Day 28: Something that stresses you out

The short list:

- losing my dog (see previous post)
- being rushed
- being late
- having too much going on at one time (this is because believe it or not, I am a homebody and need my solitude at home after a lot of time spent doing other things)
- when things are not properly planned an/or organized
- moving
- my upcoming LSW test and studying for it
- bills (I always worry I am going to miss one or be late)
- ordering food (second guessing myself, feeling rushed, the reasons go on and on)
- a messy house

Does anyone relate to anything on this crazy list?

Dog: (Wo)Man's Best Friend

Last night my sweet dog, Sophie, who has been my BFF for over 11 years got out of the house. While some family was leaving she must have slipped out the door unnoticed. Twenty minutes later I noticed and the frantic dread set in. Sophie has gotten out of the house before but she is usually close to the house and found within a few minutes. Yesterday was a different story. Coy and I, along with my dad and brother in law and niece and nephew, got into our seperate cars and drove around the neighborhood, along with other neighborhood's near by. There was no Sophie sighting. Needless to say, the hysterics set in. Her going missing was worse than her dying. An hour and half had passed by with all of us looking. I nearly collapsed on the driveway, couldn't see out of my puffy eyes, and was simply devastated. My family had somewhere to be, and left. There was little left to do because we had already searched everywhere. I asked Coy to search one more time. We walked around the neighborhood, going in people's backyards that couldn't be seen while driving. Then we drove around several neighborhood's one more time before heading back home. As we came closer back to my parent's house (where we were staying) I looked up and SAW her walking on the sidewalk towards the house. Coy slammed on the breaks, I jumped out of the car, and stopped traffic coming from the other direction!
After two hours Sophie made her way back home. I don't know where she had been or what she had been doing for those two hours. (Coy says she was completing something on her bucket list) I do know that I was never so happy in all my life to find her! Anyone who knows me, knows this is not an understatement (as well as the hysterical outbursts I had as well).
Last night we celebrated her return by icecream. I am still celebrating today.

A dress mishap.

This weekend Coy's sister got married and I was in the wedding. As I went to put up my dress on we had some trouble getting the zipper to cooperate. After some help from some other bridesmaid, it finally went up...however, not for long! Not even a few minutes later my zipper split. It wouldn't zip back down and was unrepairable.
After a failed attempt to sew the dress onto me this is what we had to settle for...

Although we did eventually find a black ribbon to sew over the safety pins, it only helped the situation a little bit. Luckily I made it down the aisle without any other issues.

Where's the dress now? Probably the city dump.

Day 27: Original Photo of the city you live in

Okay, so this isn't original...but I didn't have an original...because who really takes pictures of the city they live? Well, probably some people...but I am not one of them! So here she is...Indianapolis! I picked this picture because one of my favorite things about Indy is the Canal. Although I don't go there often enough I love to go, walk around, and get a popsicle! If you ever visit Indy...make sure you make a stop at the canal.

And just for fun, and because I still love/miss/and claim Nashville, here is a picture of this great city as well. Where I will hopefully live again one day. And if not, then of course visit frequently! Again...not an original...sorry to dissappoint!

Day 26: Your Dream Wedding

Everyone has their own idea of what their dream wedding is. Luckily, I already had mine! Looking back over my wedding day there isn't too much I would change! Before the wedding there were things in my mind I wished we had planned different, had more money for, etc. However, now that it is said and done I can say it was the perfect day! Of course everything wasn't smoothly, it never is...It rained and although we had overhead coverage it was still wet and rain was coming into the ceremony (the only one who really got wet was my nephew, the ringbearer).We started late because some family members got lost (because I had put the wrong address on the invitations). My dad had knee surgery a few weeks before and we were worried he was going to have to 'walk' me down the aisle in a wheelchair! But he managed and even while he performed the ceremony (which was so special) he refused to use his cane. The first time the dj said our name he referred to Coy has 'Cory.' Oops. If I had thought about these things before the day of the wedidng I could have been mortified but when it happened I could have cared less, because in the end all it came down to was I was marrying the love of my life. It was a great day and exactly what I had spent my whole life dreaming about.

Here are some pictures from Coy and I's wedding...

Day 25: Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs

1. I Love Rock N Roll - Brittney Spears
2. This Ruined Puzzle - Dashboard Confessional
3. Mony Mony - Billy Idol
4. I'm Wondering - Dru Hill
5. Seize the Day - Newsies Soundtrack
6. Somedays - Matt Wertz
7. I'll Cover You - Rent Soundtrack
8. My Love is Your Love - Whitney Houston
9. Black Velvet - Alannah Myles
10. The Stand - Hillsong United

Quite the variety, huh? I did this while listening to my ipod in my office. Hopefully everyone else in the office enjoyed this musical masterpiece as much as I did.

World Refugee Day

I mentioned this event last week in a post and I said I would follow up! So here you go...
Last night we celebrated World Refugee Day at our office with a dinner and program! It was a great event and we had an awesome turnout! It was a stressful 13 hour day for me, but well worth the results! It was great to see so many people excited and passionate about refugees. The night started with a "walk through" what refugees go through to come to the United States. We had four refugee families who gave their story in a 'passport'. This included their journey from their native home, to a neighboring country living in a refugee camp, and then to the United States. A journey that took them anywhere from 3 to 18 years. These refugees came to the program and were there to meet with people as they entered the building. (see the pictures below). The program included some ethnic entertainment, amazing food (Ethiopian, Somalian, and Chin), and concluded with John Dau speaking. John Dau came to the United States 9 years ago from Sudan. He was one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Boys_of_Sudan He shared some excellent things and was so passionate about his journey and the foundations he has established to help others in the US as well as in Sudan.

Here are some pictures from the event.

 Some refugees and coworkers representing clients from Burma.

 A Burmese cultural dance.

 The crowd.

 Clients from Iraq.

An Iraqi cultural dance.

 John Dau speaking.

 A song from Burma.

 Refugees from Nepal.

 Refugees from Somalia.

Our entire Refugee Staff, along with John Dau and other refugees

who were in attendance.

Day 24: Something you've learned

Something I've been learning recently while doing a study at church is that on my own I will never be good enough, secure enough, or capable enough. However, because of Christ, I AM! I have spent so much time trying to figure things out my own while leaving God out of it. I thought I needed to be in control at all times. Even though I told myself I was giving God control I was always holding on in case I needed to step in and take things over. Although this is something I've learned, I am far from having this lesson mastered! Giving God control is something I must do on a daily basis...especially being the OCD perfectionist, controling (freak) that I am : ).
From here on out I am going to put my trust daily in Christ. Because when I am not trusting him, it is essentially making me fearful, something that God doesn't want. I will stop second-guessing myself and believe whole-heartedly in the things I am doing, am involved in, and the things I am going to do in the future.
There are many important things I have learned recently, but I think this is one of the most important...because it transcends to all other areas of my life!
Trusting God in everything can be so difficult, but it is well worth the struggle!

Day 23: Favorite Movie - pass. So...Let's talk about Refugees...

This is a repeat from Day 7, except that this time they only want movie instead of multiple ones. So, I think this subject today is skip-worthy...


Instead, I am going to swing things a different direction and talk about the clients I work with. Almost two years ago I started with the Catholic Charities Refugee Program. Before starting work here I was unaware of who a refugee really is, where they come from, and the trials they have overcome. Since then though I have learned to appreciate and admire these people. They have fled unimaginable cirucmstances, lived in unimaginable houses (whether this is a tent, hut, or small over-crowded apartment), and have left behind all that they know and love to move to a country where they will be safe and can live without fear; something many of them I never been able to do before.
Since many of you are probably like me and unaware of misinformed about the refugee population here is a quick education lesson:
A refugee is a person who has fled his or her country of origin because of a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.
Many refugees are forced to leave their homes without warning and cannot even bring basic necessities with them.  When these individuals flee, they try to get to a country where they are often placed in an overcrowded and under-supplied camp and exposed to disease, crime, and other harsh conditions. The individual usually stays in the camp until a country accepts their application for residency.  The wait for acceptance ranges from one month to 17 years.

Refugees come from all different countries. However, currently my office is primarily working with clients who originally fled from Burma (Chin and Karen ethnicities), The Congo, Somalia, and Sudan. We have clients from all over but these are where the majority of our  clients are currently coming. We also help resettle refugees from Iraq, Nepal/Bhutan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Cuba. We are expecting to start seeing a large influx of refugees from Darfur in the near future.
This coming Monday is World Refugee Day.

The United Nations' (UN) World Refugee Day is observed on June 20 each year. This event honors the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee their homeland under threat of persecution, conflict and violence. http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/un/world-refugee-day

My office is having our first annual World Refugee Day dinner and celebration to honor this special day.

John Dau, one of The Lost Boys of Sudan is coming to speak. You should check out the documentary film, God Grew Tired of Us, featuring John as well as several other Lost Boys.

We are serving ethnic food (from Somalia, Ethiopia, and Burma), honoring many of our refugees, and having a celebration of ethnic singing and dancing. I am VERY excited about this and hope that the people attending will be able to begin to appreciate and love the refugee community as I do! I will post pictures next week of the event.
In the meant time here are some pictures. If you are ever interested in learning more I love to talk anyways, but especially when sharing about something I am passionate about!

 Here I am with a client from the Congo. He was being given a car from Catholic Charities.

 Some staff and I with some clients from Sudan at our client Christmas party!

I work with an amazing staff!

 This spring some of our interns helped start a community garden with the refugee population.  They have

loved it! I see them outside working on it when I drive by and LOVE that they were given something to make them feel more at home.

I love her! From the moment I first met her she was constantly telling me I was more beautiful

than Beyonce and more lovely than anyone in Hollywood. Such a self-esteem booster!

Check back next week for an update on World Refugee Day! 

 

Day 22: What's in your purse?

What is not in my purse would be the better question! Here is of things in my purse right now:
- wallet
- gum
- lip gloss (currently I have three different ones and 1 chapstick)
- Ipod
- phone
- pens (roughly 5-10 - not really sure why so many...but I guess you never know)
- compact mirror
- 2 hand sanitizers
- keys
- face powder
- hand lotion
- work ID
I think that's it. I usually always also carry my breakfast and lunch to work in my purse. Just an extra little fyi for you!

Day 21: Favorite Picture of yourself ALL TIME Why?

I think this one is kind of a conceited topic so I'm just gonna go with it instead of feeling like I love myself too much...that is the point of the task, right?

Why is this my favorite (minus the shiny forehead)? Well for several reasons...I am tan, my teeth look SO white, there is the perfect amount of cleavage (not too much, not too little), and my hair looks shiny and healthy. Not to mention this was taken on my honeymoon so it comes along with a great memory as well!

Day 20: Nicknames

While my husband has many nicknames for me, I don't think those are the ones they are referring with this heading! That being said...up until grade 6 I was never known as Michele, but instead went by Missy. I am not sure why that happened, but I think it was some sort of dispute between my sisters and my parents of what to name me when I was born. I went by Missy all of my childhood until my parents moved at the end of my sixth grade. This when I decided to change my image and start going by Michele. After that my grandpa was the only one who was allowed to keep calling me this. However, since then my nieces and nephews have picked it up and I am Aunt Missy or Aunt Mi to them. I think they only picked this name up because my brother in law would occasionally call me Missy.
Other than Missy....I am only Michele!

Day 19: Something you miss

Something I miss are the memories of my carefree childhood. Coy and I were just talking recently about this very topic and became very emotional thinking about lives as children. As a child there is little to worry about...your parents take care of everything. Life was so simple. Coy and I got to enjoy this life again for about 8 months before we were married. We both moved into my parents house (seperate rooms of course)! Although one might look down on two adults moving back home, but at the time it was most convenient and practical thing to do. And looking back I am so glad we did! Who knows the next time we will ever that carefree life again! No housing bills, only a small amout of cleaning, dinner on the table everynight - prepared by someone else! It was such a great time and made me miss the days of my childhood. When I say childhood I don't just mean when I was kid, but I am referring all of the time spent before I became an 'adult' and moved out of my parents home for good! You can never fully appreciate living at home with your parents until you are in your own place!
Even though this is something I miss terribly at times it is a part of life and something I wouldn't go back to! I'll just get my fix by spending weekends here and there basking in the carefree-ness of going back home!
And because we are talking about childhood I thought I would include a few pictures of me from this era!

(yes, that is crimped hair)

Day 18: Favorite Place to Eat

I hate these 'pick a favorite' because I just have tooooo many favorites! If you ask me my favorite place to eat I need a catergory in order to narrow it down, such as Mexican, Italian, Japanese, etc.... or even the location such as Indianapolis or Nashville. I think you get the idea.
I love sushi places. I have tried many, but my favorite is Peter's in Brentwood, TN.
One of my favorite foods is Mexican. There are so many but my newest favorite is La Hacienda.
When looking for Italian I'll usually go for Maggiano's, Bravo, or The Cheesecake Factory (not in the Italian family I know but I usually pick pasta from the menu).
However, because of their diverse menu as well as having something different that I like that I can get everytime I go my favorite staple place to eat is...

Day 17: Something you're looking forward to

Summer is one of my favorite times of the year! Not only because the weather is great and I can lay out, but also because there is always stuff going on in the summer, people seem to be in a better mood because of the sun, and there are usually some pretty great things planned. Here are some of the things this summer I am looking forward to:
- Girls weekend (there are actually two this summer...one here in a few weeks and then a few weeks after that a trip to North Carolina to the lake)

Here is a picture from a few years ago when we spent the weekend at Adi's aunt's house in Cincinnatti. The girls weekend this summer is also at her aunt's house...just her new house in NC.

- Coy's birthday (I am pretty big on birthday's in case you didn't know!)

- Family vacation with my side of the family in Florida

My family always makes sure to take a family photo during vacation each summer.

This was our's from last year. This was also the first time Coy got to participate : )

- A trip with friends for the weekend to their lake house.

- The State Fair (particurally riding the circular ride the throws you back and forth in the air AND eating footlong corndogs, pineapple ice cream, and a tenderloin sandwich which I will taste of Coy's)

- In addition to this I am also looking forward to being able to eat outside on a patio, lay out on Friday's (which is my day off), hopefully scheduling a camping trip, and buying new summer dresses.

Happy Summer Everyone!

Day 16: Dream house

Although I don't exactly have a dream house in mind there are several things that I dream about having in a house. These could also be referred to as 'must-haves.'
- jack and jill sinks in the master bathroom.
- an island in the kitchen
- a large back deck
- two walk in closets in the master bedroom (one for each of us)
- a fenced in back yard
- hard wood floors

Now, if we are really talking dream house I would also add that we live on a lake that also has a pool overlooking the water. I'll also add a speed boat, a paddle boat, a waverunner, and a built in kitchen on the deck (complete with one of those really manly and huge grills).
Once I get this, you can all come visit!

Yes ladies and gentlemen...that is a hickey on my neck.

Today, after a Sunday afternoon rendevous with my husband (anyone who knows me well knows I have no secrets when it comes to Coy and I's healthy sex life). I met one of my best friends Christy and her sister for a movie. When I walked in, I received an immediate scream by Christy who proceeded to inform me of this "love mark" (as a previous doctor of mine referred to it as). I, of course, was immediately embarrassed. However, with this on your neck you can't stay embarrassed for long, so instead I am choosing to acknowledge and embrace it. At least until tomorrow when I have to figure out how to cover it up with make up before I go to work.

The moral of the story:

Men: please make sure to suck lightly.

Women: check your necks before you leave the house!

Back in the Land of the Free

Coy and I got home this past weekend from Cancun! We have such an amazing time. We didn't do a whole lot other than lay around, read, and eat. On the very first day there I got sun poisioning, (which something that I typically get when I am in the sun, however, this came on quicker and more painful than usual) so I had to spend a lot of time in the shade. Not ideal, but it could have been worse I suppose.
We had a day together alone and then the Barclay's arrived. We had so much fun with them and it was great to be able to spend more time getting to know Trey. We went snorkeling, laid around in hammocks, got hasseled at the flea market, sang karaoke (well Adi and I did while the boys were just embarrassed), did water aerobics (again, just Adi and I - Coy came for a minute but disappeared when the first move was introduced), read books, played paddleball, threw the football, played water basketball, and ate to our heart's content.

 Hubs and I. I love him more everyday and am excited we got to take another trip together!

 We took a snorkeling trip on a catamaran. The Barclay's were troopers because we left early in the morning the day after they arrived. So much fun. Even Coy and Adi who aren't big fans of snorkeling lasted the whole time. We spent the rest of the day on a secluded beach which was amazing.

I'm not exactly sure while Coy and I got child size life vests...

 While we were here we saw a couple that we had been in Cabo together with a few years ago. They were probably confused about who we were because we had husbands this time and before that most likely thought we lesbian lovers vacationing together. Love her and so glad we got to vacation together once again!

 Trey is giant-sized. This was taken at the Gala for members one night. Four course meal with live music.

 Coy and I switched back and forth between going to the pool

and laying at the beach. On our last full day we got a spot right by the beach where we spent the entire day.

Even though I was usually a pool advocate this was pretty amazing!

 The water in Cancun is so blue and beautiful!

Leaving for home...Coy is trying not to cry : )