best friend, Betsy's, 2 showers and bachelorette party. What a great thing life-long friends are. Even after not having seen my four best friends for almost 2 years, it was like we were hanging out just as we would be any old weekend. We laughed, we told stories, and shared so much great girl talk! It was wonderful! Here they are:

Three of them I met my first week at ORU - we lived on the same floor in the dorms for two years. The fourth one, Jen, I met my sophomore year. All such amazing women! Although we sang many old school renditions of Michael W. Smith's sad songs (Friends are Friends Forever, Pray For Me...) while saying goodbye, the best part is I get to see them all at Betsy's wedding next month! Yay!!

Currently Listening Sing-A-Longs & Lullabies for the Film Curious George (Jack Johnson) By Original Soundtrack, Jack Johnson see related