Dreamer November 10, 2009

As many of you reading this already know, I have very imaginative and vivid dreams. As an infant, I suffered from “night terrors.” These are horrifying dreams that babies often suffer from that cause them to wake up “screaming bloody murder” (in my Mom’s terms). The first dream I remember having was actually a recurring one where my head would get held underwater in a fish tank and I would wake up gasping for air. In 2004/2005, I would dream about my dad dying and would wake up in tears. These dreams prompted me to get closer to my dad and reminded me how precious my time was with him and when he died in 2006, I realized the importance of those dreams. In high school, I dreamed my grandmother died and was so convinced that it actually happened when I woke up, that I immediately called her to see if she was still alive (she was okay!)!

 

But I have also had hysterically funny dreams…. like the time I was being chased by a giant cricket. I often have dreams that are completely absurd and I wake up laughing. Even though I don’t believe these dreams have any deeper meaning or significance in and of themselves, I really believe they are a gift from God… I mean, who wouldn’t want to wake up laughing!?

 

Some of you reading this may not believe that God is in control of our dream life. I, however, do. The Bible has several stories of prophetic dreams and their interpretations. Jesus’ birth itself is intertwined with messages delivered through dreams. As early as Genesis, we hear of Joseph interpreting a dream for Pharaoh. Daniel interpreted the dreams of Nebuchadnezzar, and even Joseph (Mary’s husband) had dreams sent directly from the Lord.

 

Since I believe that the gift of prophecy is certainly alive and well in Christians today, I also believe that dreams are a type of language in which God chooses to speak to us. Some of us are open to this type of language, some are not. I know people who never remember their dreams and are convinced that they do not dream at all. There are several reasons for this, but I won’t get into that here. I just know that God designed me to receive and interpret dreams.

 

In Mark 4, Jesus tells the disciples that “The secret (“mystery” in some translations) of the kingdom of God has been given to you.” (v. 11) Later, he tells them, “For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” (v. 22-23) We all know that Jesus taught in parables and I believe that the Lord is still giving us parables today. Prophecy and dreams are a type of parable, a different type of language that God delivers to us. Most of us ask God for clear and concise information, but I don’t believe that’s always how God works. I mean…. the whole bible is a story that we all interpret to gain meaning and understanding and purpose for our lives. The prophetic is the same. They are stories, images, dreams, words, prompts… ways that the Lord speaks to us for us to interpret.

 

Now, I could go on and on about the interpretation part and how you have to be very careful when interpreting the prophetic. If I receive a dream that I believe is “spiritual” but cannot figure out an interpretation, I put it on the back-burner. I had a dream a few months ago that basically told me that a friend of mine had an evil spirit around him and that he was being used by the spirit to distract an entire church. That is a pretty serious accusation, so I was careful to seek interpretation. I still do not have that dream figured out, therefore I have put it on the back-burner and am still open to an interpretation should it come. But, for now, I do not believe that my friend has an evil spirit around him. Instead, I have just prayed for protection from such spirits and for the Lord to protect that church. Sometimes, dreams are used for a warning rather than for an update on current events. And, sometimes, you have to just give the spicy taco you ate at 11pm the credit for your crazy dreams.

 

If you are still reading this, props to you. Let me know that you made it this far. I feel like I am writing a book on prophetic dreams when I actually just sat down to write about some of the funny dreams I have been having lately. So, I’ll jump to the funny bits.
I have not been having a lot of prophetic dreams lately. In April, I started reading a book by James & Michal Ann Goll called Dream Language. It’s a great book and has helped me understand my dreams and why I receive them. It also prompted me to start a dream journal. I have been writing my dreams and their interpretations (or lack thereof) since then. I found myself up and writing dreams at one in the morning on occasion. Lately, though, I’ve been pretty dry. And sometimes I’ll have a dream and get so busy that I forget to write it down… and then I forget it.

 

But over the past few weeks, the hysterical dreams have come back in full force. The funny dreams started with a dream in which I was dating…… LUDACRIS. Seriously. We were an item and he was so, so sweet. All I can really remember from the dream was that he picked up some really heavy boxes for me and I would tell people that I loved him because he could “carry heavy stuff” for me. That’s the resounding phrase I kept hearing, “carry heavy stuff.” So… maybe I need some hot rapper in my life to carry all my heavy stuff… whatever that means.

 

Funny dream #2 came to me Saturday night. I watched a creeper movie called 28 Days Later where these zombie-like infected people try to attack the few remaining humans on earth. I even told the person I was with that I was going to dream about zombies that night. Sure enough, I did. I dreamed that I was being chased by zombies. I kept having close encounters, but managed to escape every time. At one point, someone actually rescued me from an attack. The next thing I knew, I was in a rickety boat with a handful of other people. The lake we were on was murky and steamy and the people told me we had to go underwater in order to be saved from the zombies. I was crying hysterically because I thought they meant that we had to drown ourselves. I refused to go into the water, so this guy with super dark hair (the details!!) pulled me into the water. Once I was under, the water was vividly clear and I could see everything. There was a whole city under that dingy lake! Plus, we could breathe under the water! It was a miracle. At the lake floor, there was a medical treatment facility and that’s where we went. I don’t know what happened there because the dream jumped forward. All of a sudden, the people from the boat (dark haired guy included) and I were riding on a cart in a busy airport. In my head, I kept thinking “To these people (who were passing by us), it’s just another day. They have no idea that we just encountered ZOMBIES.”

 

Dream #3 happened last night and has fewer details, but it was still funny. I was on The Office and we were showing all the employees the new Jim doll. Dwight was so angry. The Jim doll was made in the likeness of the Dwight doll, except with Jim’s features. We all knew it was making Dwight mad, so we kept going on and on about the new Jim doll. It was so weird.

 

So, there you have it. Congratulations if you made it to the end. You’re either a trooper…. or really, really bored.

Recent Events November 6, 2009

So much has been happening lately and I have to admit, I have not been diligent about posting. Not that any one is diligent about reading this blog other than my mom, but… still I feel that diligence is needed. So now, I give you a list of recent events of my life.

 

1. I cannot remember how old I am. Twice in the past month, I have found myself stumped when asked my age. “Twenty-three… no, wait… I think I am twenty-four. I can’t remember!” The first few times this happened (also happened while I was 23), this was funny. Now it’s just plain annoying. I am 24. I am 24. I am 24. I am 24. I am really, really, really 24.

 

2. After attending the HIGHLY stressful and exciting UA v. TN game, I am now a moderately avid football fan. I have since found myself creeping around the AP poll pages on Sunday mornings, reading about players, reading about Saban, looking at stats…. I am not really sure what has happened… but I like football. Next up on my list of sports to like: basketball.

 

3. I got into the Teacher Education Program at the University (not that it was difficult, but… still a hurdle I had to jump). Next up is the Praxis II.

 

4. My third molar, #19, got new roots today. This year’s dental issues has been a little outrageous. Wisdom teeth extraction (which included an allergic reaction and severe dry sockets), bone fragments escaping from my gums, and then a root canal.

 

5. Did I mention that I went to North Carolina a couple of weeks ago? It is still beautiful, in case you were wondering. And now my heart longs to make it my home! Maybe in a couple of years…

 

6. DISNEY WORLD Thanksgiving 2009 is on. I don’t really have $300+ to spend on the tickets, but it’s free room & board plus a fantastic holiday with some of my extended family. To me, that’s worth just about anything.

 

That’s enough information for now. Too much more and you will need no reason to actually have a conversation with me. So, cheers for now. See you on the flip side.

People I’m Said to Resemble October 27, 2009

For the past ten years,I’ve been told I look like someone else. It all started on a vacation with my extended family in Panama City Beach. Several of us (aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, parents… you get the picture) went on this boat called the Yellow Screamer. This boat is a tourist attraction that simply takes you far out in the ocean and speeds through the water up one way and back another. During the ride, one of the tour guides joked about how the other tour guide resembled Donny Osmond.

This is when my life changed forever.

One of my aunts jumped up and said, “Well, my niece looks like Sandra Bullock!”

OH. GOD.

Everyone was looking at me. Since that day, I have been stopped, questioned, followed (no joke!), and given strange looks all because I apparently resemble someone else. Sandra Bullock is the most popular look-a-like, but I have had some others over the years. I’ll let you weigh in on who you think I look most like!

That’s Ashley Judd, Fran Drescher, Jules Asner, and Sandra Bullock….

You be the judge! I just think I look like me.

Five Songs I Hate to Love October 22, 2009

1.  Scott Krippayne, “I’m Not cool”

Seriously, this song is ridiculous. It is the anthem for every uncool teenager in America (at least for the ones who like CCM), yet it tends to get stuck in my head for days on end.

 

2. Katie Giguere, “Savin’ Myself”

http://www.we7.com/#/track/Savin-myself!trackId=2392182

I discovered this song during my second round of employment at Gospel Supply. Please… if you do nothing else with your day, listen to this song. The lyrics are priceless.

 

3. Ashlee Simpson, “LaLa”

I am not even sure that I should admit to loving this song. When Ashlee’s first album came out, Mollie and I were GLUED to it. There we were… seventeen year old normal Christian girls… jamming to this horrible, horrible song.

 

3. Hillsong, “Shout to the Lord”

Okay, technically I do not hate to love this song. What I hate is that I am all alone in my quest to bring this song back into mainstream worship. This is a GREAT song! Why aren’t we singing it!?

 

4. Paula Abdul, “Straight Up”

I have loved this song since it came on the scene in 1867. Okay, it’s not really that old… but it’s old. And so is Paula Abdul. I don’t want to claim to like anything of hers, but deep down… I want to love her forever (oh oh oh!).

5. Puff Daddy, “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down”

This song is representative of the whole album, No Way Out. Okay, actually it is representative of an entire era of my life when I listened to rap music and played Sonic the Hedgehog… simultaneously. I am not sure what led a small-town girl like myself to love rap. But that’s just how it is. “Don’t push us, ’cause we’re close to the edge…” RIP Biggie.

Honorable Mentions

2nd Runner Up: Montell Jordan, “This is How We Do It”

1st Runner Up: Billy Ray Cyrus, “Achy Breaky Heart”

——–

So, there you have it. An incomplete list of some of the songs I hate to love. go ahead, listen to them. You’ll hate loving them, too.

Goals and Plans October 19, 2009

After six years, thousands of dollars, and three transfers, I’ve finally hammered out exactly what I want to do with this little life of mine.

When I went back to school in January 2008 to get my degree in elementary education, all I knew was that I loved learning and I loved kids and that the two seemed to go hand-in-hand for me. Even though I knew what I wanted to study (took long enough!), I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to DO with my life. What grade do I want to teach? What kind of school do I want to teach in? Where do I want to teach? Do I want to teach in a classroom or in a more specialized area? What in the world do I want to do!?

These were all questions that I’ve been trying to answer over the past couple of years. As I’m getting closer to graduation (May 2010… seems so far away, but it’s coming quickly!), I’m having to begin to answer those questions. Today, randomly, I had an epiphany and it seemed like everything fell into place in my head.

Now, even as I say that I have “plans,” I’m fully aware that God could throw these out the window at any point in time. However, I think that he already completely changed my plans and that’s why I’m in this program to begin with. So, I feel like these plans are from Him. I also know that things could take shape differently than I expected and I might even end up doing something I hadn’t planned and fall in love with it. I’m open to all of that. But, at this point, I feel like this is the direction in which I am heading and I’m really, really, really ridiculously excited about it! So… here they are…

1. Apply to do my student teaching overseas. U of A has a great program that sets you up for student teaching in a foreign country. So far, Australia, Greece, and Ireland are my top three picks. As long as funds fall into place, this is a definite possibility.

2. Apply to Teach for America or similar program. One of my goals as a future teacher is to reach students who are in impoverished or underprivileged areas. Nothing within me desires to work with the “best of the best” students at Title I schools. Not that there is anything wrong with such schools…. I just don’t want to work there. I also don’t want to work in the worst of the worst – not that my heart isn’t there, but I just don’t feel called there… nor do I have the personality to apply effective classroom management skills in an extremely difficult area. Instead, I’d like to work in a low/low-middle economic class area in a Southern city or rural area. My top three choices for Teach for America (assuming I am recruited) are Charlotte, Eastern North Carolina, and Kansas City.

3. Teach in a 3rd-5th classroom!! Surprisingly, I have gone back and forth with whether or not I actually want to be a classroom teacher. At one time, I thought I wanted to work with home-school organizations and tutoring companies because I love being able to work with individual students. However, I have since realized that I love being in the classroom even more! Though it is definitely a struggle, it’s worth it! I have also discovered that I really prefer the upper grades. I really want to be able to work with students who are ready for more complex math, reading comprehension, and more in-depth material. Ideally, I’d like to work in a 5th grade rotation system where I could let someone else teach reading!

4. After spending time (5-10 years, maybe) as a regular classroom teacher, I want to go back to school for a masters or Ed.S. where I can specialize in math instruction. I’d eventually like to be a math coach/specialist at an elementary school where I can help current teachers with their instructional methods and also help strugglers. I think that I mostly want to work in the classroom, so becoming a specialist is something I’d like to do towards the end of my career.
So far, that’s all I’ve got. I thought for a long time that in order to be a great teacher, I’d need to work in the worst schools with the worst students and have the worst life possible. But, I’ve since realized that, while admirable, that is not necessarily what I’m called to do. What I’ve noticed lately is that it’s the typical kids who are getting left out… not the strugglers, not the gifted… it’s those who fall in the middle of everything who are losing out. So, I want to shoot straight for the middle.

I’ve got a long road ahead of me but it will be completely worth it. Even though I’m working in my least favorite grade this year (kindergarten), I still absolutely love it. Nothing is more rewarding than watching a child have an “aha!” moment and seeing them grow and develop.

Confessions of a Single Girl October 2, 2009

After getting this article in my email from RELEVANT magazine, I have been thinking a lot lately about… well… being single. It seems that I can’t go an entire week without someone reminding me that I’m single. And 24.

Some remarks are encouraging. I am often reminded about how I am “lucky” because I don’t really have any strings (other than my family) to tie me down and I can really move where the Spirit leads. Other remarks make me want to punch someone in the face. People question why I’m still single and act as though I must have something fatally wrong with me, explaining why I am still a Miss and not a Mrs.

But this post isn’t about that. It’s not about the comments people make or what they really think. This is about what I think. Pure and honest, just like I like it. No whining here about how all my friends are married and having babies. But, no lying either – no uber-feminist “I don’t need a man” B.S.

The truth is, I really lie somewhere in between those two extremes. Yes, I love the fact that I can be my own person and live my own life. Being single really does give me the freedom to focus on the things that are most important to ME. I am also very independent and not only can I do a lot of things by myself, I, in fact, like to do a lot of things by myself. For instance, I replaced my own brake light yesterday. Who needs a man when you can replace your own brake light!?

Anyway, I’m getting off the point. The point is just to say that, yes, eventually I want to have a husband and a big family and I want to adopt foster kids and drive a mini-van (but NOT live in a garden home… I think that’s clear by now). Sometimes I wish that day would come sooner. But for the most part, I love my life the way it is. I’ve got no problem being the third wheel because my married friends are AWESOME. I’ve got no problem chilling out alone on a random Friday night. I have no real reason to complain. My life is hectic and fun and exciting and adventurous and lovely!

I could be married by now. I could also be married and miserable by now. My life has changed so much just in the past year and a half… changes that only a single girl could make.

So, here’s my confession:

What keeps me satisfied is the fact that I can lay my head on my pillow at night and rest in God’s providence. Ultimately, I want what He wants for me and I am trying so hard everyday to make myself available to whatever it is He has planned for me – even if it isn’t what I have planned for myself. That’s not a cop-out, it’s not a crutch. It’s just the truth. Being single helps me stay open to what He has planned for me. And, when the time comes, He’ll provide someone who’s willing to walk that journey with me.
But, until then… I’m going to keep having the time of my life!

A Brand New Day September 22, 2009

I miss my dad.

Simple as that. I miss him. Not a day goes by where my mind doesn’t stop and pause on thoughts of him. Each September, I start to relive the last week of my dad’s life. I can’t help but wish I could go back to that week and linger on every single moment that came and went. I wish I could stand there in my dad’s presence just one last time… soaking up every crinkle in his tanned skin, the deepness of his dark brown eyes, every wiry gray hair, every raspy word he had to say.

The last time I saw him, I knew I needed to pay attention. Something in me knew to take in as much as I could, but I had no idea that would be the last time I saw him alive. Now that I know, I can’t help but wish to go back so I could stay just a little longer. So I could hug him longer, tell him sweeter things, hold tightly to his leathery brown hands and spend just one more moment with him.

But what I know is that just one more moment would never be enough. If I had five more minutes, I would want five more. If I had two more days, I would want two more. Even another lifetime with him wouldn’t be enough.

This year has held more hurt than the previous two. The dust my dad’s death stirred up is beginning to settle again. Life is moving forward without him. My mom and I have learned what life looks like without him. In some ways, it’s good. It’s good to continue on and live a life that would make him proud. But, in some ways, it’s heartbreaking. There is so much I wish I could share with him…so much I wish I could say… so much I wish he could see.

But through all the pain, through all the brokenness, and through all the many tears I’ve cried, I cannot deny the fact that the Lord has carried me every single step of the way. I cannot say it enough – God. is. faithful. He is so faithful. He is so trustworthy. When my world was turned upside down, He promised He would take care of me and I stand today as a testament to His provisions, to His mercy, and to His love for me. I want to shout at the rooftops of His goodness! The more my heart breaks, the more the Lord puts it back together… and the more He puts it back together, the more I want to tell the world about His goodness. For all the tears I’ve cried out of grief, I have cried ten times more out of thankfulness and excitement about the way the Lord has kept His promise to me.

I miss my dad. I always will. But when I think about what the Lord has done, I can’t help but be thankful for all the moments I did have with my dad and for the twenty-one years I knew him and for the relationship we had. I can’t help but be thankful for the Lord’s provision, for new-found father figures, for new “families,” and for a brand spanking new life.

Yesterday marked three years since my dad left this world. It was a good day… a busy one, filled with plenty of distractions. But at the end of the day, I remembered my dad. I remembered what I was doing on that day three years ago. And I remembered the Lord’s goodness. And last night, new life was brought into the world. My cousin Esther Charlotte was born. Three years ago yesterday, her parents also said goodbye to a little life yet to even make it into to this world. And three years later… a beautiful baby girl is born. So, here’s to God’s goodness… for goodbye’s and hello’s. For life in the midst of death. For hope in the face of loss. For me, yesterday was a brand new day.

Friday Night September 19, 2009

Some people might assume that my insane popularity keeps me tied up on the weekends. Well…. usually it does, but a couple times a month, I get the chance to just chill out and enjoy some down time. Tonight has been one of those nights. I must say, though, life gets really interesting when you’re me on a Friday night.

My evening started by chasing down a guy on a horse and offering him a root beer. I happened to know this guy and he happened to call me and ask for said root beer, but… I did it nonetheless. The best part was that Arnold got to meet a horse for the first time and I am sad to say I didn’t have my camera! He was so afraid of the horse, but also interested to see what the horse was all about.

Then I did my REL 112 homework (Survey of the New Testament). We’re working on Matthew…. and….. wow. Lots of information there.

Then I jammed out to the Gaithers. No lie.

Then I watched a National Geographic special about the holiest places in Jerusalem.

I also worked on an introductory poster about myself to present to my kindergarten class on Tuesday.

Now I’m about to bunker down for bed, read some of The Unlikely Disciple and get some rest……

BECAUSE TOMORROW IS GAME DAY!

I spent my Friday night in because I have a big day tomorrow! My first UA game in about twelve years followed by a girls’ night with my favorite girls. Tomorrow will make for a much more exciting update!

Things I Don’t Want to Do… on facebook. August 27, 2009

For over four years now, facebook has provided me with hours upon hours of mind-numbing, unimportant, and menial entertainment. What started, for me, as a way to connect with my new fellow University of Montevallo students became an all-entrancing gadget in which I could post all my favorite movies, rant and rave about how awesome I am in the “about me” section (to which has currently been reduced to read, “About Me: I have an awesome life.”). It grew into a tool in which I could have a virtual bulletin board where I could display all my favorite “pieces of flair”. I spent hours searching through flair. I could write on my friends walls about hanging out and getting together, so that the whole world would know that me and the other person had something to do other than play on facebook. Usually, though, the hang out never happened. And still isn’t happening. I could create a virtual library, where you could see all the covers of the books I have read. And, of course, I could make things FBO (“Facebook Official”) when relationships got serious…. or un-serious.

Today, facebook’s membership has been extended to include people such as my mother. A sixty-two year old retired gal who likes to randomly stalk (and then comment) on my posts. I should remember that she can read this. (And that she will probably read this blog post, so I better be careful!). Facebook has become Town Square, at least in the virtual world. Everyone is there. I have more “friends” than necessary. I tried to clean up my friends list yesterday to no avail. There are people I don’t really talk to, but I’m nosey, so I want to still know what is going on in their life. That is S-A-D. I decided only to delete the people I actually did not know or no longer had any relevant communication with. I think i deleted about ten people. TEN. Out of over 900. Again, that is S-A-D.

Lately, if you’re like me, you’ve been bombarded with invitations to causes, games, quizzes, groups, and events. And you’ve probably already read about a bazillion blogs or seen several videos that complain about facebook. Well, hate to break it to you… but if you’re reading this, you can add it to your list. I don’t normally complain about facebook, but…. today has been a special day filled with lots of unexpected events so I feel like a good facebook rant is a must. You might be asking yourself at this point, “Self, what frustrates Katie about facebook?” Well, here’s your answer: all the stuff you ask me to do or put out there for me to read that I don’t want to do, read, see, or think about!

I have compiled a list:

1. I do not want to be your friend… if I don’t know you! Who are you and why are you stalking me, stalkery people? The least you can do is clarify who you are and why you want me to be your friend. Then I’ll think about adding you.

2. I do not want to accept your FarmTown gifts. I DON’T EVEN HAVE A FARM! I tried to have a farm, but I apparently suck at harvesting crops so it died. Then I got rid of FarmTown, yet you still want to bestow upon me gifts of seeds, plows, and recently acquired farm-handy items. Let me repeat: I DON’T HAVE A FARM. Therefore, your wagon will sit on my fancy virtual city lot unused and unappreciated.

3. I do not want to fill out a survey in which I am “required” to elaborate on my first kiss or any other PDA-esque moment in my life. Gross. And I don’t want to know those things about you, either!

4. I do not want to see your smoochy smoochy cuddly wuddly messages to your girlfriend/boyfriend!

5. I do not want boycott anything, especially restaurants that were established in part by a good friend of mine. Duh, don’t send that to me.

6. I do not want to read your depressing status updates. I understand that we all have bad days and want to rant about them… heck, I event rant about them via my statuses. But, really. Your life can’t be that bad! SOMETHING good has to happen from time to time!

7. I do not want to be tagged in super ugly pictures of myself. I’m sorry, I’m vain. I know it. Thank God for the untagging tool.

8. I do not want to chat with you EVERY SINGLE TIME I am on facebook. This has since become less of an issue in recent weeks/months, but when facebook chat first started, it seemed like an IM-ing free for all. Use in moderation, people. Moderation.

9. I do not want to read about how you hate Monday or how you are thanking God it’s Friday or how there are only so many hours left until the weekend, your day off, your vacation, your long-awaited source of relief. Mainly because Fridays and weekends are just as busy for me and I get jealous.

10. Last but never least, I DO NOT WANT to read about what you’re doing at every single second! (This applies to Twitter, too!). No one wants to know what you have for lunch every day, no one cares if you go to the gym every day or not, no one wants to know about the billboards you pass as you’re driving to your vacation destination, no one wants a play-by-play of your life. No one. Except God. And you don’t need facebook or Twitter to access him.

There it is, folks. I hope you did not read this in its entirety because it will only confirm that I have had 1) way too much free time on my hands and 2) way too much coffee. Basically, I think having a job and classes again will help with my animosity towards the facebook. But, for now…. this is just how I feel so deal with it!

Getting older’s not so bad when you have friends like mine August 15, 2009

What I want most for every birthday is to be surrounded by people I love and to see them happy. I always make a big deal out of my birthday because it’s an excuse to get people together and be a host (one of my passions!). I love seeing people in conversation, watching them discover each other, laugh at one another, and build relationships. Maybe my passion is people…. (I’m trying to find my passions in life, if you can’t tell). Last night’s birthday shin-dig was certainly one to remember.

It started with Rachele and me discovering how unqualified we are to light a grill. You’d think it’d be easy….. but, no. About twenty matches later…. we had flame. Then we closed the grill. Then we opened it. Then the flame was gone. So, Rachele tells me to pour more lighter fluid on it. . . . . DO NOT DO THIS! Flames will leap at you! But, we eventually got it going and everyone got to grill their favorite foods while Rachele and I made Unintentional Sliders.

After eating way too much white chocolate popcorn, we did the cake/presents thing and…. let me just say, I got some awesome gifts. First of all, Stephen and Susanna gave me The Shell. This shell is no ordinary shell… it is a perfectly formed conch shell that Stephen and Susanna found in Hawaii while on their honeymoon. Stephen planned a long, romantic walk down the shores of Maui and they happened to stumble upon this shell and found a long-lost love letter in it. Okay, that is all a lie…. it actually came from a shell shop in Florida and they had it on display at their house and I asked for it…. so I got it. I love my friends. Rachel and Valentino gave me what we all thought was going to be a pair of earrings or a special coin or a rock from Jerusalem………………. but it was a pickled sausage (and a gift card to Target!). Ashley made me a giant cookie cake, which I ate all of… Nicole brought me a pack of OREOS!!!!! Rachele brought me some BEAUTIFUL gerbera daisies, which I pray last for a really long time. Jon (not Quitt) got me Donavon Frankenreiter’s latest album…. and Ashley Atkins….. She bought me Office Space. Gifts are one of my love languages and my friends definitely hit the jackpot last night.

So, all in all, my extended birthday celebration so far has been excellent! Tuesday is going to be relatively normal except that I’m getting my hair washed and cut and then having dinner at the Cotton Patch. I love birthdays. I love my friends. I love love. Love love love love love.