Summer Stats

Well, since May, I have:

- Eaten about a million of the mangos mentioned in my last post.

- Added another year to my life.  28!?  Really?

- Decided to try to use proper capitalization again in my blog.  Stylistically, I liked all lowercase.  But, it might be time?

- Went through Partnership Development training (yes, 5 years into living as support based missionary - maybe a tad bit overdue?).

- Visited 5 billion potential rental houses, found one, and moved in - with my roommate Tara.

- Had the first moving day in 5 years where I didn't break down and cry!  Not once!  Praise God and the amazing team of people who helped us.  By NOON on moving day everything was out of our old house, kitchen was almost completely unpacked, beds were set up and made, living room finished and everyone was eating lunch.  I took a nap on moving day!  How awesome is that?

- Took a day away with God to focus my 28th year - He gave me a verse on His mercy - "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy." My prayer for this year is that I would understand God's mercy and be generous with it myself.  And that I would stop focusing all my efforts on the "righteous" things I think I'm doing!

- Spent a last hurrah day at Busch Gardens with my roommates as we went from a trio to a duo.

- Made cute baby things.

- Started really enjoying the new house.

- Started really disliking both of my neighbors dogs' barking.

- Given the communion/offering message twice - stood in amazement in how God provides the words I need, when I need them and somehow uses bumbly me to speak to other's hearts.

- Worked.  A lot.  Hard.  Cried with people.  Celebrated with them.  Crossed another name off my board as they went to the mission field.  Stood in anticipation of reports of the gospel being shared globally.

- Did a mini photo shoot to get a new picture for my prayer card.

- May have figured out what to do about all my little short hairs (re-growth from the hair that fell out last year due to stress, I kid you not)!

- Dressed like a cow to get free chicken.

(how cute is my preggo cow friend, Helen?)

- Discovered how deeply I love Mason jars.

- Became addicted to Pintrest. It's so helpful and fun!

- And most recently, decided to totally nerd-out and watch all the Harry Potter movies for the first time.  (I was never opposed to them and realized that someday if I read/watched and enjoyed them, I would kick myself for never seeing any of the movies on the big screen.  I would prefer to read first, but this time I'm going to have to do it the other way around.  I'm sure I'll still read them someday, probably when my kids read them.)