Day 5

I have had a great day in the city of Chicago.  We took 5 chaperones and 3 youth to the Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio tour today (2 1/2 hours!) and then forged our way to the Chicago Art Institute.  I am in love with the Art Institute and I found my new (and maybe only) favorite modern artist.  

More about our day on the tour blog.  I was with Lea so it was a blast!  

My quote of the day is actually from yesterday but we talked about it today.  From a youth on this trip: 

"If I put on more eyeliner, I can pass for 14!"  

Because those 14-and-up clubs are the BOMB!  

Traveling to Nashvegas tomorrow!

Day 4

So technically it's Day 5 now.   But for the sake of my OCD and posting every day, I haven't gone to bed yet so it's still Day 4.  We've had a great day at Pacific Garden Mission and United Cerebral Palsy.  

We decided today that Tina is our Hyper-Witnesser.  My favorite quote of the day is from this morning when Tina was a few minutes late to the bus:

"What is Tina doing, leading someone at Moody to Jesus?!"

My other favorite might be, "Grady, give that homeless man a cupcake!" 

The hits just keep on coming here, people.  Tomorrow is our fun day, and I'll be heading to the Frank Lloyd Wright Museum and the Chicago Art Institute.  

I LOVE these kids and they're doing such a great job.  Keep praying and check out the tour blog.

Day 3

This day has been great.  The kids sang two concerts at rehabilitation centers, and then we all went and prepared meals at Feed My Starving Children.  It was an amazing experience and I think it made an impression on all of us.  Plus, we got to wear these sweet hats:

I cannot look at that picture without laughing really, really hard.  Thank you, Lucas.

My favorite quote of the day comes from The Director (I hope her husband's reading) and it's a pot-calling-the-kettle-black sort of situation:

"This is a parable...of the hypocrite and the 6th grader."

Here's hoping we continue to forget myself, follow Jesus.

Day 2

We finally made it to Chicago!  It's such a great city and I am LOVING IT.  Hop on over to the tour blog for a play-by-play (click the button, people).  

My favorite quote of the day is from our illustrious bus driver, Charles.  (Who, when I asked very politely if I might call him "Sir Charles" responded, "You can call me Charles.") : 

"I like everybody, but some people I just don't wanna be around."  

As a side note, we started Sonshine mail today, in which the kids and chaperones can write encouraging notes to other peeps.  I may or may not have gotten a little teary over some of our GREAT kids...  

And here is perhaps my favorite picture from our architectural cruise his evening (during which we FROZE, fyi).

Day 1

Favorite quote of Day 1: 

Erin: "There's nothing worse than a bad band."

Lea: "Hell.  Hell is worse."

How true that is.

I don't want to be dead inside

I'm leaving in about 8 hours to chaperone my church's youth choir tour to Chicago.  I'm really looking forward to a week of wearing myself slap out with those kids.  We (and by "we" I mean "they") are going to sing for, and hopefully minister to, all different kinds of people.  I feel like I've reached one of those points in my life where I look around and I'm not quite sure how I got to a place of such complacency.  Let's just be honest.  I have been looking forward to going on this trip because I know it will be something new, and I have heard tell of how God has moved on trips past. I just know it's going to be awesome.  Please pray for us as we go.  And if you have a hankering, click on that handy little button to the right and read about our progress.  

forget myself, follow Jesus.  

   

I've saved up a lot of most of the exciting things

I feel like I haven't blogged in half a lifetime. And since lifetimes are counted in seasons of American Idol, that would be just about right. (: And now, I will tell you about my life in a series of photographs.

My sister and I went home for Mother's Day since we are the best daughters ever. What really cracks me up is this picture from George on the way to Jacksonville. She doesn't ever settle down on car rides, and this is her favorite position. Right over the shoulder of the driver. I don't understand it, but I find it HILARIOUS.

Amanda and I took our Mom out to The Melting Pot as a surprise. Dad was so good because we left earlier than we needed and he drove all around town just confusing her. I think we did well because she was SO surprised and we all REALLY loved that fondue. We also got a chance to try a family-squish self portrait. And who doesn't love that?

The next big moment (at least that I photographed) was me trying my best Lea impersonation in honor of the 24 season finale. Since I've been hooked into the show by one of my favorite families in town, I decided we should throw a 24 x 24 dinner. That is 24 different foods, and 24 pieces of each food item. 24 carrot sticks, 24 wings, 24 Twizzlers, 24 chocolate covered strawberries, 24 mini pizzas, 24 Sweet Sixteen donuts, etc... Y'all, it was a feat of 576 proportions. I will do just about anything to get teenagers to think I'm cool.

This past weekend was my cousin's fiance's bridal shower. Unlike the other 75% of my family, they don't live in Florida. I traveled to Athens, GA with my grandma, aunt, and mom to stay on the farm with my other aunt. I have decided that I LOVE the farm. There is so much pretty all around. My uncle built their house by hand, and grows a whole bunch of whatever he wants in his huge garden. A whole bunch of strawberries were ready to be picked when we were there, and we seriously had strawberry-something with every meal. It was awesome. I made jam! This is a picture of my cousin Whitney, Grandma, Aunt Becky, Mom, me, and Aunt Tere after Andrea's shower.

Speaking of Andrea's shower, some day I hope to accessorize as well as this Georgia Peach. You know the one. She seriously was my favorite part.

I did almost die walking around on the farm. Here is my proof:

I didn't let that stop me from having loads of fun with my new best friend the next day! I haven't really been able to sit well since, but I'm not sorry! It was the first time ever that I've ridden a horse that wasn't on a trail, following a leader. It was amazing.

So yeah. That was a run down of the things I've been doing. Some day I will tell all the fun stories from Adventures In Lunch with Meghan because that is blogging GOLD. For now, though, I have to ready myself to travel to Chicago for a week with 50-something teenagers. You can check out the youth choir's progress from June 1-7 here. Pray for us!