Day 31: Lunch of Champions

What happens during lunch time when it's shopping day and you have to clear out some room in the fridge before you get home from work.

Day 30: Craftin'

The "octagon" table. 

Funny thing about this table. When I started on it, I was going to use it's refinishing as a time to pray for Jenn. But then, for some reason, I started immediately to pray for seester & Bunny. Turns out she was in labor. :)

Day 29: :))))!

So first there was this. And I was going to explain how I was NOT pleased with Hobby Lobby making it rain Christmas in July. But then...

THIS.

Oh BABY, this!!!! :))))!

Day 28: Savin' Lives and Whatnot

Just a normal day in the life... :) 

Waited 1 1/2 hours even though I had an appointment-- though I suppose too many donors is an excellent problem to have. And anyhow, for my troubles I took a bottled water AND a juice liquid sugar. And two bags of cookies.

Day 25: Andy Mineo concert!!!!

...well, the last song of the Andy Mineo concert anyway. <womp womp>

(it was GOOD though :)

Day 24: Tony Evans!

I met Tony Evans and his daughter Crystal Hurst-Evans!! [insert appropriate gushing words here]

Truth is, I really just wanted to buy the book and completely skip the meet & greet. I never know what to say in situations like this so I just stared awkwardly at the one while the other signed. <sigh>

Day 23: my Stinka

My Rubes had a doggie vacation at casa E&L Thursday - Sunday. I miss her!!

Day 22: ...on Gardening and Goodbyes

"The seeds you have planted in Houston... will Flourish!"

Crafting project with my roomie for my sweet, sweet Mission Year girls. How did I come to love them so much in so little time?!

There is a major disconnect happening between the logically-thinking quadrant of my brain and my eyes that kept threatening to spill over during random intervals throughout the evening. 

Day 21: Tyrant...

...flippin', stinkin' little tyrant.

Day 20: Operation Love Bomb

Lovely small group from my church has decided to "Love Bomb" our weary church staff. 

Above is one of many random acts of love this week, culminating in a Nuclear Bomb of thankfulness in the offering plates this Sunday.

Day 19: Self-Control

Why yes. Yes, that is a tasty bacon-wrapped doggie treat resting on the paw of the most impulsive, ADHD dog on this half of the hemisphere. 

We up over here learning self control!! You want in?

Day 17: Tired.

"The first nine months here have been so hard."

That's what she said over dinner tonight. And I so remember that feeling. Almost four years ago; lonely, alone and tired.

And I was so glad she pushed past her tired and unfurled that tablecloth to take an iron to it.

And I was so glad I pushed past my tired and spent my evening elbow deep in black beans, limes and tilapia.

God, make our home a rest for the tired and repletion for the empty.  Myself included. Myself especially. 

Day 16: Lucky me

Who's got two thumbs and can say she was blessed enough to worship between an American Cameroonian and a white South African this morning? This girl. Lucky, lucky me. :)

I <3 my multiethnic/racial/SES church!

Day 15: Baby Shower!!

It's heeee-eere!

...too bad all my pictures were super crummy. Because who puts 8,000 million man hours into preparing an amazeballs baby shower and forgets to bring a quality camera to take a single picture?!

This girl, apparently.

Ah well. It was lovely and she was blessed. Which was the whole point.

Day 14: Baby Shower Prep Pt III

...with the sister-in-law. She made me about 2000 raindrops glued to 1000yds of ribbon.*

Total act of love, as I understand it, seeing as this was completed after 2am.

*slight hyperbole

Day 13: Baby Shower Prep Pt II

Cutting/baking/icing raindrop-shaped cookies and getting in some fab facetime with my love Keon and her little love Neko.

Day 12: The 300 Meter Mark

...Also known as the point that you start steeling yourself to hear Coach Lee's booming voice calling out "150 AND... PUSH!!!

That man was a man of projection. Sheesh.

*This is a new athletic complex built just up the street from the house I grew up in! Oh the things I would have done had that been there during my glory days. :)

Day 11: "You light up the sky..."

If you look closely, you can just see the hint of a promise.

Day 10: Blast from the Past

Oh, don't mind me. Just meandering my way through the streets of the hometown when suddenly... "These things still exist?!"

(oh my San Antonio... forever on that slow train...)

Day 8: Going Places?

"Dependence begets subservience and venality, suffocates the germ of virtue, and prepares fit tools for the designs of ambition."

-Thomas Jefferson

Day 6: Baby Shower Prep

Dough-making with a "real woman's mixer."

Love my Ms. Pam!

(happy 4th y'all!)

Day 5: Trabajo

Truth moment? 

I actually forgot about the challenge today and happened to take this picture for work. Also, there is an acute possibility that I am breaking some sort of code of privacy here.

Day 3: Stella & Dot

50% off. 

Winning.

Day 2: Pinterest Win

I can finally mark one of the (exactly) 1,000 pins I've acquired on Pinterest to my "Check!" board. 

This gloriousness is a waffle bar. 

my Mission Year girls + (glorious) Waffle Bar + Benny & Joon = one successful movie night

Day 1: Cheddar's & Celebrations

This is my cousin Pablo. Today he has officially become the very first male in our family to graduate with a Bachelor's degree!

Wow.

Writing that out makes it all the more incredible and me the more proud.