So Here's What's Been Up...

Life hasn't been busy so much recently as I just haven't wanted to sit and blog recently. Sorry. I have had SOME fun things happenind recently, though:

1. GRADUATION!! On May 16, I ceremoniously graduated from college with a BA in Elementary Education. (I "officially" graduated in Dec, but LU doesn't have a winter ceremony.) As much as I griped about it and didn't really want to do it, I'm glad I did. None of my family came (I told them not to worry about it) and I was okay with that because my best friend and her family were there (she also graduated) and I know that they (or, at least, SHE) cheered for me. It was nice to kind of come full circle. For those of you who don't know, my best friend Jen and I went to high school together, then went to the same college and roomed together our first two years. She moved into single parent housing when her beautiful daughter M was born, but we got to room together again our last semester. So, of course, it only made sense to graduate together again. (I kept saying I was only doing it because of that reason, and because it was her birthday, but in the end that wasn't the ONLY reason). Anyway, here are some pics from the day. I don't have any with Jen yet (they're on her and her sister's cameras), but here are some with my mom and brother:



(That last one has become a tradition because I did that at my college graduation and at my wedding. We'll probably even do it at HIS college graduation and wedding, LOL):



2. YOUTH SUNDAY
I'm so proud of my youth kids. Every year, we pick out scripture and some different materials to use to deliver the message and then guide them to the result: leading worship one Sunday in May! This year we did Isaiah 65 because of how our pastors had chosen our Dwelling passages (we've been in Isaiah since JANUARY), and I'm so proud of how all of them did! I of course helped orchestrate (no pun intended) the music worship. Overall, this was one of the best youth services we've had. Two of our kids did a skit called "The Guy with a Cardboard Christ" that was pretty freaking hilarious. It was all about a guy with a cardboard Christ and the basic lessont o be learned was that soooo many people have an image of God that isn't their image. And we did our own version of this video of this poem, "Broken Open"


3. Books.
I've been doing a lot of reading, so at least my lack of posts has been due to something constructive. I recently picked up Emily Giffin's Something Borrowed off of PaperBack Swap and enjoyed it. It was one of those easy chick lit books, very predictable, but good nonetheless. I have the sequel, Something Blue on my way to me and I just finished Baby Proof (which is not a sequel like I had thought). Here are some books on my to-read list (you can follow me on Goodreads.com, too, if you like!):
Veil of Roses by Laura Fitzgerald
Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster
The Courage Tree by Diane Chamberlain
Ask Again Later by Jill A. Davis
Vision of White by Nora Roberts
Testimony by Anita Shreve
I also finished The Shack about a week and a half ago and I have one word: AMAZING.