5K

We did it! 

Even though it was freezing cold (35 degrees, plus 30 mph wind gusts--OUCH!)

Fun day--baby's first 5K!

Before the race, waiting for the shuttle.  

I think my eyes are closed, too much time staring into the sun waiting for the picture.

Did I mention it was cold?

Maggie and I, on the shuttle, going to the starting line!  

Stephanie and I crossing the finish line!  

All done!  

Sigh of contentment

I'm in my pajamas, happy in bed...and hoping to stay here for a long time!  

I spent today trying to recover from Sunday, but I think I'll need tomorrow to do that too.

Here's the update from this weekend, it was a big one, hence, long post.

Friday was a fun day! Ric and I went to Home depot (we got new windows for the baby's room--we'll be doing some minor construction in a couple weeks) and Panera for lunch and to the lake to walk 3ish miles while Ricardo ran his 5.

Saturday: housecleaning and getting ready for Sunday since I was assigned to do the Children's Sermon, and preach at the Ekklesia service at 6pm, plus the high school Sunday school class I teach.  I was really happy to have it all done early, but Ricardo and I ended up a little bored!  So surprised to not have anything urgent and pressing that needed to happen, we didn't know what to do with ourselves.  

Then, while munching on my apple slices (I think baby girl likes fruit...a lot) I got a phone call a little after 7pm.  The sr. pastor's wife called to tell me that he was sick.  The associate pastor was out of town for the weekend already, doing prison ministry.  That left me.  At 7pm on Saturday evening, I started writing a sermon for Sunday morning services.

So, yesterday, my day was just a little insane.  Here's how it went.

8:10 am: arrive at church, meet the lay leader I called the evening before to go over the order of service and his parts (Scripture reading, prayers, etc).

8:30am: Early Service, preach sermon #1

9:30am: Teach high school Sunday school

10:45am: Second Service, preach sermon #2 (same sermon, second time around)

11:55am: Finish shaking people's hands, dump my robe in my office and load up all the youth to go to Church League Youth Basketball.

12:30pm: Yell my head off at youth basketball game (unfortunately, we lost, but they played well, had fun, and it was a very close game!)

2:00pm: Back from the basketball game and LUNCH! Yum.  I was hungry.

2:30pm: Back at the church, print out order of worship for ekklesia service, make copies of music, start setting up stations in chapel.

4:30pm: Worship practice with Ekklesia band.

6:00pm: Ekklesia Service.  Preach Sermon #3 (different sermon). 

7:00pm: Serve Communion, end the service, and start putting the chapel back together.

7:40pm: Finally done...time to go home!

8:45pm: Finally home, ready for bed.

It was such a fun day, it all went well and the congregation was so gracious and encouraging, so I enjoyed it a lot.  And I felt pretty good about my sermon, despite it being last minute.  I still find it amazing that I was at the point of actually being BORED on Saturday night when I got the phone call that changed my evening and gave me more than enough work to do.  

However, I was beat by the time it was over.  Sundays are always long for me, since the church is 37.5 miles away from home (45-50 minutes if there's no traffic), so I don't come home between morning services and ekklesia.  Usually there are other things to fill the afternoon hours (youth basketball, meetings, worship band practice, etc) and so by the time I'm done with a normal Sunday, I'm more than ready to be done!

So, after this super-charged Sunday, I was completely wiped!  Today too...but, I had a lovely surprise when I went into my office this evening.  Flowers on my desk!  Every Sunday a group takes apart the sanctuary flowers and delivers them to people who've been sick, in the hospital, or recovering, etc.  They left an arrangement in my office with their note, which was just a nice surprise and so encouraging.  Sighs of contentment....

Note from the altar flower deliverers.

My flower arrangement!  So pretty!

Just in case anyone wants another bellyshot--here it is!  Just starting my 7th month at this point! Quick question for all of you (leave answers/opinions as comments)?

Mom and I were talking and she doesn't think that Boo-Rod (her name for our baby girl) will arrive before Mother's Day.  I don't know if she will or not (her due date is May 14), but I am wondering if I still get to celebrate Mother's Day this year, since I have at that point carried her for 9 months, done my best to be a good mother to a developing baby (ie: taking vitamins, staying healthy, resting, exercising, etc). 

What do you think?  Mother's Day this year? Or only if she's already born?  Deep questions now that I'm not in school I know...but I'm curious to what you all think!

Valentine's Schmooze Night

We planned an All-Church Fellowship (formerly known as a potluck) for Feb. 15th.  

The ekklesia band was gonna play a bunch of old love songs and fun stuff like that...but we've never done that before.  After several weeks of practicing and stress, I can say the program went great and we (the band) sounded really well!  

All set up and ready to play!

One last practice before the big show...

Shelly and I...why yes, I did wear Heart Ears the whole night.

Our tip jar :)

Ricardo likes playing with our camera--he got really artsy! 

I like this shot.

Although Mrs. Nichols might tell me that I need to curve my fingers more. 

All those piano lessons and I still play with flat hands.

Cupid made a guest appearance!  Worn out...seeing as how the day before was the 14th...

Daniel and Shelly.  They did a great job!

There was dancing...

If we could remember how...

And some "not-so-dancing".  :)

Learning new things...

I know all about what to do in earthquakes: yay for 

"Duck&Cover" drills in elementary school.  

But Dallas doesn't get those.  

What do we get instead? 

Tornados.

A year (or two?) ago, I realized I didn't have a clue what the drill was for tornados.  

Of course, that shocked my youth group, as they have the routine pounded into them in school practices and drills 

(much like our earthquake practices).  

Apparently, when you hear the tornado sirens, you are supposed to go into the central room or hallway of the house 

(preferably closed off from exterior walls/windows/and other dangerous stuff), 

and throw a mattress over yourself.  

Ummm...

By 11:30pm tonight, and the second time the sirens went off this evening, I had had enough.

They sound horrible too, by the way. They sound so deathly and mournful.  

I always get a sinking, dread feeling when I hear them, even for the 

routine-1st-Wednesday-per-month-lunchtime-testing-of the sirens.  

  

At least Ricardo was also home this time: first time I didn't have to wait through tornado sirens alone.  

I wasn't gonna even think of lying under a mattress.  Mattresses are too heavy, we have too many corners to turn to get it into the hallway...but, I figured I should try to be safe and so I grabbed every pillow from our bed and assumed that would be enough protection from any shattering glass or flying debris.

And I crankily sat in the hallway with my laptop.  

Not a fan of tornados.  Too much hype, and most of the time it's for nothing.  Give me an earthquake any day. 

 

Then and Now.

 I'm back!  (in Dallas, as well as bloglandia).  

The Seattle trip was wonderful. Lots of friends and family, which was exactly what I hoped for and was excited for.  

Some highlights: Baby and I got overwhelmingly spoiled, 

I escaped the 19 degree ice day in Dallas, 

and I got to have a tea party with Janae and McKenzie.  

Can't get any better than that!

Some pictures from the trip...

One more view out my window, last day of the conference. 

It snowed! Not much, and it didn't last long, but it was pretty and I loved the fog!

Hanging out with Janae and baby girls!

A night out with C-Group girls (getting chocolate, of course.  

I "borrowed" this picture from Ann...thanks?)

Sisters! A family friend and Kira threw a baby shower, and Alisha and mom flew up for it.  

All of us! (Mom, Kira, Calia, Grandma Judy, & Alisha)

Lots of really cute baby girl things...

Carrie & Calia

C-Group girls at the shower...Sorry for covering your face Alicia!

(back: Alicia, Abby, Ann, front: Calia, Angiolina, Emily)

Now...to the fun things! 

Abby pointed out that about 5 or 6 of us at the shower have all known 

each other somewhere around 25 years...

Proof: Angiolina, Calia, Abby, Andrea (she just visited one day), & Carrie at the pool!

Calia, Abby, Angiolina, & Carrie now!

Calia & Emily

We go way back...just for fun, here's the picture of our C-group when we graduated high school.

I'll have to look for more...

I'm sure I have some from college days, and some 

horrible ones from junior high and elementary school days. 

Abby and I!  (Ann gets the photo credit...my copy didn't turn out so well).  

I am about 2 months older than Abby.  

My baby is due in May, hers is due about 2 months after mine.  

I think our babies are destined to be best friends for always and forever.