.elpis.

We've moved!

2008-12-18T16:45:00.002-06:00

Being that I got married and there are a million things to change because of a new last name, I figured that the blog should be one of them! OUR new blog website is wackywalkers.wordpress.com. Please come and visit us :)

We're really getting married!

2008-10-31T21:33:00.002-05:00

Looks like there's no turning back now!! This is the picture that was in the Lafayette, LA newspaper last Sunday! Anybody surprised??

21 days from tomorrow I get to marry my best friend!

Do I really live here??

2008-10-20T18:06:00.004-05:00

I have been here in the Appalachian Mountains for about 3 months now and I have not ceased to be amazed that I actually live here. It is October 20th, and this morning there was ice on my windshield. Yes, ICE! It's not even November! In Texas/Louisiana the "ICE STORM" of the year does not hit until at least January or February! So, that's an adjustment for sure. But besides the freezing winter I am preparing for, there are other interesting and beautiful aspects of the Appalachians.

As mentioned earlier, I live about 2 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway. In North Carolina we actually have Fall. I once heard Matt Chandler say that in Texas we don't have Fall, we just fell. Well, there is definitely a full Fall season here.

We spent all day Saturday at the Valle Crucis Country Fair. The fairgrounds were equipped with homemade apple cider (you have no idea what you are missing until you have apple cider straight from fresh apples), lots of crafts, blue grass music, and an old mountain man telling century-old tales. (You have no idea how amazing his tales were...)

So, there's a tiny taste of our Fall. Anytime you want to come and visit, we would love to welcome you to the Appalachian Mountains.

Lost in a Nicholas Sparks Book and The Cake Fairy Strikes Again

2008-09-22T18:02:00.004-05:00

This weekend Joey surprised me and took me to Carolina Beach for my birthday. It was the greatest surprise! We sat on the beach and painted pottery and rode our bikes--it was absolutely perfect! The weather was gloomy, windy, and cold, but I seriously felt like I was somewhere in a Nicholas Sparks book and a great love story was about to ensue!

It was a great weekend to get away from the craziness of this new life in the High Country of North Carolina and nice to spend some undisturbed time with my amazing fiance! And it wasn't too bad to come home to the mountains at the end of the weekend.

We started off by trying to watch the sunrise--it was so cloudy that it was more like a cloud rise!

So, Joey decided to build a sand castle--complete with a moat!!

And take some artsy pictures of me enjoying the waves!

And then we started having a LOT of fun!!!

The houses on the beach were so colorful!

On Monday at school during 3rd period I got a note saying that they needed me in the office asap. So, after 3rd period I went into the office to find this surprise:

My mom has always been the "Cake Fairy". No matter where I am for my birthday, she finds a way to get a cake to me! Year after year, she would show up in College Station with a homemade birthday cake. This year was no exception. She did not let the distance between us get in the way of getting me a birthday cake. She called the receptionist at my school and got a recommendation for a local cake baker. She ordered a cake for me and had it delivered to school!

It seriously was a great birthday weekend that finished off with a great surprise!

Thanks Mom and Dad, for making sure that I get a wonderful cake on my birthday :)

Please Pray

2008-08-30T14:04:00.002-05:00

Hurricane Gustav is on it's way straight toward Lafayette, LA--my home town. My entire family is in Lafayette, except for my brother, Kevin, who is in Baton Rouge. The eye of Gustav is currently expected to make landfall at Vermillion Bay, just south of Lafayette, and head directly for Lafayette. The eastern side of the system is always the strongest which means that Baton Rouge will get the worst of the storm. My family in New Iberia (right at Vermillion Bay) are under a mandatory evacuation, so once again my parents are welcoming the entire family into their house. Please pray for safety for my family as well as for everyone that will be affected by this powerful storm. My parents have been through countless hurricanes throughout their lives, but my dad told me today that he is really scared of this one--something he would not say loosely. I am trying to see the Lord's hand in all of this. It is a huge storm and the hugeness of God and smallness of man is so evident in weather systems. However, I know that He loves us and will always protect us. Gustav is expected to arrive late Monday night/early Tuesday morning, so your prayers are greatly appreciated.

much love,
cb

Another New Adventure

2008-08-16T13:23:00.004-05:00

Aaah....tis the season once again. Not the Christmas season, but the season of change. But this time, it's a change that I have been waiting for. And hopefully a change that will not change for a while (at least 2 years).

I am a Boone, NC resident! Yes, that's right. No more Texas or Louisiana or California. I have ventured to the other side of our great country, and I couldn't be more excited.

But, with excitement also comes a bit of anxiety.

Upon my arrival I cried as per usual. I cried because it was all new. I cried because no one here really knows me. I cried because I just needed to cry. But this time something was different. I have Joey. He has been my rock over this past week. My move and this decision to be his wife has been confirmed over and over again when time after time he has chosen me over his friends. When he has made the decision (he says it's an easy one) to hang out with me when his friends are playing apple sauce in their backyard. (Basically, apple sauce is baseball with apples where you turn the apples into apple sauce!) So, even though this is hard at times, and it's another move without my chicks, it's okay...in fact it's very good!

Since we have been here, lots has happened. Probably the biggest news is that I found out that I am the JV Cheerleading coach at Hibriten High School where I am also teaching Science.

Yes, I said that right.

JV CHEERLEADING!!!!

I was just as surprised as you are.

So, there's that.

But, we have also been having a lot of fun! We went hiking the other day and the cycling yesterday. And, I'll tell you what, I thought I was a cyclist until I started cycling here. People who cycle here are real cyclists. The hills/mountains are killer! So, maybe I'll become a real cyclist after all. Here's some pictures of some of our first adventures in Boone. (Please, excuse the spandex.)

Sooo...who's ready to come visit??

much love,
cb

Bike-walking

2008-08-05T13:28:00.002-05:00

Joey and I are moving to North Carolina on Thursday, and someone asked me the other day how our time in Lafayette has been.

"Awesome" I say.

As I think about my cliche answer some more, one thing stands out during our time in Lafayette--our bicycle woes.

The woes began even before we got to Lafayette.

I got a few stories for ya ags!

Bike-walking #1

So, about a month before Joey moved to Lafayette, he was mountain biking with some friends in North Carolina. He went off a jump, but quickly decided that he didn't go high enough. So, of course he had to try it again. The second attempt was not as pleasant as he had hoped as he flew over his handlebars and proceeded to be knocked unconscious. When he came to, he had to be taken to the emergency room (his friends walked his bike home) where they though that he had ruptured his spleen. (He ended up being okay, praise the Lord!) He soon realized that his mountain bike was totally busted and will require hundreds of dollars of parts and hours of labor.

Bike-walking #2

A couple of weeks after Joey and I got to Lafayette, we decided to go on a bike ride on the Northside of town (a little ghetto at times). We started our journey and soon saw that along our route were prisoners (in black and white stripes, no lie) working on the side of the road. I rode by quickly as they were whistling at me in my spandex! About 3.5 miles into our ride, we heard a pop. One of Joey's spokes on his back wheel had broken off his bike. Are you kidding me? Who does that happen to? So, we began the bike-walking. We decided to go down a side street to avoid the prisoners, but soon found out that we were walking down a very dangerous street in Lafayette. I was scared to death and when I asked Joey afterwards if he was scared he just replied, "I was ready." (Whatever that means...)

Bike-walking #3

A couple of weeks after incident #2, we headed over to Austin for Jessica to take our engagement pictures. Joey insisted on going mountain biking. But, since his bike is still busted, I let him use my Gary Fisher (affectionately named Number 9) that survived the 1-35 bike incident. He was about 3 miles out peddling up a hill when suddenly he heard a clunk. The rear derailleur had fallen off the bike. WHAT?? Yes, I said that right, the rear derailleur fell off the bike. There is a little piece of aluminum that holds the derailleur onto the bike and it cracked in half. Joe had walk his bike back to where we were lying on the beach of Lake Travis. He was upset to say the least, but REI came through again and Hector, my friend at the Dallas REI, called Karl, my new friend at the Austin REI and he special ordered the part for us.

Bike-walking...er...pulling #4

Just a couple of days ago, we went riding around River Ranch in Lafayette with my parents. It was just a leisure 7pm ride after dinner when suddenly Joey couldn't pedal anymore and realized that a link on his chain had broken. So, we took his chain off his bike and I pulled him behind my bike (he held onto my seat) for the rest of our ride. We did pretty well except for one time when we had to start again after crossing a major street and I fell down onto Joey's bike with my feet still clipped into my pedals. I have bruises to keep the memory alive!

So, there you have it...our bike-walking woes of Summer 2008. We did manage to go on a couple of good rides around Lafayette and the surrounding little cajun towns and only came out with minor injuries (sunburn, the beginnings of a heat stroke, you know the likes).

It has been a great summer, but we are excited to be back with 4 fully functioning bicycles and in North Carolina where it isn't so hott!

much love, cb

We Love Schmale!!

2008-07-14T21:28:00.004-05:00

Last weekend Joey and I ventured off to Austin, TX because one of our favorite people in the whole world--Miss Jessica Lynn Schmale--lives there and donated her mad photo skills for the weekend. We spent the Fourth of July at Muleshoe Ranch where Jess, Jillian, and I laid out by the water and Joey attempted to go mountain biking (due to a bicycle malfunction, he was unable to complete his entire journey). We ended the day by watching fireworks over ATX and then got a good night sleep for our big day to come.

During our "photo shoot", we were completely at Jessica's disposal and had an absolute blast. She did a fabulous job capturing our personalities for our engagments and we are more an impressed with her skills. We ended the day cliff jumping at Pace Bend (Jess even jumped off!).

To see more awesome pictures, visit Jessica's blog.

Jess,

Thanks so much for putting up with us and our "personality" for an entire weekend! We had a blast, the pictures look fabulous, and we love you soooooo much!

Joey and Claire

An Ode

2008-07-08T16:08:00.003-05:00

My mother--Renee Claire Borne--is one of the most talented people I know. She and I have not been the closest of mothers and daughters, but we have a mutual understanding that we don't have to be 100% involved in each others lives 100% of the time. She has always been "that mom" who taught French and Science at my school, coached the Science Olympiad Team, sponsored the cheerleaders, made every single one of my formal dresses, made and decorated all of our birthday cakes, cooked every night like a true Cajun woman, cleaned up after 3 disgusting children and one disgusting husband, put together a Mardi Gras Ball, and at the same time still managed to keep up with THREE soap operas a day!!! I mean are you getting the point? This lady is superwoman!!!!!

But, ladies and gentlemen, I do believe that she has outdone herself this time.

About a month ago, Renee Borne opened up her very own quilt shop in Lafayette, LA.

I am not even kidding.

Hundreds of bolts of fabric.

Bar codes.

A scanner gun.

A credit card machine.

I mean...it's legit!

She decided to call it The Borne Quilter--get it...our last name is Borne!! HA! So clever!

I am working at the shop this summer as I plan Joey's and my wedding. Which brings me to another reason why she is superwoman. Not only is she running a brand new quilt shop, she is also organizing yet another Mardi Gras Ball (she's the Dame Commander again), and she is helping me plan our wedding!

Can someone give me a ditto on this woman being SUPERWOMAN!?!?! (Chicks, I want to see those fingers in the air!!)

So, this blog is dedicated to my mom. She's so stressed right now, but still has time to laugh with Joey and me to tears at midnight, cook us chicken yum-yum, teach us how to have at least a little bit of etiquette while planning this wedding, and still manages to keep up with The Young and the Restless, All My Children, and One Life to Live!

P.S. You can see pictures of the shop here. Part of my job has been doing computer stuff and I made this website a couple of days ago. It's nothing fancy, but it'll do the trick for now.

Confessions of a Sonic Junkie, Part II

2008-07-02T09:47:00.004-05:00

For all of you in the heat of the south this summer, I would like to recommend my newest favorite Sonic drink (Joey loves it too):

Strawberry Lime Slushie

Seriously--they are delicious. They even have chunks (sorry Brookie) of strawberry and pieces of limes at the bottom--an added bonus!! And they are so cold that they make your insides fool your outsides that you are actually cold instead of dripping with sweat.

So, if you are looking for a cool summer drink from the drive in we all love most, try a strawberry lime slushie--it won't let you down.

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...

2008-06-06T09:03:00.004-05:00

It seems to be a trend in my life to move frequently. I have blogged before about how I have moved 5 times since I graduated from college and by the end of this summer it'll be seven.

Seven times in 2 years!

There are times that I love the wandering lifestyle. I have made many great friends along the way and have experienced things that I wouldn't trade for the world. The Lord has led me out into the desert and has drawn me back to himself. It has been good--very good.

But also very exhausting.

I am tired of moving. I absolutely HATE packing and I hate even more saying goodbye to people. I have been told that when I make a friend I make them my instant best friend. I am all in. This is a quality that I like because I really have some deep friendships, but I hate because I continue to have to tell them goodbye. It is so hard.

And although this is a good move I still find myself asking the Lord why. Why do I have to move again?? Why do I have to say goodbye? Why? Why? Why?

He continues to say, "Just follow Me. I have never let you down. Why would I start now? I will take care of you."

So alas...here I go again. I am currently sitting at my desk on my last day of school (a workday for teachers--no children) with nothing to do because I am not coming back here next year. My car is packed to the brim (literally) and my bikes are loaded on the top--yes I am scared to death to drive 7 hours with them on top of my car without Sarah in case of a crisis again! I am going to make the drive to Lafayette for the summer to plan our wedding and then will move to Boone, NC at the beginning of August. I did get a teaching job (PTL) in Lenoir, NC teaching physical science and physics to juniors and seniors which is a HUGE blessing as well as a huge load off my back.

I am ready to be somewhere for a while. I am ready to really settle. To nest. I always thought I was the wandering type, but I think I am ready for a break. I am ready to be somewhere and not have in the back of my mind when I am going to move or where I am going to get a job next. I would LOVE to teach at this school for at least two years. But I am going to continue to follow Him (along with Joe's leadership) wherever He takes us (at least I pray that I will).

So, to all of my DFW friends--I love you and I will miss you terribly. You guys have been so consistent with me even though I have been all over the place. Thank you for your friendship. I hate that some friendships are just for a season, but that just the way it goes, right? We will stay in touch--I promise.

Much Love, CB

The Future Mrs. Joey Walker!!! AAAHHH!!!

2008-05-27T18:17:00.009-05:00

Well readers (if there are any more of you left out there), I have some news for you.

Are you ready?

Are you sure?

Okay--here goes....

I am currently the future Mrs. Joey Walker!!!!

That's right! Joey asked me to be his wife on Saturday. Wow--just writing that makes my heart race!! I, of course, said yes! I cannot believe that I get to be his wife!!!

So...here's the story--

He was coming in to visit and he told me that he missed his connecting flight and that his phone was almost dead and that he had left his phone charger at home. I was immediatly frustrated with him and didn't know when he was going to be in and had no way to find out. So, I went to the Vierlings house to lay out by the pool and cool off.

About an hour or so later, my friend Sarah Seifipour called me and told me that she needed me to come to my house. She said that she and her husband got in a fight and she was at my house and needed someone to talk to. I got in my car and rushed home to help "a friend in need". As soon as I pulled up, this is what I found...

I yelled, "I am supposed to be mad at you!" And then walked up to him. I couldn't believe what was happening!! He started singing "I wanna grow old with you" from The Wedding Singer. It was so funny and so sweet!!

After the song was over he told me to stand up and he asked me if I would be his wife! I was speechless--yes, weird for me! I mustered up a "YES" and then started freaking out!

I then realized that Sarah was there taking pictures the whole time! She was so stealth.

I was beyond excited! I am beyond blessed!

The ring is soooooo perfect! He did such a great job!

Joey Walker is my best friend and I cannot wait to be his wife. I feel so honored to get to spend the rest of my life with him and I cannot wait for forever to start!!

If I Wasn't a Celebrity...

2008-05-09T14:23:00.000-05:00

For those of you who don't know, I am a Chemistry teacher at The Academy of Irving ISD. At The Academy there are a number of specialities that students can choose from and take classes in. One of those specialities is Media Technology. In Media Tech, students learn all about video stuff--from cameras, to news casting, to editing--the whole thing! Part of the speciality includes a weekly live broadcast of ANN--Academy News Now--and a weekly airing of "School'd"--an in house game show. Normally students are the anchors and weather people and contestants on ANN and School'd, but this week was an exception--the teachers took over!

I was asked about a month and a half ago to represent the 3rd floor on School'd along with another 3rd floor teacher (we competed against the 1st and 2nd floors). Of course I said yes--any excuse to be in front of a camera I will accept. However, I usually hate the end result!

I'm not going to tell you if we won--you'll have to see for yourself!

Two weeks ago, I was asked to try out to be an anchor for the teacher ANN episode. I didn't want to because I had already done the School'd episode, but I was forced--literally! I auditioned but was hoping not to get the spot, but much to my dismay I got it. So, on Wednesday during homeroom I was the ANN anchor...LIVE. I was so nervous!!!!!!

Here I am anchoring ANN. It's no "Heather with the weather", but I did okay!

But, here's the clencher--they were both aired on the same day. At 8:40am they aired my School'd episode and at about 9:10am they aired ANN live. The whole reason why I didn't want to be on ANN was because I had already done School'd. It was as though it was "The Ms. Borne Show". Since Wednesday (today is Friday), I have been getting comments by every student that walks by my classroom. Comments from, "I saw you on T.V. today Miss." to "Hey Miss, next time try decaf!" Seriously, I feel like a celebrity! It's so funny.

So, there you go...I have officially been at this school for about 6 months and already everyone knows who I am--for better or worse!

Ridin' and Rockin' (cheezy title, I know)

2008-04-19T18:36:00.000-05:00

Thirteen thousand riders.

One hundred and fifty miles.

All riding to find a cure.

There are no words to describe how cool last weekend was.

There was a 15-20 mph head wind almost the entire 150 miles. There were some nice hills. It was hard. But it was so much fun! I love riding my bike and I love Rachel and her family so it was just perfect. My mom added some nice cajun flare to the weekend. She came complete with some boudain and some butter rum cake--no one ever said she lacked hospitality skills!

Here are a few pictures of our weekend.

Rachie and Me getting at the starting line--before our butts were sore!!

Team Yags (almost all of us) at lunch on day 1 with Yags (Rachel's mom) and Renee (my mom).

Day 2 lunch. "The Cupid Shuffle" came on so I had to show everyone the dance!!

Rachie coming into the finish line at the Texas State Capital in Austin. If you can't tell by it's length--that's my arm in the back!

I quickly shifted gears (no pun intended) and had to get back some energy to enjoy a night out with the girls! On Monday night I joined some girl friends at a Bon Jovi concert at American Airlines Center. We bought the tickets months ago and were so excited about the concert. (Those of you who know me well, also know of my love for Bon Jovi. Needless to say, even though I was painfully tired, I was beside myself.) The concert was all that I hoped for-and more! It was truly amazing! I got goosebumps when the entire crowd sang "You give love a bad name" without Bon Jovi singing or playing at all. Truly amazing! Here's some pictures for your viewing pleasure...

Daughtry opened for them. Seriously--how in the world did Taylor Hicks win that year of American Idol?? I am still baffled.

Oh Oh...We're halfway there. OOOOOOH Livin' on a Prayer!!

It seriously looked like I was watching the making of a bad 80's music video. Hilarious!

Not even kidding. Amazing!

"Raise Your Hands!"

The spirit fingers were alive!

"These five words I swear to you...I'll be there for you!"

His moves are still living in 1984!

That vest with no shirt just about killed me!

So there you have it. A great few days indeed! Gillman family--I'm ready for next year! Anne--we must do this again!!

one hundered and fifty

2008-04-10T20:09:00.000-05:00

Multiple sclerosis (MS) usually strikes adults in the prime of life - between the ages of 20 and 50. It is a chronic disease of the central nervous system affecting the brain and spinal cord. One new case of MS is diagnosed every hour. It comes and goes unpredictably, leaving people to wonder, "Will I become paralyzed, blind or have trouble walking? Will I be able to raise my family and continue my career?"

My dear friend, Rachel's mom was diagnosed with MS in 1990. Last year, while we were roommates, she asked me if I wanted to ride in the MS 150 with her--a 150 mile bike ride from Houston to Austin to raise money to find a cure for MS. The race was in about one month and I didn't even have a bike, but I agreed. It seemed like a good cause and I'm always up for a new adventure.

I found a bike, trained for a few weeks, and then headed down to Houston with Rachel's family. It turned out to be one of the greatest, most rewarding weekends of my life. Rachel's mom, Denyse, is such an inspiration and it was a pleasure and a joy to ride my bike for her and for all other fighting MS.

So, this weekend I will once again, head down to Houston, get on my bike, and--over a course of 2 days--will ride my bike to Austin. And, this year, my mom will be hanging out with Denyse and driving one of the chase cars. I can't wait!!

Rachel's siblings have started their own MS 150 team called "Team Yags" (Denyse's nickname) and I'm excited and honored to be a part of their team once again. Our website is www.teamyags.com where you can see bios of all of us and donate if you would like.

Please pray for our safety this weekend. There are thousands of riders and it can get dangerous on the roads with that many people out there. I'll post pictures of this year's ride next week!

Oh...and P.S.

2008-04-01T20:51:00.000-05:00

While my trip to Italy was absolutely fabulous, my trip back to DFW from Italy was not so fabulous.

I woke up early (4:30am Italy time) on Saturday morning. I got dressed, and Sarah called a cab to take me to the airport.

The cab picked me up at 5:00am and I told Sarah, "Ciao" and was on my way. After a 20 minute silent cab ride, I was at the airport ready to head back to the ol' U.S. of A. Lufthansa apparently wasn't so ready for me to return!

I was greeted by a very long line at the Florence line, which I waited in patiently. (I, of course, made some friends from the Dallas area. The daughter of the family actually goes to LSU, so that was fun!) It was finally my turn to the ticket lady--WAHOO!! She checked my bags and gave me my boarding pass and then said the following words: "Your plane did not land in Florence last night, it was diverted to Bologna. You are going to take a bus to Bologna and leave for Frankfurt from there."

WHAT??

My idiotic response was: "Just me? Or the whole plane?"

I know...dumb. But to my defense, I was shocked! Have you ever heard of this? Is this a joke? I couldn't believe it.

So...we all headed to the gate and waited and waited and waited. The plane was supposed to leave Florence at 6:55am. It was 7:15 and we still hadn't gotten on the bus to drive the 1.5 hours to Bologna! At 7:30 our bus left. We were all thinking that the bus was going to drive straight to the plane for us to get to Frankfurt asap. Well...Italians do not believe in haste apparently!

When we got to the airport, we had to grab our own bags from below the bus and re-check them at the Bologna airport--seriously, at this point I think I am in a dream!! We all checked in and the plane did not end of taking off until 10:15am--the same time that my flight to Frankfurt was leaving for DFW!!

So, we got to Frankfurt around noon-ish and I ran to the ticket lady. I told her my situation and waited for her to check her system for any flights to DFW. She looked up at me and said the dreaded words: "I'm sorry. There are no more flights leaving today." I immediately started crying. I know, pathetic, but I was tired and sick and it was the LAST think I wanted to hear.

She gave me some tissue, booked me on a flight home the next day at 10:15am, gave me an overnight kit (complete with an XL t-shirt, a toothbrush, and some deoderant), booked me in a hotel room, and told me that I could make ONE phone call.

I felt like I was in jail.

I made my phone call and headed to the bus that would take me to my hotel. The hotel was very nice and Lufthansa also paid for me to get a yummy dinner and breakfast a the hotel restaurant--probably the best buffet in town!

I got to my hotel room at about 1:30pm and didn't know what to do. First of all, there was a double bed with a twin-size comforter and one flat pillow. WHAT???? I turned on the T.V., but of course everything was in German! So, I put on my XL t-shirt, turned on figure skating, and read my "Fried Green Tomatoes" book.

I got even more sick that night and didn't really sleep because my sneezing kept waking me up. I got out of bed the next morning, enjoyed my delicious free breakfast (complete with cappuccino), and headed back to the Frankfurt airport.

This is when I decided to use my misfortune and sickness to my advantage. I went to the gate lady and told her of my woes, coughed a few times, and even managed a sneeze and asked for an upgrade.

IT WORKED!!!!

I got a business class seat on the way back to DFW!!!! I am pretty sure that is what made this story in the end a success! The flight was fabulous. My seat laid all the way down, I had a massage on my chair, my own personal T.V. with like 20 movie choices, a menu to choose my dinner... I mean the works! THIS, my friends, is the way to travel overseas!!!

I realize that this story was waaaaay long, and if you stuck with me--CONGRATS!! The situation was no fun at the time, but it made for a great story--and I'm always up for a great story!

Lufthansa, you are very strange in putting me on a bus when I paid for a plane ticket, but I salute you for making it up to me in the end!!!!!

Ciao! Grazie!

2008-03-25T18:58:00.000-05:00

(NOTE: There's going to be a bunch of pictures...so get ready!!!)

So I made my journey to Florence, Italy last Friday and began a whirlwind Spring Break Trip. I arrived in Florence on Saturday afternoon and Sarah immediately began the "Keep Claire Awake" campaign. We went on a nice stroll around Florence which ended at the David statue. Here's a picture of the David replica--the real David is even bigger!

The next morning we got up and I got on my very first train and went to Pisa. Now, when I think about Pisa, all I can think about is Pauly Shore saying, "Look...it's the leaning tower of cheesa!" on Son In Law. Anybody? Anybody? Beuller? Sarah and I took our obligatory holding up the tower pictures. I took it one step further and went ahead and hugged the statue.

We then got on another train and headed to Lucca--a very quaint fortified city near Pisa. The city is very small (only 2.5 miles in perimeter) and the wall is so thick that you can drive a car on it. We rented bikes and rode around on top of the wall. We had a blast!

And watched the sunset from the top of the wall...

The next day, Hayley joined us from the States and we began operation "Keep Hayley Awake". Due to the lack of showering on all of our parts, I am going to refrain from putting up any pictures from that day!! We strolled around Florence and Hay and I each bought a genuine Italian leather bag!

The next day was Roma!! We spent the entire day in Rome and did EVERYTHING. Here's just a few shots of our nonstop day.

In front of St. Peter's Basilica:

The Coliseum:

Trevi Fountain:

The next day was the day I was looking forward to the most--biking through Tuscany. We rode a total of about 12 miles, but went to Machiavelli's vineyard (remember "The Prince"??), had a fabulous dinner, and enjoyed the Tuscan hills. Here's one for your enjoyment. (Click on the picture to enlarge for your enjoyment.)

The next day we were off to The Cinque Terra (The 5 Lands). We took a train to the first city and hiked to the fourth city along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. We spent the night in an apartment with a fabulous view and then took a train to the 5th city and headed back to Florence that night. Here's a few pics from the trip--I'm going to try to limit it to just a few...

The view from our balcony:

The girls on a bridge:

All of us in the fourth city--Vernaza:

We headed back to Florence for my last night there. Sarah took us to a restaurant called Za Za's where I proceeded to have the best steak I have ever head in my entire life. It was covered in cognac sauce with peppercorns on it--absolutely fabulous!! Here's Sarah and I enjoying our steak--my last meal in Italia!!

So, the trip was a success. We made our rounds and had a blast! Thanks, Bunkmate, for being such a great tour guide. Thanks Emily and Kelly for letting me stay at your apartment. Thanks Hayley for being a fabulous travel companion. A great Spring Break INDEED!!

Bunkmates for Life!

2008-03-14T08:29:00.000-05:00

Today I will love the DFW airport.

No, it is not taking me to Joe.

But it is taking me to one of my other favorite people in the whole world on the other side of the ocean--my Bunkmate, Miss Sarah Page Viering.

Yes, people, I am going to Italy!

I don't speak a lick of Italian (that's what Sarah is for) and I know nothing about fashion, but I am going to be brave in an attempt to experience Italy to the fullest!

I know that I won't fit in with my Patagonia fleece, Tim Buk 2 bag, and rounded toe shoes, but whatever--I'll make it!

I'm so excited about getting to see where Sarah lives and all that she loves. Italy has been her baby for so long and now I will get to enter into her world and walk in her shoes--well not her literal shoes...they would KILL my feet!! Hayley will be there on Monday, so it will be half of the chicks invading Italy! WAHOO!

A follow-up post will be coming next week...so stay tuned.

A Love-Hate Relationship

2008-03-05T20:25:00.000-06:00

I have a love-hate relationship with the DFW airport.

I love it when it brings Joe to me and when it brings me to Joe.

I hate it when it takes Joe back home and when it welcomes me back to Dallas.

I loved it this past Thursday when I drove there after work to greet my amazing boyfriend and I hated it on Monday morning when I had to drive there at 4:30am so that Joe could go back home.

I am grateful for the DFW airport because without it I would never be able to see Joe, but a lot of the time I absolutely hate it.

Confessions of a Sonic Junkie

2008-02-24T20:07:00.000-06:00

I love Sonic.

There. I said it. It's out there.

But the problem is that I not only love Sonic America's Drive In...

I adore it.
I crave it.
I don't know what I would do without it.

A large Coca-Cola Classic, half ice is the greatest thing in the world to me. It makes my heart race (that was for you Jecca).

(NOTE: In Texas, I have to say it like that because sometimes when I order Coke they ask me, "What kind?" I want to yell at them, "What kind do you think? I said Coke, not Dr. Pepper!!" So now I avoid the frustration I simply order a Coca-Cola Classic.)

A Coca-Cola Classic from Sonic is better than a Coca Cola Classic from any other place in the whole wide world. Sonic must put some sort of addictive agent it that keeps me coming back for more. Lauren (Garrison) Helton would even argue that MY Coca-Cola Classic from Sonic is even better than HER Coca-Cola Classic from Sonic. Maybe it's my love for Sonic mixed in with the addictive agent that keeps her sipping on my Coca-Cola Classic instead of hers. (No, I am not bitter!!)

In addition to Sonic Cokes, I also crave Sonic cheese sticks (fried mozzarella cheese for those more refined than me). I am a self-proclaimed cheese stick connoisseur, and would argue with anyone that Sonic has the best cheese sticks around. So, a number 10 with a large Coca-Cola Classic instead of a medium with half ice and extra marinara sauce just about makes my day!

So there you go.

It's out there.

I LOVE SONIC and I'm not afraid of it!

Now, get it your car and go get you your favorite yummy treat from America's Favorite Drive In.

It will put a smile on your face.

Oh--and if you go between the hours of 2pm and 4pm, it's Happy Hour and all drinks are 1/2 price. I'm telling you--Sonic's got it going on!!!!

Now hurry. Go! Go!

Not Boring

2008-02-17T20:04:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I think that I have a boring life, and then I remember where and who I came from and remember that there has never really been a dull moment in my life. When I try to describe the family I came from, most people do not understand. So, pictures usually get the point across. Some of you may have seen these on facebook (click on the link and you can see the pictures even if you are not a member), but I’ll throw some on here for your viewing pleasure!!

The short version: My mom is in Mardi Gras Crewe (like a club) and she was the Dame Commander (in charge of the ball). The theme this year was the British Empire and all of the colonies. She had a "special" part because she was, of course, THE Dame Commander!!

My mother as the "SUN" that never sets on the British Empire (it's a long story!)

My Brothers and me at the Ball

My Fabulous Parents (who are on Facebooke, by the way--ridiculous!!)

I was also very blessed by my fabulous parents with a frequent flyer ticket to visit my fabulous boyfriend, Joe, in Boone, NC. (Thanks again, Mom and Dad!!) Joe and I were blessed with great weather and good friends to hang out with in Boone. As always, it was an amazing visit and I am more and more thankful that he is in my life.

Here we are before snowboarding--not quite Colorado, but it was so much fun to get to snowboard with Joe!!

And here's Manny--he's Joe's roommate and my friend! We love Manny!!

So, no, my life is not boring--it's actually really exciting! In two weeks, I went to Mardi Gras and to the Appalachian Mountains. I hung out with my family and with my boyfriend! My Jesus is so good to me.

Growing up...or NOT growing up!

2008-01-30T18:54:00.000-06:00

I was thinking today about how much I have grown up in the past year and a half since I graduated from A&M. A few things have happened and a few things haven’t happened. Here are just a few:

1. I have moved 5 times—yes I said FIVE times! Ridiculous! I have lived in 3 different places in Lewisville, TX and two places in California. (And maybe a new move soon???)

2. I have had 5 different jobs!!! Are you ready for this??? I have worked at: (in this order)
-Imperial Beach Coffee and Books (Barista)
-Marcus High School (student teaching)
-Flower Mound High School (Chemistry teacher)
-Young Life’s Mountain Lodge (Program Intern)
-Starbucks Coffee (Barista)
-The Academy of Irving ISD (Chemistry/IPC Teacher)

3. I have been on a cruise. (With Sarah—the bunkmate!) Very fun, but would be SUPER fun with all six of us!

4. I have broken my first bone and had my first stitches—my middle finger, what a fiasco!

5. I have learned the importance of clinging to the Lord in the Valleys, praising Him for them, and rejoicing on the Mountaintops.

6. I have learned how much I really do love teaching and how much technology can help me instead of hinder me!

7. I have not broken my camera since the last incident when I got my Aggie ring (remember girls?)!!!

8. I have gotten a new car. I have a car payment and everything! Yes, of course, Keith and Renee (my parents) helped out quite a bit on the down payment—thanks mom and dad—but I do have a monthly payment. Now, I’m not saying that I like my payment, but it does make me feel like a grown up!

9. I have not stopped singing! Now, most of you are thinking to yourself, “Self, I didn’t know Claire was a good singer.” Well, you are correct in your thinking, I am not a GOOD singer, but I LOVE to sing! Those of you who know me well, know that I can turn anything into a song, and I have not stopped doing it. I like to think of my life as a musical. In fact, today in class I was telling one of my students to shake something and just started singing, “Shake it like a Polaroid picture.” Yes, maybe not appropriate, but you know they loved it! I’m so relevant to my students!!!

10. I have not grown up! I have realized that I have a grown-up job and I pay grown-up bills, but I still do not do grown-up things. I would still much prefer to throw the Frisbee than go to a fancy club, I still do not dress up very much for work, and I don’t really think about or plan for my future financial situation. (Sorry dad!) Maybe it’s because I am dating a younger man, but I just refuse to grow up!

So, although time has passed since graduation, much more will have to pass for you to really see a "grown-up" Claire. Or, maybe I'll just move to Neverland and never grow up!!

My Brother, the star!!

2008-01-19T12:11:00.000-06:00

Go to www.lsu.edu and you'll see my little brother, Kevin, on the homepage.

In case it has changed, here's the picture...

Winter Break Recap

2008-01-12T23:02:00.000-06:00

Being a teacher, I am blessed with a wonderful 2 week vacation. When I begin to be frustrated with my job, I just remember my 2 weeks for Christmas, my spring break, and, not to mention, my 2 1/2 months during the summer. If you know me at all, you know that I cannot stand to just sit around for 2 weeks when there are so many other things I can be doing with my time. So, here's a recap of my 2 weeks off...

As you can see from the previous post, I spent a few days back in Lafayette with my family.
Here I am with my cousin's youngest, Ava. Sometimes it's still crazy to me that Aimee is old enough to have kids!

December 29th, was Joey and Emily Dunnebacke's wedding, as well as the declared Six Chicks reunion. It was such a blessing to be back with my best friends for the first time in 19 months! We went to to the wedding and then rented a hotel room for the night and picked up right where we left off. It seriously was as though no time had passed. Here are some pictures from the night:

The Chicks live on...

All of us with Joey and Emily.

A couple of days after the wedding/reunion, I packed up my bags to spend New Years (and a few days after that) with MY Joe. We celebrated his best friend, Ryan's, birthday and then went up to Truckee for a couple of days to hang out with the Thomsens and th rest of the interns from last summer. In Truckee, we built a snowman, went snow shoeing, and went sledding. I was able to cross 2 more things off of my 30 before 20 list! Wahoo!!! Here's some pictures of our time in Truckee.

Joey and I at Lake Tahoe

All of us with our snowman

All the girls snowshoeing

Crashing with Emmeline on the sled

Having fun with my snow shoes!

Joey and me in our favorite city

It truly was a great break, but it is good to be back to routine. Thank you, Lord, for family and friends, and here's to Spring Break in...(you'll have to stay tuned to find out my destination)...

I really am from the South!

2007-12-27T19:43:00.000-06:00

As per usual, I went home to Lafayette, LA for Christmas.*

I was thrilled to be able to relax with my great family.

Little did I know that Kevin (my brother) and Patrick (Kevin's best friend) were going to remind me what my roots truly are.

Kev bought himself a handgun for Christmas and we just had to try it out, so we went out to some rice fields and had some fun. Enjoy :)

And for your viewing pleasure, here's the video of my first shot with the handgun!

*The only reason why I could go home is because of my new amazing teaching job! Praise the Lord!!!

talk to your kids about cooties

2007-12-20T17:33:00.000-06:00

Long Overdue

2007-12-09T16:18:00.000-06:00

I should have posted this about a month ago, but I must thank my dear friend, Mr. DeeOh, for creating the awesome header for my blog. He even made three so that I had options. Thanks Mr. DeeOh. You're a good friend!

Busy Rest

2007-11-16T17:29:00.000-06:00

I am a restless person. Resting is so hard for me. I am always looking for the next adventure.

Looking for the next rush.

I have never had a job for over a year. Since I graduated high school, I have moved 8 times.

Eight.

Are you kidding me. My parents have only moved twice. And they have been married for over 30 years.

I should get a prize for that.

I am a wanderer. A dabbler. I leave at the peak of my stay so that I don't overstay my welcome.

I guess my heart just yearns for something more--so I just move on. And I leave everything else--and everyone else--behind.

Don't get me wrong, I have great friends all over the country and stay in great contact with most of them. But as for me--I leave. I move on to what I think are bigger and better things.

And so the cycle continues.

I mean, I just started my teaching job (yes, I got a teaching job in Irving teaching Chemistry and IPC) and on my first day I was already thinking about what I could do next year instead of teaching at this school. What is my problem?

But, what if this whole time, the thing that I have needed most is rest?

And, maybe I just have that nature about me. Maybe I will be a wanderer for the rest of my life. (Although I hope not, because the idea of being "settled" sounds so great!) Maybe I will, though, always feel the call to move to a new place.

But what I need to learn is how to rest while I am wherever I am. I need to be all here. This is something that I have known for a long time, but have to be reminded of.

My new teaching job is very stressful and overwhelming so I am very busy, but I am learning how to be all there. I am learning how to be completely content with THIS job, in THIS city, with THESE people. Although I am very busy, I feel very rested. Very stable. Very content.

We'll see how long THIS will last!!!

Fall Foliage at its Finest

2007-11-07T20:58:00.000-06:00

This past weekend I was blessed by Paula and David Vierling with a pass on American Airlines to visit my AMAZING boyfriend, Joe. We spent the weekend in Boone, NC--where he goes to school--and thoroughly enjoyed the fall foliage that North Carolina has to offer! We went on three different hikes (yes, I know, we are so active!), and I was able to meet all of his friends. Here are a few pictures of us enjoying the fall leaves!

I was also able to fulfill one of my "30 before 30" items. (30 things I want to do before I turn 30.) Enjoy!

a breath of fresh air

2007-10-28T20:26:00.000-05:00

[note: I already posted once about this, but thought it was lame, so here's my second attempt.]

This weekend my small group and I were able to get away for about 24 hours and enjoy the great outdoors. We headed up to Turner Falls in the great Arbuckle Mountains of Oklahoma and enjoyed the peace and quiet.

Meet Melissa, Macee, Andrea, Mackenzie, Stephanie, Melanie, Annie, and well, you know me!

We started off our day with a great hike which ended up being mostly on the pavement b/c I got us lost, but we did have a little bit on a trail. It was very nice to be a bit in the wilderness! Here we are walking down the HUGE hill at the end of the hike.

After our hike, we began to scavenge for some firewood. Now, this proved to be a hilarious endeavor. We all started looking for some bigger logs...but to no avail. Melissa busted out an awesome pocket knife that J.J. (her boyfriend) let her borrow that had a saw-type knife on it. She and Annie and Mac had the brilliant idea to start sawing at a bigger tree limb. Praise the Lord that they were persistent, because, after much sawing and many funny grunts, they got us some wood!

Macee had the brilliant idea for me to climb a dead tree to get some of the bigger branches. I, of course, obliged (any excuse to climb I'll take!). Melanie and Steph were a bit nervous, but Macee had faith in me and we got us some good firewood!

We then got our fire started--thanks to Annie and Macee's amazing help and had our fireside fajitas. After dinner we slacklined (thanks Colby) and just sat by the fire and enjoyed some great quality time together.

The next morning, Melanie made us some coffee, we made a stop at the falls for a photo op and then headed home. It was an amazing retreat from the city and I think we all felt the Lord's presence in our time together in the outdoors! Girls, I had a blast. Let's do it again soon!

Paul delivers yet again

2007-10-24T13:18:00.000-05:00

"Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God..." -Romans 1:1

The other day my daily Bible reading said to read Romans 1-3, I only made it through verse 1 of chapter 1.

Bond-servant.

This word cut deeply. Deeper than I would have liked.

For the past week I have wrestled with this word. What exactly does it mean? How am I to live out being Christ's bond-servant today? A bond-servant is bound to his master and does exactly what his master bids exactly when his master bids it. A bond-servant is not free. Yet, we have been freed by the blood of Christ.

"For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." -Galatians 1:13

"Act as free men, and do no use your freedom as a covering for evil, but us it as BONDSLAVES of God." -1 Peter 2:16 (caps mine)

Freedom was given to us only for us to become bond-servants. Sounds a bit twisted.

Only it's not.

If I have learned nothing else during my Christan walk, I have learned of my complete ineptness to do anything on my own--even waking up some mornings! I am and will never be strong enough or wise enough to walk through this life on my own. The world tells me to be strong and look out for myself and to continue to get stronger so that I can survive on my own.

Here's the problem--I cannot make myself stronger. I cannot survive on my own. I need the cross. I need His strength. I am and will always be completely dependent upon Him for everything. Just like a bond-servant is dependent upon His master for everything. I am bound completely to Christ and I am nothing and can do nothing apart from Him.

I am His bond-servant and am His bond-servant because of the cross.

To be His bond-servant, we must live our lives by faith and hope. For the majority of my Christian life, I thought that this meant things like faith that I will always have friends, and hope that I will always have a good job. But, it's not.

It's leaps of faith that cannot be explained. Leaps that will define and enhance our walks. Leaps that will bring about more leaps. Faith that will produce righteousness. Faith that is contagious.

The Greek meaning of hope ("elpis" that I have tattooed on my wrist) is "joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation". Hope that is hard. Hope that will bring us to the cross. Hope that will bring us to a place of utter dependence upon the Lord. Hope that, like Abraham, will bring us full assurance that all that the Lord has promised, He will perform.

He promises sufferings and trials and, in the end, SALVATION!

So, this is what I will hope in. This is what I will have faith in. This is who I will be a bond-servant to.

Christ Jesus who died on the cross and shed His blood as a complete covering for my sin--of which I am completely undeserving.

Is Lafayette ready...

2007-10-05T17:49:00.000-05:00

...for another mini Ben and Simonne Broussard?

They have already produced on the of the cutest and funniest kids I have ever met who is a fabulous combination of Ben and Simonne's strange humor.

Can they do it again?

I dare say that I think they can.

Here's a video of Noah Broussard along with my other favorite little people--Jacob, Mary-Grace, and Ava Landreneau--dancing to the "Cupid Shuffle" for your viewing pleasure. (So sorry for the sideways camera shot.)

Congratulations Ben and Simonne on the new Mini-Broussard!!!

Room For Cream

2007-09-08T13:44:00.000-05:00

Yes, it is true...I have given into the man. I am currently the newest barista at my local Starbucks Coffee. Sad, but oh so true. I have worked three shifts and like it okay. I know that it will take a while for me to fully get into the swing of things there, but its a great dispensible job (that gives me benefits like medical insurance as well as a free pound of coffee every single week!) that I can have for a while and even transfer within the company if I need to. I work with very interesting people, but they are very very fun. I know that God can use me in big ways--if only I would be fully willing to let Him.

I am learning how to be all here in Lewisville while still being diligent about praying for what God has next for me. It is something that sounds easy in theory, but in reality, it is very hard.

I am so trying to enjoy the place that God has me today, while still being able to grow and learn from the places that He has taken me, and being prayerful about the places that He will take me.

I have been reading a book called "to Be Told" by Dan Allender and it has helped me to put things into perspective about how God has used my past and is using my present to prepare me for my unknown future.

He makes a good point that it is hard to know where you are going if you do not know where you come from. Those moments in your past that have defined who you are and those moments that you wish never happened are all part of how you live your life today--whether you like it or not.

This is not to say that there is not power in the cross and redemption through the blood, but what has happened has happened--it is what it is--and we have to be willing to read our past to know how God has wired us for our today and our tomorrow.

"But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart." Luke 2:19

All of those little moments that Mary had with Jesus are moments that she pondered and later in Luke it even says that she "treasured" them in her heart.

We are to remember all of the places that the Lord has brought us to and through. We are to thank Him for bringing us through them and revealing Himself to us because of them.

Thank Him for the mountain-tops.

Praise Him for the valleys.

Be grateful for His voice.

And love Him despite the silence.

In this past week I have pleaded with the Lord to help me to remember my story--or rather His story in my life. A lot of junk has come up, but a lot of healing has resulted. Before I can move forward I think that it is important to look back and see all that God has done--while still living for what I have today.

At times I feel so empty and drained, but I know that with Jesus there is always room for more.

I am excited about where He is going to take me, but I am even more excited about what He is doing TODAY. I have faith that what He is doing TODAY is molding me for what He will grow me to become TOMORROW.

Ultimately, though, I pray that He will teach me how to live for where He has me today, in Lewisville, TX and that as I live for the here and now, He will show me tomorrow.

A Slew of Events...

2007-08-27T11:39:00.000-05:00

I am going to try to tell all that has occurred since my last blog without making this blog too long, but no promises.

About a week after my last entry, we had our last week of Mountain Lodge campers as we know it. It was very, very hard. I have seen the Lord do a HUGE work in and through that 3-story lodge and I am still baffled as to why He feels the need to shut it all down. But, He's the one in charge right? And He knows what He's doing, right? As I left the Lodge, I did realize that it was a bit anti-climactic. As I left I realized that it really wasn't ever about the PLACE as much as it was about the PEOPLE and the work that God did in and through the PEOPLE. It is a place where the Lord changed me and revealed Himself to me, but it is just a place.

Kind of funny that this is not the first time that the Lord has had to teach me this truth.

Funny...or frustrating. I'm not sure which one.

The day after campers left, Joe (my new, amazing boyfriend) and I were finally able to go on our first (and only) date. Because he's so great and knows me so well, we went on a hike up Mt. Rose, one of the highest peaks in the Lake Tahoe area. It was such a fun first date and definitely an amazing addition to all of the awesome experiences the Lord has blessed me with. Here's Joe and me with Mt. Rose in the background. (This is just one of our many open-mouth pictures--He fits in just fabulously!)

A couple of days after our amazing date, most of the interns and James and Courtney went on a bike ride around Lake Tahoe. Once again, another great addition to the awesome experiences I had here. We left early in the morning and it took us a little under 6 hours to complete the 73 miles around the Lake. It was such a beautiful ride being as we had a view of Lake Tahoe almost the entire time. My bike held up just fabulously and I became even more addicted to riding. Here we all are above Emerald Bay (a beautiful bay in Lake Tahoe).

Joe left to drive across the country to North Carolina (where he goes to school--yes, he is younger than me!) and the day that he left, I found out that my car, Oliver, was very very sick and it would cost about $2500 to fix him, which, by the way, is WAY more than he is worth. So, my dad and I decided that the only option was to buy a new car. But, Sarah would be coming in the next few days and we were to drive across the country--I needed a new car and FAST! My friend Ryan and I went to Reno on a mission and by the end of the day I was blessed with a brand new 2008 Subaru Forster Sports at a great deal. Talk about the Lord was looking out for me--it was a very overwhelming process!!! So, meet Andre the Subaru, my new friend!

So, Sarah came to Reno to save the day and drive the 28-hour drive with me back to Dallas (see previous post). But, before we went, I had to show my beloved Bunkmate a bit of God's beautiful creation. So, we grabbed some bikes and went for a bike ride along the Truckee river and Lake Tahoe. It was so much fun and Sarah was get a taste of what I had been doing all summer. Here we are on Lake Tahoe and then after the ride looking so hard core!

The next day, we hopped in Andre (who had not yet been named) and headed for Dallas loaded down with my entire life in my car as well as my two bikes and a luggage rack on top of the car. We drove to Salt Lake City and then through Wyoming and Colorado and ended up in Newton, KS to stay with our friend Luke's parents. On Thursday morning we we on the home stretch heading down I-35 at about 60 mph when suddenly my entire bike rack ripped off of my car and began rolling down I-35. Thankfully no cars were in the direct path of the bikes, rack, and luggage. I quickly stopped my car and began running down the freeway with 30 mph winds blowing in my face and Sarah and I waited for an 18-wheeler to stop traffic for us so that we could drag the stuff out of the middle of the freeway. Thankfully a couple (who was on their way to take their engagement pictures nonetheless) stopped and knew how to take apart bikes and helped us get situated. Paula (Sarah's mom) immediately started driving north and met us near Oklahoma City to help us cope! It was a very traumatic experience to say the least.

I immediately got very mad and began calling anyone who could compensate me for my tragedy and the fact that my brand new road bike was broken in half--literally! I expended all of my resources and long story short, REI sold me the wrong rack and is going to buy me a brand new road bike and will rebuild my mountain bike and will pay to repair the dents in my brand new car. I will sing REI's praises for ages to come!!!!

A slew of events to say the least, eh?

Currently I am in Lafayette for a couple of days and then will move in with my friend Stephanie in Lewisville and begin the job hunt. The Lord has been very clear that Dallas is where I am supposed to me for this season--however long it may be. He has also been very clear that full-time ministry is next for me--it what capacity, I do not know, but we'll see. So for now I am looking for a dispensable job and will spend as much time as I can praying for direction as to where He will have be in full-time ministry.

So, there you go. It's been an adventure. It will continue to be an adventure, I am sure. Thank you all for your prayers through this time. More to come...I am sure...

Many Many Blessings...

2007-08-05T12:17:00.000-05:00

Where to begin??? I realize that it has been a while since my last entry and for that I am terribly sorry. Camp has been super crazy and I haven't really had time to process all that has occurred. So many blessings have come my way, but I'll cut it down to 3 for now...so little time!!

Since my last entry, God has shown up. Through many many wrestling matches with Him and lots of tears, He has been very clear that I am to move back to Dallas (or Lewisville, rather) and live with my great friend, Stephanie. I will be about 5 minutes from the church as well as 5 minutes from the Vierlings--two things that are very important to me. I am not at all sure yet how He will use me there, but I know that it is where He is leading me. And just like Phillip, He will tell me when I need to know. Right now I have a direction and I am trusting that He will guide me closer to Himself in a way that only He can.

So there's blessing number one--direction, and a clear one. I have never heard so clearly from the Lord in any other way.

Blessing number two is James and Courtney Thomsen. They are my bosses--the property managers of the Mountain Lodge. Since this is the last summer of the Lodge (long story, I'll tell you if you ask, but I don't have time to type it all out), they do not have a job come October 1 and they have shown me what it means to trust Christ with all that I have. They have been a huge encouragement to me. James is also a huge cyclist and because he works for an outdoor adventure camp he has some great pro-deals. James has blessed us interns with some awesome pro-deals on road bikes and road bike gear. Because of his generosity, I was able to get an amazing road bike for about half the retail price. There are some crazy hills/mountains out here so I have been able to learn how to climb huge hills and control myself as it hit 47 mph going down them (no lie!).

Here's Courtney, Joe, and I riding up Donner Pass Road (you can see Donner Lake in the background).

Blessing number three has to be the July team that was here last month. They were all such a huge blessing to me. My work crew boss from 5 years ago, Jamelyn, was the camp manager and her friendship last month was HUGE. As a team we were able to climb up Castle Peak. It's about a 2400 foot elevation gain in about 3 miles. We did a sunset hike and then hiked down in the full moon. It was not to be believed how beautiful it was.

Here's the whole July team at the top right before the sunset.

Here's the interns in the sunset...

And here's my EPIC picture on the top of Castle Peak...

This summer I have experienced Christ. I needed this summer. I feel like I am back to the real Claire. The Claire who is not so serious. The Claire who is fun, and random, and spontaneous. I needed to re-evaluate who I am in Christ. I am so grateful for this summer. It has rocked my world. I have one week of camp left and then a week here closing down camp. It's sad that it is almost over, but I know that coming here was right. I have been blessed immensely.

Vision

2007-07-14T14:38:00.000-05:00

Acts 8: 26-40

26But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, "Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert road.)

27So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship,

28and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.

29Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot."

30Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

31And he said, "Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

32Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this:
"HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER;
AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT,
SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH.
33"IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY;
WHO WILL RELATE HIS GENERATION?
FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH."

34The eunuch answered Philip and said, "Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?"

35Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him.

36As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?"

37And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."]

38And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.

39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing.

40But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.

I have been praying for a vision. For guideance. For some sort of direction.

For a long time I have felt that my prayers have not been answered. What am I passionate about? What are my gifts? What do I LOVE to do? As Jess says, "What makes my heart race?"

The past week and a half has been rough. Physically, mentally, spiritually, I have been drained. I have hit my wall and have had to continue to move forward. But, because He is so good, I have experienced more of Christ.

Two things I have leared...

First of all is that my prayers have not been in vain. My praying and seeking the face of the Lord, I have learned more about the character of the Lord. I have pleaded with Him. I have worshipped Him. I have been drawn near to Him.

MY prayers do not need to be answered.

Instead, my heart needs to be aligned with His, and He has helped me to see that. Following Christ does not mean doing what you want to do and following Him on the side. Following Christ means altering your entire life so that you are always in line with His will.

So I prayed that the Lord would mess me up. I prayed that He would break me of any idols in my life. I prayed that He would so turn my life upside down that I would only know that it was from Him and not of myself.

Recently, He has shown me that I have made California, and in particular, San Diego, a non-negotiable. I have desired to go there for so long that I have made it a huge idol and the Lord has given me a very clear and resounding “NO” to move to San Diego. What the heck? Are you kidding me? But I have packed up my entire life to move out here and now I have to turn around a go right back home? This can’t be happening! So, now what? Give me something more….

I wanted a vision. A long-term goal for my life.

And then I read Acts 8 and He showed me what was up.

The Holy Spirit told Philip to go south to the road. That’s all he got.

Once he was there, the Spirit said, “Hey, you see that chariot? Well go over there.”

Once he was there, Philip was given the words to speak truth to the Ethiopian and the man was eventually baptized.

Philip did not know from the beginning what was going to happen. All he did was follow the little pieces of the puzzle that the Spirit was giving him. He did not have an end result in mind. There was no long-term vision that some Ethiopian eunuch would be baptized through Philip’s obedience.

I realize that my thoughts may be getting very jumbled now, but stay with me…

I don’t know where to go next. Dallas is a very good option, but I am not sold on it just yet.

The second thing is that I have been able to see (through the leading of the Holy Spirit) how I have been given pieces of the puzzle as I have needed them.

I was led to quit my teaching job to go to San Diego. The day I quit my job, I was offered a job I didn’t even apply for in Tahoe. In the process of accepting the Young Life job, the Spirit revealed to me my idols and has broken me. Had I not come here, I would already be in San Diego and would not have seen my own sin. (Thank you, Jesus, for saving me!) And now I know that there cannot be San Diego right now, but I’m not sure what’s next and that’s okay.

I have to believe that the Spirit WILL show me the next step when I need to know it. Right now I just need to know that there cannot be San Diego so that I can deal with breaking this idol.

Acts has rocked my world this summer.

I have seen the importance of community and following the Spirit.

I hope this makes sense. But if it doesn’t, welcome to my head and heart these days…

2007-07-10T09:52:00.000-05:00

About a week and a half ago an old friend was able to come and visit me at the Lodge. This is a very big deal becuase in my 5 summers of working at a camp, no one has ever come to visit me.

Brandy blessed me.

We played at King's Beach on Lake Tahoe and the wind was so strong that the waves were big enough for us to surf our kayaks on them.

We had some great deep conversations and just were able to catch up after about 3 years of not having seen each other.

Thank you B, for coming to visit. You blessed me more than you know.

While we were at King's Beach, we found this great store which I had seen on my way to the Lodge one day but could never find again. It was a glorious moment when we parked and began to walk to the beach and realized that the store was in fact at the very place where we were.

The store is called "As you Wish" and they sell "enchanted gifts.

"Princess Bride" anyone?

Since we have been quoting "The Princess Bride" all summer, my friend Joey and I were so excited.

There were ridiculous trinkets and constumes in this store--Mom, you would love it!

The outside of the store even comes equipped pirates and a wishing well. Needless to say we thouroughly enjoyed our time at King's Beach.

Anybody want a peanut?

FIRE!

2007-06-30T16:05:00.000-05:00

South Lake Tahoe has been on fire for the past week.

3100 acres have burned.

Over 250 homes have been destroyed.

It is currently about 75% contained.

It is a tragedy.

But I am okay.

The lodge is about 35 miles from the fires, so we are safe. We have had to make many changes to our program because of the fires, but we have been able to see the Lord work in majestic ways. He worked out the kinks and reminded us that there are bigger things going on to pray for than our program.

We were still able to go to the north shore of the lake...

And because of the the change of program, we were able to peak Donner Peak and Mt. Judah overlooking Donner Lake. Needless to say, it was very windy, but very beautiful...

Thank you guys so much for your thoughts and prayers and phone calls this week. I am safe and doing very well. There has been a lot of smoke in the air, but all is well. Please pray for the victims of the fire. Love you all.

Giving it all

2007-06-22T18:07:00.000-05:00

"But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property and kept back some of the price for himself with his wife's full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.'

And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it. The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him. Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife cam in, not knowing what had happened.

And Peter responded to her, 'Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?' And she said, 'Yes, that was the price.'

Then Peter said to her, 'Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door; and they will carry you out as well.'

And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband."

Acts 5: 1-10

Ananias held back from the Lord what was the Lord's and he died.

Dead.

As in no life.

Simply for wanting to keep some of the money for himself.

When his wife confirmed the price, she feel dead as well.

Simply for holding back a little bit of extra cash for later.

These are HUGE words that I have never taken seriously. Not giving all that I am, all that I own, all that I have to the Lord will result in death--most likely not physical death, but spiritual death.

I am more fearful of the latter.

So, what is the application of this verse in our world today when we will not be physically killed if we do not give everything to the Lord? How do I see and feel the weight of spiritual death as a result of not giving it all?

This is a question I have been wrestling with all week.

I want so badly to know the Lord's plan for my life, but scripture says that He won't tell me until I give it all to Him. Until I get rid of all the idols in my life. Until I rid myself of the pride I cling so tightly to. Until I let go of MY plans and let HIS take root--whatever they may be.

Now I am here. Trying so badly to figure it all out, knowing full well that I may never--and most likely will never--figure it all out.

Clinging to His promises.

Clinging to His word.

Basking in His glory shown in His creation and through the community He has placed me in.

Trying so hard to show these high school students who Jesus is by joyfully unloading kayaks when I would rather by sleeping.

By giving Him my all when I don't always feel as though I have much to give.

But knowing that I want nothing else than to give Him my all.

This week has been amazing. Hard, of course, but amazing! My highlight, however, has been my two days on Lake Tahoe. Did you know that if you emptied Lake Tahoe, it would fill up the state of California to a depth of 2 feet! This lake is immense. It's so huge, and so deep, and so blue. I have spent the last two Wednesdays on the lake playing lifeguard (thank you Pine Cove). So, the majority of my day is spent laying on a rocky beach and kayaking with some kids.

Meet Joe, Levi, and Emmeline. Joe is a fellow intern and Levi and Emmeline are my boss' kids--they're hilarious.

Since we have had such small camps these first two weeks, I have had the privilage of learning how to wakeboard. The water was freezing and I thought I was going to die, but it was so much fun. I took a few huge spills and ate a lot of water, but it was worth it. I can now say that I learned how to wakeboard on Lake Tahoe. Here's me attempting to go over the wake. Apparently I "buttered the wake" which is a wakeboarding move, but I didn't even know it. I ate it a few seconds later!

So far, this has been a great adventure. Today I went for a two hour run/walk/hike and ended up at the top of a small cliff overlooking Donner Lake. The Lord spoke to me there. More clearly than He ever has. I am grateful. So grateful that His has put me in a place where I am getting more of Him.

A New Endeavor

2007-06-15T15:25:00.000-05:00

Since I am the only one who ever updates the Six Chicks blog, I decided to start my own “Private Practice”. I know, I know…it’s not creative, but I thought it was clever, so I’m going to go with it. I feel like there is a lot of pressure on this endeavor. With so many amazing blogs out there, I have much of an occasion to rise to, but I am excited to write about other things other than just updates—the main reason for the Chicks’ blog. I am not saying that I am abandoning our beloved blog like Sarah and Brookie did once they started their own blogs, I am simply supplementing the updates.

So, to begin….

I have recently begun a new stage in my life. It has only been about two weeks but it has been very hard. I cannot describe the dichotomy of emotions that are going on between my heart and my head, but I know that right now this is how I will get more of Jesus, so this is where I will go.

On the way to the Lake Tahoe area, Kevin and Patrick (my brother and his friend) stopped at a few amazing spots. We first went to Taos, NM and white water rafted down the Rio Grande. We then went to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks to see the HUGE trees and then on to Yosemite to see the most amazing piece of God’s creation I have ever seen in my entire life.
When we were on the Rio Grande our raft guide told us that it took millions of years for the river to carve out the canyon where we were rafting. For a very long time I believed the very same thing, but as I was floating down the river I was more in awe of the fact that the Creator of the universe made this canyon just like it is so that we could have a blast rafting down it.

As He was creating the world He just said, “Hey, I’d like an awesome canyon right there.”

And it was that simple.

One word.

One command.

All so that we could enjoy His creation.

Sounds crazy, but doesn’t the scientific theory have a crazy factor as well.

One must have a lot of faith to believe that water could create such a huge canyon.

One must also have a lot of faith to believe that an all-powerful being could create such a huge canyon.

Personally, I like the latter one better.

I love the idea that the same God who could do such a massive thing with His creation also desires a personal and intimate relationship with me.

It makes me feel very small and very loved at the same time.

Over the past two weeks I have been completely awed by His magnificent creation. Hills that turn into mountains with huge lakes and roaring rivers running throughout have amazed me.

The other day I went on a hike and on June 6th it suddenly started snowing! Are you kidding me? Stuff like this doesn't happen just because. Thank you Jesus! It was absolutely amazing.

I love that our God wanted to bless us by showing off just how good He is.

Funny how we are blessed by Him showing off His power.

Although this new adventure has been hard and challenging and I miss what I left behind a lot, I have seen Jesus. I have received more of Him. I have seen His glory in His creation and through His people.