Merry Mikki!

Ignorance Angers Me

Well, as we all know, the election is over; there is no hanging chad, and a clear winner has emerged.

I, for one, am glad that it is over. It has been a LONG past few months of too many commercials.

This morning, I am angered by ignorance. Jennifer received a text message last night from someone that she knows that said, “If Obama wins, we have all agreed to wear black tomorrow to mourn the death of our country.”

WHAT???

Regardless of how one chose to vote last night, I think that the text message is quite possibly the most ignorant thing that I have ever heard. Is Obama perfect? Of course not- neither is McCain. But come on people, America has clearly spoken for change, and whether we agree or not, HE IS THE PRESIDENT ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES.

Give the man a chance. He ran on the platform of CHANGE. We all agree that we need it. So give him a chance to lead our country- Give him a chance to help revive the economy, end the wars, and do something about the many problems that we have in the United States. Don’t judge his success before he even takes his oath!

I am no political genius, but here are my 3 suggestions to Americans on the day after the elections:

1. Don’t make assumptions about what MIGHT happen.

2. Stop- PLEASE STOP…making this election and the issues about RACE. He won the popular vote as well as the electoral vote. Clearly, more people voted for him other than African Americans.

3. “Ask not what your country can do for you… ask what you can do for your country.” (hm…. Seems like I’ve heard that somewhere before.)

Honor's Choir 2008

Another year of St. Louis Music Educators Honor's Choir is over. They did a great job! Congratulations Bekah! You were great! (Especially on the part that only 5 of you got to sing!!)

Still Waiting for Trick-or-Treaters!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween has arrived, which means we have survived another week, and therefore another month. WHO HOO!

Jason's surgery went fine, and they think they accomplished what they needed to.
Bekah's foot is well on the mend finally.
Bekah sings in Honor's Choir tomorrow.
I plan to start Christmas shopping tomorrow... sigh.
This is Jen's first election that she can vote in, so the topic at our house is always, "who are you voting for.... and why?"

That is about all...

Happy Halloween.... I wonder if we will have many trick-or-treaters at this house???

quick update.... just in case

Just in case anyone out there is still reading blogs, I am updating once again...

• Bekah's show has ended and she is looking forward to the next audition
• Bekah is looking at dual enrollment at a local college (as if she wasn't busy enough). We will likely make a decision after she takes the ACT
• Bekah continues to teach drama, and is officially directing her first show!
• Bekah seems to think stitches in her foot are a good idea... 2 days before her show opened!
• Jennifer is working full time, and loves it
• Jason's surgery for his infected hand is Thursday. OUCH!!
• Jason has been bowling like a crazy man... he should go PRO!!
• I am tired... work is crazy, but I wouldnt have it any other way!!
• I am thinking for auditioning for "5 women wearing the same dress"

I suppose that is all for now...

I am thinking of getting a facebook.... what do you think?

The rains have stopped.... mostly.

They say when it rains it pours, and goodness knows that we seem to have had our share of storms in the Harbison family. But, it seems that the rains have mostly stopped.

We have moved into the new house, and it is coming together slowly. I couldn't leave well enough alone I suppose, so I had to paint just about every wall in the house... and some needed to be primed first. It was a lot of work, but it is done. We are mainly settled, now we are just hanging things on the wall and replacing things that we had forgotten that we had lost. I guess this is why people have wedding showers... it is EXPENSIVE to buy everything all at once. But, we have been blessed, and we are doing okay.

Jason's staff infection.... well, all I know to say is EW! or GROSS! He goes back to the surgeon on Tuesday for a final decision on what happens next.

Bekah's show opens on Thursday. We are excited for her, but we all (including her) are ready for it to be over.

Jenn started her full time job and LOVES it. I am sure that she will do well.

Well, for me, it is a CRAZY time of year at work. It is budget time, and program catalog time, and development time, and marketing plan time..... and the list goes on. I love the variety of my job, and I love being busy, it is just a lot at once. It is all good.

On a more personal note, I am really missing M&D R, SH, and A, and RAW. There are a few others that I miss too, like BS, and SF, but I cant force people to remember that I exist. Oh well. Live and learn. I hope all are well.

So, we are just a few weeks from the election... anyone want to share who they are voting for? Is anyone still undecided? Does anyone still read this blog?

It's still pouring....

Good news- We are in a new home, and we love it.

Bad news- Jason contracted a staff infection from the flood and while he feels fine, the infection in his hand is spreading, and he will see a hand surgeon soon so they can open it up and clean it all out.

More bad news- The girls and I were in a car accident last night. Everyone is fine... my back and neck hurt a little... but I will be fine.

Good news- We are still breathing.

You Must Be Kidding Me

I feel like I have reached the end of my rope! Last night, one of our cars was broken into! They say when it rains- it pours... BUT ENOUGH ALREADY! Jason had 2 laptop computers in the trunk that he had brought home tonight to fix, but was too tired so decided to leave them so he could take them back to work today. After all, no one knew that they were locked in the trunk, so it shouldn't have been a big deal. They also took our GPS system, and my late grandmother's bowling bag.

I know I keep saying that it is just "stuff" but this is getting really old, really fast.

I AM VERY DISCOURAGED!

Ups and Downs...

I just came back from a work retreat.... and here is an update:

• I still LOVE my job... more and more everyday
• My car cost 18.00 to fix (THANK YOU LORD!) such a weird thing.... 600 dollar transmission fix is a lot more stressful than an 18 dollar exhaust shield
• Things are very sad here today... we just unexpectedly had to put my mom's dog to sleep
• House update.... we are moving this weekend.... renting until the insurance people figure out their issues... it is temporary, but it will be ours for now (the lease has the option to buy)
• We still need several things to set up our new place, but we will work it out
• God is still is good

You must be kidding me!

For 2 weeks, I have been dealing with the loss of all of my worldly possessions... and I feel like I have managed well. After all, I have my family and friends, and it is just stuff after all. But, the reality is that it was MY stuff... and OUR stuff.... but I have held my head high and done my absolute best to keep a good outlook.

Well, today that changed. I AM SUPER IRRITATED! I have had enough. Today, while I was driving, I heard this very disturbing noise. Guess what? NOW I HAVE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS! Will someone please tell me how a car with less than 60,000 miles on it can have TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS? UGH!

No more good attitude from me- at least not for today- I would just like for something to be easy... just once!

UGH!

Many have asked...

Many of you have asked about what the house was like when we were able to return to see if there was anything left. Here are a few pics for you! The first picture shows what the basement looked like. As you can see, the air conditioning ducts have fallen and the washer, dryer and refrigerator found new places to rest after the water came down.

This picture was taken in the girl's room. This is the plastic storage container that they kept all of thier "getting ready stuff" in. Needless to say, everything was trash.

Finally, here is a family favorite. This picture is of the back of the washing machine. Isn't it funny how it is supposed to make things clean and yet it is so dirty? :) This picture was actually taken before we pumped out the last 6 inches or so of water.

What a MESS! We are surviving though... it could have been SO MUCH worse.

a much needed break

A good friend of mine had an extra ticket to the Eagles concert last night, and invited me to go. It was AWESOME. I have always liked the Eagles, but I absolutely love the new CD.

It was good to be out, and away from all of the current drama in my life! I am going back to work tomorrow. The Red Cross came to the house yesterday- still not sure what they will do for us... and FEMA won't help yet because we aren't a declared disaster area yet.

Thanks to all of your continued prayers.

Frustrating Friday

I am not sure why we are still trying to salvage things. It has been almost a week, everything that was still in our home is mud covered and mold covered. Honestly to me, it makes NO SENSE to clean up when we already know that we will never again live there... and very little if anything will be recovered at this point.

I know that we have to do what we are doing because we won't have a final word from the insurance for at LEAST 2 more weeks, and I suppose that if a miracle happens and they don't send the bull dozer to our house... the work we are doing now will make more sense.

Forgive me for being frustrated. I just want to get back to living again. Sigh...

On another note, I'd like to thank all of my YMCA family for all of your support. I have never felt as loved and supported by a group in my entire life! I am also thankful for the few from the church who have helped and although it is distant, I am thankful for elder Mike's encouragment and support.

This too shall pass..... I HOPE!

Thursday Update

Not much new to report- things are about the same. I've decided not to go back to work until next week. I am exhausted and emotional. I will download more pictures soon.

Thanks for your support and prayers.

We will be okay- God is good.

But... Can someone please tell me where Noah was on Sunday when we needed a very large boat? : )

Update

It has been a rough week. Here is an update:

• The house is uninhabitable
• We all need Hepatitis and Tetnus shots
• We have ripped out all of the carpet
• We have cut out pieces of dry wall
• We have tried to save as much as possible
• Insurance has no intention of paying for anything
• Our home will likely meet its end with a bull dozer

Our reality is that we will never again live on North Rock Hill. We are all emotional, and yet thankful that we got out with our health. Many of you have asked what we need. First and foremost, we need your prayers as we deal with our loss. We will likely need to replace nearly all of our furniture, so if you have any extra, please let me or Jason know. We seem to be okay on clothes for now, although most of our winter stuff was lost. We will cross that bridge when it gets cold. Of course all of our food was lost, but trust me, we are not going to starve! We lost a lot of "stuff" like electronics, appliances, and collectibles, but we are dealing with things pretty well. So, what do we need? Ummm....your prayers, a house (not near a creek or river please), and pretty much everything else needed to have a functional home. We will be ok no matter what happens or what gets replaced. Thank you all for your prayers, and if you want to contact us for any reason, please call Jason or me on our cells (house phone CLEARLY has been disconnected!), or email me at mrsharb@charter.net.

Love and Hugs.

A home with a view...

A home with a view…

Well, as many of you know, Hurricane Ike made it all the way to the mid-west as a tropical storm. Good old Ike was kind enough to create a beautiful waterfront view for the Harbison family.

Sunday morning the entire St. Louis area was under a flash flood warning. We didn’t think much of it. Bekah came in and woke me, and said, “Mom, the rain is awesome- come see it!” I got up and went out on the porch to experience the weather first hand. After all, we just had a sewer separation system put in, and that made it a pretty certain thing that our basement would NOT be getting any water. For the first time since we moved to Ladue, I was excited about the storm.

As dramatic as it sounds, my mood changed virtually in an instant. The water kept rising and rising. Within 5 minutes it seemed that leaving our home was going to be dangerous. I told Bekah to get the things that were important to her, and to be prepared to leave. I called Jen at work and told her she had 3 minutes to tell me what she wanted me to grab of hers… Jason hurried home, and brought a few friends with him.

Bekah and I left our house, (with Mikki in hand), and walked through waist deep water to get to drier land. It was scary as we could feel the current pulling at us while trying to fight the emotion of the likelihood that we were walking away from our home for the last time.

With the firemen, we stood up the road as our water became deeper and deeper. It was a helpless feeling, but we were thankful that we were safe. Jason and the gang moved as much as possible as high as possible, before it was no longer safe to stay.

This picture shows what our front yard looked like as we left our home. It was overwhelming.

The basement was COMPLETELY full and the water covered several inches of the first floor of our home. (Not exactly sure how much yet.)

Today, we returned to the house. WOW. Our Christmas ornaments (which were in the basement) were scattered in the yard. Shoes were wedged in between furniture. Appliances were knocked over. It looked like a HURRICANE hit our house.

We don’t know what the future holds, but we have started cleaning. We ripped up the carpet today, and washed every piece of clothing that we own. We were able to save some… some was ruined. We lost a lot of “things” but I am reminded that they are just “things.” My family and I are safe, and no one got hurt.

We appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

Love and hugs to all.

Not much time to blog...

Life is busy, busy, BUSY!!
There's not much time left for blogging when all of this is going on...

• Yet another show for Bekah
• Possible shoulder surgery for Jason
• Probably new job for Jen
• Lots of guitar playing for Jen, Bekah and me
• Lots of song writing for me
• Long hours at work for all
• Lots of volunteer hours at schools in Brentwood and Ladue for Bekah
• Board meetings, United Way Campaign Chair, and lots of changes at the YMCA
• Car problems (thats okay- its time to get a new one anyway!)
• Watching the Cardinals blow any chance they had at the playoffs
• Everyone except for Jen fighting sinus infections
• Super Sale at Kohls!
• Taking care of Mikki
• and.... ANTS IN THE KITCHEN! UGH! (i am getting ready to hire someone to get rid of the tiny little guys!)

So, that is what we are up to... how about you?

Research

So, I have taken a little time to do a little research on Reform Judaism. As it turns out, I actually do believe a lot of what this religion teaches... with one HUGE exception. WHERE DO JESUS AND THE RESURRECTION FIT INTO THIS PICTURE?

I went back and looked at the test again... as it turns out... Jesus and the Resurrection don't seem to be part of the equation. Mmmm. Interesting.

I think I will stick with "a child who is loved by the one and only God!"

Interesting site...

A good friend of mine and I were talking about religion tonight, and they told me about this web-site: www.beliefnet.com There is a section called Faith and Practices, and under that heading there is a quiz called "Belief-o-Matic." Despite the crazy name, the quiz asks you a series of 20 questions, and then tells you which religion fits most closely with your beliefs. It was fun to see how it linked beliefs to "religions." According to this site, my top 3 religions are:

• Reform Judaism
• Liberal Christian Protestant
• Orthodox Quaker

So, I am a Jewish, Christian, Quaker! LOL! I like to simply call myself a child loved by the one and only God!

Feel free to share your Belief-o-Matic results if you'd like!

I learned an important lesson...

... it is MUCH easier to play a guitar that fits your body instead of trying to play one that is too big!

So, I ventured to the guitar store this week, and I was so lucky to be able to work with a salesman that really wanted to help! I kept picking up new guitars- primarily based on looks (to be honest) and he kept saying, "nope- too big... nope... that one is too big too!" Apparently, I am not quite as big as I think I am. He said, "You need a smaller guitar." So, he handed me the first "smaller" one, and just like that.... I was an amazing guitar player! LOL.... okay, well, not quite... but... I could play Bm and F with NO PROBLEMS. I told him that I had never been able to do that before, and he said, "Then you have never played the right size guitar!" I wanted to buy the dark brown one (thinking of how cute it would look with a PINK strap), but guess what? TOO BIG! I was thankful that he was most concerned about the best guitar to help me want to continue my hobby instead of making a buck! The one I wanted was almost twice as expensive as the smaller one that I wound up buying.... but it fit, and it is comfortable. So, I have been practicing a lot... and I am loving my new guitar!

(I didn't even know there were different sizes before my visit to Guitar Center! GEESH! I feel silly!)

Crazy Week

Well it has been a pretty crazy week! Probably the highlight of the week was our Trivia Night for the YMCA. We had over 400 people and raised a lot of money for the Mid-County Family YMCA. Although it was very tiring... it was a great night. Thanks to all of you who came out and supported us!

In other "important" news... Bekah got 8 inches of her hair cut off this week! It is so cute. It really suits her well. She looks "sassy." We will be doing new head shots soon, so I will post pictures when I can.

On another topic....WHEN DID GROCERIES GET SO HIGH? I couldn't believe it today at Dierbergs. It was unreal. Do you really think that things cost that much, or do you think people are taking advantage of us because they think that they can?

I still have not made a decision on a new guitar. I am still looking though. Does anyone out there know any good reasons NOT to buy a used guitar?

Finally, I am so sad about the hurricane situation. How much can one city take? I pray that more people got out this time, and more help will be available. I guess all we can do now is pray.

I want...

I want to buy a new a guitar. But I just can't justify it...

Should I.... or shouldn't I- that is the question.

I'd like to register a complaint!

Bm (aka B minor) is WAY TOO HARD to play on the guitar.

There surely must be an easy way to play that chord!!

I am going to keep trying until I get it right!

Am I the only guitar palyer who finds this chord so hard??

Unfortunate Circumstances

In the past week, I have oddly received 5 emails asking me about what “happened” at the church that made me as upset and angry as I have been for some time now. Over this period of time, many of you have asked, and I have not been willing to share anything at all. I have felt that it is best that I simply shut up and let people think what they want to think. I still uphold the idea of letting people think what they want to think, but I have decided that “shutting up” about this only isolates me more from many people that I love and care about very much.

It’s really not all that dramatic, nor is it all that complicated. The long and short of it is this:

Since shortly before Brian’s “resignation” something didn’t feel quite right but I was pretty clueless about what was happening. This time was filled and surrounded by miscommunications, unwillingness to communicate openly, predetermined “beliefs,” assumptions, and a great deal of difficulty. These difficulties ultimately led to my “resignation” as well. The assumptions and unwillingness to communicate openly were very hurtful to me, and despite my efforts for resolution, I found myself ousted (for lack of a better word).

As time progressed, the bitterness and anger that I have felt have increased a great deal. In many ways, I have felt like it didn’t matter if I was part of that family or not, so it was easy to stay away.

I have sought the help of church leaders who were not involved with the situation. Unfortunately, my request has been met with a counter offer of an original meeting that would include those whom I feel purposely set out to not only hurt me, but to tear me down, judge my character, and bully me. I have felt the need to meet with those whom I believe can help to mend fences and clear the air. At this point, that has not been an option of possibility. So, I have worked hard to let go, and although I continue to struggle, I have come a LONG way in my part of healing this situation and learning to forgive those who have hurt me.

So, I appreciate all of your emails, and your questions. Please understand that it would not be appropriate for me to say any more than I already have. Also, please understand that just because of this “fall out” I remain committed to my walk with God, as I have never left Him (contrary to popular belief).

I miss many of you, but still pray for you, think about you, read your blogs (hehehe) and wonder how you are. I will continue to pray about all of this, and I would appreciate your prayers as well. God is good, and if it is supposed to work out, it will.

Love, Hugs, and Prayers to all.

Dead Beat Dads

I have heard a lot of things in my life, and I am rarely shocked, but today, I was not only shocked, I was shocked to the point of anger. I just don't get some people.

I've written several times here about being an Olympic junkie. Michael Phelps is among my favorites. As I have watched him make history, I have been touched by his mother's presence and support. At the same time, like many other viewers, I have wondered.... WHERE IS DAD?

Today, I read an article about dear old Daddy Phelps. Here is what I learned...

• mom and dad divorced when Michael was about 9
• dad wouldn't support Michael's desire to swim because swimming is a "girl" sport
• he has chosen not to be active in his son's life
• although he is aware of his son making history in the pool- HE HAS NOT EVEN CALLED TO CONGRATULATE HIM!

WHAT? I just don't get it. Even he and mom hate each other with a passion- He should have been there for his son. He should have been there when he made history, and he should have been there to apologize for not supporting him.

Maybe Daddy Phelps couldn't afford to go, or maybe he has health problems that kept him from traveling... okay.... would it have been so hard to pick up the phone or send an email, and say the words that surely Michael would want to hear? "I am proud of you son."

Here is what I think:

Michael is better off without Dear Old Daddy Phelps.

Parents (mothers AND fathers) should support their kids... it doesn't matter if YOU think swimming is a "girl" sport! It matters what your CHILD wants to do with HIS LIFE-

OH- I just HATE dead beat dads... (and moms too.... but that is another story for another day)

ramblings 2...

• going to sleep at 8:45 p.m. and sleeping until 8:45 a.m. feels SO GOOD!

ramblings....

• too many late nights of olympic gymnastics makes for a very tired mommy!
• bekah is going to be teaching a theatre program in public schools!!!
• i am really missing a few people who are obviously missing in my life right now
• i am glad i am blogging again
• it is almost time for trivia night at the Kemp Auto Museum- wanna come?
• i need a haircut
• i am hoping to hire a membership director soon
• arrogant people bother me..... even if they ARE olympians
• things are very rarely what they seem
• i may take a day off of work soon, and sleep ALL DAY
• bekah's knee is still not better
• i am too tired to combine all of these sentences into a paragraph
• i hope you are having a good day...evening... night.
• early to bed for me tonight... goodnight.

"Ursula" steals the show!

The stage is dark, school is back in session, and Bekah is already in theatre withdrawl! Here is a picture of the screaming, Byrdie obsessed teenager from the 50's who stole the show! I am so proud of you Bekah!

If you missed it, you missed one of the best performances in Saint Louis this summer! Congratulations to Bekah and the rest of the cast and crew of Bye Bye Byrdie!

I just don't get it...

First the age scandal, and now this!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/18/he-kexin-gymnast-at-cente_n_119510.html

Awesome Picture

I have already mentioned that I am an Olympic junkie, but these two are by far my favorites- Shawn Johnson and Michael Phelps. Do you have a favorite in these games?

Plays, School, Award, and Birthday!

Sorry it has been a few days since I have written. It's been sort of crazy around here lately. I pretty much have been working a lot, going to work events/parties, taking Bekah to and from tech week, getting ready for school to start, and trying to fit in everything else. Bekah was WONDERFUL in her show. I have never laughed so hard in my entire life. She is awesome. I had many people tell me that they thought she stole the show with her energy and over the top character. She had the audience laughing so hard that some were crying. To be honest, the show as a whole was not great... there were some sound issues, and a few of the characters were really nervous, so their performances weren't great. But, all had a good time, and Bekah loved every second of it. Oddly enough, her knee injury added to her character. It was great. I will try to post pictures later.

School starts Monday. It is hard to believe that Bekah will be a sophomore. Her schedule is pretty intense, but she insists on packing it pretty tightly with the things that are important to her (like AP Euro-!!!!). I am sure that she will do well, I just wish that she wouldn't take on so much. Of course with the knee injury, she will not take dance for this semester (which saves us a ton of money), so that will be one less thing on her plate.

Jennifer is still working at the Y, and doing fairly well. She is experiencing some growing pains, but as we all remember, 19 is a tough age.

Jason is working hard and keeping busy with all of the things that he loves- so he is about the same.

Oh yeah- I got an award this week. It is the "NEVER SAY NO AWARD." It said, "The Mid-County Family YMCA is proud to present Conni Hxxxxxxx with the Never Say No Award for her tireless efforts and committment to excellence in all that she does, all of the time, for everyone!" It made me laugh... but then it made me think- Maybe I should learn to say no once in a while, and let people learn to do some things for themselves? But, at the same time, I love to help others, I love to serve... so I don't mind being known as the "lady who is always willing to help others."

Well, it is tie to head back to the TV to watch the Olympics. I absolutely LOVE watching them!

One more thing.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY JASON.... I hope you like the iPod Touch!

Randomness

1. Gymnasts who are under 16 should not win Gold medals.
2. Saying goodbye to a good friend is hard to do, but planning a goodbye party is fun!
3. 4 cases of beer and 24 bottles of wine make for a very heavy load!
4. Chatter is sometimes irritating.
5. Michael Phelps is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G
6. Rules/Policies are needed- but some are stupid, and I hate enforcing them.
7. I won an award today at work... it is somewhat humerous- I'll write about that tomorrow.
8. It's too late to eat a snack- but I am hungry.
9. Focus Groups are awesome... especially when they pay you a good amount of money to give your opinion!
10. Things are not always as they seem- so look carefully.
11. I am tired, and it is time for bed!
12. Goodnight.

Mid-County Family YMCA in the News!

http://http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=151951&catid=3

Calling all Olympic Junkies

Ok, I will admit it! I am an Olympic junkie. Not only that, but I have passed it on to my daughter! (she may be worse than me!)

Is there anyone else out there holding thier breath as Michael Phelps swims, hoping and praying that he wins 8 gold medals?

Does anyone else have any speculation about the ages of the Chinese women's gymnastic team?

I love the Olympics! Is anyone else out there an Olympic Junkie? What is your favorite event?

(come on... admit it... we're all friends here!)

Frustration

Why is it that everyone in the world wants to tell you exactly what to do and exactly how wrong you are, and exactly how ungodly and selfish you are until the truth comes out- and then no one has a word to say... not even, "I am sorry that I judged you."

Bekah

The results are in:
GOOD NEWS: No Tears

BAD NEWS: Strained MCL and Severe Bone Contusion were evident on the MRI

WHAT IT MEANS: No surgery, No dancing. It will heal on its own in as little as 4 weeks or as much as 6-8 months! (geez!)

Bekah is happy that she won't need surgery and sad that she won't be dancing in her show next week... but happy that God blessed her with a set of pipes that makes the director want to keep her in the show instead of replace her with her understudy! So, the show is being reblocked as we speak!

We are thankful!!

I seriously have the coolest job EVER!

I absolutely LOVE my job. I get to do the coolest stuff! Right now I am working on our First Trivia Night, and I am pretty excited. We have partnered with the Kemp Auto Museum for our event, and I am so excited. We hope to have 600 people there, and ALL of the proceeds go to help kids in the community.

As you may know, the best boss in the world (who I am lucky enough to call MY boss) is being transferred and I can't go with her. (at least for now) We had a great plan, but something happened, and it didn't work out, so I will be staying. I will miss her so much! Anyway, with all of these changes, my job is changing a little bit too. I am still doing all of the marketing for the branch (LOVE IT) and working the Partner Campaign, and working with members, and all of my normal stuff. But now I have some added responsibility, as Cesar has moved into the Executive Director role. I will start picking up some of the Assoc. Exec duties- so more management assignments for me... IT IS TIRING.

My job allows me to do everything I love... work with kids, be a leader, show creativity, promote Christian principles, work with people, plan parties (and lots of them!!), and I even get to sing/perform on occasion! I have been blessed!!

My job ROCKS!

(Update on Bekah...she saw the orthopedic surgeon today, and he disagreed with the original diagnosis of MCL/Meniscus tear... he thinks it is an ACL rupture. She had an MRI this afternoon... consult with the surgeon again on Thursday... until then....NO DANCING!)

Well...

Well, here I am again. In a world of Facebook, and Myspace, it is hard to believe that anyone still blogs. But, since you are still out there, you are still reading, I love writing, and as always I have plenty to say- I will blog. I can't promise a new post every day, but I can promise to not let several months pass without posting.

So what is new in my world? Here are a few things you may not know...
1. I LOVE MY JOB- more on that later.
2. My sweet daughter has an appointment with a surgeon tomorrow. Can you say "torn MCL and torn Meniscus?"
3. Jason works too much! Wait... am I the pot or the kettle?
4. Jen is as crazy and fun as ever.
5. God remains faithful and loves me even when I am hard to love.
6. Bekah has a lead role in Bye-Bye Birdie

Here are a few things on my mind that you probably do know, but I am going to remind you anyway.
1. If you are reading this blog, chances are good that I still think about you, read your blog, and/or pray for you everyday. I can't name everyone here, but there a few things that simply must be said..... a.) I miss you very much a. (you know who you are). b.) Becky, your daughter is beautiful, and I love seeing her pictures on your blog. c.)MAR/DJR, your absense is painful. d.) to my buddy EC, could your family be anymore wonderful and beautiful? You are so blessed and I am so happy for you! e.)everyone else... I hope you know my feelings for you.
2. I still really despise judgemental/ know-it-all people.
3. Grace and Mercy are the only way to go.
4. I still am all about music. (guess what? I bought a guitar, and can even play it.)
5. I believe whole-heartedly in the love and compassion that exists between those with like beliefs.

I have so much to share now that I am back, but I don't think I shoul bombard you all with a 14 page blog, so we will go slow.

I will likely be updating the look of my page soon... please let me know what you think.

As always, I like to people thinking... so, here is the question of the day...

Suppose you know that Jesus is coming back tomorrow (yes, I know, we CAN"T know that, but suppose that we do). What dessert will you choose after dinner tonight, knowing it will be your last?

Lots of Love to all... until next time... ch

anyone still out there?

2 questions....

1. Does anyone still check this blog?
2. Does anyone want me to start writing again?

Checking in

Life is CRAZY. I am not sure what else to say other than that. I am unbelievably busy at work, working on parties and marketing campaigns. I am also busy with music, as I have been singing at a lot of parties, and fundraisers in the St. Louis area. (I think music is all that keeps me sane.) Here is the poster for our big event at work tonight.

I love my job! I get to do lots of creative stuff, and I get to plan lots of parties! Hopefully it will be a great event tonight. If you are in the neighborhood, stop by- IT IS FREE!

Other than that, life is about the same as always... working, singing, sleeping, playing taxi cab mom, and working with a few local agencies who need lots of volunteers. Bekah continues to grow taller, and is still active in theatre, and Jenn is working a lot and Jason is working, and bowling and doing what Jason does.

I don't know when I will be back, but I thought I would check in... just in case anyone still comes by.