12 days...

Woowee! That seems crazy. Less than 2 weeks til I am on my way to staging in DC. Today was a very productive day...which is good, because yesterday felt very UNproductive.

I had one last check-up to get my retainer/mouthguard in fine-tuned order before it gets totally abused for 2 years. I clench/grind my teeth at night (totally inherited that from my mom...) so I had to get a heavy duty splint (I'm not sure what the technical name for it is). It is super thick and was very awkward to sleep with at night. But now I am used to it and love it...can't sleep without it in fact! So whoever gets to be my lucky roomy while I'm DC for staging will get to experience this :) I'm sure every one of my friends/youth girls are laughing at this because they know it is a trip necessity for me. It also reminds me of a certain story that never gets old to tell...flashback time.

I'm pretty sure the year was 2002...I was a freshman in high school. McFarlin had this GREAT event called High School Week at the Church. If my memory serves me correct, Amy Carruth, Rosemary Sebestyen, Anna Sebestyen, Alison Swenson, Karen Kesinger (and maybe Scott) are hopefully realizing what story I'm about to tell. During High School Week at the Church, the high schoolers got to stay at the church for an entire week during the school year. You ate all your meals at the church, got taken to school in the really cool 15-passenger vans with McFarlin plastered on the side of them, had time to do your homework at night (or just goof off as the case usually was), etc. SO...we were in a room with some of the older, cool girls in high school; keep in mind, we're the dorky freshman girls who are excited when anyone older than us even acknowledges that we exist. We were staying up late one night and being loud (hello...high school girls...loud? Never!) so Scott (our youth director) had to come yell at us to be quiet. The problem? He forgot to take out his retainer. He's probably 34 years old at this time...and he came in to yell at us but had a lisp when he talked. So..."Shut up girls, it's time to go to bed," sounded horribly funny when it came out with a lisp, causing us to laugh and be even louder. Major backfire on his behalf.

Here's a picture of an event that was much like High School Week at the Church. Scott would be the really cool one with the microphone, followed by my friends (l to r): Kyle Haskett, Nora Hall, me, and Darren Gore.

In other news today, I took a self defense lesson! My mom and I have meant to take one for a few years now but never got around to it...so with less than 2 weeks in the United States, arrangements were finally made to get a private lesson. I had a great instructor who truly taught me a lot and I feel much more prepared in the event that I would ever have to use any of the skills I learned tonight. We'll hope and pray I don't. I will be happy to show you some of the moves I learned if anyone wants to see! My instructor was a petite lady (prob. 5'2", 115 pounds) who could have EASILY put me on my back in an instant. It's all about being aware of your surroundings, not putting yourself in stupid situations, and playing it safe. Thanks so much Ms. Rose!

My mom, dad, and I ate at Panera today. I am truly going to miss getting the broccoli cheddar soup in a breadbowl. All 600+ calories of it. Then, my mom and I came to my house to get 2 pieces of furniture ready to move. Thanks to Mr. Tino Herrera (not only the middle school youth director, but one of my best friends) and Mr. Trey Pirtle (aka, Pirtle...one of my first kids I got to watch grow up in the youth program) for coming and moving the furniture. :) I'll end with a few pictures of us over the past few years, in preparation for tomorrow's post....it's a Way-Back-Wednesday! Toodles :)

Tino and I, circa 2008. Juners mission trip...eating gorditas at the Soriana!

Pirtle and I...Camden, NJ 2008

Tino and I--Juners 2008

Pirtle and I on the Camden trip on our shopping day in NYC. This picture was taken at the INFAMOUS Times Square TGIFridays. We sat right by a stairwell and watched at least 17 people trip going UP the stairs.

Tino and I, Mexico Spring Break trip...2009

Pirtle and I-Toronto summer mission trip 2009. At Niagara Falls!

Tino and I, choir tour 2010. Pensacoloa, FL. I still owe Tino a post about his trip to Haiti...so look for that in the near future :)

Pirtle and I--Juners 2010