Where Have All The Cowboys Gone...

Yippee-aw-yippee-yea...

Wow, haven't thought about paula cole

in ten years...

Anyway, here is a brief (ha)

update on our comings and goings...

Aly: Rockin' out in CA right now with the entire fam, sportin' the "denim" romper daily, hanging and working with the youth, playing fris, boot camp, makin' hummus....

Dan: Working at the Loft a bit, finished her FINAL FINAL this week, watched this weeks Lost and Parenthood, looking for a job, graduating at the end of the month...

Kitty: Studying like a beast, taking her last final at the moment, heading back to the Hoosier State mañana to see her fam, going to the beach to babysit at the end of the month...

Mans: Nannying, babysitting, packing her room, going to FLA USA for a wedding at the end of the month, getting wedding cake at Jerry's, walking a lot...

I have been working, went to Chatt for a few days (which was awesome), playing outside, going to boot camp at church, getting ready for camp and summer...

I'm daily reminded that I am not in control and that God has everything in control and is faithful. We signed up in January for 25 people to go to SOS this summer for our Jr. High trip, 21 kids and 4 leaders. March 1st passed, which was the deadline to drop spots and not lose any money, and we had no one signed up. We were locked in to paying over $7000 for these 25 spots plus $1300 for van rentals (so, a grand total of $8300!). Holy cow. We have been feverishly promoting the trip and unabashedly harassing kids to sign up (ok, not completely unabashedly bad). With April passing quickly, we only had a few 'nibbles' and no commitments. With the sign-up deadline of May 2 rapidly approaching, my nerves and anxiety levels reached a new high. I tried to cast all my cares on Him daily, and of course peace would take their place. I have learned to relax and relinquish my "control" because, what do you know? Sunday, May 2nd came around and we were full by the end of the day! We have 21 Jr. High kids and 4 leaders. God is faithful and continues to show me that. He is showing me, not only that He is constantly 'covering' my ass (because SOS was my idea and would have been my head...) but that He is confirming that the ministry we are doing is really His. I'm not here, by myself, but He is my constant companion and is working in the hearts and lives of our kids.

HAZAA for God's unchanging, never wavering faithfulness!

Oh, and there's Kristen. She's practically a roommate. I'm her mom...no...she's...not!

We will be leaving the Poplar House at the end of the month. Kitty is moving to Danielle's parents' for the summer because her nannying job is in that neighborhood and Danielle is job-hunting and doesn't know where she's going to end up. So, Aly, Mans and I will be packing up and heading North...(hopefully to the house that is just around the corner and down the street!). We are sad to leave, but excited about new...

And, I'm ready for this...

egd

encouraging run!

so today, i called my poopy roomie at work and asked her to map me out a run...a 10 mile run from poplar and back. WELL, this was the pathway:
l on poplar
l on goodlett
r on walnut grove
l on mendenhall
l on princeton
l on perkins
r on walnut grove
r on waring
l on sequoia
l on n graham
r on walnut grove
r on high point terrace
l on mimosa
l on highland
l on poplar and back to our humble abode.
i wanted to blog about this because of the parallel i sortof drew to the long run and our walk with Christ...and i told my other roomie about my deep thoughts about this and she said BLOG ABOUT IT! so here i am.
here are my deep thoughts in a nutshell: so about halfway during my run i started thinking about this little path that was planned out for me. and i had NO clue where i was but i had to trust all of these directions that em had given me for the run. i came to different obstacles---stoplights, trees in the sidewalk, trashcans, etc...but i kept on pressing on. i got really impatient at the obstacles, thinking, OK i want to just finish without all of this hard stuff in the way! well i'm treading down mendenhall, breathing pretty heavily, and i'm thinking to myself- how much further is sequoia? should i call em or just trust this little journey? should i ask this lady i see ahead of me who looks pretty friendly and is carrying a plastic bag which i'm sure was full of her cute dog's poop? YES- i'm going to ask her. so i stopped to ask and make sure sequoia was on the left- coming to realize that this is how i am in my walk with Christ---so doubtful that His plan is actually best and that people are in our lives for a reason, for advice, and for encouraging words to build us up in our walk with Him. anyway, as i kept going, i was comparing my run with how untrusting i am of the plan God already has ordained for me. and although there are little obstacles and places where we have to be patient, He is still sovereign and knows the ways that are best. even though there may be a million different turns and "trash cans" and other sticks and trees in the road, He is faithful to bring us to HIS abode. what a cool picture i had while running...and needless to say, i was successful in not bursting into tears during the run. how cool.

safe in HIS arms

Have you heard of the One who can calm the raging seas
Give sight to the blind, pull the lame up to their feet
With a love so strong and never let you go
oh you're not alone
Chorus:You will be safe in His arms
You will be safe in His arms
'Cause the hands that hold the world are holding your heart
This is the promise He made
He will be with You always
When everything is falling apart
You will be safe in His arms- phil wickham

if you haven't heard this song on klove...you should probably go download it from iTunes this very second and listen to it. are these lyrics not awesome? they seem so simple, but they are so meaningful.
well as you know from emily's posts, we have all been super busy. i feel like everyone is just on totally different schedules, but we still are able to keep up with each other and have quality time together. right now i am sitting in our den on the foof with my pajamas on at 8:45, can i just tell you that i have become an old woman? what has dental hygiene school done to me?
can i also tell you that i passed my boards?! what a relief off of my shoulders. now i have to graduate (get through projects and papers and finals) and SRTA (our clinical board exam) and then i am a licensed hygienist.
after i found out about my passing score on monday, i felt like a new and refreshed person. for the past few days before finding out i passed, i had reoccurring dreams that i opened up the letter from the dental board and found out i failed. ahhhh.
today i went to boot camp with aly at aly and em's church. it was super intense and definitely surpassed all of my expectations for the terms "boot camp". it was fun though and the lady that leads it is so encouraging!
well the poplar 5 have not had many exciting adventures lately...last friday we went to a cookout/bonfire, this weekend is our friend echamb's birthday party! and next wkend, katie's and mine's auburn friends are coming for a visit! yay!
i have been applying for jobs and sending out resumes...kind of overwhelming but exciting!
that's all for now-------

Romp! Romp! Romp It Up!

So, we have been pretty busy around here these days, but the fun never ceases when we take a family trip to Target...well, at least with three of us. Aly, Mans and I went out last week to pursue our Easter attire for this year, and of course we made Target our first stop. As we were searching with Mans to find that perfect, "hot" dress that she so desired ("hot" is definitely the

appropriate adjective to describe one's Easter dress), Aly and I pulled a few things for ourselves so Mans wouldn't be lonely in the dressing room. We came upon this "rack-of-a-gold-mine" filled with adult rompers. Now, granted, we first saw these attractive get-ups and were extremely judgmental and sarcastic with them, but boy did our opinions change once we tries these babies on. After picking a few different styles, cuts, and fabrics we excitedly went to the dressing room to begin our romping fun. We tried on a few rompers, one being strapless, red gingham and another, being made out of a train-conductor-esque fabric and our hearts flew. The immediate comment that was made was, "This will be perfect for RED NECK DAY 2010" (more details to come about that glorious day in the near future!). Along with the hopes and dreams of the upcoming event, we also were fascinated and impressed as to how comfy and casual a romper could be, but also how one might be able to dress it up. The romper, is in fact, quite versatile. Granted, when I think of a "romper" I usually am picturing an infant in a onsie, playing in the dirt.

After we left Target, with the hopes of the rompers being our new summer attire, and going on sale in the near future, we headed to Burlington to check out their jewelry.

Once we found a few things, we ventured to the clothing section, and to our surprise, we met our new found friend, the Romper. There were SO many more colors, styles, and textures! From the "stretchy jean overalls", to the "neon green mesh vest on top of black knit", to the classy, "white knit top with ruffle collar connected to knit jean bottom connected with a large black waistband." It was too good to pass up, so we tried them all on. Little did we realize that we were in the Juniors section (aka a "medium" in juniors terms is actually smaller than an infants 2T). So, once in the dressing room, we were flabbergasted at how AWESOME (sarcasm implied) everything looked, perfect for a night on the town or just hanging with the girls. Super tight, the rompers exceeded our expectations.

After our excursion, I was curious as to what "romper" might be defined as. Here are a few definitions:

romp·er

Pronunciation: \ˈräm-pər, ˈrȯm-\

Function: noun

Date: 1836

1 : one that romps

2 : jumpsuit 2; especially : a jumpsuit for infants —often used in plural

3: A loosely fitted, one-piece garment having short bloomers that is worn especially by small children for play.

a.

a loose, one-piece garment combining a shirt or blouse and short, bloomerlike pants, worn by young children.

b.

a similar garment worn by women and girls for sports, leisure activity, etc.

I knew it! Of course we love the romper. Comfy, casual and something to play in, it is another item of clothing intended for an infant, but made for an adult, like footie pajamas. Perfect. Now, I do hope that bubble suits (similar to the romper) and maybe, just maybe, adult diapers will be "in" soon. How convenient would that be.

Take a gander at these fine garments. I know you will be envious, but it isn't until you try one on that you will definitely be converted into a romper-lovin' fool...

Can you guess which romper is an infant one?!

egd

turn, turn, turn...

The Byrds shared, with the world, Ecclesiastes 3.

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)

There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)

And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

A time to be born, a time to die

A time to plant, a time to reap

A time to kill, a time to heal

A time to laugh, a time to weep

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)

There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)

And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

A time to build up,a time to break down

A time to dance, a time to mourn

A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)

There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)

And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

A time of love, a time of hate

A time of war, a time of peace

A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)

There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)

And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

A time to gain, a time to lose

A time to rend, a time to sew

A time for love, a time for hate

A time for peace, I swear it's not too late

What an incredible reminder of how up and down, and back and forth our lives are. But at the same time, a beautiful reminder that the God who made us, who chose us, and loves us more than we can imagine, never changes. He doesn't have seasons. We can have times where we laugh, cry, hate, and dance all at once, but our Lord remains the same. A Constant; an absolute Truth. I like being reminded of that.

My time right now is just a season, and Lord willing, at some point in time, something will change. We are all in different places right now...Danielle studying, getting ready to graduate/job hunting, Kitty working super hard in the middle of nursing school, Aly working and wanting to finish school, Amanda working and toying with the idea of continuing grad school, and me, working and trying to figure out where I need to go and what I need to be doing with this life.

I was reminded on Monday that God has a great plan for all of us. That He is making us all into who He wants us to be, to go where He wants us to go. That is refreshing to hear. Feeling stuck, burnt out, and having no direction seems to fall to the wayside when I hear that. Remembering that I am here, in this season, because the Almighty has me here, wrapped in a love that I will never comprehend, is a relief. Why am I fretting over this? His timing is perfect, He is perfect, and my own selfishness is what gets in the way. Knowing that He never changes, that He has a plan for me, and that He is making me into who He wants me to be is beautiful.

Psalm 51:12..."Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

One more thing...I read this today. It was a great reminder that even though there are times when I don't "feel" like Jesus loves me or that I love Him, or times when I doubt or that I don't trust Him, He never changes His affection for me. My heart is deceiving, and left alone, it ruins me...but Jesus has given me hope.

1 John 3:21-24

^"21Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God ²²and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. ²³And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. ²⁴Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us."

egd

long time no read...

This is blow up doll, Wayne. He lived with us for a while, he posed with us, and he attended our holiday festivities. He was viciously stabbed and deflated a while ago, but he is slowly healing, and might be back to his old self soon. He now stands guard at our front door to ward off the un-welcomed ones. He's a nice guy.

So, life is busy for us all. It has been a long time since we have written, so here is a brief update on the going ons of the Poplar 5...

Dan has been dutifully and relentlessly studying for her boards that are coming up. Along with being in school with clinicals, she is still working a bit at the Loft. It's unbelievable how hard she works, it wears me out. I will be thrilled for her come May when she graduates.

Kitty, meow, has been at the grindstone as well, studying night and day, day and night. One of her favorite study spots is the 'bucks of course. And of course she saw Doc there with his "lady friend." Kitty always seems to attract the neighbors. I don't think I've seen Bert up close, ever, but Kitty is consistently telling us of her awkward, weird conversations with him.

Mans has been working her tail off, as well. Nannying from the wee hours of the morning till early evening on most days, then working in the Mound on other days. Exhausted everyday, she still is willing to stay up, watch a movie, and have a nice glass of wine with us. She's been helping out in Jr. High small groups all year on Sundays, and has started coming on Wednesday's too! It's great having her around, and she pays such sweet attention to the girls.

Aly has been working at the church, studying and hanging out with kids. She's always on the move and sometimes we don't know where she is. She got 2 new pairs of glasses and contacts are on the way! Mabel has been running strong, and lately has been decorated with tissue paper and toilet paper...of course when Aly gives kids a ride anywhere, they find some thing in her car to hang out the window or decorate the visor with. She has gotten to play with the babies recently, and is going to CALIFORNIA to visit all her family this semester. I am so excited for her.

I have been busy working as well. It seems most of my time these days is spent in the office, working on calendars, mail outs, e-mails, phone calls, etc. etc. etc. But, I will say that this week has been a good one for contact. I love writing notes to encourage the girls. I think letter writing is a dying art. What feels better than coming home from a hard day and rummaging through the mail and finding a letter with your name chicken scratched on the outside by a long lost pal? Ok, so a lot of things might feel better, but you get the point. ANYWAY, I wrote a few of my girls a note last night with a verse that I thought might encourage them specifically. After breakfast this morning, as I dropped them at school, I handed each of them their letters. One of the girls has been struggling with having horrible friends and feeling like a horrible person. I told her in the note that my prayer for her was that she would know who Jesus was, that He came to save the sick, and not the healthy, or the "good" people. On my way home, I got a text from her telling me "thank you" for the note. She also said that she didn't know if she loved Jesus, but she wanted to! Joy of my heart! Oh, my insignificant wretched self can be used by the Almighty to help someone see who Jesus is! I cannot even begin to explain the longing and heartache I have had for this girl who is so hopeless and downtrodden, and for her to see that Jesus is hope and joy and want to love Him is the only thing that matters in this job, this life.

Our Spirit is on the move in our church, in our families, and in our kids. I want to see more.

egd

Old and Spicey...

Ok, so at our house we have been laughing hysterically at this commercial. I mean, just watch it and I feel for certain you will whole-heartedly agree.

http://www.oldspice.com/videos/

Enjoy. Watch them all. It's ok if you cry. We all have.

egd

the little valentine gift to poplar

this is "little calf who's yet to be named" born on valentine's day. note the heart on her little head. so precious, i'm in love....can i go home now please!!!

since it's valentine's day...

here are some things i love. thanks to my roomie katie, i've been reading the pioneer woman's blog...and i just read her list of "love's". oh to love the simple things!! (these are in no particular order...) happy valentine's day! kdo

- Jesus :)

- diet coke

- splenda, and that it sweetens everything...i couldn't live without it.

- my family

- my friends/relationships

- my major

- meeting new people, learning about their lives, and then cleaning their teeth haha. i saw one of my patients yesterday in a goodwill thrift store. it was the oddest experience, i'm not sure why...

- beth moore books, now reading one called "insecurities: you've been a bad friend to us".

- rooster kitchens

- rainy days

- being active, especially running. i feel like i can "get away" from things. it's a great escape!

- rainboots

- a good cry

- good movies

- good food

- tcby

- creativity

- MUSIC! i do everything to music---drive, run, clean my room, shower, etc.

- COFFEE! i am an addict. without it, i crash and burn.

- playing the piano, although i don't do it that often. i wish i had the time to!

- the office and LOST

- honesty: the best policy!

- proverbs

- tenth avenue north!

- clean sheets and laundry and putting the clothes on right after they get out of the dryer!

- randomness/spontaneity

- geocaching

- pictures

- driving with the windows down and a good song blaring to go with my mood

- kids/imaginations

- fruit, espec canteloupe!

- a good shopping run to supertarget

- reading blogs, and blogging

- listening to my dad's wisdom and stories. i don't think i've told him how appreciative i am that he likes and wants to share his wisdom with me out of love. i definitely take it for granted.

- leggings

- patience

- when people are on time!

- my morning routine

- reading isaiah

- mission work

- talking to new people

- text messaging

- rocking chairs

- beaches!

- spring time

- uplifting quotes/encouragement from friends and my mom

- being at home :)

- bowling with bumpers

the end!!

i wish i could think of a good title...

so i'm taking a study break to write. o this is kitty! of coarse i think that you probably could've figure that out by now because studying owns me. ugh. i'm trying to have a positive attitude about school, but it's hard and it makes me want to cry practical everyday. which i'm not a crier...i cry about once every 6 months. expect me to cry in august again, since i had a breakdown last friday. mans was my witnesses, as i vented to my mom about school being stupid, wanting to move to naples and marry for money, and that i wanted to jump of a bridge. ha yeah i said the last part, but i'm not serious...just stressed. anywho moving on. so i was reading in this devotion book this morning that kdo gave me and it was about the situations that God places us in. it was talking about how God brings us though hardships in order to draw us closer to him... whether it be school, work, relationships, etc. i know that seems so elementary and you are probably like umm ok i've heard it before!!! this is true, but we need to hear this over and over because we are stupid broken people. i can think of so many different ways i wanted my life to look right now....i would've graduated from auburn, i'd be engaged, working as a RN somewhere, living on a farm...but no God has me still in school, in memphis, single, thinking why in the world do you want me in this major, living on poplar. yeah and if someone would've asked me two years ago if i'd ever move to memphis, i would've laughed in their face. this makes me thing of romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called so according to His purpose." wow i'm an israelite. john a. whitmer saids about this verse "the things themselves may not be good, but God harmonizes them together for the believer's good because His goal is to bring them to perfection in His presence. Even adversities and afflictions contribute to that end." so true. back to studying about babies.

All Around......

People talking, music, typing, ESPN on the TV, coffee brewing, door opening and closing.....These are the sounds around me. I am sitting a coffee shop reading and then decided to check out facebook which lead to looking at our blog. I've wanted to post for awhile but for some reason didn't feel like I could because I didn't have an interesting story or something wise to say. But then I realized who cares! So here I am at Republic blogging! hahaha I am blogging, that makes me laugh. I haven't done a blog like this since livejournal! Livejournal, why did I ever do that. Any who!

I am reading A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller. So far what I have read has been super encouraging and eye opening. Many times when I pray I feel like I have to say the right thing and sound more like I am reading a script instead of saying whats on my heart and mind. Then when I pray at night I am already tired from being up late, have finished reading, and then I fall asleep during my prayer. Recently I have actually had a conversation with Jesus. I have talked to him like I would talk to a friend. It really is a different experience and feels more like personal relationship!

I am listening to a CD that Kitty made me and I love it!!!! For a long time I thought I knew a lot about music but I have recently come to the conclusion that I don't! This CD is great! I have listened to it everyday, not even kidding!!! Just took a sip of my coffee and its cold, terrible! Has such a different taste than hot coffee. Well, my killer is still out there!!! For those who don't know we are playing mission impossible with RUF and we were assigned someone to kill/eliminate within one week. Well I am still alive, but there is still time for me die! I have not eliminated my person yet either but maybe she/he will go down! Anyways I have stayed out of social situations so I wouldn't die and all my roommates are protecting me as well! But I am still looking over my shoulder and making sure my killer isn't here!!!!! Friday Valentine's Day comes out!!! We are having a girls night and going to see it!! I am really excited it looks awesome!!!! Oh hopefully my next post will consist of pictures from our random snow day and our new protector, Jasper(who by the way is still standing! very impressed with our skills)! Well until next time........

ars

i love blogging!!

so i am still awake in the loft...about to go to sleep. i just read emily's post and amanda's and it inspired me to blog before i go to bed. i loved that quote that kiersten sent...i also cried when i read it. i've felt so unmotivated with life lately---with school and spending time in the Word. i just feel like i'm at the end of my rope and i don't see the "light" that i know is at the end when i graduate and am done with school. i just feel really discouraged right now about school and that this is consuming me. but i am "waiting" also. "waiting" to graduate, to move on in life, to get a job, get married, etc. and the Lord has me here where i am also, and i need but rest in that. waiting, resting=new theme of life. for everyone. done.
emily i was laughing out loud at your facebook stalking...i spend way too much time too!! and self-control is not my strong point either.
valentine's day movie comes out friday! who's excited? poplar5 is buying tickets...TOMORROW.
goodnight!
kdo
ps- i'm reading through isaiah. what stubborn people, and oh how i can relate!

Waiting--not for the faint of heart

My loves, Mans here. I come to you frustrated and flustered. I feel like I've been pushed around and bullied by the concept of WAITING. I feel that all of us are waiting for something, whether it's waiting to get out of school, get a job, get married, find that guy of your dreams, etc. We are all players in this crazy game of life and our opponent is the ever menacing villain dubbed, waiting.

I feel like I've been in this same chapter of my life for ages. This chapter where I am single, in school, working part-time jobs, and living with a bunch of girls. And though none of those things are necessarily bad, I'm tired of it all. I'm ready to move on. I'm ready to get married, have loads and loads of babies, find a cute house and decorate it with items that I've circled in a Pottery Barn magazine. But that's not where God has me right now. I'm exactly where I should be, which is a hard pill to swallow sometimes. Because along with that pill, I have to throw in the painful reality that God's plans for me are more important than mine. His are perfect, while mine only deal with my present circumstances rather than the bigger picture.

When things don't go my way, I turn to my closest companions--sarcasm and cynicism. But of course God wants to use us even in the periods of our lives when He has called us to wait. Ugh, it's so much easier to just be sarcastic, because I'm really good at it. When it comes down to it, He has called me to rejoice. "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice." Philippians 4:4.

Kiersten sent me this poem by Russell Kelfer today that caused me to weep, because of my skewed view of God. I'm viewing Him as this prison guard, holding my hopes and dreams under lock and key until the decree comes that He can give them back to me. Here is the poem, I hope it pierces your heart like it has mine:

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;

Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.

I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate...

And the Master so gently said, "Wait."

"Wait? You say wait?" my indignant reply.

"Lord, I need answers. I need to know why!

Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?

By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming Your Word.

"My future and all to which I relate

Hangs in the balance and you tell me to wait?

I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign.

Or even a 'no', to which I'll resign.

"You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,

We need but to ask, and we shall receive.

Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:

I'm weary of asking! I need a reply."

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate

As my Master replied again, "Wait."

So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,

And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting... for what?"

He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine...

And He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.

I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.

I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.

"I could give all you seek and pleased you would be.

You'd have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.

You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint.

You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.

"You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;

You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.

You'd not know the joy of resting in Me

When darkness and silence are all you can see.

"You'd never experience the fullness of love

When the peace of My spirit descends like a dove.

You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,

But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

"The glow of My comfort late into the night,

The faith that I give when you walk without sight.

The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask

From an infinite God who makes what you have last.

"You'd never know should your pain quickly flee,

What it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.

Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,

But oh, the loss, if I lost what I'm doing in you.

"So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see

That the greatest of gifts is to truly know Me.

And though oft My answers seem terribly late,

My most precious answer of all is still... wait."

I mean, really?

We finally got a stupid wireless router in this house about three weeks ago, after being here almost a year. It is horrid. I came to my room at 10:30 to get some sleep because I was exhausted, and what did I do?I facebook stalked everyone and their mother; looking at updated pictures, checking up on high school friends, just doodling all my time away on useless mess. My eyes are fixing to fall out of my head. Awesome. I can only imagine the mischief my room mates are in at the moment, but I believe them all to be doing the same thing, if not sleeping (aka the loft girls). Misery of miseries...obviously self-discipline is not one of my strong points.

ed

say what you need to say...

so my advice to those of you who are debating whether or not to speak your mind to someone...maybe there's a friendship you need to mend or a relationship you feel is beginning...whatever it might be you are going through that you're not sure if you should speak up...you should. i don't usually follow john mayer's words in his music...but say what you need to say is my new motto (sort of). from a Christian perspective, you obviously need to pray about the situation, but then if a door is opened and the Lord is leading you through it, you go with gut and say what you need to say. so, john mayer, this post is a tribute to you- thanking you for your wise advice to us young people who may be too timid or over-analyzing to say what's weighing on our hearts.
Have no fear for givin' in.Have no fear for giving over.You better know that in the endIt's better to say too much, than never to say what you need to say again.Even if your hands are shaking,And your faith is broken.Even as the eyes are closin',Do it with a heart wide open.Say what you need to say
ALSO---unrelated quote from beth moore that goes along with job 23:10---"whenever you feel like you've lost your way or you don't know where to go from here, my Friend, take heart! He knows the way that you take. stand still, cry out, and bid Him to come to you! He'll lead you on from there and miraculously, when once again you see the light, you'll be able to see the footprints you made in the dark. never will He hold your hand more tightly than when He is leading you through the dark".
ps- blissful day: walk to kroger, p90x video, deep cleaned poplar all day, clean sheets, wrote a few letters, studied this morning and tonight, bonded with the roomies, ate homemade rolls/gooey brownies/chicken casserole, made a snowman named jasper.

I just can't stop...

So, I really have no mercy, or heart, as I continue to express our affection/curiosity for our back-house neighbors.

Here's the snap shot we received in our Christmas card from them; it was addressed to

"Ary, Emily, Danielle, Amanda and Katie". If you can't tell, it is a printed off, cut out picture of Bert. They doodled a very festive ornament and sprig of holly. Thanks for the treasure, neighbors!!

¡Hasta Luego!

o dear... snowed in part 2

this day brings me back to the farm. first off beth and i were stirring restlessly in our beds. the chirping of beth's telegram kept going off throughout the night!! it gave warnings of a killer trying to assassinate their target...which happened to be our dear roommate and sister amy! we were both in disbelief of this madness. why someone would want to take little amy's life? i felt like i got a total of one hour of sleep. i don't know why i was so restless...if it was the fact that my dear colts lost the big game or that my calling in the morning was to help nurse nightingale deliver babies. o i was a mess. then at 5:06 am the chirping was set off yet again! it was a message from beth's friend informing us that school was cancelled because it had snowed over night. we looked out of the window in our anne frank room and i was as if we were in the land of narcia! just snow sprinkled the ground like betty crocker had a flour accident. o what was i to do?! i knew that nurse nightingale would need my help delivering little ones today because i was informed last week that weather like this cause pregnant women to go into labor. as my rooster crowed i received a telegram from my future nurse friend that said hospital day was cancelled! o what a morning. i was so thankful because with my one hour of sleep i knew that it was going to be a long day. so beth and i were like "sleep!!" but umm no, we couldn't keep our eyes closed. so beth made some coffee and we sat around the fire and have our quiet time and studied. after a couple of hours had passed we decided that it was time to work out. so we walked 2 miles in place and did some insane ab work out that some crazy guy told us to do. after our working, beth said that she had to go to the store. since our horses were covered with snow we had to walk! we dressed in mismatching clothes and boots and headed out on our adventure to the market. we were walking down the road, just carrying along, talking about life and all it's wonders then a huge, i mean huge, wagon drove right into the puddle that was on the side of the road! the slush of melted snow hit us and weakened our bones! o how were we going to make it to the market and back home now with our clothes just soaked??? we had to, we just knew we had to. we didn't have another choice except...DEATH! so we adventured on. we finally crossed the river and an old man that smelled of cigarettes asked us to spare him some change. we avoided eye contact and informed the man that we had nothing to give. his response was "god bless you..." we kept walking and didn't look back. o we finally made it to the market and then treked back to poplar. some indian man in a buggy yelled good morning to us. we laughed and carried on. the journey seems it went on for days, but beth informed me that only an hour had passed. once back at poplar our other sisters were still in bed. o how we wanted to wake them and tell them of the snow news! once inside the warm house the other sisters awaked and talked of making pancakes over the stove. marmie and sister woods slaved over the hot stove and made the perfect pancakes for this perfect winter day. as sister, marmie, and amy play...beth and i are locked away in the anne frank in hopes to gain some knowledge about teeth and babies. o the joys of no school on a wonderful snow day like today.

Katie