closing a chapter

Friday, June 8, 2012

A few days ago, all I could think about was how work couldn't end any sooner. But yesterday during circle time, Sam crawled into my lap and it almost made me cry thinking how tomorrow is our last day together. So I'm spending as much time as I can with him, doing the things he loves most: reading 'Airport' by Byron Barton, letting him drive me around in circles on the double bike whilst screaming on sharp turns, eating popcorn, and rolling around the carpet like a puppy. If 3-year-olds could read, I'd write a letter to Sam that'd go something like this:

Sup yo. I just want to tell you...I LOVE YOU AND I'M GOING TO MISS YOU SO MUCH. You're my best friend. Did you know that? Remember when you first came to school and peed in your pants everyday because you were scared of the toilet and how you'd scream bloody murder and sob endlessly whenever a bumble bee came close to you? Sure it took a few dozen extra underpants and nearly an  hour of convincing you to wave hello and greet every single bumble bee friend that passed by, but look at you now! I'm so proud of you :) I'm going to miss helping you off the bus everyday, cutting up your chicken nuggets/fish sticks/veggie burger, hearing you nag incessantly to play the computer, reading "Airport" to you on the couch, and hearing you declare such things as "OH! It's a poop! oh...It's a big one!" from the bathroom. Anyways, I hope I've helped you become a better person as much as you've helped me. That's what best friends are for, right?

OK GONNA CRY. BYE.

EPIC ADVENTURE WEEKEND

Sunday, June 3, 2012

• threw a tea party! 
• went skydiving. Not as epic as I had imagined or been told. Felt like my lungs were collapsing during free fall. Almost pooped my pants.
• Beat Act 1 of Diablo 3. Fighting demons/undead/witches/giant exploding potbelly monsters by my lonesome was not an easy feat. Almost pooped my pants.
• went wall climbing and finished a 5.8 without falling. Forearm muscles rendered almost completely useless
• went to korean bbq. Almost finished all my food. Almost threw up all over myself. 

It's been a while

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Lexi: I know someone who has 2 daddies
Vasilios: I know someone who has 2 mommies
Ms. Amy: Oh yea? Would you like it if you had 2 daddies?
Vasilios: ...that would be awesome!
Ms. Amy: How about if you had 2 mommies?
Vasilios: noooo. that would be HORRIBLE!

Owen: if you do that one more time, I'm going to tell on you...forever

Ms.Lin: Hey Nicholas, do you teach your little brother how to do things?
Nicholas: HECK NO

CS Lewis ftw

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

"But the great thing to remember is that, though our feelings come and go, His love for us does not. It is not wearied by our sins, or our indifference; and, therefore, it is quite relentless in its determination that we shall be cured of those sins, at whatever cost to us, at whatever cost to Him" 

preschool quotes of recent

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

These quotes aren't really that cute unless you can see the child they are coming out of. So to give a pretty accurate description of what she looks like...

the afformentioned child looks like an Ice Climber

Ella (on the potty): I sure do have a lot of peepee today, Ms. Becky

Ella (waking up from naptime): Ms. Becky, can you help me find my other sock? It's hide-n-go-seeking from me

Me: gaaaaahhh. ella...those are some serious toots. Do you need to poop?
Ella: no. Just put your hand over your mouth like this

Kayleigh: *randomly starts screaming and crying*
Ms. Amy: ok....so she either didn't take a nap...or she's on her period

Me: Hmm...I wonder what happens to food after it goes into your tummy
Myer: um. I think it has a party
Me: I think you're right

Myer: Long ago, when my mommy and daddy were babies...and before they knew they had eachother....my daddy had a golden retriever. But the golden retriever got sick and had to go to heaven.

Myer's mom: Myer, time to go
Myer: *puts on sadface* maaaaaa....can we take Ms.Becky home today?

Our sin for His righteousness

Martyn Lloyd-Jones:

We can put it this way: the man who has faith is the man who is no longer looking at himself and no longer looking to himself. He no longer looks at anything he once was. He does not look at what he is now. He does not even look at what he hopes to be as the result of his own efforts. He looksentirely to the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work, and rests on thatalone. He has ceased to say, “Ah yes, I used to commit terrible sins but I have done this and that.” He stops saying that. If he goes on saying that, he has not got faith. Faith speaks in an entirely different manner and makes a man say, “Yes I have sinned grievously, I have lived a life of sin, yet I know that I am a child of God because I am not resting on any righteousness of my own; my righteousness is in Jesus Christ and God has put that to my account.”

Thanks givin'

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

So there's this particular time of the month where all I'm capable of doing is eating a lot of food and being really irrational/emotional. It's quite horrible really....UNLESS said time of the month happens to coincide with Thanksgiving day. Result: stomach capacity and consumption rate tripled. Good. game. All the turducken are belong to me.

Unfortunately, day after Thanksgiving was easily one of the worst days of my life. Mostly because I almost died. Had planned on touring DC/museums with Jen + Josh + Shea, but ended up lying on some random bench in front of the Natural History Museum...suffering from the worst pain I have ever experienced in all my years of life. I remember thinking to myself, "should I tell them to call the hospital? NONONO, I'm stronger than this. Wait......ok. I am dying for real. Or I am giving birth to an alien. Dear God, please don't let me die on this bench". I was able to somehow babble through the pain and delirium that Jen/Josh/Shea needed to go walk around DC without me and check out some memorials because it was an absurdly beautiful day. They left. I passed out on the bench in fetal position. I awoke 30 minutes later....alive. Much of the pain had subsided (thank you God and Jen for Advil) but I was clearly dehydrated, dizzy, and disoriented. Long story short, an old Romanian man came along, sat on my bench, stared at me, started making 'friendly' talk, which quickly evolved into....UNSOLICITED HUGS AND SMOOCHY FACES. D: I GTFO'd, to say the least. Reconvened with cousins at Natural History Museum feeling 300% dirtier than when they left me. 

Not gonna lie. It was hard watching Turkey Bowl this year for more reasons than one. Of course I miss the team, the comraderie/fellowship...but deep down I know what I miss the most is that overwhelming sense of accomplishment I felt every time I scored a touchdown or made an interception. Football made me feel like I was somebody and I was so willing to give everything I had to get to the top and be the best I could possibly be. It wasn't so much of a dedication to the team as it was dedication to nurturing my deep hunger for achievement and glory. But thanks to God (and another ACL tear), He has been humbling and freeing me from this particular 'deep' idol. And in these times when I'm tempted to wallow in self-pity over disappointments and failures, wish that circumstances were different, or doubt His goodness/fairness...He gives me grace to realize that my life is a gift infinitely better than anything I deserve. He gives me grace to believe and be thankful that He works all things together for His glory and my greatest good. Last year on Turkey Bowl morning, I wrote this verse on my wrist - "He must become greater, I must become less" - John 3:30. I prayed that He would do whatever it would take to make that happen. He did. And for that I am overwhelmingly thankful.

He takes away. But He also replaces with something so much more amazing.