Hairnets & Chef's Surprise

This week I was granted the privilege of subbing for the lunch monitor. A privilege you ask? Well, just hear me out. I must admit, I wasn't really looking forward to it; however, it wasn't near the smelly rag-toting, hairnet-wearing job I imagined. The lunchroom is like it's own world...rules & expectations go out the window. The kids get to be kids: silly, care-free, happy kids. I remember being one of them not so long ago. Racing in to see who I could sit with, wondering if my boyfriend of the moment would respond to the oh-so-important note I had passed him in class, searching for my mom's note in my lunch box (pretending not to be disappointed if I didn't get one that day). When I'm in the classroom, I always marvel at how different the kids are today...but, being in the lunchroom, I realized that they really aren't that different at all. They still love to hear that their dress/jeans/shirt/wheelies (oh, don't get me started on those things!) are really cool. Their eyes still light up when they see their mom or dad waiting to eat lunch with them. And they still love to hear that "yes" they can get a cookie since they ate more than 3 bites of the Chef's Surprise! I so enjoyed sitting with some of them and talking about "life things", not "school things". Even if "life things" for a 3rd grader is whether or not they got Dance Dance Revolution for Christmas or not. It was nice not having to tell them to stay on task, to correct their spelling, or to stop throwing things at their neighbor :) I liked seeing them be kind to one another because they wanted to be, not because it was a "rule". I liked watching the pressures lift off their tiny shoulders for that brief 30 minutes. It was sweet, and yes, it was a privilege.

A Good Day

I've had the opportunity to spend a little bit more time with my girlfriends lately, and it has been so much fun! Above is a picture of Kelly & I at a New Year's Eve party...and yes, that is a pilot's helmet as a decoration in the background (funny how that doesn't seem strange to me at all anymore!). I went to see American Gangster a few nights ago (though the movie wasn't awesome, the company was great!) and had a really yummy Mexican dinner with a few friends last night. Tonight we had bible study at my house, and I got the chance to catch up with the girls yet again. I feel so lucky to have the friends I have... such loving, compassionate, supportive, & encouraging women.

On another note, I applied for a job yesterday...Chris is jumping for joy at this very moment!! It sounds like a great fit for me, and would allow me to work in the Social Work field again. I'm excited about hearing back from them, even if I don't get the job, because it has sparked my desire to work in non-profit again...something that I am unbelievably passionate about. I should hear back this week, so I'll keep y'all posted!

Cheers :)

Bring the Rain

I discovered the song "Bring the Rain" by MercyMe today. Since today was a difficult one for me, I thought it was really fitting. If you've never heard it...google it and take a listen. I think you will be moved.

Here are the chorus lyrics:

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory.
And I know there’ll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that’s what it takes to praise You
Jesus, Bring the Rain!!!

C.S. Lewis

“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world”

I love quotes, and I'm constantly looking for good ones that can provide me with inspiration or encouragement. I found this one today by C.S. Lewis and I was instantly moved. I always write about our happiness's, our joys, and our triumphs. I am eager to share our many blessings with family & friends, and I enjoy hearing about theirs as well. I am not so good; however, at expressing my trials & tribulations with others. I grew up thinking that if I could put a smile on my face, then surely my heart would quickly follow suit. I was under the impression that expressing my hurts would somehow make me a weak person, or that no one would really want to know about things that were hard specifically for me...how conceited that would be, I thought! Those were my views in the past....

A friend of ours passed away recently. She had been battling Breast Cancer for more than four years when God finally called her home. Her husband has been blogging about their experiences w/ cancer and has continued to write following her death as a way to heal. About a month ago, I sent out an email requesting prayers for this very deserving family, and little did I know how far that email would go! I have had friends of friends, of friends, of friends tell me that they started reading his blog and praying with/for them as their struggle continued. It is amazing how many lives this family has touched due to this husband's willingness to put himself out there and let his grief, patience, submission, and faith be known. Of course it's important to share our blessings, but it's equally as important to support each other in our pain. You just never know who might be hurting too, and searching for answers in your words and actions.

Happy New Year!

We are officially into 2008 and I have to admit, I am feeling a little nostalgic. At this time last year, Chris & I were packing, saying good-bye to friends and family, and preparing ourselves for the move overseas. It was a scary time, so many new beginnings and unknowns. It's hard to believe that it has already been a year, but what a year it turned out to be! We've traveled to places that we had only dreamed of, met amazing friends, and grown even closer to our families despite the distance. We learned to lean on each other when things were difficult (the humongous fly incident was one of those times!!), and to relish each other's happiness's. We've lived through an English winter, and even more jarring...an English summer w/ no air conditioning! We learned to drive on the wrong side of the road, learned to go with the flow (especially when taking directions from the GPS), and learned to savor every moment of togetherness. It has been an incredible adventure, the best year of my life, and one I will never forget.
I hope that 2008 brings even more great memories, new experiences and wonderful friends with it! Here's to a great year! Cheers!!

Christmas at Home

What a wonderful Christmas! Chris and I traveled back to the States in early December to attend a wedding in Cancun, and then spend some time with our families in Texas. The wedding was gorgeous, and the weather in Cancun was splendid...90's every day! It was a bit of a shock to our English skin, but we sure have enjoyed our temporary tans! And our visit back to Arlington was great as well. We spent about a day w/ each family (short, but sweet), opened presents, ate yummy food, laughed, hugged, and just enjoyed being back in Texas. My dad and I went to the amazing Ice Exhibit at the Gaylord, & Chris and his dad scoped out the abundance of computer stores in the metroplex :)

When we arrived back in England, it was back to work for both Chris and I....but we didn't let that stop us from having lots of holiday fun!! First, it was off to an "Ugly Sweater Christmas Party" at one of our friends houses. THAT was pretty funny! Then, on Christmas Eve, we got together with our friends Kelly & Jeff for a Mexican Christmas Feast. Hopefully that will be an annual tradition :) On Christmas morning, we slept late and made a scrumptious waffle breakfast before starting in with the presents. We really savored being in our own home this Christmas, as it was our first one together by ourselves. Chris opened his Birthday present first, and I sang Happy Birthday (oh, you should have heard it, it was concert material...heehee). Presents & stockings were next...I LOVE stockings!! Then we cleaned up and headed over to our good friends Wendy & Jason's to see what their little girls got for Christmas. It was so fun to visit w/ them on such a special day, and see how joyful their little ones were. We ate some yummy snacks and then it was back home for Chris's birthday dinner. I made his favorites and then we had brownie sundaes for dessert...mmmm :) The next day Chris got up early (I wasn't feeling well...no it wasn't from my cooking!!) and went to the airport to pick up his Aunt Dianne & Grandmama. Though Chris quickly had to go back to work, I had a great time showing them around East Anglia. We toured Chris's "office", Cambridge, Bury St. Edmunds, Newmarket, & London. We even braved the Harrod's After-Christmas Sale....ummm, THAT was crazy! Chris & I dropped them off in London last night, and stopped by Trafalgar Square to see the enormous, beautifully lit Christmas tree that sits in its center.

It was a great way to end a great Christmas!

The Meaning of Christmas

As many of you know, I am a substitute teacher at a school on base here in England. The kids are always chitter-chattering away, spreading their joy to all who will listen. At this time of year especially, they are so contagiously happy that I can't help but get swept up in the excitement of the holidays. Today, for example, the entire school gathered in the lobby and sang Christmas carols. The sound of their sweet voices filled the hallways, and I was instantly taken back to the memory of my childhood and the buzzing anticipation of Santa and his eight tiny reindeer dancing on rooftops. Their faces shined, smiles were exchanged, and hands were held as they finished with a jubilent rendition of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". It was such an enchanting way to start the day!
So then, back in my classroom, I read "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (for the first time in about 15 years!). And my "Grinch voice" would do my Mama proud, if I do say so myself! Anyway, at the end of the story, I asked the kids what the Grinch learned about Christmas. Of course, I got a few of the typical random 1st grade answers like, "He learned that he likes the color green!", and "He learned that he needs reindeer and not a dog!". But one answer stood out from the rest. A little girl in the back said, "He learned that Christmas isn't about what you get, it's about who you're with, and who you love. It's about family, and friends, and Jesus." (Yes, a 1st grader said this!) And I, in turn, teared up.
I love children, their sweet innocence and their surprising wisdom. I love how they can remind us, in their silly ways, that it's the simple things that matter the most. No matter what they go through (parents deploying, changing schools, packing their life up every 2-3 years) they always have this wide-eyed optimism that serves to inspire us to be a little more hopeful, a little more happy, and a little more kind.
May the spirit of Christmas fill your heart this year. May joy surround you and your family. And may Christ fill your lives with childlike wonder & amazement at all the blessings you have received!
With love and a Merry Christmas,
Chris & Amy