Have a great weekend!

I'm out of town again this weekend. Going back home for a couple of days. Planning on meeting some new friends and catching up with some old ones. Details to follow whenever I have time again to blog. Have a fun and safe 4th of July if I don't see you before then.

I started thinking today

I started thinking today
About the way things use to be
About the way you always
Smiled when you were around me.

I started thinking today
How life has seemed to change
The way we dress the way we talk
Even to me it all seems strange.

I started thinking today
About what might have been
If I had taken a different path
Could I really still win?

I started thinking today
And for a moment I was sad
I miss you much every day
But know in Heaven you are glad.

Holy Bat-Cave, Batman!

Well, it wasn't exactly the "Bat Cave" or at least we didn't see any bats or Batman, but one of the fun things we got to do at camp last week was explore a cave on site. It didn't go very far but the kids had fun checking it out.

Trivia Tips

This is making it's way around the blog world. I thought I'd join in. Have fun!

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Leslee!

1. Finding Leslee on Christmas morning is believed to bring good luck.
2. The Leslee-fighting market in the Philippines is huge - several thousand Leslee-fights take place there every day.
3. More than one million stray dogs and half a million stray cats live in Leslee!
4. A thimbleful of Leslee would weigh over 100 million tons.
5. To check whether Leslee is safe to eat, drop her in a bowl of water; rotten Leslee will sink, and fresh Leslee will float.
6. Leslee will often glow under UV light.
7. Leslee has only one weakness - the colour yellow.
8. In Chinese, the sound 'Leslee' means 'bite the wax tadpole'.
9. Plato believed that the souls of melancholy people would be reincarnated into Leslee.
10. US gold coins used to say 'In Leslee we trust'.

I am interested in - do tell me aboutherhimitthem

Teenage Dictionary

Camp was a blast and if I sat here and told you all about it I wouldn't do it justice, so I'll just hit on some moments that made an impression on me.

On Thursday, the first full day, it rained. Rain is not something teenagers plan for. I brought an umbrella. I went to camp from ages 9-19. It always rains, at least one day. Shelbi and I decided to walk to the cafeteria. I took my umbrella to sheild us from the rain. As we rounded the top of the first hill another girl, whose name I forgot to get, shouted, "You have an umbrella, that's beast!" I smiled and agreed that yes, I did indeed have an umbrella as we pasted on the road. I then turned to my teenage companion and asked if I had just been complimented or insulted.

Beast has not made it into Dictionary.com as a slang word, but if it was there I imagine the definition would look something like:

Slang.
Excellent; first-rate: You brought an umbrella, that's beast!

Our group later decided to make up our own words and use them. Our positive word is Skant(sk-ant). Used in a sentence would look something like this, 'The music was skant!' or 'I have money left over! That's skant!'

Our negative word is actually being used in Enid High already, but I feel like I've been accepted as a cool person by being introduced to the word Boof (boo-f). Used in a sentence it would look something like this, 'The cafeteria food was boof!' or 'The bottle of water that I buy at home for $.89 cents cost me $1.50! That's boof!'

Now that I've shared these three words with you, feel free to use them around teenagers. They'll probably look at you like you're crazy, but when don't they?

I'm back

Just a short post this evening. We had a blast at camp this week and have all made it home safe and sound. I took a couple of pictures and if I can figure out how to get them off my phone and look decent I'll post some tomorrow. (I know how to email me the pictures from my phone, but they don't look that great when I open them up- if you have any bright ideas let me know).

Thanks for being well behaved while I was gone!

Nerves

My grandmother was a nervous soul. We lived about 30 minutes from town growing up but if she knew we were in town and on our way home she would sit and stew until we gave her a little phone call telling her we arrived safe and sound. Luckily we lived close, some of my aunts, uncles, and cousins lived a couple hours away! My mother has some of these nerves too, but I don't think they're quite as bad. If they are she's pretty good at hiding them. Me, I've never been one to be nervous. But there are occasions. Like tonight. It's 4:30 am. I have to "get up" in about thirty minutes to get ready for the big trip to camp. I've been awake for a little over two hours. My stomach has been in knots ever since I woke up. To be honest, it's driving me crazy. In between trips to the bathroom to throw up I've been begging God to just take these nerves away. I've prayed for everyone I can think of. I've asked for protection over the students, even the ones I haven't met yet. I've asked for protection over my family. But still I find no comfort.

About 9 o'clock last night (tonight?) it finally sunk in to Peanut that I would be leaving for a few days. We've spent time apart before. She's a champ when it comes to spending the night with her friends and a couple times a year she stays with her grandmother in Tulsa for four or five days, without me and daddy. I've taken weekend trips with my mom, without her. But for some reason tonight she got very upset. Which of course got me very upset, but I tried so hard not to show it. I tried to comfort her. I assured her that I would miss her too, but I would call her and I'd be home before she knew it. She's going to have so much fun. She gets to go to the park today, skating on Friday, and maybe swimming if Ms Lynn's pool gets fixed soon. Because of our room arrangments I have to take twin sized sheets. Well, the only twin sized sheets we have are hers, of course. She's letting me take her Dora sheets so I will think of her every night. She also insisted I take one of her babies. I made her a necklace out of old necklace pieces tonight to wear while I was gone. It's a daisy that has one of those mood stones in it. I didn't try to explain that too her though.

And I guess a part of me is a little on the anxious side because I thought we were coming home on Saturday, but on this last Sunday I found out it will be Sunday before we're home. Just 24 extra hours, but that's enough to get me all twisted up inside.

So friends, I ask you say a little prayer for me and my family this weekend. Now I think I'm going to go ahead and take a shower then maybe find some chamomile tea and see if that helps calm my nerves.

Friday Funny Picture (a few days early)

I don't know if I'll be able to post while I'm out of town so here for your entertainment is this week's funny picture. Sojourning Pilgrim emailed me a bunch of pictures and I'm having fun laughing at them. If you have something clever to say, please share it with the whole class!

Do I have everything?

Ok, so I think I'm through packing...maybe. I've got clothes for about a week (just in case, you know), a couple of towels, wash cloths, umentionionables (I'm probably going to get some crazy google hits from saying that word), 5 pairs of shoes (I only need two, I'd prefer to wear my flip-flops but I'm just not sure how this Church Camp will welcome the tattoo on my foot so I have shoes that cover it up too), some trash bags for dirty clothes (and a few extra in case some of our kids forget), shampoo and conditioner, my tooth brush and tooth paste will get packed in the morning along with my makeup, I have two Bibles (King James Version and The Message), a 69 page print out of the lessons for the week, tape, poster board, sissors, high lighters, and pens.

Oh.. markers, need to find some markers, and an iron.

I have post-it notes, index cards, cell phone, a little cash, and my ID.

gosh, I hope I haven't forgotten anything.

Oh, medicine. I need some headache meds, vitamins, and allergy meds...

What eles?

I'm sure I'll think of it by 6 am. Right?

See ya in a few days.

Hay

We went to the grocery store today. I let Nickel and Peanut pick out food they wanted to eat while I was gone. I won't even begin to tell you how much of it was junk food. I guess they'll survive though. As we were heading home a large truck carrying hay passed us.

Peanut: Why does that truck have a bunch of grass?

Daddy: It's hay.

Peanut: It's grass.

Daddy: Sorta. Cows and horses eat it.

Peanut: Cows and horses eat grass.

Daddy: Ok.

Peanut: Oh, I bet it's going to Egypt for Baby Moses.

Shopping, Weddings, and Vacation

I have a love/hate relationship with shopping. But my latest shopping spree was so much fun. My family and I went to Old Navy the other weekend and I wanted some new pants to take to camp next week so I grabbed some in my usual size and took them to the dressing room. Once there I tried them on. They seemed a little big. I was able to take the pants off without unbuttoning or unzipping them.

I squealed!

I had to buy a size smaller then my usual! I have a new usual! It's so exciting to loose weight!

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I had a wedding nightmare today. Everything that could go wrong for this couple did. It was sad. They didn't like the gold candelabra we offer so they rented some from a local place. Neither one would stand up straight or hold the candles. So today around noon I was putting out my gold ones and wrapping as much tulle as possible around it to hide the gold. I think she hated it, but that was just too bad.

Then after everyone was gone and I was cleaning up I discovered Champaign in the dressing room.

Um, hello! This is a church. Our rules specifically say NO ALCOHOL! What part of that did you not understand? Now I understand why I couldn't get you out of the dressing room and down the aisle!!!!

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I'm so glad I'm on vacation next week! Monday is my and Nickel's anniversary. I plan on cleaning house. Tuesday Peanut has a dentist appointment and will play with me the rest of the day. Wednesday I leave with the youth from my church for camp!!! I'm excited to see what it'll be like. I know it's going to be different then the one I grew up in. The following Monday I'm going to stay home by myself to clean up the mess that Nickel and Peanut will make in my absence.

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Have a great weekend!

The Ten Commandments

In case you were wondering what the 10 commandments would be like if they were written today, go check this Ben's blog I promise, you'll laugh.

Clicks

I work for a wonderful church, but even working for a church can have it's down sides. The work is easy and atomsphere is relaxed, maybe a little too relaxed.

I was thinking about high school just yesterday. A conversation with a friend sparked a memory about this boy I was so "in love" with. Ha! I didn't know what love really was. But that's not my point. My point is, even though I miss highschool, because I actually had a lot of fun, there are somethings I don't miss one bit. One of them, PE, I've been exercising more and my own schedule and at my own pace, but I don't miss PE class. Where you get sweaty at 10 am then have 5 minutes to take a shower, get re-dressed, fix your hair AND makeup, and if it's picture day you might as well call in sick for third hour.

Another thing I don't miss about highschool is the Clicks. You know what I'm talking about, those five or six girls that were cheerleaders and wouldn't talk to you unless you had the answers to 5th hour's English assignment that they forgot to do. Yeah, I pretty much loathed those girls. There were boy clicks too, the "I'm too hot to date you" boys for example. I didn't like them either. But I thought after highschool those clicks would end.

College started out great. I miss those days actually. There were new people to meet, new places to go, and new things to do. Suddenly, all that other crap just faded away. There were still clicks, they were renamed "Fraternities and Sororities" but I didn't notice them as much. After I dropped out, got married, and moved far far away from home I thought, I'm too old to be around the clicks that haunted me from age 5-18. Boy, was I wrong. I work with 8 other people. EIGHT. Yeah, you read that right. And I still have to deal with clicks. But now, there's just two to four people in the clicks and if for some reason they don't want you to be part of the group, then you're not part of the group. I just wish these people, who are my age, would grow up already. I did. It's not that hard, nor is it that bad.

I'm starting to wonder if it's a Mommy thing. I have a kid, obviously, and they don't. Does the fact that you want everyone to be part of the group (especially when there is only 8 to the actual group) come from squirting another human life out of your body? I could tell you a story about the click here at work, but I don't want to waste the space.

Paul tells us in Galatians 5:14, "The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." I'm going to attempt to apply this to my life. I pray they grow up someday soon.

Summer Time

I realize I haven't sat down and actually talked to you lately. I've been pretty busy and I thought I'd take a few moments on this glorious Sunday to tell you what's going on before I get my grungy clothes on and start the much needed house work.

I've been on a new "diet" for the last 35 days or so. I say "diet" like that because it's really about life change and not just a fad diet. It's a series of biblical lessons at Setting Captives Free. I actually started it back in November but quickly abandoned it because I thought it (the fasting schedule) was too hard. Then a friend I know through my work started it and needed an accountability partner so I started over on day 5 because that was the day she was up to. I still struggled in the beginning because my flesh didn't want to give up any food but then I started learning about the freedom we have in Christ and it clicked in my mind. I have learned so much about my sin of gluttony through this course and am looking forward to the next 20 or so days left in the course. In total (since November) I've lost 7 pounds but I've doubled my exercise AND most importantly I've tripled my time with God. That's one of the reasons I haven't been around as much.

Along with my new "diet" I've been exercising more. At the church I work at we have a gymnasium with a walking track on the second floor. Throughout the day I try to get in 8-15 laps. 15 laps = 1 mile. I've also been taking my dog on a mile walk around the neighborhood at night.

The first year of dance officially ended on the 3rd with out final performance. However, because I didn't want to give up on the exercise I so enjoyed I signed up for Pilates on Wednesday nights and Jazz on Thursday nights during the summer. Last week was our first week and I loved both classes. There were only four people in the pilates so our teacher could watch each of us to make sure we had our form down right. And all the people in my Jazz class were familular faces which made it that much more fun.

Next, the last time I was at church camp was 8 years ago and basically I just spent the nights there since I was working full time. I missed out on the Bible lessons each day, the swimming and recreation, but was there for church services each night and discussed anything with the girls in my dorm as needed. I realized last year after listening to Doc talk about the Church Camp they experience that year just how much I really missed it. This year I asked if they needed any female sponsors and as a matter of fact they could use me. We leave on the 21st for four days in Missouri and I'm getting more excited by the minute. I started looking at the lessons yesterday. The theme is Phroneo Christou or The Attitude of Christ. I know it's not like the camp I grew up and was a counselor in (that one still doesn't have air conditioning) but it's still the same concept.

I hope your summers are filled with things you love to do. I'll post as often as I can and I'll check in on you when time permits, but if you don't see me for a few days try not to worry (ha!).

Phriday Phunny Photo

Got a funny caption? Leave it in the comment section for everyone to enjoy.

What Up Dawg

My mom snagged this picture this weekend. I'm not sure what these two were plotting, but I'm sure the cat, lower right corner, was in on it too.

The BEST compliment of my life

Ok, I wish I had a bunch of really really cool pictures to show you of this amazing weekend, but I don't really have much. My mom took this picture of me. I was obviously standing on the stage and she wasn't. Not my best angle, but it's what I have to share with the class so here you go.



Maybe I'll come across some better pictures and post them. This weekend was amazing. We had dress rehersal Friday morning and it went as smoothly as dress rehearsals do. Our first performance was Friday night and it was amazing. I think even the girls who had done this before were a little jittery from nerves. There was this one piece that about made me cry everytime I watched it. It was the Ballet 1 class and they did a cute little piece and then their daddies came out on stage and picked them up like the big ballerinas. I don't know how Ms Nikki got the dads to do it, but they stole the show!

Saturday morning after taking us out to breakfast I took my mom to my favorite coffee shop where I got the BEST compliment of my whole life! This girl comes out of the back and says, "Hey! Weren't you one of those dancers from last night?" I was shocked and amazed! I was out of the setting. In street clothes. And she, who up to that point had never met me before recognized me! I had to pick my jaw up off the floor to talk to her! She and I talked for a few moments about how she had friends in the Hip Hop dance and how great the show had been and how she was planning to come see it again that night. It was pretty cool. Then this morning I stopped in on my way to work and she was there again. "You're name's Leslee, right?" she says to me. It wasn't hard to figure out my name. It was listed in the program for both Peanut's dance (I played a part in her dance) and the adult jazz I was in. But I still thought it was cool that I was recognized. I feel like a star!

High Speed Chase

ENID-- It appeared to be a routine traffic stop. The siren sounded from the Enid police cat as it pulled behind the red Dora Bicycle with no training wheels. What happened next, police officials said Saturday, highlights the police department's commitment to avoiding dangerous high-speed police chases. Minutes earlier, Enid Prolcat Flower said she observed the bike crossing onto the wrong side of the road a couple of times. Flower said she had the dispatcher check the license plate on the bike and was told it belonged to a black '79 Camaro. Flower was unable to turn on the emergency lights but sounded her siren. The driver of the bike pulled over, got off the bike and began walking toward the patrol cat, police claim. Flower meowed for the driver to stop and return to her bike, she said, but the girl allegedly kept approaching. Flower said she yelled again for the girl to return to the bike. The driver stood at the rear of the bike, Flower said, and the girl said, "No, I'm right here." Again, Flower said she ordered her back to the bike. The girl obeyed, she said, and walked along the driver's side of the bike. Seconds after she got on the bike, Flower said, the bike wheels spun in place as the tires attempted to gain traction. As the bike gained traction and drove off down The Street. Flower said she jumped and pursued after the bike with the siren on. The bike turned left onto Drive Way, according to the police report. Flower said she continued to follow the bike in an attempt to pull the driver over again. The driver refused, she said, and continued up Drive Way toward the intersection of Garage and House. The posted speed limit in the area is 1 mile per hour. The bike driver traveled at 2 to 3 miles per hour, according to Flowers report. "It became obvious to me that she had no intentions of stopping," Flower wrote in her report. "As I passed BasketBall Goal, I disengaged siren." The bike was last seen on the entrance ramp to Garage. Enid Police Sgt. Nana said Flower's handling of the situation followed the department's policies. They do not engage in high-speed chases, according to Nana. They can pursue the person as long as the pursuit does not become dangerous. Flower said she initially observed the bike backing out of the driveway. Flower later identified the driver through a photo line-up as Peanut. Police said she will face new charges of eluding a police cat, right half of roadway violations, operating without a license, and operating an unregistered vehicle.

Friday Funny Picture

I figured if I'm going to be dancing the weekend away you might as well have a funny picture to look at! So, here you go. The game is simple, if you have a funny caption for this picture put it in the comments. No R Rated comments, there are some kids that occasionly read this blog and I will delete any I don't feel are appropriate for them to read. Other then that have a great weekend. I hope to have pictures of Peanut and I at recital for you soon!