mantel metamorphosis

When I bought my house the mantel looked like this. . . blah

I did some painting and usually my mantel looks like this. . .

But now that Christmas season is quickly approaching,

my mantel looks like this.

Defying Gravity

Wicked came to Wichita...

"Let the little girl go! And that poor little dog... Dodo!"

We went to see it...

"Just follow that one road the whole time!...

I hope THEY don't get lost, I'm so bad at giving directions..."

Then ate cheesecake...

"so you lied to them?" "only verbaly."

Because I knew you....

I have been changed for good.

I love fall. . .

As I was driving home from work one day last week I did something I haven't done in a VERY long time. I pulled my car over, went to my trunk and got my camera. (thankfully my camera was still in my trunk...)

So with my camera in hand, there I was standing there in the middle of the street, enjoying the beautiful fall afternoon and looking at this. . .

I decided that it was time to explore my quiet little neighborhood on foot with camera in hand. So I parked Mable on Indianpolis and went on my first photo safari of the season!

blessings = people

My cousin Justin created this website. (http://counted-blessings.com/) It is a visual list of the blessings in his life. I am encouraged by people like Justin. He would be one of those people who = a blessing. He is creative, clever, hilarious and takes incredible pictures, among countless other things. He created the website, included a blog, asked for people to "post a word or two of something good in your life that you are thankful for right now."

Sometimes I forget that I need to stop and remember what I'm thankful for RIGHT NOW. I don't need to choose my words carefully or worry about how somethings sounds, because there is something raw and vulnerable when you just start talking, or in this case typing.

I am inspired by his project, I was inspired to write.

Something good in my life RIGHT NOW: the people in it.

blessings = people

the people in my world bless me with their laughter, their time, their words, their hugs, their energy, their love, their insight, their lives.

wonderful wedding weekend

Meet Stephen.

He is one of my favorite people, it's an honor to have the title of the "sister" he never had but probably always needed.

Meet Stephen & Whitney.

They are getting married this weekend. This wedding has been a LONG time coming. I first heard about Whitney when Stephen and I were on a missions trip with First in Guatemala the summer of 2005. (that trip was monumental in Stephen & I's friendship.) I'm sure I had met Whit prior to returning from Guatemala but that is the first time that I remembering thinking that this girl was someone special in Stephen's world. Fast forward a few years, and the Lord in his perfect plan brought these two back together again.

Their story makes me smile.

Their relationship gives me hope.

Their relationship reminds me of the sovereignty of God.

I "borrowed" this picture from their wedding blog.

It was taken while Stephen was proposing to Whitney in Boston.

so my roommate got married. . .

Introducing Mr. & Mrs. Gibson

Part of the day I was Joan's personal photographer. . .

I had the best time hanging out with my dear friend Eva all weekend.

And finally the beautiful bride and me.

My roommate, my friend, my heart sister.

It was a beautiful wedding.

It was an honor to be the photographer.

786 pictures later, I couldn't have asked for a better day.

funny things that happen to me. . .

This post is dedicated to my newest blogging friend. . . I love you Corrie!

While I was talking to Corrie, I was inspired to write about some of the funny things that have happened to me this school year. It must be known that I love my job and the funny things that happen make me love my job even more....

- - - -

I copied and pasted this directly from an email that I sent to some of my non-teacher friends.

"Objective of the day: Stay away from mace.

If I were a writer for the Eagle, the “news update” for today would go a little something like this…

"In recent news at Southeast High School, two students were "maced" today at lunch. Miss Call just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and was asked to help keep students out of the recently "maced" area. . . Miss Call got a quick "taste" of mace."

That stuff lingers in the air for quite some time. . . I have experienced many new things since becoming a teacher. Who would have thought that my career as an educator would allow me to experience things like mace and tasers?" (written August 20, 2009)

- - - -

This is is from another email that I sent out to those same non-teacher friends....

"So yesterday before my last hour class one of our assistant principals came to my room and asked me to make sure to not let a certain student leave my classroom without letting administration know.

I didn't really think anything about it because it wasn't that unusual of a request. Anyway after school I went down to the office and stopped in the hall to talk to a couple other teachers. As we are standing there, one of them says, "Hey did you guys hear about the kid who was on the roof after lunch?" Of course we hadn't so she told us the story. Apparently a kid found a way up on the roof. A teacher who was coming back from lunch saw him, called security and they were able to eventually get him down. Well to make a long story short once the kid got down he couldn't remember how he got up there or why he was even on the roof.

Come to find out MY kid was the one who was on the roof. Just another day in the life at good ole SE!" (written Sept 11, 2009)

- - - -

Then today in my 3rd hour class one of my students tells me that he has created a playlist of songs that remind him of my class or of me. I didn't get a chance to listen to all of this said playlist but the songs that we had time to listen to (while my students were working of course) were these:

· “Party in the USA” (Oh Miley!)

· “What is Love”

· “I want it that way” (back street boys)

· “Bye Bye Bye” (NSYNC)

· “Superfreak”

· “Ice Ice Baby”

· “I feel good.”

· “Hit me with your best shot”

This school year has started off on a very good note.