The night of wonders

Tonight I hung out with Jeff and Noemi and it was a blast.  

First, we went to Trader Joe's.  They heard me say this line probably a few too many times: "I love Trader Joe's!!"  Seriously, if you haven't been, you need to go.  We don't have one in Kansas City (please, oh please, TJ's...get the hint!).  Okay, so, here are the pictures I took to show the treats I got for my sisters, who are stuck in KC without a TJ's nearby.  These will come in my suitcase to San Diego, then home to KC!  Disclaimer: I'm not ACTUALLY in love with Trader Joe's.  I don't worship it.  I'm exaggerating.  It's cool, but not THAT cool.  AND, the apple rings & CLIF bars are for me...not that I won't share...I guess the CLIF bars are kinda for Suz too.  :)

I haven't seen this flavor CLIF bar anywhere else (it's my favorite!)

I was on mission to get Liz some of the great sauces they have.  This is "potsticker sauce".  I bought 2 jars. =D

Of all the things Suz could have asked for, she wanted "scrubby things!"  Let me tell you, this brings excitement.  It really does.

Okay, so then we went to eat Tapas from Spain.  SO yummy.  Beef tenderloins with bleu cheese on top.  YUM!

And THEN! we went to a chocolate lounge.  We sat in the restaurant, decided we wanted some warm chocolate cake, but were clueless as to how to find it.  In steps Noemi's hand-held GPS.  She typed "chocolate" in it, and we found Ethel's Chocolate Lounge 0.4 miles from where we were!  Then it spoke Romanian to us, telling us where to turn, etc.  Noemi translated. :)

I asked the guy who worked there if there was a real Ethel, and he said Ethel was the grandmother of the owner...and by owner he meant the CEO of Mars, Inc. which owns the stores.  And I thought it was a local joint.  Oh well, I was still happy with the brown and pink rooms!

Go eat some chocolate!  You know you want to.... =)

Yumminess

A rainy, cloudy day with nothing to do.

A comfy, puffy, red arm-chair.

Soft blankets just out of the dryer.

Pride & Prejudice

A cup of sweet black tea.

And a kiss on the cheek.

Going Fancy

This is my outfit today. Sometimes I get cute clothes (at least, I'm hoping these count as cute) and put them all on, and then feel way too "done-up". You know, kind of like someone is going to stop me and be like: "Hey! You're faking! You're not stylish...you're....Annie!"

heh.

I look kind of like the giant from Timbuktoo in this picture. Pardon the pose and please just look at the new clothes. :)

In other news, I dropped off another college application at the post office this morning! I have now officially applied to Wheaton College (IL) and Westmont College (CA). We'll see what happens! I should know by the end of December the decision from both those colleges.

I feel like I've been constantly on the move. Rachel spent the weekend in town, and we had a marvelous time. It was her birthday! Noemi had us over for the most fabulous dinner and cake.

I've been shopping (strange, I know) and having time with friends and, um, more time with friends.

Let me explain a bit of the shopping: I wear jeans a lot. Like, every day. Once in a while I wear that one skirt, but I mostly wear jeans. And, I only wear one pair of jeans. I have jean shorts, but the time for those is over (we mourn, we mourn). This particular pair of jeans that I have been wearing all the time were bought over a year ago at a Banana Republic Outlet in Tacoma. Combine the fact that they were actually too short for me, had faded, and were about to have a HOLE, it was past the time for new jeans. Finally, last night, the new jeans were gotten! Yay!! You see them modeled above, in the picture of today's outfit. Ah, new jeans for a great price.

And, I got skinny jeans for $13. I've never had skinny jeans, and never really expected to have them, until my friend got some and they were cute, and I saw co-worker of mine pull off the amazing skinny jeans+heeled short boots+cute jacket look.

I'm off to Wheaton for a financial aid meet. Fun.

The Next Four Years OF MY LIFE

I still don't know where I'm going to college.  

It's true.

"But Annie," you say, "you just visited Wheaton!  How can you still not know where you're going to college yet??"  

Well, people, the real cold truth is that Wheaton was great, and I know I would love it if I went there, but I'm not convinced that's where I belong.  It might be, but I just don't know yet.

I met teachers (during that hour of meeting professors I found out that both Anthropology and International Politics sound quite interesting to me), ate in the dining hall (which is in a building named after Todd Beamer), spent the night in a dorm, tried their ice cream at the late-night cafe, hung out with college girls, answered 562 different people about what other colleges I was looking at and what I was thinking of majoring in, took a campus tour (our guide Rachel was really good...she just about had me convinced), and visited classes (Anthropology, International Politics, and Revoluntionary Europe).  Anthropology sounds so interesting to me, and this class was on "Orientalism" (prejudice against and pre-suppositions about Arabs).  International Politics was all about the UN, which turned into a debate amongst both the real class and the visiting Connectors about whether or not military force should be used to bring in humanitarian aid.  *Cue "oooh"s and "aaaaah"s*  Getting into real college stuff now!  =)

Revolutionary Europe was taught by the stereotypical History professor, who kindly had extra packets made for us Connectors.  I'll admit I wasn't as impressed by the lecture as I was by the name of the class, but I blame that on me not really understanding which section of Revolutionary Europe we were talking about.  Something about German Nationalism; only, did Germany have a revolution?  I was a little lost, and like to think that had I not been quite so lost, I could have enjoyed the class a little better.

Oh, and, they have fancy technology thingys.  The professors can make the projector screen retract up into the ceiling at the push of a button from their desk.  I'm easily impressed.

Then, I watched a group of current students answer questions from our group of would-be-classmates.  It struck me that this is the real deal, and in just a year or so I'll be an actual adult-ish college student!

I decided that I really want to visit the other colleges I'm looking at.  Wheaton's dorms and campus are really nice, and I don't want to pick a college, show up, and find that I'm surrounded my miserable walls.  It would take a toll on me.

Then I had a wonderful time over Thai food (that was OH so yummy...I think that was the best Thai food experience I've ever had) reconnecting with a teacher from last year.  Miss Wagner (who is no longer Miss Wagner anymore, even though we all still call her that) was an amazing teacher, and I loved just getting to sit and talk with her.  She made me laugh, and she gave me some good perspective on college.  I could use a little more good perspective on the college drama, so if you have some dish out, please mash on the comment box.

That last sentence was filled with sensical nonsense.  Right.  

A Photojournalistic Approach

So, some of my dearest friends in the whole wide world are the Petersons (a clan that I am not related to).  I was just hanging out with them today when their dad announced he was hoping to take some family photos to send to friends in Bangladesh and such.  I became the appointed photographer.  

This one below is an exact replica of a picture they have hanging on their wall from like ten years ago.  


Many more pictures to come!  

The Goodness of God

He is kind.  And He is oh, so sweet.  Jesus has taken my hand and shown me good things in ways that blow my mind.  Absolutely blow my mind.

Tonight I met up with an old friend who began to spill out how the Lord had been so good to her, and had truly met her.  We talked about that realization that hits when you experience the touch of Christ after hearing about it for what may have seemed like a long time.  The similarities to the way God is moving in each of our lives is quite something...we both ended up working as "stage hands" in our respective ministries, and LOVING it.  

Friends, when I moved to Kansas City in June, my heart was in desperate need of something...be it rest, be it peace, I just knew I needed JESUS and I needed Him RIGHT THEN.  You see, last year was really, really, really hard for me.  There are ways my heart still feels all twisted up inside about everything, and those ways only really come up when I'm forced to face it (like being here visiting Chicago).  Suffice it to say, I was really looking forward to being refreshed by the Lord in Kansas City.  I was ready for my heart to have some peace.  And some rest.  To be free.  It ended up feeling a bit like a rumbling plane, beginning to barrel down the runway and smoothly begin to soar.

The soaring portion of it all is really because of the way Jesus met me.  He has refreshed my heart and poured out favor on me like nothing else.  I've received it, been blown away by it, been unbelieving of it (to which I felt a gentle reply: "Annie, I do good things for you.  Be okay with that" =)  I can.not. believe. the way Jesus plugged me in with TheCall.  It feels way too good to be true.  I love all the new friends I'm making, and I love being at the House of Prayer.  Going to church every Sunday is practically therapy.  It's like I could jump for joy and scream inside: "I'm with other Christians!  I'm surrounded by people who LOVE JESUS!!!!"

The nature of all this favor has surprised me, though.  The nature being the way that so much of it is physical.  It's really drawing outside the boxed lines of a "spiritual" relationship with God.  It's the part where He meets you in the way you didn't even know you needed to met.  It's the punch line where He gives you something good to show you just how GREAT He is.  

When I think about the way Jesus has been so faithful to meet and take care of my heart in the last four months, the words SWEET and TENDER come to mind.  Jesus is so sweet to us, to me.  I can't believe He met me like this.  I just can't believe it.  He is SO good, and SO faithful.  I want to say here: "Actions speak louder than words" because Jesus' actions towards me have proven those words "good" and "faithful" to my little heart.  Sometimes God calls to just soak in His love.  To spend some time trusting that He loves you because that's who He is...not because of what you do.  Sometimes His love is arms wrapped around you.  Sometimes it's a reassurance that He's right beside you.  Sometimes it's wind beneath your wings, causing you to soar in joy.

So, I want to shout it here on my blog.  I want to shout it inside me, I want to shout it to the world, I want to shout it to you.  Jesus is GOOD.  He is GOOD.  And that four-letter word hardly seems to come close to truly encapsulating or explaining this God who has met me with such sweetness, tenderness, and care.  I love Him.  And I encourage you to love Him.  Love Him with everything...with your pain, with your joy, with your success.  I promise you, He will show Himself to you.

PSALM 63:3    

"Because your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You."

Vacation

Here I sit, under a blanket, watching Pride & Prejudice, and eating granola.  I'm practically on vacation!  

Yesterday I visited school, reconnected with friends, had dinner and talked (have to update each other on our totally non-existent love lives!), tried to shop (without finding anything), and then went home.  

I stayed up way too late, tried to submit a college application, then slept a bit until getting up to "preach" in chapel.  It was my little speel, ten minutes long, about TheCall, and why abortion is such an important issue right now.  I showed them the promo video:

And then I sat in on classes.  I'm glad I'm done with high school.

I really want to write something substantial.  I do hope to post my college essay later, because it became one of those things you write and look back and think "yes" and then a few weeks later you read it again you're thinking "still yes".  But I don't want to post it yet, in case they find my blog and think I stole it from someone.  Just seems wiser to wait.

Tomorrow I visit Wheaton...I haven't been there since my sisters were in school.  I love hearing OJ's stories about all the fun he had there, and they make me want to go there...but I am still keeping my options wide open.  I want to be near a really alive church.  I know when my brother was at Stanford, they found a church that they LOVED.  And, if I went to the Northeast, there is a JHOP Boston, and I know people in New Jersey...  I'm applying early decision to the Christian colleges, so I should know by the end of the year if I get accepted at those schools.  It's getting exciting!! :)  I still need one more essay topic, though.  Any ideas?  Suggestions?  It could be about anything...

Adventures in Chicago, Day 1

Well, I made it.  I'm here.  And it feels...well, let me say that I feel like Templeton from Charlotte's Web trying to find adjectives to describe what it feels like to be back in Chicago.

The drive yesterday was long, of course.  I learned more about D-Day (Pegasus Bridge), tried to get my parents to listen to Merchant Band, ended up listening to it myself mostly on my iPod, Tweeted like I would never ever be able to tweet again, and finally made it home.

I guess I'll have to tell you later about what a shock it was to partake in Chicago driving again and the shock of the spiritual climate of the city.  I must go meet friends!  WAHOO!!!

Are you SERIOUS?

That's what I said to Amy today when she asked over g-chat: "girl, today is Sat and you haven't blogged since Tuesday. Are you alright?"

Where have I been?

Honestly, I'm not even sure myself. :) Have I mentioned my life is crazy?

Wednesday was quite the day actually. I put on Lizzie's raincoat and green silk scarf, felt put-together, drove the fun new minivan around, dropped Ariel at pre-school then took Judah to the pet store "Wha's a FERRET?", then to Target (to buy coffee and California Pizza Kitchen for OJ), then took him home, fed him, went to work at the office for a little bit, put my [Lizzie's] raincoat and scarf back on, picked up Ariel from pre-school, dropped her off at home then went back to work. Did I mention I felt productive?

Thursday...I watched Glorie. I'm pretty sure we took some pictures, but I'm pretty sure they're on Lizzie's camera, which makes me pretty sure I can't put them on here.

Somewhere between then and now there was a couple boxes of mac & cheese, some work at TheCall office, a few naps (none of them my own), a zoo trip, and two gallons of Sea Sparkle blue paint.

Sorry I can't put up pictures right now...but I'll try to soon! The zoo trip was quite something. Lots of walking. Standing under a leopard, and trying to decide whether the hippos were fighting (an idea which the people around us vehemently opposed...because why? why would it be such a foreign concept for two wild animals to fight? nothing in all creation FIGHTS? WHAT? Sometimes I worry about our world and their ideas...) or kissing ("because they were friends" as OJ explained so simply to Judah).

Two or three sleeps until Chicago...not sure yet which, but that basically sums up my life right now. Do I have everything I need? How do I pack for Cali AND Chicago? I need to go SHOPPING in Chicago... Who do I see when? How many bags of groceries can I get the McDowell's stocked up with before I leave, so as to make their life as easy as possible? Paint? Before I leave? YES!

And I should probably be sure to eat some mac & cheese between now and then also... You know, for moral support. Or something.

Please Laugh...

Because it's kinda funny

A Long Story about My Day...aka This Might be Boring for You

This morning began fine.  It wasn't a June Cleaver morning or anything, but it was fine.

We ran into a sort of quandary in terms of how to work the mornings.  I feel like one of the places I'm most helpful to my sister who constantly has a newborn-induced sleep deficit is in the morning, when the other kids wake up.  Since I'm all the way downstairs and can't hear Judah and Ariel, Suz or OJ calls my cell phone to wake me up.  Personal alarm clocks, they are!

So, this morning I came up to them and felt immediately that we HAD to find something to do.  HAD to...or else I might go crazy.  It was just one of those mornings.  I believe I felt that way because I was coming off of a productivity-high from yesterday.  Yesterday was a beautiful day.  I walked with Judah over to Glorie's house, then watched them both (including playing outside), and while they were napping, cleaned and cleaned and cleaned and cleaned, and then after they were up, they stayed happy while I came after than to re-organize every toy and book they touched and I straightened up more.  Then we had a lovely rest of the day and I went shopping late at night (which you've already heard about).  Do you remember that show Supermarket Sweep?  That was me...I grabbed the cart and raced around...grab a bag of grapes here, a jar of molasses there.  It was intense.

Back to my original point.  I was looking for an activity to do with the kids, and I thought of an aquarium.  Well, Kansas City only has an aquarium in their zoo.  The good news is that the zoo is free in October and November to KC, MO residents!  Yay for ruthless publicity stunts that actually benefit us!

**Side note...I come from Chicago which has the only permanently free zoo in the country.  Props to them for that.**

But, it was raining outside, so..the zoo wouldn't work.  Plus, when I told my sister about it, I found out that she has already planned an outing with my parents while they are here next weekend.

I kept thinking.  I remembered!  Tuesday morning prayer meeting!  It was 8:50...We needed to leave at 9:50.  The kids were sticky from waffles.  I dunked them in the bath, then got them both dressed.  Stuck them in front of Little Einsteins then went downstairs and jumped in the shower myself and went for the casual-but-I-hope-I-still-look-cute look.  9:50 passed as I raced around putting on their shoes and getting a makeshift diaper bag put together.  We ran out the door, got to the car, opened the door, and Ariel's seat was gone.

Then we stood there for a minute while I looked back and forth trying to figure out what to do.

Her booster was in OJ's work van from picking her up from pre-school the day before, and he had that van at work with him right then.  I hung my shoulder for a second and came back inside.  That meant we couldn't go anywhere (I had been secretly planning to take them to the pet store to blow off some more can't-sit-around-the-house steam).  

Then, I lifted my shoulders up and declared "WE WILL WALK!"  We had to go...had to get out of the house.  (Mind you, it's only 10 o'clock in the morning.  Why was I so determined to get out?)

So, I prepared for that.  Should we just walk or should we walk to Lizzie's?  I called Lizzie...Glorie, because of waking up unnaturally early, had to be in bed at 11, no questions asked.  Then I remembered.  The double jogger is sitting in the garage taken apart, and I don't know how to put it back together again.

Then we stood there for a minute looking around while I figured out what to do.

Meanwhile, Suz was having a less then serene morning of sleep, since the kids and I kept barging in to ask questions or give updates on our plans...she graciously tried to explain to me what she could remember of putting the stroller back together.  I tried, but it didn't happen.

For a second, I was tempted to give up and spend the morning at home. [Cue Shoulder Droop]  But NO!  WE WILL WALK! [Cue Shoulder Ascension]

So we used the umbrella stroller, each kid taking turns in it.  We did indeed walk to Glorie's house to play with her for about twenty minutes before Liz stuck little cookies in each of our hands and sent us off.  

ADVENTURE TIME!  On our way home, we spotted a beagle running around.  We spent half a block trying to lure him to us, but he just ran around excitedly.  Eventually, we got him near and I grabbed him and called the owner.  We waited on the corner and pet him until his owner came with her five year old son.

Don't worry, I explained to the kids to never, ever go after a stray dog without Mom or Dad or Annie with them.  The lesson moved on to not going after big, large, mean dogs and how I would only go after nice dogs, like beagles.  Then we passed a very angry Doberman that really helped the message get across.

Then we came home and had a party with smoothies, a new VeggieTales, and chicken nuggets.  Judah took a nap, I ran to get the booster seat from OJ, Suz took Samuel to the doctor, Ariel went to Wendy's house to make cookies and learn ballet.

THEN...everybody came home and we all dashed out to....GET A CAR!  We have a van!  A 2003, white, Toyota Sienna, and it is FABULOUS.  We fit comfortably.  It's immaculate.  It's warm and cushy, and the seat belts work.  

After the deal was done, we left the older silver van in the HyVee parking lot and all went off to Fuddruckers to have a celebratory dinner.  Let me tell you that the particular restaurant we went to was...ahem...less than hopping.  Everyone looked sad, and it made me kinda sad to watch all the other people.  Eventually we finished, pushed the kids back into the car, picked up the old van and headed home.  There is a comfy, safe van sitting in our garage.

And we are doing wonderfully, thank you.  :)

Mommy? Me, no...

My days are filled with children.  Children, children.  And dishes.  Lots of those.  It's like an internship, practically job training.

What makes my dishes different from most of my friends' dishes is that they are filled things like bottles, and binkies, and bowls where the yogurt was only half eaten.

I am almost convinced that I am currently becoming just about as prepared for physically taking care of children (only the Lord can judge the spiritual side of things) as anyone who doesn't have their own could possibly be.  My life right now is as close as it comes to the real thing without, um...the real thing.  I mean, for real?  How can you get closer without the real thing?

Last night I went grocery shopping.  At 9:30 PM.  Because, we were desperate...and you can't have kids wake up without milk for cereal...so I did all the grocery shopping (+newborn diapers...I think the checkout ladies thought they were for some newborn of mine...) last night, making it out of Target four minutes after they closed last night.

Sometimes, it's one little one.  Like right now, Judah is running around playing with his cars while I write this.  His little overalls and brown long-sleeved polo along with this dimple-smile and Brooklyn accent make my heart MELT.  Sometimes, it's holding Samuel...I changed his diaper last night while he screamed and screamed because he just doesn't like it.  :(  Sometimes, it's just two or all three...taking care of Glorie and the others...when's one's nap...when do naps need to be over in order to do what we have to in the afternoon...  Feed them, clean them, don't let them take their juice in the living room.  

Diapers?  Nothing...  Let's talk about breakfast and lunch, malt-o-meal, mac & cheese and dino nuggets.  How about bath for them, both dressed, then Little-Einsteined so that I can take a shower and dress...all in one hour, ten minutes.  How about car seats and waterbottles...ice when they want it, bubble juice when Pellegrino is added.  Kisses on the hurt toe that somehow magically make it feel all better.  Singing to them at nap time.  Knowing that Glorie doesn't want me to hold her while she drinks her milk...so I put her in the crib to let her finish it.  When she says "B Dress!" that means she wants the soft side of the blanket against her and the silky side on top.  Judah loves Z-bars...but don't spring too much new food on him without Daddy being around.  Ariel loves to play ballerina and adores having one-on-one time with you.  Movies: The McD's prefer Little Einsteins, no matter what the other choices are.  "Beeb" is the movie Babe in Glorie language.  If you hear Ariel or Judah singing about arpeggios, they got it from Aristocats.  Oh, and don't forget how the word "erroniously" got into Ariel's vocabulary.

I'm just saying...all this experience is quite thrilling.  I am getting so much good knowledge, and I am getting to know these amazing kiddos.  I am thankful that Jesus put me here, helping my sisters with their kids.  Love them to pieces!!