I can get wound up pretty tight when I feel stressed. Most people who know me would say that that's an understatement. That's how I had been feeling lately. Over the past few weeks the tension has continued to mount and the to-do list continued to grow. I started to feel out of control and I was miserable. I finally found relief this weekend at the Moms & Sons retreat.I had been in CA all week for work and flew back in on Friday. I had intended to take the earliest flight out and arrive h... Read Full Story

I'm an over-planner in recovery. My natural tendency to plan things down to the millisecond. I'll admit I have actually refused to make a rest stop on the side of the road because the rigorous family vacation schedule did not allow time (I guess I forget that others are not as fortunate to have a very trained and obedient bladder as myself). So far, I haven't been able to locate a support group for those afflicted with this disorder, but I am learning my...slowly.Recently, I had a lesson in t... Read Full Story

The past two weeks have been exhausting for us. Last weekend we drove to Branson and back and this weekend we drove to Fort Smith and back. That's a lot of miles...and two flat tires! We had two reasons for our southern odyssey. First, we wanted to visit Mom, my grandma (PL for pink lady) and PM (for Pig's mom). Second, we had the opportunity to speak at PL's church and my home church about our mission work in Honduras. The bonus was that we left CT down in Branson for the week in between the... Read Full Story

The following is an excerpt from my travel journal from our first mission to El Sembrador, Honduras.January 26, 2009 - 96 degrees; humidMalaria Medication NightToday we spent most of the day on our projects, but we did take a short tour to see the boys cutting grass with their machetes. It looks like gruelling work. PK gave it a try, but he was tired after just a few minutes. The boys do it for eight hours straight. It seems mean, but it's how they teach the boys work ethic. It's also a way f... Read Full Story

Yesterday I went to a Chinese restaurant for lunch. Below is the text from my fortune cookie."You will travel far and wide"It's a little thing, but sometimes a little things can offer a lot of encouragement and hope. Read Full Story

Last Friday, I came home from work to have lunch with CT. We had a nice, pleasant lunch, but I was reluctant to go back to work (no surprise). So, I wasn't really all that broken up when I go stopped in traffic by the train. There I was sitting there minding my own business. Of course, I wasn't alone. I was surrounded by other commuters mindlessly fiddling with their radios and munching on fast food. There were families riding their bikes on the sidewalk and a jogger pacing at the crosswalk. ... Read Full Story

This past weekend, PK, CT and I went to PK's hometown to visit his family's church. We spoke about our mission and asked for prayer and financial support. PK has trouble ordering at a drive-thru window, so I was the speaker. But after the service, PK stayed in the lobby to answer questions and show our DVD. I was very impressed. He wasn't nervous at all and everyone could tell how excited he is about El Sembrador. I, on the other hand, was shaking. I felt a lot of pressure not to ... Read Full Story

The following is an excerpt from my travel journal from our first mission to El Sembrador, Honduras.January 25, 2009We had to get up early again this morning - 4:30 a.m. We had to leave the guesthouse by 5:00 in order to get to the school in time for church. It was hard to get up so early for the second day in a row. I didn't sleep well. The noise continued all night. Then I awoke to the sound of a crowing rooster. Convinced that we had overslept, I woke Steve up to ask if he had heard it... Read Full Story

It's amazing what a cute new nail polish can do for your outlook. Last night I got a new bottle of cocoa colored nail polish with glitter. Spring has finally arrived and I can wear my open-toed heels to work. Every time I look down and see that little twinkle, I can't help but smile. Yep, glitter nail polish can work wonders on a Monday.b Read Full Story

We're trying to get our house ready to rent out. In order to get enough to cover the mortgage payment while we're in Honduras, we need to finally finish the downstairs bathroom. As some of you may know, the bathroom has been a blight on our marriage. After 8 years of fighting, we finally have incentive to kiss, make up and install a toilet. Anyway, this week PK is building walls. I'm not exactly sure what building walls entails, but apparently there's something to do with sand... Read Full Story