...the first sleepless night...

I'm officially one week out from VBS and am apparently already not able to sleep. Note: it's 4am while I'm typing this.

I wouldn't say I'm stressed or nervous, just more anxious, and my mind is racing with things to do. Not that you care, and maybe more for my own sanity, but here's a list of the things running through my mind:

VBS related:

• email Melissa
• have Mallory (intern) gather VBS collection tubs
• have Mallory sort out the Resource Center
• have Mallory catch up on copies for teachers (like my delegation skills?)
• enroll one last child that signed up late
• un-enroll another child that I just found out isn't coming
• mail out room assignments to every child
• many many many other VBS items, that are already on a "to do" list at work

Non VBS related:

• get a pair of Chaco sandals* for camp
• get mani/pedi
• pack and be ready for Lillian's wedding...fly out of Friday which means have ALL of VBS wrapped up by the time I leave work on Thursday
• clean apartment since mom and 2 nephews get here next Sunday to stay the week of VBS
• prepare for camp, read Judges

Like I said...posts may be few and far between this month...sorry!

Back to trying to sleep...

Super Duper: all the summer interns are here which makes for fun hang out times, going to eat together, etc.

Super Pooper: I had just caught up on my sleep from the all night lock-in on Friday night, and now I'm up at 4am?

...let's review...

May has been terrifically calm...somewhat.

I forced myself to stay in town...I think this is my 3rd weekend in town in a row!! Considering my travel schedule in February, March & April, this is a HUGE feat!

I finished school...and got straight As this semester!

VBS madness is at its height...9 days and counting!

June is going to be terrifically crazy!!!

I fly out next Friday morning for Lillian's wedding weekend festivities. I'll be in Plano a total of 32 hours! Then fly back to Houston on Saturday night.

Sunday is VBS set up day!!! Always crazy and fun and exhausting...last minute details needing to come together. Oh, and did I mention my mom and 2 nephews will be arriving as well???? Good times.

Then of course, Monday - Friday (June 9-13) is VBS, with mom & nephews bunking at my apartment!

Then Friday (last day of VBS) my sister comes to pick up the boys and take them home. Mom stays til Saturday to help me get ready for Camp Tallowood!

Sunday I leave for Camp Tallowood (June 15-20)! I'm uber pumped about going...just hope I have some energy left after VBS!

Get back on Friday the 20th and my parents will be coming in town some time that weekend for us to celebrate Father's Day & my dad's birthday!

Then I have a few days in the office, and down time to get ready for (drum roll please.....) AUNT'S WEEKEND!!! I leave Wednesday night, June 25 for Temple. Then Thursday morning I load up the 2 boys, head to Waco, pick up Ashlyn, and head to Dallas with the 3 kids in my back seat! Yikes! I know, you're dying to know the theme this year - Aunt's Weekend: Where Kids Rule! We're doing a Prince & Princess theme, think Medieval Times, capes, crowns...oh, and the kids will get to decide on a lot of what we do, since kids rule!

So there you have it, June is gone in a flash! So far July looks calmer...just a few weekend trips, maybe Schlitterbaun, San Antonio with friends? Should be doable!

Hope you all have a great summer! I'll post as often as I can...but we'll see!

Super Duper: Dave & Jess Ray's CD release concert tonight. then all night middle school lock-in!
Super Pooper: not sleeping all night!

...a good cry...

Maybe some of you know that I'm not a crier. I don't know why, I'm sure it relates back to something in my childhood or the way I was raised...but bottom line, tears do not readily flow from my eyes very often.

Don't get me wrong, I'm an "emotional" person. If you know me, you know this is true. You know I get excited, angry, sad, upset, etc. But for some reason, my ability to cry is limited to a few times a year, seriously, I'm not making this up. I do tend to choke up at certain times, like when the bride comes down the aisle, you know, basically I experience the emotion you would if you were going to cry...except without tears, at best, I may well up, but even that's doubtful.

I don't cry at movies, books, and only sometimes at funerals. I'm stone cold and hard hearted, I know.

No, I'm more of an angry crier, a phone crier, an alone crier. Usually it builds up, after several stressful or upsetting events pile up and my threshold just breaks, out of nowhere, boom! Sometimes its a dumb thing that can finally bring it on and everyone is confused about why I am crying, self included. There are 2 things that can usually be related to any time I cry: one, usually I'm on the phone, two, if there is anything wrong with my car and I get stressed having to get it fixed, call the insurance, etc, there's sure to be tears!

Well, tonight, the threshold broke! The last 2 days have been crazy, stressful, eventful, chaotic, and I've just wanted to run away from responsibility. Then I come home and I'm on the phone with my mom and she lectures me, then my sister and I get in a fight on the phone, then I read something upsetting online, I call a friend of mine to vent, and wouldn't you know...I'm gone, the tears begin to flow. Even after I got off the phone with her, I cried some more, just to get it all out.

To be honest, now that I'm done crying and done feeling so sorry for myself, I feel great. It was nice to get a good cry in.

Funny thing, I could be wrong, but I think this may be the first time I cried this year...seriously, I can't remember crying any time recently in 2008...it's been a while. I guess I was over due. And it's not surprising to me that it all built up right when the stress of VBS is at its height.

Super Duper: don't have to work on Monday, Memorial Day!
Super Pooper: don't have any exciting plans for Memorial Day!

...real quick...

well, i suppose i owe ya'll a post. yes, i survived VBS last week. all went well, with a few minor issues to deal with, which is to be expected, i suppose. i'm still trying to recover, i took a 2 hr nap on Saturday AND Sunday!!! Now i've got to switch gears and get ready to leave for camp on Sunday! it'll be a fast week, i'm house party in a wedding this weekend, so i need to be ready to leave for camp by mid week! it'll be nice to get away and out of the office, i just hope my sister doesn't have her baby while i'm gone. we'll see!!! seems like everyone in my life is either getting married or having a baby!!! so much excitement this summer! sorry this is a short post, but things are hectic. unfortunately, don't expect another post until after camp...so it may be about 2 weeks...sorry, hang with me guys! hope all is well in ya'lls lives!

super duper: fun chill time hanging out with friends this past weekend, haven't had a whole lot of that lately!
super pooper: i have some brutal hic-ups right now!

...pictures...

I'm not sure how many, but I think there are a few people that read my blog that aren't on facebook. For those people, I post these pictures of the wedding festivities:

Kristi, the bride, and I at the rehearsal.

Rebecca & I were house party, this is us with bride right before the ceremony.

this is my fave pic from the whole weekend!

i know, they're so cute it's sickening!

I know, you can't believe we're both single...

right now there are 1600 dixie cups half filled with water covering the floor of their apartment...welcome home guys!!!

Super Duper: Ashlyn & Brady are coming for Tallowood VBS!!!

Super Pooper: I'm exhausted!

...complete exhaustion...

Well, Will & Kristi's wedding was wonderful and fun!! So glad I was able to be there. I love them and both of their families so much, it was such a joy to be a part of it. Turned out Rebecca and I were house party too!!! Fun times!

I'll post some pictures, maybe, depending on the week...

Pray for me as VBS is now less than a week away!!! I'm sure all the details will come together, I'll just be glad when I've made it to this time next week. The stress will be over and I'll be able to sit back and enjoy the week of VBS!

Catch ya on the flip side.

Super Duper: My friends and I went and left 1600 dixie cups of water covering Will & Kristi's apartment!!! Welcome home guys!!!
Super Pooper: Need to catch up on my sleep...long weekend...little sleep...not very smart 1 week before VBS.

a few things...

...going on in my life:

• I'm in the midst of VBS madness, hence the lack of posts.
• I'm going home tomorrow, but my mom doesn't know it!!! Fun surprise!!!
• A week from tomorrow I fly out to Lousiville for Will & Kristi's wedding!!!
• I had a melt down last night about VBS...it happens to the best of us...it passed, I'm back on track now, I think...
• I hope I remember how to truly relax come June 9
• Lord, if you're reading this, could you send my husband soon?
• Most of the interns have started by now, things are in full swing, summer is here, it's busy around the office.
• Ashlyn & Brady are coming to VBS at T-wood :) and my mom's coming to take care of them while I'm still in VBS mode!!!
• The last fresh episode of GG EVER aired last night. I personally was especially pleased with the final scene that made an illusion back to the final scene of the first episode of season one...it all comes full circle! I'm not happy that Rory turned Logan down though...NOT COOL!
• Lots of summer weddings coming up!!!
• I need a vacation, a real, get away, to not think and just enjoy life!
• We're having a diet contest at work, so far I've lost 5.5 lbs...exciting, but 4.5 of that came off when I had strep...haha, I'll take what I can get!

Super Duper: Dinner at my favorite restaurant in Corpus tomorrow night!!!

Super Pooper: Some people say things not realizing the impact their words they have on you...boo.

...randomness...

• i overslept yesterday, didn't wake up til 9, didn't get to work til 10!!! i love that it didn't really even matter!!!
• my soul wants to trust the Lord that He will provide all the VBS leadership that we need (yes we're still looking), but my flesh wants to freak out (b/c VBS is in 5 weeks!!!!)
• today my boss told me to take an extra day off because I have to go to a seminar all day Saturday...too bad I have 2 assignments due that I haven't even started!!! so much for an extra day off!!!
• oh, and tomorrow is my real day off...so much for that, I've been asked to come in and tour the new building with some kiddos. Don't get me wrong, it will be fun, but ON MY DAY OFF????
• we've started a diet contest at work! We're divided up in to 2 teams and we'll weigh in every Monday on the honor system (because we don't want everyone knowing how much we each weigh). There is on girl, the accountant (who is prego and can't participate), who will be the tabulator of the percentage of weight lost. She will send us all update emails to let us know how each team is doing! I hope this is a great motivator!
• next weekend my bro-in-law is graduating from Tarrelton State University. We'll be celebrating with him, also celebrating mother's day, also celebrate my oldest sister's (Katy) birthday (which is on mother's day), and then also throwing a little family baby shower for Kristy. Don't get me wrong, this is going to be super fun (and not to mention crazy), but did you notice that we'll be celebrating almost everyone in my family (except for me!!!) I don't mean to sound selfish, but its a bit of a bummer. Needless to say it will be a super fun, hectic weekend!!!

okay, i think that's the best (and worst) of it for now. until next time...

Super Duper: game night tonight with Jr Staff & spouses (yeah, I'm pumped about taking my spouse!!!)

Super Pooper: as always, apartment needs cleaning!

...i survived...

i don't have a whole lot of motivation to post right now, but i did want to update my faithful readers on the afore mentioned events of this past weekend.

please know that this past weekend went amazingly and looked fabulous, seriously, people showed up, had a great time, were appreciative of all the work, and thankful for all the VBS craft & decoration ideas.

I'm grateful that it went well, AND that's its over! Now, I can focus on the real thing, VBS, June 4-8...just a mere 6 weeks away!!!! Yikes, that's scary!

Well, sorry, but I figure I'll spare you the details on the rest. Things are still busy, I, like the crazy woman that I am, thought they might die down for a week or two...no no, the list is still long and the days seems soooo short. I'm confident it will all get done, I just try and not think about it too often.

Super Duper: Taking the day off on Thursday.
Super Pooper: Have to do homework on my day off!

...diadelVBS...

Today on Baylor campus was the ever loved diadeloso... a favorite day of all baylor students. one with no classes, games, competitions, performers, movies, food, sleeping in, hanging with friends, doing nothing if you so choose, hypnotists, dancers, fun had by all...

WELL TODAY WAS NO DIADELOSO FOR ME!!!! no, rather i had a diadelVBS. you see, this weekend VBS is life. Friday night I have a dinner with all the department directors, and then Saturday morning, we have a training session. I love it all, but it's been crazy work. Today was set up day for all of the above, from MASSIVE decorations, to organizing resources & curriculum, to getting the news that one of my presenters for the training Saturday isn't going to be able to make it!!!!

So not only stressed, but exhausted, both emotionally and physically. Don't get me wrong, it's all worth it, and hopefully will turn out well, but in the mean time, I'm pooped.

Super Duper: a day off tomorrow (that's if I actually get to take it, I worked late today in hopes of not going in to the office, we'll see...of course I do have the dinner tomorrow night, but that doesn't count.)
Super Pooper: apparently it's not a joy to work in VBS, because we have to literally beg people, whatever happened to wanting to teach children about Jesus???

...1 down, 4 to go...

That's right! I have survived the first day of VBS!!! Registration was craziness, but all in all a great day!

Super Duper: Fun night with friends!
Super Pooper: VBS ends on Friday and I leave for camp on Sunday...can you say, exhausted?

...VBS craze...

VBS is approximately 12 days away and the madness has begun. So if I don't post in the next few weeks that's why. Life will return to semi-normal after Camp Tallowood which is will be done mid June. Hope all is well.

Super Duper: Aunt's Weekend is on!! Set for July 6-8!!!!
Super Pooper: LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG list of things to do!

...how to lose your mind in 10 days...

day 1 - VBS director's dinner (that I'm in charge of until my boss gets there late)

day 2 - BIG VBS training that I'm in charge of

Day 4 - 1 major exegetical paper due (10 pgs/10 sources) and 1 minor paper due, only 5 pages, but it's over millennial views, which I understand and have studied, but this book is a lil hard to understand...blah

Day 4/5 - Staff overnight retreat (very glad to be invited, but very, very bad timing, so much else I need to be doing that night!)

Day 8 - MAJOR Systematic Theology paper due (15 pages) on death of infants/age of accountability...tough stuff to deal with

Day 10 - Final in Systematic Theology

In the midst of all that I have normal work days and Saturday night church and Sundays too!!! I have resigned to a life of no social outings! Well, that's the next 10 days for me!! After that I plan to crawl into a hole and see how long it takes someone to notice that I'm missing...a long time I hope!!

Super Duper: set up yesterday for the training tomorrow morning, and it looks GREAT!!!
Super Pooper: missing my niece and nephews...its been too long!!!