You mean, you can't see me through that fancy TV screen thingy?!

My sister Caroline graduated from 5th grade. Of all my siblings I feel the closest with Caroline. Not only does she look just like me but, my gosh, that child reminds me of myself to a capital T. I love all my siblings equally but there's just something about Sweet Caroline that makes me feel extra motherly. Maybe it's because I remember exactly how I felt when I found out that finally after 14 years of waiting, I was finally going to have a baby sister. Maybe it's because I couldn't wait for her to get big enough to shop at the Limited Too because, I was like, sooooo into the Limited Too. Maybe it's because I was there when she was born and I remember my soul wanting to jump out of my body and my heart fall out of my butt at the sheer excitement that I felt that I was finally getting to meet her. It was then that I learned how special it's going to be to become a mommy because no matter how a woman becomes pregnant, there is no other way to have a baby than attached to her body. Caroline is beautiful. And even though sometimes she is that annoying bratty little sister, and she hates to shop, and sometimes my soul still wants to jump out of my body (in a bad way) and my heart fall out of my butt (in a bad way), I would scale a mountain for her and would take every one of her insulin shots for her because I just love her that much.

So, she graduated 5th grade which means she is going to middle school. Yikes. But she is going to the same middle school/high school that Adam and I went to which, by the way, is ranked #43 of the Top 100 schools in the country. Thankyouverymuch.

At her graduation, it was no less than 102 degrees in the gym that was filled with 70 stinky 5th graders and their parents, siblings, grannys, and dogs. I'm frantically trying to save 8 chairs for family and as I'm walking to finally take a seat I see a familiar face. It's the kind of moment where you go, "Oh gosh, I know I know this person, and we just made eye contact, and even though I can't remember her name I know she's gonna remember mine, so I better wave to be nice." Then the waving began. And I start waving at this person and this was no normal wave, it was a big goofy slobbering tongue involved wave. This person, a girl, sees me waving at her and does the "half smile, is she waving at me look." It was still so crowded in our area that I decided to bypass the conversation until afterwards and take my seat. Still wrapping my brain trying to figure out which Tri-Delt this could be, it hit me. This lady doesn't know me from a hole in the ground because not only has she never met me, she's never even seen me before because she's on television. Out local news anchor, Amy McRee. Needless to say, there was no post-graduation rendezvous.

Weekend Update

Let's recap a whirlwind of adventures from this weekend, shall we? Yes...we shall...
Here are some puzzle pieces that I will let you put together yourself.

Corndogs
Delayed flights
Henna tattoos
Underage bar visits...
Flat tires
Belly dancing 40-year-olds
Pooping on cars
Lemonade
Pom tryouts
Target

Ay-yi-yi!

"but do you love me?"

Lately I've been doing a ton of soul searching and what I've found is that I cannot rely on my own understanding but just have to trust in the faith that consumes my heart. I've made several confessions lately and it's true, I'm not crazy about living in Duncan. (you see, I'm kind of ashamed to admit it) And what's worse, I've begun to doubt my abilities to minister here.

In reading my sweet friend Jenny's blog, she linked her friend Bex who explains it so poetically that I won't even try to outdo it. (Keep in mind that both Jenny and Bex are missionaries overseas and in no way am I even trying to say that I come close to knowing what it is like to live that life far far away from family and friends in a foreign land. I just feel like I can relate to their sense of insecurity in ministry.)

Here's what Bex has to say...
” The other day I was walking down the road in a long skirt and long sleeve shirt with a head scarf and it was about 115 degrees and dusty and some guys were busy yelling about me being a foreigner and I caught myself telling God - “you know, I’ve been here seven months and I don’t really love North Africa that much yet, I could still leave and never look back and never cry much.” And I heard God ask me - “but do you love me?” And I’m not in North Africa because I love it so much, but I’m still here because I love God…and that’s reason enough.” Read the rest of her post here.

So often, my own complacencies allow me to feel defeated. It takes more than just a "can-do" and "make it work" attitude. It takes sacrifice and passion to endure anything that God puts in my path. So, in answer to the question...yes, I do love you Lord.

Team Chelsia and James!

Wopsle and I are grotesquely obsessed with Big Brother. It would seem inevitable that one of them is going home this week, so in their honor I put a pink stripe in my hair. This picture doesn't really show how pink it is, but trust me, it's awesome.

Also, we're both sending in applications and video tapes to audition for Season 10. Get ready for Team Wopsle! We each have to make a 2 minute long audition tape and are thinking of creative ways to present who we are. Any ideas?

"Board, Bra"

This year we spent Spring Break a little differently than in years past by going on a ski trip. Now normally I'm against ski trips in youth ministry, but for this group, it was just what they needed. Late Friday night, we loaded up and headed to Crested Butte, Colorado. It was refreshing to see snow since, as I have referred to before, Duncan seems to be a weatherless wasteland. I've been skiing a few times before but since I decided to snowboard, there were a few things that I learned/blocked from my memory.

1. Elevation - Whew! Crested Butte sits around 12,000 ft. which makes for me and my little lungs being extremely out of breath. Also, the dichotomy of the snow and the sun makes no sense to me but I am happy to report that only my lips got burned. Mr. Wopsle, on the other hand, no so lucky.
2. Fatigue - Ugh! I came to board, not walk. The layout of Crested Butte requires lots of uphill walking. Couple that with being 12,000 ft. closer to the sun, and it was HOTT! I don't remember being so worn out in all my life. Every muscle and joint in my puny body aches with snowing pains.
3. Snowboarding is very different from skiing...in a good way. I was not so good at skiing mainly because of my noodle legs and aerodynamic frame. I felt much more in control of a snowboard because both of your legs are strapped down thus eliminating the independent nature of the limbs. However, hands down, heads and shoulders, far more than, and any other trite expression you can think of, the lift and getting up aspect of boarding is the most exhausting/stressful time.

Needlesstosay, we are now 2 full days home, and I continue to feel the lactic acid burning in my muscles. I am very excited about going back again to board more. And yes, I do feel extra sk8r style when I get to say "board," bra.