Lots to work with

Day one of academic work. All on the computers until I can figure out how to pull out students effectively -- maybe for anticipatory sets? That could be daily. I need to find common threads. I also am about to figure out where everyone actually is. I just categorized them into their grades: I'm teaching/tutoring 6 different English curriculums at the same time (9A, 10A, 10B, 11A, 11B, 12A). My brain is going to be fried.

I will figure this out. And it will be awesome. :D

Mmmm

I've been waiting for time to sit down and be intentional with roommates about a grocery list, but everyone's been in and out a lot... so I've been eating cereal. And Taco Bell.

I caved today and bought good food. I'm... quite possibly in heaven.

Resolve. I'm going to budget in quality food. It's a priority.

poTAEto poTAHto

Today was filled with a series of upsetting events, but redemptively delightful people.

Why are there squiggly lines? Redemptively and redeemingly SHOULD be words.

CEC Spiritual Retreat

Our staff had a giggle fit right before communion. It's... going to be a good year.

Don't worry, we pulled it together before the elements were taken. But it felt SO good to laugh after a long day of spiritual reflection. :)

After (at least) 3 months of phone tag,

I skyped Nick Chavez. It was, as expected, delightful. We laughed heartily, enjoyed word play, used our serious caps, and smattered everything with a little sarcasm. I can't wait for him to see the light and visit the midwest again. When I'm actually HERE.

Quotes from the night:

"I don't have a hairstyle. I have a hat." -Bethany's "mantra," made up by Nick

"Bethany will immaculately conceive, if ANYTHING." -Nick

"THAT is on a t-shirt in my head." -Nick

Nick: I'm so tired of weddings. You're never allowed to have a wedding. You can get married, but no wedding.
Bethany: So... you want me to elope?
Nick: Correct. But I wanna come.

Transfiguration is Transformation

I just finished listening to Robert Gelinas' sermon series on transfiguration. One last time, I urge you to listen. Begin with Transfiguration: Resurrection. Pastor Gelinas is the head of Colorado Community Church in Aurora, Colorado.

Job celebration and Denver photographs

Prayers answered. Today I was given verbal affirmation from my team out of nowhere! God is good. My team is good.

There are not enough keys to type the words to explain the simplicity and the complexity of my "job." It's less of a job, more of a mission. I will be a teacher and a tutor and a team member and a mentor. I have finally seen my office (!) and my building and my responsibilities, as well as the responsibilities of everyone else. BIG freaking sigh of relief. God's not leading me into a den of lions -- I should've known. Well, actually... He might be. BUT! I'm very well equipped.

Photos from Denver came in today! Enjoy.

You must open your mouth if you want the cards to stick. 

You must make that face if you want to bend the clouds.

BIG MEADOWS!

Pretty mountains.

Pretty mountains.

Pretty valley next to pretty mountains.

Additional pretty mountains. 

The mini hike.

Rest stop. 

Yellow bellied marmot!!!

Agitated bird painting. He's an artist.

So many new people. So much new info. So many forms and lectures and questions and notes.

After having spent a week in Denver, then coming home for a day, then spending a couple days in Illinois, then coming home for a day, then spending a couple days in Nappanee, and now coming home for a day... I'm completely exhausted. And I feel as though the "marathon" has not even begun!

This is the greatest job ever, so I am extremely optimistic.

I am also in need of emotional, physical, spiritual, mental renewal. I'd love prayers. I'd also love to explain my job to you all sometime, especially if you'd like to pray regularly.

Is this real life??

I begin training for a job tomorrow. I have never felt so 100% sure that something was a good thing, but been so 100% ready to skip it and go back to school in September with everybody else.

Before I went to college, I had friendly old ladies tell me to enjoy it, since it would be the best time of my life. All throughout college, I thought "This is awesome, but I want every year to be the best year of my life." So I began preparing for an excellent life. College, however, was so cozy.

I like cozy things.

Confession

I miss California summers. Indiana humidity is my enemy. It is an invisible terrorist.

Digital Camera Goes to Kake Wedding

Sparkling Water, Sparkling Smiles

NO, I am not driving with my left foot. That's ridiculous.

BUN.

Dodge Neon: The Last Air... Conditioned.

Four Letter Word for "Avoiding a Question" Ending with "GN"

Class.

Art.

... Denver.

Wednesday afternoon: Dinner with the Hans family. Delightful conversation. A little Last Airbender.

Thursday: Brunch at Snooze with BETHANY AND MICHAEL BERENS. Honestly the best pancakes I've ever eaten. I truly love the Berens. They are so much fun and so generous and so loving. Mike and I walked around the city, in which a police officer told us not to waste our time taking a tour of the Money Museum and a million people tried to convince us to sponsor a child. We escaped the city, watched Last Airbender, talked at Starbucks, and moseyed on over to the airport.

Nick and Matt picked me up at the airport. We magically made it home after randomly picking highways, NEAR hitting a median, circling a highway going the wrong direction, and attempting to drive on a road that didn't exist. We also got Taco Bell. The night ended at 2 am and was, to say the least, a success.

Denver Denver Denver

I am in the lovely city of Denver for the first time*. I have a few good stories, but those will wait. Condensed soup version:

Saturday: Arrive! Milkshake and fries at McDonalds. Crash at a friends house.

Sunday: Early church service. Jazzy second church service. Visit ELLE AND BEN in Boulder. Enjoy the eclectic city. Say it's like California. Eat fancy chocolate. Drink fancy coffee. Play fancy Skip-Bo. Watch Spiderman.

Monday: Sleep in. Watch Avatar: The Last Airbender (Mike has been converted. But on his own terms. In his own time.) Casual lunch. Casual coffee shop. Casual bananagrams. Casual dinner. Casual fun with the Hans family.

Tuesday: Rocky Mountain National Park! Driving on mountainous dirty roads (1st!). Discovering yellow bellied marmots (1st!). Taking pictures (Might as well be a 1st!). Hiking the Rockies (1st!). Driving through the clouds (1st for Mike!). Spotting elk (kudos, Mike) and stumbling across a couple moose, aptly dubbed Gordan and Sheila (DEFINITE 1st). Eating delicious food. Keeping a lookout for human trafficking. Driving the mountain ranges home. Collapsing from exhaustion at 9 pm.

Wednesday: SURPRISE trip to "Canvases and Cocktails," where we painted two very different renditions of "Two Birds in a Tree" (AWESOME). Chipotle in the park. 14 adjectives game. The Tattered Cover for book reading and computer checking.

 I'm at the bookstore right now. So that's it.


 *this is, in fact, a slight fib. I've been to the great city before. But I was a baby. I got sick the whole time. I barfed in my dad's face. I did not enjoy myself.

Listen to what I'm listening to tonight at Jimmy Johns :)

Snapshot philosophy

The sensor on my camera that detects that the battery "hatch" is closed is broken. It thinks it's not closed and secure when it is.

The camera works perfectly, but it thinks its broken. Therefore, it is broken.

If you think you don't work, then you won't work. 

La Vita è Bella

God gives amazing gifts to those who love Him. God grows wonderful things out of the dirt. I'm so thankful. So, so thankful. Life is beautiful.

Immediate joys:

• Opportunities to be in the sun and healthy because of work and working out
• A bike that rides akin to a cloud... however a cloud would ride
• Wildflowers are all over the place! (Though I went on a hunt tonight and failed to acquire a bouquet)
• So many good books about fantasy lands and real life teachers to read and plenty of time to enjoy them
• Flexible and supportive part time jobs ("Come in if you want!")
• An e-mail about my name tag and business cards for my first full time job!
• A good talk over ice cream with Liz. Finding unknown commonalities. :]
• A printed itinerary from the library for A TRIP TO DENVER THIS SATURDAY!!!
• The promise of a fun July 4th with friends
• The potential in Amish friendship bread in a jar, clean laundry to be folded, and a garden to be tended

Dotty the Bike

1. My bike was stolen, finagled from it's lock on a stormy night.

2. The WORLD (apparently) was notified through facebook.

3. A couple sweet women from my California church banded together and purchased a new bike for me.

4. This new bike might last me a lifetime. It is delightful.

5. The bike's name is Dotty, which means "gift from God."

6. Right now, Dotty and I are just acquaintances. She has a lot of gears. Friendship may take a little time and an instruction manual to blossom. 

7. Karen was a faithful bike. I hope the hoodlams take good care of her.

Dotty, aka "D21 Fighter Bike"