Wierd Dreams

I started having weird dreams again - they always seem to be around 4 in the morning - I wake up terrified and I don't know what to do... this time I started singing praise songs, it's all I could think of and then I fell back asleep and had another one...

The first dream I was with my family I was wandering around and my shoe was falling apart and then we were in my dad's truck (everyone but my mom) and we were going somewhere up a mountain but got lost and couldn't turn around. We were going to fast and couldn't stop in time and went right over a cliff and smashed into the water below. It was so vivid I could feel us falling and braced myself for impact - I could see and feel the windshield buckling in from the water pressure. We were under water and it seemed like it was going to burst through at any second and we would drown - for the first time in a long time I thought of God instead of just nothing and swearing. All I could think to do was to sing and so I started to sing "My Redeemer Lives" and I knew all of the words... eventually I climbed out of the water and I found my mom - I started to cry, "We almost drown..." I woke up for real - very afraid.

The second dream was even more frightening. I dreamt that I was in my room and something picked me up off my bed with my covers still on - bundled up in them like a stork would carry a baby only I was trapped inside and I couldn't get out. It flung me up to the ceiling and I being held up there and then I started to get thrown around the room - I had to kick the wall with my foot to make sure that it was real and I could feel it - hard - I managed to push myself back into the center where I dropped back onto my bed. I woke up flat on my back with my arms spread out and my mouth wide open - what in the heck is with that?

Jaimie said that sometimes she gets nightmares when she sleeps on her back, but I never sleep like that - I only woke up like that. So wierd. Sometimes I don't know what to think of things like that - sometimes I forget to pray... but the night before last when this happened I remembered and started to sing... The Lord inhabits the praise of His people. If we only knew the real power that was in us because of Christ - there is no way a little thing like a dream could scare us. Nothing would - nothing does.

Gotta be something more...

Well, Jaimie, here it is - my thoughts for the day. For some reason today my drama classes at school went super well- just when I start to feel like I'm finally making connections with my "ARGH!" drama 10 class I have to think about leaving them in a week. It's so beautiful when you have to go through something that is one of the hardest things that you have ever done (anyone who tells you that teaching highschool is a breeze is either crazy or lying) and on the other side you realize that not only have you almost made it through, but you're a better person for it.

I'm really starting to love what I do - I love laughing with the students when crazy things happen - today one of the student's dogs ran into our drama class and she had to chase him all around - and participating with them in the skits, and seeing the lightbulbs go on when they finally get something. I like being able to smile at them in the hallway and have random students come in and join my class just because they want to be there...

Today I had a big talk with my kids about controversial issues, censorship, and appropriatness. This is one thing that I think I will have to deal with however long I choose to be involved with drama - or anything for that matter. How far is too far? What about swearing? Touchy subjects? Should it be based on maturity? How do you measure something like that? Where is the line between respect and having some fun? Ultimatly I think it was good just to get us all on the same page with opening it up for discussion. I want the students to really explore this - we all need to have some sort of filter, don't we?

I think this is one of the things that I am going to love about doing this - I get to see young minds grow and be challenged and have my own beliefs challenged in the process.

Happy Birthday to My Mom!

Today I actually had a really good day at school - the students were HILARIOUS in the drama classes- totally inappropriate at times and it was all I could do to keep the smirk off my face (I didn't succeed very well) and try to keep them in line while laughing myself. It's so hard when they are just so darn funny! I want to just sit there and enjoy (which I did) but then some lines get crossed and I have to stand up there and give the "what for" with a straight face - try that on for size.

It was also my mom's birthday today - I remembered all day until that critical moment when she came home and then I was in the house with her for an hour and left to go to my Beppe's(dutch for grandma) house for a sec before I remembered... what kind of a daughter am I?

p.s. My brother shaved his head - I've never seen his head before... wierd!

5th Birthday...

Today I went to my cousin Hailey's 5th Birthday - man is she cute:) I love spending time with the whole shabang - the cheeky uncles, the mid-sized cousins that are still afraid of cooties... you name it - by the by, the girls definitely should have won at Disney's Scene-it. Of course we know all the words to the Sleeping Beauty song - we're girls!

p.s. leaving homework until the last minute is definitely not a good idea- esp. when the lovely ladies at your job keep you up half the night reciting bed & bath routines and schedules

p.p.s. Threw out the rest of my dj's today. I'm done with that.

Campfire's AHOY!

Aww man, yesterday I was craving a campfire all day and then it magically appeared - who knew? Maybe not the first, but certainly not the last of the campfires of the summer - I am SO EXCITED for all of the sunshine and outdoor goodtimes that are on the way...

The first pic is a little blurry from light tracers - I like the effect but haven't gotten a handle on it yet - any ideas?

The second pic is of 3 of the most lovely peeps - the Jaimie, the Steve, and of course, the Tomisina Enjit.

When the Van peeps come home...

Yesterday I also got a visit from two of my best friends - Esther and Mary who both happened to be making the journey out from the big city into little old Abby - so good to hang out with them and somehow I managed to rope them into joining me for errand runs and bookcase building - what wonderful amigos I have!

Life's little lesson for the day: (besides the WONDERFUL sunshine that made the day so lovely) a word of encouragement from Jaimster when I was feeling pouty...
"... the world needs an Ange Mandel and I'm it!:)"

So these photos are taking forever to upload so here's a tidbit about them - I have HOT friends.

Strictly Unanimous

Just watched this flick, "Strictly Ballroom" - You gotta see it if you haven't already. Just be prepared for Eugene Levy meets Patrick Swayze... if there ever was a cheezy 90's movies top ten list - this one would definitely top the charts.
"You just got not to be afraid"

The Battle in Seattle

Went to Seattle for a whirlwind tour a couple of days ago... top ten life lessons were as follows:
1. Trying to do everything all at once so you don't miss out doesn't always agree with your body (City Pass = See me pass out)
2. Orangutangs (sp?) are just so gosh darn cute - Woodland Park Zoo
3. Seattle was founded on prostitution and pee - take the Underground Tour to see for yourself
4. Janice has a thing for manly men - just ask our Harbor Cruise tour guide
5. Sea otters, see otters, sea otters, see otters - get it? I thought so, I though it was a bad pun too. Seattle Aquarium
6. Yes, the 41 second $11 dollar space needle ride is overated, but did we still do it? Of course
7. God must have made butterflies because he loves to smile - Pacific Science Center
8. Porcupines can climb trees
9. Seattle is home to the first Starbucks and there is a giant green head that looms over the city to prove it... can we say ominous omen?
10. I get antsy when I don't have my own time - but we already knew that:)

A new found me...

Today I spent some quality time with myself and God at the lake. After a frustrating morning of waking up way too early with the sun (gorgeous when it streams into your window in the morning but not SO early) and running around like a chicken, I drove all the way out to SFU to stand in a lineup and try to find people for an hour to tell me that the papers I had to sign weren't due until the end of April... and they wouldn't even accept them... ARGH!

So off to the lake it was for a time of pondering, self-reflection, and good times with God. Sometimes - He just helps you to breathe in and out and somehow it all just fades into the background of a steady hum... sigh. I also took the time to get aquainted with my new camera that I scored in Seattle this week - took some super fun pictures and had fun getting in touch with my artsy side. Loved it- who knew? It's a gonna be gooooodddd.

This is one of my new shoe - green, of course.

Concert on the Rocks

Went to a show last night- couldn't tell ya the girl's name but she was a fabuloso singer/songwriter. The ride there and back was a blast - ice cream and great tunes - I thought to myself, now these are some cool people:) Ha ha, I'm a dork! Gotta love it.

This is Tyler - the Albertan and Tiff - the Manitobian, and Jer Penner's finger... all for the first ever photo that I took and kept with my new digi cam