Down To The Line...

On Monday, my room flooded. My suitcases and bags of things for my trip got all wet. I was discouraged.

On Tuesday, we were hit with a freak snow storm. I laughed. Satan was getting creative.

On Wednesday, I came down with the flu. I cried. A lot.

Today is Thursday. So far, so good. My suitcases are dry, the snow is gone, and my fever melted away with it. Thank you to everyone who called and said they were praying. It worked. I am grateful, and so very amazed at the power of God.

My plane leaves in about twelve hours. I WILL be on it.

However...I should probably pack first.

Out of Control...

I like details. I mean, I really might be obsessed with them. If you've ever had a conversation with me, you would know this to be true. I have no short version of any story. If you want the short version, you should probably ask someone else. I really like all the details. I always have. In a way, it might be a good thing, because I always remember little things that no one else notices. Today, it is a very, very bad thing. Let me tell you why...

In a little less than five days, I will be boarding an airplane to Brazil with 17 other people. Sounds exciting, right? Here's the problem: we have no idea what we are doing when we get there. And that really bothers me. I have no details on even the really big stuff, and I'm still really paranoid about the really little stuff.

I don't know who I'm sitting next to on the plane. I don't know how I'm going to survive that long on a plane. I don't think I can sleep on a plane. It's going to be really hot there. I'm afraid of getting sick. I don't really know what to pack. And this is just the beginning of my freaking out.

I have absolutely no details for a period of ten days of my life. And it's driving me crazy. I never realized just how much I like to control my life and everything in it. I never realized how much I just insist on knowing about.

I'm being left in the dark, and everyone else thinks it's funny. An adventure, even. I pray that I can find this mindset very, very soon.

Pray for me? Thanks.

It Rains, Not All the Time

This weekend I have the privilege (which, sometimes is more of a daunting task) of spending the weekend in Seattle with my boss and the boys. When I found out that my boss's brother was getting married here this weekend, I begged to come. It's a good thing, because she would not have survived this trip without me. I do not hesitate to be bold enough to say that, because it's true. At this point I am very tired, grumpy, and bitter, but I would like to share some highlights of my trip thus far.

Seattle is beautiful. Yes, it has rained lots, but not all the time. It comes and goes. The mountains are a backdrop in one direction, and driving downtown tonight was so hilly that it resembled those rice-a-roni commercials in San Francisco. A little scary, really. The church where the wedding will be is across the lake from downtown, and the nighttime skyline is breathtaking. Quite Manhattan-like actually. I wish I could have taken pictures (but I was driving).

Flying to Seattle, however, is not quite as lovely. Maybe because I sat between a screaming 18-month-old and a very loud three-year-old. It was not a pleasant experience. A very long flight and a severe case of jet-lag for all four of us. I do not particularly want to do it again on Sunday. Too bad.

I have a very neat friend in Seattle. I do not hesitate to call him my friend, though I have only ever had three conversations with him. I had coffee with him this morning. It was a memorable experience. He's neat. You should have coffee with him, too.

I am staying at an incredibly exquisite bed and breakfast, at which I have my own floor in the separate guest house. I'm spoiled. They serve your coffee to you twice daily, and they make your bed and leave little mints on it. I might move in. The two male innkeepers are interesting characters. They're married. They have no sense of humor. That's difficult.

Well, I believe that sums up my current opinions of my trip (minus my screaming children at the rehearsal. We won't go there). I really like this city, and wish I had time without children to look around a little more. I guess I'll just have to come back. Some of you should be expecting a postcard. Postcards are fun. I send them.

Goodnight all.

*photo by jacobC

Home.

Oh, I'm home. I'm so glad. I walked in the door and was immediately hugged by my roommate. It feels good to be missed :) Sometimes I'm not sure anyone ever misses me. Now I know. And I am grateful.

As soon as I recover from a very long trip and a very busy weekend ahead, I promise I will post all that has gone on. I don't have to go back to work until the 26th. Woo Hoo!!!

Be ready for funny stories and funny pictures and videos. A week with kids produces much of that. And I'm pretty sure my boss is now one of my best friends. 20 hours in the car and a week in her parents house made that happen :) Again, I am grateful.

But most of all, I am grateful to be HOME. This is home. And I am grateful.

Hello from Iowa!

At last, after five days of searching, my dear computer has found an internet connection. I have so much to post, including pictures and fun videos. I have also had many thought provoking moments here in the mid-west, as they seem to make more time for that around here. However, at this time, my boss is out of town and I am playing mom for the next two days here in farmland. So it is questionable whether or not I will have time to post it all before I go home on Friday. I just had to say hi, though :)

More to come soon!

Godspeed...and God, can I speed?

In approximately fourteen hours I am going to climb into a car and hope to survive the next ten. My boss, the kids and I are driving to Iowa tomorrow. God help us. I do not travel well, and it becomes even less well when you add a three-year-old and a one-year-old to the mix. Again, God help us. When it is my turn to drive, I will be driving as fast as I can. If it comes to be that I feel the need to jump out of a speeding car sometime in the next 24 hours, please know that I have been glad to know all of you.

That being said, I am not sure when I will have the capabilities to post any time in the next eight days. I do, however, plan on writing lots while I am there, so if need be I will backlog entries when I get home next weekend. Though I am still holding out a candle that I will have daily internet access, even if it means driving to a coffee shop (they do have those in Iowa, right?).

So off I go into the wild, corn-filled yonder. This is new and uncharted territory for me. Who knows, it might spark some great writings. I wish you all a wonderful week ahead. Godspeed. And believe you me, there will be speeding.