Pea...

I always wondered when I'd get discovered for a modeling career after we moved out to LA. I mean, I knew that it would happen, it was just a matter of when... Well, it finally happened. I've been discovered. Dreams are beginning to come true...
Those of you that know me should know that last paragragh was completely untrue. :) My very good friends Chris and Janelle have a little company called Conduct Happiness. (check it out at http://www.conducthappiness.com/) I got a call on Tuesday morning saying that they needed some people to "model" their line of "Pea" shirts. I was a little hesitant, but when they said that I would get a "Pea" shirt out of it, I was ALL over it! So, Dave and I headed over on our lunch break and joined some other people from our church in getting our pics taken.
These shirts are seriously too cute. I got to wear the "Pea in the Wind" shirt and Dave got to wear the "Pea Standing Up" shirt. If you're having a hard time understanding why these shirts are so cute and so funny, let me tell you some of the names of the other shirts. There's: Pea Sitting Down (for girls), Pea in the Pool, Pea in the Tub, Pea in the Snow, Pea on the Fire Hydrant, Pea in a Diaper (for little ones), etc... Are you noticing a trend? :) It's pretty much the cutest thing ever.

Anyways, the best part is I got to walk away with one of my very favorite "Pea" shirts. Pea in the bed...

My VBS video...

This is a link to a video that I put on You Tube of my little VBS kiddos. They are NOT as cute as they look! :) Just kidding! Hope you enjoy it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Epzk8qVbfmM

My terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day...

Ok, so I should post a picture of these "angels" that I teach for VBS. To look at their sweet little innocent cherub faces, you would never know that inside of them lurks an evil, sinful, depraved soul...

This Sunday was the last week of regular VBS. Next week is the much dreaded (by me) concert. I thought that I would surprise them by bringing a movie to VBS. "What a nice break," I thought foolishly to myself, "they will love me forever for bringing them a movie to watch on the last day of VBS. We will have such a joyous time watching this movie together as a class. I am sure they will shower me with hugs and affection for being such a great, thoughtful teacher." So, I brought the movie, "Stanley the Stinkbug Goes to Camp." The name alone of that movie just makes me laugh. :)

Anyways, unbeknownst to me, some of my kiddos had heard that the "older" kids were getting to play a water game. Thinking that they got to play too, they came armed to VBS in their swimsuits and with their big beach towels (they all looked SO cute). Unfortunately, not all the kiddos had brought water gear - so even if we could have played the water game, not everyone could have played. And that's just no fair. So, we get in the classroom, turn the lights off, and start the movie. And the complaining begins.

"Where's the popcorn? If we were at a real movie theater we'd get popcorn."
"I've seen this movie like a thousand times before." "I want my mom." "I'd rather be in big people church." "I wanna go on the playground." And the list goes on and on... One child was actually rolling around on the floor repeating like a mantra, "I'm hungry; I'm thirsty," over and over...

The worst part was, I had told my helper that she could leave. I belive my exact words were, "They're just watching a movie tonight. It'll be a cinch." Famous last words.

It got so bad that I actually had to call Dave on his cell phone to get him out of "Big People Church" to help me. Thankfully Dave terrified the children. Something about his deep, stern voice just petrified them. It was great. From the second that Dave walked into the classroom they were little cowering angels.

Anyways, I was sad that my last day of VBS with the children had to be such a disaster, but hopefully they got it out of their system before the concert this Sunday. I'll keep you posted on how that goes...

Funny Things...

So, I've had the privilege of teaching 3-5 year olds this summer every Sunday night. It's for a VBS-ish kind of thing that our church is doing. It has been a TRIP, let me tell you. These kids are hilarous. Every week I find myself holding my lesson book a little higher to cover the grin on my face. Kids say the darndest things.

So, we've been going through the days of creation. We talked about the day that God made the birds and the fish. I held up a beautiful picture with all sorts of types of birds and fish on them and asked the children if they could name them. Much to my amusement they all (not just one) started pointing at the picture and saying "Fluffy, Bobby, Freddy, etc..." They were naming the birds and the fish - just not in the way that I had thought. I couldn't keep my laughter in.

Then, on a different week we were talking about sin. I asked the kids if they could give me examples of sin. I was expecting like, "Lying, stealing, cheating." You know, the usual. But instead, one lovely child piped up and said "Killing someone." To which another kid added, "Yeah, or kicking someone's face in." Then the kids (each of them not wanting to be outdone) yelled over top of each others voices to add another "sin" to the list. They were each so excited to tell me their "sin" that it took me a few moments to calm them down. What are these kids watching on TV?! Holy cow!

Anyways, in three weeks, I have to whip these kids into shape enough for them to sing a song for the closing VBS ceremony. This will be no small task, since I have a few very special children. I have a chronic butt scratcher (and then the child sniffs her fingers), I have a child that runs around screaming for no apparent reason - ALL THE TIME, these are just a few examples. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night just sweating, thinking about this closing ceremony. I have visions of leading them up on stage, hearing the intro music playing, and then....nothing. I have visions of having to sing "Obedience" all by myself because the children are all just staring at me.

Anyways, these are just a few things that I've been thinking about. I've got to go - I've got to teach VBS...

This is dedicated to the one I love...

So, about a week ago my teeth started hurting - I mean really hurting. I consider myself to have a high level of pain tolerance, so I just shook it off (just like my dad taught me to do), took some Advil and ignored it. You know, like any smart person does...

Ok, so by Monday, I'm not in severe pain, but it's REALLY starting to get on my nerves, so I do the last thing that I wanted to do, I went to the dentist.

After the dentist explained evolution to me and how all of our heads are shrinking because of the evolutionary process, (and I thought that process was supposed to make us evolve into something better?!)she told me in no uncertain terms that I had to get my wisdom teeth out. Hoping to buy some time, I said, "What, like next month or something." "No, yesterday." She says. *sigh*

So, of course, I did what the good doctor ordered (only because my husband insisted) and got my wisdom teeth out - all four of them - and they were all impacted - what a blessing... :)

In the pre-op the Oral Surgeon tells me, "You won't feel a thing, I promise. You'll be so drugged that after surgery you'll go home and sleep. You'll wake up, take a vicatin, and fall asleep again. You'll sleep through most of the pain."

Well, unfortunately the Doctor was wrong. I didn't sleep through the pain. In fact, I didn't sleep at all until about 11:00 pm last night. The only thing that I can figure is that whoever was giving me the dose of happy gas estimated by my body size, and estimated VERY wrong.

Well, now comes the reason for the title of this blog. Dave has just been amazing! I have to admit, I was a little nervous about how he would deal with it all, but he has proven to be wonderful. In my post-op fuzzy state of mind, when I was slightly confused about what was going on and why it hurt to swallow. I hopped out of bed, (making me sick to my stomach) ran to the toilet (because I felt sick) and then FREAKED OUT when I discovered that I had a bunch of bloody gauze in my mouth (because I forgot, or no one told me about that part). Dave calmly explained what the gauze was for, and that maybe next time I should try sitting put for a minute before I try to walk. And then he sat with me while I hung my head over the toilet. What a sweet boy... Since then he had made me jello and oatmeal, woke up with me at 3:00 am to feed me yogurt and my next set of pills, and placed the gauze in my mouth each time. He's been rotating the frozen veggies that I've had strapped to my face, and even laid down to watch "You've Got Mail" with me in hopes that I would fall asleep - I didn't... :)

I'm hoping to be able to go to work tomorrow. I look slightly like a chipmunk, but I can't stand being in the house for too long, it drives me crazy!

Anyways, I just wanted to give a shout-out to Dave. Mom and Pops T, if you are reading this - you did a GREAT job!! :)

I ride the bus...

Ok, so I think that unintentionally this has sorta become my blog....we'll see how that goes! :) Most of you know my stellar ability at keeping in touch, so we'll see... :)

So, back to the title. I ride the bus. That's right. We're a one-car family, so that means that sometimes I use public transportation, and I'm not ashamed to admit it! :)

I've been complaining to Dave for some time now about riding the bus. Ok, not the actual riding part, but the people part. After a long day at work all I want to do is climb on that bus and ride home in peace, but NO..... that never happens! I must have something that says "Talk to me about everything - tell me your life story" stamped on my forehead. It never fails. I get on the bus and sit next to the "talker" - EVERYTIME!

So, yesterday was no exception. I got on the bus, sat next to an old man, and was hearing his life story in no time flat. I pulled out a magazine and pretended to read thinking that maybe that would get the message across, but no....

Then God placed a thought in my mind. He has placed me in this situation (the bus) with this "gift" (approachable-ness - is that a word?!) and I am not using it for His glory! I was SO ashamed of myself for being so selfish! So, I put away the magazine, gave the old man my undivided attention, and was able to clearly explain the gospel to him.

Yet another example of God using us despite ourselves...

friend-to-friend

Hey guys! Just wanted to give you a little update! Things are going well in Cali - life is the same old, same old. The good news is that Dave and I are going back to St. Vincent this summer. :) Originally just Dave was going to go, but someone anonymously gave enough money so that we BOTH can go! I am STOKED! We will be leading a missions team of kids from my brother's church in PA. I can't wait to go back. The bad news is that my boss is.....special....and I might get fired for taking this trip. But OH WELL! I don't care.... :)

Sharon, I swear that someday I will call you back - I promise! Let me tell you something though, our cell phone doesn't work in our apartment, and I'm not allowed to use it at work - so basically I have to plan a special time when I am not doing something so that I can drive somewhere and call you. Plus with the hours I work, I wouldn't be calling you til like 10 your time. It's just a bum deal, really. But you're TOTALLY worth it - so DON'T think that I'm just ignoring you. I swear that I'm not! :) Someday I'll call you back..... :)