Back In Philly

I'm back in Philly now, and it feels great! I actually wasn't ready to leave NC when I did, but I am really glad to be back! I had a good, but LONG trip back on the train. The trip took about an hour longer than expected because of delays, but overall it was good. I actually have some funny stories from the ride, but I will have to add that later.

Today has been a pretty uneventful, but also somewhat busy day. Bonita and Linda went to church with me this morning and we had a good time in Sunday School. We ended up talking a lot about school and it broke my heart as we talked about what their schools are like. I started asking them to raise their hand if they had ever been cussed at by a teacher, if they had ever had a fight break out in their class, if they had ever been called a name by a teacher, if they had ever seen a teacher hit a student or vice versa, and so on. There was not a single question asked in which at least one hand wasn't raised...and most had all hands in the air. No wonder these kids struggle so much in school. I miss After-School...
After church my friends Joy and Jen came over to help me put my treadmill together. That's right, I have a treadmill!!! I've had it for almost 2 weeks and my friend Jared said he would put it together for me, but hasn't yet. I finally got tired of waiting, so we put it together today. I am so excited!!!

No, Gizmo is not running on the treadmill...although he could probably use it, haha. Notice the treadmill is pointed directly at my TV. :) Jen and I are going to run a 10K in May, so I am in training. Wait, did I just say I was going to run a 10K?!? Yes, yes I did. I can hardly believe it myself. I really want to do this though, so hopefully I can stay on track and train for it. Now that I have a treadmill in my house, I really don't have any excuses.Its a pretty sweet treadmill too!! It has different training programs, and its a cross trainer, so you can exercise your whole body. Apparently it also has a talking personal trainer that will take you through a whole body work out (with weights and an ab ball). In addition, it has speakers and a plug in for an MP3 player or an ipod (neither of which I have, but maybe someday) and it has a built in fan. I got a really good deal in it (50% off!!!), which makes it even more exciting!

I am really hoping that the fact that I spent my own money on this will help motivate me even more to use it. I'm not making this a new years resolution, though, just a life goal. I actually really enjoy running and really want to get more into it.

I just got back from dropping Bonita and Linda off. They were invited to a birthday party at a skating rink, so I took them a little while ago. Actually, they spent all afternoon hanging out with Monique and Tasha at their house. It is so exciting to see them hang out without me!! I also felt a huge sense of pride as I dropped them off at the skating rink knowing that I don't have to worry about their behavior at all. They can work my last nerve, but they are very sweet, respectful girls and I know they will be great. I'm also pretty excited that the birthday party was for one of the God's Girls. In fact, there are at least 5 or 6 God's Girls invited to the party.

So, I have about an hour. Its raining outside and cold...I think I'll go for a run. :)

My Kitchen Is Almost Complete...

Merry Christmas everyone!! It feels so good to be in North Carolina, despite the rain!! I am having a very relaxing and wonderful time at my parents' house, and I am so thankful for that.

I arrived on Christmas eve, getting home around 5:00. My mom started to get dinner ready when we all decided to go ahead and do presents then. There are only 3 of us, so it didn't take long. :) (My brother, unfortunately, had to work Christmas eve, so he was in NC for the weekend, but left the day before I came. I saw him just a few weeks ago, though, and hopefully he will be coming to Philly sometime soon!). Anyway, we had a lot of fun opening gifts and all 3 of us got exactly what we wanted!! I got a new Microwave for my kitchen (one that hangs above the stove!) and some real pots and pans! (The ones I am currently using are older than me and just a random compilation of old things other people weren't using). Now all I need is a new refrigerator and a ceiling, and my kitchen will be FINISHED! I am in no hurry for either, I love my kitchen, even unfinished. Still, its exciting to move closer to a finished product! :)

My mom got a travel bag, which will hopefully motivate her to actually come to Philly. :) My dad got some new clothes and slippers, and was very excited. My brother also got me a gift card for Amazon.com...which I can't wait to spend!!! (My wish list on the right may be changing soon!). In all, it was a really good Christmas. Oh, I almost forgot! My favorite gift...

Its Boyz II Men's newest cd! It just came out!! I am so excited! I grew up listening to Motown ALL THE TIME (thanks to my mom), and I obviously love Boyz II Men, so this is just about the greatest cd ever for me. I love it!!!

Since we opened presents on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day was pretty low key for us. We watched some movies, at some leftovers, and just hung out. It was really nice.

Today is just as low key. My dad is at work, my mom is resting and I am getting my AIM stuff done. I am going to go for a run by the water later, even if it is raining. I have been looking forward to running along the river for months, so I will not let the rain stop me! My dad will even let me go out at night here. :) Oh, and there is a sushi restaurant here, so I am going to hit that up later as well!!! I really love this town!

Tomorrow my mom and I are going to hit a few after Christmas sales, but we really don't have any plans other than that. I'm still working for AIM in the mornings, but just chillin' in the afternoons/evenings. I am heading back to Philly on Saturday, and I think that may come way too soon. :)

On the Train

I am sitting on a train headed to Wilson, NC and I decided to write a little bit to pass the time. I still have about 2 hours to go. I have been on the train for 5 hours so far and I absolutely think that the train is the way to go!! I have my laptop plugged in and have been able to watch as many episodes of Friends as I want. I have already read an entire book (Yes, I read fast) and spent some time really enjoying the east coast. It is a BEAUTIFUL day outside!! It’s pretty cool because trains drive past highways and through small towns. I even passed right by Randolph Macon College; though it was deserted. It doesn’t feel like Christmas Eve at all, but that doesn’t really bother me. I am really enjoying the ride.

I have also had some interesting experiences. My trip started at 8:30 this morning with the lady behind me discussing Tasty Cakes in great detail with someone on her cell phone. Oh, and did I mention that she didn’t have her hearing aid in? I can laugh now, but at 8:30 in the morning, when I haven’t had much sleep (I have since taken a noce cat nap), the conversation is much more annoying than amusing.

There is also a 5 year old boy who has been watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. He doesn’t have headphones, and apparently also needs a hearing aid. The conductor has come by several times to ask him to put headphones on. He responded quite rudely to the conductor and then yelled at his mom when she asked him to turn it town. Did I mention he is only 5?!? It wasn’t long before I figured out where his attitude came from…

A few minutes ago, the conductor came by again to tell the boy to turn off the movie if he didn’t have headphones. The mom erupted in anger making it clear to him that her son was going to watch the movie whether the people around him liked it or not. Apparently he has ADHD and needs the movie to keep him calm. When the conductor mentioned that people had complained about the noise, she very sarcastically announced that anyone with a problem could come and talk to her. The conductor then threatened to escort them off the train at the next stop. The movie is now off, and the boy seems to be doing fine. I’m so thankful for how my parents raised me.

The only thing that could make this ride better would be having wireless internet. I had it for about 10 seconds while in Petersburg, but nothing since. You can even bring your own food on the train, so you can eat as healthy or as crappy as you want. And, its much cheaper!!! The train is pretty full, but the seats are so much bigger than a plane; I don’t feel cramped at all. AND, I brought a giant bag, a bookbag and a smaller bag and didn’t have to check anything. Can you tell I love the train?!?

My dad should be picking me up at the train station, and I think we only have about an hour drive to get to their house. My dad is NEVER late; in fact, he’s probably in his way to the station now, haha. Actually…he really might be. Its so nice to be so loved. Okay, I just got off the phone with my dad…he is in fact on his way to the train station. :)

So, I’m down to an hour and a half, and I am out of things to write. In about 4 Friends episodes, I will be in NC!! My dad also informs me that they have wireless internet at their house!!! (This is the first time ever for them!) So, hopefully you will be hearing from me again soon!!

Almost Home

This time tomorrow I will be in my parents' new home in North Carolina! Well, their temporary home (they are renting a house until the house in VA sells), but at least they are finally both in the same house! :) I am so ready to go. My house, however, is not. I have some cleaning to do...

Carisa is already in North Carolina with her family, so I lead Sunday School this morning. Usually I dread leading Sunday School (I love my class, just not leading it), but today it went really well. We didn't have many girls, but we had fun with the ones that were there. We finished our lap book on Christmas (don't ask me what a lap book is...I don't really know other than it is a book that you read in your lap. I just do what Carisa tells me, haha).

It was crazy trying to finish in time (lost of cutting, writing and taping), but we did it! And, we managed to have fun as well as learn something. Overall, a pretty good day. Mercedes came to church with me today, and Bonita and Linda didn't. It was actually really fun to get to know her better without the other girls, and she had a blast with Monique and Tasha after church when we all went out to lunch. I continue to daily be amazed by the wonderful kids and teens that I am so blessed to love...and be loved by. There is no reason I should get to live the life that I do...

I also had a lot of fun leading Prayer Pals tonight as well. There were only 5 kids there, but that allowed us to all have fun together. I had 2 of the girls dancing and the rest of us laughing so hard we almost cried. One of the girls apparently couldn't hold in her gas during her dance, and that sent all of us over the edge. It was really fun because one of the girls there is usually very quiet, but she joined in on the fun with us!!

I am actually writing this blog entry to procrastinate from cleaning my house; and packing. I don't have a ton to do, but I just can't make myself do anything. :) I have actually been sort of sick in the last few days. It started Thursday and I have pretty much been nauseous all the time. And no, there is NO humanly way that I am pregnant. :) I actually spent most of yesterday laying down because I was sure if I moved I was going to lose my lunch (that being a figure of speech since I didn't actually eat anything yesterday). I'm still feeling a bit nauseous today, but I can push through it. I'm a little nervous about the train tomorrow since I have been feeling motion sick for 3 days straight. Thank goodness for Dramamine! :)

Okay, before I head out, I have to share two quick things with you. First, the greatest present I have ever received:

This is a potato masher! The feet hold the potato up so you can microwave it. Then, you use the masher (which has a face!!!), to make mashed potatoes (the world's most perfect food)!!! I LOVE this gift, thank you Hinsons!!! I haven't used it yet (refer to the 3 days of nausea section of this blog), but I plan in it when I get back!!!

Finally, I have to share my outrage with you. I spent a good portion of yesterday watching VH1's "Top 100 Songs of the 90's". (Again, refer to the 3 days of nausea section...). I watch all 100 songs with great nostalgia remembering every single one of them; knowing the words to 85% of them. I definitely consider myself a child of the 90's. Although I was born in the 80's, I grew up in the 90's. The 90's encompassed ages 10-20 for me. Anyway, my outrage...NOT A SINGLE BOYZ II MEN SONG MADE THE LIST!!!!! Vanilla Ice, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, NSYNC, and Backstreet Boys all made the list. Right Said Fred's "I'm too Sexy" made the list. Sir Mix A Lot's "Baby Got Back" made the list...but not Boyz II Men?!? The greatest selling R&B group of all time, come on!!! I'm writing a letter and starting a petition, this is unacceptable!!!!!!!

3 Movies in 4 Days....

That's what happens when I'm on a break! :) I have in fact seen 3 movies (all in the theater) over the last 4 days. Tuesday night I saw "I Am Legend" (LOVED it!!). A friend actually paid for several of us to see the movie and we all had a lot of fun. It is somewhat of a scary movie, which none of us realized going into it, so I've had more lights on than usual the past few days. :)

Yesterday Joy and I decided to see the movie "Juno" (also LOVED it, but its definitely an indie film that's not for everyone). Its only playing in one theater in Philly, and that theater happens to me in Center City. We rarely venture into Center City, so we decided to make it a fun afternoon. We at lunch at Cosi (one of my favorite restaurants), saw the movie (at matinee pricing...only $5!) and then walked around the city visiting different shops. I even got some of my last minute Christmas shopping finished! We had a blast!!! In fact, we had dinner plans with a friend at PBU (Philadelphia Biblical University) at 7, and barely made it! We actually had Joy's brother (Jared) pick us up at the El stop so we wouldn't be too late...we had lost track of time we were having so much fun!

Then today I saw the movie; "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" (again, for only $5! I love matinees!). Normally this is not a movie I would pay to see in the theater, but I owed some kids in after-school a movie, and they really wanted to see it. So, Joy and I took her sister Eliza (the one I owed the movie) and her brother Zach as well as Lindsay (a last minute replacement for Joy's brother Joey who decided not to come) and met up with Pastor Andy and his wife Shannon and their 2 kids, Matt and Sarah. There weren't many people in the theater and we all loved the movie...so it was again a blast for us! The best part was that all the adults that went actually love history, and all the kids had just learned about a lot of the stuff in the movie, so that made it even more exciting. It was a great movie for us (though I am not the biggest Nicholas Cage fan...).

Oh, and I got even more excited during the previews! The new Narnia movie is coming out in May and I'm already planning on taking the kids. Pixar has a new animated movie coming out that looks really cute, and actually appropriate for kids! And, they have made the Dr. Seuss book, "Horton Hears a Who" (an all time favorite of mine), into a movie that will be coming out in the spring as well. (I owe Paxton a movie too, and I think that might be a good one for us!). Finally, there is another Will Smith movie coming out around my birthday! In this one he is a superhero that isn't very good and the people don't really like him. It looks really funny...and continues the trend of great Will Smith movies being released for my birthday. Independence Day, Men in Black, Men in Black 2, Bad Boys 2, Wild Wild West (which wasn't actually very good) and I Robot have all come out on or very near my birthday. That's 6 of the last 11 years!! Will rarely forgets my birthday. :) In case you couldn't tell, I really like movies!

The rest of today has been spent with me doing next to nothing. I'm pretty tired from the week and I have a lot to do tomorrow and Sunday to prepare for my leaving on Monday (including more Christmas shopping!), so I decided to just relax today. I also think I might have some sort of inner ear infection or something. I started feeling a little motion sickness on the El yesterday, and Jared's driving on the way to and from PBU did not help. I chalked it up to just motion sickness, but I have been feeling waves of it today, and I haven't been moving. Its kinda weird...I don't really mind though, it gave me an excuse to lay down a lot. :)

My Favorite Day!!

This is absolutely my favorite day of the year!! It was the Prayer Pals Christmas Party!! Carisa and I spent a lot more time preparing for the party than we expected, but it was all worth it. Its the one Christmas Party that is almost no stress at all! You have to check out the pictures here!!
Watching the kids open their presents really made me think. I take an incredible amount of joy in watching the kids open their presents. I find myself wanting to see these kids blessed beyond belief. Carisa and I went shopping for a few of them (their pals sent money) and I had to hold myself back as I kept seeing things that I wanted them to have.

If it is that hard for me to hold back, how much harder must it be for God? God loves me immeasurably more than I love those kids (which is hard to imagine cause I REALLY love those kids). Not only that, but He has way more resources than I do (cause He literally owns EVERYTHING). So, if my love for these kids leads me to wanting to shower them with every gift and joy I possibly can, what does God desire for me?!? He wants to give me everything!! He DELIGHTS in lavishing me!!! But, I don't have everything...

Sometimes I think of the things I want and don't have or the prayers I pray that seem to go unanswered and wonder why God is holding back. Tonight made me realize that God has to exercise an indescribable amount of restraint to keep from giving me those things; so He must have a pretty good reason for doing so.

Its a whole different thing to no longer see God as the judge in heaven seeking to bless me occasionally, but also punish me for my wrongs and withhold things from me so I can learn lessons I am apparently too hard headed to get the first time. Instead, I am beginning to see Him for who I believe He really is: the God who loves me more than I can ever imagine and withholds things from me because apparently to give them to me would be harmful and although His hates to see me suffer, He loves me too much to harm me.
This kid can be one of the most frustrating kids I have ever known. While he is extremely smart, funny and talented, he is also argumentative, angry, and extremely stubborn (sound familiar mom and dad?). He, more than most other kids, can send me right over the edge. Many of my most frustrating interactions with a kid involve this one. However, despite all of that, I don't find him hard to love at all. I couldn't stop loving him if I tried. When his name comes to mind, a smile immediately appears on my face. I miss him when I'm not around him, even though when I am, I have a 50/50 chance of being around a very angry kid.

If I love Pedro this much; how much more does God love me?