So, I went digging in my purse yesterday for some ChapStick… I found 7, and 2 lip gloss options!!! I think I may have to admit to having some kind of a problem here. A girl just needs her ChapStick!

It’s been a rough couple of days, trying to stay off my feet and “keep my chin up” as I wait to meet my baby girl. I’m finding that it’s hard for me to be still. (I’m sure the pregnancy hormones aren’t helping either).

Along with my bum foot, I’ve been battling a nasty sinus headache. I’ve talked to The Lord about this, and I believe He is teaching me, using the discomfort. He could take it all away if that was what He wanted!

I am working on returning phone calls when I am feeling chatty. It’s such a blessing to have folks like you who love us and care about how we’re doing! We’re going to start updating my voice-mail message as things happen with Hannah, so you can get the latest news whenever you call, even if we can’t talk right then. We’ll also update Facebook and this blog as the news is breaking! Pray with us that Hannah comes without needing to be induced!

Oh yeah, and I’d really like to know if anyone has more than 7 ChapSticks and 2 lip glosses in their purse… it just might make me feel better : )

You could say it all started at Chick Fil A…. Kristi and I met at Texas A&M and wound up in the same pointless Human Geography class. Igor (as we nick-named our professor) rarely covered anything during class time needed for successful test-taking. (I think attendance must have counted for something, otherwise I don’t think anyone would’ve been coming!)

Anyway, Kristi and I took turns influencing the other to spend our Human Geography class time out on a grassy knoll on campus, enjoying Chick Fil A and laughing together. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship! : )

Well, we’re big girls now… Kristi was one of my bridesmaids a few years ago and she is full time staff with Campus Crusade for Christ in another country. She went for 2 years and has decided that God is asking her to live her life for now overseas. Kristi left this morning from Houston at 6:30 am for the other side of the world, with everything she owns in 3 large bags and 2 “carry-on’s.”

I went to visit my sweet friend before she left this week, and we packed in as many giggles as we could as we packed 70lb duffle bags and ran errands together. One super fun thing we found while we were out were my hospital pajamas for giving birth and a “going home” outfit for Hannah that match! A part of Kristi will be there after all, even though she’s far away!

Here we are at our roots:

Kristi discovered the fake belly pillows at a maternity shop that you can strap around your waist to try things on in the dressing room: I think she’s pretty cute preggy! : )

She had to take one with Hannah… ONLY Hannah : ) (Hannah and Kristi have a special connection: My baby girl did all her tricks just for Kristi to feel – hiccups, the “kick and scrape across mom’s belly” trick, and just general squirming)

Thank you Lord for leading my friend so clearly, and for the time we had together this week!

So, I turned 26 on August 5th and my sweet friends and family made me feel so special! Benjamin cooperated with a surprise party conspiracy for me at PF Chang… Here is my face of shock when I saw 6 of my girlfriends waiting for us around a big table:

Jenn and Cadence, Rachael, Kara, Aryn, Katherine, and Noell came to share my “Great Wall of Chocolate Cake!”

The name of this cake seems appropriate… I was so glad to share!

Rach, Hannah and me just after the sun went down.

Noell and I marveling at how much fun we had!

A few days later, my parents came back into town and took me out for Maudie’s queso and amazing Key Lime Pie from California Pizza Kitchen!! What a tasty birthday!!!

Today Hannah and I had lunch with a dear teacher friend of mine and the girls she is watching for the summer. I have to say that Chick Fil A does an incredible job marketing to and taking care of moms during lunch time on a Monday… they carried our food over so we could manage the baby carrier and 3 year old, offered to get us condiments from the counter, and a cow mascot even came out to take pictures with the kids!

It was so good to catch up with Angela and spend an hour with her “adopted” girls! :  ) Holding 6 month old Avery made me so antsy to meet my little Hannah!

I just made this for a birthday party tonight and I can’t wait to EAT it!! : )

(Check out the Saltillo tile in our new kitchen!)

I took a walk with some girlfriends tonight and was reminded of the simple pleasure of a stroll. Not to get anywhere, not to burn calories or meet any goals… just to walk and chat and enjoy the evening air.

I recommend trying it!

Check out Alliteration.etsy.com for some great Christmas gift ideas for any of the ladies in your life! This pair of “Wall-E and Eve” earrings are just one example of how much fun wearing (and buying) earrings can be!

And just when you think it can’t get any better… they’re all $5 and under per pair!!

So I found this really neat homebrew app the other day for my Nintendo DS. You can click on the title of this entry to see the creator’s page to learn more about it if you want. In a nutshell though, its a music sequencer that is powered or run by overlaying music triggers on cells setup by Conway’s Game of Life. So the creator is calling it a Cellular Automation music sequencer. Yeah, yikes. So that is basically just a long way to say that its a neat little app that you can make some snazzy glitch style loops and mess around with the audio samples, speed, distortion, etc. Pretty powerful little program and a ton of fun. I’ve made several cool loops, but I can’t think of a good way to upload them to share. For now, though, check out the vid the creator has made to show it off.

In-between children’s programs, planning for our upcoming banquet, Nikos Spring Retreat, summer camp, and possible private school – cooking, cleaning, praying, Benjamin, and quilting… I’ve decided to write a children’s book.

I’ve been toying with the idea for years, actually. I’ve always loved to read – especially when I was younger. My family can tell you stories of trying to get my attention while I was so wrapped up in “Anne of Green Gables,” that the rest of the world had faded away.

In college, learning to be a bilingual elementary school teacher, my love of children’s books was rekindled. The sweet simplicity of childhood and perceived magnitude of the ordinary are delightful to celebrate and cherish. Many times, a child who is forced to “toughen up” for survival will melt and transform when truly given the freedom to be childish.

I’m not sure why I felt the need to announce this to you all, except to be open to your ideas and suggestions. The book I write will communicate Biblical truth in simple terms. It will be a picture book, illustrated by my mom – Shelley Schreyer. The target audience age (to be read to or with) 5-9 yr-olds. Not long, complicated, or impressive, necessarily. It may be written from a child’s perspective.

Comment to send me your thoughts! God is doing something here, and I can’t quite put my finger on what He’d have me teach, but I’m listening for it…