hahahaha

i think is really funny b/c im fighting it being true about me

Isabella Layne - so cute!

pictures of katrina and jeff's beautiful baby girl :)

crazy cat lady

ok so this past year i gotta a little obsessed with gilmore girls - i know, its kind of a lame show, but i still love it. anyways, when i was working at the sage tonight for the last time, alone, on a saturday night, feeling a little lame about being single and working at the sage on a saturday night, this scene from gilmore girls totally came to mind. i often ask God what he's doing in the relationship category in my life, but i thought this was super funny way of looking at things considering my newly acquired pet :)

Social Justice Education

I just finished reading Kozol's book "Letters to a Young Teacher", which is simply letters written between him and a young teacher Francesca. It was such a phenomenal book. We studied another book by him, Savage Inequalities, in a class I took. I love how he faces the very scary, painful, and horrible truth that is going on these days in American schools (and which I am now experiencing at my Title 1 school).  And I love how passionate he is about the kids. He is one of the educator/writers who really inspire me to love the kids well.

Today I'm leaving to go to a conference with the Noyce Scholars, which along a similar vein as Kozol.  I'm SOOO excited!  So I had to give you all a sampler of the goodness :)

greenleaf vineyard church

kat and jeff go to a sweet church and i got to hang out with their friends today...so fun!  And their pastor even burned me a sweet david bazan cd.  HECK YES!  Anyway, check out their church here!

ya north carolina...

no baby yet...

and the doctor today said it doesn't look like she's coming quickly :(  however, mom has been taking lots of long naps allowing me play time :)  i went for a long walk under the Carolina oaks (gorgeous!) and was reading some of a book jeff's pastor roger gave him.  The Baby Owner's Manual.  It is hilarious!  and tonight - amazing chinese food - courtesy of katrina's mom who always takes the three of us out to chinese food when im home.  what a great trip so far!

off to chapel hill

katrina and i have been friends since we were 8, as she says when she was "fresh off the boat" from the philippines...yes, a terrible expression, but she said it. the above photo is of us going sledding at 11:30 pm on new year's eve for 2008. (i really like this picture b/c i can feel the stillness of a snowing, winter night by looking at the pic).

 we were always doing crazy things together, and we always so much fun. learned to play guitar together, worked at the factory together, went through break ups together, found Jesus together...a very awesome friendship.  her and her husband now live in chapel hill, and im headed there to see their place, hang out with my 9-mo pregnant friend, and hopefully meet their new baby - Isabella Layne - it's very strange to think there will be a person with the same name as you. but hopefully i will get to meet her, so my prayer is that that will happen while im there. feel free to join me in that prayer. :)

Moriah's here!!!!!!

Our first picture as new roomies!!! YAAAAAAA!!!!!  more to come, the others were scary :)

b/c i didn't know how to post a picture response

it fell asleep under my chin under a blanket. 

new housemate

so i was walking to take the trash out when all of my neighbors yell, "LAYNE!!!!! We're so glad to see you!!!"  It was the two single women who live nearby and a mom with her two kids. (They also have a dog named Bella).  well, as I walk up they start telling me how it's fate and I'm still confused at this point. as i get up there, i see the kitten pictured above.  AAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWW

ISN'T IT ADORABLE?!?!  Well, it's pretty dang lonely here this summer, and i grew up with cats and had been thinking about getting one.  but i had been praying, "well God, if you want me to have a cat, could bring me one?... otherwise i don't want to take on more expenses and im not sure." i didn't want to just fill my loneliness. but I thought a lot about Karen's story with her cat so here i am! And Moriah said she wanted a kitten but to not have to worry about it...perfect! 

The three kittens were trapped under my neighbors shed, stuck in thorns near a soccer ball.  So the kids (they're in middle school) and I were trying to think of names, and they suggested "Beckham" because they had heard of him...part of me likes it, but part of me thinks something Spanish or Mexican might be more appropriate...we'll see. Know any Mexican futbol players? 

Well in the mean time, I'm taking care of the McCulley's cat and now him/her, so I've officially become a cat sitter. Feel free to come over and see it!!!