Soothe My Soul

Restless. 

It's the word I've struggled to find to label this --  

chaos of emotions and thoughts 

pent-up energy

bursts of inspiration and motivation

determination

craving for a solid routine

adventure anticipation

-- stuff sticking inside me. 

Being restless isn't necessary a bad thing. It gives way to discovering new things to try or rediscovering long-lost interests. It gives way to ideas, creativity, and ambition. It gives way to productivity. 

But you know, being restless can be pretty darn uncomfortable. I always have a lull before I launch myself into something when I'm restless, and that lull is when I feel lost. I don't handle that feeling well -- it makes me cranky. 

I've been throwing myself whole-heartedly into words and music to push away the restlessness.

I know this time lately has been a gift -- a chance to slow down, digest, recharge. 

The busy season will come again when time for excessive words and music-making and listening is a limited luxury, but will you take a breath here with me and jump in to soothe your soul? 

Let these words in Ann Voskamp's post "something to hold on to when you're tired & the world's broke your heart a bit" sink into your heart and mind. Carry them with you as you go out to love on others. 

Sometimes I still feel like a stranger in this town we've called home for two years, and yet I still have a hard time leaving it when we travel and feel a swell of joy and peace when we return to it. It's good to know that I'm not the only one that sometimes feels like a stranger somewhere. I bet you feel like that sometimes, too. Ann Voskamp wrote another post here that speaks to that stranger feeling. (I really love her beautiful writing, can you tell?!)

These songs are completely opposite styles, but they both bring a peace and joy to my soul that makes me want to sing and praise God and helps me push through the yuck. I promise I won't judge you if you sing or dance to rock out along with them. 

Now go out and face the world, friends, and pass on the love and joy. 

Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday. That amusing trend of posting a picture of something from way back when. It takes us back to funny memories, good memories, and sometimes embarrassing ones.

I don't often do it, sure, but that's mostly because I'm forgetful. But isn't it a beautiful idea?

Let's throwback to this, a moment...

that made us laugh until we couldn't breathe or speak

of  sitting around with our siblings and cousins, the first true friends we had

from the family vacations that meant it was truly summertime and we could soak up sunshine every day

showing favorite childhood toy or place, like the park you'd play every weekend

from the high school plays and games with the people who got us through those 4 long years

where that cousin that's all grown up now was an adorable toddler running around

of being crazy with the college friends that were family away from family 

of hideous fashion choices that make us rue the day our offspring will ridicule us for wearing

that brought us     j     o     y

because yes, these moments are beautiful

and this world needs all the beautiful things in it to overshadow all the yuck out there

and help hope, joy, and love reign.

The One Where Emily Picked My Brain!

The wonderful Miss Emily at Love Woke Me Up This Morning  nominated me for the Liebster Award! (If you are like me and clueless about many things in the blogsphere, this is probably one of the best explanations I found when I researched it.) Thanks, Emily! (Btw, be sure to check out her blog if you haven't already. I met Emily back in college and have loved her fun, enthusiastic, and honest personality that really shines through in her blog as well. Seriously, you'll love it.)

Now, here's what you do:

Link back to who nominated you. 

Answer the Qs the nominator asked you. 

Nominate 11 other bloggers (preferably with less than 200 followers)

Create 11 Qs for the 11 bloggers in step 3. 

Notify your nominees!

And now here are the questions from Emily:

1.  What TV show are you LOVING to binge watch right now?

I'm not gonna lie, my mom and I watched an episode of "Married At First Sight" once, and before we knew it we were hooked. We both record it and watch it at the same time now. I don't know what it is about that show, but I'm hooked! 

2. Tell me about your dream home.

I love having a decent-sized yard with space for our garden, to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful weather, and of course for our 3 crazy dogs to run around and play. That's a MUST! I also like having a room specifically for an office/computer/craft space. My dream house also must have room for guests! Someday I would love, love, LOVE to have a front porch to put a swing or comfy chairs on so we could just sit outside there and watch cars go by. But my biggest dream house requirement? It has to be comfy. My dream is for people to walk into our home and feel comfortable because it's decorated in a functionally-cute kind of way, and they can feel that it's filled with love here. You know those homes where you walk in and instantly feel at home? That's my ultimate dream more than any physical feature we could add or buy. 

3. What's the best book you've read so far this year?

I have to say that the best non-fiction I've read is Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend. It has some great Biblical information to ponder and to use to motivate some healthy balance in life, and it's helped me make some changes for the better in my life. Fiction-wise I'd have to say that I really like Sue Grafton's "O" is for Outlaw. I've been tearing my way through the series over the past few years, but that one's been my favorite. I love the voice Grafton has given to the main character, Kinsey Millhone. She's very feisty, sarcastic, and factually blunt. She's one of my most favorite fictional characters ever. 

4. If you could run away and live in another country for a year, where would you go? Even name the exact city if you know!

I think it'd be fun to go to Europe for a year! I'd love to travel around to some of the places with literary significance, like to see the Little Mermaid statue in honor of Hans Christian Anderson, the Globe Theatre, and all kinds of places like that. I also would love to see Poland just once in my life, and I'd love to travel to Germany to see the city where my husband was born. There are just way too many fun places to see to stay living in just one country there...and probably too many to see in just a year. Maybe we'd have to make it two! ;) 

5. I'm hungry. If I'm coming over to your place for lunch, what are we going to have?

When it comes to lunch, I'm pretty simple. I'd probably have a bunch of things for making sandwiches, some fresh fruit and vegetables to munch on with lunch, yogurt, and some cookies for dessert. We'd put our lunch on paper plates and enjoy the awesome weather by eating outside. Don't worry-- I'd put the dogs in the house so those rascals didn't try to steal any of your lunch. And if you aren't a sandwich eater, I'd offer to take you out to eat! :)

6. Tell me about, or show me, your favorite photo you've taken so far this year and why it's your favorite.

First of all, this is my first successful panorama on a cell phone ever. That victory in and of itself is one reason why I love this picture. This was a night sandwiched between the end of all things school-related and our anniversary, and we were just relaxing while Tim was grilling. There were storms coming, but they were north and south of us at the time. It was the first Sunday in a really long time without the stress of finishing up lesson plans and knowing I had to get up early the next morning. I got to play with the dogs and hang out with my hubby stress-free and just soak up the first taste of summer. 

7. What was your favorite part of summer when you were a kid?

I loved how late the sun would be up! That was awesome! I was constantly outside as a kid, and that meant I could play longer. When I got older, summer was bonfire season with my friends. It was always worth it to smell like smoke because we would talk, burn things (intentionally and unintentionally...), and hang out. I miss having late nights around the fire like that.

8. If you could live inside of a movie, which one would it be?

Obviously anything Disney! The music, the artwork, the characters...yesyesyes please! 

9. What vacation do you wish you could repeat?

Alaska. I've been blessed to go twice and both times were truly different experiences but awesome in their own ways...and the scenery is absolutely stunning. The first time was for the wedding of two dear friends, and a bunch of us crazy college kids spent time with our friends' families and got to do some awesome things, see amazing places, and just enjoy being together. The second time was on a cruise with my husband's side of the family, and we got to spend so much time together. I cherished that so much! We also go to get out and do some great things, and we got some wonderful pictures while we were up there. (Tim's are way better than mine, though!) 

10. We complain about blogging a lot - what do you still LOVE about?

I love getting to share things that are going on in our little corner of the world -- and sometimes just things in my own head -- with my family and friends that read this blog. I know there are a few others that stumble on this now and then, but I really love sharing this stuff. I've come to realize my family happens to be my biggest blog fans, too, and I really love that. My family's absolutely amazing. 

11. And I'm stealing from Angie because this question was just so good- what has been your favorite moment this year so far?

I would say that it's been a collection of moments over the past few weeks, not just one. We never want anything bad to happen to anyone we love -- but the fact is that sometimes it happens. In all the ups and downs of everything lately, there has been more proof in the past few weeks that there are ALWAYS things to be thankful for than I think I've ever noticed in my life. It's been the moments of "I love you" passing between family members, the hugs, the long heart-to-heart conversations, the tears we've shed together, the text messages and phone calls offering support, the endless patience of my husband dealing with my extremes of emotions and loving me through them, the overwhelming joy that comes with the victories, and celebrating the strength and determination of my dad. It's the moments that add up to what carries you through the tough stuff and makes you marvel at how power the love we give to other people truly can be. It's those moments where love truly trumps everything else that have been my favorite. (Even though that's more than one!)

Alright, that was a lot of fun! Thanks again, Emily! I'd write up questions and nominate bloggers, but let's be real, guys...Emily's already done it, and I don't know many other bloggers! I'll gracefully bow out of that part this time. If anyone else is up for the challenge, though, feel free to share your answers to the questions above! :) 

Growing.

It's the end of another school year, and I can now say I have taught for 4 years in my own classroom. This is a calling to do both what I am passionate about and gifted to do, and I love, love, love it. It has always been challenging to be doing this in a state with zero family. And let's be real: feeling alone is hard.

There have been plenty of times I've been upset about being here, shed tears, and even wondered what it'd be like if things had gone differently. There are times I get frustrated that we don't know more people or have more friends here in the same city. Sometimes I just get sad. I'm blessed by the thought that I have some dear friends that still live in the state, but the reality of our lives is that our responsibilities and demands on time keep us apart more often than we'd like. It's pretty much the same as if they didn't live here. Someone shared an article called "16 things only people who live far away from their families will understand" on Facebook a while ago, and 1) the lack of proper capitalization in the title is driving me bananas and 2) so many of the things in it are spot on. You can read it right here.

I also know that this is exactly where God wanted me to be. When I look at how things played out for both of these teaching jobs, it's funny how God really made it fool proof that these were the jobs for me. And of course there was getting Squirt, meeting Tim and Danny, marrying that handsome man, and starting our life together here in this house. We have met some great people along the way, and none of this would have happened without moving here. Plus we have so much fun showing our family this little corner of the world when they come to visit. We're constantly finding new things to do here!

These blessings don't always feel as special when I am lonesome for our family, but we have their support and encouragement. I love where I work and have met some pretty amazing people in multiple schools here. It helps that this is my calling. It helps that my husband gets to do what he loves every day. It helps that we've made this a home. Oh, and it helps that Nebraska is so, so beautiful.

"Grow where you're planted," a friend of mine shared during chapel one day. It isn't always easy, but growing is exactly what we're doing each and every day.

Oldies But Goodies

I know it's Tuesday, but consider this a late Music Monday. ;) 

I've been so amped up in the car the past few days because I broke out the ol' stash of mix CDs that accumulated in my youth. It's so fun to jam out to some forgotten old favorites and relive some of the memories that come crashing back. There is just something about summer that makes me super-nostalgic. 

Here are some of the top jams yesterday and today: 

"Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi - good for belting at the top of your lungs in the car on 8+ hour car rides, singing for karaoke, parodying on the way to Lincoln and back, performing legendary air guitar solos to during friends' wedding receptions, or blaring on blah weather days. 

"Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice -- because c'mon, this song is so cheesy but the beat is great for car dancing. 

"Mama Mia" with Meryl Streep -- seeing it in theaters with good friends or blaring it on the back roads of Nebraska on an unplanned "detour" with your roommates...remembering the carefree happiness while you sing along is priceless.

"All My Friends Say" by Luke Bryan -- reminds me of singing along with friends and making all kinds of faces as we sang - the kind that wouldn't make sense to anyone else but that told us exactly what the other person was thinking and made it way funnier than it should be 

"The Freshman" by Verve Pipe -- always takes me back to high school...sophomore and junior year rather than freshman year, but still. It always makes me think about how we did feel invincible at the same time that all the drama always made it feel like life was tough. Funny how now we'd all take some of that drama over some of the real adult stuff we have to deal with!

"All I Wanna Do" by Sugarland -- yup, this is definitely late high school/early college soundtrack material. I remember jamming to it when a friend and I got into our cars in the b&n parking lot at the same time one night and lip syncing through our windows because we were obnoxiously cool like that. :) 

Yup, those are just a few of the gems on just one of the CDs I've put in so far. Time to pick a different one for tomorrow -- I'll be driving for at least 3 hours total tomorrow so I may need two! 

What are some of your favorite old songs that bring back good memories?!?

Necessary Creativity

I'm finding that I cope with life a lot better when I take time to be creative, but I don't rely on blogging like I used to. I take pictures both with my camera and my phone, I immerse myself in music, or I bake. Lately I've been getting back into drawing a bit after buying oil pastels for a kindergarten art project. [Confession: I'm pretty sure I had more fun than they did!]

I'm not always good about making time for being creative, though, and can definitely feel it when I don't.

I'm so excited that Emmy over at Love Woke Me Up This Morning shared about the #morethanaframe project. I love how Amber at Mr. Thomas & me explains it all here. I'm going to be doing this project, and I hope that it is a built-in way to make time to be more creative.

We are in the last two weeks of school, and I'm in panic-excited-sentimental-exhausted-nonstop-missing-my-kids-already mode. I think I need this project to keep my sanity.

I just made my first post for #morethanaframe today to go along with the joy prompt! Check it out here!

If you're interested in participating be sure to click the link above to Amber's post. :)

Happy weekend-ing!

Music Monday: the Passenger Phase

Guys.

I have been working on a chapel message I'm giving on Wednesday and naturally have writer's block. Like any good writer, I've been procrastinating looking up good music to keep me motivated. My taste is music is super random: I started with some Glee music, moved on to Rend Collective Band, and I later stumbled on "Let Her Go" by Passenger and recalled how lovely I always thought it was when it came on the radio.

That led to a few other Passenger songs...and getting wrapped up in the beautiful harmonies...and then to today's gem.

I love music that touches me to the heart
stopping me in my tracks
consuming my attention
the kind that is so lovely it makes a lump in my throat
and mist in my eyes
because it is just so absolutely  b  e  a  u  t  i f  u  l

I also happen enjoy the band Chicago because their music is good, but it also has some sentimental value. It's part of the music that takes me back to vividly happy memories...of the actual city of Chicago, wonderful friends, and some awesome times of the past. Yup, some Chicago songs would make it onto the soundtrack of my life.

So without further adieu I present "Hard To Say I'm Sorry"...originally by Chicago but covered here by Passenger. Seriously -- just try to tell me it's not lovely.