An Epic Battle

This past weekend at the Roanoke Festival, my brother and I had an intense battle.  Me with Haley, and him with Laney down the super slide.  Hearts were pounding as we prepared for the race.  Who would win???  As spectators cheered us on from the ground and bets were placed as to who would take the prize, we prepared for take off.

Step 1:  Getting into position

 Step 2:  It's gonna be close but Sarah's in the lead...

Step 3:  And she wins by a landslide!!

The winner not so humbly claimed her prize of bragging rights.  The loser runner up claimed she won by cheating but she insists there was no such thing.  Perhaps there will be a rematch next year...

A Delightful Reunion

Well.  There was a roomie reunion this weekend that was long overdue.  We made plans, and after nine months of not seeing her, I finally laid eyes on this beauty:

I'm sure she's thrilled to have that on here:)  I wanted to do things that were "Roanoke-ish".  So for lunch we went to Caleri's (of course) and then what is more Roanoke-ish than climbing Mt. Jumbo??  First we went up the easy side.  It took a grand total of about five minutes.  Not because we're experienced mountaineers, but because it's a very small Mt.  Then we went down and climbed back up the steep side.  Well, Cassie climbed it, I got about halfway up and realized it just wasn't gonna happen so I slid back down.

Of course if you climb a mountain, you have to take a picture at the top.  Didn't realize the camera was zoomed in.....

There.  That's better.

After our climbing adventure, I worked on making a fruit tray for Saturday evening's festivities and she had a random jam session with my dad.  Dad on guitar and Cassie on her brand new ukelele!  Twas entertaining.

 

Saturday evening was a going away party for my friend Emily who's spending the summer in Florida.  We'll all miss her dearly but I'm so excited for her!  After living away from central IL, I'm pretty gung ho about people doing something that includes supporting a small church.

Sunday after church we were going to go to the lame museum that we have in town.  (Also very Roanoke-ish thing.)  Much to our dismay though, it was closed.  That night she was drug into my family's mothers day celebration.  Where she was roped into playing more music.  Note to anyone who might come to my family stuff:  if you play an instrument, don't tell anyone!  Unless you don't mind playing for lengthy periods of time.  I had to get up early and go to work Monday morning while she was sleeping peacefully, but it was well worth it.  Thanks for coming, roomie!

10 Things

Okay, people.  I'm killing time here.  So I'm going to come up with ten different things.  I don't know what they'll be yet.  Maybe facts about myself, maybe a fun memory, maybe something I like or don't like.... we'll just have to wait and see what comes to my head.

10. I had lunch with a good friend today.  She asked me this morning if I wanted to go out.  It was great because it was a little bit unexpected.  I wasn't too sad to leave my sack lunch in the fridge at home today.

9. Right now on the radio "City On Our Knees" by Toby Mac is playing.  Maybe I should look the words up and read them because quite honestly I've never really gotten the meaning behind the song.

8. Yesterday I got to go to my cousin's "find out if I'm having a boy or girl" party.  It was fun.  We each had a cupcake that had colored filling inside of it.  We all took a bite at the same time to find blue filling.  It's a boy!

7. I was looking at some old pictures the other day.  Pictures from when I lived in Athens.  It was summertime and we were out playing volleyball.  I quickly remembered how beastly hot and humid it gets there and how you basically have to swim through the air during the months of May through September.  But sometimes I miss that.

6. Cassie's coming to visit this weekend!

5. When I was in.... 5th grade I think, I went through the phase so many girls go through.  Being obsessed with horses.  Absolutely obsessed.  I begged and begged and begged my parents to take me horseback riding.  FINALLY for my birthday they took me and a few friends to a place called Dave's Delshire Stables.  I had a horse named King.  Finally the time had arrived when I could fulfill my dream of riding a horse.  But when we got there and saw all those horses I started to get nervous.  And I kept getting nervous.  And I rode that horse but I cried like a baby the whole time.  I was so glad to be done!  Now, I have since conquered my fears and successfully ridden a horse.  And by successfully I mean with a guide in a straight line of very tame horses who do nothing but walk and follow the designated trail.  But at least I can do it without crying now!

4. During the week of Valentine's Day I won a prize on the radio.  The contest was called "Love to Share" and it was a hangman type game.  Anyway, I was really hoping to get the restaurant gift cards but I got tickets to see the Peoria Chiefs, a Brandon Heath CD and bowling passes to the Christian Center.  I got two of each prize since we are supposed to share with someone.  I keep forgetting about it but if anybody reading this would happen to want any of those prizes, let me know!

3. I don't like it when a new song comes out and is completely overplayed.  Like the one playing right now.  Good song, but I'm starting to really not like it since I hear it ALL the time.

2. I have twelve minutes left of my workday.  I'm going to stop and get some groceries on the way home today after I leave here.

1. Today something was bothering me that I really just needed to pray about.  Just a few minutes after praying about it, a little blurb came on the radio and the speaker said something that really spoke to me about the issue I was struggling with.  God is faithful!

Well there's ten things!  Have a great day everyone.

Prayer

A day when believers are unified in the knowlege that this country is in desparate need of prayer.  Except for once or twice in high school when we did "See You At The Pole", I've never taken part of any public meeting for either that or the National Day of Prayer.  Today though, one of the public meeting places was at the Law and Justice center in Bloominton, just two or three blocks from my office.  So over my lunch break I walked down and joined them.  I couldn't stay for the whole hour but I really enjoyed the time I was there.  There was prayer and music.  While I was there I heard a prayer for schools, the church, the media and marriages/families.  I had the thought while standing there that it would be so easy for someone filled with hate to come and open fire on a group praying out in the open like that.  A little dramatic, maybe, but not a completely irrational thought. 
Tonight we have our own service at church.  I'm so thankful that we still have this opportunity as a nation and that it has not been deemed "illegal".


2 Chronicles 7:14
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."