No Words Good Enough

I realized at school yesterday that I'm getting sick and I'm in need of rest. Roger called me "chippy."

Chippy: adj. The opposite of "chipper" with the same amount of energy. Synonyms: snippy, snappish, short. Antonymns: chipper, exuberant, joyous. 

Last Friday, my dinner took an apocolyptic turn and, in a storm of frustration, I scrapped everything and picked up Little Caesars for Harmon House. THIS Friday, however, was miraculous. Even though I got home late, everything flew together beautifully (minus Kayla's 4th degree burn). We feasted on seasoned tilapia with mango salsa, cilantro rice, and cinnamon carrots. That's a win for the Gipper.

Kayla and I had a great date at Starbucks. Mochas are the BEST. Good conversation with Curls is the chocolate you find at the bottom of the cup and Petricek compliments are fluffy whipped cream topping.

When we returned -- just wait, this is where things blow up -- A SURPRISE PARTY WAS WAITING!!! A million little details happened that day that I didn't put together.*

Here's a list of my favorite things: surprises and balloons and cake and candles and Kemps and Wavelength and Spanish stories and Teach for America interviews and coffee and tea and laughter. Noelle and Lindsay and Emily and Chet and Chris and Pete and Matt and Kayla and Rachel and Kyla and Anne and Nick and Zach. 

The night concluded with tiredness and Taco Bell. Harmon house did the most fantastical job. I am still in awe. 

*Things I managed not to be suspicious about: Kayla taking forever at Noelle's (to blow up balloons), Matt telling me he'd see me soon at Jimmy Johns ("tonight"), the chocolate frosting on the fridge (cake), the chocolate ice cream in the freezer (ice cream), Kayla's insistence on going out right before Nick and Chris were going to come by to play cards (9 people), Anne deep-cleaning the whole house (party prep), a million cars around our house (9 people), Rachel pre-heating the oven while we were cooking (cake)... etc.

Kayla: "I have a crush on the old man that looks like Albert Einstein."
Rachel: "Albert Einstein is hot."
Kayla: "Yeah, totally."
Rachel: "No. ... No, he's not."
Kayla: "No! But he has, like, elbow pads... and he's kind of stand-offish."
Rachel: "Do you know what Albert Einstein looks like??"

Living It Up

I'm learning Algebra 2 on weekends so that these characters can graduate on time.

on paper, a "best day."

• The best days start early with prep work, warm showers, and God time.
• The best days are filled with co-worker camaraderie, engaged students, life discussions, and exercise.
• The best days end with painting scripture, eating good food, hanging with best friends, playing Dutch Blitz, drinking tea, and doing dishes.

Productivity and fun. Today, I'm of the renaissance.

"Literal Renaissance Woman"

The cherry on top would have been seeing the new episodes of 30 Rock and Parks and Rec. Oh well. :]

After a LONG day teaching:

“Kids don’t remem­ber what you try to teach them. They remem­ber what you are.” – Jim Henson

... but I kind of hope they remember a little bit of what I teach them, too.

"It's too cold now! They won't send me ants because it's too cold outside!" -Kayla

She loves ant farms now. They're a community pet. She loves herself some community.

Of Being Far Too Much For Myself

"But, my God, my soul has horizons further away than those of early mornings, deeper darkness than the nights of earth, higher peaks than any mountain peaks, greater depths than any sea in nature. You who are the God of all these, be my God. I cannot reach to the heights or to the depths; there are motives I cannot discover, dreams I cannot realize. My God, search me." Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

"I love the idea that my soul is spiritual, and one of the things (if not the thing) that makes me created in your image. I have never thought about it as something deep or wide... I think of my soul as something small (confined to my body) and complex -- like a spiritual rubik's cube. Something I can know the tricks for and be familiar with and eventually figure out. I've never thought of my soul being the setting of an ADVENTURE!" My Prayer Journal

No wonder I cannot figure myself out.

No wonder I cannot fix myself.

No wonder I need God and others.

"No mind was so good that it did not need another mind to counter and equal it; to save it from conceit and blindness and bigotry and folly." Charles Williams, The Place of the Lion (Thanks, Mary Leimgruber! You're a peach!)

Pop-Up Restaurant

Tonight was the "Salt House Pop Up Restaurant" at Nick's house. We hosted our parents for a four-course meal, planned and prepped by Spencer (naturally). We spent the night cooking, plating, and cleaning. Since we've all been friends for years, we thought it would be appropriate for us to give back to the people who had hosted all our shenanigans for the past decade. Some of our parents had never met.

I'm really thankful that I got to catch up with Matt a little bit tonight. We will always be kindred spirits. Play time with Erin, Brittany, Spencer, Kim, and Nick was also delightful. SO many quotable moments and so many encouraging words.

photo cred to Spencer's instagram

"Y2K: Party Like It's 1999"

New Years was a blast. We played, ate, and made merry. Just like we would have in 1999 if we didn't have sugar restrictions or bedtimes.

Nick took lots of snapshots. He has decided to grace the public with this choice collage. Happy New Year to us!