I've been tagged!

I've been tagged! Read a lot about what I have read. I'm going to tag Debra, Mandy, Holli, and Bryan. Accept the challenge if you dare.

1. One book that changed your life: Gift Wrapped by God. I studied this book with my friend Stacy Kay and loved it. I also wrote a prayer for my life after reading this book. (Kel: I still have a copy of your vision statement.) It helped me forgive others and myself...it taught me so much and reformed my thinking.
2. One book you’ve read more than once: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I read it once by myself, once to my students last year, and this year my whole class is reading it together. To see their eyes light up in surprise, jaws drop in the realization that God and Jesus are represented in this book, and to see their excitement to find out what happens next is true joy.
3. One book you’d want on a desert island: A Bible and a pen. That's the only book I want to have all the time in the world to delve into.
4. One book that made you laugh: I remember cracking up while reading Sideways Stories from Wayside School. It would be interesting to read it again and see what my sense of humor was like in fourth grade.
5. One book that made you cry: Stone Fox. The dog dies! I couldn't believe it! The first time I read that book was to my kids last year in school. They all saw me cry. Oh well. They were an amazing class.
6. One book you wish had been written: Big Family, Little Home. It's the story of the Brants from 1960ish to present. I think it would be hilarious...for me. Liz? Having any writing ambitions?
7. One book you wish had never been written: Humanities textbooks. Hated every minute of it. I might appreciate some parts of them now, but then it was torture. All I wanted to do was play soccer in the hallway...or listen to Kelli and Allison make bird calls...last thing I wanted to do was read for Prahl's class.
8. One book you’re currently reading: As mentioned earlier: Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe. Also, Indian in the Cupboard. Soon I will be reading Velvet Elvis in a study.
9. One book you’ve been meaning to read: Searching for God Knows What. I'm having trouble getting into it. I read a little, then I stop, then read a little more. My sister says she loves it. I just need to give it another chance--a true chance. I also want to read Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets Them Free.

I'm adding one of my own:
10. Last thing you read that was encouraging:

Thank you, Debra, so, so much! How amazing your friendship is to me. To Luke too. You've known him longer than I have. I love it that you can tell me about the Luke before the Deb. He's a better Luke now. :) While reading your card, I noted that I have thought many of the same things about you, friend! So many people rest in your company, depend on your comforting care, and rejoice in their time with you. What a good friend I have! I love it that we're "The Debs." I thank the Lord for my most recent summer with you and our dear friend Mandy. I'm so much more thankful though that it extends beyond summer! Yay! More fun times to come!

Sing with me

At Paul and Charity's wedding this weekend they had a worship time in the middle of the ceremony. I've been to other weddings where they have had a time of worship, but I have never been so blessed by it as I was yesterday. The band was amazing. There's nothing like good music to put me before the throne of the Lord. I sat third row back from the front next to Luke and Terri, Gabe's fiance. I sang and looked at the bride, then the groom, and saw that their focus was solely on worshipping the Lord at that moment. It was amazing to me that even though they were about to be married, they still recognized that they were there because of Christ. I looked at the pastor and it was the same story. I looked at the maid of honor, father and mother of the bride, and grandparents of the bride and it was all the same. They were feeling the same way I was: we are here to praise our Father; thank you, Lord for this life's blessing and joys; may the day come quickly that EVERY knee will bow, and EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. I was just so thankful that Paul and Charity were in love with their creator and then with each other. I decided on a new favorite worship song after having it bless my heart so much on Saturday afternoon.
How great is our God, sing with me, how great is our God. And all we see how great, how great, is our God.
It feels like my heart is crying out for ALL to see how great He is; please, sing with me and know Him.
Paul and Charity left for who knows where. They didn't even know when they left. :) I guess we'll all find out Wednesday when they're back at work.


In other news, my cats have fleas. I knew this would happen. I told Luke to not let them outside because they would get fleas, and I was right. I don't want to do the "I told you so" thing, but uuugghhh...I was right. So tomorrow we become offensive in the fight against parasites. We should have done that from the beginning, thus avoiding the trouble of fleas.
Also news for today: I played Uno on the Xbox 360. Big deal, right? Wait for it...I played with the headset...and a webcam. I know. This won't happen again because I was freaked out when some of the other guys started talking to me. Luke says they get a little carried away when they find out there's a girl playing Xbox. There's a world beyond the Xbox people. I should have said that.

Clay County Fair

This weekend I was off to have some fun at the Clay County Fair in Spencer, Iowa. Luke and I left after school to go to Spirit Lake to meet some camp friends, and then move on to the fair. I'd never been to this fair and I was really excited. Here are some noteable noteables:

• Joel Doeleslager...need I say more? I don't know how to spell his last name, but whenever he's around, the stars align and spell F.U.N. He was an excellent surprise on Friday night.
• Pouring rain for most of the night. I was told I didn't get the complete fair experience, which I'll concede to. But I have to tell you, it was really fun! I ain't afraid of rain. I loved walking around in the coolness and freshness. I opted for tennis shoes and a hood before we left, so I was fine. We saw a great lightning show and felt sorry for the grandstand act that night. I love the rain.
• A toy that gave me the biggest shock I have ever received, literally. After watching Keith, Luke, Joel, and possibly Bryan go down, I somehow thought I could handle holding onto a metal grip while Joel held the other end waiting for me to react. I must have thought they were being dramatic, or being wimps. So I held on, pushed a button, and dropped the grip with a scream. How can this game be safe for children? That's the last time I listen to Joel.
• I think Joel gave me a backrub. I'm still not sure about that one. It was either him or Luke and they're both denying it. Creepy.
• I had fair food: cotton candy and a funnel cake.
• I was disgusted by the midway, but also intriged by the prizes you could win. By that I mean the stuffed animals or picture frames, not the photographs of unmentionable things.
• Some girl checked out Bryan. That was funny. Debra watched it all go down.
• Coughing sheep...HILARIOUS! An ISU pig...I Smell U. Soft bunnies. Horse hind quarters. Miniture ponies. GIANT rabbits!!!
• The commercial building. Like one huge infomercial. So fun.

The fair was great. Other exciting happenings of the weekend: delicious scones. A HAWKEYE VICTORY OVER ISU! That's right. Saturday afternoon catch, and walks to the lake. Staying at staff house again. Seeing Debra, Mandy, Keith, Abby, Adam, Bryan, and Joel.

Happy Birthday, Dad.

Today was a better day at school. I knew people were praying, as was I. Tomorrow brings a fun Friday of Clay County Fair and camp friends. Then on Sunday a wedding shower for Paul and Charity. Wedding times are so fun! I wish everyone a happy and relaxing weekend. To those I know are traveling, I pray for your safety!

Running a Mile Can Kill You

Apparently running a mile can kill you.
This is according to my fourth graders who ran the mile today.
You would have thought they had been poisoned after their mile run, by the way they were holding their stomachs and groaning and complaining.
I think I was asking for disappointment and frustration when I went ahead with our math lesson after their mile run. I told them to sit down, let their bodies rest, and drink lots of water. I turned on the air and fans full blast and all I was asking them to do was just listen and follow along. And maybe answer a question once in a while. Well, this was too much. Two girls insisted they were going to throw up, asking for the bathroom and drinking fountain, headache medicine, and so on. I had so many interruptions during this lesson. I was more than a little put off by all the drama.
So the rest of the day went like this: "Weren't you listening?" "I missed number four, will you go back?" "I don't feel very good, so it's hard for me to think." "If anybody else talks it's two warnings instead of one."
Yep, I let it get me down. I let it affect me and I remember at one point praying for patience and peace because I was out of it. This incident with the mile run is the breaking point for what has been building up for three weeks now. I'm in the process of restructuring my discipline plan, because what was used last year is not working this year. Today just confirmed it. There are a few that just aren't responding to the warnings and subsequent concequences. So, it'll all change, and I'm learning that it may take a little extra to be patient and peaceful this year. I have some students that really need my room to be peaceful and happy, and I want it to be that way too, so Lord, help me.

Have you been making some good friends?

I don't know how many times I've been asked this question since I've graduated college and moved on to new places. Every time I was asked, it was met with an, "Uh, yeah. We've been meeting a lot of people." It took me until tonight to realize the magnificent work God has been doing in my life for the past year and a half.

My answer is a resounding YES! Forgive me Lord and forgive me to everyone involved for not seeing it until tonight.

Tonight I attended a wedding shower for my sister-in-law, Charity. She is getting married in two weeks. She is incredibly calm, and just taking it easy. We ask, "How will you do your hair, Charity?" And she says, "Well, I thought about asking Trish, but I haven't." We all know it will come together, but it's humerous. Tonight was the meeting of women in Charity's life. Mom, Grandma, sister-in-law, best friend, and the many women that have helped raise her-- her parents have so many good friends they've let be apart of their lives, as well as their childrens'. We played games, opened gifts and talked for an hour and a half. Just us girls! It was incredible. When I say that I spend no time apart from my husband, I'd be willing to place a bet and dare someone to find me apart from him in the next week. Our lives are such right now that we are always together. I've gotten used to it, and I enjoy him so much. But, WOW, how incredible it was to be away from him and to talk with the girls. While I was there I felt at ease and enjoyed just being able to be a girl. Mentally I can go through the room and picture all the peolple that I can now genuinely call my friends--people that are important in my life. People I would hate to live without. Many of them are my family also.

Micah and Sarah: Amazing people of God. A young couple with a daughter who just turned one. Sarah grew up with Luke; and Micah, the resident Jew :), came to us from kind of all over. Micah and I talk about big city life compared to Correctionville. Yah, Marshalltown is SO BIG! :) Sarah threw the shower tonight and let me help. Micah came to our house to play with Luke. I think they played video games.

Charity and Paul: Luke's sister and her fiance. They are so great and funny. Paul is a youth minister and Charity teaches at school with us now. She's also living with us until her wedding. How great to now be related to such fun people who share our love of the Lord.

Gabe and Terri: Luke's brother and his fiance. Both attending school at UNI. Gabe is a Demarest through and through, but so different than Luke. I really enjoy his more sensitive side and caring spirit. Terri is such a joy. She's beautiful and has the inside character to match. I love it when they come home!

Mark and Jo: Luke's parents. I'm so thankful for their Godly example. Tonight we talked a lot about marriage. People said a high-risk time for divorce is when all the kids are out of the house b/c the couple finds they have nothing in common anymore. I know Mark and Jo will not experience this next year when Gabe is married. Like Luke and I, Mark and Jo are together all the time. They minister together, talk together, and love together. They share all they have and wish they could do more. I am so incredibly thankful for them. I look forward to our relationship growing stronger and stronger.

Cara and Tony: I love Cara! She is one of those women that I know can spur me on towards Christ. If only we could find the time to be together! She homeschools and loves her family. When I have kids I think I'll spend more time with her. We live close. Tony is so funny. He could be a pro football player by the looks of him. He's so in love with his wife and is an entertainer. He's a business man who will always provide for his family in a biblical way. They are pregnant again! I think about the first time we met them at a Bible study for young couples. We were shy, but now here we are.

And I have to mention all the camp friends I've made.

Keith and Mandy: Directors of the camp Luke worked at in highschool/college. We've worked there together the last two summers. They're great b/c they're the only other couple at camp and they are hilarious. I think Luke really appreciates Keith b/c they can talk about a lot of the same stuff. I appreciate Mandy b/c she's Mandy and brings new life to everything! You haven't lived until you spend a day with Mandy.

Gosh, there are so many people at camp. I could make a big long list; God has been good. Since I've been mentioning couples tonight, I'll stick with couples. So I guess I should include Bryan and Debra....just joking.

I feel compelled to write all this tonight b/c on my drive home alone between belting out Celine Dion songs, I was thinking of all the people God has placed in my life, and how in the beginning I didn't think I would make any lasting relationships. When Luke and I moved in with his parents I was uncomfortable and shy and frustrated a lot, I didn't give anyone much of a chance; or was just uncomfortable doing so. When we went to camp the first time people were whispering about me right in front of me. (Apparently I look like Debra Wittrock. Whatev. Ha!) I totally misunderstood, and could have sworn right then to not be friendly all summer. I'm not upset about that anymore. I promise! Over the last two summers I went from thinking camp was Luke's thing, to knowing camp is something we share now.

Anyway, if for no one else but me, it's been good to think of all the people who I can now call my friends as a result of this after-college, newly-married, moving away from family and friends adjustment. God has been good during this time that has been uncertain sometimes and filled with change.









Front to back: Paul, Mark, Jo, Micah, a pregnant Sarah, Terri, and a distant relative.

Some pictures I want to go on record

These are some pictures I've been meaning to post for a couple of weeks now and I'm just getting around to it. Some are from camp and some are from the last time I was in Marshalltown with my family. All are fun and special to me.

The first one is a picture of my Nalgene. Andrew and Aaron, who were inseparable this summer, made it their mission daily to steal my Nalgene and put it in random spots. It was usually never too far away. This summer my Nalgene was attached to my hip, well not literally, otherwise I would have noticed the boys stealing it to hide it. What I mean is I've never gotten so much use out of my Nalgene as I did this summer. I was drinking 3 Nalgene-fulls of water a day. Spirit Lake water is soooo good. I wish I could say the same for Sioux City water. Then again, I'm just a really picky water drinker.

The next picture is of Andrew and Aaron being sneaky. It was right after they attached my Nalgene to the chain-link fence behind homebase in the kickball field. They sure were sneaky!

Next is me with my twin sister Liz and little sister Paige. We are holding all my nephews. Elijah is with Liz, Nathan is with Paige, and Sam and James are with me. They are such a joy to me. Also in this collection is a picture of my WHOLE family. That's right, everyone my side of the family has to offer. It even includes Paige's boyfriend Danny who we suspect might be staying around for a while! Yay! He sure held his own during Matt's made-up game we all played. Hours of fun! Finally, there is a picture of my mom, Rick, my five siblings, and me. Can you guess which one I am??? I'm the one in the pink.

My family's great!