I sit here..with my school life, my school schedule, my school friends, my school apartment...and I miss it.

Sometimes I feel bad, because I don't miss it as often as I missed it last year. But when I do, it is a fierce force that comes over me. I mostly feel it creep in late at night when I can't get to sleep...

I looked at how I have changed since I have been in Abilene. I still have the same morals and I still have the same personality. The same things make me laugh and the same things make me cry. I have become a quiet person here. A person who is focused on what needs to be done to get where I want to go.I have fun with friends here, still...but, most of the time I feel like there is something more purposeful here...and I have started concentrating more on school during the weeks instead of going to parties or doing nothing. I guess, I am a person who is growing up and becoming an adult.

It amazes me how I miss the most simple things. I miss holding Trinity in my lap at every opportunity and I miss the worship at PUMP (Oh Gosh...how I miss it). I miss just going to Cheronn's house and not doing anything...just sitting on the couch and watching TV, I miss knowing she was right down the street...just in case---and knowing that she would have open arms. I miss the small escapes I took at the White's house...and how I miss all five of them. Even though I didn't in any way encourage it, I miss Sai's little taps on my back side...because it let me know that he felt comfortable around me. I miss the sight of a mountain off in the distance, behind the haze. And gosh, oh gosh...how I miss those waterfalls.

The things that I remember at all times are the lessons and other things I took away from PUMP. There were so many that I have learned over the past almost two years.
1. There are more and different people outside my bubble---and those are the ones that I need to reach out to the most.
2. Expect friendship from the unexpected. I got one of my two best friends that way :)
3. Someone is always watching me. Most of the time, I probably don't even know it, but they are...and little eyes are precious and take everything in.
4. There are some places that feel just like home. And PUMP will always be one of them.
5. People care...when you think they don't--they will probably surprise you.
6. The world is NOT about me. The world is about how we can help each other out.
7. I learned, that in fact, I am not too young to be viewed as a mentor. And even if it scares me to death---I could be a huge factor in some of those kids' lives..and I need to be a good one.
8. I think I have found my calling through PUMP. Inner city ministries and education is something I long for after graduation. Hopefully, in Portland...but if not, I will go where ever God leads me.
9. God loves me, Jesus died for me, and I can have hope in the resurrection!



SO even though I do not long for PUMP as much as I did when I left last year, I carry the lessons I learned and the friends I gained in my heart daily.

Thank you, PUMP...for your lasting legacy on my life. Hopefully, there will be more to come!

So blogs are mis-leading and I am a day late.

Buuuutttt....

Happy Birthday Trinity Rose White.


I hope you know you are a very special girl. To me and to others. I remember last summer when I had to work SO hard to get you to talk to me. I was afraid that you would never come around. But I am really glad that you did and that we are friends now! This past summer was so fun getting to hang out with you and I would never trade it for the world! Your smiles and your laughs brightened all of my days this summer and I miss you a lot. It was amazing getting to watch you grow and I look forward to watching you grow a lot more over the next years.
I never thought I would be able to be an older mentor, but you are the one that God decided to bless me with to be an older friend to! I am so glad that I met you and that we can have so much fun together when we get to hang out. You, my dear, are one of the huge reasons that I want to move to Portland and am working so hard to do so!

I love you and I miss you a lot. I hope you had a great day yesterday and I wish I could have celebrated with you!

Well, I will be a Friendze girl once again in a week or so.
The courier job just was not worth it with the price of gas to put in a "luxury" SUV.
I am actually looking forward to going back. They have moved buildings- and out of the building we shared last year with the online and main office. The manager that is current is the one I trained and she knows how hard and long I worked last year and is more than willing to accommodate me this year.
I will miss the short hours of the job I have now, but I will like making more jewelry and driving 6 miles to and from work.

I was very upset on Friday, could you tell?
Let me clarify things....
1. No matter how much I want to come this summer, it just isnt possible. I have to take 3 classes that are not offered online or any other way but on campus. So I have to stay in the lovely HOT town (not city) of Abilene until July 3rd.
2. I will attempt to make a trip up there after that grueling first half of summer. If I have the money, I will come.
3. I talked to Kristi on Friday about all of this, and she said something that helped...It is just a minor setback for a long standing time in Portland. I hope this is true and we will see.
4. If my parents and I can collaborate and afford an apartment and I get in touch with a principal who will accept me at his or her school to student teach...I could possibly be in Portland to do that in January 2009. Judging by rents up there, this may be a long shot, but I am saving all the money I can right now in order to have the highest chance of that happening. I won't start contacting principals probably until the end of the summer, but we will see.

I miss it every day. But, I like my college life here too. I guess that is the other thing that makes this hard. No one really stays in the summer and I will probably be here by myself just schooling and working. It makes it hard to imagine it being fun, but it will get the job done.

I'm angry and super sad.
I just wish I could do what I want to do with my summers.
But I have to stay here until July 3rd for stupid summer school so I can graduate on time.
I am really really sad.

Well friends. Today is the day. A major transition in my life.

I have become more favorable of the introverted side of the spectrum. I never thought I would see the day when this happened, but since I have been in Abilene...it HAS happened. I guess I never really gave myself a chance to become introverted...if I wasent conked out on pain meds from my various injuries last year...I was working or hanging out with my friends. This year, I live with two of my good friends and I generally just come in from class or a run from work, go into my room...listen to music, put in a movie, or just have quiet time. And I have come to the conclusion that I should have made this transition a long time ago. I see myself as being less stressed about school and more willing to give of myself when I am with others instead of just being there physically.


So if you are an introvert...HERE I COME!

I know what makes me comfortable
And I know what makes me tick
And I when I need to get my way
I know how to pull an ole fake
Cream and sugar in my coffee
Right away when I wake
I face a day, and pray to God
I won’t make the same mistakes

All the rest is out of my hands
I will learn to let go what I cannot change
I will learn to forget what I cannot change
I will learn to love what I cannot change
But I will change, yeah I will change
Whatever I, whatever I can

Yeah I don’t know my father
Or my mother well enough
It seems like every time we talk
We can’t get passed the little stuff
The pain is self-inflicted
I know it’s not good for me health
Yeah but it’s easier to please the world
Then it is to please myself

All the rest is out of my hands
I will learn to let go what I cannot change
I will learn to forget what I cannot change
I will learn to love what I cannot change
But I will change, yeah I will change
Whatever I, whatever I can

Well I know I can’t care about how everyone else really feels
I have enough hurt of my own to heal

I will learn to let go what I cannot change
I will learn to forget what I cannot change
I will learn to let go what I cannot change
I will learn to forget what I cannot change
I will learn to love what I cannot change
But I will change, yeah I will change
Whatever I, whatever I can

"What I Cannot Change" -LeAnn Rimes

I will be at WalMart right after my 8 o clock class gets out on Tuesday morning. Why, you may ask. Well, that would be when the newest Reba McEntire CD is coming out. I will not be there like some crazy at midnight, but that is just because I am pretty fond of sleep...
For as long as I can remember I have ADORED Reba McEntire. Her concerts are definitely the best ones out there and her voice is one of the purest ones I have ever heard. As a native Houstonian, I have had many opportunities to see her in concert...with the many costume changes, hardcore ballads, and that famous red dress, I could not idolize another singer as much.
So basically, I am really excited for the CD and even more excited to come home to see her in the rodeo, hopefully...if SHE makes it :)


Oh and what makes this story interesting....
Is that my dear Kami Anne is now working for Reba's manager. My jaw dropped to the floor when I received that little bit of information in a text on Thursday....

So life is fun.
I am getting into the groove of my Abilene life, and that is definitely a great thing!
School is fun and eventhough I have been teaching and being around kids for a long time...its awesome to see all the other things I need to learn before I become a real LIVE teacher. Which, of course, I cannot wait for :)
Kristi, you will be proud because when we were talking about ways to praise our children, I definitely went on a tangent (not loud or mean, just matter-of-factly) that I believe we should praise the effort the student has made and not praise the product of their work, because then they will be upset when they don't do such a good job. My teacher thought it was brilliant...so good job, Kristi Cash White :)
I am getting the opprotunity to go home this weekend. I love Abilene and I am definitely not wanting to make this a normal occurance, but it is my Daddy's 54th birthday on Sunday and I want to be home to celebrate it with him. I think it will be a great surprise...since he doesn't know yet :) And I also believe that I will really really really enjoy quality time at one, if not more, high school football games :)

I have come to realize in the past week that I miss my Portland experience more than I thought. Not because of the people.....granted, ya'll are so amazing. But more so, because while at college, I really do not have any opprotunities to hang out with elementary age kids. Kids are a huge part of what makes me smile and I feel like I just havent been as energetic since I have been at school, because I don't really have anyone's energy to feed off of. I am really excited to start observing in my classes (I get to do it in 2!) so I can get into the classroom setting again and get to know some more kids.

Welp, that is all for now!

...So this is where I live now. It is a pretty interesting place and we have had some pretty interesting experiences with it already. I was really excited to move into a new place and get to decorate a new room. I found pretty much the perfect comforter, which is plain brown on the other side, you know...in case I ever grow out of my pink stage :) I really like my bathroom and am REALLY glad I have my own this year!

I have never seen myself as a domestic girl (I know, surprising, right?) I have been ever so blessed to have a mom who knows how to clean, but since we had the financial means---decided to spend more time with us instead of cleaning the house. So because of that...we had cleaning ladies come to the house every other week and I never really had to clean at all. This summer I cleaned some, but I really buckled down on Saturday and decided since I had been here for two weeks (WOW time flies by) that I would give the bathroom a good scrubbin', do all my laundry, tidy the kitchen, and wash my sheets (I shower before getting in bed, so I am never dirty---so I can go twoish weeks). It was surprising to me that I actually chose to do this, but I figured if I don't start now....when will I?

I sat with Erica in chapel...on the floor today. She told me it is where all the good Christians sit :) I originally just went to sit with her because since we have been back at school we have seen eachother maybe twice for about a 5-10 min. period of time. We are going to continue chapel sitting together and start up some hang out time, too. I am really excited....I have missed that kid :) We talked about how it seems like FOREVER ago that we were interns, but that time here in Abilene seems to be going SUPER fast. Gotta love when my last two years of being a free loader and flyin' by.....YIKES!

Times are good in Abilene. Times will be better in Houston this weekend when I go home for my Daddy's birthday (shhhhh....he doesn't know. Its going to be a surprise)

One of the top things I will miss about Texas.
This is a video of my high school's team last year. They made it to the state game, but lost.
This year will be different, this year will be better!

Go get'em Eagles!

And then....you just can't ignore this Texas high schooler's mad skills




I am Sarah...and I like Texas High School Football. I was born and bred and will always be a huge fan!

I was blessed beyond belief to talk to one of my favorite children yesterday. I loved hearing about her first day of school and the excitement in her voice about her NEW school. "NO READING GROUPS!" Still not sure what is different about school reading groups and PSP reading groups, which she loved, but whatev.

More than the first day summary was the noises I heard in the background. I didn't really get close to the White family last summer. Most of that was my fault for being a hermit, but whatev. This summer, that family stole my heart and still have some of it 2400 miles away. Hearing Fi scream in the background, Kristi's astonishment that Trin had been on her uncle's roof and Connor being Connor was so priceless. And I wished, just for a second that I was in the house long enough to hug all 5 of them and let them know that they are so amazing to me.

White family, thanks for making my summer so awesome and for being a lasting example to this 20 year old person. I cannot wait to visit (deatils later, hopefully) so I can get another White fix, because I will need it.

Well, I don't know if ya'll know about Camp Blue Haven, but it is a pretty big camp in the south, if you are reading this from the south...you know.

It has been brought to my attention that my great uncle is pretty much a legend around here. I was actually told that by a sophmore tonight during a GATA rush. You see, my uncle is Vance Crowe pretty much the lifetime director of this camp. When I see people wearing Blue Haven shirts, I always ask them if they know my uncle and then they proceed to flip out and tell me I am the luckiest person ever. Weird. Haha. The funny thing is these people love the stories that my uncles tells---that I have heard a ton of times and still get a kick out of. I definitely love that I am part of a family who has such a great, loved, and respected man leading us.