Back to Reality!

Well, I am back in Charlotte and have my hands full with packing up my house and moving to my new place in about a week...not much time to box up and move all the stuff I have accumulated in the past 2 years living here!

Brazil was an amazing trip and it was hard transitioning back to everything here and its back to the office on Monday...ugh...only 10 days til my vacation!!!!

Here is the link to all my pictures from Brazil...400+...haven't had time to edit them yet but they are all there!

Brazil Pics

Enjoy and I'll post some pictures of my new place when I get moved in...

I heart Brazil!

I am in Recife, Brazil until July 16th...here are a few pictures to sum up my trip here...which in 2 words (one english/one portuguese): Pure Allegria (Joy/Happiness)



our group at the school we stayed at in Iguaracy!

some of my friends (peter and clovis) at VBS

precious kids right before we left Iguaracy to come back to Recife!

tchau!
Lu

Pitts to the burgh! 2008

So i have been back for a little over a week and it has been CRAZY...had to go to 3 ministry events...dogsit/catsit...find a new place to live when i get back from Brazil...sign a lease at said place...get EVERYTHING ready for Brazil...pack...and of course blog! :) its been a while! one of my sweet friends told me she reads my blog....so this is for my 1 blog reader...lynn! :)



my lovely guy leaders getting ready to go on our cruise ship for dinner!



my work group with our homeowner, ms. griffin and her grandkids...so sweet!



a little reinactment of the prank of a high school boy snatching my pack on the boat!



loved my all girl work group! GIRL POWER!



FOREST HILL GROUP



another crazy work group pic! we really did work! :)



it was freezing in Pittsburgh this year!

It was an awesome trip to Pittsburgh this year...my group of all girls worked on a house of a sweet lady named Ms. Griffin! She had 4 dogs, 2 cats and 3 grandkids that hung out with us all week! Our job was to paint all the trim on her house...her 3 story house, i might add. And that means one scary thing to me....extension ladders...3 of them...24 ft - okay; 32 ft - scary; 45 ft - never will i be on that!

We did get all of the painting done...my girls were champs and scurried up those ladders like it was their job! And drumroll....the highlight of my trip was.....

NOT GETTING LOST DRIVING!!! yes...i had the help of my new best friend - GAR ... (Garmin GPS) best purchase i have made in the last 3 years working at Forest Hill...i am known for getting lost on every trip and by being known...every time my van showed up somewhere, i got lots of high fives from the high school boys for not getting lost on the way there!...it definitely got old!

Alright...next trip is in less than 2 days...to Brazil...i am so excited and can't wait! i'll post some pics when i can...not sure if i can blog when i get there but i will try! :)

i AM from texas...

So, if you know me at all, you know that i cannot turn down a challenge...or a dare...or worse...a dare that someone else pays for...gets me every time! This past weekend, some friends and i went to taste of charlotte downtown. For those of you not from here, it is a weekend festival where a ton of restaurants bring delicious "free samples" of food that you can pay for with coins that you purchase...rip off? yes. Worth it? yes! So, they have to entertain all the hungry people with something...so naturally they had a mechanical bull. I am not a stranger to this particular type of entertainment. 6 words sum up my experience: Progresso, Mexico, junior high mission trips! This is not the first mechanical bull i have ever ridden...we also have these at multiple "dancehalls" in Texas for those of you from NC. So, here's the result of the paid for challenge from my roomie, Cori and photographer Julie.


~this is the face you are supposed to make while doing this!~


~is it crazy that i am proud of this picture?~


~full from delicious food and burning up from the heat~
Nick, Julie and me


This weekend, my little brother comes to visit me and then I leave for my 1st of 2 mission trips this summer...to Pittsburgh with the high school group...will post pictures when i get back!

Its been too long...

I know it has been a while...where has the time gone? i can't believe it is almost June... here are some recent pics of my trip to Dallas and Colorado for Lynn and Thomas' wedding...


I love this little girl...Kennedy!


My best friend and now Mom to Kennedy Wood...so fun!



The newly married Thomas and Lynn Bain at their wedding in Estes Park, Colorado! We had such a great weekend!

A little perspective on my life...

So today, i came across this article on msn.com. I thought i would so a little checklist on how i have done so far...

Single-Girl Things to Do Before Lu Gets Married


1. Date a guy who's totally wrong for you just because he has amazing abs. No i haven't done this...but if i meet someone soon with amazing abs who asks me on a date, I have a second reason to say yes...

2. Collect at least six country stamps on your passport, including one from a place that until recently you didn't even know existed Let's see: only got a passport 2 years ago...so far, i've got Brazil, Ethiopia and that is it...i was kinda confused about where Ethiopia was in Africa, so i guess that counts as not knowing it existed...i will use that one until i go to Madagascar...which until i was in Africa did not realize it existed...thanks tca geography!

3. Embrace feminine decor. Check! My room is painted Pink! the article literally says: "Don't go so far as to paint the walls pink — that'll freak out any guy who sets foot in your place"...however, I am not scared...bring it on! i have always wanted a pink room!

4. Take advantage of the whole bed Check...based on the indention in the middle of my mattress, i would say i have this one covered! Now, i guess I need to buy a new mattress...

5. Spend an embarrassing amount of money on a designer bag you love or heels that make you feel incredibly sexy I can't do this one just yet...I have however bought designer jeans which i think should count for this one...check!

6. Learn how to change a tire and work a drill. Tire - NO...I call one of the 6 guys i work with for that; Drill - need to own one before i figure out how to work one.

7. Slip one of those furry covers on the toilet Absolutely NOT! I don't like these things...they remind me of my grandparent's house growing up...and they were always mauve colored...no way...

8. Get a grip on your dough Working on this one...can we just count me doing my own taxes this year as a check for this one?

9. Have your dad take you out to dinner as often as possible If only my dad lived in the same town as me this one would be so easy...I do hit up the parentals when they come to visit and when i go home...so check!

10. Want a cat? Heed this advice: Buy it now First off - No, i do not want a cat. Second, i have a bunny and that is all i can handle right now...and by handle, I mean, i do nothing...it hates me and has bitten me twice...no more pets for me.

11. If all you feel like eating for dinner is ice cream and diet soda, buy a cone and pop a Coke This one i can definitely check off...it happens more frequently than not!

12. Use tons of hot water in the a.m. CHECK!

13. Take your celeb crush to the max No comment....but Check!

14. Plan your fantasy wedding If you know me at all...let's say it together....CHECK!

15. Start a pleasure ritual that a change in your relationship status can't disturb Pedicures - check; massages - check; shopping therapy - check

16. Set up your home in a way that fits your needs If this means I can keep my room as messy as I want to and no one can say anything to me about it...then...check! But, it annoys me, so I am going to clean it when i get home tonight!

Well, if you are still reading...you might be crazy! But I will say that being single does have its perks sometimes! :)

Baby Brother is Engaged!

I just wanted to say congrats to my little brother who got engaged last night to his girlfriend of over 2 years, fellow Aggie class of '09, and all around great girl, Ashley Albrect! We are so excited to add another girl to our family and could not have asked for a sweeter one than Ashley. They plan to get married after they graduate next May! Can't wait for another Texas wedding! Yeah!



Ryan popping the big question!


The future Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Smith