Sometimes you just get stuck...

Yesterday was quite the adventure.  It was definitely full of laughs and chaos. 

My day started off with breakfast with Heather and Caleb.  I am so thankful that Heather is in my life, we are truly kindred spirits and she is always so encouraging to talk to.  Caleb might be my favorite child EVER. He is so full of life and energy. Every time I see him he gets bigger and bigger.  Heather is such a great mom, and I look up to her so much.  I love getting to spend time with them.

                                

After breakfast, I headed off to Adventure Reef Water park for  another adventurous day at work.  Yesterday was actually pretty eventful.  It started with a little vomit, but then something very out of the ordinary.  Allison was radioed down to the water park to find a child with his foot stuck by the green slide and bucket bay. The bucket was pouring on the kid every 40 seconds until she turned it off. The foot was stuck for over a half hour, and we even had to call EMS.  We also had girls overflow the bathroom sinks with soapy water, the point of which, I'm at a loss.  

But...back to the child with his foot stuck.  It took EMS 10 seconds to get his foot unstuck.  Something a group of 5 perfectly capable adults were trying to do for a half hour.  I think this is our lives a lot of the time. We get stuck-- in traffic when we're late,  with too much on our plates, and in places where we feel uncomfortable.  I know a lot of the time I hesitate to ask for help because I feel capable of handling it myself. But just like EMS, sometimes all we need to ask someone for a little bit of help when we're stuck.

When I got home from work I was welcomed by some great friends. My mom's best friend and 5 kids are staying with us for the week.  They are so great and full of energy. I love getting to see them.  They always make our house more fun, oh and they brought a couple cookies too.

                    

          

Last night was also one of my most anticipated events of the summer. THE GAVIN DEGRAW AND COLBIE CALLIAT CONCERT!   I was so excited and they were both really great.  It was a beautiful night, and Julia and Hannah are always a hoot to hang out with.  Gavin and Colbie were so close we could almost hold them. 

I came home to house full of 22 kids and exhausted. It was a great day, full of some unusual adventures.  If there was one thing I learned yesterday it was that it's alright to ask for help when you're a little stuck.

Indubitably Posh

What is adventure without a bit of whimsy? I think it is really hard to live life to the full with serious attitudes and a strict schedule. Today was definitely a day full of whimsy, fun, no plans, and letting loose. 

But first I have to skip back to yesterday.  Lunch dates might be my one of my new favorite things to do.  I love sitting for hours with old, or new friends and just catching up on life.  One of my other favorite things is to unexpectedly run into friends.  Yesterday Alex and I were sitting outside of bagel cafe, and who do I see other than Rose.  She is the essence of whimsy.  She is going to be a junior next year at Fairmont, and we have some great cross country memories.  Rose is just walking down the road, just to see what she can see.  I admire her imagination.  As we briefly exchange about our lives, she hands me flowers. Which she just picked "because she thought they were pretty."  It is amazing how something so simple, so out of the ordinary can make your day so much brighter. 

So today was one giant, whimsical adventure with my three best friends.  I think we can love each other well because we are comfortable enough to be a little crazy. We went to day lunch, made a trip to the tattoo parlor for our matching ear piercings,  had a viewing of the Last Song (an old favorite), dyed  our hair purple,  ate some 55 cent boneless wings, and ended with a game of Apples to Apples at Tyler's new crib.  The hair dying, and ear piercing are definitely adventures I don't go on everyday but they would have been nothing without my crazy friends.

Laura.  She's the bravest and most out going of us all.  L got her tragus pierced (yes, I was scared for her), and handled it like a champ.  She is always encouraging us to reach outside of our comfort zones and has such an adventurous spirit.  I am so thankful that she is in my life for the encouragement and listening ear that she is always eager to lend.

            

Candace.  She is always so giving, and ready to serve her friends.  She is so selfless and full of love.  When Can is around I am never afraid anything will go wrong because I know that she always has our backs.  I am so thankful that she is in my life to help keep my eyes focused on Christ and for the hospitality that is always in her heart.

    

Hannah.  She is never afraid to be herself and say exactly what she is thinking.  H is one of the funniest people I know in her own quirky way.  She loves a lot, and always knows exactly what to do to make people feel better.  I am so thankful that she is in my life to keep me real, and to say exactly what I need to hear when I need advice.

            

As the four of sit in Candace's basement speaking in our horrid British accents, and singing the wrong lyrics to songs that we barely know, I can't help but think that this is love.  True friendship, that is full of whimsy, adventure, and care is one of the greatest gifts.  I couldn't have asked for a better day with my wonderful friends.

Bob Goff talks a lot about whimsy and love in Love Does (this really great book I'm reading).  He says, "the language of love is laced with whimsy".  I'm discovering that all great adventures need a little (or a lot) of spontaneity, and dash of whimsy.

Just Your Average, Ordinary, Everyday Superhero

This weekend has definitely been infiltrated by the superhero sensation.  Between the new Batman movie coming out, and my brother's obsession with all things superhero, it's hard to get away from them.  So what's with the obsession? Why does everyone love superhero's? I honestly think it's because we long for the adventure that superhero's get to experience. .

This weekend was swim finals at Crestwood, and I got to hangout with some pretty awesome superhero's. Some of them were made up, others were old classics. These kids never stop making me laugh and were seriously some superhero's in the pool.  To prepare for big swim Saturday, the coaches drove all around Dayton Friday night putting signs in the kids yards to get them ready for their big swims.

 


I think the signs definitely got the kids pumped.  They came with some awesome costumes.

                         

                      

                        

                                  

We marched around at Woodhaven Swim Club to the song "Everyday Superhero" by Smashmouth.  I was thinking about the chorus "I'm just an average, ordinary, every superhero" and isn't that an oxymoron? How can someone be an average superhero, if superhero's are anything but ordinary?  I think Jesus is the perfect example of an everyday superhero. Think about it.  He was born as an everyday human. He was a person like you and me, yet he was perfect.  He healed the sick, drove demons out of men, and made the blind see.  Truly a superhero.

The crazy cool thing is that in 2 Corinthians 12 God says to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Isn't that crazy?  Where we fail, and are weak, God's power is working its best.  Let's let God's power work in us.  Let God use us for adventures, so that we can be the everyday superhero God calls us to be.

This weekend was also my best friends birthday.  We had a great time putt putt golfing, a new adventure for my friends.   I'm so thankful for Hannah and glad we got to celebrate her birthday.
 


 Sunday morning I went to Apex with Ben and Alex, and then we headed back to Ben's to make "hobo meals".  It was so fun hanging out with Ben's family, and just cooking with these guys.  I'm so thankful they are in my life.

So, let's learn more about who the person of Jesus is, trust in his power, and become the everyday superhero's we are called to be.

And that is how you win Phase 10

 It has definitely been an eventful couple of days. I had the opportunity to hang out with people in all phases of life.  I am so lucky to get to know them and live life beside them.

Saturday morning I FINALLY got to see Amy Jo. She is definitely one of my best friends, and the only one who decided to live at school for the summer.  I wish she was here so I could see her all the time, but I know she is doing great things up in Bexley, where she leads Young Life.  It was so great just to get to talk to to her and share our lives.  Amy always asks me the hard questions and shows me how much I need fellowship.  I love her a lot.

The rest of Saturday was our annual block party.  This tradition has been going on for as long as I can remember.  I am so blessed to live in such a wonderful neighborhood.  We essentially just block of the road so that we can talk, eat, throw water balloons and go on scavenger hunts in the middle of the street.  Although many of the kids I grew up with were missing this year, it is really cool to see the next generation taking our place.

 

At the end of the night the women played Phase 10. Now, I don't think I've ever actually finished this game, but we were determined. Four hours later, my grandma won.  Life is so much like a game of Phase 10.  Everyone is on different phases. Sometimes we skip over people, other times we help unsuspecting people succeed.  Sometimes we feel like the luckiest people ever, other times we just want to give up.  I found it very fitting, that the oldest and wisest won this trying game.  While I was playing this game with a bunch of mothers I realized how much we can learn from people that are in a different phase in their lives. 

                

I ended my night at my new friend Alex's house, and ended up sharing a super secret adventure with Candace.  I have missed her a ton. We are definitely on the same phase in life and she always knows how to make me laugh.  I am so thankful for her encouragement and everything that she is in my life.

Sunday, I went to church and work. The storm cleared up just in time for our swim banquet.  These kids are so awesome, and full of crazy fun.  I love these eight weeks that I get to spend with them during the summer.  I am also thankful for Jordan and Derek.  Jordan is about to go to Disney World for an internship and Derek just graduated, he won the award for Mr. Average, but he is definitely anything but.  They make me laugh until I cry and listen to my (sometimes repetitive stories). 

       

The rest of the night I got to hang out with some high school friends at St. Charles.  I forgot how much I miss and love them all.  They are so full of life and fun. We had a water balloon wars and just talked about life.  These friends never cease to surprise me with their love, joy, and sincerity.                            

                                                           

I  then headed over to the Hagenbuch's.  They are such dear friends, I truly feel like I am part of their family.  It is such a blessing that they let me come over and just hang out with them.

I ended my night with some great friends.  Sorry this was so long, I just couldn't leave anyone out. So many friends, in so many phases of life.  Some moving forward, others stuck in a rut.  All of them with so many gifts to share.  So is this real life? I can definitely answer yes.  Let's "simply love" our neighbors no matter what phase they are in, and great adventures will come. 

"Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love." -Mother Teresa