the weekend recap is back...

I'm bringing back the weekend recap.  It is time, my friends.  Especially after the fun weekend that I had. 

It all started with Thursday (even though it's not TECHNICALLY the weekend) but we had a conference for work so the fantastic girls that I work with that make up the children's ministry team all piled up in an SUV and headed out for a fun-filled day.  Can I just say that I absolutely love these girls and feel absolutely blessed by them every single day?  I do realize that it is a rare thing to be able to work with people that truly care about you and pray hard for you in not just your ministry, but also personally.  Love you Jen, Tiff, Nita, and Emily!

Friday night the roommate and I got to have dinner with a great friend from seminary that we have not seen in FOREVER.  You would have thought she moved to Canada, but nope... just Dallas.  It's always a good time with friends on a Friday night at Chuy's.  It's pretty much our favorite.  Loved catching up with her and hearing all the fun things going on in her life!  Major fail on not getting a picture with her.  We'll just have to have dinner before another year passes again.. for more reason than just that of course!

On Saturday was a wedding of 2 dear friends of mine.  To say I was excited for this wedding was definitely an understatement.  It's been so much fun to see this love story happen from the very beginning since Jason was a friend that I met at seminary and I met Stephanie as soon as I started working at the church.  I immediately told Jason that I thought he should ask out the cute, sweet girl in the office and am so glad that finally 6 months later, he did!  Granted I don't think I can take credit because I really don't think he was listening to me... I'm pretty sure it had more to do with the fact that she's absolutely precious.  Now they are officially the Nolen's and I could not be more thrilled for them to start this journey together as they follow where the Lord leads them as husband and wife!

Sunday definitely ended with a HUGE nap.  And now here it is already Wednesday... and I'm fighting a bit of a cold.  Pretty lame.  I'm trying to knock it out pretty quick though because this weekend, the sissy is coming to town and that always means good times ahead!  She's going to be in the metroplex for a WEEK which bubbles me over with enthusiasm... even though it is for 'work.'  So get out of here cold... I have fun plans in my future!

it's a cubed life after all...

The other night at dinner, a hilarious conversation occurred between myself, the roommate, and another friend about working within the "walls" of a cubicle.  There are just particular things that occur in a cube that you may not even really understand unless you've worked in one yourself... although it may still be pretty entertaining to hear about.  Here are a few favorite (or not-so-favorite) things that come along with a cubed life that we came up with that are beyond ridiculous, embarrasing, and amusing to say the least...

1. The lack of privacy.  Can we just state the obvious that although there is the 'illusion' of privacy... that you indeed have NONE?  Instead you are in one giant room with mini padded walls that make you feel like you have your own space, while you still can hear absolutely every conversation around you.  That doctor's appointment you have on Friday?  You better believe Susie down the row knows about it.  The humiliating phone conversation you just had where you definitely teared up in the middle of it?  Sweet Debbie next to you is now e-mailing you to ask you if you're alright.  Let's just be honest... sometimes it's best to just walk far far away from the cubicle and make your phone calls there.  Your car with the doors locked is always a good option.  It'll definitely save you some dignity (and maybe even some explanations).
2. Speaking through the walls.  We've all done it.  How can you not?  It seems silly to pick up the phone and call the person in the cube next to you when they can hear you just as well talking regularly out loud.  The best though is when you talk to someone in a cube near you and don't know that they're not there.  Enter the awkward no response zone.  Just because they're not there doesn't mean that all the rest of the people around you aren't there.  They're just pretending not to be at this point for your sake.
3. Annoying sounds.  It's pretty much inevitable that you're going to hear this at one point or another when you can hear the entire office happening all around you.  Noisy feedback from an office phone because of someone's cell phone ringing (or vibrating for office ettiquette).. someone deciding to listen to music or maybe even their voicemails on speakerphone outloud.. a random tap-tap here or clicking of sorts.. all great examples.  It's even more unsettling when you realize it's coming from yourself.  You become a little more hyperaware of the noises you make when you realize that absolutely everyone around you can hear you (and may be annoyed by you) so when I started realizing a noise I made after finishing a project or transitioning to something different... you can imagine my surprise.  And when I say surprise, I mean more like I was horrified.  I was definitely less than pleased with myself.  Who wants to be the girl that makes the annoying sound everyday?  No worries.. I'm getting that in check quick, fast, and in a hurry!  Please forgive me, cubemates.
4. Lack of real walls.  So I definitely am not complaining about the fact that I have built-in bulletin boards all around me which is pretty fun, but I did receive a pretty cross for Christmas that I thought would be super cute to hang in my humble abode of a cube.  But alas, no tack is strong or sturdy enough to hold that cross.  Epic cube wall fail. 
5. With no real walls, there is no door.  So you certainly don't bip in and out of your cubicle through your DOORway, but instead we'll call it what it is... an ENTRYway.  And with this entryway, there is no real way to shut people out.  Don't get me wrong... I love people and I LOVE visitors in my cube.  Why in the world do you think that I insist on there never being anything in my visitor chair?  (Well I don't like clutter, but that's besides the point...)  But when your back is to the precious little entryway MOST of the time, it can create an easy way for people to scare the ever living daylights out of you when you don't know that they are dropping by.  But then again, that's usually only when they're TRYING to scare you.  But I guess that's a whole different story though...

So I'm pretty sure that I probably missed a gazillion hysterical things that occur on a daily basis working in a cubed life... but as crazy, hilarious, and distracting as it may be at times, I so enjoy that crazy little invention called a cublicle... and am proud to call it my own!  It also pretty much rocks that I'm surrounded by an awesome group of girls to call my cubemates.  Seriously could not have picked more fun peeps to share fake walls with to talk through everyday! 

a new year of faith...

Wow.  I haven't even posted THIS YEAR so let me first just say what is only appropriate... Happy 2011! 

I cannot tell you how many posts I started and deleted that last week of 2010.  I felt like it was such a week of reflection for me because obviously it is such a time where you feel like since you're about to begin a new year, you kind of need to reassess and figure out what that new year really needs to look like in your own life.  Well at least that's what I did.  And by all means, I definitely still don't know what that looks like obviously.  And obviously I didn't feel like I could articulate it well enough to actually publish one of those posts.

What I DO know that is I'm believing God for this year.  My complete faith is in HIM.  Whatever that may look like. 

I trust in you, O Lord... My times are in Your hand.  Psalm 31: 14:15