Singing in LA!

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Get Me Through December...

How pale is the sky that brings forth the rain
As the changing of seasons prepares me again
For the long bitter nights and the wild winter's day
My heart has grown cold my love stored away
My heart has grown cold my love stored away

I've been to the mountain left my tracks in the snow
Where souls have been lost and the walking wounded go
I've taken the pain no girl should endure
Faith can move mountains of that I am sure
But faith can move mountains of that I am sure

Just get me through December
A promise I'll remember
Get me through December
So I can start again

No divine purpose brings freedom from sin
And peace is a gift that must come from within
I've looked for the love that will bring me to rest
Feeding this hunger beating strong in my chest
Feeding this hunger beating strong in my chest

Get me through December
A promise I'll remember
Get me through December
So I can start again

This song speaks right to my heart and pretty much sums up where I am right now.

Dolly Parton and Sweet Tea!

As most of you know, I have spent my entire summer in Pigeon Forge, TN being a leader for a Christian program called Discipleship Focus. DFocus is a program near in dear to my heart. I was a student in the program here in TN in 2005 and a student once again in 2006 in Branson. I've always wanted to come back to TN to do leadership and this summer gave me that sweet opportunity. I'm going to share with you some of my favorite parts of this summer and what God has been doing in my life.

The summer has been excellent. I came away from a school year that was so BUSY. I see now that I was TOO busy and never made time for myself, and ultimately God. This has been a sweet time for me to reconnect with the Lord and just to allow myself to heal from the hardships of this world. Being a leader, I had the choice to work at Dollywood or to not work at all and I chose not to work. I'm so glad I didn't work because it allowed my schedule to be open, flexible and free for the first time in a LONG time.

So what have I been doing? Well, as a leader I am in charge of leading a small group of seven girls and then meeting with each of those girls one-on-one each week. I have absolutely LOVED being a small group leader. It also helps that my group is AWESOME and that I LOVE each of the girls. We have had so much fun together. We laugh, we eat, we share, and then laugh some more! It has been so good for me! I honestly think I came into the summer with no expectations for my own personal growth. I guess I just thought I would guide these girls and encourage them and that's where it would stop. Not so!! I think I have learned more about myself and my relationship with God as I have been leading these girls than I ever thought possible!! My time with Him here has been so good and my desire to be in His Word has been rekindled, which is such a blessing.

Another responsibility I have had this summer has been leading worship. Now, I've been involved with Harvest's worship team for several years but I've never been the leader! There is so much work that goes into it! Choosing music, rehearsing, powerpoints, etc! While challenging, it has also been really cool because I have finally learned how to play djembe and sing at the same time and it has made me want to learn to play guitar better. Which leads me to my next topic of the summer...

My new GUITAR!! I bought a guitar a few weeks ago and I have LOVED it so much! I have practiced almost every day and even have some really good callouses! It was my goal by the end of the summer to put together a song for Talent Night and I did! I sang the song Arlington by the Wailing Jennys with my sister Victoria and a girl in my small group. And I played guitar at the same time! For those of you who know my previous guitar experience, it was very limited! I only knew about 6 chords and could only play Jolene by Dolly Parton. I'm excited about continuing my new found desire to play guitar! Maybe I'll even be a rock star someday...

One of my other favorite parts of this summer was getting to be around the Fullers again! I fell in love with Dennis and Shanna Fuller along with their children when I was down here in 2005. I've always wanted to come back to Tennessee to be around them again. I've loved our great conversations, laughing, and eating great meals together.

One of my other favorite parts of the summer was getting to know my roommates: Ashley Sue Bell and Heather Campbell. I had met Ashley several times and knew of her, but I'd never done the program with her. Heather is a high school teacher from Phoenix, and we actually shared a room. I have loved LAUGHING with these girls!!

For the first time in my Dfocus experience, I had a visitor! Miss Victoria Billington, my sister! She flew in for a week and we had a BLAST! We did some pretty adventurous things: Zip Lining, White Water Rafting, rock hopping in the mountains, and walking through rivers. We went to Dollywood 3 times, saw Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, saw two movies, ate lots of good food, and learned a song for Talent Night! It was a BUSY week but one of my favorites!! It was just so good to share why I love this program so much with someone so dear to me.

Top Ten Things I Will Miss About Tennessee:

10. The mountains! These are my favorite mountains in the whole country because they are so GREEN!

9. Dennis and Shanna Fuller: 13 hours away is just TOO far!

8. The Tin Roof Cafe: This little cafe serves only fresh panini sandwiches and the best fruit tea.

7. The free perks of having a Dollywood ID: This little plastic card gets me free into just about ANYWHERE.

6. Living a more simplified life: Living in an apartment with only a fraction of my belongings has shown me that I don't need so much STUFF in my life and that I don't have to DO so much STUFF. I wish I had a yard back home or a garage so I could have a GARAGE or YARD sale!!

5. Mellow Mushroom Pizza: Oh my!! The best pizza I think I've EVER had!! and they only have them here in the south! :*(

4. Pigeon Forge Library: All summer I have been going to the library and have read so many adolescent fiction books. I wanted to read the books that 5th graders are reading so I can be on top of my game. I've also studied a lot about John Adams and Helen Keller!

3. The expectation of vulnerability that comes with living in such a tight community: Everyone here is so open about the hardships and blessings of life. It has been refreshing!

2. Dolly Parton and Sweet Tea!: Need I say more??

1. The people I have met here this summer: I really hope to stay in touch with so many people from this program. I have been truly blessed to meet them and love that I have been honored to see them grow so much.

This is getting long but I just have to add this as well...

Top Ten Reasons I Am Excited About Going Home:

10. Sleeping in my own bed and having my own shower...

9. The ability to go outside my condo and walk 100 feet to the swimming pool

8. Grilling!! I have missed grilling steaks, chicken, burgers, brats, etc.

7. A more structured time to work out and having the facilities to do so: Walking/running in 100 degree weather is not my favorite. I'm excited to work out on the ellipticals at school and playing tennis with friends.

6. My Harvest community: I have missed my Church!!

5. My small group: I have missed Kate, Allison, Kristen, and Ann Victoria a lot this summer. There is something about having an encouraging group of girls who just know you so well!

4. Simplifying my life: I want to get rid of a lot of the STUFF I was referring to earlier and really think about the motivations for why I do so much...why I'm so BUSY!

3. Starting the school year with a posititive attitude: I really want to go into this year depending on God and try to be an encouragement to those around me.

2. My friends: I have missed many fun moments with them this summer and I can't wait to see them all, catch up, eat good food, and LAUGH.

1. My family! : I have missed 4 family birthdays (including my own!), Father's Day, Madelyn WALKING, 4th of July and SO much more!! I haven't even seen Grant since his wedding day! Crazy! Being away makes me appreciate my family and I can't wait to see their faces!

I know this is long and if you made it to the end, congrats!! I'll be home late on the 8th and will enjoy my last week of vacation before school starts!!

Catching Up

Hello to those who are reading! I can't believe it is almost the end of February! Where is this school year going??! Crazy!
Well, many of you have been asking how my weight loss challenge has been going. I really appreciate those of you who have asked me, because that is one of the things that has kept me going: the encouragement and accountability of friends.
This Monday I weighed in and lost an additional 2 pounds. I have now lost 12.2 pounds. It doesn't really sound like that much, but it is a big deal for me! I have never stayed with any diet/work out regime for longer than a month and I have now been going strong for 7 weeks. I now have 87.8 pounds to lose! I'll do it one pound at a time if I have to!

As many of you know, it is now my favorite season of the year: Lent. Well, for Lent this year I am giving up two things: School lunches and weighing myself in between Mondays. The first one is a challenge because it means that I have to make time for me to make my lunch each morning. The latter one is a real challenge because I have no idea how I am doing during the week. I think it's been really good for me in the long run. It has made me aware of what I'm eating and makes me aware of how my body feels each day, especially since I can't check my progress on the scale each day.

Thanks for all of you who are sticking with me through this journey. I think it will turn out to be one of the most challenging things I've ever done in my life...yet one of the most rewarding.

Week 5 of Weightloss Challenge

Some of you may have noticed that I didn't write on my blog last week to update the world of my weightloss attempts. The reason I didn't write is because I had a bad week last week...as far as weightloss goes. I didn't lose any weight, in fact I gained back 1.8 pounds.
I was really discouraged when I discovered that I was moving in the wrong direction. And frankly, too embarassed and ashamed to share that I didn't lose anything. I'm learning a lot in this process.

Last week I learned 3 things:

1. I'm learning that losing this much weight is not going to be an easy process. It is a daily challenge to keep track of everything that goes in my mouth, exercising, and making good food choices.
2. I have learned that this process can NOT be done without my dependence on the Lord. So many times I try to go about my life on my own strength...and let's just be honest. I don't have the strength to do this alone.
3. Last but not least, I have learned that if I really want the accountability of my friends and family, I need to be real and honest with them...even if it means me saying that I GAINED weight instead of LOST weight. I had a good chat with my dear friend Emily and she really made me realize that it's okay to have a discouraging week, as long as I don't dwell on it.

That being said, I had a MUCH better week. I worked out at least 4 times and made pretty good food choices. I'm trying to drink lots of water and be aware of when my body is saying it is full. I could have given up last week, but I have decided to embark on this challenge 110% and refuse to give up. I may have bad weeks, but I am NOT going to let it get me down.

This week I lost 4.2 pounds which means I met my first goal of 10 pounds! I have lost a total of 10.6 pounds and have 89.4lbs to lose to meet my 100lb goal.

Thanks for so much encouragement from all of you and your support. I couldn't do it without you. Stayed tuned till next week. I WILL post, whether I lose OR gain. That's a promise.

I do have readers!

Well, it seems that there ARE still people that read my blog. That being said, I thought I would let you know how my Monday weigh-in went today. This is my 3rd weigh-in. I lost 2.2 pounds this week! That brings me to a total of 8.2 pounds which is only 1.8 pounds from my first goal. Only 91.2 pounds to go! I suppose I shouldn't say "only." Ninety-one pounds is A LOT...but it sounds better than saying 100!
Thank you for your encouraging words and for your prayers. I sure need them! I am confident I can get through this but I know it will be through the help and accountablility of my friends. I think if I achieve my goal, it will be the single-most important thing I could ever have done for myself...my health, my back, my faith, and my confidence as a woman.
I am going to try to update this blog each week...at least on Mondays to document my progress. Stay tuned! Love to all who are reading this!

Major Goal of the Year

(Copied from my other blog: http://www.translucentponderings.wordpress.com)

So, I’m not really sure if anyone reads this anymore. Let’s be honest…despite my best efforts and good intentions, I am a HORRIBLE blogger! But I am writing this blog despite the fact that probably no one will ever see it but myself.
This is my year to lost weight. Matter of fact.
I’m not just trying to lose a few pounds.
I
want
to
lose
100
pounds.
100!
It is my goal to lose all of this in
one year.
How am I doing this? Simple: Keeping track of my calorie intake using http://www.livestrong.com . I am adding more exercise to my life and trying to drink a lot of water and take a daily vitamin. I am not taking any type of dieting pill or other dieting substance. I want to lose weight completely naturally.

I’ve tried to lose weight before, but I usually give up after about 2 weeks. One of the things that is different about this effort, is that I am telling people about it. Trying to lose weight has been something I’ve been embarassed about in the past. I’ve always felt ashamed talking about my weight. Well, you know what? It is this feeling of shame that has kept me from achieving my goals. This year is different. I have told all of my closest friends about my year long goal. I need the accountability because it is so easy for me to quit and give up.
I am losing weight because I want to be healthy. I have constant back pain and my knees hurt on a daily basis. I am not even 27 years old. I want to lose this weight for ME, no one else.
If you are reading this, please pray that I can remain strong. I realize that I will only be able to obtain these goals through Christ, who strengthens me. I need reminders of his love and desire for me to be healthy.

Tomorrow is my Week 3 Weigh In. The first week I lost 4lbs, the second week I lost 2. The goal of the challenge is to lose 10lbs within 4 weeks. We’ll see how I do in the morning!

Gratitude and the Pursuit of Happiness

Being the month of Thanksgiving, I always try to make November a month to reflect on all the areas in my life that I should be grateful for. In my class of 5th graders, I have them each create a Gratitude Journal. Each day they are supposed to come up with 3 non-materialistic things to be thankful for.

I am encouraged when I read their ponderings: "I am thankful for the crunch of the leaves on a cool autumn day." "I am thankful for the sound of chirping birds when I wake up." "I am thankful for teachers who grow my brain." I even had a little boy who was "thankful for the sound of persimmons falling from the trees." What I love about Gratitude Journals is that no matter how bad of day you're having, there are still things to be thankful for.

I was first introduced to the idea of Gratitude Journals when I was a Junior in High School. My English teacher, Mrs. Logan had our whole class keep these journals. At first I rolled my eyes because it seemed like such a childish task. What I soon realized, was that there are so many little things to be grateful for: finding a really cool pen in the hall, hearing babies laugh, Jesus clouds shooting from the sky, and so many more.

This morning I was listening to Woody and Janet on 105.9 and I learned that this week is Pursuit of Happiness Week. He gave a list of ten things you can do to make your life more joyful and ways you can be more happy. Of course I know the root of authentic joy is none other than Jesus Christ, but I was interested to hear how to obtain joy through secular means. I really like this list. Look it over and see if there are any ways you can become a more joyful person.

10 Ways to Be a More Joyful Person
1. Plant and nurture something.
2. Reflect and be thankful about 5 things daily.
3. Talk for an hour with a loved one at least once a week.
4. Call a friend you haven't talked to for a while and set up a time to meet.
5. Do a random act of kindness for someone every day.
6. Exercise at least 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes.
7. Give yourself a treat everyday and savor/enjoy it.
8. Laugh everyday!
9. Say hello to a stranger every day.
10. Spread kindness.

Hope you have a great day. Enjoy the beautiful sunshine and think of all the many blessings in your own life!

After a brief hiatus...

Wow! It has been a LONG time since I wrote on this blog. It has been almost a year since I have written anything meaningful. For those of you who are still interested in what I have to say, welcome back to my thoughts. I'm really hoping that blogging will be a priority for me in this upcoming season of life. I look forward to it.

So where have I been for over a year? I have been working diligently on my Masters in Educational Technology from Mizzou. I started last August and I officially finished yesterday!! I got notice that my portfolio passed final review last night. I tell you what, I can tell an instant difference in my life already! I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. It's not so much that I let my Master's effect my social or personal life, it's just that there was always this shadow hanging over me and this gnawing guilt that I should be doing homework. I am so thankful that I no longer feel that guilt. I'd like to think I have so much more free time ahead of me, but so far it's looking like I'm going to be as busy as ever...maybe just without the guilt. Either way, I'm so glad to be done!! I officially graduate on December 18. Am I walking? Heck yes, I am!

Vote for Susan!

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--I Am Second Blog

For those of you who haven't checked out Iamsecond.com, please do!! The videos are short, well made, and really inspire and encourage you. Check out Brian "Head" Welch's (former lead singer of Korn) testimony and how Jason Castro keeps the Lord in the center of his life. The website just launched on December 2, and is already turning heads. Check it out!!

Experiencing the Advent Season

The last several years I've really struggled during Christmas time. I'm not sure why. I think I let the old traditions become mundane to me and that I was never truly experiencing Christmas with the same zest that I once had. It even came to the point where I didn't even want to listen to Christmas music...at all. For those of you who know me, this is a big deal. I was the strange girl in high school who broke out the Christmas tape in the middle of July just because I couldn't WAIT for Christmas to come.


Though I'm definitely not that extreme this year, I'm definitely enjoying the Christmas season. I have a roommate this year, and we already put up the Christmas tree in my condo. Last year I did no such thing because I was alone and by myself. I've been listening to Christmas music on Pandora (the Peaceful Holidays station is my new favorite).


I think one of the biggest changes for me this year is my new outlook on the Advent season and the true meaning of the holiday.

This year I feel excitement for this season where we get to celebrate Christ coming to this earth. Not only do we get to celebrate that Jesus CAME to us, we get to wait with joyful anticipation for his coming AGAIN. For the first time during this holiday season, my hope and joy is focused on the right place. I feel like this new joy instilled in me is lifting weight from my shoulders, that a new light is shining in my heart. I'm excited to spend the rest of this month celebrating the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

This weekend, I went to a worship service and saw this video for the first time. I have now seen it twice and keep thinking about it. If you struggle with finding a balance between materialism, commercialism, and the TRUE reason for the season, this video is for you. Watch it and enjoy!

The Vacant House

The house had been vacant for months. As I drove by it everyday, I couldn't help but notice it's creepyness as it sat in a heap of aloneness. There was a mattress on the driveway and the biggest spider web and spider stretched across the open garage. I looked at that house every day. I wondered about it...How does a house just end up empty with nothing but a mattress in the front yard? I couldn't drive by that house without feeling strangely scared and uneasy. I just didn't like the feel of it.

One day I noticed a difference in the house. The spider web disappeared and soon enough the mattress disappeared too. Gradually I stopped getting the spooks as I drove by that old house. I began seeing a family. Two little boys who rode their tricycle in the driveway and a woman who worked hard to get the weeds from the front yard. I saw the man of the house taking many smoke breaks, in fact everytime I drove by. The vacant house had become a home, and I felt peace about that old house...Until tonight.

As I drove home, a police car whizzed by me with deafening sirens and I pitied the person he was after. As I drove down the road that leads me home I saw the bright lights and knew it had stopped at the house I had grown strangely fond of. What was going on that needed a police officer's attention? I'll never know, though I'll never forget what I saw. As I drove by the cop was jumping out of his car. That woman, who spent many hours in that same yard was standing with her two little boys at the bottome of her driveway. The smallest boy, only a toddler was wearing her sweatshirt. The older boy, porbably around 7 was only wearing his underwear. What happened in that house tonight that resulted in the woman rushing her half dressed children to the road? And where was the dad? Did he do something to those boys? I couldn't help but stare as I drove by, looking at that boy with no clothes on in 50 degree weather. My mind rushes through all the possibilities of what may have happened. I lift my prayers tonight to that family, to those children, that mother, and the house that I have ultimately cared for.

Times by Tenth Avenue North

This is a song by the band Tenth Avenue North. I love the words. If you haven't listened to it before, check it out! It touches my heart.

I know I need You
I need to love You
I love to see You, but it's been so long
I long to feel You
I feel this need for You
And I need to hear You, is that so wrong?

Now You pull me near You
When we're close, I fear You
Still I'm afraid to tell You, all that I've done
Are You done forgiving?
Oh can You look past my pretending?
Lord, I'm so tired of defending, what I've become
What have I become?


I hear You say,
"My love is over. It's underneath.
It's inside. It's in between.
The times you doubt Me, when you can't feel.
The times that you question, 'Is this for real? '
The times you're broken.
The times that you mend.
The times that you hate Me, and the times that you bend.
Well, My love is over, it's underneath.
It's inside, it's in between.
These times you're healing, and when your heart breaks.
The times that you feel like you're falling from grace.
The times you're hurting.
The times that you heal.
The times you go hungry, and are tempted to steal.
The times of confusion, in chaos and pain.
I'm there in your sorrow, under the weight of your shame.
I'm there through your heartache.
I'm there in the storm.
My love I will keep you, by My pow'r alone.
I don't care where you fall, where you have been.
I'll never forsake you, My love never ends.
It never ends."

and ACTION!!

My word!! I have spent the last five days trying to get this computer to work! I've tried everything: prayed about it, clicked every button possible, spoke to a Dell woman for two hours and 45 minutes and cussed ($%@!*#). Nothing helped. So today I was planning on taking my dear laptop to the school to get fixed but thought I would try ONE more time at Panera...and wallah!! It's working. I just don't get it. I came here on Saturday...and nothing. It was so frustrating because everything worked EXCEPT the internet...you know, my favorite part.
Well, whatever the problem was, I hope it's fixed and never happens again. Stay tuned to some fun blogs about my birthday celebration with Erin and my trip to see Janelle in Kansas City!

I've been tagged!

I've been tagged!
Good ole' Cindy Matzat tagged me and now I must share some random things to the world!

Here are the rules:



1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Random things most people may not know about Cassandra Dawn Chambers:

1. I almost burned up in a house fire when I was six months old.
2. I love listening to opera, watching opera, and SINGING opera!!
3. My dream job would be to sing in a professional choir or vocal group...preferrably a black spiritual choir.
4. I model my singing voice after Rosemary Clooney and my mother.
5. I once wanted to go to culinary arts school and have a cooking show called Cooking with Casey...and totally practice sometimes when I'm alone!!
6. I sometimes hold a phone to my ear when I'm singing in the car so that the Branson traffic won't think I'm crazy!

Hmmm..... now to tag some others:

Carissa Lilly

Kate Fried

Shauna Caldwell

Erica Smith

Kristin Hanley

Abby Kuiper

Wing Night!

What do half priced wings, The Soup, and old TBN Christian movies all have in common??
You guessed it!! Fun hangout time with Drea Smith and Marcia Emsheimer!
The three of us have quite a little thing going. We take advantage of the Sunday special at Applebees and enjoy some delicious half-priced wings. Since we like to watch somebody make fun of all the bad stuff on TV, we watch The Soup on E! (if you haven't seen it...check it out!) Usually if we have time, we like to flip through the channels to TBN to see what they're playing. The last time we did this, they were showing a movie from the sixties or seventies called Barrabbas. These old movies are so funny to watch because they are poorly made and usually have pretty awful acting skills. This week didn't disappoint. TBN was showing a movie about David. We had some great laughs. Here are some pictures from our Wing Night. This week was extra special because Jana Sharp joined us! Enjoy!

Learning me some Character in St. Louis!

This weekend I went to a Character Education Conference in St. Louis. People travelled from all over the US to listen to great keynote speakers such as Hal Urban and Eric Liu. Overall, I feel more motivated and inspired as a teacher and can't wait to try some things I learned in the classroom. I got to go up there with 6th grade teacher, Kristi Lamb. Before the trip we didn't really know eachother at all. I enjoyed getting to spend time with Kristi...we definitely made some fun memories.

Since our hotel was only a block from Busch Stadium and the Arch, we decided that when in Rome do as the Romans do...and we began our quest to go find some tickets for the big Cardinals game. I had never been to Major League baseball game so I was pretty excited about the idea. I even had Cardinals t-shirt in my car (pretty sure I can find ANYthing in that thing!) Well, for any of those who have ever been to a major league anything, you know about the somewhat scary people that stand there on the corners of every street, wearing the signs that say "I need tickets." Since we were with our new vice-principal, Mr. Beckwith, we let him help us get tickets from one of these guys. Of course me being the naive Bransonian asked to have our picture with them. Here's our picture with our ticket boys!

Of course our tickets were in the nosebleeds, but that didn't stop us from having a good time!

AND would it really be a good game without a foam finger??!

I randomly bumped into Elisha Stenzel at the conference, so she came to the game with us! The game was awesome and went into record books because all four runs of the Cardinals were Home Runs!! It was amazing. They won 4-3 against the Padres.

Overall, I had a really good time. These last two pictures are me exposing Kristi to the amazingness and slight danger of hanging out of the car to catch beautiful Jesus clouds (one of my favorite things EVER!) Nothing like making memories with new people!

A Break from Daycare!

For some reason, when I find myself with an empty chunk of time during the day, I always think it's fun to go steal my neice Isabella from daycare to just play with her. She's five and this is her last summer before kindergarten. I have childhood memories that take me back to when I was two years old. I suppose everytime I go pick up Isabella, I hope I'm adding to her database of fond memories...and I just love her. For those of you that have never met Bella, she is pure sunshine!! She is a ray of light in a dark room. She is somewhat simple, meaning she assumes the world is good and that everyone is here to be friends with eachother. She notices things that most people never would...the sparkles on the sidewalk, the clock hanging on the wall in an obscure shop, and she can spot a pack of gum in any room, purse, or pocket. She's one of my favorite people...ever. When Jesus speaks of the "little children" and their innocence...he's referring to kids just like Bella.

This last week, I found myself with such a chunk of time and had a grand idea! I could steal Isabella from daycare AND introduce her to Kenzi, my dear friend Erin's little girl. I had to go get both girls from daycare and we decided to go where every kid wants to eat: McDonalds! Kenzi is three and is also a sweetheart. The two girls hit it off from the get go.

People at McDonalds got a kick from these two cuties and their attempts at eating Happy Meals and ice cream. Bella drug her whole braid in her ice cream and it didn't even phase her! Let's just say our table was an absolute MESS when we left that poor fast food joint...but we all made some fun memories!

Fun at Brandy's

Last weekend, I was sitting at home and just had absolutely no plans. I was just sitting there, knowing there were about a hundred things I SHOULD be doing. Have you ever experienced this? I had already spent all day by myself and just wasn't in the mood to be alone. I called a few people, but everyone had plans...
So I called my awesome sister Brandy, who invited me over to play games with her husband Matt and friend Sharla.

Brandy was watching my beautiful nephew Jacob so I got to play with him and let him sleep all over me. He is SUCH a doll!

Though it was approaching midnight, Brandy was still in the process of making homeade bread! It was delicious right out of the oven at one in the morning!

I enjoyed playing games with Brandy (on the right) and her friend, Sharla. It's good to have family around me. I can always count on them when life brings me to the bumps in the road where I just don't want to be alone.