Any Similar Revival

There is something about November and late autumn and the impending holidays that cracks me open. I cry because the trees are so beautiful, and I clap because the wind is blowing leaves across the street in a very witchy little way, and I start to squee at the thought of hunkering down in front of the fireplace. I feel so full that I have to crack open a little bit, or I’d burst. Some days, I’m so down, I can’t face the thought of everything to come, and I want to hibernate. But other days, I’m so excited and joy-full at the thought of everything to come, I want to throw my skirt over my head and run around in circles singing, "Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat" at the top of my lungs.  Bipolar much, Allyson? I’m going to blame November.

And I’ve broken my personal music rule: I’m listening to Christmas music, and it’s not past Thanksgiving yet! Go ahead and put me in jail, see if I care.  🙂

I love, love, love our mantle this fall. It is just right.

Last night, I discovered a talent for face painting. I made a kitty AND a woodland fairy.

Seriously, that kitty was so cute, people gave her extra candy. Especially because she was singing Halloween lyrics to "The Farmer in the Dell" as she walked up to the houses.

Ben was a Teenage Mutant Minja Turtle:

Very Tough!

Kristen’s sister, Erica, and I were fairies too:

I carved pumpkins with the kids and their family on Monday night. Then we lit them, turned off all the lights, and read Halloween stories. Fun times! Tonight, I’m going trick-or-treating with them, and I’m going to be an autumn fairy. Photos will definitely follow!

BOO!

I crack myself up, I really do.

Big news today at Shepherd’s Grace: the members voted to affirm the elders’ recommendation of Ralph M. as our new senior pastor! SO exciting! We have been waiting for this for over two years, and finally, in God’s perfect timing, it has happened. I took some photos of him today after the service for the press release and website.

I like the next one best, but I think it might be too silly for its intended purpose. I can’t remember what we were talking about to make him smile so big.

I just have SO MANY GREAT PICTURES! I can’t stop posting them, but I don’t think you mind.

Do you mind?

I don’t have much to say, otherwise. I’m still trying to get my head back in the game here, and it would much prefer to stay in jet-lag La-La land. I miss blogging about the everyday stuff, though, so I’m hoping to be "back" soon.

Waipapa Point:

moeraki boulders

Happy Birthday to me!

man, I’m tired!

I left Christchurch on Tuesday at 3PM. That translates to Monday night at 10PM EST. I arrived in Cleveland at 11PM on Tuesday, 25 hours later. I slept maybe 5? of those hours, then spent Tuesday night roaming the house, watching episodes of tv shows I’d missed, doing laundry, and rearranging my kitchen cupboards. Finally passed out at 4:30AM. I woke up on Wednesday morning at 10:30, and I felt really good all day yesterday. I couldn’t fall asleep any earlier though. The last time i looked at the clock last night, it was almost 4! Anyways, I made myself get out of bed at 8:30 this morning, and I feel like zombie. And, I get to go to work today and be responsible for children. It’s a Mickey Mouse cartoon day, kiddos, you lucky ducks! I can’t wait to see them though; I really missed them.

Found some fun photos going through Meredith’s pictures:

And I’ll be here alone until tomorrow afternoon.

I’ve had such a great time with her these past two weeks, and I’m going to miss her like crazy! Thank you, Meredith, for our great New Zealand adventure!

On friday afternoon, we went on a wildlife tour of the Otago Peninsula, near Dunedin. First, they took us out to the albatross center, which was really interesting. These birds have a wing-span that would make two of me, height-wise, and they can fly up to 120kph! They have a breeding center on the peninsula, so it’s really the only place in the world you can go to see them over land. They are usually flying over the ocean for months and months at a time. My photos aren’t that great, because they don’t show the scale of these huge birds, but you make do with what you can get!

Then, they took us on a long, winding gravel road up to a privately owned beach attached to a humongous farm. We walked down huge green hills covered in sheep and cattle down to the sandy beach, where we saw several dozing sea-lions:

We climbed up the dunes into a hide and watched yellow-eyed penguins returning from their day in the sea. It was very much like watching people come home after work.

I never imagined I would be seeing a scene that included both penguins AND sheep!

Home sweet home!

My Favorite:

Then we climbed back up the huge hille, then down another one, to the seal colony.

Sheep along the way.