tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84194576591378432982024-02-21T10:44:17.450-06:00a work in progress"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."
Psalm 51:10Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-2138053006089264812010-02-08T19:44:00.021-06:002010-02-14T10:20:39.997-06:00A Little UpdateSince I haven't posted in awhile, here's a quick update about what I'm up to. I'm working at a preschool in Bryan, and here are a few pictures of my room....it's a work in progress. I will be putting leaves on the tree soon! This month we're talking about taking care of pets, so we made little fish aquariums with water, food coloring, and stickers and also read a story about Jonah.<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8EMBxQF-1wBKEMpses9xX-UVTonJoirCTJnKvAKws8EpBH4-Lkaid98CCFHdq9DEuCVyI0LXmCsPz4RahdweU5cOzZFGS9JYOI8MgGjaA3kZHMBwHidNv0BeFyVDFBbkPRxoymW9FScF/s320/DSC01529.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436064013377333330" /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisiH0XYZb7mR9KzjMXUf1q15S0sNJDY9UGeEPNytsjrdlFSIQEO3n_s6RKJY0eDWAUWZhy0wH7CroMBVxwudmgrLP65hNin7DrlcNxBMGfLM6qS7yGii8mdfaqC29G6Wlo5IX1SKG1BOjV/s1600-h/DSC01525.JPG"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisiH0XYZb7mR9KzjMXUf1q15S0sNJDY9UGeEPNytsjrdlFSIQEO3n_s6RKJY0eDWAUWZhy0wH7CroMBVxwudmgrLP65hNin7DrlcNxBMGfLM6qS7yGii8mdfaqC29G6Wlo5IX1SKG1BOjV/s320/DSC01525.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436064008075300610" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2Lu3vKAIwV-sUJ5NuIrPKR4i8Jmre7nzUnfqjKrloQ2l1-RE4otqK_PrtKI7hjUuotWeMQTxLz8DQiSeh4LvMMj3jFGnGxnsKU12i8M1KZpe00YniQQzJS2KlFxwksrUi6asQ1HuhRVq/s1600-h/DSC01528.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2Lu3vKAIwV-sUJ5NuIrPKR4i8Jmre7nzUnfqjKrloQ2l1-RE4otqK_PrtKI7hjUuotWeMQTxLz8DQiSeh4LvMMj3jFGnGxnsKU12i8M1KZpe00YniQQzJS2KlFxwksrUi6asQ1HuhRVq/s320/DSC01528.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436063994686940850" /></a><br /></div><div>Our Valentines party is this Friday, and I made these for the kids. It was super easy and a lot of fun! All you have to do is break up pieces of crayons, put them in a heart mold, and bake at 250 degrees for 10-15 minutes. The hardest part was cleaning up.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQmUsqQ1I6C58ItFsVTlEwl4iMtJ8vzFi-pH53xC6-zVJ047eeAGuMuly_1-8rHQ-jgF26NDpMtkZa3qEgTFTWB7EjojXpCKJCBgnZ3ew3yAsFEyGDW-tMubgtj_sVLYMbHjHld22JRW9/s1600-h/DSC01565.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQmUsqQ1I6C58ItFsVTlEwl4iMtJ8vzFi-pH53xC6-zVJ047eeAGuMuly_1-8rHQ-jgF26NDpMtkZa3qEgTFTWB7EjojXpCKJCBgnZ3ew3yAsFEyGDW-tMubgtj_sVLYMbHjHld22JRW9/s320/DSC01565.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436060844369614226" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvzHMhNHts_ecmkRYGpW044gAZbRNEXbpuv-Ddqj0FzIcJdfCGEMS1lwY2a6IrV93_jL5V8KaJWbjIhl3x8Rkak0UNmMVLwJrVOD6P5SGtWOJ6dNFBSq3R1lM_FDbA7n8KgbJPHh4v7NI/s1600-h/DSC01559.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvzHMhNHts_ecmkRYGpW044gAZbRNEXbpuv-Ddqj0FzIcJdfCGEMS1lwY2a6IrV93_jL5V8KaJWbjIhl3x8Rkak0UNmMVLwJrVOD6P5SGtWOJ6dNFBSq3R1lM_FDbA7n8KgbJPHh4v7NI/s320/DSC01559.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436060838626979730" /></a>Last week I went to get a trim and right before I went into the salon, a friend called and told me I could donate my hair if I cut 6 inches off....so I did! Short hair is much easier to take care of, so I'm loving this style right now.</div><div><br /></div><div> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDoYMiwqfYpofyCd_YZ5uptNCPfpApgMyruSVx9FBwtjkemf4BuDKzXkhZZcPUIbMiHcCRljMJSstGYLwdyhP0_ehzrJ0GAV8NVaAQdXTr3-1rA_h0xXbvOB3Ki347sJL43YqNLjDmC8iF/s1600-h/DSC01549.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDoYMiwqfYpofyCd_YZ5uptNCPfpApgMyruSVx9FBwtjkemf4BuDKzXkhZZcPUIbMiHcCRljMJSstGYLwdyhP0_ehzrJ0GAV8NVaAQdXTr3-1rA_h0xXbvOB3Ki347sJL43YqNLjDmC8iF/s320/DSC01549.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436072197546464114" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I have lived in my apartment for almost 5 months with oh so many problems. The first 3 months I didn't have hot water, last week I got locked out while my roommate was simultaneously locked in (<a href="http://keepingupwithdb.blogspot.com/2010/01/locked-in-apartment.html">details here</a>), and the other night I opened my closet to find this. The part that holds the bar in place decided to break off. Awesome. </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oRDyF046Z0mG1EnvySrZLyCe11NG_hyphenhyphen6j4YD_XS_QfDPZ73BjcFmWmkhYO010v-QEA9RmpTPPHCgvhCOUEim92eYdbDxMI5rvhsfcRx2o50eXF1fwyc4ZlW3nt44ILu3mfLLdH-H7fAU/s1600-h/DSC01558.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oRDyF046Z0mG1EnvySrZLyCe11NG_hyphenhyphen6j4YD_XS_QfDPZ73BjcFmWmkhYO010v-QEA9RmpTPPHCgvhCOUEim92eYdbDxMI5rvhsfcRx2o50eXF1fwyc4ZlW3nt44ILu3mfLLdH-H7fAU/s320/DSC01558.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436060820287013266" /></a>Well that wraps up my last couple of weeks, and I'll try my best to post again in the next two months!</div></div><br /><br /><div class='post-footer'> <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/78/70308C33E858EDA24BEE602C5D7CC675.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;" /></a></div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-7626630814322155102009-11-03T23:14:00.017-06:002009-11-04T22:10:00.748-06:002-0<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cyhBTg6w9s0aLeJvlfhMyMkYJmPisktEbea4ux96xk8H4V3DFWpjkae_A4uxefhlNgugVYZs-sDjTWVkJZDBJcJZ1OOcfk_8VJOGzIBHSTNPmaZJb7feyULyxv1V95nJKBwCs00RbAvt/s1600-h/groceries_3%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 276px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 312px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400114819271793490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cyhBTg6w9s0aLeJvlfhMyMkYJmPisktEbea4ux96xk8H4V3DFWpjkae_A4uxefhlNgugVYZs-sDjTWVkJZDBJcJZ1OOcfk_8VJOGzIBHSTNPmaZJb7feyULyxv1V95nJKBwCs00RbAvt/s320/groceries_3%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a><br /><div>For the last month I have been playing “<a href="http://www.thegrocerygame.com/">The Grocery Game</a>,” which is a guide to buying groceries at rock bottom prices, and the general idea is to buy what’s on sale while also using coupons. Since I love organization, I put myself in charge of keeping the coupons in order and making the grocery list then my roommate and I split the cost. It's so much cheaper to buy stuff together. Anyway, I have been averaging a savings of $30 a week but yesterday was different. I could just feel it. I went into Kroger with my crazy long list, a pile of coupons, and I’m not going to lie…I was nervous. If I didn’t shop correctly, I would end up spending way too much money.</div><div></div><div><br />My total bill came to $188.11 after my 50+ items were rung up. I started to stress out a little when that number popped up on the screen because our entire monthly budget is $200. I just had to remember that my Kroger card and coupons hadn’t been scanned, and once they were, the final cost came to $78.46!!! That’s right. I saved $109.65 for this week’s worth of groceries. I think I secretly expected the cashier to congratulate me on what a great job I did and for confetti to fall on my head, but instead she just handed me my receipt.</div><div></div><div><br />Well I get really excited about saving money, so before I knew it, I had walked out of the store, raised my arm in the air and yelled, “I beat Kroger!” Yes, my roommate made fun of me. Yes, I probably got some strange looks. No, I didn't care. It felt great saving almost 60% on my groceries, and the people in the parking lot needed to celebrate with me. </div><div></div><div><br />After grocery shopping and my annual Monday night dinner with friends, I had a softball game to play. My team (who loses more often than not) ended up winning 16-1. It was like having batting practice without the hassle of having to field your teammate’s balls and was a fabulous way to end my day.</div><div></div><div><br />I’m 2-0 and loving it!</div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-25528719262545343532009-08-02T00:05:00.033-05:002009-10-19T12:07:55.624-05:00Find the Time<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Uu7OfBpdbEIQT1GIV3vVk-R0MHzQb-y0fl3M_ZZG74ETBxUklUuRLrJCqC6FXApzpeyslJkVnxDgkhH3vZRZyqXe7bQRRabVBu7bJ5X3wweCEXMr06nlvfa0ROpGsrdgY-_8ZzkhCyxv/s1600-h/book.transparent[1].gif"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 230px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365228958190841218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Uu7OfBpdbEIQT1GIV3vVk-R0MHzQb-y0fl3M_ZZG74ETBxUklUuRLrJCqC6FXApzpeyslJkVnxDgkhH3vZRZyqXe7bQRRabVBu7bJ5X3wweCEXMr06nlvfa0ROpGsrdgY-_8ZzkhCyxv/s320/book.transparent%5B1%5D.gif" /></a> <div>"An international art dealer and a modern-day slave from Louisiana become friends after the art dealer is roped into volunteering at a homeless shelter by his saintly wife." - Marcia Z. Nelson, Publishers Weekly </div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div>I wish everyone would take a couple of days and read this book. It really draws the reader into the lives of these two men and sends you on a (sometimes emotional) journey through their friendship. I started reading this at the airport on my way to visit Alyssa and Michael in Arizona, and sitting on the runway coming back to Texas, I couldn't stop crying in order to finish the last chapter. I would read a little bit, put the book down, hold back tears, read again, and finally decided I couldn't continue without causing a scene. People around me probably thought I was scared of flying, and I half expected a stewardess to walk by and offer me some comforting words before takeoff. </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>The chapters alternate between Ron and Denver sharing about their childhood, adult life, and eventually their lives after crossing paths. I appreciate the honesty and openess of the authors in telling about their struggles, thoughts, and responses to situations and to each other. Our thoughts are not always pleasant, but they refuse to make themsleves look good and instead just tell the truth. <em>Same Kind of Different as Me</em> is highly entertaining yet challenging. It made me consider my priorities and left me in awe of how God orchestrates people's lives, always knowing what's best for us even when we don't see it. </div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-24976763236335504412009-06-24T13:56:00.006-05:002009-08-02T12:34:14.132-05:00No Worries, I'm FineEver since I got back from England, my teeth have been bothering me. I convinced myself I had cavities because I drank so much tea while I was there, adding two scoops of sugar to each cup can’t be beneficial. Since I just don’t do cavities, I started flossing, listerining, drinking more water and less Dr. Pepper, and have really cut back on sweets. (If you know me, that’s usually my preferred choice of food.)<br /><br />So yesterday I went in for my dentist appointment and was horrified to be told that it had been 22 months since I came in last. WHAT?! I honestly had no idea that much time had slipped away, and I’m usually very dedicated about checking in every six months. Well here’s what happened:<br /><br />Good news: I am cavity free!<br /><br />Bad news: My younger brother who went with me came out with one cavity and an appointment for 9 a.m. this morning to have his wisdom teeth pulled. Ouch.<br /><br />He’s doing great and apparently kept waking up during the surgery asking the dentist if he needed any help. I wish I had that on video, but since I don’t, I thought <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txqiwrbYGrs">this</a> one would be entertaining enough. I can’t find the one without ads, sorry!Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-41228642703306944502009-06-21T23:28:00.034-05:002009-06-22T14:15:22.263-05:00God's PharmacyI received this in an email my dad forwarded to me. I think it's pretty amazing how creative God is, and we don't even realize it sometimes.<br /><br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div align="left"><div align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350009579180914386" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 101px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 98px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZbATLThhbck0luczMJ37dttuy36i4M5VGPHyNq65WUz0q3xbx5x5eZpRV5cIVRx4y7nE5iuPWiXDPXTkEfSgrqFCY1d7RATKIUchr9AyRR_BhvBPkVgO22rzhf0Mk0xDjReMTFa1-f0r/s320/Carrot.jpg" border="0" /></div></div><div><br /></div><div>1. A sliced Carrot resembles the human eye including the pupil, iris, and radiating lines. Science indicates that carrots help protect the vision, especially night vision. </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzdzlaWRiOAGL-h1PKjF2K7LH7AOom2RxDtBNFoTcdLyUTR0Ymv6IC9FmBCiU1doqlbXSjPOtn5QBtnITscdq4GKf4jRvhrQTDK7i1SdBASQr5kfCI6DkmwGVzbPd4VEtoi2Oby0_wN-1/s1600-h/AMOC30JCANVCX31CA81NA31CAEPBQHSCA8QCHF5CAC61UYCCAETGNGBCATDZ2WACAKSTWUOCAGZLS4HCAY9Y4LYCAQHAESBCAQIHRLMCANHB2M1CAXY61TYCA1IJE0OCA6XXE50CAQMXSJ7CA9PLHN6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350228656328419170" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 80px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 77px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzdzlaWRiOAGL-h1PKjF2K7LH7AOom2RxDtBNFoTcdLyUTR0Ymv6IC9FmBCiU1doqlbXSjPOtn5QBtnITscdq4GKf4jRvhrQTDK7i1SdBASQr5kfCI6DkmwGVzbPd4VEtoi2Oby0_wN-1/s320/AMOC30JCANVCX31CA81NA31CAEPBQHSCA8QCHF5CAC61UYCCAETGNGBCATDZ2WACAKSTWUOCAGZLS4HCAY9Y4LYCAQHAESBCAQIHRLMCANHB2M1CAXY61TYCA1IJE0OCA6XXE50CAQMXSJ7CA9PLHN6.jpg" border="0" /></a>2. A sliced Tomato can have four chambers and is commonly red. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene and help prevent heart disease, prostate cancer, breast cancer and more. Tomato juice can also reduce the tendency toward blood clotting.<br /></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350009805971066146" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 99px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7VZAPM9z6KsiEMeGKpCmi7wCIahQT6HNV5zPCWgQmT3lpwcwRC9BhOVuVv4K-arzWbW7P9oYBjohyphenhyphen5KRtdRoZT2D1JmgSsR0L-MAPveI-9cLAVnkNz5yrSwze4lCh3QVXJymtkLSDtr0w/s320/Grapes.jpg" border="0" />3. Grapes hang in clusters that resemble the shape of the heart. The stronger the color the grape is, the higher the concentration of phytonutrients. Grapes prevent heart disease and reduce platelet clumping and harmful blood clots.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yxPGL_aYKPjUQOC_H5UWYlMCv8jG3b533L-UgxXxTzhdshUDakFRntT3-Ii3UcR9oX6G11OOET2VpSL_nLeHiO69EEaOnL7ijhG9lGHIfJKh2ABc1idXdJQxUqQ61QERU7Lz9blPWHE/s1600-h/walnut.jpg"></a></div><div></div></div><div><div align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350010257069538290" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 128px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 112px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcOdPPjjIyk2wiByU9PQowPQElEu1Vbdq3pdqnkSgNL9aUGyJN8mElrI8JmPwL6JijuthuxmZLvbi-Qf44P_pkJS72XGVB_70ovpCOENSVteLOh2S1R7TNLSUYFSaD__5F49i3HvnhxMQl/s320/Walnuts.jpg" border="0" />4. Walnuts resemble the brain, mimicking the wrinkles and folds of the neocortex. Research suggests that walnuts may reduce the risk or delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease. The high concentration of omega-3 fats in walnuts promotes healthy brain function. </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMwzLCAQjFTk_OnZS1V3AxlH9liZ85z-d-RphdWP0gFms1SZJxDObpt-WNdzB0keRn_LzBBCuTAmzt3PB_WvrZrVrzioud5_0lTiTCB14_-vIKuQrd-m-cZxqG1fIc9iDLAE1C8xnF9P4/s1600-h/Kidney+Beans.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350010650701657522" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 111px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 76px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMwzLCAQjFTk_OnZS1V3AxlH9liZ85z-d-RphdWP0gFms1SZJxDObpt-WNdzB0keRn_LzBBCuTAmzt3PB_WvrZrVrzioud5_0lTiTCB14_-vIKuQrd-m-cZxqG1fIc9iDLAE1C8xnF9P4/s320/Kidney+Beans.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="left">5. Kidney Beans, true to their name are kidney shaped. They provide nutrients that are helpful to the human kidneys. Kidney beans contain molybdenum, which is responsible for detoxifying sulfates<a href="http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=87"></a>. </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW8-PVg7broCT5SBENorhyQZYNEOIFXa3YefH0mK02G6raleCqfB-TpgIiSnJDUNmP49cwULAQHQ1QOwbHlGePWTCFpSt4zuZsGEkd3pWJ1TOa84JsiKiJwXPru_EsSA5ks1EZB102Ji-8/s1600-h/Celery.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350011221516410098" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 132px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 85px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW8-PVg7broCT5SBENorhyQZYNEOIFXa3YefH0mK02G6raleCqfB-TpgIiSnJDUNmP49cwULAQHQ1QOwbHlGePWTCFpSt4zuZsGEkd3pWJ1TOa84JsiKiJwXPru_EsSA5ks1EZB102Ji-8/s320/Celery.jpg" border="0" /></a>6. Celery has a bone like appearance and is rich in silicon and Vitamin K, which are needed for healthy joints and bones. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTXFoT41_gdy-Ys86106olsQy44aJzkmNGA2tCBFp7SQ3TGTF30OOaSNizTw9-t51YG_KCokDImiEvOzdRRGvOv1OH4gnlbtNO49zM1cUXLKxEvOfh3q2toRPwa404Ff4EzZogqHrzyCA/s1600-h/Avocados.jpg"></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWJgAPFCRyQzXgx7nEOLLHYEEM9pgQUamBrO517v6tlRkEpTcTpau_LsqtBgDOrYR6QhS608goL8WrzbPqoWKsGTRNIFp69wwruybXE087XLAP8qsyqkugiz0ICNFMy4vd-A66w0F87MM/s1600-h/Avacado.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350011948992311810" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 131px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 126px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWJgAPFCRyQzXgx7nEOLLHYEEM9pgQUamBrO517v6tlRkEpTcTpau_LsqtBgDOrYR6QhS608goL8WrzbPqoWKsGTRNIFp69wwruybXE087XLAP8qsyqkugiz0ICNFMy4vd-A66w0F87MM/s320/Avacado.jpg" border="0" /></a>7. Avocados, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOTfL6nuFp5iZ3W_6Vr-OyxBCQ6x_vXQ6faoW8xV0NeXbdaF8F7WP_Qr_CQsFOWieyZuyGzYvJApeysqZvx8F4z1QFy51c4fQIuikPvoUkBFYsVykMrNn6wsZECptccQ4CcPK7NTr3dIU/s1600-h/Figs.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350012840579326994" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 92px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 74px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOTfL6nuFp5iZ3W_6Vr-OyxBCQ6x_vXQ6faoW8xV0NeXbdaF8F7WP_Qr_CQsFOWieyZuyGzYvJApeysqZvx8F4z1QFy51c4fQIuikPvoUkBFYsVykMrNn6wsZECptccQ4CcPK7NTr3dIU/s320/Figs.jpg" border="0" /></a>8. Figs are loaded with seeds and increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div><br /></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX-MTQhhyIhE_qJWodGP8y6te9sVyrxiUAALwMUc3jnNGQTNj6jlK2mzl5Im8GO9P1hMFQtRYWeexhE__wfNn_-siARvE5adilnp7_XbMMFEKvNe2_r7J6hkO7CPNGSMT8zZ2rXmjp0xw5/s1600-h/Oranges.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350013429125088946" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 72px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 71px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX-MTQhhyIhE_qJWodGP8y6te9sVyrxiUAALwMUc3jnNGQTNj6jlK2mzl5Im8GO9P1hMFQtRYWeexhE__wfNn_-siARvE5adilnp7_XbMMFEKvNe2_r7J6hkO7CPNGSMT8zZ2rXmjp0xw5/s320/Oranges.jpg" border="0" /></a>9. Oranges, Grapefruits and other Citrus fruits have been compared to the appearance of female mammary glands. These fruits contain nutrients that are helpful in the fight against breast cancer.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div align="left"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ls8qm8jqdbz6Y5SN0ppvSHhqCCyvWMLhByZmQpOQbyhie_yEqaPpZKJpbypQtgMMCSCLIsWnNK5lF_qvZdMcxjLAno43fLiZG3ZQC8Is6m1_wWwl0pcxBUVAeQBiPmPiHkzsF_DXEYwA/s1600-h/Onion.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350013861314141154" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 110px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 110px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ls8qm8jqdbz6Y5SN0ppvSHhqCCyvWMLhByZmQpOQbyhie_yEqaPpZKJpbypQtgMMCSCLIsWnNK5lF_qvZdMcxjLAno43fLiZG3ZQC8Is6m1_wWwl0pcxBUVAeQBiPmPiHkzsF_DXEYwA/s320/Onion.jpg" border="0" /></a>10. Sliced Onions resemble skin cells and contain quercetin. Studies have shown when treated with a combination of quercetin and ultrasound at 20 kHz for 1-minute duration, skin and prostate cancers show a 90% mortality within 48 hours with no visible mortality of normal cells.<br /></div></div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGWJLzJav-q7ueFH241o5Hmzj2Jj45w89XeRbvpSWtII_ZpMKuVEWNbKquHf7V02jJF_ubft4QtB-sEf2JlTIUzxD8KwxYmWFEvSjHh87dwwVivWfXRVBPxe6pSVi9g5vZAKqQLtNGtKc/s1600-h/Sweet+Potatoes.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350014146704826290" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 80px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGWJLzJav-q7ueFH241o5Hmzj2Jj45w89XeRbvpSWtII_ZpMKuVEWNbKquHf7V02jJF_ubft4QtB-sEf2JlTIUzxD8KwxYmWFEvSjHh87dwwVivWfXRVBPxe6pSVi9g5vZAKqQLtNGtKc/s320/Sweet+Potatoes.jpg" border="0" /></a>11. Sweet Potatoes resemble the pancreas and have a low glycemic index count, which is beneficial for diabetics.<br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350014641721054130" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 124px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 85px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsch9Ty7V4xTupMR3Qwc95sUtQB9HaQa5Pmb7zhk2It532X-ynI-PBQn_n2JUOwRGwcnJJr7MrGOZIZFxZ1YyerBtcGaicE4j0W-GPFZsKyi6OunpFtTbH0EuQE6Ixq6sR5BwbVk-J-pZ/s320/Olives.jpg" border="0" /><br />12. Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries. </div><div><br /></div><div align="left"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-4363427425432909742009-06-15T22:17:00.010-05:002009-08-02T12:35:57.994-05:00Things I've Enjoyed Since Being Home1) Thunderstorms<br />Yes, it rains plenty in England, but it's not the same because there is no thunder. I was never wakened by loud claps of thunder in the middle of the night causing me to schooch deeper under the covers and enjoy the fact that I was in my comfy bed.<br /><br />2) Weddings<br />Two days after landing in Texas Danielle and I headed off to see our friends say their vows. I'll admit I was extremely tired (when the ceremony started it was past midnight in England, and I was ready to sleep) but it's always exciting to see people get married. My childhood friend got married last weekend and my college roommate ties the knot in five days. I love seeing what each bride does differently and the unique touches every wedding has.<br /><br />3) Swimming<br />It's hot enough here that I actually want to get in the water.<br /><br />4) Friends<br />My friends from growing up took me out to dinner when I came home and let me talk all I wanted about my trip. I loved it! I've also loved the phone calls and emails from everyone else wanting to catch up.<br /><br />5) Driving<br />The other night I rolled my windows down and turned up my country music not caring who saw me singing. Driving at night is one of my most favorite things to do in the summertime. It relaxes me.<br /><br />6) Refrigerators<br />They're huge here! You can actually fit a gallon of milk AND a gallon of orange juice in it along with a whole lotta food...which takes me to my next point.<br /><br />7) Waffles<br />Because all freezers lack space in the UK, we had to reserve room for meat and dinner type food. As a result, I was cruelly denied the pleasure of eating waffles with peanut butter for breakfast, but that has all changed since being back :)<br /><br />8) Family<br />I simply love them.<br /><br />9) Shoes<br />This sounds so superficial, but I love having all of my shoes at my fingertips. Stilettos, pumps, peep toes, flats, sandals, flip flops, tennis shoes, red, black, brown, blue, pink, whatever I want it's here, and I have options when getting ready for the day.<br /><br />10) Organizing<br />I've unpacked, put away, cleaned out, and made sure everything has a rightful place. There is always great satisfaction in organizing, and I do it whenever I can. Sometimes when I'm at someone else's house, I'll organize their mess or rearrange their furniture in my head. I can't help it. It's a disease. For my birthday when I was seven, my grandma took me to Walmart and let me pick out anything I wanted. I walked through the whole store and chose two pink storage containers with matching lids. My grandma tried to talk me out of them, but I insisted that's what I wanted. We compromised. She made me pick out a board game, and I still got to get my storage bins.Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-61649646838256388802009-05-08T18:23:00.008-05:002009-08-02T12:36:47.875-05:00It's Coming To a CloseAs things here in Sheffield wind down, I'm seeing the fruit of investing in relationships even when they didn't always feel like they were going anywhere. <br /><br /><br />This has been one of the most encouraging days I've had in Sheffield, and it's from saying goodbyes. It's funny to me how you sometimes don't realize how you've impacted someone or they've impacted you until you're leaving. <br /><br /><br />It's weird to say goodbye, knowing that some of these people I will never see again. I talk of coming back to visit and others talk of coming to Texas, and I hope that really will happen. In the meantime, I have to deal with the possibility of that not coming true.<br /><br /><br /><br />I leave Sheffield on Tuesday, and it's bittersweet.<br /><br /><br />I'm excited.<br /><br /><br />I'm nervous.<br /><br /><br />I'm ready.<br /><br /><br />I'm not ready.<br /><br /><br />I faced a lot of change to come here, and now I feel as if I'm facing just as much change coming home. I have to find a job, a place to live, and will have new roommates. This sounds familair....maybe because I did this back in January? In a foreign country? <br /><br /><br />I'm feeling comfortable here, and now I have to go.<br /><br /><br />I've changed.<br /><br /><br />I've grown.<br /><br /><br />I need to process.Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-23122479144553957352009-04-27T14:52:00.006-05:002009-04-27T15:47:57.790-05:00God's FaithfulnessThese are a couple of stories from treasure hunting a few weeks ago that I really wanted to share because they show just how amazing God truly is.<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There were only five people that came out for treasure hunting, but we made the best of it and split into two groups. Danielle and I were together for the first time along with our friend Dustin. We went to one of the locations on our list and spotted our first clue (a man with a cane). I talked to Harry for a few minutes and asked if he needed prayer. His daughter said he has health problems, and Danielle jumped in and asked what kind? He said "everything but aids" and Dustin asked him if that included low blood sugar and lung disease (two health problems on our list). They were kind of surprised and said yes he had both of those things wrong with him. Wow! God had led us to right where we needed to be! Harry didn't let us pray for him right then, but our group was really encouraged that we had found our treasure and that we had worked so well together as a team. Where one of us left off in the conversation the other one picked up. We felt very unified as a group which doesn't always necessarily happen.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Next we saw a guy from a distance wearing a 'grey hat' that was on Danielle's clue list. We walked a ways to try and catch up to him, and as it turned out, he had stopped to lean on a 'light post', which just so happened to be Dustin's clue! We thought this was cool, and as we were approaching him, we noticed he was wearing 'converse shoes' which was one of my clues! We had a good conversation with him and were pretty pleased with the clues we had found that day.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We met back at the church office, and some people expressed that they're wanting to see more happen while we're out treasure hunting. I understand what they're saying, but I'm also so thankful for God's faithfulness in all of this. Every week we pray for clues, and He gives them to us. Not only that, we find them! Of course I want to see people saved and of course I want to see lives changed. I know that will happen, but until then, I'm thankful to rest in knowing a little bit more of God's character.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Danielle and I agreed in this and were talking about things on the way to our friends Pip and Hannah's house after treasure hunting, when I saw a lady struggling to hold her child and push a stroller up the hill. I offered to push the stroller, and she actually said I could. (Numerous times Danielle and I have offered to help people with groceries etc. up the hills around here and no one will let us.) We began talking to her, and she seemed so tired that Danielle offered to hold her baby. The lady handed the little girl right over! We found out that her name is Metumo, she's from South Africa, she just recently moved here and has no friends. Perfect! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Danielle told her about our friend Ira and how she just moved here and has a little girl as well. We said that we should introduce the two of them and Metumo said, "Do you think she would want to?" In my head I'm screaming 'Of course! She moved to England to do outreach!' but instead just settled for "Yes, I think she would love to."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Metumo got excited and ended up inviting us in for a cup of tea. We weren't able to stay since we had dinner plans, but we exchanged contact information with her and made plans to meet up in four weeks. She was leaving for South Africa in two days for a month long trip, so we couldn't do anything until she got back. As we were leaving, I realized that Metumo was wearing a black shirt and grey pants...two clues on our list from treasure hunting that we hadn't found earlier. Danielle and I got so excited about this! Once again, God is faithful.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Well it's almost been four weeks since we met Metumo, and I just sent her an email about meeting up for tea. Our hope is to connect her with Ira, so that after we leave, she still has someone pursuing a friendship with her. Please pray that Metumo emails me back, and that she has time to hang out with us before we leave. I have no doubt that we were supposed to meet her that day, so I'm pretty sure God wants to do something in her life!</div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-46248689707505159792009-04-19T20:30:00.006-05:002009-04-27T14:51:17.270-05:00I'm Proud to be a Texan and an Aggie!<div>A few of my friends here have pretty bad injuries and therefore can't run or do much physically, so I've decided to take advantage of being healthy and have started running every so often, ha. Yesterday I was running through the park wearing my maroon Texas A&M t-shirt when I heard someone shout "Go Aggies!" Whoop! Who knew that people in Sheffield have heard of A&M? </div><div><br /></div><div>Along the same lines, last time Danielle and I were in London, some students asked us if we were from A&M while we were chowing down on our Cinnibon. Confused, Danielle said yes...why? They had recognized her Aggie ring!</div><div><br /></div>Tonight after church, Danielle, Ira, and I walked around Hillsborough looking for somewhere to eat. While I was waiting for my kebab, the guy at the counter asked us where we were from. I answered "Texas", not thinking anything of it. He responds "Oh yeah you're from America then," and he goes on to say that he had thought that we were Irish. (That's twice people have thought we were from Ireland.) Anyway, back to the point of this post.<div><br /></div><div>I realized at that point that I always say I'm from Texas not 'America' or 'The States.' I just automatically assume everyone knows of Texas, and they do. I love it! Danielle and I then had our own conversation about how great Texas is, and how we would feel if it became it's own country. </div><div><br /></div><div>I know this is random, but I love that I can say Texas without having to explain that it's a state in America....I bet Ohio doesn't have this luxury.<br /></div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-58412251494139132442009-04-19T20:05:00.004-05:002009-04-19T20:29:47.979-05:00A British HaircutWhat an experience! <div><br /></div><div>I seriously think Brits speak a different language. I walked into Le Coup to have my hair trimmed yesterday, and when I met James who would be cutting my hair, he said something to me which I didn't understand. I said "Excuse me?" He said it again and I heard the word "perm" in there somewhere, and I got a nervous look on my face. He started laughing and said that Americans just don't get British humor. I laughed but was really thinking that I just don't get their accents.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was a little nervous about doing this, but James ended up being really cool and made me feel better. He asked me where my family was from, and I said Texas. He asked me where else? I said Florida and then explained that my ancestors were from Germany. He said, "Are you sure you're not Scottish?" I told him yes, but he insisted I had to be Scottish because of the "warmth" in my hair. (I have patches of red in my hair that show through every now and then) Then he comments on my freckles and says that freckles are a Scottish trait as well. I just shook my head and said I wasn't Scottish.</div><div><br /></div><div>Not believing me, he then asks me what my surname (last name) is, and I told him Huffman. He stops cutting my hair, stares at me, and with a confused look on his face exclaims, "That's German!"</div><div><br /></div><div>I laughed and said I told you so!</div><div><br /></div><div>He continues cutting for a few minutes thinking about something and then looks up at me and says very seriously, "Here's what happened. A Scottish girl married into your family, so her name wasn't carried down! Look up your family tree online and you'll see."</div><div><br /></div><div>Apparently James knows more about my heritage than I do....or at least he thinks so.</div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-31699093491965051252009-04-05T06:32:00.002-05:002009-04-19T20:04:01.768-05:00I Feel StuckI have been treasure hunting numerous times since I've been in Sheffield, but I often get put in a position of not knowing where to go next in a conversation. I'm growing in my boldness to approach people and start conversations, and I'm so thankful for the Lord's grace in feeling more comfortable doing this; however, I don't know how to continue a conversation with people if they say things like "Well, I'm an atheist" after I explain to them how we found them, and why we believe God highlighted them to us. I usually find myself telling them God loves them and then walking away wondering what I could have said to keep talking.<div><br /></div><div>This week my group talked to an atheist, a muslim, and a hindu.<br /><div><br /><div>I'm not here to debate people. I don't want to get into theological arguments or a battle of smarts, but I would like some help. I need people to brainstorm on ways to keep the conversation going if someone seems to be putting up a barrier by using their religion as a reason that they don't or can't believe what we're saying.</div><div><br /></div><div>A lot of people our groups approach are nice and don't mind talking, but if they tell me they're (insert religion) my brain for some reason goes blank. How do I go from there without just saying, "Well you're wrong" and then turning them off to speaking to us completely. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thoughts?</div><div><br /></div><div>Ideas?</div><div><br /></div><div>Anything you have to say would be helpful!</div></div></div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-64898548999667773342009-04-02T09:15:00.042-05:002009-04-19T19:39:03.204-05:00Chatsworth House<div style="text-align: left;">Our train back from Scotland was uneventful, and we made it into Sheffield safely on Friday night. The next morning we got to eat at my favorite pub here and show my mom where Danielle and I used to spend too much of our money buying the hot cocoa special. We then headed for the bus that would take us to Bakewell...but we never quite made it there. If you know me at all, you know that I don't have the best sense of direction, and I tend to get lost even if signs are posted all over the highway. It's as if I have an inner GPS that does the complete opposite of what it's supposed to do and there is no way to fix it. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Instead of getting off at our stop in Bakewell, I made a last minute decision to jump off the bus at the stop in Baslow, except I didn't know it was Baslow. I thought it was Bakewell. The bus driver was about to take off when I got out of my seat and made Danielle and my mom follow. I'm convinced that the driver knew all along that I wanted to go to Bakewell (I mean I did buy our tickets from him) but decided not to tell me. He had a cheeky grin as I rushed off the bus which makes me think he was laughing at my mistake.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Anyway, we read a sign that said you could walk to Chatsworth House (our final destination) so we opted to do this instead of wait for the next bus. BIG MISTAKE! We walked for a little while and then saw a sign that said we had 3 miles to go, and we had just run out of sidewalk. Did we turn around? Nope. We walked on the "side" of the road which consisted of bushes that we literally had to hug each time a car passed us. Pedestrians are not welcome to walk along those kinds of roads, but we had no where else to go at this point. Every time a car rounded the corner, we huddled against the bushes and prayed no one got hurt.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBWVUfnWUff-24nme0VOgumrhpXoOXSzxF3_AIJ6tZvzOBb6Hpi8nHGaFbiOXJcdT3gGecqV1huqr6Rp1-B-bUjNlpy-n5c0Sapok5pXZESvtwlW8F1sTMqvFwWDWrETSEznZc3O78mbN/s320/DSC07505.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326561264002392754" /><div style="text-align: left;">We walked a mile and realized something had to be done because there was no way we could keep gong on like this. We were miserable, and I was mortified by all the buses that kept passing us. I know everyone in them was making fun of "those Americans." Well Danielle had fallen a ways behind my mom and I, and at one point when I turned around, she was talking to someone in a car. Yup. She had done what I was too chicken to do. She flagged down a car and asked for help. The next thing I know, the three of us are getting into the car with Barbara and her husband, and they're driving us to Chatsworth House. Danielle saves the day! The couple were from Wales and were actually going to the house as well, so it worked out perfectly.<br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So why all the trouble to go see this house? Well the Chatsworth Estate consists of 12,000 acres and is Mr. Darcy's home (Pemberly) in the Hollywood version of Pride and Prejudice. I've been wanting to visit here ever since I arrived in Sheffield, but I have been waiting so my mom could see it too.</div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rK1iAeUjq2ezTyztr-AaGS2Lqbs6scVTxQF1zYspMPHivcC1ueWsu-tfG2K3AE0fTfydp1ww02R16f2TU_XJXNcUjWk0sefND1k5c6E6vXehgFhAxRVyblHsoB-OGlF3Brhyphenhypheny55k0xsm/s320/DSC07611.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326560035867265458" /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQp31TP-MDikgFQo6q3pvYm1-xYJD6lVGhEMEFN20F_j201nC2ictJx7vgSuA0THi2kSZvHAT-5Y1mFVZ3YcRz6Njjo89sWT768rgYV15jnwcBFtG1fvLrsw0P5oEhX2GVWywCVVq4S4M/s320/DSC07513.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322857331616434642" /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9UFk6nS-_VqXINHgA7ay_bdtVRoolFxguT7FbKpnSwClJrNoBf29-mrqZwm3lSbu_uKT71Zswm9RpYvomo3fekNIFy67UKs7lb70sOoK3xUSdvE_mL2xnPj60dRnOfZWl02HRleP9ZzPz/s320/DSC07556.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322855198844425890" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcyKFBTTkOutI_3FjFKnWmlAXLRNKj8aAsjad2EB-KFXlEONpVtJHOCUULHqd10XbVhfE9FsEkSsvpANa7NTItZXc2P8-PNPdpedFxnDtF9GAf99au4XiAwmYZTOkBzmWCA2XqhYnMY2H/s320/DSC07558.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322855203706835058" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gDdMyKxK7__0d_Jc3sXh5VZX6jVgdJKZkKu_SEAM0y_W7Ke8BRq1XcLl3yT2Q-L_Hj9ebkDnRRi3c3fXC8q-orwC7nEiCw7pWpki4v4SVy2EOZPbW1wMleXK3Ua72nbQATseg19ruhvd/s320/DSC07567.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322857333600007298" /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczhF8kcAK_MAE0lV3L56u9rs9LsZjDBg9HUzdUOglYDIIe26EqiDfZ20QASt9EzONp-LpfCPD_eYWfNn0p4lYW0j_rNC23nkcrxVPwRK5EYlYtYzBr2WAMfRGCyMBFnYjnxvfeko3Cjsv/s320/DSC07568.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322857349687079666" /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTahRoao8RdybIiKtOHY2UNV9hN2DoIi1kzCEhxrQ1tGAYz4vzrmYzeu3Xn6BglKVOgUduS43EgzyhHammYdAPxX6XMKK7DtC5S8u2e960nz4V8ZkYR6sCW2pX7uexfTUITs9Fo2pGEshY/s320/DSC07586.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322860199963338562" /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVwmaia1YC5LLgITmKyva_kGxpri3mpIYRGi6gjhshi82Sp9S6Jvyjy8w7YatbWE009FFQdW5WHy11F-1zhbwVhI1djZP67G2dduyXut-fVp28jV44wKhOKw6nVk2tdhQbnDvK3kiEh4LK/s320/DSC07599.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322860203518436098" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWXXasvjFf5j7J_s6Qz4evfbV46EDpv-8LXlLV8Y1kHhLNJGlAah5RvuSImnxIyj3aQPjvHvyNfyw_Picn9vRm67psJb1JTI_Q35eCEIg7R9gnCojqFpBfWYwd1BNOgJepLSJHwQKFU04/s320/DSC07600.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322860209683018802" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Later that weekend, we went and saw a new take on the classic novel <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Emma</span> by Jane Austen. This isn't necessarily my favorite novel written by Austen (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Pride and Prejudice</span> is just too good) but it is definitely my favorite movie. The play was very unique in that it had present day people discussing the play between the acts but the same people were also acting out the play set in the 1700's. Five people acted all the parts (some of them playing 2 and 3 characters), and they did an amazing job. There was also interaction with the audience before and after the play and these are pictures of Danielle, Jeannie, my mom and I sketching our own portraits of the actress who played Emma. The play wasn't at all what I expected, but I loved it!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4mcFBHIxE3uwnd-A02N6dJ8wp8Idp_FmyK4rvSGAHwlhduqt7ayly0edLsIQSbqM0L1CRrWXXaZGUlCmUPg5Q0cU0nCLT4ntKpEizHRkNeem5RBeCYvwZLTvcKlcnU21x_qOwKdojcJ2P/s320/DSC07631.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322862185885306274" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmLNxOEZNlxlc-xN3qRes66f_HnNFq73XKGSYDOZ53sbtrW1dor1UuiKS5J4kmHuwnUuOJIIaCezT4OoH1-_s9-R_TgvM5YxbbkLibr_6ogAdE9zAu1_KicDc9LjN4UmVdJ1zcTUiCwSYX/s320/DSC07633.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322862178708145490" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFjScpqIDutrn01YCCv6RkeU-KvoaLO2vlM0amGKmCXy7PepJmPdccSR-_q9levWJRF55jL4NjtZj9Zf1lNuIAF71U6WIa7aOxBISqnhcySnjHkq4QUp-eAHPS89GrFA0nd332gSEMq_2I/s320/DSC07638.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322863129497751042" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""></span></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKanQ8jp5jg847-bT71X7yF7eVs_U5ePb8OTVwEA7iMB1v_UtYzrOLKSkzAFfWfPupcDNhgcXGQr7nOmYvISgrCyfRwHmVvUtuijur844SG_9nq-n-UHxRlK2r4O5IoqF9wC6KZDvt9-o9/s320/DSC07632.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322862175284422770" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWE8jR-ztEd5YdDTYLNX20LqedlPuhn4XR4_lWbsb4_qE0KnWlFhebBlFCMaEunb1g5A2aTAGZfGI-m5IlU3QILhLtgDImnWuJ1qROu8QBeKZytMs4sT5_-zO1SNk9zsAiH6YxXDnOAjp/s320/DSC07635.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322862173001771074" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgstAawv_yMMfELoVUvdTKGAzFTWN2QPvAKQAte5Hqt8O7J1D_Wa9yUkTQmlmNOriZ1z8ejbJ4rYPRyaFwmS_6Bln_d2Rhcvk9JJyASSImRsxFyGG2ra9vHz21QZxgoX1GhwapCyr2QW84H/s320/DSC07637.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322863125072509874" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtOm86EQcypwq93vKNlMSG_soHAyx2XiOWPxUEaD2Q0oqVrZd4BJQdQCajcNGrCbF7Ejmsc3lyJnHqKt_WLhMuQflkhHwDMYQVEJv1Z7fjlOq2g0YQG1q_4rIPVZzOaN_yEwcXt2sm7D8/s320/DSC07625.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322862168303075874" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-73589491215096910902009-04-02T09:15:00.032-05:002009-04-15T14:48:26.969-05:00Edinburgh, ScotlandMy mom came to visit me on her spring break in March and took Danielle and I on a 10 day journey through Scotland and around England. Before picking her up at the airport, we retrieved most of our train tickets and to give you an idea of just how many we had, I stacked them next to a deck of cards.<div><br /><div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVq9v7c3i6ljUJ0KYbwOBXSytZs6c-kZ6gudzo70fUtrF3OZ1npVHfvEJeK2pPwCHmfEe1KqfXAP4oVQO66AZBoSLTCpex1wCQA0dGtlrnlhAFhmzeeGdJ5FJfM4RL8OVjjo05Mkh1qFiS/s320/DSC07362.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322842778613164610" />This was taken at the airport around 6:30a.m. Her flight ended up landing early which made us late meeting her, but she was a good sport and patiently waited for us.<br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkuU62hG8OKdiIoMVN6m68n3KJi3Ao6cjsAg8gPoYArgkBNSpMtZJhQZTzTrxMYf8oj5XVj6E8C2Qv0SAzPYPm9q-70Q6l663DxngVExga9TcoEtPgozMeG8a4DQlWf0c2krLEODjBQs7y/s320/DSC07364.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322842785516044226" /></div><div>We left the airport on a train headed to Scotland, and the trip should've have taken four hours with no changes. Here's how things ended up going:</div><div><br /></div><div>Train from the airport to Salford</div><div>New Train from Salford to Bolton</div><div>Bus from Bolton to Preston</div><div>New bus from Preston to Lancaster</div><div>Train from Lancaster to Edinburgh</div><div><br /></div><div>Twenty minutes into our train ride from the airport, we were told everyone had to exit the train because of a power outage at the Preston train station caused by a fire. We were dropped off in a random city and had to play the rest of the journey by ear. It was very draining and ended up taking nine hours! This is a picture of us on one of the station platforms waiting to hear what we were supposed to do. When we finally made it to Edinburgh, we only had time to eat dinner and relax before we went to bed at our cool bed and breakfast. We stayed in walking distance from Edinburgh Castle, and that's my mom and I on the front steps of the B&B.</div><div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3MIkRXVwbIDlsjpOq6iqCgrDbQpjXe58hOU-Jd-gQHfYVp88Z4AWX1WH8Qin0EQW_QaUuRSfM5emzkbLLrFvLHZy7P0BU2Ww7KdB5jf_ALbmj58oauaKJPA9bFv9R26b0X_qOqMjN7viA/s320/DSC07375.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322842786770996130" /><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0onAwrv-suNLRdTUmXdkJzFX6CVQDLGb4q0817UW_h2WBm2213g23FkGQqgLvhx4QSpibHonqSiIHt3VmCallf2WuFaXA_vJHEpi4xCI3uxftRLJU7hK-mQsH2dI7tM3CHocBnbdKI8Rd/s320/DSC07381.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322842799720929058" /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4S5gj0iWN2vOrDtaXrHxldhOp6q_o3mRb7JVNk5MhPV3xBgdfKUyatowUUThA7X4sfJ-XtpzydKNSmVRM0v1s9I1mOCeRK5stfdfs5I6R62nrLRdooFpHCxBjVfWstO_WMIwlOUyX2KLm/s320/DSC07384.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322845905603193090" /></div><div><br /></div><div>On Friday morning, we headed to the castle and on the way there Danielle and I saw a sign in front of a fountain that said 'no bathing' and realized our plans for the morning had been thwarted. </div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20HHXuzrvZOZZmr1d1sIgIOII2v2Qe4s86KXguJua29nATtIK3zyPvvwn3LtuIT3Dsz1ERwmymklIwIdBqupJUxEFUSJFDoE5IOg6cduXG5o1K7vXa-PVHu5q805EudDgNqFXRJ8QxCty/s320/DSC07395.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322845913391042578" /></div><div><br /></div><div>As you can see, the castle is on a very steep hill (those men in orange suits are attached to ropes and are working on stuff) and is more of a fortress. There is everything you can imagine in that castle: a hospital, barracks, a place to store weapons, a dungeon, church, etc. It's a small town inside!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1jl2NIOzSrs6Fze-2Q7OaEpyjoodDM5_rl3U9VgrKaov_K74KhiVUxoFavSL9aqKWCAyr97rRZZqRwQZezsc2SAvmPpSRScDV9J04UPurf-rEwuKFJ-A7KOO-jn5eNtbMH8JwKqgc3rz/s320/DSC07394.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322845911626155266" /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigP1pDqub1jvFousdAs4d-b4EGHO_SqZ07cPzbxHf_73lGAoxh9vzBNfJwLCYEiJjfGiSoJWx5ucX0uprMohfFnl27PJACqp73aZBOeEaF3o_ZlmjeBdZOPcXNkaWimTHQ0aSMzinhYLjy/s320/DSC07400.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322845920475793362" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7A3YALDab9REZV47Cd0v7p3jIuW7u1xag3VaKJjLcygAmGDwUVK9h283CuxP9EFS2s0mNArzUiMgQVNMiQYA__Xm87eEmVcsQ2tBtd8EFeD9WrUMqDNjYmtv3flYFootc7kZRBadT0rde/s320/DSC07404.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322845924608037474" /></div><div><br /></div><div>The one o'clock cannon has been going off everyday at 1:00p.m. since 1861 and used to be for alerting the ships in the North Sea. While at the castle, I was pretty much forced by Danielle and my mom to volunteer to be Mary Queen of Scots while the lady playing the part of Queen Mary's maid did her reenactment. All I had to do was pretty much sit there and at one point dance...next time I'm going to make Danielle volunteer no matter what it is! The carving is an American flag on an actual door from the castle's dungeon. It makes me wonder who the guy was who carved it, how he ended up there and if he ever made it back to America.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQozpbjQ3k-AGvTVkyX4PGOtDGBAc_xvOjZJwbd9a2HDBKFKSN0QHgsqMKjqeGjM0gHCUcNj0nVPQ2fggEDdGbtx-fAjB6Rdy9L7Z6PdZjv2Xyg-v6lK7I2tabYqaU13bCi42vOZ_gJ13X/s320/DSC07410.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322848382093918850" /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIxOIxK4VNQCusubRvW-RmwH24MK7r3w_dEYCwW2_fDoA3vDpq8WRHnXojmXpkNUffeByZLX-gu7VbbikIioNE9D4toRk3Q0EXkD4Qr4x63PK84CiPKxsdxyTNDUXqDnhCEPLSrMvqiUa_/s320/DSC07440.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322848383558534114" /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXFrVshkdrvQJ0sUPP9O_PajrSKy77EU739kVWAizzkAuxvo-XOYEbGTxUxjoN7FQgxn5xYijOGdS8WVTmE_3xbl4CuQqad3F4y7QkJOeUtP5b4TgcpbgnJTZuW2D9yMrfyE4yREAMbWf/s320/DSC07465.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322848384680082194" /></div><div>We did a little shopping at the woolen mill after leaving the castle and saw some fabric being woven while we were there. There were so many patterns to look at! After that we headed to a cafe for lunch where a bagpiper was playing on our way in, which made the fact that we were in Scotland even more real to me.</div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0wLlPxyW1oAUSQvvWMwQp1dEjsZFzJctnNF4hmDlSJlL4f1GSSUDNzdKky-W4sqEkrwsMgTvs2I3Un-LwxPpExgxuShFmiPBo2KBySHK5kvzuixML-SmQOMhPilsi6krHZrXPVi5ZRAU3/s320/DSC07477.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322848388551772530" /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5WqWntmZicSXSjY33NAGYd951v2nDwh6fQ7KipUeh3RKjledSXkDBHc3Ivk67CSTtyeWUzZG3YpP6snKuNuv0Z0wRDpM63MIx2D0xlefffoYB8Jw7obwlKx3ZTGDWzIWYPX39pSDbrQV/s320/DSC07483.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322848395355059042" /></div><div>This was our last look at Edinburgh before we had to get our luggage and head to the train station. We were there less than 24 hours which only makes me want to go back and spend more time exploring. I guess I'll just have to add it back on my list of places to see!</div><div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qywxZa5QOwBSrBBq-smTeysmXv181PaH8kTmJ8Yeyk-9-GwEDkoUnQEC5iaxhrGcxQVq2IbyHksKRPWDct3fvb8AZnbYUSOcwMVxxvBldl9qavhsG9i_9KvId6yiiTrAjGvOsic52jC-/s320/DSC07494.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322849114667528434" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-35532667792611553702009-03-06T09:23:00.006-06:002009-04-11T05:08:34.616-05:00British Friends<div>I didn't really know what I expected when coming over here in terms of friendships, but I guess I didn't realize it would take as long as it did for people to warm up to Danielle and I. Don't get me wrong, British people are nice, but they can seem a little standoffish at first. For example, our first time at the student lifegroup, no one introduced themselves to us. I felt a little bit awkward in a room full of people I didn't know but who all knew each other and me being the one who had to initiate conversations and introduce myself. That's just not how it's done in Texas. If someone is new at church or wherever, I welcome them in!</div><div><br /></div><div>After meeting the university students though, they became more friendly and would talk to us at church. Danielle and I initiated hanging out with some of the girls and made plans for tea, etc. However, this week there has been a breakthrough!</div><div><br /></div><div>Drumroll please....</div><div><br /></div><div>People have asked us to hang out!</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, the tables have turned.</div><div><br /></div><div>We went over to our friend Noel's house for dinner on Wednesday night and played games. I even learned how to play poker, but I don't have much of a game face. When I had a royal flush in my hand I got really excited and squealed...then Noel and Danielle folded immediately. We had fun though, despite not being aloud to put sugar in our tea. Noel insisted that British people don't do that, but I know that they do because I have seen them do it!</div><div><br /></div><div>Thursday morning our friend Emma picked us up, and we drove out to The Peaks, a famous National Park in England. We only saw a sliver of it, but we hiked six miles! There were some ugly parts, only because nothing is green yet, but once we got to the top it was well worth the journey. There was a beautiful view of the reservoir down below, so I'll post some pictures of it here soon.</div><div><br /></div>After our hike, I took a really long nap because I was worn out and then got ready for girl's night. Our friend Pip from lifegroup (we go to the 'YoPros' group now which stands for Young Professionals) invited Danielle and I over for dinner, along with our friend Rosie. Pip and her housemate Hannah made us homemade pizza, and we just hung out and watched a chick flick. I love being around British people because I always learn a new word for something or learn what a phrase I keep hearing means....always enlightening let me tell ya. <div><br /></div><div>Did you know that 'torch' is the word used for flashlight? I also kept hearing the phrase 'taking the mick' but had no clue what it meant. Apparently that is slang for when you are mocking someone...which I might do on occasion. :)</div><div><br /><div><div><br /></div></div></div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-9173076388913543712009-03-02T13:01:00.033-06:002009-04-09T17:44:24.387-05:00Ireland<div style="text-align: left;">Well, in true Danielle and Janelle fashion, we only had rough ideas of what we wanted to do when we arrived in Dublin. When we landed at the airport, we bought a map and jumped on a bus headed for the city. We started out walking through St. Stephen's Green, a beautiful park right in the middle of the city.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirx9Fbo08XXEnuDdYA6Qz1Z7YrKl2tY5eX3XNoYo1gnCuNQxtfJllk4hyaONuN8S3p0EUzLRJWguvMn88YrvBPALbJ3J2-i_9yAr0K96AZoAYEg97SwL-isnTtO75z9mJt0zv3e5ZjUTIm/s320/DSC07166.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322727418866261010" /><br /><div>We walked through the Trinity College campus while imaging what it would be like to go to school in Dublin.</div><div><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipsr7dKoFr62jz_aS0Jwj1_3bCOXhDAUqFxdvdWeyrRgXwD6y3pJtcrsnYkkMoSu5_lPkzFlw2osPS2f_zo6Zx6A3ck3Ls5qJ5XlfcczXLBb1ZpGwidZUYqBXPeQKH1eQaBf3f7Tg_Xmc/s320/DSC07170.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322727421022513922" />We went and saw the Book of Kells, an illustrated manuscript of the four gospels written circa 800 A.D., at the library there. This is a picture of "The Long Room" at the college which holds a ridiculous amount of first editions and other really old books. The shelves were stuffed!</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-lZbsxyK4ehr1-w2JqvEmhZfjjV4EY7PyUrKFBXvheq8gKl0VbE-WpyZZqumSuE8qUZn8C-XiqFr9IglrC2Nlcro0DQDiTE3T48rRp3ITr-MWwXFgENp_W0RoYRUEK1oRiTuoYFLviZtR/s320/DSC07179.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322727426582438722" /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We took a self-guided tour of the Bank of Ireland and luckily we got out of there when we did... it was robbed the next day, and the thieves took 7.5 million euros!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizf66mcTJ2z42HdYUxC1L4SbSLvyl03624XXJnf_oIQAkr4KuIQj-Hm1u3w1ZudXr4qTJq5GAtMOJGAnC5Ad3jw2dH038uffeRmyMmbh2_n6P0Kuwqo6tOEoErydCtvYzYovj1FXqOhgxd/s320/DSC07182.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322809329344533442" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We went to the Dublin Castle but didn't want to pay for the tour. Instead, we walked around the courtyard, and this is us trying to pose like one of the statues in the garden area. Thank goodness for the self-timer button on the camera.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJS3JVkBxVAh8CR72A9MjEsaTzOa2E35KvVpymmfzNP0g787A56qLBC1ZSxAgbHaTlth8kswtjhF0cJZ4Tfx_byffk1Q4ziMfuA4VcebsDMFOBN6bjhQGuFDDw3vQvhhFFUxztkXyVn3vM/s320/DSC07194.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322729992300906274" /><div>After the castle, we decided to make an appearance at the Guinness Factory. The stuff is disgusting, which I expected, so we stuck to drinking our free cokes. </div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQDON9klc5oMtNFL8HzdEdq_thlXKLZDkvQVYRtHcC9Y0O007anO5HGxgfpoceN-vTo5GM3Fi3hwwAEvaX2wXhjmxrttCusrG_T83IlaLq5UY3pgjtQZYXmg4v8bf8gnmrJwKsvgvRuz0/s320/DSC07222.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322729999772724754" /></div><div>This is a picture of a little town outside of Dublin called Howth. We had to take a short train to get there, but it was worth it. They had the best fish and chips I've eaten so far and a really pretty lighthouse. </div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4YcEeoxRNcR_iJcCNqgj6UD6SLEvBLz4BEmD-zIir2nDo00KSucB5ZPbzyrlHGEkwOBJj6_SEUiehDDaWgKKSzNNAEKwG7BQ0Ime4bvp8vQR7lngJ4ro8rxDkyJ_1vtq9bYmqkF51sn1w/s320/DSC07271.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322730006784058402" /></div><div>After touring Howth, we took a train to Malahide. This gothic castle was part of the Talbot family and was taken over by Oliver Cromwell for awhile.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ztpkWs4q7Ymgz42J7S-4ioXVmDu4qGNwYkSileIWHgMkYbDAkFaHFnbUekbjgsSjOyOiss86onPBhFJcvHawpRjFqN31hwa8-Gzy8T2TByi1Ds8UP_ra0vHNQgwgwO_-537uU_xfyxuh/s320/DSC07275.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322730001952964754" /></div><div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgumDAHsyCqU3BPJaxcG3500OdDCGFgZx6hokA4X92YruPWj9oGUwycDaNQKuiZOVRhniIlkd7KpcPanRiKoiw0L1rhdLbBDEamNTvUUY4L1VWcTuIQZ_ZhPbr6yWeZ2xPlSuYBClqDD4Rx/s320/DSC07279.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322809328079507074" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></div><div>On our last day in Dublin, we walked around Merrion Square and stopped by a statue of Oscar Wilde, a famous Irish author.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQeG4b-uv_HQbQqwJ2e_TK5OGZBpzpEglMIBKiNoeD8Q_peh9WEMBlnEIJO8LdhM6gFYYxeA05Y0tLd4C4zivv4JahIRVkAAFb_weE2aSIhU3znHnC4ZB3sNxL_L0PirMfTL5s7g5HACLg/s320/DSC07313.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322740114906921346" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEymi8gOqgRAiApVh_AKF6M-cAg3yr9H6Ho83NjaHK9wVYdOYQ_EkLdLkV2NA-5Hn0gTGd3LyuaJ-K-k0qrVL3MG7PsEYH5jS7_JHhkUNJMzbxg8ttPW-PZ4jw8zHLuooVkDQg1hBzCCo/s320/DSC07312.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322732556410938994" /></div><div>Next on our list of things to do was find The Harlequin, a vintage shop I had seen in a magazine back in November. It's famous for its celebrity shoppers, such as Brad Pitt and Bono, and on the way there, I spotted a pink door. Dublin is famous for its Georgian architecture, and I became obsessed with all the different colored doors. I had been hoping to find a pink one and couldn't believe I did on my last day there!</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYhw07CL2JR4XbpUSL7OYk-m4-oGgRaEoVpTndo0wD6x6i8yFkzT1dFAKlAchMG8ar2uGiaxT1ckPdK5vUTKcVec3gkiLPbm0bOTY2fRbwpLY9_T5hpSAqjWaP5ucYbIF-poLYKHryG-Hs/s320/DSC07337.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322735618956807282" /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjnkRfFFb0ku261ZKqzaMCpCDpwsKqReR8pZExN1jLbPJjtuLEExLcii-apvBLWvyk7TlR8IqkmUxieNTuculwbIC8rg01EOqaZU1BNaPrISlbOMbDGu3UYM69EduTBZXszBEA03s7qoC/s320/DSC07346.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322735609965272946" /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQ1Mo3-2d7Fs0MBgnx926P49_bFUjHQf6grJtCMKxxp3Tr6-yAkF00CUL4CjcU05-ggnjsW6R61UyK7Ig4IVtjHPCeZx-HOsnPpeQgPlLoznCWDSBn8URAY_l9Exm1Mms3GdGp6oxTzso/s320/DSC07344.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322735613371880546" /></div><div>This is a random sculpture we saw, but I thought it was so funny. It's a ball made out of metal chains....get it? Ball and chain? Haha...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXy_L35F7gq7qFCmx9kfL6WMjJTXvNSlOQ_zGCGpblHLoEOnraJ_3EnOVabgq_YBOV1qeEN0jB0qSqG4KNXuiIqZHUfI7nmNMiibgWhyphenhyphenHdSlrmOiBZSK_z3SgL7_oOEntZmz4IdCsS4I9/s320/DSC07293.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322738973955533666" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></div><div>Well that's my trip to Ireland summarized into a few pictures. I have loads more but don't want to bore anyone...until I get back home ;)</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-33895183802377022292009-03-02T13:01:00.023-06:002009-04-09T16:04:59.174-05:00The Happy Song<div style="text-align: left;">I'm sure everyone has heard this Delirious song, and the lyrics keep running through my head tonight because it's how I feel!<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's how it goes:<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Well I could sing unending songs<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Of how you saved my soul<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And I could dance a thousand miles<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Because of your great love<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My heart is bursting Lord to<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">To tell of all you've done<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Of how you've changed my life<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And wiped away the past<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Well, I want to shout it out<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">From every roof top sing<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For now I know<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">That God is for me, not against me<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Let me just reiterate the "my heart is bursting" part because it is!<br /></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">One of my clues for treasure hunting today was 'trees,' specifically outside. When I shared this with Daniel, who I was paired with today, he said he felt like it was a park near the church offices. I said great because I had no clue where there were big trees in the city centre. We headed there and ended up spotting one of Daniel's clues which was 'bleached hair'. We saw a guy with bleached hair sitting by himself so Daniel struck up a conversation with him. His name is Michael, and he is a college student here in Sheffield. The three of us chatted for a bit about traveling, school, his church background (which he didn't have one), and then I pulled out my "treasure map". </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I showed Michael our clues that led us to him, and then I started crying....awesome. I just felt so overwhelmed that we had found our treasure! I showed him where we had 'Devonshire Park' written down and 'bleached hair'. I asked him if his hair color was natural, and he said no it was bleached and laughed. I said I didn't think he'd mind me asking since he wasn't a girl, haha, and then we all laughed. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I proceeded to tell Michael that he was our treasure, and that God loves him. You know what his response was? He said no one had ever told him that before. What?! Can you imagine never hearing that before? This made me sad, but it also increased my hope that our meeting was really impacting him. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We talked a little bit more and Daniel asked if we could pray for him. He said yes, so the both of us got to pray for him while sitting there at the park. Michael said he had never read the Bible but had recently been thinking about it. We encouraged him to go for it! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I can't really explain how I feel right now, but it is an incredible feeling to find the person God has you looking for! It was also really cool because often times people here are not open to talking, and if they are, they usually don't want prayer. I know God wanted us to find Michael today, and I feel so blessed that we did!<br /><br /></div></div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-66924489452227877572009-02-21T06:14:00.019-06:002009-03-27T17:06:34.656-05:00A Trip to York<div>We hopped on a train and headed north to York on Thursday.<br /><br />We had a rough idea of what we wanted to do when we got there but </div><div>played a lot of it by ear. Danielle and I make great traveling partners because we're pretty flexible and go with the flow. We bought a two day "York Pass" that let us into many attractions around the city for one set price. I highly recommend looking into these for big tourist cities, and there's even one for London that I'm going to check out.</div><div><br />We toured York Minster, a beautiful Gothic Cathedral in the heart of York containing the largest expanse of medieval stained glass windows, each window being cleaned every 100 years. Imagine the dust!</div><div><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDl0eL1XpxQryJftn66OjLIt3AjG-JdoaFmnuP8_QwTngpGkeXDYilYodhJEqnhVZsqoy_EqzYZUXzgcTu_YkpjwV_RqCjFHNNTmr35TQ8m2rApbJnEQm0YtYvIV7ylP3EEGh5A_1jXHJD/s320/DSC07067.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317982365080383362" /><br /><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxlgNwaWWJl6tEy1RoBIKESXZJxODuPAL4WJojEu54tK8291GeAcZBPkO17O36iihtVITI2A1c2qdUsINEYClWmUVWDptOkKqLTtAQJq95KLjrWj9eyoYKR77K26t4l7Ymz7Mccy_12me/s320/DSC07059.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317982371308405058" /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Outside the minster is a statue of Constantine the Great, close to where he was appointed Emperor of Rome in 306 AD. What?!?! York was founded by the Romans in 71 AD, and the entire Roman Empire was even governed from York for a couple of years. I love the history here!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQz7ogPMtH_Ramk4tJHA1FQfTtHPT3JuwdTegyl_naPUIGFbiR1cti9CjdXRNgkrqKe-SyyxspardB4LZF98oZ7qaokxMEDPdJFketT-lCorEUu6pnkpSDFpZROAxtrU4XXChNqmpIb3L/s320/DSC07070.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317988001112165074" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYB5UtQfxikHUTG-045eDFhsgZGrkJaTy9jXU8diYQjGGXuGc4XP1ZaDnVqGEWT2kObvAh4xXCzCSKcjM69mVhr-qDyHilIn_H9VRbkwOqyyN5Hss03FhnfNBQ8yaJZ384grMWY902B8uS/s320/DSC07069.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317982374823143650" /></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">I got excited when I heard there was a Roman Bath in the city, but when we went to see it, I was a bit disappointed. There was a Roman Bath there and all, but it was just a one room "museum" underneath a pub, jazzed up to make it more than it was. It wasn't professionally done (there was construction paper cut outs hanging on the wall, ha) I guess I'll have to wait until I can actually go to the city of Bath when my mom comes to visit in March.<br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQPcRR35yaEsgT7KwY1nubgqzjhwdQTPUCON0TLObta0uGD9Ypf4oQLrpN2aFJ9DlOWTg0qR_w4pVYGt9BmGsyAfwjF84Ula23D75Cu2UnDIjInQA5vHA2FQvtHA-zNTpgLqW1lOAxSdq/s320/DSC07090.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317987988193898098" /><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoGASiJJmz7C8bav-wxAxTm8AzM1CyQ24IpbPhegwtTBCo8Dp1yaWWykamBbvUF08-3HHfm5-oRpKNPEdZBYlLYnrlwHyFk_OKX7bm4kXnxn6c0D3BhhCPf8HhIuN4VZpmxGDoAalEFEj/s320/DSC07092.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317987995671847922" /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Walking the streets of York was a lot of fun because it's very picturesque. The streets and architecture look exactly like I imagined England should look like. Sheffield is great and all, but it's not as pretty as York. The city is surrounded by fortress walls that are open during the day to walk on. Danielle and I had a blast walking along them, even though some parts don't have railings...scary! It was fun to imagine what it would be like standing on them 2000 years ago, guarding the city. Apparently there's a law that still exists today that anyone standing on the city walls can shoot a Scottish person with a bow and arrow if they're spotted after dark. Maybe that's why they lock the gates at dusk...<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeDMRdloGjxc5zDv_Uq_MFalwc0LAOa4wDjhf5QBYExyUVu3_upMtefdmbBPOW1a_D6emwfn2tV1-UQ7a8jdZf8FpQ-B8mbNIMNVbDbGFqr2s0Fen9tBm8y9MJrfY3HPQOE6RPTqamorr1/s320/DSC07104.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317982387444047778" /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-BIW4f34zJ7rXZeWV8OLGbFV0XWAkA0BmrYkC4CU85Jjp4ZMhWeMdxOTCdSr4rVtc0-zj7rVBPdEkRrkHjBlC5f7E2sefNToa7mkOjwsQ9QPhRePNzVzelptMqbO7JpIEsJ7ThONiIRB/s320/DSC07106.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317987995293915186" /></div><div>We caught the musical 42nd street at the Theatre Royal for just 5 pounds! Of course we paid for our cheapness when our seats were at the very top of the theater, above the stage lights. The best part of the musical? Hearing people with British accents attempting New York accents and one character tried for a Texas accent. The lady next to us asked if they sounded American, and I tried to be sweet and said said some of them did but then Danielle came right out and set they weren't even close.<br /></div><div><br />Friday was a beautiful day filled with more tourist activities. My favorite part was walking through the Clifford's Tower, the only remaining part of York Castle. William the Conqueror had built a small tower on this same piece of land, but it was burned down two years after having been built. If you look closely, you can see small slits on the walls. That's where bow and arrows were shot. They were big enough to allow the arrow through but small enough that no other arrow would get through....clever clever!<br /><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdZhzD8J5g4vaM4vxh7L05Jl7Ik1gS_IvguutTl_fP2BaOP-eLLKU2v6M7pZLfgUUFz0BYNr6w8pGA5bJyNMzqyiXOVIVkSP8LMNdMg89MeGFjAsLOEfW0Z2twR0z8UFXCRfqohIG9IxP/s320/DSC07110.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317987997093346370" /></div><div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3e7nNo4kYYIOWZVPS5vOlsGYtoo9bQZP2-Iyq-PDYiwtOecuOk5crffrZuaKPXawpstBT3vDcCI6h4EU9g3XHYe9BTqCjnFQI1PesRm3ajzMpxxVxvgfYAlr6vgWHMeLL_yraOgcW2NH2/s320/DSC07122.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317991470318599042" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></div><div><br /></div><div>After that we headed to the Fairfax House, a townhouse displaying furniture from the 18th century, and I learned a little about Georgian architecture. We also toured the York Castle Museum which had a replica of a city street as it would have looked in the 1700's, down to the bank, general store, and schoolroom.<br /></div><div><br />We ended the day by having tea at an Italian cafe. I drank white hot chocolate (am I the only one who has never heard of this?) and tried chocolate caramel shortbread for the first time. It was delicious and is now my favorite snack to get at coffee shops here.<br /><br />I highly recommend York if you're ever in England, and I hope that I get to come back before I go home in June.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-63914257658149955972009-02-16T17:58:00.010-06:002009-02-21T06:08:41.570-06:00Treasure Hunting #2I was very excited about treasure hunting today. The weather was just beautiful with the sun shining and everything. This week I was hoping to see some of the clues that the Lord spoke to me during our prep time show up on our trip out. <br /><br />My group ended up being Daniel (the pastor whose family I live with), Izzy, and me, and when I was sharing my handful of clues, one of them was clearly the word lonely/loneliness...which Daniel had heard as well! It's always exciting to see when more than one person has the same thing. One of my other clues was the name Matilda. What? Matilda? I refused twice to write this down because I'm pretty sure it's not an English name or common name at that. As it turns out though, there is a street in Sheffield called Matilda not far from where we were. I got so excited when Izzy said this! <br /><br />One thing about treasure hunting that Danielle had reminded the group before we started was that we need to be creative with our clues. For example, a name might not be the person we end up talking to on the street but the name of a family member who they want prayer for, etc. Well, we didn't end up making it out to that street because we ran out of time, so Danielle said she would go with me tomorrow so we could check it out. I'm just so curious!<br /><br />Anyway, my group of 3 ended up going to the Peace Gardens (a central location in the city centre) because Daniel had a picture of this location, specifically near two restaurants. The three of us were walking around looking for someone sitting by themselves and saw a few people but decided to go to the specific area between the two restaurants. As we rounded the corner, we saw a guy sitting on a bench. We knew we needed to go talk to him. Izzy and I decided to give it a go while Daniel waited close by (so we didn't overwhelm the guy). We sat down next to him, explained what we were doing, and asked if there was anything he wanted prayer for. He said no, he wasn't feeling well, and then started convulsing. I couldn't really understand him at this point and wasn't sure what to do. Daniel walked over, and we all tried to talk to him. <br /><br />Izzy and I went to grab some water from a nearby cafe and brought it back to him. Daniel told us his name was Aaron, he was from India, said he was a Christian, and was a student at the university here and didn't like it. He was lonely and hated Sheffield. All the while, he's still convulsing. Daniel prayed out loud while Izzy and I prayed. We started to talk to him about sin in his life and asked him if there was anything he needed to confess. I asked him if he had an addiction to anything, but he never clearly answered. The more we talked to him about spiritual things, the less Aaron could talk. He seemed to try but nothing would really come out. <br /><br />After a long while of praying and trying to talk to him, we had Aaron take a walk around the gardens with us to gain back some control. He was able to talk more clearly again. Pretty soon into our time with Aaron, we realized he was not just sick but possessed by a demon. Something was clearly not right with him, and when we started mentioning Jesus and confessingsin, he became more and more mute. <br /><br />This was my first time to be around this kind of situation, and I truly believed he would be set free from his oppression. When he wasn't, I was really confused. Jesus' disciples cast out demons all the time. I have faith and truly believed it could happen so why didn't it? Did I do something wrong? As I talked to Daniel, he said that it all comes down to Aaron having to confess his sin not just us praying for him or rebuking the demon. He had to be willing to do this, and he didn't seem to want to confess anything. <br /><br />I know we found and talked to the person God intended for us to. It makes me sad for Aaron that he wasn't willing to let go of things, but I pray he's still thinking about it. I pray he realizes someone cares for him and that he doesn't have to be alone and depressed in this city, far from home. I'm hoping he'll come to church on Sunday and find community, so we'll see.Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-44666314466962511112009-02-16T04:13:00.014-06:002009-02-17T17:35:49.979-06:00A Little Bit of Texas<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmz9LkpSq0HbzPThbaYGzFATKtt56Q5PdkJtVGw5tTNPpgXXrIzOlwaz2I0eL1gBpEmf8spDYR7iq36O1HhFZq5OnLfbhb4EZzDIXL2N7KpurjgbCZx9jIcNAAyHaaLtc5GsoK0C-Z4uv/s1600-h/texas-star-solid-texas-flag%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 319px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmz9LkpSq0HbzPThbaYGzFATKtt56Q5PdkJtVGw5tTNPpgXXrIzOlwaz2I0eL1gBpEmf8spDYR7iq36O1HhFZq5OnLfbhb4EZzDIXL2N7KpurjgbCZx9jIcNAAyHaaLtc5GsoK0C-Z4uv/s320/texas-star-solid-texas-flag%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303706197689220050" /></a><br /><br />I loved my video!<br /><br />My sister, Alyssa, made me a video of family and friends from home saying encouraging things to me about my trip. She hid it in my bag so I would find it when I arrived in England. Well, I ended up finding it at the airport but saved it until I needed a pick-me-up. I watched it last night, and it was awesome!!<br /><br />Ryan: I felt like a little kid watching PBS and getting ready for story time with your "Oh, hello there..." intro.<br /><br />Mrs. Duffie: I loved your excitement and the fact that I could hear Bella in the background. Is she still as spoiled as ever? :)<br /><br />Tracy: I appreciate you sending a stand in since you couldn't make an appearance, and I will for sure scope out stuff for the Olympics. Should I go ahead and start waiting in line for tickets while I'm here? <br /><br />Ann: You crack me up. I love how you had Alyssa tape you again with a written out letter because you couldn't get through the first time. Your sweet spirit is what I miss about you!<br /><br />Mrs. Huggins: I felt like I was in your 2nd grade class learning a scripture verse with everyone. I love your creativity with holding up the sign, and I love that verse. Did you get that sign in Granbury? <br /><br />Mallory: You're absolutely right...we may go 3 months without catching up but then when we do...we haven't skipped a beat. I love that. Thanks for your prayers and wisdom. I looked up Psalm 25 and you didn't "butcher" it too badly ;)<br /><br />Mr. and Mrs. Nance: You are the best neighbors ever! Thank you for your prayers and for the memories.<br /><br />Stefanie and Jimmy: I loved your practical and not so practical advice Stefanie...and Jimmy, way to not say anything, ha!<br /><br />Lindsey and Grant: I will try and find a Big Ben statue for you and great job despite your last minute notice of being put on camera.<br /><br />Lori and Byron: I appreciate your encouraging words and thoughts on this trip. I had so much fun with y'all at Christmas and am up for some more ping-pong when I get back if you're game.<br /><br />Austin: I was shocked at how serious you were and even commented to Danielle about it...but then you made "the face" which made me laugh.<br /><br />Justin: You are precious, and Danielle and I decided you're very euro with your hairstyle and should move here.<br /><br />Mom and Dad: You guys have been so supportive of me going since I started thinking about it a year ago. Thank you for your encouraging words and advice. I can't wait for you to get here Mom!<br /><br />Alyssa and Michael: Or should I say Capri and Cookie? Haha, I loved that they were on the video. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this for me. I laughed through the whole thing and am about to watch it again! <br /><br />Thanks to all of you for being part of the video. I'm so blessed to have you in my life!Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-69924051327865162932009-02-11T14:55:00.018-06:002009-02-11T19:13:51.182-06:00Happy Birthday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNANOS7HP-qrf4rjNNCmWjFcgA3ORVAXwfU_sId2UIVQvkxJPo45w-OAcMbxqywzWBLVutw0Ue_R55u33nxUvHRcsaBE7L272RtFmYighDSY9RldyXrtpgQQcvjdddKMENbvO1b_52_Il/s1600-h/n202300538_31132458_7090.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNANOS7HP-qrf4rjNNCmWjFcgA3ORVAXwfU_sId2UIVQvkxJPo45w-OAcMbxqywzWBLVutw0Ue_R55u33nxUvHRcsaBE7L272RtFmYighDSY9RldyXrtpgQQcvjdddKMENbvO1b_52_Il/s320/n202300538_31132458_7090.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301691524258981330" /></a><br />You are my fellow 'J'. <br /><br />I can always depend on your loyalty against the 'A's.<br /><br />You're 18 and can officially vote. <br /><br />You can buy a lottery ticket.<br /><br />You make the best cheesecake ever.<br /><br />Nine out of ten times you're looking off into the distance in pictures....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnchNQBOtx0dP7GeIIYlyEIs5RGZb0pzn_OhltgkW147yVxCKSvExDt6yAyBzUcM4u65mO8fVtFUB104L6ObFL7lwLIMJ83k0V4jFwyaS435aUSSEBdyVwAoRQ5192F84JiUu0LRFh3RKF/s1600-h/n202300538_31132473_1098.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnchNQBOtx0dP7GeIIYlyEIs5RGZb0pzn_OhltgkW147yVxCKSvExDt6yAyBzUcM4u65mO8fVtFUB104L6ObFL7lwLIMJ83k0V4jFwyaS435aUSSEBdyVwAoRQ5192F84JiUu0LRFh3RKF/s320/n202300538_31132473_1098.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301693480060831410" /></a><br />...or getting everyone else to do it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsrVFMt1nV_XabsGpuKnKzlBD86vFOo-lISqGrJnQ7Xqblc4Hv8mNg4DXWwFEKT5IIkfXQ15hjnU0bKWVFtuDR_F63uFtZBKIWvDH2gFN5GMZDWQvf2ZFAX3zKWXxWLaQ9qbw-7HY4sWV7/s1600-h/n1551390060_30010295_5747.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsrVFMt1nV_XabsGpuKnKzlBD86vFOo-lISqGrJnQ7Xqblc4Hv8mNg4DXWwFEKT5IIkfXQ15hjnU0bKWVFtuDR_F63uFtZBKIWvDH2gFN5GMZDWQvf2ZFAX3zKWXxWLaQ9qbw-7HY4sWV7/s320/n1551390060_30010295_5747.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301695060960053266" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QNudzKZkzf8i_zzcGRXRw3Lc3Uclf2C4XW8kG6l8SD9jYfBuLFZ4LmK2Oi2Pe9fTfvLex2o4n4INUQki9OBFOcnDATXctAKSmN5Mckc7-xYpLTxgOn6iAtoGkkCUPtH9oFNIaBKZELsp/s1600-h/n1551390060_30036361_2313.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QNudzKZkzf8i_zzcGRXRw3Lc3Uclf2C4XW8kG6l8SD9jYfBuLFZ4LmK2Oi2Pe9fTfvLex2o4n4INUQki9OBFOcnDATXctAKSmN5Mckc7-xYpLTxgOn6iAtoGkkCUPtH9oFNIaBKZELsp/s320/n1551390060_30036361_2313.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301692004526052402" /></a><br />Happy 18th birthday Justin!Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-36599388067979234102009-02-10T05:08:00.010-06:002009-02-11T14:54:59.375-06:00Treasure HuntingEvery Monday a group from church meets at the offices to go treasure hunting. Anyone can join, so Danielle and I went for our first time yesterday. Here's how it works. We worship for a little bit, pray, and wait to hear from the Lord. We write down anything we think He is telling us that could be clues to people He wants us to find. The people are the treasure!<br /><br />Sound crazy? It's really fun, but I was definitely intimidated. I'm sitting there praying and people around me are writing down all sorts of things, and I have nothing at all. Someone then shares with the group that we should write down things that come to mind, even if they sound random. Why? 1 Corinthians 2:16 says, " 'For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?' But we have the mind of Christ." As a group, we prayed this verse and asked for God's favor. <br /><br />After about 10 or 15 minutes, we split into two groups and began to make our "treasure map". This included everyone sharing what they heard, writing down other's clues, and making a plan. For example, a couple of people had clues for a location, ie. the Cathedral tram stop and the Waterstone's bookstore, as well as descriptions of people, such as someone in a mobility cart, someone who had fallen on the ice (it's been snowing hard here) and been hurt. The object is to go to all the locations the Lord tells you and find people with these descriptions. Then ideally you approach them, pray for them, and share about the Lord and His love.<br /><br />It was raining when we began our journey, but we made the best of it. We didn't really see anyone at the Cathedral tram stop that fit our descriptions, so we moved on to the bookstore. When that didn't work out, we were getting pretty discouraged. On the way to our last location, an older man riding in a mobility cart passed my group (he was going the opposite way) and all of our heads turned at once. We had a clue for someone in a mobility cart! <br /><br />However, everyone just stood there and watched him pass as we contemplated if we should talk to him or not. Why as Christians are we so hesitant?!?! Finally I said we should talk to him, and my friend Izzy and I ran after the man. He had gained a lot of ground on us, so it was quite humorous doing this. We were holding hands, laughing, and trying to catch up to this man in the downtown area of Sheffield. We introduced ourselves, kind of told him what we were doing, and asked if there was anything he would like prayer for. He said no, so I asked if we could just pray for him then. He said he had some shopping to do....bummer. I got his name though (Peter) and we prayed for him when our team met back up. It seemed disappointing, but I have to remember it was good. Even though Peter didn't want to talk, it was a win/win situation because he heard that the Lord loves him, that he's treasured, and he got prayed for anyway.<br /><br />We met back up with the rest of the group at the church offices and shared stuff. They ended up praying for someone who had fallen on the ice and broken their foot. Praise God! That was one of our clues! This was a great first experience at treasure hunting, and I look forward to growing in this type of evangelism. I realized how I'm lacking in boldness (there was one time in the bookstore when I wanted to talk to someone and just opted not to). I don't want to be like that, but sometimes it's just easier/more comfortable. <br /><br />Since we do this every Monday, I will hopefully be updating with some cool stories of how God is working in this city. I'm so excited to be part of it.Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-10339074284253191092009-02-01T15:20:00.019-06:002009-02-05T04:34:13.490-06:00Weekend AdventuresDanielle and I have been discussing volunteer options since we are unemployed. Jeannie suggested we help out at a playgroup she knows abouts. Playgroups in England are a big deal and a great way for young mothers to get together and meet new friends. They bring their kids, drink tea, sing songs, and do crafts. We went for the first time Friday morning and were put in charge of the craft table and also helped set up and tear down. There were probably 15-20 moms there with just as many toddlers running around. What a scene!<br /><br />Anyway, all the moms at this play group are lost. They don't know Jesus. We're hoping that by volunteering our time, we'll get to know them and have some spiritual conversations. We met one mom and ended up seeing her in town later in the day. I got really excited! I finally felt like I was meeting people in the community and not just people at church. I can't wait to see how this playgroup goes.<br /><br />Friday night I went to my first professional basketball game here. In my Tuesday night lifegroup, there is a sweet girl named Joy that comes with her husband. He has been playing professional basketball in Europe for awhile and currently plays for the Sheffield Sharks. She invited Danielle, our friend Janette and I to go to the game with her. The games here are much different than the states. For example, music clips are played during the game, such as the Jaws theme song or the Adams Family theme song while the home team is running down the court on offense or defense, and the announcer talks to the crowd during play as well. This would never be allowed in the states! It was a lot of fun though and a great time of fellowship.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQY8rUXZVf2X9ihgGk3uwbTBtBxuMirRKFH4fNoGk1YEXtnVPTs8grzX2Wpxj5YTYSL8TKwvxEeRTwyuFL2eCng1FPviTxt-vJJyq2eFHZ6UZ6PadHmQD0iwo05GMa6AeBPPJpsnyZvYnz/s1600-h/DSC06957.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQY8rUXZVf2X9ihgGk3uwbTBtBxuMirRKFH4fNoGk1YEXtnVPTs8grzX2Wpxj5YTYSL8TKwvxEeRTwyuFL2eCng1FPviTxt-vJJyq2eFHZ6UZ6PadHmQD0iwo05GMa6AeBPPJpsnyZvYnz/s320/DSC06957.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298889007776368594" /></a><br />Janette, Joy, Danielle, and me.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5sryJCXUpGnKE1UZ4XlML9g8DAG2P1e_Xg6tOeGyjGwKLRLUpnPK9t4f57GADjbbdbWYCp0Vw4nMbInuqzyeHTpoNycyW8xLSPfURQntqkQ_VWytbtwpvaSwBFa3fajxcXnKzEX7F4iIM/s1600-h/DSC06960.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5sryJCXUpGnKE1UZ4XlML9g8DAG2P1e_Xg6tOeGyjGwKLRLUpnPK9t4f57GADjbbdbWYCp0Vw4nMbInuqzyeHTpoNycyW8xLSPfURQntqkQ_VWytbtwpvaSwBFa3fajxcXnKzEX7F4iIM/s320/DSC06960.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298890850234370242" /></a><br />The Sheffield Sharks! <br /><br />Saturday morning was quite an adventure. Danielle and I joined Janette on a trip to...drumroll please...COSTCO! It's owned by an American and was actually more fun than you're thinking. We spent a couple of hours going down every food aisle and then trying on tons of raincoats. Our trek home was crazy. We walked all the way to the tram stop carrying our food, and when we were just a hundred feet away, we see an older man behind us running for the stop but no tram. I look back once more and sure enough the tram is rounding the corner. We start sprinting to the stop all the while the oranje juice I'm carrying is falling out of the package, but I keep running. I look behind me and Danielle is trying to pick up the bottles but is balancing a chocolate cake in her hands, so Janette pitches in and picks up some juice as well. We're laughing to tears which makes it really hard to run for the tram as it passes us. We're almost there when we realize it's the wrong tram. We never should've run because now everyone is staring at us...oh well! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaFaN-BNzrwPNBFongYaZ6dZP7V1ezvaPx_oeAe3PlghB_2hocONXP1_RglMxiOC1KJ_p0lBsRQrEZjnby6Fle3YAzxSLvNpjTK3AVGscYS4Eo1j1C4DhtDN5r4euR0NcJgzGOjtUTV3k/s1600-h/DSC06962.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaFaN-BNzrwPNBFongYaZ6dZP7V1ezvaPx_oeAe3PlghB_2hocONXP1_RglMxiOC1KJ_p0lBsRQrEZjnby6Fle3YAzxSLvNpjTK3AVGscYS4Eo1j1C4DhtDN5r4euR0NcJgzGOjtUTV3k/s320/DSC06962.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298891514882645810" /></a><br />Um...gig 'em Costco?? Haha, I'm a little intense.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrjiSE_VxzTpzMi6fZyrUakTCWFkjCrNSZ_Ap38Dg1OXta8dDKyAW98VwmM8wvQzcTN92XYOZDzIqBRuLMJxy4oYc5Tro_1mlIJIj6gh7S86fwsWyVzZXpevMB8PFXbT3jI4K12z86IRY/s1600-h/DSC06974.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrjiSE_VxzTpzMi6fZyrUakTCWFkjCrNSZ_Ap38Dg1OXta8dDKyAW98VwmM8wvQzcTN92XYOZDzIqBRuLMJxy4oYc5Tro_1mlIJIj6gh7S86fwsWyVzZXpevMB8PFXbT3jI4K12z86IRY/s320/DSC06974.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298892291411709026" /></a><br />Enough cooking oil for my life. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHbMR4dP9_cIjS6UPcIBuOsv7ck9mQPnzlcURzli12Bcm1Z_WXJTkV33zcOZ7e1raf4DjN-3swGfX52xbDbjtkRaIdd8Cm6eOlDBN6TXvD_3NVQQv7cjqVy7myE_Uu3jdvRephjQzeuoQ/s1600-h/DSC06976.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHbMR4dP9_cIjS6UPcIBuOsv7ck9mQPnzlcURzli12Bcm1Z_WXJTkV33zcOZ7e1raf4DjN-3swGfX52xbDbjtkRaIdd8Cm6eOlDBN6TXvD_3NVQQv7cjqVy7myE_Uu3jdvRephjQzeuoQ/s320/DSC06976.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299256052328655554" /></a><br />Charlie's Angels UK<br /><br />Saturday night I got to experience my first professional football match. I went to see the Sheffield Wednesday Owls take on Birmingham, and now I can begin to understand the obsession with this sport over here. It can be really intense, and it was cool to listen to the home team cheers and songs etc. Danielle and I went with Daniel, Aiden, and Maddie. It was the kid's first game as well. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeaHJCBsHPARwAgaKznFhXcrs_TdXJOqzGHX3TO7SPbbbu33mUgtiLX3av6BHy0vJROnkuBAuyXQd8_APvlACT1iyCZuLN2A1WxefIM-WA08UbUJT17Fh0OeZhRP9Z13Ax5rMvXN0_QoZn/s1600-h/DSC06997.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeaHJCBsHPARwAgaKznFhXcrs_TdXJOqzGHX3TO7SPbbbu33mUgtiLX3av6BHy0vJROnkuBAuyXQd8_APvlACT1iyCZuLN2A1WxefIM-WA08UbUJT17Fh0OeZhRP9Z13Ax5rMvXN0_QoZn/s320/DSC06997.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299256587046761394" /></a><br />Danielle, Maddie, Aiden, and me<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddAyJoT9xIVIJEzY0yUds7hoZfVZu2UIggTbDVvgkk_vR81ejhNVyds1HNrtA5iJJRVj3RSYV21myzF7-Ju8ugRnqvcPin0LaAF8aWH63xp0-j2rFNGfC5VKIFsXgE8KMc0viBZd2CqET/s1600-h/DSC07003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddAyJoT9xIVIJEzY0yUds7hoZfVZu2UIggTbDVvgkk_vR81ejhNVyds1HNrtA5iJJRVj3RSYV21myzF7-Ju8ugRnqvcPin0LaAF8aWH63xp0-j2rFNGfC5VKIFsXgE8KMc0viBZd2CqET/s320/DSC07003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299257205422737122" /></a><br />GOAL! We ended up with a draw at 1-1 though because Birmingham scored in the last minute :(Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-43358783455575753172009-01-27T06:47:00.005-06:002009-06-20T02:47:01.966-05:00A Slight BreakdownAfter a week of looking for flats non-stop and moving in with the McGinnis family, Danielle and I hit the ground running with searching for jobs. Now that we had an address, we could put it on our resumes and fill out forms with the temp agencies here. I have been feeling so much pressure to find a job (pressure from myself and my expectation of this trip) that the last week and a half hasn't been very much fun...at all. Just ask Danielle! We have searched up and down every street looking for job vacancies (they post them in the windows of stores), we have been to the mall countless times handing out resumes and cover letters, and have signed up with all the temp agencies here.<br /><br />We have heard nothing. Absolutely nothing back from anyone! I think part it is the amount of time we can work (4 months) as well as the fact that "the job market is very quiet". I don't know how many times I have heard that. So anyway, I was feeling desperate for a job and saw an advertisement for cleaning a boutique here 8 hours a week. I didn't care that it was cleaning because I needed a job and decided to go for it. Danielle and I walked into the store, and I talked to the lady, confident I would easily get it.<br /><br />NOPE!<br /><br />They didn't even want us as their janitors. I asked her if I could at least leave my resume and she said no, ha! Danielle tried to cheer me up by reminding me that I had a college degree and it's okay. When we got home that afternoon, I started crying as we were talking to Jeannie. What the heck?!?! Why couldn't I get a job? She was very encouraging though, and I finally realized I was trying to control everything. I finally let it all go. I told God I was ok if I got a job or if I just volunteered the whole time I was here. A huge burden was lifted, and I felt much better. I no longer had to worry.<br /><br />Well Sunday rolls around and guess what? A girl at church mentioned two girls from the pub she works at just left for a 3 month trip and she could talk to her manager about jobs for us!!! I was shocked. It's a family style pub that closes early and isn't a party atmosphere. Wahoo!<br /><br />SO.....<br /><br />We need prayer!!<br /><br />Please pray that this will come through if it's God's will. I should find out pretty soon if they'll hire us. I'll let you know!<br /><br />Oh yeah, and I saved a car a couple of days ago. Not quite as a dramatic situation as last week when Danielle and I saw a kid get hit by a taxi (he's ok) but still. A lady got out of her car and was walking towards us at the tram stop when her car started rolling down the hill. She didn't hear me yelling at her, so I ran across the tram tracks and held it so it wouldn't hit the car in front of it....no big deal!Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-27419838116387296982009-01-23T13:53:00.011-06:002009-02-02T11:37:02.969-06:00Home Sweet HomeThis is my view from the 3rd floor where I live. You can see the trampoline in the backyard in the bottom right corner.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZYAEprnnLHzjIu54euKaM2mHcGXnyLY6GtKt_GKNXctxuPoNSlITGzXEj-qltRXbdfGuPpVFpsmRntNuKMN924NyFtUxvyUdWp-rqMRtMsJxJcnr3YFb4LD1Wz0wfrlJn9yPayiEEGJT/s1600-h/DSC06901.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZYAEprnnLHzjIu54euKaM2mHcGXnyLY6GtKt_GKNXctxuPoNSlITGzXEj-qltRXbdfGuPpVFpsmRntNuKMN924NyFtUxvyUdWp-rqMRtMsJxJcnr3YFb4LD1Wz0wfrlJn9yPayiEEGJT/s320/DSC06901.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298250133496840322" /></a><br /><br />In my last post, I mentioned that I'm living with an American family. I talked about them in another post as well and how they offered to let us stay in their spare bedroom until we found a flat. Well we looked at many flats and called on even more but nothing really seemed to work out like we thought it would. We went to look at one the day we moved in with the McGinnis family (planning on staying for just a week) and that one seemed to be our best option but we weren't completely sold. I went to bed that night so anxious and couldn't fall asleep for the longest time because neither of us were really sure what to do. We were told we had to put money down to save it, so we brought money with us the next day and decided to just go ahead and get it. Another girl was wanting it, so we had to make the decision fast.<br /><br />We went in and filled out some forms on Tuesday and instead of making us pay like normal, our agent told us we could pay on Wednesday. He would go ahead and hold the flat for us, without making us put the non-refundable deposit down while he settled things with the landlord. This came as a surprise to us because he had made it clear on the phone that we had to bring the money to do this. <br /><br />That night Jeanie and Daniel asked us if we had a peace about our decision, and we said yes...after hesitating a bit. I was worried about money and Danielle was worried about the location, but we didn't know where else to go. After we ate dinner with them and talked for awhile, Danielle and I headed off to our room to get ready for bed. An hour later Jeanie came upstairs and asked us to come down because they wanted to talk to us about something. Were we in trouble? She assured us we weren't, ha. We came downstairs and they asked us to pray about living with them! Rent would include all bills and food and would be much cheaper than getting a flat. <br /><br />I was blown away!<br /><br />Never had I imagined them offering this, especially after only knowing us a week and a half. God is so good. As I was praying about this that night, I couldn't stop laughing. I felt a huge burden roll off my shoulders and couldn't believe God's provision for us. We didn't lose any money from the flat we almost signed for because our agent happened to change his mind about paying that day. God is so good. Did I already say that?<br /><br />So now we live on the 3rd floor of their house and get to be part of their family. We eat meals together, play with their two precious kids (Maddie is 6 and Aiden is 4), and serve them by helping out with the cleaning/dishes and let them go on date nights. I love it!Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8419457659137843298.post-79051871766770898522009-01-23T13:25:00.015-06:002009-06-20T02:49:50.423-05:00Language LessonBiscuit = Cookie<br />Can I have a go? = Can I try?<br />Cash Point = ATM<br />Cheers Love = Thank you<br />Cinema = Movie Theatre<br />Digestives = A type of Biscuit<br />Film = Movie<br />Fringe = Bangs<br />Hiya = Hi or Hey<br />Lemonade = Sprite<br />Lollipop Lady = Crossing Guard<br />Pants = Underwear<br />Plaster = Band aid<br />Poorly = Sick<br />Queue = Line<br />Redundancies = Laying Off<br />Ring me = Call me<br />Rubbish Bin = Trash Can<br />Shattered = Tired<br />Surname = Last Name<br />Squash = Juice<br />Ta Duck = Thank you<br />Torch = Flashlight<br />Trainers = Tennis Shoes<br />Trousers = Pants<br />Trump = Toot<br />Wellies = Rain Boots<br /><br />I probably learn an English word for the American equivalent everyday. Living with an American family makes it amusing because I hear their young children say English words with their American but slightly British accents as if it's normal. They've pretty much grown up here so they don't think anything of it.<br /><br />When riding on the tram, the tram conductors always say "cheers love" after I show them my tram card. I always say thanks in return, but I don't want to be the American refusing to acclimate to another culture so....every now and then I throw a "cheers" in to practice. However, it usually comes out with a British accent! A pretty bad one at that. I can't help it, and I'm not doing this on purpose. I just hear it said that way, and then I imitate it. So then I just go back to saying thank you.Janellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04066567676222454871noreply@blogger.com5