A Fond Farewell to 2008

I can't believe it is the end of 2008. Now, i know that a great many people are probably saying the same thing... and its not like 2008 is only over for me and not the rest of humanity... but SERIOUSLY. I can't believe it. In true Carly tradition... before I get ready for the rest of my evening... here is my ode to 2008!

2008 was a little bit sad:
-Lloyd the family dog died. Really, I was shocked he made it out of 2007... but STILL it was sad.
-I didn't go to Brazil this year. BOOOOOOOOO!!!! (2 years in a row- I miss my friends!)
-I had hard times with some of life... which is not uncommon, but I believe could have been avoided.
-I STILL didn't get to Alaska!
-My New Year's gift for Nickolas just broke coming out of the oven... sorry Nick... no stand up snowman cake this year... boo!

2008 was AMAZING!!
-I went on a GREAT trip to the Dominican Republic... GREAT!
-I canoed the Boundary Waters... which stands out as the highlight of what was a truly amazing summer!
-I drove over 3000 miles in a rental 12 passenger van... in JULY... and it was TOTALLY worth it.
-Minnesota, Arkansas, and everywhere in between... BLISS.
-Heifer Ranch changed my outlook.
-Tar Hollow was finally great again...
-Nashville. Good times.
-Hanging out in trees, coffee shops, the radio station and assorted other places with amazing friends.
-Nickolas makes me LAUGH every time I see him.
-My family drives me absolutely INSANE... but I still have a great one.
-NEW PUPPY... Nellie and Shea running crazy in the backyard makes me smile.
-I finished my grad classes... again!
-My friends at the YMCA got me back on track (even though I have temporarily lost it again, I KNOW they will help me find it again after the new year!)
-I have a job that I love and that continuously reminds me of who I am and want to be...
-so much more I can't write it all!


So, yes 2008 had its downs... but it had so many ups too. I am SO blessed.... and what an amazing thing it is to know that 2009 looms ahead with endless possibilities and choices and good and bad and wonderful and beautiful and hard and challenging all mixed up inside. Who knows what may be in 2009? I can't wait to find out!

MERRY CHRISTMAS Y'ALL!

Sorry... that's all I got today, but its been a while so I thought I should say something... I know... such an original thing to say!

I am off to get ready for the family service at church... I am trying to embrace this evening... it's Christmas eve... its one of my favorite times of the whole year... that hour in between the 8:30 and 11 pm services... sitting with friends... embracing the Christmas moments. I am sure that it is somehow connected to the love I have for the quiet moments of the Easter prayer vigil. Quiet... slow... not about anything spectacular or flashy... not about my family or my sister or decorations or some "show" we are putting on. For an hour Kim, Darryl, and I will eat blueberry pancakes in the kitchen at the church and think about the beauty of Christmas and friendship.

Today I am having a hard day... its actually been more than a few in a row. I want to be positive and happy and embrace Christmas this year... but instead I am angry and hurt and frustrated.

I want to embrace the "gospel in miniature" (hee hee hee Kim!), but today I don't know if I have it in me. I don't want today to be about ME... I want it to be all about the birth of Christ. It would be my prayer that tonight be not about any of us... that it be simply about simplicity and living a life of passion...

MERRY CHRISTMAS Y'ALL.

Nasville, Thanksgiving, and general slacker-ness

Why am I so easily distracted? Or is it that I am not at all easily motivated? Whatever the problem is... I have been at work nearly 2 hours and I have accomplised almost nothing. Of course, its not helping that I have had constant interruptions from the minute I got here... but that's just me... blaming it on someone else!! So intstead of working on writing advent lessons for the children or figuring how much of what I need to make caramels, cookies, and cinnamon rolls by the MILLION next weekend... I am going to update the old blog... you know... the important things in life!!

**On a side note, last night I had a dream. I was at work here at the church, in the office with all the usual people, but everyone was speaking non-stop portuguese. Weirdest thing ever. But they didn't understand portuguese, they were just talking and no one knew what was going on. I am not sure if this is a reflection of the fact that I feel no one knows what the heck is ever going on around here or the fact that i need to take a trip to Brazil. Hmmmm.

OK. SO, Nashville. I went to the National Youth Workers Convention in Nashville the weekend before Thanksgiving. I had an AMAZING trip. Seriously. This year some friends doing ministry up in Sidney, Ohio decided to let me travel and stay with them which was GREAT. We had lots of laughs and learned a lot too. One of my favorite people, Shane Claiborne spoke once on the main stage and once in a seminar. I love the things that he has to say and am always challenged by his commitment to truly living the way Jesus calls us to live... specifically around caring for and loving the poor. I also got to hear some great things from the main stage that focused on social justice issues and the calling we have as the church to love and care for EVERY person as Jesus did. Like it... like it alot. I was also challenged by Mark Yaconneli and the things he had to say about the "dark night of the soul" and got a book about that that I think is going to continue to challenge and encourage me... I even boosted it to near the top of my "books to read" pile... which is about 35 deep now!!

Anyhoo. Nashville was lots of fun... and I was blessed to spend time with people who helped me enjoy it more than any other NYWC I've been to! Here's to Cincinnati next year friends!

SO. Then I came home and TOTALLY flaked on work for 2 days before Thanksgiving. Like... I just didn't go in. Terrible. Terrible. Terrible. I felt bad for about 3 1/2 seconds each day. I really needed the break. 2 days in 2 years is not much of a vacation!! Thanksgiving was uneventful and normal at the Schneider house. Kristin, Rich, and Nickolas came by and we did the usual... eating... throwing the football around the house and breaking things, chasing the puppies... eating... ya know. Abby came home for the weekend so I got to have a great coffee with her at the Night Sky on Friday morning and helped decorate my mom's church for Advent on Saturday... followed by lunch with Dawn... not to be missed!

On Sunday I went to Sidney with 6 of the kids to hear Jay Gamelin speak. He was our keynoter at Tar Hollow last summer and he led another great and challenging worship time. I was amazed at the way he remembered our kids and was so kind and encouraging to them. After the fall that the SG kids have had, it was a blessing to them... and he was a great encouragement to me as well. (Just remember... when all else fails, order pizza! Thanks, Jay!).

So there you have it... an extremely involved and long post about pretty much nothing. Now i am back in the office, hardly working, and holding on tight for the roller coaster that is Advent, combined with getting ready for the new year.

Argh! Ahhh!

I am blessed.

Back at work

Soon to come I will give you a little update of my time in Nashville last weekend/week. WHat a blast. So much laughter, so much learning... and lots of challenging things were said. A good week.

Soon updates... for now.. WORK!