PIECE'A LISA: August 2007

Road Trip Blanket Pics

Home Sweet Home

12 gas stops = $345.53
6 different toll roads = around $35
Food for 28 days = (i don't know that i'd like to know this number)
1 trip to Six Flags = $68.76

Traveling 4,688 miles through 19 states to see 16 different friends & family; & returning home to sleep in your own bed... priceless

Day 27

What a great day!!!!!

I started out my morning going to see my friend Angie, and her husband Pete. They live in England, but are here visiting friends in St. Louis... It was full of great food, great conversation, and a lovely time.

I also had the opportunity to hang out with my old college roommate Amy.

Amy's husband Eric, Jake Rynes, his girlfriend Crystal, are all in town for a mutual friends wedding. We accomplished quite a few things today, we went to six flags, out to dinner at Duffy's (which was an adventure to get to, let alone eat at) and then out for custard at Ted Dewes (let's just say Jerk {don't worry it's an endearing term} took the scenic route there)

Here's Amy, heroine of the night

and jerk, hero of skipping little girls

Days 24-26

These days have been spent wisely hanging out with my brother Adam and my parents in FlowerMound, Texas.
The first day we went to the Kennedy Museum, and learned all about the different conspiracies surrounding JFK's assassination. The second day (today) was spent at brunch (delicious!),

the Kimball Art Museum (awesome!),

and we went to see the Bourne Ultimatum (sweetness!)

Days 21-23

Alright, here's a game for all of you folks at home, how many computers do you see in this picture?

Somehow it has become the thing to do and have in our family is to have a laptop, and to sit and play games with the laptop whether or not there are other things going on in the room like watching tv or movies. It is a tradition, I almost always take part in.

please note: the packer flag (a representation of our heritage) in the background, and the griffin with the blanket (a representation of our namesake) sits idly protecting the front door of the house. This could almost be the next american gothic, minus the pitchfork.

Day 20-21

I spent the evening last night with Erin's (see days 10-12) parents in Auburn, AL. It was a lovely evening, they treated me to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant, and I enjoyed the food and the conversation greatly. This morning, day 21, it was on to my parents house in Tennessee... I made the trip safely, and got a lovely birthday dinner of homemade pizza and delicious apple crisp; there really is nothing like home cooking. I am happy to say that I will not have to drive for at least 6 days... although I will be traveling with my parents to my brother's house in Texas, my parents will be driving for that portion of the trip.

Blanket Pics To Date

Days 13-19

For the last week I have been at the LCMS National Youth Gathering in Orlando, FL. The gathering was wonderful, and really assured me that the LCMS has at least some faith in their youth, and cares about them. As a young adult volunteer (YAV) on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday I was put in an area called Chosen To The World - Live It Area, where I was working under five wonderful DCE's from various parts of Texas. Each of them are awesome, and so encouraging. I spent the majority of my time in a booth that was showing the movie Most. After each time a group would see the movie, either myself, Lonnie (one of the DCE's), or Sarah would debrief the audience that had just finished the film. It was a wonderful experience, if you haven't seen, or heard of this movie, you need to check it out. It's a half hour long film that has a number of parallels to God the Father and Jesus... in the movie a father is forced to choose between saving his son and saving a train full of people. Beautiful, powerful film! Every time that I see the movie I get something out of it, and I wasn't bored once in the whole 3 days I had to spend in that space.

Besides being in the booth, I was able to go and enjoy the mass events at night... and boy, there is nothing like being at one of those events. Sharing a room with 26,000+ other people who are all praising God... well, there's nothing I can really think of that compares, or that is more encouraging to these youth.

I only have a few pics to show for the whole week...

Here's Lonnie, Sarah, & myself

This is a little guy, we named him Enrique, that hung out with us at the booth for an entire day.... I think that he liked the warmth of the computer.