Random News and Overall Update

Well, I have truly neglected updating my blog as I should with all the things that have been going on. I thought I'd take a minute and give some random updates...

• Benjamin got accepted to Trinity! YAY!! He had to be tested by a child psychologist on his thinking skills and problem solving skills along with general understanding of certain things. I am very unclear as to what exactly went on in that testing room. I asked him the day of the test about the kinds of things he did. "Did you play with blocks? Work a puzzle? Did she ask you any questions?" He remembered a few (very few) things that she asked or that he did. The only question he could remember was, "What are your ears and nose made of?" And I said, "Well, what did you tell her?" He looked at me like, "Don't you know Mom???" and said, "Rubber!" Like, duh!!!! I had to laugh, but secretly I was sweating the test results. Just like mom, huh? Well, he passed with flying colors! He was, "well above the mark to meet the requirement to be a student at Trinity." So, yay!!! And thanks for your prayers in this area!!!
• I have a place for Cait this year to stay while I am working. The most amazing situation for her seems to be in place. Her Sunday School teacher will be watching her (Mrs. Kay Feher!!) along with her other 4 grandkids that are home schooled. The two oldest of her grandkids are girls ages 13 and 11. They are so sweet and so mature. Cait adores them and I know they will be a great help to Kay when caring for everyone. I am so grateful and thankful!! Thank you Lord!
• I had a new fun experience his last weekend. I got a lesson at the shooting range on how to shoot a hand gun. hee hee! I have shot shotguns before and loved it!! I've always wanted to try a handgun. Well, I got my chance this weekend. As I got up there to shoot the gun for the first time, I was a little anxious. A gun is such a powerful object. I did not want to be afraid of that gun, though. I wanted to know how to use it!!! So, I got a few instructions and then gave it a try. I did okay at first, but then I got a little better. I won't brag...HA! The funniest thing that happened while we were there though...these three men were shooting right next to us and they kept looking at me and smiling/smirking. I seriously was thinking, "They are making fun of me!!! They are looking at me in my khaki capris and brown Mary Jane's and thinking, 'What the heck does she think she's doing?'" But...as they were walking out, one of the men said (loud enough for me to hear) "There's just something sexy about a woman with a gun." AHHHH!!!! Then my friend looked at me and said, "There's something very scary about it too!" We got a good laugh out of that one!
• I finally got my key to my room at Trinity! Yay!! Now that I"m in there....what next?? I have so much to do and I have no idea where to start!!!!! Yikes! Please pray for me about this. Every time I start to think about it, I want to hyperventilate. I know however, that this is just another opportunity for me to be completely dependent on the Lord. In my weakness His strength is made perfect, right?
• Today was my last day teaching Kindermusik. I cried all the way there. I choked up when I told the parents and then I cried all the way home. Yes...I DO love that job, but that's not really the reason I was crying, I don't think. I was crying because I was realizing that this is not the path that I would have chosen for my life. It is not the easiest, or the prettiest or the least messy. It is going to be a hard next year. If I didn't have an incredible peace from the Lord, I would be running the other way in terror. But...I do have that peace. And here I go down a road I know not. I am afraid. I am in dread in so many ways. I am sad that my "dreams" didn't come true. But God knows, doesn't He? I keep thinking of one word over and over again all day. SURRENDER. "Tamra, surrender to my will...to my plan. It is good. I love you and will take perfect care of you. I have everything you need for the journey right here. You will learn more and more that I can be trusted. I am faithful. I AM ALL YOU NEED!!!" Amen to that.
  

What today would have been

Today would have been mine and Chris's nine year anniversary. Strange....so very unreal to me. I can hardly remember. It seems almost like a dream I had once instead of reality. Eleven months ago I might have anticipated this day as a difficult one when it came around. But ya know...it wasn't. It wasn't really sad at all. I felt so removed, so distant from the reality of what this day should have represented. I instead felt hopeful, encouraged and happy. Today was a good day. Thanks to those of you who were praying for me and loving on me via e-mail, visits and phone calls today. God is doing great things and I love sitting back and taking it all in!!

New York, New York

Last week I took a trip with 8 other women in my family to New York city (3 of my aunts, 3 cousins, my sister and mom) What a trip!! I have never had such a fun trip before! We left on Monday and returned on Friday. We did all the touristy things that you think of doing in New York and some fun side things recommended by the locals.

We stayed in the Manhattan Club which is just half a block off of Broadway in Times Square. Our first night in town we walked up and down Broadway and ended up eating at Bubba Gump's. Yummy!!!!! Shrimp is probably my favorite food in the world, so this was the perfect restaurant for me!


The 2nd day we went on a tour around the city and took a ferry over to Liberty Island to see the Statue of Liberty. Any guesses on how thick the copper is that she is made out of?? It will amaze you if you don't already know!


Day three we visited the Empire State Building and then went shopping in China Town (what an experience!!) We got kicked out of one of the booths because Danyel dared to ask if the lady would take less for a knock-off Doche and Gabana purse!!! She called us cheap and snatched it out of Danyel's hand!!! So Danyel went around the corner and found the same purse and bought it!

Here we are (mom, Danyel and me) on top of the Empire State building. Couldn't help but think of "Sleepless in Seattle" the whole time I was up there!


View from the top of the Empire (86th floor)


I couldn't resist posting this picture! Here we are in the elevator going up to the 86th floor of the building. Danyel looks a little claustrophobic, what do you think?? From left to right it is Danyel, mom, my cousin Michelle and cousin Angela


Later that night we went to see "Mama Mia" on Broadway. The only time it rained the whole week was this night. We were within walking distance of the theater, but we knew couldn't walk or we'd get soaked! So, we went out side to see if the bellman could help us get a taxi. He asked this one man standing there if he could take 9 women just around the corner and he said sure. We were relieved, but relief turned to excitement when we saw him drive up in a white limo! We arrived at the theater in style that night!




Here we are at the "Stardust" restaurant right next door to "Mama Mia." The waiters and waitresses are aspiring Broadway singers, so they sing to th guests in the restaurant as they serve. It was SO fun!


Thursday morning we went to Central Park and strolled around in there for a while. Then we took a carriage ride. It was about 70 degrees and zero humidity. Perfect!!


In the carriage...PERFECT day!!

After Central Park we went to FAO Schwartz (one of my favorite stops), then we walked down the streets in that area with stores like Prada, Louis Vitton, and Tiffany's.
This was taken in front of Tiffany's. I didn't even go in. How depressing that would be to look at gorgeous jewelry of the likes you will never own. Next door to this is the Trump tower. Right after snapping this picture we saw Ivanka Trump (Donald Trump's daughter) walk right by us and into the building. None of us thought fast enough to grab our camera.


Look how brave we all were riding the subway!!

From the left: My aunt Shannon, Aunt Sharon, other Aunt Sharon in the back, mom, Angela and cousin Kristin.

For our last night in New York we decided to take the advice of one of the locals and venture off of Manhattan Island. We took the subway to Brooklyn and ate at the famous Grimaldi's coal oven pizza joint there. It was AMAZING pizza!!!! Worth the wait in line to get in, for sure! It is right on the harbor, so you have a great place to walk over and look at the city all lit up at night and enjoy some yummy ice cream there as well. After pizza and ice cream we WALKED...yes, walked back over the Brooklyn Bridge back to the island. What a sight!! New York city all lit up. Unbelievable!!

Before the week was over we were already planning our next trip. We're thinking California next time! We just had so much fun laughing and being together. Can't wait until next time!

Beautiful Girl

"Beautiful girl, you're a lovely picture.
Oh, beautiful girl, what a gorgeous creature.
What can I do, but give my heart to you?"

Disappearing Egypt

The other day I was realizing that the one year anniversary of my "new life" is quickly approaching. I sat there evaluating whether or not it had felt like a whole year or longer than just a year. I concluded that it felt more like 5 years. When I stopped to look behind me, I was struck to realize that I couldn't even see Egypt behind me anymore. I felt like I was standing there in the dessert looking back in disbelief. I can't believe the Lord has brought me this far. I felt so spurred on to keep on moving. I do believe that Canaan is ahead. It's probably much farther ahead than I would like to believe, but I know it's there. He didn't bring me out into the dessert to die, but rather to take me somewhere.

"And in Your hands the pain and the hurt...
Look less like scars and more like character
Less like a prison and more like my room
Less like a casket and more like a womb
Less like dying more like transcending
Less like fear, less like an ending"

This is not the end. It's just the beginning.