Should I stay or Should I go...

Over the past few years my church has been having quite a bit of trouble. Last year in July we discovered some fairly serious information that caused the youth minister to resign. Well, that sent us into a downward spiral. At the time we were without a permanent pastor and basically the church split and the former youth minister's supporters started their own church.

It's been hard to stay because everyone is so disgusted and it doesn't even feel like church. But, we decided to stick it out until the new pastor came.

He's here now but I'm not sure I feel any differently.

I hate the music. They plan the drums and try to clap (hello, we have NO rythm) and there's this one woman who I'm afraid might actually pop out of the choir loft because she's so overjoyed.

It was so bad on Sunday that I actually walked out.

Now, isn't church supposed to be where I feel better about my week, I have peace and solace away from a world filled with loud noises and angry people?

That's not what I'm getting.

I've spent the majority of this week being stressed out about what's going on at church. Things over which I have no control but still am worried about.

I'm worried about staying, I'm worried about leaving, I'm worried about where we would go if we left.

I guess I'll be waiting on the Big Guy to send a sign. He's pulled through for me more than once so I know He'll clue me in on this one too.

Move In Day

Campus is all a-buzz today because 'tis Move In Day. Watching all the hub-bub down the hill made me a little nostalgic about important Move In Days in my life.

August 19, 1992 - I moved into Knight's Hall at GC. It was a sweltering day and the Sundance was loaded to the brim with all my goodies. Of course, check in was at 1:00 but we were there at 12:00 because I have an overly detailed oriented mother. Needless to say I was the first student in the class of '96 to recieve her key!

August 1993 - Mom and I had come to move in and I was sitting in the lobby of Flowers Hall and a girl with a very thick southern accent stuck her head out one of the doors leading to the rooms and told us to let her know if we needed any help. I didn't realize how important this particular girl would become in my life. And we've never really discussed it so I don't know if NB-C even remembers offering the help.

August 1996 - ADC headed off to college but I couldn't take off work to help her move in. I had to wait until that weekend to see her. And she was surely down in the dumps when I got there, but I took her over to the Phi Mu house where SEDW was painting sombody's room. She made such an impression on ADC's mom and grandmother that they encouraged her to rush.

August 21, 1998 - I was first year advisor at Tappan Hall at Miami and my wedding rehearsal was starting at 7:00 in Shepherdsville. You cannot make that trip in 3 hours. I made that trip in less than 3 hours. My mother asked me how and I told her she'd rather not know - I didnt' wreck and I didn't get a ticket, let's leave it at that.

Anybody else out there have any move-in day nostalgia to share?

Rafting is AWESOME!!!

We survived the rafting trip! Neither of us came out of the boat and there were no injuries!

It was a GREAT time and I loved it! The first three minutes scared the holy be-jezuz out of me but after that it was a thrill a minute!

Anniversary Surprise

So a few weeks ago I posted complaining about my husband's lack of planning and that he doesn't listen to what I want etc...

This morning I was just out of the shower brushing my teeth when E turns the corner into the bathroom handing me a lovely little package from my favorite jewelry store - Merkely Kendrick.

I was so surprised!

And you'll all be so proud of me: I didn't even metion that he couldn't have waited until I had clothes on or at dinner tomorrow night to give it to me.

He actually listened to me when I said MK had a mother child pendant I would like to have for my birthday or our anniversary.

The 22nd is our 8th anniversary and we're going whitewater rafting in TN this weekend to celebrate. So, he did a great thing and actually PLANNED a surprise for me!

Plus, I got jewelry!!!

The 80's!!!

Why oh why oh why did the 80's have to come back.

Was once around with leggings under miniskirts not enough?

I went to the mall today at lunch and I actually laughed out loud at a manaquin because it was so Square Pegs!

Do you think this means that by the time E is a teenager grunge will have returned?

I might still have a couple of my flannel shirts and those hideous tan boots around somewhere in case she needs them! I'll give her a Pearl Jam cd and she can really learn all about her mother's college days!

Leaving for college

My pastor's son is leaving for Campbellsville on Sunday and I told him I'd give him some advice

Here are some thoughts...what else would you guys say?

1. Don't come home the first weekend!

2. You don't have to be best friends with your freshman roommate - get along, but there are
plenty of other people to get to know.

3. When the cafeteria food is in doubt, cereal is always an acceptable dinner.

4. Take advantage of any opportunity that interests you.

5. Join at least one club/ organization.

6. Make a list of things you want to do in college and actually do them.

7. Don't stress out if you haven't picked a major.

8. Keep some ramen noodles around for a late night snack.

9. Study abroad if you want to/ can. It may be the only chance you get.

10. Say hi to the cute girl in your Western Civ class because she might end up being your wife.

11. Don't wait til your senior year to do all your chapel credits.

Anything else you wish you'd known when you were young and had the chance to do anything?

And a fun time was had by all...

She had a grand time showing Gran and Papa all the things she's learned this summer at 'nastics! This week she was in love with the bars and tried every set they have! I believe she is quickly on her way to the Terrible Twos as she told me many times Saturday morning to "back it up" while she tried her darndest to stand up on the balance beam. Once she got up there she asked for help and walked the whole way while using just one of my fingers for help.

We had fun in Indy last week - the Children's Museum was outstanding! I think she could have moved in there and never needed us for anything else! The zoo was nice but we got caught in a terrible thunderstorm so we didn't enjoy it as much as if it had been nice out.

It's a big week.

This is a busy week around the A-B household!

Tomorrow night I'm going to Frankfort to have dinner with some girls I went to high school with. We try to have dinner a few times a year, catch up and see each others kids.

Hopefully E will be cooperative, sit nicely in her booster and eat something reasonable! Yeah, we'll see how that goes!

Then, Wednesday AM we're headed to Indy to go to the zoo & children's museum. They've been advertising the dolphin exhibit so we decided to head up there and found a great deal on line where we paid for the room and the tix as a package deal. We're staying at the Crowne Plaza and hopefully E will sleep well and it will be relaxing for all of us!

And to cap it off, Sunday is E's Little Gym Open House. We've had her in gymnastics all summer and on Sunday she gets to show off her stuff to Gran & Papa. Little Gym has been a great program and E LOVES it. We go every Saturday AM and she says "'nastics" as soon as she realizes where we are! All I can ask is that she be more coordinated than me!

Ready for the Weekend!

It's been a long week and I'm ready for the weekend! We're going out with some of Beak's buds from work tonight. They're a fun bunch and have crazy stories.

ADC & I took the kids to Graeter's last night. ABC is IN LOVE with E. Calls her "my Melia". If any other kids want to play with her in the nursery at church they'd better watch out for him!

She's growing up so fast. I love that she's learning everyday and is independent and wants to try anything and everything, but she's becoming a little girl right before my eyes.

How can this be since it was just yesterday they handed her to me?

Am I old or just normal?

So today I got my haircut (so far so good, we'll see how it goes after I wash & style myself) and afterward I ran by Subway to get a sandwich to bring back to the office.

The Subway I go to is in Mid-City Mall in the Highlands across from Ramsi's. Not the worst part of Louisville, but still in a "all sorts of people" kind of area. The patrons are mostly business folks on their lunch break and a few manual labor kinds of folks like builders etc.

Well today, behind me a line was a young couple. The were probably 19 or 20 and just scroungy looking. She had on a Subway uniform and I think she was on her lunch break. They were all over each other and right on top of me. No personal space boundaries whatsoever - if I had taken one step backward I could have joined in the love-fest. I was already aggravated at that, but then, the guy starts to lean on the glass counter.

I used the word lean, but that's not enough of a mental picture. He made out with the glass counter. He rubbed his hands on it, stretched his arms out across it, moved his hat and rubbed his face across it. I swear he did everything but lick it!

And now I wonder...is it because I am getting older that I had a problem with their behavior or is it because I am a normal person that I had a problem with their behavior?