Saturday, June 30, 2012

What I Did While Trent Was At Chi Rho Camp

Trent's home. Trent's home. Trent's home. Trent's home.  Did I mention that Trent is home??

To keep up the pattern set by this post from mission trip week and this post from Niners camp week, here's what I did while Trent was at Chi Rho camp:

Ate more pasta

Caught up on So You Think You Can Dance


Gretchen came over for:

plus


plus

I went over to Gretchen's for


I totally failed at completing Operation Deep Clean 2012.   Like, epic fail.  Combination of being busy and just not wanting to tackle the rest of it.   Can you even tell the couple things I actually accomplished since Niners week?



Fail.

But this morning I set off in the church van to collect my husband and our Chi Rho campers and bring them home.


And now he is back.  Aussie hat and sweaty suitcase full of camp laundry and everything.  We took a three hour nap, ran around town, watched some tv, and are about to do a bedtime crossword.  I have missed those.   It's good to be back to normal.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Polly Want A Cracker?

Did you know my cat has a name other than "Cat" or "Cat Baby"?  It's true.  Her real name is Polly.  She likes to hang out on shoulders so I decided from the get-go that she should be Polly the pirate parrot cat. 



Well, nothing has changed...


Monday, June 25, 2012

Driveway Remodel

The good news is, my car will be paid off next month.  (Yesssssssssssss)  The bad news is, it needs a new brake caliper and a new O-2 sensor.  (Boooooo)  Trent is pretty sure he can fix both, but he is gone to camp for a week.  Considering you can smell burnt brake caliper after my lil car has been driving a while and has been a little jerky when shifting gears, it's me and the truck this week. 

But there was a bit of a problem.  Here is how our driveway normally looks:


You can't really tell from this picture, but it's a bit of a tight squeeze to get the truck out of that corner without swiping the fence (to the left of the truck), the motorcycle, or the corner of my car.   Well, Trent can whip in and out of there easy peasy but I'm not so good at it.   Plus it was proving somewhat difficult to make it up and down this hill in high heels:


Not to mention the grass burs I have found on my pants hem upon arriving at the office.  So.  I did a little DIY driveway remodel.


Ok, fine, all I did was stick the truck in the street for a bit, baby my car into the truck's normal spot (where it looks really tiny), and move the truck into my car's spot (where it looks really giant).   No, I did not attempt to move the motorcycle.  I don't think Snowball would like that.

Anyway, now I can whip in and out of our driveway without a worry in the world.  Much better.

P.S. I find it amusing that Trent's "watch for motorcycles" bumper sticker (shown above) has a big gash through it from a car running into it.  I guess someone wasn't watching for motorcycles OR red trucks...

Sunday, June 24, 2012

"Are You Starting To Feel Like A Church Camp Widow?"

Trent and I were some of the last folks to leave the church building this morning and as we stood by his motorcycle trying to decide where to go for a quick lunch date before he left for Chi Rho camp, our senior minister hollered some well wishes for a good week to Trent across the parking lot then asked me "Are you starting to feel like a church camp widow?"  I laughed and replied that yeah, I kinda am, but it's alright because this is the last week.  We are in the home stretch!

I've worried a bit this month that I haven't been blogging enough, that what I have actually managed to post didn't have much meat to it, etc.  But I've decided, now that there is only one week left of this month anyway, not to worry about it.

I just haven't wanted to.  I haven't had anything to write about.  Honestly life becomes pretty boring without Trent here.  I cook pasta, clean the house, cry sometimes, and text Trent a lot, even though I know he can't respond very often. I tolerate the dog's craziness a little more than usual because I'm pretty sure she misses Trent too.  I get a little sad when a motorcycle rides by our house and Lucy springs to attention and trots to the back door, waiting for daddy.  I start to sleep diagonally and grab guest room pillows to make a barricade so I don't get in the habit of hogging the whole bed. I turn inward a bit, journal some, become very aware of the quiet, and turn on some praise tunes to fill it, in an attempt to at least feel like Jesus is hanging out with me.  It usually works.  I paint my nails and pray for my husband, that he has fun and gets enough sleep, that the bugs don't bite and his allergies don't flare up, that he can show love to the kids at camp who are each a fearfully and wonderfully made child of God.  

I miss my husband and it stinks that these three weeks were concentrated into one month.  But honestly I'm honored to be in the position of missing my husband if it means some sweet Bastrop families received help rebuilding their burned homes, if a bunch of freshmen received a call at Niners camp to live a life of ministry no matter what they choose as a profession and if a group of middle schoolers receive love and friendship and fun this week from adults who care about them and want to see them grow to love God.   That makes this worth it...


...but I'm still counting down the days until Saturday.  

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Create Your Own Getaway aka We Bought A Tent

Trent and I like to go on weekend getaways when we can and when we get away we like to do pretty much...nothing.   We have discovered over the course of our marriage that hotels and B&Bs can be flippin expensive, not to mention gas to get there and restaurants while you are there.   Camping with the youth group at Bastrop State Park earlier this month on the mission trip sparked the idea in Trent to ask me what I thought about camping.  Funny how in 2 years and 7.5 months of dating and 4 years of marriage that had never come up.  I informed him that, though I'm not a f'real adventure girl, I'm cool with camping, provided there are actual potties.    We realized it would be a fun, cheap way to create out own getaways from time to time.  Trent also wants to create his own spiritual retreats sometimes.

So...we bought a tent.   And Trent proceeded to put it up in our den the instant we got home.  Of course.




He refused to let me help put it up because he wanted to make sure he could do it all by himself for the times that he'll pack the tent, a bed roll, and a coffee percolator (priorities) on the back of his motorcycle to mosey off for a solo retreat.  

I did test it out though.


Oh, and see that lump in the tent floor next to me in the picture above?  Yeah, that was my cat baby...


No, we did not build the tent on top of her.  She crawled under there to explore and we had trouble getting her out!

So, after the one time tent purchase of $50, how's this for a cheap getaway?  

Park entrance fee: ~$4
Camp site fee: ~$12
Gas to get to several parks around here: not much
Hot dogs, PBJ and coffee: ~$10
A chance to have some new adventures together that won't break the bank:  Priceless

Ok, ok sorry, I'm sure you saw that coming.  But seriously, this is gonna make some great memories for not much money!

Saturday, June 16, 2012

What I Did While Trent Was Directing Niners Camp

I get my husband back this afternoon after week #2 of him being gone.  He has been at church camp in  Athens, Tx co-directing Niners camp this past week.  I'm really proud of him!  I've had an alright week at home by myself.

I worked on Operation Deep Clean 2012.



I hurt my thumb while working on Operation Deep Clean.


I found a GIANT, super awesome moth under our porch roof while working on an outdoor portion of Operation Deep Clean.



I watched our beloved Baylor Bears tragically lose two baseball games, blowing their spot in the College World Series...



I cried...when Trent left, when I hurt my thumb, when the Bears lost, lots of other times...

I worried.   What if I have a flat tire?  What if someone tries to get into our house?  What if Lucy gets out and I can't find her?

I ate a lot of pasta



I watched another chick flick at home and one in the theater with Steph H.


(No we are not expecting)

I talked to myself.  Really.  I pretty quickly got tired of the quiet and there is only so much you can say to a dog and a cat.   So I just converted my thoughts into speaking pretty much.   Yeah, I know, I'm losing it.  SO glad Trent is coming home today.  You have no idea.  This time he is home for a whole week until he leaves again for Chi Rho camp.    Whoop whoop!

Sunday, June 10, 2012

What I Did While Trent Was On Mission Trip

I didn't really blog this past week (other than pulling this flashback from my set of pre-fab posts that are ready to go for times just like this week) because Trent was gone for the youth mission trip and I kind of hibernate a bit when he is gone.  It crossed my mind a few times to blog something but I just wasn't feelin' it.   Didn't have a post planned like last year about my YM hubby being gone in the summer for mission trip and camps.   But here I am.  Maybe I'll post more this week than last week.

The mission trip group was commissioned and prayed for last Sunday at church before heading to Bastrop, TX, to help with remaining cleanup from the wildfires last summer.



Then we packed Trent Sunday night and he headed off for the week.  My cat baby didn't want him to go...


I earned "coolest wife ever" points by using Trent's remaining regional tournament ticket and going to the Baylor baseball game, even though he wasn't with me.  I got some sun, a snow cone, and some exciting baseball, meanwhile reporting the happenings of the game to Trent via text.   Baylor advanced to the super regional tourny which they are hosting right now. If they win the game today they are headed to Omaha!  Sic em Bears! 

Tuesday evening I got groceries, including a ton of junk food because I am a mess when Trent is gone, took our hound dawg for a w.a.l.k. then...mowed the yard in the dark.  Yeah, I do strange things when Trent is gone.  Pretty sure God helped me get the mower started.   Or maybe I don't know my own strength. 

Wednesday equaled spaghetti and a chick flick.


Then I continued my yard work kick Thursday after a storm the night before cooled things off.  I trimmed up our front tree that had grown some low hanging limbs. We can see across the street now and you don't have to duck when approaching our house!  Pretty sure I looked pretty dumb jumping up and down hacking at the little limbs with clippers.  And of course that is exactly when our sweet old neighbor Paul decided to come outside and put their trash can on the curb...


Did some trimming of shrubbery, pulling of weeds and scooping of leaves.  Also some freaking out and killing of wasps that were residing under the handle of our yard waste container.   Can't believe I didn't get stung. Pretty sure God helped me with that too, as well as the mower.


Trent got home Friday evening and was home for a whole day before heading out for Niners camp this afternoon.   We crammed in brunch with some friends, my company picnic, a lovely nap, the first Baylor super regional game on tv, a dinner date to Red Lobster, a trip to Walmart to buy about 40 bandannas for camp and a trip to Academy to look at tents.  We have decided to take up camping.  :-)

So Trent is gone for camp #1 of this month.  He'll be home next week then head to camp #2 after that.   Here's my plan for this week:  Operation Deep Clean 2012.  


Get excited.  Don't worry, I have hijacked our Netflix queue with chick flicks and already have my next dvd waiting on top of the tv:


Friday, June 8, 2012

Flashback to Highschool - Formals

Haven't had a flashback post in a little while.  How about some old pictures from highschool formals?  What girl doesn't love dressing up in a fancy dress and hairdo and shoes?  Or remembering when she got to?

Heritage School spring formal, my junior year, 2003




Heritage School spring formal, my senior year, 2004 



Saturday, June 2, 2012

Oh Em Gee, I Luv My Girls

Last Sunday I was fighting tears as I drove to church.  One of "my" girls was getting baptized that morning.  Sweet lil Starla was going to get up in front of the whole church and acknowledge through baptism her faith is Jesus as her savior.  I was excited, proud, contemplative and most of all, joyful.

My girls bring me so much joy.   Ok, sometimes they bring me a little heartache and worry, but mostly it is joy, joy, joy.  They are beautiful, talented, smart, funny and friendly.  They are human, imperfect, in need of God's love and grace, just like we all are.   They've made mistakes but they've had big successes too.  They've been rockstars at tackling life and they've also had struggles.  They've been troublemakers and they've been peacemakers.   They are forever learning, growing, loving and smiling.  

See for yourself.  Take a look at the smiles, the laughs, the fun and the joy that I have the privilege of knowing:

With Shelbi and Carlie on Easter Sunday

Ally on mission trip last summer


Lauren being a rockstar at her dance recital
(I stole this pic from facebook since I didn't take any)

Savannah, Carlie and Steph, sleepover at my house last year


Starla getting baptized

With Steph and Starla after Starla got baptized

Visiting Steph on her break at her JOB, while we were TV hunting

To all my girls, thanks for bringing so much joy to my life.  Luv you all!

Friday, June 1, 2012

No More Preheating Our TV

For about the past two years, we have had to let our TV warm up for anywhere from zero to thirty minutes before being able to watch it.  I don't remember exactly when or in what fashion it started but one day it decided it wanted to be ka-razy for a while before the picture showed up each time. So yeah, we have been preheating our TV like an oven for at least two years...   

You may be wondering what kind of ka-raziness it did all that time.  Sometimes it would surprise us and come right on perfectly, and we would hold our breath hoping it would do that anytime we wanted to watch something important or live or close to our bedtime and we didn't have time to wait.  Sometimes it would flash the picture but freeze, then flash up another frame and freeze, flash and freeze.  But the majority of the time, it had its own TV version of the Northern Lights on the screen, ever changing, ever fading in and out.  

It had horizontal lines...


...and vertical lines...


...a little of this...


...and a little of that...


They're actually kind of pretty, don't you think?  Sometimes we would find ourselves listening to whatever was on TV behind the Northern Lights, staring at the lines fading in and out, mesmerized, all the while hoping the picture would pop up any instant bringing with it genuine and audibly expressed joy.

Well, sadly, ole TV finally bit the dust this week.  For the entirety of Tuesday, during which Trent was home sick on the sofa, he tried every combination of turning on and off, waiting a long time, waiting a short time, begging, pleading and yelling he could think of, to no avail.  By the time I came home from work, it was still showing the Northern Lights and we decided it was time to get another one.   We hit up a few TV selling places that evening (and one fried chicken selling place for dinner where one of our girls now works) and ended up getting a 32" Samsung LED TV at Best Buy.  It was indeed the best buy for us.


Dude.  Flat screen TVs have gotten wa-hay cheaper in the past few years.  For perspective, and for those of you wondering what brand our old TV was so you can avoid it, we got it in 2008 as a wedding present to ourselves for about $850.   (And by wedding present I mean monthly payments on it for many moons thereafter.  Oh to be young and stupid again...)   It was made by Sharp.  Apparently Sharp wasn't so sharp because that brand is nowhere to be found in stores now.  Our new TV is a Samsung (a better brand), LED (a better TV) and was only $350 (we found it on sale, down from $400).  AND, check this out:


Energy cost of a whoppin' six bucks a year?  Yes please.   AND, it makes super cool spaceship noises when you turn it on and off, which we can do freely now without having to consider when the next time will be that we want to watch TV and if we should just leave it on in the meantime to avoid having to preheat it again later.  

You may be wondering why it took us two years of warming up our TV to bite the bullet and just get another one.  Well...it wasn't broken.  It still showed TV shows and movies and workout dvds and Wii.  It just took a little while for them to actually show up.  We had the conversation many, many times about just ditching the not-so-Sharp TV and getting another one.  But each time we came to the same conclusions:  

1) Even though TVs are cheaper now, that is still a big purchase for us. 
2) "We've made it this far, why not keep on going?" 
3) It technically still worked.
4) Having to warm up our TV made TV time kind of special for us and (go figure) limited the amount of totally brainless, time wasting TV watching we did.  It made TV or movie watching this funny, long routine that had to be planned for and anticipated.  Believe me, if you have to wait half an hour each time you turn on your TV, you are going to want to turn on something that both will enjoy.

So here's to the first TV of our marriage.  Here's to the frustrating Northern Lights and teaching us to be patient.  Here's to the informal bets placed on how long it would take it to warm up and the silly expressions of joy when it finally did.  Here's to the numerous cumulative hours over the past two years spent together while our TV warmed up instead of watching some mindless shows.

Y'all, our TV actually turns on now when we push the power button. We are high rollin'