Summer reads

Let me say that I really love reading a good book. When I am in school I am forced to read a lot of great stuff (and some not so great stuff) that challenges my mind and influences/ refines my faith. Since I am not taking any classes this summer I get to read whatever the heck I want! So here's what had been on my nightstand / in my purse / in my suitcase so far this summer...



A Wedding in December by Anita Shreve
Good story, not to terribly deep, lots of character development.






Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill
Written well but the story is very dark, I'm just glad that I've never lived on the streets or had parents who were addicted to crack!







Light on Snow by Anita Shreve
A good story, I liked the shreds of hope that were appearing for the characters in the story. This book also made me wish it was winter and I was in a log home in New Hampshire (that's where the story takes place)





Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
This is Oprahs' book club book for the summer so Duh I had to read it. Great book that is written so well. The story is interesting for sure but not my favorite story I've ever read.




The Pigeon Finds a hot dog! by Mo Willems
The Pigeon books are some of my favorite kids books and I completed my collection with the purchase of this book. It is some brilliant literary work to say the least




The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
This has probably been my favorite book this summer. It's another story that describes a world that I know nothing about. It's slightly sad, but offers redemption and healing for the characters in the end. The movie is due out this fall so read the book before that comes out!


Currently I'm working through...

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
I don't know what is with me but again this is kind of a sad story but yet again I love it. Only a few chapters to go so I will let you know...





Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell
It's taking me awhile to get through this one but it's not for lack of content or depth...I just don't think my brain is there right now. So far I've loved what he has to say and I'm sure that in a few hours I would finish it and soak it in...just not yet.

The True and the Questions, a Journal by Sabrina Ward Harrison
Lindsey and I stumbled upon this book in Kansas City and we both love it. It is excerpts from her journal mixed with her art and then places for you to answer the same questions that she addresses. It's hard to explain but I think it asks some great life questions that you don't often find in print. I think that I'm going to use it in the fall for my small group. Why is it that some of the best questions about life and faith come from non-Christian writers?

Ok that's it for now, any reading suggestions for me to squeeze in before the homework comes?

Kansas to Florida and everything in between...

This month has been pretty jammed packed so far and last week was no exception. Last Sunday I jumped in the car with Tate, Kelsey, Cory, and Lauren and we drove to Kansas. Then while they went to camp for the week I grabbed some time with Lindsey, Drew, and Elijah in Kansas City and even a few days in Florida with Matt, Melissa, Bryce, Lily, and their cousin Garrett. It was a little random but such a great week. I appreciate the consistency of my friendships with Lindsey and Melissa and it was so great to hang out with their families for a few days. Here are a few snapshots from all of our adventures...

In the car (notice the DVD player in the middle, kids these days are so spoiled! I bet my parents wished that we had something like that on all of our drives.)
Melissa and Lily picked me up at the airport and we headed straight to the beach...rough huh!
Melissa, Bryce, Lily and I watching fireworks on the 4th
Looking at the gators at the UF campus, Lily was not so sure about being that close (there is one in the water right by us)
Misa and I
Thanks for the hairdo Lily!
Lindsey and I at the Kansas City art Museum
Eli sporting his Cubs gear at the art museum
Thanks to Tate I have been rediscovering the cd that Passion worship put out of Hymns ("Hymns - Ancient and Modern") and listening to it this week on the plane offered me some unexpected rest and perspective. My flight from Florida to Kansas was right at sunset and was absolutely beautiful. I sat there listening to Kristy Nockels sing "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" and just smiled as those words summed up how content and thankful I was flying through the air watching the sun light up the earth below. This week God blessed me in Kansas, Florida and through everything in between.

Family

This past week held a few major milestones for us around here and was a bit of a whirlwind but still really fun. Monday was my mom and dad's 30th anniversary and Thursday was my Grandma and Grandpa's 60th anniversary. I do think that it is amazing that both of these couples have been married for so long and I'm really proud to have that example in my life. For Grandma and Grandpa's anniversary my Aunt Carol and my cousins Landon and Laura came for a visit. We had a simple dinner with Gma and Gpa's neighbors on Thursday night to celebrate with them, pretty low key and just what they wanted. I love my grandparents and I'm glad that we got to honor them this week.

Landon, Laura, Sophie, and I...the cousins (minus ben and michele)
Sophie...

A yummy cake plus pictures of gma and gpa on their first date, their engagement pic, their wedding pic, and their 50th anniversary pic
Grandma looking at her new necklace from Grandpa, "60 years, no regrets"
Grandpa's toast
Mom and Aunt Carol's toast
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Also we (Sophie, Laura, Tate, Kristen, and I) went to the mountains on Friday, which was awesome. It was my first time up this summer and we went to my 2 favorite places in Rocky Mountain National Park and I just really love those girls and it was fun to hang out with them.

I agree...

This is what the totally reliable quiz online said so I should probably follow it...

You Should Spend Your Summer at the Beach

You're a free spirit who is always thinking of new ways to have fun. And you don't just love summer... you live for it. So, you really should blow off your responsibilities and head to the beach!

Where Should You Spend Your Summer?

Country USA

I got back last night from Wisconsin where I was working for my dad running camera at Country USA. It's this huge country music festival that lasts for 5 days and had over 175,000 people come through this year. My dad is in charge of taping the bands that then goes on the 2 screens so that everyone can see who is performing. It's a lot of fun to hang out with my dad for those 5 days and then crew that goes is always a lot of fun. We had a bit of an adventure this year when the farmer who lives behind the site was pissed about the noise and decided to get back at the festival owner by shooting his rifle during one of the breaks. It was really freaky because no one really knew what was going on and it freaked me right out for sure. But they caught him and all his shooting friends. It was lots of fun though even though I'm pretty sure I've heard enough country music for awhile...

Here's the crew...
and the festival site from the air...

Who not What

So far this summer has been defined more by who I've been with rather than what I've been doing this summer. Coming out of this year of school I knew that what my heart, my mind, my soul needed was some rest and refreshment...and so far I have found that in these past few weeks. I was at Jason Stocker's concert last Tuesday night sitting at a table with my Mom, Tate, Michele, Kristen, Debbie, Gloria, Janelle, and others and I was overwhelmed by this room packed with people who I have known for so long and it just felt good to all be there together. I had this image of all these little strings connecting people and representing this community that we have somehow built. And then the sad thing is that we are getting more and more spread out. I guess this is more of a comment on how I few my circle of friends and how frustrated I am that plane tickets separate me from so many people that I love so much and who I want to do life with. I know that one thing that is scary to me about graduating from seminary is the thought of moving somewhere based on the position that is offered when really what I would want to do is move somewhere with my friends and do life together...idealistic I know but it would be cool.

Next week my Aunt Carol and cousins Landon and Laura are coming out so that we can all celebrate my Grandparents 60th anniversary. It's really just so great to have grandparents that are still around and involved in our lives and I think it's amazing that they have been married this long!

Then the week after that I'm packing in a great trip that involved lots of time with some people who make me a better person for sure. I'm heading out to Kansas with Tate and some junior high girls and while they are at camp I will fly to Florida to see Matt, Melissa, Bryce, and Lily Christensen and spend the 4th of July there. Then at the end of the week I will come back to Kansas City to stay with Drew, Lindsey, and Elijah Osborne for a few days. Linz and Melissa I can't wait to see a bit of your worlds!

I love the people in my life...

Summer so far

Life is pretty relaxed and a bit random these days, but the rest and the refreshing change of pace feels really great. Here are a few highlights of the past few weeks...

A week ago we went to one of Ben's rehearsals for their summer tour. One of the things that Ben has started to do for their tours is to help design the look of the stage with the lights and set and everything and this tour is the biggest visual set they have had yet. As proud as I always am of Ben, it was so amazing to see what he helped do with this tour. Another thing about watching them that night that I appreciated was that they are doing their cover of "hips don't lie" on their show and when they play they song it just makes me laugh so dang hard. Way to go Ben, we can't wait to watch you rock it at red rocks in August! ( this is a picture of one of the "looks" of their show)





Along the lines of concerts, Sophie and I kicked of the summer concert season with the John Mayer / Ben Folds show at Red Rocks Friday night. Soph had been sick the day before the show but she pulled herself together enough to go see her BFF John. We had lots of fun, and it was a beautiful night to enjoy red rocks (I freakin love that place). Here are a few pictures from our night...



















One last thing is that Sophie left on Saturday for her missions trip to Alaska. She was really excited and we are really excited for her. She was feeling a little sick when they left but I think that she will pull it together and hopefully have a really great week. This will totally sound like a pathetic big sister, but sometimes in my mind she is still 5 so the fact that she is on her first missions trip is really weird and really cool. Here's us at the airport...we are weird...

I will probably have more adventures to tell you about soon!