[because apparently Friday's are all the rage, and because I've been known to shake my fist at convention, I've decided to update my wide readership on the happenings of my Tuesday's. Maybe I'll do this regularly, and maybe I won't, but whatever I decide to do will defy convention, because I'm rebellious and such.]


I set my alarm at 6 this morning so I could wake up/talk to Brad before his DPS interview. I went back to sleep until around 7:30, when Brad called me to let me know he had found the place okay and was heading in. I don't remember the entire conversation, but I think I might have told him to "knock 'em dead", which is not something I normally say as I firmly believe in the sixth commandment. But you never know what you're gonna get when I first wake up.

Around 8 I turned on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and ate some toast, then got dressed and headed into work at about 9.

I actually beat David to the office for once, and it was oddly quiet. I checked my email, which I've been doing quite frequently as of late, for any updates on job interviews. I have two potential interviews up in the air, but I'm waiting to hear back on the official dates because several SPR reps are out on vacation. [Update: Just found out I've got an interview on Thursday evening! Yay!] Around 10 we headed over to the conference room for staff meeting which was uneventful. I stepped out during staff meeting because I saw that Brad was calling, and got caught up on how his interview went (it went well, by the way).

After staff meeting we came back to the office and I played this game until lunch (I love it because it requires organization and planning ahead). David, Karen and I went up to Nac to have lunch with Ricky Ricks, the east district Lakeview coordinator, who wanted to hear our take on the week we spent at camp. We went to Auntie Pasta's, which is most definitely not my favorite restaurant. I'm finding out that I may not like Italian food, but the jury is still out. After lunch I went to the Runnels' new home, which I loved. I'm excited to see it all come together.

Now I'm about to meet up with Brad and relax for the rest of the afternoon. I foresee some Alias in my immediate future.

Have a lovely day.

yes please.

The disciple living by grace rather than law has undergone a decisive conversion - a turning from mistrust to trust. The foremost characteristic of living by grace is trust in the redeeming work of Jesus Christ.

To believe deeply, as Jesus did, that God is present and at work in human life is to understand that I am a beloved child of this Father and hence, free to trust. That makes a profound difference in the way I relate to myself and others; it makes an enormous difference in the way I live. To trust Abba, both in prayer and life, is to stand in childlike openness before a mystery of gracious love and acceptance.

:Brennan Manning:

I took today off of work to spend the day with Brad. He's been working everyday for almost a week, and even though I get to spend most evenings with him, he's pretty exhausted by the time he makes his way over to my house. I thought it would be nice to spend a non-exhausted day together, and I was right! We mostly spent the day running little errands, but after getting some wings for lunch followed by sno-cones for dessert, Brad took me to Lack's Home Furnishings! I love interior design, and so this was heaven on earth for me. (I feel like a huge dork as I read over that last sentence.) We spent some time wandering around the store picking out our dream entertainment center and living room furniture. Apparently a comfy recliner is a must.

Afterwards we watched a couple episodes of Alias. We're on season four, and I have reached the point of being ready to be done with it. I love spending the time with Brad, but J.J. Abrams had already left the show to write for LOST at this point, and all the acting skills in the world can't bring it back to its earlier greatness.

Then we cooked dinner. (I love the homey feeling it brings.) I made homemade mashed potatoes! This was a feat in and of itself. I kind of just act like I know what I'm doing when Brad's around the kitchen, and secretly have panic attacks as soon as his back is turned. I've only made mashed potatoes once before, so I was nervous, but they turned out edible. Yummy, even.

In summary: fantastic day.

just saw Batman. it. was. awesome.

happenings and such.

here's a basic recap of my life over the last month:

Insomniac: ah, the annual no-holds-barred, no sleep necessary, no-boring-allowed schooler trip designed to celebrate the start of summer. This year Insomniac took us to Arlington, Texas where we took in the Texas night sky at the planetarium, watched Kung Fu Panda in IMAX, and go-karted to our heart's content. Also featured on this trip: Adrienne puking. It was blue. It was awesome.

UMARMY: this was an amazing, if not hectic, week of providing free home repair to those who are unable to afford it in Willis, Texas. While it's the kids who do most of the work on this mission trip, I along with the ever-amazing Karen and the Debbies did a ton of behind the scenes work in order to help the week go smoothly. I also got to spend some time with Brad's good friend Justin, and learned what all the hype is about.

Lakeview: the week-long summer camp that shall not be mentioned here or hereafter.

Fourth of July: was me and Brad's one year anniversary! We spent the day in Tyler, shopping at one of the most glorious malls I've seen in Texas thus far, saw Hancock (it was really good, I recommend it), and eating burgers at Friday's. Brad got me a gorgeous dress and I got him two more polo shirts to add to his collection. If you see him looking particularly good and sporting a polo, it's probably one of the shirts I got him. It was really refreshing to be able to spend an entire day with my amazing boyfriend after such a long month. I can't believe we've been together for an entire year because it's gone by so fast, but it's honestly been the best year of my life.

etc: Brad got me a BlackJack, and I flippin' love it.

that about wraps it up. School started last week, and I just realized today that I have school everyday until the end of the year. Look forward to posts complaining about that in the future. I don't have any more major trips coming up, so maybe I can actually blog every now and then. Todd should be pleased.