it's official

where do i even begin?

on the day we got home from San Francisco we found out we were going to have a baby. shocking! no, really, shocking. that was over 5 weeks ago. and it's been interesting. for me it's mostly overwhelming...lots of feelings and not all are good. now that our news is out and i've heard the little one's heart beat twice, it's becoming more real for me. our friends and family know, the high schoolers know, our co-workers know. it feels less and less like a strange dream i was in and more like "i'm having a baby."

i have to admit it's hard and i don't think people admit that. but, when you have friends that have been longing (& trying) for a baby for years, and it just happens to you, it forces you to have some hard conversations with God. i have ALWAYS loved Psalm 139, that talks about God knitting us together in our mother's womb. it's made me realize that even when i don't get it, God has a purpose for each life HE creates. and that comforts me now. it doesn't take away the sadness i feel for my friend. but it does get me little excited about the little life He is knitting together in my womb right now...arms, legs, organs, eyelids, nail beds, toothbuds and so on and little one is just the size of a lime. Amazing.

we will be embarking on a new journey. i have to admit, i'm scared. stay tuned for our continued adventure.
here is a picture of the stick i peed on and little one's first picture. (proof)

Private School

This is what I was thinking about at 4 this morning and just wanted to share some of my experience of being a Young Life leader these past (almost) 3 years at Charlotte Country Day.
Yesterday I was asked if I would want to switch schools and I was mortified. For all the stuff I say about doing ministry at CCDS, I absolutely love it. Granted, it's far from my roots at Marie G. Davis, McClintock Jr. High, and West Charlotte, but it's where God has called me and I couldn't imagine any place else.
Private School is a unique animal, especially when it comes to Young Life. Our ministry there just looks different. We no longer do CLUB b/c it wasn't a tool that was working (i.e kids didn't show up and what is YL Club without high school kids...duh), we only meet one night a week b/c of their grueling schedule, we aren't allowed on campus during school hours, and how do you communicate with people that have everything that they are missing out b/c they don't have Jesus?
In the past 3 years it's taken time to make friendships with girls, but I feel this year has been a turning point. I'm loving them and I think they like me. I hope. I have been able to go deeper with some junior girls on Friday mornings and I've been meeting with another girl every Tuesday morning. I think Caribou is wondering what I do. Plus, I lead with some really great leaders. I absolutely love my co-leaders. We've really become a community and a family, and I know that it will impact kids by the way we love each other.
There isn't any mind-blowing things happening, per say, but I know that the Lord is at work. Not only at CCDS and in the hearts of my high school friends, but in me. And for that I am so thankful.
Enjoy some pics from Windy Gap and stuff.

beginning of the year kick-off

some pretty ladies at Windy Gap

i love these girls...me, Mary Ashley & Michelle with the girls

the rest of SF...the other 5

i have to admit that i check my blog almost daily ONLY to see other people's blogs. and when they aren't updated, i get so annoyed. yet, here is my blog sitting for over 2 weeks with the same annoying post. so, i'm finishing up about our San Fran trip. then, i'll be onto bigger & better things! right.

the other 5...
6) Wine Country was so stinking amazing!! I mean--we LOVED it for a variety of reasons...wine, beautiful scenery, wine, great drive, wine. You get the picture. We stopped by a few on Sunday then a few more on Monday. Fortunately we hit the tale end of a Barrel Tasting on Sunday, so we got treated great and lots of free samples. Plus, it was the most amazing weekend of weather ever...clear, sunny & warm. We came back with some bottles for sure. The area we went to was so not what I was expecting...pretentious. Everyone was so friendly & laid back. It was so fun. Be sure to check out the Russian River Valley if you ever go to Cali.

adam checking out the "legs"

what the Barrel Tasting looks like

us at Arista Winery

endless fields of vineyards

7) City Lights is a famous bookstore in San Fran. And that was one of Adam's goals for our visit was to go to some bookstores. So, we found this cool, old and famous bookstore. Adam probably could have spent days there. Don't get me wrong, I found a book to read too.

it's City Lights Bookstore!

Adam totally in his element

just a cool sign/door in the bookstore

8) Sunset at Coit Tower/Telegraph Hill was a really cool place in San Fran..maybe even the highest point. We hiked up a bagillion steps to get there, then we got a 360 view of this amazing city and then watched the sun set.

the actual Coit Tower

the city nearing sunset

see the Golden Gate in the distance

9) Walking...okay, I wouldn't say I loved walking. But I loved the exploring. There is so so much to see to see. Of course, we missed a lot, but some things we saw were crazy, amazing, weird, sad, different. Let's name a few: a women talking to herself on the bus, a homeless man kinda asking me out (i got it still), a person on the bus that i wasn't really sure if "it" was a boy or a girl, cool vintage shops, a crazy transit system, and I could go on.

how cute are these 2 old men? matching hats, glasses, and man purses

a Chinatown bank

a dream...the beach & margaritas!

some cool houses and bay windows

10) Meeting Anne Lamott. Granted, I have no pictures to prove this, but you can ask Adam. We met her and it was so cool. If you haven't gotten a chance to read one of her books, do it now. She's amazingly witty and honest, real and bold. Plus she's a white woman with dreads. Uh, hello! I'd like to think she was flattered by us travelling all the way from North Carolina to visit her church and meet her, but she wasn't. She admitted being a little spaced out b/c of the time change (it was spring forward weekend) and was also watching the kids. I realized that she was just Annie to all of them and that made her seem even more down to earth. Check her out...Travelling Mercies, Grace Eventually, Blue Shoe, Bird by Bird, Rosie are just a few of her books.