Weekend in Review: Just because I like lists...

• Sharing supper with the parents. :) "Don't put bread in the soup! It will be soggy! I hate soggy breadcrumbs in my soup!"
• Coooooold and rainy and coughing through a high school football game. Handing out tracts. Talking to a former youth grouper. Whole conversation and I could not remember their name! :-/ They never knew.
• Telling lame jokes about pigs (and laughing).
• Board game wars. And who is the Connect Four champion? That'd be my little bro. I should've won though... it was the shoes, man!
• Late night---early morning. I'm getting too old for this.
• Road-trip with my mom. Packing heat because I'm going to meet some guy from Craigslist. Or because I'm really a secret agent. I'll just let you wonder... * insert creepy music now*
• Honey Creek Inn. Remember that name. Because it has the BEST French Toast in the entire country. Seriously. My dad sampled this French Toast for the first time about 8 years ago. And I remember his ravings about it. I thought, for sure, this French Toast must be overrated!! And then I tasted for myself. Wow. Not overrated.
• DayQuil + Naptime = Impossible.
• Football party at my house. Lots of food. Lots of people. Lots of screaming/yelling/utter despair. Pretty sure that Penn State fell to itty bitty pieces. And crashed and burned. Several times over... On the upside, I saw JoePa without glasses for the first time ever---I didn't recognize him.
• Upside-down apple cake. Melts your heart with its luscious goodness. I kid you not.
• Read a whole book. In an hour. Half-asleep.
• Coughing like crazy for the entire weekend... even through worship practice on Sunday morning... but when we started to worship, no coughing. None. At all. Not once!! Truly miraculous!
• Great Word about seeds, grass, being aggressive, fighting battles for yourself, living within your means, action while you're "waiting," etc.
• Conversing with the Eskimo girl --- my niece dressed in a hooded white sweater. :) Cute!
• Wedding showcase @ the Bryce Jordan Center. Gorgeous-looking free food, which I pretty much ignored to stare at the wedding photographers, chat a little bit and grab some business cards. It's called "networking!"
• Great roomie conversations. :)
• NAAAAAAAAAAP. It's funny how naps seem lame throughout the young ages, and then become amazing when you become an adult.
• Ice-breaker musical chairs variation game with the youth. "I'm a girl" and The Crazy Kid screams and runs for a different spot. We look confused and then laugh hysterically. He looks confused and then laughs hysterically.
• Discussing a seed's life. Again. Spiritual growth. Again. God is showing us a theme! Because things that are alive.. grow! It's just what they do.
• Whale noises and light-up keyboards with youth. LOL
• Endless Princess Bride quotes.
• Coming home to the sounds of prayer... That never gets old.

Dichotomy = division into two mutually exclusive, opposed, or contradictory groups: a dichotomy between thought and action.

Tears and laughter. Silence and noise. Crowds and loneliness. Sleep and sleeplessness. Smiles and frowns. Time passing by slooowly, and rushing too quickly. Good conversation and missed opportunities...


Welcome to my Weekend in Review.


I invited people over for dinner on Friday night. Last minute (because that's just how we roll). New recipe. And be amazed -- there is now one Giada DeLaurentiis recipe that I don't care for! * shrug* Ya know what they say though: "If, at first, you don't succeed... give up! Try something else!" HAHA! 'Twas a late night Friday. Errr, rather, an early morning. Between fighting the ever-present computer battles, uploading pictures, talking with folks and bonding with friends and family, I finally found sleep at 2 am.


And THEN. I woke up. Took a shower. Got ready for the awesome Saturday... came back to my room. The clock said, "3:09." As in morning! Wow. Just wow. What a promising start to the day.


On the road with The Little Bro. Redeeming the time with financial work, reading, and journalling. Because he is a good brother and drove those nice two hours for me! At HersheyPark. Bumper cars, roller coaster and a crazy falling ride. In one hour. Bumper cars were the best though. Honestly? Ramming perfect strangers with electric vehicles? The stuff I only dream about! :) Then much, much time hanging with the (northern) Virginia people. I loved the matching T-shirts. It was like playing Where's Waldo? all day long! :) Best chocolate milkshake ever. ZooAmerica with the three stooges. Talking to, barking at and throwing an acorn at prairie dogs. And the stupid animals STILL didn't bark at me. Ugh! (No animals were harmed in the making of this blog entry). Saying goodbye. Walking back-and-forth 7 times to find someone. Meeting new friends. Introductions. Encouraging conversation. Roller coaster in the dark. Then, there was only 3 people left and myself. They went on some crazy roller coasters. I didn't. 3 roller coasters later and I'm still chillin, taking pics in the dark, texting, shivering in the cool of the evening.... The Little Bro, "You have to try this one! Now! Don't knock it 'til you try it." Me "Nothing you can say will make me ride that roller coaster." The Golden Girl "We'll buy you dark chocolate AND coffee!" Hahaha... "No, not even that." -Me. :) Fun driving home. One hot mocha with a double-shot of expresso. It gave me quite a buzz. Singing along to the Supertones... Good times.

Sickness was trying to overwhelm me. By the power of God, I made it to church. And sang during the worship service! Which still amazes me. Very appropriate sermon about "Faith that Takes." As in, aggressively takes hold of the promises of God, rather than passively recieving. Picnic at Hidden Haven. Water baptisms!! Back to our town for UNIT meeting. Including passionate prayer for souls.. and then laughter about funny songs "I work at Subway (Loser!)". :) Still fighting sickness, but I know that Christ is my Healer!

In my region of the great U. S. of A., traditions are held dear. Particularly of the last-days-of-summer country fair tradition. In central Pennsylvania, Grange Fair is THE tradition (second only to Penn State football). Grange Fair began 135 years ago!! Its claim to fame is the longevity of this tradition... and the unique tented city fair residents. Tent spots are so highly coveted that they are passed down from generation to generation. As I am a Texas-transplant without multiple generations in the area, I only visit Grange during the day.

And why would I go to the fair?

Because everyone else does...


For the exhibits... that make me hungry..


For the games (which I am convinced, are rigged!) and fabulous prizes...


For the scary-looking rides...

For the unhealthy, but ridiculously yummy fair food!

For the country experience...


For the cute animals... (which one is Wilbur? I wonder)



The real reason I go! Just to look at the photography exhibits! Excitement of all excitement, this year I won a few contests!
1st Place for these photos: (they don't give real ribbons out. How depressing!)



3rd Place for this one:


The fair was good to me this year. VERY good. Here is one last look..

I guess that is me returning to blogging with a BANG! I had a bit of a revelation... I have a serious lack of short-term memory. Without a Weekend in Review, I quickly forget what happened in life... Sad, but good for all of you blog-followers! So I'm returning to Jewels of Truth. Probably not full-force. But enjoy what you can get!

Friday.
Rain, rain, go away!! The evening was cloudy, chilly and downright miserable.. and once again, our tract outreach was postponed. I spent an hour hanging at Barnes & Noble, obsessively checking the weather, taking many phone calls and mass-text-messaging the youth group. Change of plans: Game night! Including pizza! Loud & crazy games! Music (with budding songwriters)! Smoky fireplace!... after we figured out the flue, it was interesting how quickly the smoke cleared. :) I (heart) fires! The warm ambiance. And s'mores.... Then chilling with The Chatty Girl. Laughing over silly TV. Deep conversations. We know how to laugh and then be serious! It's a gift.

Saturday.
5:48 a.m. Awakened by my ringing cell phone. So sleepy that I don't remember the conversation... :) 2.5 hour drive to an all-day seminar. Except I slept the whole way. And my dad drove. YES! Letting Dad taste my coffee. Meeting new people. Listening to one of the best seminars in a long time. Big fan of Larry Kreider & Joel Comiskey. Humble, powerful men of God. And humorous, too. I (heart) Christians who are funny.... Typical happening: People assuming that I am waaaay younger that I am. Untypical happening (i.e. CRAZYNESS): Random encounter with someone that I went on a missions trip to Mexico in 2006! She's from North Carolina. Wow. I never expected that! And she loves books, too.... More drive time. A little family business swimming pool work. Driving through Gettysburg. Clouds and monuments... Dinner. More driving. Reading by cell phone light... Home again.

Sunday.
CHURCH. How did I lose my worship team binder? If anyone knows its location, please let me know! Learning about backsliding/apostates in Sunday School. Serious stuff. Worshipping the Lord "Father, I see that You are drawing a line in the sand..." The Word preached! Challenging our hearts about believing God's Word, faith, prayer, laying hold of the promises and giving glory to God... Restful afternoon... Youth UNIT meeting. Ya know what you get when you ask a youth what they would like someone to say at their funeral?? (ice-breaker question) A youth guy smacking his own head three times and then declaring he just took 21 seconds from his life. Sometimes I just laugh and laugh...

Welcome back to the blog, y'all!

During my quick trip to a beach at New Jersey, I spent alot of time following my brother around. He was attempting to surf. He's a snowboarder... similar, yet very different.... Here were the results.


Many spectacular falls.


And he's up.. kneeling.


And falls again.


That's a look of determination, if I ever saw one!


Victory at last!


Zeph gives me a smile! Congrats of getting your surfing on, bro!