Day 31: Leaving Work

Just another sunset picture from my office. I can't help but take pictures of the sky whenever I get the chance.

Day 30: Skunk

There's been a lot of skunk roadkill around Abilene lately. This little guy was laying by my parking spot at work this morning. I'm pretty sure it was dead, but it made me nervous that he was this close to my car and out in the open. A few minutes later I looked and he was gone, so maybe he was just sleeping?

Day 29: Battery

The battery in my computer has slowly lost capacity. My parents gave me a new battery for Christmas, and I finally replaced my old one. Just yesterday, my computer would last for about fifteen minutes if it wasn't plugged in. Now it lasts for hours! It's nice that I can use my laptop for hours without constantly  being connected to an outlet.

Day 28: Love Triumphs

This morning I attended one the hardest and best memorial services that I've ever been to. The program included crayons and a coloring page for the children who were at the service. We were reminded that this, a seven-year-old boy dying of Leukemia, is not okay. And God is not okay with it. The resurrection doesn't mean that everything is just okay. But it does mean that love triumphs. And that is good news.

Day 27: Books

I took a trip to the bookstore today and just enjoyed myself, browsing the shelves and flipping through books. I chose a few random books to take home and I'm excited to read them. Plus, I used a gift card, so I didn't even have to justify spending the money on books!

Day 26: Pensacola

This billboard has been up in Abilene for a while now, but I haven't taken a picture until today. Why in the world does Abilene have a sign inviting people to visit the National Aviation Museum in Pensacola, FL? I have no clue. We're a long way from Florida, but maybe this will inspire someone to visit the Sunshine State.

Day 25: Connie

This is Connie. She's a little wind-up horse that JoAnna gave me, and who I came across today. I used her to help teach Jo how to canter and trot. Anyway, she reminds me of some good times that I had in college and how much I miss my roommates!

Day 24: Greek

Mom and Dad spent the evening making Greek food for dinner tonight. And it was fantastic! We had moussaka, dolmades, hummus, pita bread, tzatziki a Greek salad and honey cake. The last time I had dolmades was in Athens, and this brought back great memories.

Day 23: Painted

Some days, the sky almost seems painted on. Today was one of those days. I almost couldn't breathe, in awe of the glorious colours. My day was incredibly long - I started work and 7:45, took a half-hour lunch break, and then worked until 6:45. So long!

Day 22: Dusty

You can't tell so much in this picture, but it's dusty outside. We haven't had a lot of rain, and today the wind is howling. When the sky looks like this, we like to say that Lubbock has blown in. The sky, which was bright blue earlier this morning, has now turned brown and murky. And it's much worse in person than it looks in the picture.

Day 21: Realm of the Pharaohs

Mom and Dad gave me this book for my birthday, and I've pulled it out occasionally to read from it. It's a fantastic book full of information and pictures of artifacts from ancient Egypt. Reading it today reminds me yet again of how much I enjoyed visiting the realm of the pharaohs last year. Definitely one of my favourite trips!

Day 20: Cherry Stem

The other day, my brother informed me that he could tie a cherry stem with his tongue. I thought, if he can do it, then surely so can I. And so, after finishing my delicious Route 44 cherry limeade from Sonic, I promptly ate the cherry and went to work. And I did it! Yep, I tied that knot with my tongue. How about that!

Day 19: Cuties

I love these things. And I eat them all the time. They are so sweet, and yummy and easy to peel. And cute. They are in season right now, so we keep plenty on hand. I like them for breakfast, or as a snack, or even for desert. If you haven't picked up a bag, you must definitely should!

Day 18: I'm Giving Water

I've mentioned this a couple of times on this blog, but tonight this water project is especially poignant. We handed out these bracelets in the elementary classes at church tonight. Last week we passed out cans so that each kid could collect change to help build wells in Liam's honor. Liam passed away last night, and our church heavily feels his loss. Our hearts are heavy as we ask why. But we are also full of hope as we watch God's Kingdom break through as a result of Liam's precious life.

Day 17: Spinning

This is Java spinning in circles, which she likes to do when she's excited. I asked her if she was ready to eat, and she began leaping around in happy circles. She's such a funny dog.

Day 16: Leftovers

My uncle's sister is a chef in Louisiana, and she gave us these leftover potatoes from the cooking the she is currently doing. The interesting thing about them is that these are Dwayne Johnson's (the Rock) leftovers. Kind of randomly, he was filming a movie in Shreveport and she was his personal chef. Apparently all of his meals have to be portioned out perfectly, with everything weighed to an exact weight. Anyway, these are his leftover potatoes.

Day 15: Seven Years

Tomorrow will mark the seven-year anniversary of Amara's accident. Since we drove by the site on our way home from Louisiana, we decided to stop for a few minutes. It's hard to believe it's been so long. I am so thankful that Amara is okay. And we still grieve with Brody's family. I'm reminded of how quickly life can change, and how we should live each day with no regrets or unspoken messages of love.

Day 14: Shane's

For lunch today, we headed to Shane's for a crawfish boil. Yumm! We really like the food here, and come whenever we're in Shreveport. Crawfish, new potatoes, corn and a little boudin on the side. Now that's a tasty meal!

Day 13: Signs

We're visiting my grandparents in Louisiana this weekend and we're staying with my aunt and uncle. They have this sign up in their house, which I thought was amusing. Well, not if you're the person doing something wrong, I suppose!

Day 12: Reading

There's nothing like curling up with a good read. This is yet another Christmas present that I've been enjoying. It's so relaxing to lose myself in a book, and I am glad that I have the time to do so. I haven't read as much as I would have liked over the past few years - homework didn't leave much time for pleasure reading.

Day 11: Kids

These are some of the precious/ precocious kids in my class on Wednesday nights. They're decorating cans to collect coins for Liam's Wells. It always amazes me what we can learn from children!

Day 10: Going Home

I have not other pictures from today, so this will have to do. Normally my sky pictures are of the sunrise, but today it's the sunset. And it was much more beautiful than it seems in this picture!

Day 9: Baked Apples

I got this cool ceramic apple dish for Christmas, and I finally got a chance to try it out tonight. You just core the apple, put some butter, cinnamon, brown sugar and raisins on top and then throw it in the microwave for 2 minutes. Definitely yummy!

Day 8: War Horse

Anna and I went and saw War Horse this afternoon. I really enjoyed it, though I will admit to crying several times. It follows a horse through a beautiful yet horrific journey through World War I. I would definitely recommend seeing this film.

Day 7: My Cuppa

My dad got me this mug for Christmas. He got it in England and brought it back for me. It has colour strips on the inside so that you can match your tea colour to "milky," "classic British," "builder's brew" or "just tea." So cool!

Day 6: Bananagrams

After several rounds of Bananagrams, I began making horse-related words. We quickly decided to try to use every single letter in a puzzle full of equine words. Some of them are not quite as good as others, but I think we did a pretty good job!

Day 5: Flintstones

I used to take these vitamins as a kid. I recently got a bottle, and they are so much easier to take than those huge multivitamin horse pills. Why haven't I been taking Flintstone's vitamins for years?

Day 4: Blue Bell

I love Blue Bell! But really, who doesn't? Anyway, this seasonal flavour is pretty good. Not quite as good as their peppermint, perhaps, but it still makes me a happy girl.

Day 3: Back to Work

My day off yesterday was lovely, but the holiday is now over. I'm back to work today, but I was glad to see the sunrise. I just love the brightness of the sun rising beyond the horizon. You all may get tired of sky pictures before this year is over!

Day 2: Breakfast

Every year on New Year's Day we eat steak for breakfast. We pushed it to today, since yesterday was a Sunday. I'm not sure when this tradition started, but it's a fun one. Dad grills steak and the rest of us (mostly Mom, though) prepare onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, eggs, toast and tea. Yumm! And then we eat it while watching the Rose Parade.

Day 1: Happy New Year!

We rung in the new year last night with some friends, playing games and enjoying each other's company. And of course, we had to blow our little party blowers (what are those things called anyway?).