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..."

"Friends" in town

This past week I had the pleasure of having some good friends stay with me. Mike and Jacqueline are fellow North Americans (Canadians to be exact, but I still love em ;0) ) and just flew in last week from Canada. They actually live in Ostrava, a city a few hours from Prague where Mike plays for the Arrows professional baseball team. We always have a TON of fun, and much laughter when they're in town. One staple to each visit is watching as many episodes of Friends as possible. This time we were on season 10. We crack up for hours...

This time, Jax and I got some quality one-on-one time, so we went to see one of our new favorite movies, Step Up 2 The Streets. Now, before you judge, you have to see it. And since most of you are not going to see it, then no jokes can be made. It really was well done, and the dancing was phenomenal. So amazing the things they can do. I think in a former life I was a hip hop dancer...seriously. Well, maybe not, but I should have been. I'm a little obsessed with this movie. "Are you ready to step up?"

Laughter is the best medicine

There really aren't words...is there anything better than a baby's laughter? Thanks Case! Made me happy!

What's that falling from the sky?

Alright, a few disclaimers are necessary before proceeding with this blog. 1) I am from Texas. We don't really know what winter is. And snow...well, it's something we generally only see in pictures. 2) It is not uncommon to have plenty of sunshine and warmth by the end of February where I am from. 3) I am very focused when I'm running.

Ok, so the story I'm about to share is pretty ridiculous. I can enjoy a good laugh, even if it's at my expense. Everyone should be able to laugh at themselves every once in awhile...and we all have our moments of ridiculousness.

I left my place to go on my usual run, and was overjoyed to have the sun shining down on my face. It's been getting pretty cold here in Prague lately, so anytime I can handle running outside, I do it. Ok, so I begin my run, start my ipod, and head for the park. I kinda notice some stuff falling from the sky, but don't really pay much attention. Alright, so 30 minutes or so goes by, and I'm heading back to my flat. But now, that stuff that was falling from the sky earlier is now coming down even harder. Now, I promise you the following dialogue did in fact go on in my head....do not judge. It really felt like a nice spring day...totally deceiving. I mean, it's winter here! It's suppose to be dark, cold, and depressing! Ok, here it is...

"Man, what is this stuff? Is it coming from the trees? It has to be. I just hope I don't inhale it. I'm already getting sick, and I don't need my allergies to start acting up.....(a few minutes later) Good gracious, it's getting worst!"
(I look up and around, and it's finally hitting me that it is winter here, and it's pretty close to impossible that anything would be in the trees. I'm pretty sure all the leaves left quite awhile ago. Try like 3 months ago.)

As I'm looking at the ground I notice there are little wet spots everywhere. I then look on my fleece, and whatever is falling is instantly melting when it hits me.

"You've got to be kidding me. I am the biggest idiot ever. How in the world could I have missed that one...It's snow. Wow..."

So, there you have it. Not the smartest kid on the block, but what can I say? We all have our moments. And maybe some of us just have the more often! ;0) Hope you enjoyed this Chelsa...posted it just for you!

"And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva..."

Happy Valentine's Day!! So, I was feeling very domestic yesterday, and decided to bake. Here is one of the by-products. It was pretty delicious! For some reason, Valentine's is one of my favorite holidays. Not for the cheesy, romantic reasons, and to be honest, I don't really know why. I just love it. Maybe cause there's flowers and smiles everywhere...and people talking about love all day. Either way, I pray you have a wonderful Valentine's Day! And know that someone loves you more than you possibly can imagine.

"And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." Eph 3:18-19


"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance...Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love." 1 Cor 13:4-13

Eurotrip 2008

What a week!!! One of my best friends came in town to visit, got my short/long term visa stuff finally done, visited 4 countries, and turned 27! It was close to being one of my most favorite weeks ever! There's so much I want to tell you, but I'll spare you and TRY to give you the highlights...notice I said "try." ;0)

So, Katie and I left Monday for Vienna. We left with a couple backpacks, a couple tourists books, and our passports. We had virtually no plan at all. Our only real goal of the trip was to end up in Switzerland. Yes, just anywhere in Switzerland...we had kinda set Geneva as the tentative goal. We arrive in Vienna, check into our hostel, and start walking around. I had an appointment with the Czech Embassy Tuesday morning, so that was the only thing we had to do. We see most the city, and it's starting to get dark, so we figured we head back to the hostel. But, on the way back we stumbled upon this delightful winter festival. It was beautiful! Complete with an outdoor ice rink. We knew we had to do it. Before we headed to the rink we wanted to eat. The only requirement we had on the trip was to eat at least one traditional meal from each country we were in, and try their beer. SO, we had our Austrian meal, and then headed to the rink. It had a couple different rinks connected with these trails, and you could skate to each one, makin this large circle. It was super cool.



Tuesday morning I made it to the visa office (of course I managed to get lost along the way), and survived the process with minor cuts and bruises. I did end up in tears at one point, but they dried eventually. Just f.y.i; the visa process is not a fun one. And you have about a 2 hour window to get it done when you get there. Ok, so our next stop is the car rental place. A friend of mine had given me the link to a place you could get a smart car for around 10 euro a day...we thought it sounded perfect. And how fun to drive a smart car!! Well, to make a long, long story short, it wasn't a good fit. We could only stay in Austria, and had to return it in Vienna. So, we asked for alternatives, but the only one that seemed promising was to head to the airport. We took the 6 euro, 25 minute bus ride to the airport knowing 1 of 2 things: we either flyin out of here or drivin out; no trains. After checkin on some last minute airfares, we decided to do the car rental thing. There were roughly 6 car rental company options. We headed for Hertz first, and let me tell you I never thought I'd hear Ford Fiesta, 3 day rental, and 350 euro in the same sentence. Are you kidding me? 350 euro....for a Fiesta!?! Um, we'll pass. So, we checked literally every rental place with no luck. Finally, we had Avis left. We split up, Katie went to see what she could do to lower the prices at Hertz and I headed for Avis. I walked up, said I want the cheapest thing you got for at least 1 day, if not 3. The words that followed were music to my ears..."We can get you 55 euro a day." Sold. Sign us up, we're in. I immediately tell Katie to come over, I think we found a deal. I was kinda nervous what kind of car we'd be getting, and definitely didn't want to ask. As he's talking (thick German accent in tow) I thought he said what our car was, but figured I must be mistaken. Nope, he said it again clear as day...an Audi! I'm sorry, did you just say an Audi? Oh wait, it gets better. He proceeds to give us details, and I ask if they happen to have a map of Austria we could have..."No need," he tells us,"It comes with navigation...and leather, heated seats." Good gracious! Are you serious? Needless to say, we all became instant friends. I did ask if the navigation could talk to us in English, but unfortunately it couldn't. A little sad about that, but what can you do? Impressed with our luck, we started thinking we were going to be more than alright.



So, we hit the road, heading for Salzburg. We arrived in Salzburg with no problems, AND we didn't get lost! I had been to Salzburg before, and loved it. This time was no different. We found a great place to eat that night, and rested up for the Sound of Music tour the next morning. We figured we'd finalize plans on what to do next along the way. We finished the tour, and decided to head to Zurich.

The wonderful Sound of Music Tour



Our "Map" for the trip

The drive was pretty amazing. The Alps were beautiful. We tried to get some shots along the way, but I'm not sure the pictures do it justice. We made it to Zurich without getting lost. (so proud of us) We even got to drive through the small country of Liechtenstein. You can click and brush up on your Liechtenstein knowledge if you feel so inclined. Zurich was great, but incredibly pricey. Ridiculous actually. Reminded me a lot of London. Brutal. We both got the feel it was more of a summer/spring city. It's right on the water, with a beautiful little harbor. Maybe I'll try and go back again one day. OH! Almost forgot...the Swiss people were so incredibly nice!!! It was so refreshing, and something I don't experience here in Prague. Another sidenote, the men were beautiful in Switzerland. We were walking around, and I finally said, "Is it just me, or is every guy incredibly good looking?" She said she was just thinking the same thing...amazing scenery ladies.






So, next stop was Munich. We figured we'd head back towards Prague. For some reason, I just have never really had the desire to see Germany...not really sure why. But Munich was a pretty nice city. The city square was beautiful. But this is where we made our one fatal mistake. Apparently our rental car and eastern Europe aren't compatible. We literally found this out less than 2 hours before hitting the road. Huge change in plans. Now, we had to figure out where the nearest Avis was, return the car, and figure out train schedules. It all worked out, and we were back safe&sound in Prague that evening. Needless to say, we were a bit exhausted.





Yes, that is about 125 mi/h.

So, we took it easy...woke up Saturday and walked around Prague, took some pics, bought some souvenirs, and got ready for my birthday celebrations. It was such a great great gift having Katie here. Katie, I am SOOOO glad you came, and will love thinking back to all the memories we made...especially jam sessions in the car!! Can't wait for your wedding in June!!! Love you!

Hope you enjoy the pics and videos...thanks for takin the time to read, or at least look at the pictures.

Here's some of the fantastic jam sessions Katie and I had in the car. I hope you enjoy watching as much as we enjoyed making them!!

Another birthday

Welp, the big 2-7 is here. I think I have officially crossed over into the "late" 20's. No longer can I claim to be with the rest of you mid 20er's. Although, Katie and I were discussing it, and I think I might be able to get away with mid to late 20's. What do you think? Either way, I'm 27. Where has time gone? I just got use to saying I was 26! Hopefully I'll catch on a bit faster this time.

As I look back, I think 26 was a pretty good year. Had a TON of ups, downs, changes, and blessings. Did I ever imagine in a million years I'd be doing what I'm doing? And in Europe? Definitely not...but I am so thankful for the life He has given me. He has surrounded me with so many great friends and family that love me unconditionally. What more could I ask for?

Thank you to the many of you who called and emailed...it really means more to me than you know. BIG thank you to Dad. We have the tradition that has been going on for quite awhile. Each year I get a message on my voicemail with a wonderful rendition of Happy Birthday. My dad's a great singer, and typically sings Happy Birthday with some over dramatic twist to it. It's great. I wish I could play it for you. So, to my dad, thanks for continuing on the tradition that makes me feel loved and special. Also, I had a blast with some of you lastnight....so grateful y'all could make it!! I met a few of my close friends here in Prague for some good Mexican food, Starbucks (Shanna was there, so of course we had to make an appearance), and so fantastic dancing! All I can say, is we white girls got some moves!!! (Don't worry I have the video to prove it ;0) )

So, here's some pics from lastnight. Thanks again to each of you for making my birthday special, and reminding me how blessed I am!

Paris

Here are some pics from my short stop in Paris...