snapshots of my life: marpril

Mom's birthday and Hillsong.

For my mom's birthday, I went with a group of friends to the Hillsong concert.  Yes, you read that right.  Instead of spending the Friday evening with my mom I choose to go to a concert.  But it wasn't just any concert; it was the HILLSONG concert!!!  [I did call and make sure it was okay with her that I attend the concert.  We were all 5 able to celebrate the next day.  Unfortunately, I don't think we took any pictures.]

Hillsong is an UH-MAY-ZING praise and worship group from Australia.  They write and record many of the praise and worship songs played on the Christian radio stations and sung in church.  These guys mix entertainment, testimony, worship, and the Word into two jam-packed hours of awesomeness.  It was so cool to see the venue absolutely packed out for a Friday night of praise and worship.

This guys is NUTS!!!  He has the most energy I have ever seen in a person.

Pass!on.

For the past year, I have been involved in a Thursday night Bible study, Pass!on.  It has been a tremendous blessing as I transitioned into my new, post grad-school life.  The class primarily consists of people who have other obligations on Sunday morning i.e. teaching, attend another church, work schedules.  It draws a huge and dynamic mix of people.

Chinese!  Most people are able to stay and go out to dinner after class.

Unfortunately, at this point in my life, I feel that I am being called away from this group.  I have recently [and finally] chosen to admit that I have too much on my plate.  In efforts to maintain those obligations that I cannot withdraw from-and to sleep more than 4 hours a night-I am having to close some doors in hopes that the new found 'Me' time will result in a more clear-thinking, well-rested, and fewer trips-to-the-gas-station Ellen.

John, Jihye, Micheal, Stephanie, & Kay-Kay

I still look forward to being able to go the the class when I can, bringing lost friends who may be too busy or intimidated to come on Sunday morning.  I will miss the people of the class but know that I will still be able to see them at other times. 

Sweet girls!

no more teenagers?!

My baby brother turned 20 in March!?!?!?!?  I cannot believe it.  I also don't want to believe it as this means I am only getting older :(  

Pretty much the only dessert that Pearl will eat: COOKIE CAKE!!!

Mom, Dad, and I drove to meet Emily and Andrew for a birthday celebration.  We went to Texas Roadhouse [I think that is the name]....YUM-MEE!!!  As the Birthday Boy, Andrew got the extreme privilege of straddling a horse and saddle while flapping his 'To-Go Box' wings and water cup 'beak' in his mouth while we serenaded him with rendition of Happy Birthday that you most probably will not find on iTunes.  Ha!

He always did want to fly!

a night [and day] on a ranch.

I have joined a Sunday morning Bible study class at my church.  I have enjoyed it very much and am grateful to the members of the class for accepting me with ready and open arms.  I have also appreciated their understanding my occasional absence as I am still in transition.

My first big adventure with the group was just that: adventurous.  The family of one of the guys in our class owns something like 75 [+/-] acres about an hour outside of the city.  We had a great time getting to know each other better while camping, cooking, fishing, and shooting things.  Yikes!

Our community of tents.  Aren't they cute?!

Some of the girls gathered 'round the campfire before heading off to our tents.

We were up and at 'em at some crazy hour like 7:00 or something.  We had to get the day going!  These lovely girls made sure that we had a delicious breakfast spread to help get us going.

Tiffany, Stephanie, Amanda, & Lindsay

The Coffee Crew:  Joseph, Me, & Nathan

The primary thing on our agenda for Saturday was the shooting range.  As you can see below, there was no shortage of big, fat, and scary weapons.  We had a safety meeting at 9:00 a.m. to go over the shooting range rules and to meet our Safety Instructors [seen in the navy shirts].

Ready?!

There was a ridiculous amount of armor, ammunition and decibels flying around all morning.  Thankfully, we each came back in one piece!

Range Master

I am not a fan of guns and had no intentions of picking one up...

Drill Sargent Will! 

...but I had to show Will how it was done. 

Don't recall my record, but I do know it was good!

Some people chose fishing...a wise bunch of people if you ask me.

Courtney caught a fish!

final four.

One particularly relaxing Saturday afternoon I found myself sitting with several girlfriends on the patio of Berry Hill.  We sat there for hours, taking the day in and kept saying things like, 'Wow!  When was the last time I didn't have to run off somewhere?  Or make time to see friends?!'  Lindsay and I sat there for 5 hours, I think!

During our camp-out, a certain someone joined us for lunch...

Blue II, Butler University's mascot!

I had Lasik sometime just before this.  As you can see by these pictures I was in glasses for the entire month of March and out of make-up for most of April!

mud bugs!

Raise both hands if you are excited to get your hands on some crawfish!  [You can put your hands down now.]  I have gotten several face-to-face run-ins with the little guys and hope to have several more before the season is over!

Some people like to pause and take a moment to take it all in...

Lindsay prefers to entertain hers with a kiss first...

...and others were never told not to play with their food so they make Crawfish Families!

pseudo birthdays.

As if we don't do enough birthday celebrating in our family during this time of year, Emily and I decided that we needed to have one more last curtain call before the commencement of Birthday Season.  Because life here was crazy and demanding Emily never really got a birthday party.  She has become kind of attached to some of my fabulous friends that she now calls them her own.  I mustered together a group of people to enjoy a night at The Chocolate Bar and several rounds of pool.

I was so glad that Amanda and Trey were in town that weekend and got to come hang out with her.  We miss them :(

Amanda, Emily, and Me

the end.  whoo!

ever thankful for my MOM

 Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ~Elizabeth Stone

I would like to wish a Happy Mother’s Day to all of the wonderful women who have sacrificed much to give us life! We would not be here without you. [Thank you, Captain Obvious!] Seriously though, where would you be if it weren’t for the love, prayers, and support of your mother?

Before my last Mardi Gras parade! 

Mom had to march with me because she had had to sew me

into my pants!!!  [Picture Port-a-Potties?!]

Some of you may not know your biological mother but were blessed with a mom who took you in and loved you as her own. These moms are every bit as special and have been blessed with huge hearts.

My High School graduation celebration all dressed alike.

Emily, Me, Grandmother T, & Mom

Some of you have lost your mother; it is my prayer that you have only the best of memories to remember her by. I think moms who have gone before us sit at the entrance to Heaven, anxiously waiting for their children and grandchildren to come running through the pearly gates just as you did when getting off the bus, home from your first day at school.

 Hand bells at Christmas.

I get to play in a hand bell choir with my mom!

Looks like we're concentrating very hard

[and dressed in your normal kind of garb!].

Some of you are still waiting to be a mom. Whether you have been trying to have a child or are single and still waiting for your Man (like me!), I pray that you continue to seek God and His will for your life; He hears your cry and knows your heart. For all of the ‘Gonna-Be’s’, commit this verse to your heart’s memory:

4 Take delight in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4 (NIV)

Field Trip!!!

@ Mike Huckabee book signing.

 

What is a mom?

Mothers come in all shapes and sizes. Ages and stages. Backgrounds and experiences.
Mom is who you call when you have no one else to talk to. Mom is who will listen to silence on the other end of the phone when you call just needing to know that someone is there for you. Mom is one who has not stopped praying for you since the day she learned of your existence. Mom is who cries with you when the world upsets you. Mom is who laughs with you when you are too tickled to get a funny story out. Mom is who can’t wait to hear about your date last night. Mom is so much more; words cannot fully express all that Mom is.

Her Royal Highness, Hot Mess
[That is me, BTW!]

I can honestly say that I do not envy my mother when it came to raising me. I was (and still am) a HOT MESS. My mom would tell you that I am responsible for at least half of the grey hairs on her head. Not that she has grey hair. But if she did, I would be the number one reason for them! Let’s say for examples sake she does have grey hair. For some crazy reason (that I will not understand until I am a mom myself) she would say that every one of them was worth it. A mother’s love knows no limits; no lengths are too far for a mom to stretch for her children.

The Kiel Girls

She raised such sweet, little angels!

My mom has been a greater help to me in the last 5 years than she will ever know. My ‘adult’ life has gone nothing like the way either of us had planned yet she has taken it in stride. Last year she opened her home to me when I had a Master’s degree, no job, and a car payment. Today she is happy for me to still be under her roof. I am thankful that she recognizes that I am doing my best to be on my own but for reasons that we do not know or understand, God still has me here.

 Diplomas x Three!!!

Ever the planner, mom had us three in cap and gown all at once!

 

I am also incredibly thankful that my mom knew the Lord from a young age. I cannot imagine living life without His influence and hand guiding my family. I know that there are many nights that she doesn’t sleep a wink for praying for me or my siblings.

Thank you, Mom! I love you so much.

brazilian nuts and irish jigs

For more fantastic vacation spots, check out Kelly's Korner where Kelly hosts a 'Show Us Your Life' every Friday!!!

I love, Love, LOVE, lOvE, LOVE, LoVe, love, LOVE to travel. To pick my most 10 favorite places is nearly impossible, let alone 1!

So I have chosen 2 particular vacations: Scotland/Ireland & Rio de Janeiro. I chose these particular 2 because between them, every single one of my passions, loves, and emotional needs were met.

I believe that wherever you go, as long as you are with people that you both love and enjoy, you will have the best of times. Whether it be an overnight trip camping in the woods or the most extravagant beaches in Greece (where I really, really want to go!) the people with you make or break any trip.

First up:  A trip for the Seniors and Citizens

I have a really close family and for that I will always be thankful. I know that I take this for granted way to often and it breaks my heart when I see broken families all around me. Two years ago, amongst 3 diplomas, 2 graduation ceremonies, and 1 50th birthday celebration my family traveled down to Rio de Janeiro for a 'Senior' Spring Break.

SIGHTS: Christ the Redeemer Statue

In Rio de Janeiro, there was so much to see and do. One of the days down there, we joined a tour group of about 15 other people from all around the globe, 1 local driver, and 1 tour guide (who spoke English, Spanish, & Portuguese!!!)

SIGHTS: Taking in the view from the cliffs of the rain forest.

GOOD EATS: Churrascaria with our group. 

They cut the meat right onto your plate!

BREAKFAST!!!!

By far the best breakfast I have ever eaten. EVER! Everything was fresh. I'm pretty sure the cooks just reach out of their car windows grab fruit right of the trees during their commute in to work! Fresh fruit and juices, cured meats, delicious breads and other baked goods made for an excellent albeit heavy breakfast. I think I had 5 glasses of orange juice every day! I would welcome that spread at the bottom of my stairs any day!

ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN: Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro

This Cathedral was absolutely beautiful on the inside. The exterior of the building reminded me of an Egyptian ziggurat. I love outside influence can be seen throughout even the largest cities in the world.

CULTURE & SHOPPING: The Hippie Fair

I don't remember how often this fair takes places, but I'm almost certain that it is every Sunday. In the middle of Ipanema, you can find the Hippie Fair that consists aisles upon aisles flanked with tents and vendors selling everything from jewelry, local artists and their paintings, knick-knacks, food, and all types of local treasures (we founds some very interesting &, ahem, inappropriate ones?! Ha! Be sure to take an allowance and an extra carry-on!!!

REST AND RESTORATION: BEACH!!!

What we ultimately came to do! Rest and relaxation were my primary goals that trip. With beautiful beaches and pools everywhere that is not hard to do. Please note that we did not sit this close to and on top of each other any other time during the week other than this photo opp and the plane!

Next up: A Tale of Two Sisters and Their Tartans

Last summer, my sister and I got to go on a 10 day trip to Scotland & Ireland. The trip was amazing. (For a more conclusive recount visit summer recap pt. 3: sisters and travels abroad on my blog!)

I am so blessed to have a sister that I not only like, but I enjoy and love spending time with! We had the best of time trekking across the Isles 'O Great Britain.

CULTURE: A Scottish Wedding and Caleigh

A friend of Emily's asked her to come and be her wedding photographer in Aberdeen. Ok, I guess! Ha! This was one of the most amazing parts of the trip. Being submersed into true Scottish culture for several days was exciting, beautiful, and most appreciated.

SIGHTS: Would you like sheep poop with your castle backdrop?

We took the newly weds on a photo shoot the day after their wedding. The first site was an old, run down, real life castle! So cool. I wanted to climb around the walls and steps, pretending to be Lady Ellen McBride while running around in large hair and even larger hoop-skirts.

ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN: Dublin, capital of Ireland

We had heard about leprechauns but never believed in them until we met Garvaguhn, a real-life, red-haired, really-tall Leprechaun. He made for an excellent tour guide throughout Dublin.

Charles Rennie MacKintosh invades Glasgow

MacKintosh is one of my most favorite designers of all time. He is the Scottish Frank Lloyd Wright.

His designs and influence can be seen throughout the entire funky and artsy city of Glasgow.

The School of Art & Design in Glasgow, Designed by C. MacKintosh

 Willow Tea Rooms where one must stop for afternoon tea!

 

SIGHTS: Aran Islands

An excellent day trip for the adventurous types. I recommend following the directions when handed a bike and map. Take it from two blonds that did not. (We wish that you could have been there with us! See, we left a spot for you in the picture!!!)

Now the big question still remains:

WHERE TO NEXT?!?!?!? 

april showers & sunflowers

Image courtesy of Emily Kiel

We have another second-family wedding coming up in May: Allen & Kara. In preparation for the event, we hosted a shower at our house.

Kara & Allen

Hostesses and Bride

The decorations came together beautifully! Kara has chosen a beautiful teal color for her dresses and sunflowers as her main flower. As it turns out, Emily's accent color at her house is the exact same color teal and one of my top favorite flowers is the sunflower. Adding in the fact that Mom, Emily, and I all have A LOT of stuff in the first place, it all came together quite easily and perfect!

I LOVE sunflowers!!!

I hope Kara won't mind if I use them for my wedding!
(Not that I'm planning. Ha!)

The cake was DELICIOUS! It was designed and made by a lady at our parents' church. The sunflower centers were made out of Oreos! How cute is that?! And, did I mention that the cake was absolutely scrumptious?! I found myself saying to one of the guests, 'If this were healthier for me to eat, I would steal that piece of cake right off your plate!' Why do the worst things for you always taste the best?! I mean, if carrots tasted that good I would probably eat them for breakfast. And without any dip!!!


I got a little carried away with my X-acto and card stock. I loved how this monogram design turned out! I wanted to put several more out but I ran out of time and we ran out of spaces to set frames.


(The actual color was so much prettier than what it appears here. I still can't figure out why it scanned like this.)


I also got waaaaaay into making the garland. I cut everything by hand as I do not have a Cricket (which I have decided that I must get one) so it took a while. I enjoyed every minute of it though. I was really pleased with the finished product.


I gave the garland and monogrammed sunflower to Kara to take with her in hopes that she can find a use for it at some of her other wedding festivities.


Congratulations, Allen & Kara! Looking forward to the upcoming wedding!

up next: talent show

Still playing catch-up! I have big plans to completely catch up by the end of this week. Unfortunately I tend to fold in the face of Big Plans but I am going to do my best!

The majority of April was spent planning and preparing for our single's department-wide talent show, Singlelife's Got Talent: The Sequel.


I mainly helped on the decorations committee. Lindsay graciously became my design partner in designing and creating the foyer/entrance that we were in charge of. Lindsay is an Interior Designer as well and working together was made easier due to this fact. We both use similar methods of attack in planning and process stages of a project. I really enjoyed working with her and so thankful she agreed to help! As designers always do, we probably bit off more than we could chew (our own faults) but the finished product came out better than we had even imagined thus pleasing us both.

We had 3 primary focal points in the entry way: a marquis, 'and the winner is...' wall, and the entry into the 'theater'. The overall theme for the talent show was 'The Sequel' with Red Carpet appeal. The marquis displayed the acts and people that would be performing.


The 'and the winner is...' wall turned out very cute as well. The idea for this wall was to create a visual 'Now Showing' list like the ones often seen outside of theaters. Emily happened to be in town on the night of dress rehearsal and greatly helped us out by photographing each act as well as most of the committees.


Most people were not happy with me when I asked them to pose for a picture as I did not warn them coming into rehearsal. They all turned out really good, though, even if no one was primped or rested!

Sarah had an AMAZING performance.

Dressed as a Swiss 'Yodeler', she yodeled her way through 'The Lonely Goatherd' fromThe Sound of Music.

The Adair 'Andrew' Sisters.

They blew my socks off. Their rendition of 'Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy' was incredible. They also have an older brother who has been serving in the military overseas. How cool?!

The 'We've got talent, how 'bout you?!' film reel was super easy to create and uber-cute! It hung above the entrance to the 'Theater'. Somehow we made it to church and set-up without a step-ladder. Thankfully some very tall boys arrived early and graciously lent a 'tall' hand for set-up and tear-down.


As I said, I really enjoyed working with Lindsay. As the final hour drew near we both got a little snippy and bossy with those helping us with final preparations. We assured them that was called 'Delegating' Ha! We finished with about 25 minutes before curtain call and celebrated by sitting in my car while listening to the quite, eating Subway, and re-deodorant-ing. Thank you, Lindsay!!!


Lauren was the Decorating Team leader. She is one of the most organized people I know. She took on no small challenge herself: the gym was magically turned into a Dazzling Red Carpet Theater that fit the bill perfectly. She even had a Star-worthy red carpet center aisle!

Me, Lauren, Lindsay

To plan and pull off something of this magnitude requires so many sets of hands, spreadsheets, and midnight texting marathons. It's always rewarding when a huge event like this turns out with minimal hiccups.

Linsday, Me, Heather, & Becca
Looks like I'm doing all the work here. Ha!

And the master minds of the whole event: Khris and Greg. These two began planning and organizing committees way before most even know about the show. They did an amazing job. Poor Khris received an email/text/phone call from me an average 3.7 per day during the weeks leading up to the event. One night we were g-chatting at 1:00 a.m.!!!

Thank you guys...it was AWESOME!!!