Headed to a Blog Conference!!

Today is the day that {a lot of us} have been waiting for!!  Bloggy Bootcamp is tomorrow, and most bloggers are heading up today for a Casual Cocktail Party tonight.  Ahhhh so excited!!

I drove to Athens yesterday and am super excited to be riding with that beautiful lady, Lori to Charlotte this afternoon!  

First BLATE = road trip!!!

I can't wait to hang out with Lori, and meet everyone else!!!

What am I bringing?

business cards 

{designed by Marquis from Simply Clarke}

iPhone + charger

{did you see my new iPhone case from DzinerCases ?)

pen/paper

cute clothes + comfy shoes

snacks

I tried to pack "light," and normally, I'm a very good packer.  But, I had the HARDEST time deciding what clothes to bring.  So, I've over packed a little but I am READY!

Hope to see you there! And don't worry...I'll do my best to not blow up your twitter feed if you're not there! (I want to stay friends with you...promise).

RentBack - Operation Smile

A while back, I had the opportunity to share about a wonderful company with you- CampusBookRentals.com 
Didn't have time to read that post?  New around here?  Let me give you the highlights...
free shipping (both ways!) you can highlight in the textbooks  (always a huge help to me when studying!) and the renting periods are flexible the books are sooo much cheaper!   I don't have access to my school bookstore anymore, but I just looked up a basic Philosophy book on Amazon, and compared the prices.   Archetypes of Wisdom: An Introduction to Philosophy on Amazon cost $136.92!  The same book on CBR?? Only $21.14!

But, they have a NEW program starting that is AWESOME.  

RentBack  Heard of it? Basically, you KEEP the books that you purchases through your school bookstore and RentBack will help YOU rent YOUR books.   So, you get to keep your books, and make money on them EACH AND EVERY TIME they rent it to someone else (could be 2-4x more money than your bookstores buyback option!)

{picture taken from RentBack website.  no credit is mine}

Isn't that awesome?!
I seriously wish they had that when I was in school!  Maybe I can look in to renting out some of my old textbooks that I wasn't able to sell back!

The COOLEST thing about both of these organizations?  With each textbook rented, they donate money to Operation Smile.  After having been to Kenya {and coming in to the real world again}, I realize more and more how wonderful our lives are--and in contract, how bad our lives are.  We get caught up in the luxuries of life...when it could be so much easier.  Operation Smile helps children boost their confidence, so they have the opportunity to live the lives they want to live!!

how awesome is that!?  Now, go dig out those textbooks and try and RentBack!

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This was a sponsored post, and I was compensated, but all opinions are mine.

A Day in the Life

So, I realized as I was taking pictures throughout the day yesterday, that my days arn't really THAT exciting.    However, I really liked the concept of the link up today....and hopefully I'll remember to do it when I have a more interesting day.

Oh well...here goes....what a "normal" Tuesday is like for me... 6:45 Wake Up Call Take Pups Outside Get Ready for the Day... (normally spending too much time staring up at my clothes trying to figure out what to wear)

7:30 Should be leaving for work

7:40 Normally, leaving for work....

(I was late today, whoops!)

{still sleepy!}

8:00- It's work time

 Checking Emails...

Mailing contracts...

Answering phones...

Filing papers...

 Scheduling meetings...
Blogging...I mean, what?

Lunch Time = Running Errands

Went to the Verizon store today 

And the Post office

Got Moe's to go!

And waiting for a train

3:30 Snack Time!

 5:00 Time to Go

6:00 Dinner with the In-Laws (Happy Mother's Day!)
8:00 Went to my parents house to teach Dad how to blog :)  He is making an online devotional for his youth choir tour this summer!

9:00 Time to unwind!  Blogging Time!

10:30 Peace out world...it's Bed Time! So, what's a normal day like for you?  

"Smile, You've Been to Kenya"

Well, friends, it's the last of my Africa posts!  

If you've missed the rest of my recaps, you can view them here:

The Beginning

Beauty in the Slums

Our African Safari!!

Our Projects..Explained

Gil Gil - Heaven on Earth

And, for the sole purpose of sharing pictures I feel I need to share and haven't yet, this post is going to be photo heavy.  

The water filters in action....

So excited to taste the clean water...

Ready for small group water filter practice...

The largest IDP (Internally Displaced People) camp that we visited....5,000 adults and children live here...

I found myself playing with the children during the presentations more often than not.  We taught them how to play Red Light, Green Light---

And sang Father Abraham...

I was so happy that I was in the right place at the right time and was able to snap this picture of Mom praying with Natalie and a sweet family who are dealing with some physical issues...

Lastly, all of the wonderful people included in the SWOK team that I've been able to get to know...

Family Wedding Weekend!

This weekend was a whirlwind! 
On Saturday afternoon, my Uncle Scott married the woman of his dreams!  

Mom and Dad had gotten tickets to fly up to Indiana for the wedding months ago, since Dad was planning to play piano for it...and for the longest time, Andrew, my sister and I just didn't think we'd be able to go.   The wedding was in Indiana...flights are expensive...we just thought it would be impossible.   A few weeks ago, as we talked about Mother's Day Weekend plans, we just knew it wouldn't be okay if we missed the wedding.  Soooooo...Rachel and Andrew and I decided to drive up for the weekend.

They met me at work Friday afternoon, and we headed out to Indiana!  We drove ALLLL night long, and got to Indiana at 5:00am!  We were pretty delirious towards the end.  haha  What made the whole thing so much fun?  Mom and Dad were the only people who knew we were coming--well, and the bride/brides daughter.  We didn't want to stress out the bride by showing up!  So, we woke up at 9:30 and got ready to surprise the family!  I wish I had gotten a picture of Grandma's face, but here's the video of when we surprised Uncle Scott.

All in all, the weekend was wonderful.  The wedding was a small family wedding, and then we went back to their house for dinner.  It was so nice to just stay and hangout and talk with everyone.  We realized that I hadn't seen my cousins on that side of the family since at least high school...maybe before.  So it was just wonderful to spend some time with family!

Mother's Day was spent driving--while Mom and Dad flew back home and beat us there.  We left around 9:00am and got home closer to 10:00pm.  ha!  But, we all agreed that it was a great weekend.  Now, if I could just catch up on some sleep!

Kenya - Gil Gil {Heaven on Earth}

My favorite day, by far, was spent at an IDP (Internally Displaced People) camp, called Gil Gil.  The people in Gil Gil, and all IDP camps, had to move because of tribal war---caused by Presidental elections, family controversy, etc.

They live in tents---sticks in the ground, covered in fabric/tarps:

We spent time talking with the people of Gil Gil, and then worshipping with them in church.  

After church, we played with the kids anddid crafts with EVERYONE **I was so touched by the fact that we originally planned the craft for the children, but the women wanted to participate as well. AND, the men were SO involved in helping their children in completing the craft....so touching!

I learned so much from the people of Gil Gil. 

The way they cared for each other...and us.

The way they took care of us.  

The way the took care of each other. 

I am so thankful for the time I spent with the people of Gil Gil...

Anddddddd, on a completely unrelated note....after church we went to one of those "hole in the way diners" that Americans rave about...and had some of the "best Roasted Goat around."  Y'all....it was one of the most uncomfortable experiences.....

They cook EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF THE GOAT....

{thanks, mom, for making me take this picture!}

Right after they chop that piece off of the goat hanging in the butchery....right beside where I was sitting!!!!!!!!  

It was an experience to say the least...and it may or may not have been why I was sick the next day....haha