Elem Ed. Major? Creative? Like to paint? Call me!!!

If any of you love to paint, I have an opportunity you don't want to miss!! I have a bedroom and a bathroom that need to be painted. I would love some help next Thurs/Fri (the 26th and/or the 27th). If you come help I promise to feed you something yummy!!

Summer time!!

It is summer!! I love summer. At least most parts of summer. I don't so much care for the heat. I have really been loving that it hasn't felt like a Texas summer this year. (If you don't live in TX, trust me they are like sitting in an oven...really not pleasant...) I went to a baseball game last night, and not only did I not get even the least bit warm, I didn't even see any mosquitoes!! It was glorious. I have been loving the rain too. I can't get enough of it!!!

My summer checklist is almost completed:

1. eat homemade ice cream
2. explode LOTS of fire works...I LOVE THIS!!!!
3. eat a snowcone
4. go swimming
5. eat a homemade (by my dad) hamburger
6. move at least once (or three times.... )
7. take lots of summer school
8. have a birthday
9. sleep late
10. lots of reading for pleasure
11. Watch some great movies
12. Have a Gilmore Girls marathon!!

I have done 1-7...5 more to go!! Much fun!!

I think the highlight of my summer is that I have gotten to spend lots of time with the Bacaks and it has been amazing!! What was my life like before these amazing people?? I don't remember, but I know it wasn't nearly as great. I mean you gotta love those Bacaks!!

How cute are they??!! I hope you have had a great summer too!!

Woohoo! (Just typing that makes me want to laugh...)

Okay, so most of you know that I am getting ready to move twice in the next few weeks. I have been trying to get everything together for the the apartment I will be living in this fall....My compulsive planning is coming out...I am trying not to let it control me or my checking account. I have already bought a beautiful new set for my bathroom. My next move was to buy this...I have wanted this for quite a while. I have been waiting until I won't have to store it before use to buy it. That time is here. So I made my merry way to Target.com. Care to guess what happened??

NOTHING!!! That's right, nothing. I didn't click add to cart and then type in my card number. I didn't get all excited just thinking about what was on the way and how much I would love cuddling with my new comforter...nope. I didn't do anything because they were sold out. I was sad. I had this perfect room in mind and the rock star in my mental picture was this set. I can't tell you how crazy I have been about this. I decided the only logical thing to do was search the internet. I looked EVERYWHERE. Surely, someone else sold this same comforter. WRONG!!! No one else sold it. I decided I must settle for something not quite as great, something I didn't like as much...So I looked everywhere again. I found nothing I liked. I was about to give up after searching online at every department store, high end retail chain, every random internet site. I decided to make one last ditch effort.

I would check walmart.com....I don't like Wal-Mart, I am thoroughly a Target kind of girl. So I checked and I found this....

I like this. And it is alot cheaper than the other one. I love that God had a plan here. Because of this, kids are going to get new backpacks for the fall!! I love that God is so much bigger than me and my small, selfish plans. How awesome is that!! I love that I am reminded once more that the money in the bank isn't mine. Something I need to be a bit more aware of all the time.

Fireworks!!!

The 4th of July is getting closer and closer. I keep thinking about the things that define summer for me...fireworks, homemade ice cream, sun, swimming (without getting burnt!!!), sunglasses, braided hair, and grilling (this means my Dad stands out side in the heat doing the grilling...I just enjoy the results), and of course, Texas heat. I love these things (except the EXTREME heat...hello Boston). As July gets closer and closer I am getting more and more excited. I am going home for the first time in a while. I get to watch fireworks and eat yummy food and hopefully not meet any mosquitoes. (at least I don't have to worry about west nile at home...) For those of you staying in CS though, you should go check out the fireworks at the GB Pres. Library!! It is free, and they are BEAUTIFUL. And of course you must make the mandatory homemade ice cream!!

Happy Birthday Pirate Jax!!

Happy Birthday to the most awesome pirate I know!

Jax, you are so much fun! Watching you grow up is such a blessing and a gift from God. I love seeing your enthuisasm and love of adventure. Watching you have fun is so much fun for me. I love that you and Emma are always excited when I watch a movie with you.

I love that you do crazy random fun things like playing with the waterhose on the trampoline...right after it rained...

(This a picture of Jax holding a random frozen corn dog from off the garage floor...who knows?)

And I really love hearing you say "Arrgh...matey"

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!!!

Father's Day

Today is Father's Day. Happy Father's Day to my Dad. Last night I sat in church and listened to Butch talk about what a Godly man is. I am so thankful for LH and that everyday the men at LH are striving to bring up more Godly men. I am thankful for all the men who I get to see seeking God's will on how to be better husbands and fathers. I am thankful that because of their example, I know that such men do exist. I am thankful that because of their examples I know what standards to have for a future husband.
I am thankful for their wives who are willing to invest in me, to teach me what it is to be a Godly wife. I am thankful that their husbands allow them to take time to invest in college students like me. What a blessing!!
So happy Father's Day!!

Gotta love it!!

I can't say it enough, I love rain. It is amazing. It reminds me of God's goodness and His forgiveness. Rain makes everything clean. And it is so great to listen to. I can't imagine how excited Noah must have been about the first rain. I am sure he felt remorse over the fact the everyone was going to die b/c of their sin, but he was probably pretty excited about the rain. Think about it. He had a great boat, and he had never seen rain before. I bet after he got his family and his animals into the ark and shut the door, they just laid by an open window and listened to the rain beating against the boat and reveled in it.

Anyway, all this rain has made me think about the things that I love so much that bring out the inner child in me, so I thought I would make a list.

1. Rain
2. The Christmas Season, especially the lights
3. School Supplies and the beginning of school in the fall
4. Fireworks
5. Snow
6. Snuggling up in bed with warm blankets and comfy pillows

On the other side of things, I had one of those moments the other day when I thought "I can't possibly be old enough to be grown up." I still feel like I should be in high school, thank goodness I am not. So this is a list of things that make me feel "grown up".

1. Looking at my wallet and seeing things like my drivers license that says I am no longer a minor, my checkbook, credit/debit cards and having a legitimate reason for these things.
2. Having more than 1 key on my key ring...(do you remember the days when you carried a key chain that only held the key to your parent's house?)
3. going to the mail box and finding, among other things, bills.
4. Never having enough time to get everything done...according to Jenn and Heather, this will never get better....
5. Watching things like the Little Mermaid that I was addicted to when I was little and realizing that they are 20 yrs. old.

Now you've read my lists I want to know what yours are!

Rain!!!

I love rain!!! It is one of those things I can't get enough of (unless I have to walk across campus). Today my love of rain is threefold.

1. It's rain!!! So fun and relaxing. (too bad I didn't get a nap...rainy day naps are the ABSOLUTE BEST!!!)
2. Today, I left work and it was raining!! Normally a walk across campus in the POURING rain without an umbrella would not be on my list of fun things to do. But, today, I didn't have class at the end of my walk, I was going home!! So getting wet was okay!! It was so fun to walk in the rain and goof off. It was magnificent!! Something I highly recommend if you aren't on your way to class.
3. Due to the rain there was a severe thunderstorm warning and I got to stay home!!! (just kidding Jenn!! I love you!!)

I hope you got some rain today to enjoy!!

It happened...

I just got the call I have been dreading for four years. The fact that I dread it now for different reasons than I did then, doesn't change the fact that I have hoped that it would't happen - yet. I guess I will explain. I just got a call from my brother. The call from my brother where he says...hey are you planning on going home on this certain specified date? The call where I say "no" and he says, "oh, cause I'm going to do it then." It took me about 2.5 seconds to figure out what the "it" was and that my travel plans were about to change. The it was something I had made clear to my brother I wanted to be there for. My brother was calling to tell me that he had set a date for the proposal. I can't tell you how my heart is breaking for my unsaved brother. My heart is breaking because I want God's best for him and I know he can't have that unsaved. My heart breaks even more when I know that on top of that he is going to try to build a marriage. A marriage in which I know he won't be the man he was created to be. A marriage that won't be God's best until they are both saved. I ache for all the greatness of God's plan that they are missing out on. I want my brother to have a great marriage full of all God's blessings. A marriage with joyful submission, a marriage where the husband is the biblical authority. A marriage where he is a man seeking God with his whole heart, above all else.

I know what my brother needs, above all else, is to be saved. Please pray with me for that regardless. Please pray that I can be joyful with my brother and family through this. Pray that I can love them and be Christ to them.

Flat Tires...

I had a flat tire recently. It wasn't fun. But, since then, I have been thinking about it. I have been thinking about how when a nail punctures a tire, the becomes unable to perform its job. I have been thinking about the things in life that keep us from doing what God has asked us to do. What things do we allow to come into our lives and divert us from focusing fully on Christ? As a college student, I am sure many people around me would say school. Maybe I would even say that at times. Some people might say work, or a social life. I don't know what things make your list, but I have been praying that God would show me these things in my own life so that I can get them fixed.

The World's Greatest Mentor's Birthday!!!

Today is Jenn's birthday!!! Happy Birthday Jenn!! I am so excited that I get to be here and spend time with you on your birthday. I value you and you wisdom and friendship so so very much. I am so thankful that you have taken me into your home, your family, and your life. Out of all my experience and memories of College Station so far, this is by far the thing I treasure most. I am thankful that you let me love on your kids and learn by watching you. You are truly invaluable to me. I can't imagine having to live without seeing you practically everyday, ever again. I that will be the hardest part of moving to Boston...I know it will break my heart. So for now, I am just going to be glad that I am here, that I get to be part of the Bacak world. Jenn I love you so much, and am so thankful for you!! Happy Birthday!!

mayish

I can't believe May is almost over!! That is insane. The end of May means that most of my friends are out doing something fun!! I am so excited for those of you who are doing fun things right now!! I hope you are having a wonderful time and I can't wait to see you after you get back, or next time I go home, whichever applies. My maymester class will be over soon and then I will start normal summer school. woohoo! I am looking forward to seeing my Mom and brother this weekend when I go down to Houston. That will be nice. I have never seen my brother's apartment, but he has seen all four (so far!!) of mine. I am glad I will get to go and hang out with him. I hope you have a great end of May wherever you are!!

connecting to community...

At the end of her hands, Heather talked about leaving CS and LH and going somewhere without being sure there is a good church with strong community where you can be connected. I have been searching for churches in Boston. I know I still have a while before the move, but I decided I might as well start looking. I found a church in Boston called Church at the Gate. I have looked at their site a bit and it seems to be promising. I would appreciate it if you would look at their site too, http://www.thechurchatthegate.com/index.html at let me know what you think. If those of you whose opinions and wisdom I value think this is worth looking into further, I may email them to get some more information. I would like to go and visit the city again soon, and so I may visit this church then. I want your thoughts and wise counsel.

Thankfulness!!

I love that I can now check my email at home once again. I don't have to find someone whose Internet I can use or go to some random place solely because they have wireless. This is great. This is especially great since I am taking a class online this may-mester. Not to mention the fact that I am doing my stuff for work at home on my computer. I am so thankful that God has pulled this all together. I spent all day Thursday and Friday telling him how thankful I am for how I have seen him pull things together in the last week. All of the things that have come together were totally from him. I could never have done all this. If you have been around me much lately, you know that the last two weeks of school were...um, well, just really stinky. I was beginning to wonder if I could make it through the summer. I am finally out of my old apartment and that situation and I am at my new job!! I have loved seeing him provide when I was sure that things would not work out. I hate that I have so little faith sometimes. At the beginning of the semester in Her Hands, Heather talked about Matthew 8:23-27. Why are we so quick to forget what we learn? I knew in my heart, that "God was in my boat" RESTING because he is so in control of the situation. Hello!!! Why don't I cling to this more often? Why do I choose to pick up the sinful mantle of worry? It is such a waste. It is so good to see him come through, even when I am the one with "little faith".
Jeremiah 29 is probably one of my most favorite chapters in the whole Bible. The whole chapter is a beautiful picture of a loving Father making plans to provide for his children. To meet their needs even though they had repeatedly fallen short. When they had messed up so badly that they had to be EXILED, He still had a plan for them. I am sure you all know verse 11, but I love what comes after that.

• "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me,and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you" , declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,"declares the Lord,"and will bring you back into the place from which I carried you into exile."

My number one goal is to be seeking Him with all my heart. I want to look more and more like Him everyday. I love that even though I am faulty and sinful and will always fall short, He continues to refine me and mold me into what he created me to be. I love that as long as I am seeking Him with my whole heart, he will keep showing me himself. I am so thankful. What a great God we have!

I also want to take a minute to say thank you to the Proverbs 31 women in my life. You will never know how many times DAILY I thank God for you. You are a blessing. I am so glad I get to learn from you.

IT IS FINISHED!!! ( or it will be soon!!!)

In the words of Jesus, "IT IS FINISHED"!!!! So exciting!! The spring semester is over!! I am so super excited about this. I just can't tell you how thankful I am. I wondered if I would ever make it. This has been a LONG semester. There were a LOT of great things in this semester (LH of course and her hands and then the Bacaks, and Jenn and the Bacaks...oh yeah, did I mention the Bacaks?, and I have some great girls to live with next year!) But, school almost "done me in" (Audrey Hepburn reference) this year. I think I had senioritis early and I suck at math people!!! But it is over now!! I want to celebrate!! If you want to help, or join the celebration, let me know!! We will hang out and celebrate a short release from the dullness of college!! If you are already done with college, then just be happy for me! Let's celebrate!!!

I'm back!!

I can not believe it has been so long since I have blogged!! I have missed it so much!! Only one more week until I have internet at home again!! So exciting! Tomorrow is relationship week and we are going to the park!!! I can't wait. It should be great. Outside, at a park!! To play, with kids and fun people!! So great. We can swing!! Okay, I have to pay attention to class now...Have a good day.

I think I'll go to Boston...

Today, I have talked to 5 people who are either going to Boston soon, or are very close to people who are. This makes me a bit sad. Sad because I am not going to Boston. Sad because I am not living in Boston yet. Sad that I have to take summer classes...

This happens to me every so often. Well, I have never had so many people say "I'm going to Boston!!" to me, but you know. I am happy for them. Boston is an incredible place. Such a beautiful city. So many wonderful things. At least for me. But, that could just be because I feel led to go there. When I get sad because I am not there now, I have to remember that right now I am called to be in COLLEGE STATION. (not Boston, yet). Right now God is teaching me things here. I can not tell you how many times he has said to me that this is a time of preparation...for whatever he has for me down the road...

So, when I get the Boston blues, I play the thankfulness game...
I am thankful for (in no particular order, and this is NOT an all inclusive list)

• Sunshine
• Bluebonnets
• Flip-Flops
• Friends
• Getting to sit and hold sweet children in your lap
• My new laptop which enabled me to write this!!!
• Living Hope of course!!
• Blue Coconut snow cones
• Fun colored pens
• Okay, just ANY SCHOOL SUPPLIES
• Christmas
• Easter
• music
• books
• the semester will be over soon
• this summer won't last forever
• I did not go to school today and get killed by some random man
• watching baseball
• MOVIES!!!
• being an Aggie
• candles
• Bubble Wrap
• Strawberry with Lime Trident Splash
• Watermelon
• Strawberries
• Barnes and Noble
• Netflix
• Amazon.com
• blogging
• that I have the world's GREATEST mentor!!! :)
• Welch's makes Light grape juice...so nice
• I have a God who loves me enough to refine me
• My God has plans for me!!
• Pajama parties
• Someday I will be able to say that I will never have to take Calculus again!! (and, yes Jenn, I should be studying..)
• I have a really cute pink cell phone
• Gilmore Girls
• great underwear
• the incredible hair dryer!!
• comfy pajamas
• homemade hot chocolate mix
• bottled water
• that gas is not $5.00 a gallon
• that there is a beautiful city called Boston that I will hopefully be living in about a year!!!

Okay so this is a small part of my list! What's on yours?

Gotta Love Those Weekends!!

I wish you could see me now. I am doing my "I am sooo happy I can sleep late tomorrow" dance!! I am sure this is a sight that would inspire much laughter...You know, I don't even mind that I have to spend my whole weekend and all my time until next Wednesday studying for a calculus test. I am just excited about not having an alarm clock...(aka my cell phone)...waking me up! I never fail to get ecstatic about this. It ALWAYS makes my day!! (Which is esp. great tonight b/c I had VERY little sleep last night.) Yay for weekends and sleeping late and then laying in bed!! Gotta love it!

Anyway, I wanted to tell you something I love about being an Aggie. I love that every weekend during football season and some other important weekends through out the year, a magical event occurs. These events are lovingly referred to as a "tent sale". I know, for non-aggies, it sounds like a hick event. But, it isn't so much. I am so thankful that C.C. Creations does this. I love getting great Aggie shirts for SO cheap. This is especially great for someone who is trying to stock up on long sleeve Aggie t-shirts and sweatshirts before moving to a cold city far away from College Station. It is exciting. I am pretty sure I will have enough Aggie apparel to last for quite a while. So nice.

My last note of the day is this:
Hot off the Press!!! BOTH of my teams won tonight!! The Rangers beat Seattle 5-2 and the Red Sox beat the Angels 10-1. So exciting. I love my baseball!! Especially when we win. :) If you ever come visit me in Boston, I will take you to a Sox game (if they are playing and you care to go..) So to end this, good night and Go Sox!! Let's Go Rangers!!

Snow in April!!!

My phone rang this morning. At work. My voice mail answered. I get off work and see I have a voicemail. I call, and low and behold, it is from my Mom. You won't believe what she had to say. She was calling to tell me to bring home winter clothes. Not to store. To WEAR!!! Yes my friends, it is supposed to SNOW this weekend!! I am filled with JOY DOWN IN MY HEART, DEEP, DEEP DOWN IN MY HEART!!! The Aggie in me says "Whoop!!". I am so excited. I love this. It will be magnificent. Yay for real winter weather. What a foretaste of glory divine!!! Just wanted to share the joy. Maybe the excitement will help those of you who have been sick feel better too.

It's Here!!

It it finally here!! It came last night! I have my new laptop!! It works great and it is so much bigger than I envisioned it being!! I love it. I even love the Vista stuff now that I got the wireless stuff on campus worked out. This is so fun! I am sitting here in the Annex listening to Rascal Flatts and blogging. So fun. It makes studying a little more interesting. I just wanted to tell everyone how excited I was! Hope you are having an amazing day!!