2 Teeth Short

So I had my wisdom teeth taken out today. Not fun. But at the same time it has not been nearly as bad as I had anticipated. To be fair I had pretty much expected to be near death about this time, so maybe that makes my present state seem much more bareable. Dan has been so very patient with me - even when my lips and tongue were completely numb and made it rather difficult to communicate. Now that I can speak and drink, thinks are looking up :) And Dan keeps the 7-Up and Smoothies coming, so there is something rather nice about being pampered without guilt for a day or too. I'll keep you posted on my progress - sitting up at the computer for a bit has been a nice repreive from my bed on the couch for a little while.

In other news, I got my Christmas decorations put up on Wednesday night since I didn't count on being up to it this weekend. Here's a few pics of our new apartment decor. Thanks for thinking of me today - say a little prayer for Dan as he continues to care for a fairly pathetic wife!

Thankful

There's nothing quite like sisters. I'm so thankful for the holiday (long) weekend that I was able to spend with my sister Kelsey. She flew in on Thanksgiving morning with plenty of time to get back to our little apartment and prepare our feast...okay, so I started a few days early, but everything was hot when the 3 of us sat down! We didn't think to take a picture of us all actually sitting together, but here's some of the f ood, anyway :-)

(my first apple pie)

My dear husband doesn't quite understand the art of doing "nothing" (it really is something...), so I was grateful to have another Carroll around to partake in this delightful holiday tradition with me. Seriously, we can sit at the table for hours...of course we can keep munching, but it doesn't even have to involve food. Then we proceed to the couch, where we may continue a good conversation, or we may just doze off for awhile. Either is perfectly acceptable. Even cleaning up is more enjoyable with a sister around - I must say that her "helpfulness" has improve over the last couple of years. Kudos to Kels.

We also found time to do a little site-seeing here in Nashville. Though Kelsey & I have fond memories of a VERY brief visit to the Opry Land Hotel while on a family vacation (it was cut short by a more important Nashville destination...the Nashville Historical Museum), we decided to check it out again. It is currently all decked out for Christmas, and it really is beautiful. We had a great time just roaming through the various gardens and taking a few pictures here and there.

Dan was a great sport all weekend, playing chauffere on occassion, listening to our non-stop chatter, and getting a pretty good dose of the Carroll girls. He even dropped us off for probably one of the most incredible movies I've ever seen - Enchanted. I mean really, folks. If you haven't seen it yet, I suggest you head to the theater right away. It's pretty much everything that's wrong with the minds of girls who have grown up on the Disney Princess movies...and it's fabulous.

Well, this post is getting a little lengthy, and I still need to run to Wal-mart tonight, so I'm going to wrap it up. It truly was a wonderful weekend with 2 people that I love dearly. Kels, thanks for making the trip down here - it meant so much to me. And Dan - you are a patient man and I love you! You may need to give Brent a little pep-talk before the big wedding!

Ciao!

Friday!

I just wanted to get another post up here today, though I don't have many profound thoughts right now. My primary thought is that it's Friday, and I'm glad it's Friday. It's been a busy week! I got back from MN on Sunday night, caught up on a few things Monday night, Tuesday I spend time with a friend who is moving away, Wednesday we delivered Thanksgiving baskets to a couple of refugee families (that was great - I should really blog about that later), and last night I had Bible Study. All great things, but Monday night was the only night I was home before 9:30...and that was the earliest! I'm ready for the weekend.

Dan's new rotation is going okay, it just is keeping him really busy. 2 days a week he works 7am-3pm, and the other 2 days he works 3pm-9pm. Initially I didn't think this would be that many hours, but add on the 30 min. drive (one way), and the days are a little longer than I anticipated. I'm glad he's here, though...after Christmas his rotation will take him to Sneedville, TN, which is about 4 hours from here. I realize it's just 6 weeks, but I can't say I'm really looking forward to the time apart. I kinda like having the guy around!

Today has been good, though. It was the birthday of one of my coworkers, so in honor of her and of the quickly approaching holiday, we had a Birthday/Thanksgiving feast at our office! It was great fun to prepare a table complete with fall decor and yummy Thanksgiving favorites, and then share it with my coworkers. Which reminds me - I am very thankful for my job and for my wonderful friends I have made here at GMA. The Lord truly does give good gifts to his children.

I want to leave you with a verse today I have posted beside my computer. It really has nothing to do with my post today, but it's always a good reminder to me:

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." ~Lamentations 2:22-24

Grandma's House

It's late, but just wanted to get something written down while it's still fresh. I've been at my Aunt Lois & Uncle Bob's house these past couple of days, which has also become Grandma's home for the time being. It's strange to be in a place I've never been before (they recently built a new home), and yet be surrounded by memories and the feeling of being at "home" that can only come from being with family. As my Grandma sat in her recliner - well, it was always Grandpa's chair, really - she rubbed my hand and told me stories about the faces that filled the photo album I looked at. The photo album she had once made for her mother, so the names and faces of my great grandparents and great aunts & uncles, and even a few great-greats every now and then. And though she can't see their faces anymore, she still remembers all the stories.

When bedtime came tonight, I sat at the foot of Grandma's bed while Aunt Lois read to her from the Psalms. I think Aunt Lois usually prays, but tonight I was nominated. We folded our hands, and as the words spilled from my mouth, my mind was meanwhile asking for the strength to get through this prayer without tears. As I finished and the "Amens" were said in agreement, Grandma squeezed my hand and in a quivery voice said, "These are precious times." All I could manage was a whispered "yes," and I was thankful that she couldn't see the tears spilling down my cheeks. These are precious times indeed.

As I finish this now, I hear the old grandfather clock chiming upstairs - yet another sure sign that I am at Grandma's house. I think the clock was given to my Great-Grandparents (Grandma's mother & father) as a wedding gift...if I'm remembering the story correctly. And now that clock will continue faithfully chiming on the hour (actually, it's every fifteen minutes) here at my Aunt Lois's as Grandma moves back to Sibley at the end of this month. She said to me today that she'd really like that to stay in the family for "a few more generations". Considering she had children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren roaming around this house today, I don't think that will be a problem!

I don't mean to spend so much time talking about an old clock, but somehow that clock has become a symbol to me of my heritage. Much like this clock will be faithfully wound, dusted, and cared for, the faith of my great-grandparents, grandparents, and parents has been cultivated and protected over the years that it might be in good shape to be passed on to the next generation. I am eternally grateful for the legacy that has been passed on to me through my family, and especially Grandma Schoon. I pray that I may be a part of extending this same wealth of faith to yet another generation.

Dorm Rooms and Western Civ

Sorry for the time lapse from my last post...I've sense told a few more people that I'm trying this out, so hopefully that will spur me on to a bit more consistency! Here's hoping :)

I am fortunate enough to be in the midwest right now - Minnesota to be exact. Yesterday I flew into Minneapolis in the morning and was greeted so warmly by my dear sister-in-law who is now a Freshman in college here. I got to spend some fabulous time with her, hanging out in the dorms, eating in the cafeteria, and even going to a few classes. I thought for a bit that I was going to be able to fit right in - after all, it hasn't been that long! But I soon realized how quickly my life has changed since college and that I can no longer truly be an "insider" in that world of Easy-Mac and pop quizes. I've since traded in my back-pack for a real purse, complete with lipstick and fingernail clippers just like a real adult. My jeans no longer drag the ground when I walk, which makes me feel slightly dorky, and my "work shoes" just don't get me around a campus like my trusty old tennis shoes used to. The occupied space on the ring finger of my left hand is yet another sign that I just don't quite fit like I used to...and I've learned to shower on a much more frequent basis!

But even with all of these changes, a part of me sort of slipped right back in. The chatter filling a girls' dorm, the late-night conversations, the freshness of Jewel as she excitedly relates to me how she is finding the redemptive work of Christ even in the pages of her Western Civ text book - all of it takes me back to a time and place in my life that has forever shaped who I am. A different dorm, and yet the same. Learning to think, to write, to communicate, to live...learning to learn.

And sometimes I wish I could still just wear my back-pack.