Aunt Arvada

I love my Aunt Arvada. She passed away almost 3yrs ago. I miss her like crazy, she was very much a Grandma to me and even better a great friend. This is a picture of the 2 of us when I was probably around 5. I am dressed up in the boa, and she is dressed up in my rockstar get up. She was amazing and accepted me just like I was and whenever we were together we just had fun and laughed.
Here are some of my favorite Arvada stories:
I used to spend a day with her before every year at school. We would get all dressed up & do each others makeup. Even though I put her lipstick on crooked she'd walk me to the Dairy Queen across the street with crooked clown makeup & me clomping across the highways in her heels. When we'd get there she would look at the cashier (who was giving us looks like we're crazy) & say, "Hello, aren't we just the most fabulous, beautiful girls you've ever seen? We got all dressed up to have a girls lunch." We'd have lunch & before we left she would say to the people working, "Now we'll be back for ice cream, but 1st we must get into play clothes, I do hope you still recognize our beautiful faces, we can't get chocolate on our boas."

Later in life I was visiting Arvada having lunch w/ her in Jasper with Mamaw, Ann, & Myrna (my cousins). She leans over and whispers (so Mamaw couldn't hear)
"Brianne...do you drink beer?" "Umm...yes Arvada, sometimes"
" I woke up the other day & realized I'm 12 years from being 100 and I can barely finish 1/2 a beer anymore. So if you want a beer, have one, because one day you'll only remember what its like to have one."

"Brianne...you're boyfriend is very cute...do you kiss?"
"Umm...yeah... we kiss"
"Good. I woke up & realized I 'm 12 years from being 100 and I don't want to touch myself to shower, let alone would a man want to get near me. I think if a cute boy wants to kiss you- let him, because one day you'll be too wrinkly & old for men to want to even be near you."
She was a gem! :)

I was listening to Derek Webb's song Dance he wrote about his Grandma that is basically biographical. My favorite line is, "I'd marry you, if you could dance....that what I said. Cause where I'm going there will be dancing everyday" It sounded just like an Arvada answer. Sure I'd marry you, but you can't dance...Sorry; NEXT!!!!
Good advice!

All That I Need

So Monday was a crazy long tech day. 5 1/2hours!!! I rolled out of bed late, pulled my hair up w/o even brushing it (wouldn't Mom be so proud) and headed in for another day of school.
I get to 1st period & one of my dancers asked if she could straighten my hair to see how it looked. I got laughing that it needed brushed not straightened & there she goes, getting a brush, brushing and straightening my hair. Now, Sunday I saw a movie & saw a mom brushing a daughters hair and was like I want my hair brushed, but that's an odd request! Yet w/o asking here my student is letting me clean my desk while getting pampered. My hair looked awesome and good looking hair just helps an exhausted girl feel good about herself. As the class ended the same student tossed a new teal shirt towards me and said "this shirt was brand new and its way too big for me, want it? it's a good color for you!" So I tried it on and the SMALL fit! Another little victory to help my self esteem and exhaustion level. I received so many compliments that day in my new outfit and hairdo. My students are way too good to me.
Then we hit tech, I know it will not be 5 1/2 hours, but still more than 1. To get the musical ready I skipped lunch, then @ 3 tried to eat the salad that was pre-dressed. It was warm and soggy, no dinner til home either. I told no one, just grabbed some water and started taking notes. Around 5ish the student that performed the make-over's mother texted me. They live across from the school and she just made chicken salad, would I like a sandwich for dinner? Would I? :)
I drove home on such a joyful day! I am truly blessed, I have amazing supportive students and parents. I am part of a community here and it just reaffirmed how much God loves me and that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be doing what I'm doing. After talking to Mom about my awesome day I remembered my day reiterated a scripture I taught in Kidzone a couple months ago:
Matthew 6:25-28; 31 "For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat or drink; nor for your body as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life's span? And why are you anxious about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin. 31Do not be anxious then, saying, "What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or "With what shall we clothe ourselves?"
God is just wrapping me up in his peace and showering me w/ his blessings. I love him so much! I also love how I end up getting just as much if not more from Kids church as the kids :) And I know with all the things going on in life as long as I keep my eyes on God I'm gonna be alright!!!! AMEN!