It hurts so bad but feels so good at the same time..May 25, 2009

Day Two at Frontier Ranch! Jess and I woke up early to sneak away for some quiet time with Jesus and each other.  Even though these moments were super early, they were one of my favorites times of the week.  We read, prayed, talked, and drank coffee as we sat together outside in awe of the view of the Rocky Mountains.  It was perfect and I wish all of you could experience it with me!!  Day 2 was the volleyball tournament.  Our cabin dressed up in camo and orange bandanas complete with water guns and war paint under our eyes.  We didn't win, but we put up a good fight.  That night the speaker told us the story of Zachhaeus.  It was awesome!  He actually had  a tree mounted to the wall in the club room to climb up in while he told the story.  I found it so wonderful how he asked us to climb over the branches of misconceptions about Jesus and take a risk to get out on a limb to see Jesus this week!

it hurts so bad but feels so good at the same time..May 23, 24 2009

This is how you brush your teeth when you are on a bus for 36 hours

First club, front row, no excuses!

These girls had bruises from fighting for the front row in club...that is heart!

They gave me polka dots for my war paint...they know me too well

Fighters

FROTIER RANCH 2009!!! There are really no words to even describe the week, but I will try to give a little description of the best week of my life.  Where to begin...how about 9:00 am, Kmart parking lot, Knoxville, TN.  Me and 4 bus loads of high school kids eagerly throw our very large and heavy luggage under the bus and climb aboard a bus, a bus where we would spend the next 26...no, no, no, make that 36 hours of our lives!  Before we even pull out of the parking lot we are delayed because of a bus breakdown!  After a tune up to one of the buses we hit the road.  We make it to Clarksville for lunch.  Arby's was on the menu!  Market Fresh sandwiches...yum!  After lunch and we continue on our trek to Colorado...no, no, no to Sam's parking lot for 3 1/2 hours!  Yes, our bus broke down again.  We slept, ate gummy bears, read Twilight, played mind games until we finally got a new bus.  Finally, we were on our way.  By about 10 we arrived in St. Louis and ate a Chick fil a dinner under the Arch.  It was awesome.  I still can't get over that people can go inside of it.  I don't know if I could handle such a little space.  When we got back on the bus it was time to sleep...on a charter bus.  This means brushing your teeth with a water bottle and a trash bag, not washing your face, soft clothes are the clothes you have been wearing all day, an ipod, blanket, and seat partner, and a Benedryll.  Believe it or not, I did fall asleep.  When I woke up we were even closer to Frontier and I could barely hold in my excitement.  Traveling on the second day was more fun because of the scenery outside of the bus window.  I am still amazed at the mountains that I saw.  They are beautiful. If I haven't talked to you in person already, the next time we talk I will probably try to convince you to go see these awesome mountains.  We arrive in Buena Vista...love this town...for lunch.  Next stop...finally Frontier.  We drive up the mountain and pull down the hill into the center of camp and there is cheering and screaming and yelling and just a huge celebration going on...WE MADE IT!! CAMP HAS BEGUN!! They work crew welcomes us and carries our luggage to our rooms.  This was a great part of camp for me because my bag was twice the size of me.  We get settled in and start exploring camp.  I would try to describe but I am still in awe.  That night was our first leader meeting, our first yummy camp food, our first club, our first cabin time, and the OBSTACLE COURSE.  We ended the night painted up and screaming like crazy as Jess and I let our girls lead us and protect us as we went through an obstacle course through camp with no lights.  They loved it.  The night ended in going down the slide into the pool and sprinting back to the cabin to try and warm up!!  Awesome first two days...more to come!!!

Sorry I have been MIA

Sorry friends for my lack in posting.  The past 11 days I have been getting ready to go to a YL camp, Frontier Ranch in Colorado and actually spending a week there with my two of my high school girls from Central.  I will definitely have a huge posting about that trip just as soon as I catch up on sleep and on health!  Just know it was the best week of my life! I know that campers are the ones that usually say that going to YL camp is the best week of their lives, but it was just the same for me being a leader.  I can't wait to share all that happened.  But, to catch you up on what happened today...summer school began, I paid my first KUB bill, I watched the Bachelorette, and for the remaining part of the day I snoozed!! 

Mixed Emotions

WOO HOO!! 

America has a new Idol...KRIS ALLEN!  I couldn't be happier, but I couldn't be more sad that I no longer have set plans to watch him on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.  I can't wait to see and hear what he is going to do next!!

Endings and Beginnings Part II

Sorry for the delay....

Endings:  GRADUATION DAY!! My family and I arrived at Thompson Boling Arena at 7:30 in the morning to watch me, Dolly Parton, and about 1,072 other students graduate from college.  It was three hours long complete with every name being read, commencement speech by Dolly Parton, honorary doctorate awarded to Dolly, and Rocky Top lead by none other than Dr. Dolly.  It was a memorable ending to a memorable college experience.  

Beginning:  I MOVED into an apartment with two of my best friends.  They are pictured below protecting me from harm on my first night out of the house after my knee surgery.  They love me well.  I am loving it here with them.  I have never gotten to live with these two, but they have always lived together.  The joke every night is, "Well, Steph you better get home before it's too late."  Funny now because I am home with them...such a good feeling!!

Endings and Beginnings Part I

This week is going to be full of endings and beginnings for me.  I want to share them with you, of course!  Here is part one:

Endings:  I had my last math exam yesterday at 2:45.  Goodness, I never thought that I would make it to the last math exam of college.  Walking out of it and having the joy knowing that I would never spend the amount of time and stress on a math test again made all the sweat and tears that have come with this major turn into a blur.  I walked up the hill for the last time.  Now I am going to have to really start exercising! I had my last road trip in undergraduate college.  This road trip was to Somerville, TN with my dad.

Which brings us to...

Beginnings:  Dad and I loaded up the car this morning with a crate, bowls, and chew toys and pulled out of Broady Place at 6 am.  We were headed to pick up the fifth member of the Bales' family....A NEW PUPPY.  Guys, he is outrageously awesome.  I am sure I will "blog" about him a lot.  We picked him out from a litter at Robert Milner's Duckhill Kennels.  I had to choose between two....hard decision.  The place was full of labrador retrievers....Heaven on earth to me!  This is funny to me that I say that because it smells horrible, it is louder than a rock concert, you can't not get mud on every inch of your clothing.  This is a time when I put my girly girl ways to the side because I just love these little creatures.  Please come by and see him!! Pictures are below....isn't he beautiful!!  

Lindsay and the puppy.  

He sleeps for about 15 minutes and then is ready to play for 15 minutes, sleeps 15 and plays 15, etc.

His first visitors.

Nic, Jess and Carson came over tonight to see the main man.

I mean, really, what can I say....PERFECT!!!

After his first bath before we took him home.

Pure Joy!

Now, you might be wondering what his name is.  Well, to be honest we haven't decided yet.  If you think of any cool names let us know!!

To be continued...

And the winner is....

This morning I woke up and started studying, just a normal exam week day. I traveled to Knoxville (I'm currently a Maryville resident until I move again on May 8th) to take a final. I did not do very well, I'm almost positive, and I was the last person to turn in my test, which turned out to be a positive. My teacher and I talking about what my plans were for the future. During this conversation he found out that I am graduating next Friday and want to be a math teacher...."now, this can only happen if I pass this class," I nonchalantley commented, and he simply replied, "oh, don't worry about it." So, I am going to take his word and not worry about it, what a nice feeling! Walking home I turned my phone on and I had recieved a couple of messages...one that really caught my eye. My roommate Amy had sent me a text message that said, "heard the great news. One of my friends is going to be teaching there next year too!" I was totally confused because at that moment I had no clue where I was teaching next year. I had no idea what she was talking about, and I had no internet access to see if I had received an email telling me this much awaited news. Quick fix...call mom! She was at work, luckly at a computer and not with a patient. I told her to log into my email, and there it was, the golden email! She opened it only to ask me about 10 times if I really wanted to know. I have never screamed so loud at my mom ever in my life. Finally she said, "Welcome to your internship at HARDIN VALLEY!"

There it is folks. Next year you can catch me teaching math to the students of Hardin Valley Academy. I am so excited, so relieved, and so nervous. This is for real now, no more hoping and praying for my placement...it's here!!