Wow

I just realized it's been a month since I've posted on here! I've been extremely busy lately and spending most internet time on Myspace. (yeah, yeah, I know)

Anyway, about 2 weeks ago our family helped put on a sneak preview for a great film called End of the Spear. Phil has a friend named Eric from ORU/Tulsa whose dad produced it and came up with the idea to do it about 7 years ago. The film is a true account of the events that took place back in 1956 when Jim Elliot, Nate Saint and 3 other men dared to make contact with the Waodoni, the most savage indigenous tribe in Ecuador and the world. The events that transpired will touch your heart and challenge your faith. The film will be released nationwide on January 20th, 2006. Please get behind this film and support it by going to see it opening weekend. This will help extend it's showing time in the theaters.

Last weekend my Mom came to town for a visit. It was really great to catch up and spend some much-needed girl time. We tore it up at the malls. Don't bother going any time soon, because we got all of the good deals ;)

Thank-you Buckeyes!

You've made my weekend! The defense was amazing today!! The weather was perfect, all of the planets were aligned and now Columbus is happy again :) Muah! A big kiss from me to the team (just like in my picture!)

Skyview Ranch...

A lovely scenic shot. You know I HAD to take pictures.

Middle schooler's rock!

So, this is how I spent my weekend! (I'm the adult on the front right) Hanging out with a bunch of kids from my church in Amish country :) It was their yearly retreat to Skyview Ranch and they had a mom cancel at the last minute, so I was called in for reinforcement. It was tons of fun. They are a really fun group and at such a fun age right now. They will do anything with no regard of consequence (and I mean that in a good way). It was so awesome to see them all just praising God and not worrying about what others think. I don't think I was nearly that cool or secure with myself at that age. It rained the whole time, but they didn't seem to care. They still got out there and played games and had fun.

I was glad to get home, though. I missed Phil and home and my dog, and most of all...my bed! Those bunk beds just aren't the same as they were when I was 15. Funny how I can get used to sleeping on a bamboo mat in China for a month, but a bunkbed in a room with 9 middle school girls for a weekend, totally different!

A Long September...

I haven't updated this thing in a while. It's been a crazy week! We (sort of) wrapped up the MINI Scavenger Hunt. The mission was to find a Go Kart place, slap a number decal on the door (like a rally car in a race) and take a picture. So we got that, but there was a supplemented challenge for the people who didn't do so hot on the timing. You can take your time and get a really creative shot at the go kart place and turn it in by Monday for a trip to Oxford, England to tour the MINI plant where my car was built. So, I'm still brainstorming. One lady dressed up like the Queen of England and is waving from her MINI. I think she's got it in the bag right now, unless I can con some guys into dressing up like the Beatles and hang out of my sunroof!

Other than that, we've spent a lot of time with folk from Heritage this week. The drama team, Lifegroupers, random people at a birthday party, etc. Good times all around.

Right now I'm sitting at my in-laws house watching a PPV boxing match with a bunch of guys. The main event is coming up between Roy Jones Jr. and Antonio(?) Tarver. It's sure to be a good one.

Well, I'm gonna go refill the bowl of queso (my specialty, for those of you who don't know).

Buenas Noches!

Uncreative moment

We all have them. We don't have anything clever to say or a funny thing that happened at work. I'm there.

Phil and I spent time with Tim & Brit Poindexter tonight. They're great! Nothin' says lovin' like hot tea and a good CIA show on TV.

Anyway, it's practically the end of the week, so I'm excited. Tomorrow is Thursday, which is really like Friday, because Friday doesn't count. Phil and I are going to the Ohio St. v. Iowa game this weekend! It should be a good time.

I'll leave you with one profound thought: If you ever drop your keys into a river of molten lava, let 'em go. 'Cause man, they're gone.

Here's Phil and Vinnie posing for a picture. What a trooper Phil is for getting up and going with me at 4 a.m.. I LOVE YOU HONEY!! Of course, he wants to go to Italy too.

What the...?

Why am I awake and blogging at 5:36, you ask? Well, I'll tell you.

Most of you know by now that I own a MINI Cooper. I love that car. It loves me. We're happy together :) We like to spend time "motoring" (it's a MINI thing).

Well, MINIUSA.com started a photo Scavenger Hunt about a month or so ago. You wake up on Tuesdays at 4:00 a.m. (EST), check the Owner's Lounge page for the week's mission and go take a photo of your car in front of said target. [For example, this week you had to go find an old-fashioned barber shop with the spinning candy-stripe pole.] You get ranked by the time that it takes you from when the mission was released until you can get home and upload your photo to the site. The person with the lowest elapsed time wins a 6-day trip to MINI United in Italy (it's a big rally for MINIs, naturally).

So, being the lunatic I am, I'm participating in this "hunt." I'm actually doing quite well in the rankings. I'm in 9th place overall, out of hundreds, with the potential of being in 6th place. Some folks ahead of me had questionable photos this week (i.e. no visible pole, pole painted on sign/building, etc.) Being that I live in the near-200-year-old town of Westerville, Ohio, this was not difficult to find.

The thing is, I get this incredible adrenaline rush when my phone alarm goes off and it doesn't go away easily. Especially when I come home and realize that I could possibly have moved up in the ranking. My heart is pumping and my stomach is flippy. I mean, hey, I WANT TO GO TO ITALY. GOSH!

Farewell sweet weekend, you've come and gone so quickly...

So, it's Sunday night. It's that odd time of the weekend when we realize it's over and work is just a few hours of sleep away. It's also that time when you reflect on what you did over the weekend and hope to goodness you did something worthwhile (or at least worth talking about 'round the water cooler at work tomorrow).

I didn't go to the movies. Not sure there's anything worth my hard-earned $8.50 out right now. We did end up having some yummy Mexican food Friday night with some friends and some good laughs to follow. Yesterday I did, indeed, have brunch with Ann followed by shopping. I behaved myself though and purchased one (1) sweater, ON SALE. So there.

The Buckeyes won, YAY, so all is well for now in the "Buckeye Nation."

Today was spent going to church, relaxing with my Ohio parents and going to part of a hockey game. We forgot the Sun. games start at 5:00 so, yeah, we were a little late. But the timing was perfect because the Blue Jackets were stinkin' it up [0-3] before we got there. The last period was the only one worth seeing anyway. They scored 2 goals but we still lost 2-3. Oh well, it's only pre-season, right? Definitely exciting to have NHL back though.

OK, it's 11:44 now. 16 minutes left to do one more productive thing before it's officially Monday. Ready?....go!

Here are Phil, Bartley, Joe and Jess playing a wild game of Twister at our most recent Boston gang get-together/fondue party.

TGIF!!!!!!!!

So glad it's Friday! Good times ahead this weekend. Phil and I might go catch a movie tonight at our new theater down the street. It looks pretty slick. Having brunch with gal-pal Ann tomorrow, always a good time. Usually followed up by hitting a few sales at the mall, buying things that I never knew I needed. Will probably end up watching the Buckeyes game somewhere. We're hittin' our first Blue Jackets game of the season (or pre-season?) this Sun. night. Lot's of fun. Love the Jackets. Anytime you've got guys skating around on ice that just want to beat the crap out of each other, it's bound to be a good time!

Well, that's all for now. Must update iPod with podcasts from godsipod.com. You can get the entire New Testament in a chapter-a-weekday format. Pretty sweet.

Here I am with Vinnie in front of Ohio Stadium. Go Bucks!