whirlwind of friend visits and thundermuffin mission complete!

so i continue on my short vacation...this morning i got up early and headed to the park to exercise...i walked a lap, ran a lap (mostly) ease back into it. going to have to 'push the envelope' if i want to get serious about toning up. then i began my trek down to branson!

oh, branson. i like you small...please stop growing.

i love branson. don't judge. first stop: dick's 5 and dime. i had to get a miniature pig...and found some other animals i had to have...why you ask? because someone, somewhere is going to be in need of a smile at some point, and i am going to supply it in the form of a miniature animal. wait for it... then i made my way down to the flea market-i always go when i am in town, because they have my favorite sheets-since 2011 so...yep, got new sheets-yum. and then it was time to head out to college of the ozarks to see my dear friend kristin. 

we had two hours to ourselves to catch up-the kids were down visiting their grandparents, and kyle was at a convention (i believe). it was so good to laugh and there were just so many things to talk about-a full day would still not have been enough time! i do appreciate this young lady-she lives to love on people and does it so well! kristin is the picture of grace under fire. i really wish she and my co-counselor, lindsey wheeler knew each other; they would be fast friends, because they have so much in common! it is amazing to me how some of my most compassionate, caring friends are the ones who are fighting physical ailments that to the general public, aren't visible-and in many cases if you don't know them, you'd never know the pain and exhaustion they deal with on a daily basis, because they would never complain about it. i admire them immensely! 

then i made my way over to lampe, mo, k2! the lady at the security post asked if i needed a visitor pass: yes, i'm pretty sure i should. when i told her i was just there to visit, she said, "that's great! lucky you-wish i had the day to go down and play...what all are you going to get to do?" my response: i'm just going to visit with trish for a little bit. that's all.  (at a camp that has lake access, jet skis, wake-boarding, every sport under the sun...i'm just here to chat...with one of my 'inner circle' friends). we just need to sit and catch up every once in awhile-i love our friendship (since '98) because it's so stable. she said it best today, and i can reciprocate- if i ever REALLY needed something, i know i could/and would go to her; one who would never commercialize on me, and will always speak TRUTH. so even though we only had maybe 45-1hour, it was precious time! #bringsoutthebestinme

fortunate to have forged this friendship

all too soon, trish had to go to the cafeteria to be a lunch-presence. since i'd already eaten, i took the opportunity to go up to see emmy before she worked the afternoon ropes course shift. the harmon family is like a second family in dallas to me. i absolutely love them! i've know them since '98 as well, my kamp connections are strong. i love it when most of them are together, and that was the package i got today! diane, emmy, brett ann, and hank were all there! and some of the kiddos were upstairs playing or sleeping. so it was fun to sit and chat with them. we always laugh together and often have some very sober conversations about family, politics, the Bible, and just life in general; authentic! i may be helping diane out with a little artwork for her class-we have that bond-smile. and hopefully emmy and i can connect to go climb the silos sometime when she gets back to dallas!

before leaving the tablerock neighborhood, it's kind of an unwritten rule that if one has any decency, they will stop by the blueberry farm for thundermuffins! so, as is tradition, i made the right instead of the left and took the gravel road less traveled and that has made all the difference! had my cumulobluebus, and i continued a tradition of sending shea a batch of thunder muffins! i had purposefully toted her address along (not that it is really heavy enough to tote. it was in the back of my amazing journal). when she saw the pic, i think deep down she knew before she even offered the bribe (i smile because i was already long gone by the time i got the offer) 

then i headed back to lebanon-where i saw several signs for hosea bilyeu-commissioner; first of all, i was sad that i didn't get to see the rees family. but it was somewhat exhilarating to see these signs first hand, in person, because i'd seen them working on the campaign on fb, and posting pics. and for me, when it comes to politics, voting for the guy with the most integrity who is willing to do what is right will always be the way i lean! so while i didn't get to see my missionary friends, i was thinking about them quite a bit-with much fondness!

and it was supposed to storm in this area tonight, but for the moment, crisis averted, the dogs will not be barking at least not until the wee hours of the morning..and hopefully not even then, rain, rain, go away...or if need be, arrive in the quietest of fashions...i'm tired. 

and tomorrow we fly (as in: fly, fools -ala gandalf...we will not actually be flying. we will be hurrying in another direction; norman to be exact. craving hurts. yes, it does...ok, i-am-craving-hurt's-donuts). 

good night!

julie

the boys went to the casino, i drove. reminded that without God, i suck. thank you.

before school started, sunday night, i was restless and bored. the boys knew it, so they asked if i'd take them for a drive. and so i did! i'll often just take off up the toll road, but this time, i decided that there was really no reason to limit myself and pay for it! so we headed up 35. i wasn't really keeping track of where exactly we were at what time-and i don't think i realized that the oklahoma border was really as close as it was. when the music is good, these things don't even matter. before we knew it, we were at the casino...at that point, i really should've called bmayes and had her meet us in ardmore for a late ihop date--who says you can't act like a college student, years removed? i mean, she is still actively participating in all things college, while playing sorority games, so she could handle it and is probably used to it!

we weren't too far from italy and new york...? the boys didn't understand why they couldn't go in, as they really felt they were prepared for a little black jack after watching my dad play solitaire...i guess to dogs, cards are cards...

school started back up on monday, and i was certainly ready. not so much ready to work, but ready to be around people so that i could appreciate coming home to be alone. does that make sense? tonight i was reminded that i really do like being around people, but really i don't like just being around any-ol'-people, i mostly like to be around certain types of people-people who share the same values...not that i don't like people who don't share the same values and that i won't hang out with them, but the people who actually do energize me, my inner circle (which is small) are those who have a very similar set of beliefs. don't judge.

something else that was brought to my attention tonight was something that i really don't think of very often as often as i should. i think a lot of it is in the messaging, and it was good to humble myself within the message. i am going to agree with one of my friends- there is nothing about me that would be nice, were it not for God. my words, my actions, if it weren't for God, i don't think i'd be a happy person. life is full of too many disappointments to be truly peaceful and joyful without God. i'm so thankful i got to hear that tonight, because sometimes i put more stock in myself and forget that really, me without God = hot mess. thank you.

yesterday was day two of pd with no students, and i was supposed to present for writing, but we ended up with one group. nafia, a teacher and dear friend from my school had also been asked to present. now, i LOVE presenting and doing these trainings, in part, because i am a performer-i remember after a piano recital in 9th grade, my piano teacher approached me and didn't comment on my tantalizing agility and the dexterity of my phalanges...nope, she approached me and said, "julie, a parent came up and said you'd be a great actress with that type of presence." umm..thank you? i wasn't even sure what to say, so i just pretended it was a good thing...but i digress. i do so enjoy being in front of people, but this was an opportunity to let one of my teachers shine and take the lead in a subject area that she truly loves. i was proud to see her flow through it, and there were moments that i was able to help out with certain areas that she was not as familiar with-it was fun, and hopefully we will get more opportunities to present together in the future.

then i ran last night a little over a mile (gotta' keep working on this so that i can be ready for the firefly fun race in march!) but then i continued to walk the three more miles home, and i tried to run again, but my knee said no, so i walked until i was about 3/4 mile from home and i said, "knee, you don't have a choice, let's go!" and so we went, and today i am feeling every single year of my age! yikes. so today is an off day, and i am hoping that tomorrow brings rain so i can blame the rain for an off day..just sayin'.

seriously though, if i hadn't stopped, i could've kept going; my body was able, my mind is weak. but once i stopped, i was going to switch to interval running the rest of the way, but for real, the knee...i must take aleve before my next outing-i'm sure that will help. also i now know that i need to just keep going until i really cannot, otherwise i won't be able to just pick up again so quickly (hopefully it was just a weird night).

the kids came back today, so there was noise. the down side- i cannot jog down the hallway to my room to get what i need, as i have to be a model of all things elementary-school-appropriate. sigh. so fast walk it is.

and...i may or may not have made a purchase that i am super excited about! thank you bmayes! my keurig is great, although recently, i'll have to agree with b, it seems that my coffee has been a bit watered down. so i am really excited about my soon to be new aeropress because in the words of b: ALL THE HIPSTER COFFEE SNOBS SAY AMAZING THINGS ABOUT IT SO IT SEEMS LEGIT. that sold me. see video here. i am like a kid waiting for Christmas...only not really at all. i'm like an adult waiting for a better coffee. much better!

goodnight!
julie