Mi Madre

This has taken waaaaaay too long, but wanted to send a special "Happy Mother's Day!!!" to an amazing mom...I'm sad I wasn't able to be with her on that special day to celebrate her, but she knows she is loved and cherished more than words can say! Thanks Mom for your support, encouragement, for drying my tears even millions of miles away, for the endless amount of prayers you've lifted up on my behalf, and most of all, for loving me with an unconditional, never ending love. You are BEAUTIFUL inside and out, and I am so very proud to call you Mom!!! LOVE YOU!!!

Mrs. Farnsworth

I received some sad news today...My most favorite teacher of all times, and the reason I became a teacher, passed away last Wednesday. Mrs. Farnsworth was an AMAZING woman to say the least. She impacted her community, friends, and every little wide-eyed 1st grader that walked through her doors in ways that are too numerous to list.

I can still remember the excitement I had walking in her class each morning. What made me feel even more special is that she let me come early so many mornings to help set up the classroom for the day...whether that meant putting up new decorations, setting up for theme days like dinosaur day or underwater day, or just reading a book, I LOVED being around her. She grew within me (and so many others) such a strong desire to learn, be challenged, and do all things with love and integrity. My senior year volleyball season they did video tributes to each of the seniors. All parents of seniors were asked to pick someone that impacted their daughter the most to say a few words on the video...my parents picked Mrs. Farnsworth.

The following link is an article written about her life. The thing is, even after you read through all the outreaches, woman of the year awards, teacher of the year awards, and endless number of community events she participated in, you still can't get the full scope of the impact this woman had on people...on individual men, woman, and thousands of boys and girls. She was a great woman...

Budapest...It Hurts Sooooo Good!!!

Alright, so here's a few pics(I'll post more later) from Jacqueline and my trip to Budapest. I was delightfully surprised by how much I loved this city. Maybe my expectations were just really low, but I really did enjoy it, and would definitely suggest it to anyone who had the time. Jacqueline and I decided not to take advantage of public transportation, and instead took a wonderful stroll along the Danube each day. We seriously walked more in 3 days than I typically do in a week (which is saying a lot). I think we must have walked around 40 miles. BUT the scenery totally made it worth it.

Jacqueline, you are by far my favorite traveling buddy, and I look forward to our next adventure!!! (i.e. you coming to Tejas!!!)

I promise to have more details on the trip soon!!!

Cuppycake Song

Ok, so there's some history with this little song...it started in college, and I would play it over and over and over! I loved it. Well, my good friend Robyn and I have little pet names for each other. Just hearing it (or reading it in an email) makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside...well, maybe not warm fuzzies, but definitely a big smile!!! I'm not going to share what those sweet little terms of endearment are, but I will say one is pretty close to one of the names in this song.

Well, when I googled the song to listen to it, and discovered it's origins go back to 1994. The crazy thing is that it's an actual little girl singing it! Love this...hope you enjoy!

Pray for Africa...Just takes ONE

The pace of life

Well, to say I've been doing a poor job of updating my blog would be a huge understatement! BUT, today is a day of sleeping in, staying in my pajamas til 3:00 in the afternoon, and catching up on life, blogs, and everything else I've been neglecting. Life is zooming by at rates I can hardly fathom, and I'm hoping to see signs of slowing. Don't you hate those time were you feel so completely overwhelmed in life? Where everything is being held by a string, and you're praying to God that string will withstand the pressure. This has been my life the last month or so. I feel I'm definitely at a marathonesque pace, and have been grateful it hasn't felt like a sprint. Slow and steady I can handle right now. Anything faster and I might have had a breakdown.

All that to say, I have allowed myself to use today to take it easy, enjoy some silence, journal about life, and reflect on the weeks gone by. I'm realizing more and more how much I enjoy my downtime, and how important it is to my overall well-being. I always thought of myself as more of an extreme extrovert, but have grown to recognize that might not be the case. Oh, how nice it is to stop every once in awhile...I pray you are doing well...that you will take the time to slow down and recharge. Till next time...

Goodbye's, Birthdays, and more friends!!!

The last part of Heidi and Raven's trip was full of parties and fun. I had my good friend Jacqueline come in from Ostrava, said goodbye to 2 friends moving back to the other side of the world, and Dot had a birthday!!! Whew, so much going on!!! For Heidi and Raven's last night, we went to one of my favorite restaurants, Cowboys, enjoyed the amazing view for "dessert" at the UPrince, and loved every minute of it!! Such good times!

Dot and I hosted a going away party for Sara and Betsy. It was sad realizing they were leaving, but definitely a good time at the party. We'll miss you guys!!!!



And finally, it was sweet Dot's birthday. Some girls met up for a fabulous dinner and Ambiente, and there were definitely some sparks flying! You can check out my friend's Sunny's blog to see what I'm talkin about. Soooo blessed with some amazing friends here in Prague!!!

Easter in Poland

There really aren't words to describe our trip to Poland. Feelings and emotions were all over the place. From the time we picked up our rental car until the time we got home, there really wasn't a dull moment. After doing some research, and based on my last roadtrip experience, I suggested to Heidi and Raven that we rent a car and drive to Poland, and they both were definitely in. So, the night before we were to leave, we went to pick up our car. We had to drive to the airport to get it, which is about a 15 minute drive. Instead of taking public transportation, I decided to see if my friends would drive us up to get it. They said we could just take their car and bring it back when were done. So, we hopped in the car and headed to the airport. The minute we stepped into my friends car, I hear from the back seat,"Is that a standard or automatic?" For some reason I quickly responded automatic, but after a few seconds said,"I mean, standard." Not thinking about why they would be asking, but soon realized after some glances back in forth between Heidi and Raven and awkward silence, I probably didn't need to ask if either of them could drive a stick. Now, let me preface this by saying these are 2 of the smartest friends I know. Between the 2 of them they can fly F-16's, run an Iron Man, and have degrees in mechanical and aerospace engineering. Yeah, so I guess you could say they're pretty smart and ambitious ladies. I freaked out for a second after realizing neither of them could drive a standard, but trusted they were probably smart enough and equipped to figure it out. Heidi had driven one...once. I kinda laughed, and said,"Let the fun begin..." On the way to the airport I try to give Heidi a crash course in driving a stick. I think all is going well, until we reach the airport, and her last question to me is...."So, you start in first gear, right?" Oh, good gracious. Lord, help them make it back in one piece!! All the while, Raven is thoroughly enjoying herself in the backseat, loving the fact the pressure is not on her. I will say Heidi made it...besides stalling a couple times one angry bus driver, I would say it was a success. Way to go Heidi!

Sunday morning we headed to Krakow, Poland. We arrived safely, and went out to explore the city. It was Easter weekend, so there were some fun markets up. We shopped, tried some crazy food, and enjoyed the night life.


The next day we went to see Auschwitz. This is why I was really excited to go to Poland. What an amazing, tragic, shaping time in history. It was a sobering day, and the weather made it even more real. It was absolutely freezing, snow, and a little rain. I can't imagine having to walk the same walk we were without shoes, a coat, or any type of warmth. It's mind blowing the things that took place there. You really can hardly believe it. Here are some pics from Auschwitz. May we all realize how fortunate we are, and be thankful for our freedoms and blessings daily. I will say that while we were in Poland I realized I've spent the last 2 Easter's visiting concentration camps. I'm not really sure what that means, but will someone please make sure I'm not visiting a concentration camp next year...

Entrance to the camp..."Work will set you free."


The shooting wall where those in the right building were awaiting their fate could watch, and those on the left with the boarded up windows couldn't watch, only hear what was happening right next to them.

The chimney's that remain from when the Nazi's were trying to get rid of all evidence of the gas chambers and crematoriums they had built.

Vacation Machines

It's been fun for me to have many friends come over to visit during my time here, and the latest two are Heidi and Raven. Heidi and I were roommates before I came to Prague in Fort Worth, and was has been a huge part of my life. I met Raven through Heidi, and am learning on this trip she is a close kindred spirit. I'm excited to hangout with her when I get back to the States in June. BUT, as Heidi said, the two of us together can only equal trouble. Heidi seems to think lots of laughing, trouble-making, and a possible call from the authorities might be involved. Come on Heidi...give us a bit more credit than that!! There will be tons of dancing and singing as well!!!

So, their trip...They got here early afternoon, and I gave them the usual "jet lag" speech. I told them no naps and I had to keep them up until at least 8:30. I warned they would have to fight hard not to crash in a couple hours. I asked how they were doing, and they responded with wide eyes and grins that they were doing great...not tired at all. I just smiled and said give it a couple hours. It will come. So, we pressed on. They got cleaned up, and the fun began. We were approaching 5:00 or so, and they showed no signs of struggling. I asked how they were doing, and surprisingly enough they were doing great. I, again, smiled and said,"Oh, don't worry, it'll start hitting you soon." It was quickly approaching 8:00 and they show no signs of slowing. I was beginning to get a little worried. I didn't get much sleep the night before, assuming they would want to go to bed early, and I could go to bed at the same time. These girls were machines! It was now 10:00, and they were wide awake! I had never experienced this before. Finally at 10:30, I was done. I said, "Girls, you're on your own. I'm exhausted, and need some sleep." Here I was telling 2 girls that just flew for 20 something hours I was tired and needing sleep. Humbling experience. Straight machines...I gotta tell you, they showed no signs of jet lag the entire trip! Impressive...

I definitely had my work cut out with these two...Here's some pics from the beginning of the trip...

Sick, sick, so very sick

So, I'm sick...it's going on day 4 with this wonderful stomach flu. I'm going to go ahead and choose the high road (aka the positive one) and thank God for this time of "rest." Not that every aspect (or even 50% of it) has been fun, but that it has brought me to His side. That in itself is worth it. It's in our weakness we find His strength, right? Absolutely. Being at home has given me some blessed opportunities to encourage and intercede in prayer for many friends all around the world. I can't tell you how many emails I've received in the last few days of hurting friends that are struggling in their faith. These struggles are all over the charts, but struggles all the same. My heart hurts for my fellow believers. Satan can be such a bully! I know I've experienced an extra dose of fun from him lately. Oh, that in those times we all would remember who God is. That I would remember the truths of His character.

God is good...Oh taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts Him." Ps 34:8

God is compassion..."But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness." Ps 86:15

God is mercy..."The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love." Ps 103:8

God is faithful..."Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you." Ps 9:10

God is Holy... "Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy."Ps 99:5

God is perfect..." He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair.He is a faithful God who does no wrong;how just and upright he is!." Deut 32:4

God is love..."Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:7-8

So, may this be a sweet reminder to you of who our God, THE God is. Just take time to "be still and know..."