A Divine Confirmation

Well, hello there, all my dear friends!  Is it just me, or is this month flying by?!  I just can't believe that Christmas is only 6 days away! Now, on to the business at hand.

Today was just one of those days. You know the ones. I love my job, but this morning definitely tested that love.  I won't go into the details, but as of an hour ago, apparently the situation has finally been resolved.  Anyhow, so it was one of those days that, had I been working anywhere else, I would have left saying, "I hate my job!!!"  So in the midst of the turbulent day, I kept waiting for the "I hate this job!" feeling to come... but it never did.

Well, a few months ago, before I got my job at Greenberg's and moved to Ankeny (again), I submitted my application to one of the local school districts down home for any type of job I for which I was qualified.  So there I was on my way home from work, reflecting on the day, and my phone rang.  It was the principal at one of the schools wanting to interview me for a one-on-one aid job for an eight year old boy.  I probably royally embarassed myself, but I just laughed and told her "well... I moved to Des Moines about a month ago, so I'm not really interested.  But thanks for calling!"

Many of you know my story and the upheaval my life was in about a month and a half ago.  At that time, I wanted nothing more than to stay at home and get one of those school jobs nearby.  But God had other plans.  Instead of a school job, He directed me to where I am today.  It was in those first moments after I hung up with the principal that I realized what had just happened.  God was giving me a confirmation that I was indeed following His lead.  If the principal had called a month ago, I'd have probably started to seriously doubt my decision to move and work in Des Moines.  But today,  I felt nothing but complete and utter peace!  It was as if God whispered across the heart strings of my soul that His plan is ALWAYS perfect, to never doubt!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, 

and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths."

Proverbs 3:5-6

What a fantastic end to a 

not-so-much fantastic day!

I hope you all have a wonderful week eagerly anticipating the celebration of the birth of our Savior on Sunday! 

Till then...

Merry Christmas from the

 Lacy behind the Laughs! :)

Happy Birthday, I Love You!

On Tuesday, I turned 22.  That would be yesterday.  Yesterday, I added another year to my age.  I went from being 21 to being 22.  I must say, I don't really feel all that different... or maybe I do.

I can definitely say that this has been one of the greatest years for birthday celebrations.  As you all know, I've recently moved back to the Ankeny area, and I was expecting this year's birthday to be pretty lamely low-key.  Boy. Was I ever wrong.  The weekend started out with Festival of Carols at Faith on Friday & Saturday evenings, with open dorms also on Friday night.  So. Much. FUN!  I can't even begin... My cousin Daniel, a student at Faith, is in the chorale, so his mom & sister (who is like one of my best friends EVER) came up for Friday's concert.  Way. Too Much. Fun!!!

 Laura, April, Daniel, Me, & Megan...being awesome.

 Me, Alyssa, Laura, & Thomas @ Open Dorms

Saturday after Festival, a handful of us went out to Applebees.  Again, WAY FUN!  My dear friend Sarah came up to see her sister, who also goes to Faith, along with her mom.  Great to see them!

Sunday, I went to church with my sister and all my marvelous Trinity Baptist friends.  Who, by the way, are AMAZING!!!!  Then that evening, I went on out to Ames to hear the chorale sing... again.  Which was also amazing.

On Monday, Laura and I threw a party for me.  A dozen or so of us met over at Faith's dining hall for supper, then we came back to my house and watched Phantom of the Opera.  Also, Laura made my favorite cupcakes and brought candles for both me and my dear friend Ian (who turns 18 on Friday)!  I won't bore you with the details, but I can definitely tell you I had the most amazing day-before-my-birthday party ever.  EVER.  For real.

Last night, for my actual birthday, I went over to Faith for supper. Again. And then my wonderful friend Shelly and I went over to Cafe Diem for some coffee & chat time.  Which was apparently much needed since we talked for about 2 hours solid.  :)

 My cupcakes.... 

 Ian's cupcakes...

 22 & 18 look good on us, don't you think?

The whole gang! Daniel, Caleb, Alyssa, Me, Ian, Thomas, & Laura <3

So thanks to all you wonderful amazing people that made my 22nd birthday one of the best memories of my life.  I love you!

A Thankful Finale

Well... November has finally come to a close.  Here are my last three thankful thoughts for 2011:

Day 28
I'm thankful that I know my body well.  If I didn't, I would have been in even more physical pain than I was.  As I mentioned on day 27, a whole bunch of us got sick.  Well, I firmly believe that the only reason I wasn't puking alongside the others is that I basically didn't eat anything at all for almost three days.  Believe me.  Today I made up for lost ground.  :)


Day 29
I'm thankful for the people in my life who, even if they've only known me a short time, have realized just how much a kind word or a simple touch can mean to me.  These things can change my whole entire day.  For instance, I was getting a little frustrated yesterday at work because the powers that be were telling us to do one thing, but half our team thought it was insanity and should be ignored and the other half (of which I was a part) thought it was insanity but should be done.  Well, whatever.  So I went to lunch.  HA!  Anyhow, when I came back my favorite person (if that's allowed... probably shouldn't mention that too often here in cyberwebs) on team Greenberg's JCM (Jordan Creek Mall) just said a few quiet words with a pat on the back, and it was like the sun started shining again and life was happy.  All that to say, I'm thankful for these kinds of people.  :)


Day 30

For my final "thought," I kinda have three things:
1) I'm thankful for nights like tonight, where impromptu planning leads to great adventures.  After church tonight, Laura, Daniel, Megan, Caleb, & I went to some park on the south side of Des Moines to see some Christmas lights.  It was $10 admission per car, so $2/person, which wasn't really all that worth it, but since some of the proceeds went to the Make a Wish foundation, I guess it was ok.  Oh yes.  And the glasses.  Highly entertaining 3-D type complimentary glasses that apparently made the lights cool.  So. Much. FUN!!!!

2) I'm thankful for finally feeling like my regular self again!  Being sick makes you appreciate "normal" so much more!

3)  I'm thankful that I took on the challenge of "Thankful Thoughts November" because it has given me the chance to recognize just how much I have for which to be thankful!  I could probably post every single day for the rest of my life, but don't worry... I'm not planning to... :)

Thanks for joining me in my November endeavor to be THANKFUL! Now... on to CHRISTMAS!!!!! :D

25, 26, 27

Day 25 (Black Friday)

I'm thankful for my crazy family.  Black Friday is pretty much a holiday at our house, not because of the great deals we get, but because of the great time we have with each other making fun of those who are totally gung-ho about getting the deals.  We have a grand time getting up early (or in the case of this year, going out late the night before) and heading into the madness. This year, we actually went for the midnight deals.  My sister Laura's friend wanted a laptop, Laura & Lindsey wanted cameras, and I... well, I wanted a pair of boots. Yep... that's me.  A pair of boots.  Well, whatever.  We all got what we wanted and were home by like 4AM.  Plenty of time to sleep before heading back to DSM to sell jewelry. :)

Day 26

I'm thankful for friends.  Specifically in this instance, I'm thankful for Shelly & Geoff.  Oh, and Thomas, who kept me company via texting.  Shelly met me after work, and we went to a movie.  WAY FUN!  Then we came back to Ankeny and had dinner with Geoff.  Well... they had dinner.  I had chips and a Sprite.  Apparently something went wrong at the Vance Thanksgiving Extravaganza because like half of us are now sick.  Some throwing up, others (like me, THANK HEAVENS!) not.  Anyhow, that's not where I was going with this.  I'm thankful that I live in Ankeny now, and that I have great friends with which to hang out at a moments notice!

Day 27

I'm thankful for my daddy.  Yes, specifically my daddy.  I'm thankful for my mom, too, but today is my day to brag on my awesome dad.  I woke up this morning feeling pretty lousy, so instead of going to church, I went back to sleep.  When I finally got out of bed around noon, I decided I should probably finish making my room livable.  This involved a trip to Wal-Mart to buy another shelf for DVD & Book storage.  Those of you who know me (especially Pastor Van) know that me + tools (usually)= disaster.  Well, I'm proud to say that I put the shelf together all on my own.  I even had to go to the hardware store to replace a poorly made screw.  So what does this have to do with my dad?  Well, for starters, I had to call him when the aforementioned screw had issues, at which point I had a mini meltdown.  But, my daddy took care of it.  He told me what to do.  And then asked how I was feeling.  In other thankfulnesses about my dad, I'm thankful that for the past 22 years, he's handled all my handy man projects. And I'm thankful that I can just pick up my cellular device and talk to him whenever/wherever I want.

:)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

So, I realized this morning as I sat down to write three more days worth of "Thankful Thoughts" that I haven't done very well at posting daily.  I've posted for every day, but not daily.  Oh well... it's the thought that counts, right? :)

Day 22

I'm sure you're all sick of hearing it, but I'm thankful for my best friend, Laura.  She may be my sister, but that's what makes our friendship so great!  Specifically, I'm thankful for the fleeting moments we're able to spend together.  I'm thankful that I can shoot her a text and set up a dinner date for minutes later.  I'm thankful that we can run to the store together.  God gave me the best little sister in the whole world, and since beginning this thankful thoughts project, I've realized just how much I take her for granted.  Well, not any more.  I love you, Helen!  (P.S.- Helen... can I get a double serving of that Paulie Allen Puffer? LOL!)

Day 23

I'm thankful for a fantastic new assistant manager.  The assistant manager at Greenberg's Jordan Creek, Chris, is awesome.  Mostly, I'm bragging on him today because once he found out how far I was driving to get home, he let me cut out 1/2 an hour early.  He would have let me go even earlier, but it didn't come up till half an hour before my shift was up.  Thanks for being awesome, Chris!

Day 24- Thanksgiving

I'm thankful that there is a day set aside entirely for giving thanks to our Creator for the many blessings he has given throughout the year.  The Vance family certainly has quite a lot to be thankful for this year, just as we did last year and the year before that and so on.  This afternoon, the family will come together for a mid-day meal.  Around the table will be many people that weren't here last year, or could have easily not been here this year.  Lindsey and her kids will be here for the first time since she moved to California six years ago.  My mom's parents are here for the first time in probably about the same amount of years.  My dad's dad will be here this year; last year he was in a nursing home recovering from his near death experience. My dad's brother's family will all be here.  All of them.  We could have lost half of them in a massive car accident last Easter. But we didn't.  Because God chose to bless us in that way.  There is rumor that my dad's sister and all of her kids (including an amazing daughter-in-law and adorable grandson) will be with us this year.  She hasn't been to a family Thanksgiving or any family event for that matter in probably five to seven years.  Yes, the Vance family certainly has an abundance for which to be thankful.

But, even if none of these people were seated around our table this year, we would still have plenty to be thankful for because no matter what happens here on this earth, Christ still took the punishment for my sins at Calvary.  And He is still the conquering and reigning King.

So in the midst of enjoying family, eating more food than you ought, and watching football or "Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving," take a moment to be thankful for the ONE thing that truly matters most.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!

Fireworks, Fellow Believers & My New Job

Day 19

I'm thankful for my sister Laura and for the wonderful person that invented fireworks!  Friday night we went out to Jordan Creek mall for the annual Tree Lighting event, which ends with fireworks.  We LITERALLY had the best seats of anyone.  Literally.  Not even joking.  And the sweet thing is that we only got the best seats because we were late and had to make a plan B.  They were literally (yes LITERALLY) shooting the fireworks so that they exploded right over our heads!  It was SOOOOO awesome!

Day 20

I'm thankful for the bond believers share in Christ.  I went to church with Laura and we had a marvelous day!  We started out in little kid Sunday school, where Laura taught a hand full of street kids about David & Goliath.  Then we had service, which was given to a missionary to France.  Finally, we ate ourselves silly at a marvelous potluck! WOWSERS!  Those people know how to do a potluck!  Then, I went over to the pastor's house with all the Faith kids for the afternoon.  We watched Megamind, and had a fantastic time.

Day 21

My new job is wonderful!  Seriously, I'm so glad to be back at Greenberg's.  I know there will be days that I "hate" my job, but in the big scheme of things, I really love it!  Every time I answered the phone today and there was a fellow Greenberg's employee on the other end of the line, I was kindly welcomed back to the company.  I like working with beautiful jewelry, and I seriously like not having to sell people things they don't want.  All the add-on stuff at Greenberg's is worth it!  Not... magazines... (if you don't know what that means, don't ask...)

Only 2 more days until Thanksgiving!  I can't believe it!  I LOVE this time of year!

A Place to Call Home & Excellent Customer Service

Day 17
Well, it's done.  My worldly goods have all been packed in boxes and bags.  I'm thankful for my awesome daddy and his stellar puzzle solving skills.  I was SURE that the massive amount of boxes and bags would never EVER fit in my car.  Before he started loading the car, I said to my dad, "I'm afraid I don't give my car enough credit on size, and I highly underestimate the determination of my father."  Turns out I was dead on.  He was able to get pretty much everything in that I hadn't set aside for next week... and then some.  I have like three things left on my list of "get this at Thanksgiving."

Along with that, I'm sure this will come up again, but I'm thankful that when I get in my car today and drive to Ankeny I have a place to go and a fabulous couple with which to live.  God provides in ways that I don't expect, and I'm always amazed at how perfect His plan is!

Day 18
I'm thankful for excellent customer service!  My dear Iris (yes, my car has a name.  Don't judge) had a dangerously low tire last night!  And, of course, we didn't realize there was an issue until AFTER dad had packed the car to capacity.  Well, how on earth am I supposed to make a trip to Mt. Pleasant and then on to Ankeny on a flat tire (especially when the spare tire is buried in the trunk under mounds of tightly-packed stuff)?!  I'm thankful that I still (for the next few hours) live in small-town Iowa.  The local mechanic and his wife LOVE us, so they were able to squeeze me in first thing this morning.  There was, indeed, a nail in the tire, and removal of said nail cost right around $10!  And my mom even paid the bill as a "thanks for taking me to Keokuk yesterday" gift.

And next time you hear from me, I'll have a new address! :)

People, Pizza, & Packing

Well, it's been a busy week, that's for sure, so I'm a little behind in my "daily" thankfulness quest for November. Here's me catching up:

Day 14

We took my beautiful niece to her check-up, which had to be done in Iowa City since she was born premature. So today, I'm thankful that Alexxa is healthy and whole.  I'm thankful that she is developing normally, and that she is growing every day!  When a child is born 9 weeks early, there is no guarantee that he or she will be "normal."  I'm thankful that, despite all odds, Alexxa is as close to perfect as possible!

Day 15
Here's something random, but entirely true.  I'm thankful for the genius that invented PIZZA.  Pizza is my absolute favorite food of all time, and I eat it two or three times a week.  I mean seriously!  There are so many different ways to eat it, and a HUGE variety to choose from.  Pure. Genius.

Day 16
Well, I did a little more packing today. I really am not a fan.  However, it did give me reason to be thankful. I'm thankful that (1) I'm not a pack rat and (2) that I am super organized.  I can't imagine trying to pack if either of these things were different about me.


Hopefully, I'll be back to the daily thing soon, but since I move on Friday... well, we'll see what happens...

Boxes of Memories & Thanksgiving Dinner

Day 12-  I'm thankful for an abundance of memories.  Yesterday, I began packing up my room, going through all my worldly goods, and sifting through my memories. As always, it was... well... less than fun.  I don't like packing.  It makes me sad.  Packing means leaving, and I don't like starting over.  Yet, at the same time, I LOVE starting over.  I like the fresh new feeling of beginning again. So as I sifted, sorted, and packed, I was reminded of a great deal of wonderful life moments from my past.  In that regard, I'm thankful for the opportunity to move because in doing so, I was able to think about some pretty great things.

Day 13- I'm pretty sure I mentioned this one already, but I'm don't think there aren't any rules about "no repeats" so...  I'm thankful for my amazingly wonderful church family at Farmington.  Today was our annual Thanksgiving dinner after the service, and I was reminded of just how awesome my family in Christ is.  We are blessed with an abundance of marvelous cooks, which I'm pretty sure is practically a requirement to be Baptist!  I enjoyed great conversation around the table with some key adults from my life, who still love me: a former Sunday school teacher... or three, a former piano teacher, and several other wonderful people.  As this was my last Sunday at Farmington for quite awhile, I really took the time to lock these faces into my memory and remember this day.  

Thankfulness and Dating

What?!  I know, an odd title, but I hope it intrigues you enough to at least hear me out.

First of all, I will be sharing my Thankfulness Days 10 & 11:

Day 10- I'm thankful that there are still small town country doctors around who care more about making their patients healthy again than they do about being rich.  One such doctor has assisted me in [hopefully] heading off a [terrible, awful, no good, very VERY bad... at least in my case] sinus infection, which [for me] always leads to bronchitis.  Thank You, Dr. Pam!!!

Day 11-  I'm thankful that I am an American citizen, born and raised right here in the good 'ol USA!  I'm thankful for my friends, family, and those whom I have never met that serve in the military, fighting to keep me free.  Far too often, I take my freedoms for granted: freedom to worship the One True God; freedom to speak my mind; freedom to go anywhere and do anything I please [ok... within the law...].  I'm thankful that I go to bed at night without fear, in a warm bed and clean pajamas.

And now... the Dating part:

Earlier this evening, I was having a conversation with my marvelously wonderful friend Thomas about dating, when I kind of just lost it.  Poor, patient Thomas read every word of the million texts it took to get my point across.  Here's the gist of what I said:

Dating really irritates me.  For the most part, those of us who grew up Baptist, have been told from day 1 that you "date to find a mate."  Well, I agree with that to an extent, but for cryin' out loud!  Faith girls, here's a little nougat of truth for you [brace yourselves... it's pretty shocking]: Just because a guy asks you out on a date does NOT mean he wants to marry you!  And just for the record: Good first dates do NOT come with sparkling diamond rings! For some reason, at least when I was at Faith, it seemed like the second you accepted a date invitation, or even a "sit with me in chapel?" invitation, people assumed you had already chosen your china pattern AND set a wedding date!  Now, I understand that dating comes with a responsibility, and I'm not saying that we should just say "yes!" to any and every guy that asks, but if the fellow is a good friend of yours, or even a nice guy who just happens to sit next to you in one class you happen to have together, what, may I ask, is the harm in going on one single date with him?  Especially if you  both understand that it is JUST as friends!?

Being a graduate of Faith myself, I'm pretty sure that I utterly shocked Thomas, and practically left him speechless.  I pretty much told him that I think "dating" a good friend now and again may even be helpful to both parties, as it gives you practice!  Guys need to learn how to be gentlemen, and ladies need to give them the chance to learn! And, I speak for myself in this, ladies: we need to learn how to be on a date!  I, for one, need to learn how to just  be myself!  If a good guy friend of mine were to call me up and say "Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to go out Saturday afternoon? Maybe for a stroll at the mall?  We could get some Starbucks and browse?  Just as friends?" Well... depending on the guy, I'd probably say "yes!"

Here's my one rule:  I won't go on a date with anyone with whom there isn't the slightest chance of a potential relationship [which obviously means he has to be a regenerate believer.  If you don't know that pertinent information, you should probably find that out before saying yes].  That's just not fair to either party.  If we're already good friends, then I'd say there is definite potential.  I'm not saying that if I say "yes" to a date that I expect a relationship to follow.  Absolutely not!  I'm just saying that any time two members of the opposite sex go out publicly together to hang out exclusively, even if it IS just as "friends," there is always the chance that one or both parties may fall for the other.

There.  I've said it.  I feel way better, even if you hate my views and think I'm the worst person to ever walk the planet.  :)

Thankfulness Day 9: Snow

Yes, that's right.  I'm thankful for snow!  I'm thankful for the super-size, white fluffy stuff that graced the skies this morning.  I'm thankful that it was heavy and wet, and that it disappeared almost immediately upon hitting the ground.  I'm thankful for a cozy living room where I was able to enjoy the snow from my window.  

For those of you who know my mom at ALL, this part will surprise you: I'm thankful that I was able to spend all morning with my mom.... WATCHING MOVIES!  We NEVER do that, and she almost NEVER EVER plants the idea in MY head.  What fun!  We watched a double feature of Though None Go With Me and The Christmas Box. :)

Thankful for...

I didn't forget to post yesterday, I simply decided to double up on today's post.  Don't ask me why... I don't know! :)

Day 7: Sensory Details

I often take these for granted, but I'm so incredibly thankful for my sight, sense of smell, taste, etc.! Life would be so different without these, and quite frankly, I don't want to think about it.  Not being able to smell cookies baking in the oven; not seeing the leaves change color in the fall; not being able to feel the smooth, soft cheek of my beautiful niece; not being able to hear the rain as it hits the window or the sound of my family laughing.  What a sad world that would be!

Day 8: Abundance

I'm thankful that I not only have a roof over my head and clothes to wear, but that I live in a very nice house and have [in my opinion] great clothes to wear!  I don't go hungry, and I never worry about going out in the elements because I have plenty of clothes to choose from.  I'm thankful that my parents graciously have allowed me to live in their house for the last 22 years free of charge, especially since I came home from college.  I'm thankful that I have running water, and it even gets hot!  I'm thankful that I don't have to go outside my home to do laundry.  I think I take these things for granted far too often.  Not everyone is afforded these luxuries. I should be more thankful.

What are you thankful for today?

And Now... the Moment We've All Been Waiting For...

Yep, that's right!  It's time for the big announcement:  I have a full time job again!  With this wonderful news comes some other excitement, so prepare yourselves.

Three and a half weeks ago, I went to Ankeny for a few days.  I told most of the people I ran into that I was there visiting my sister at Faith, which was true, but I was also there for another reason: to interview for a full time job at Greenberg's Jewelers at Jordan Creek.  To cut the story short, I've been doing a WHOLE LOT of waiting since then, but I finally received a phone call this past Friday wherein they offered me the job! Of course, I took it, and I begin on Saturday, November 19.

For the time being, I will be staying with a dear couple from Ankeny, with whom I attended church while I was a student at Faith.  I'm soooo incredibly thankful for their kind hospitality in allowing me to live in their basement!  I can only attribute the working of these details to our incredibly awesome God!

So, in order to kill two birds with one stone so to speak, Thankfulness Day 6 is this: I'm thankful for a sovereign God, Who knows the plans He has for me (Jeremiah 29:11)!  God is so good to me, and I'm glad that, in His perfect time, everything has come together.  I'm also thankful for once again being employed full time at a job I love!

Thanks to all who have been praying.  You have no idea how much I truly needed it!  As most of you know, patience is not a strength of mine, but this experience has definitely taught me that patience and trusting God go hand in hand.

Oh, and another thing: have I ever mentioned that I just LOVE Sundays? :)

Day 5: My Best Friend

How many people can honestly say that their absolute best friend in the whole entire world just happens to be their little sister?  I'd guess that there aren't too many of us out there, but today I'm thankful that I'm 100% one of these kinds of people.

My best friend is my younger sister Laura.  We're 2 years and 10 months apart (almost to the day!). She wasn't my best friend until her first year of high school, which just happened to be my last.  We spent so much time together that year, and ever since, she has been my best friend.  She's away at college now, but at least she gets to come home for random weekends. Today I am thankful that THIS is one of those random weekends.  :)

Day 4: Music

Anyone who knows me knows how much I LOVE music.  Contemporary, Old School, Christian, Secular, Instrumental/Orchestral, Broadway: there's all kinds of great stuff! So today, I'm thankful for music.  I'm thankful for my ability to not only hear great music, but also for the ability to sing it and play it as well!  

What am I currently listening to? Well, to be honest, YES, I am one of those people.  I'm already adding Christmas music to my ipod.  Here are my top five songs/albums of the week:

1. Thankful

Album: Noel

Artist: Josh Groban

I love this song!  It's my favorite secular Thanksgiving song ever recorded.  Seriously.  Thanks, Josh Groban, for stepping up and actually including Thanksgiving on your Holiday CD!

2. Cold December Night

Album: Christmas

Artist: Michael Bublé

Michael Bublé + Christmas = Does it GET any better?!  This guy is one of my all-time favorite artists EVER! If you like his other stuff, let me tell you this: his Christmas CD will NOT disappoint!  This song is a fresh new Christmas love wish!  

3. One Thing God Can't Do

Album: Just Stand

Artist: Legacy 5

"There's just one thing God can't do, and that's stop loving you."  Wow.  Talk about some awesomely powerful lyrics!  This song has spoken to me in many various ways over the last year.  I heard it for the first time last January at my very first L5 concert, and I've gotta say... it stuck!  No matter how sinful and unfaithful I may be, God is always faithful and will never stop loving me. Thanks for the powerful reminder, L5!!!

4. The Singer [Let There Be Light]

Album: One Wintry Night

Artist: David Phelps

As always, David Phelps delivers an awesome God-centered song!  This one focuses on Christ's coming to earth as a child to bring the light of hope to a lost and dying world.  "And the Singer sings on, still writes the song of the redeemed!"  What great lyrics to focus us on the true meaning of Christmas!

5. Around the World

Album: 16 Most Requested Songs

Artist: Buddy Greco

Again, no surprise, but I'm a huge HUGE fan of the new ABC show Pan Am!  This marvelously catchy tune, which is a remake of the old Frank Sinatra song, was featured on the TV Premier trailer.  Can't get it out of my head!

Well, there you have it.  The top five songs of my ipod for the time being that make me thankful for all kinds of music!

So... what are YOU thankful for today?  :)

Thankful Thoughts

Thanks to my friend Jess over at An Aroma of My Savior, I've decided to {try} to post every day of November about something for which I am thankful.  So, in order to catch up, here are days 1, 2, &3!  PS- Thanks for the inspiration, Jess!

Day 1: Family

I have the most amazing family!  This past weekend, we had a small get together at my aunt and uncle's house to celebrate another aunt's birthday.  Most of the cousins and family were there, and I was just reminded of how blessed I am to have such an amazing family!  Also, in the chaos that is my life, I'm thankful specifically for my parents.  They are the anchor that keeps me from drifting into dangerous and treacherous waters.

Day 2: Church

People who aren't part of a church family have no idea what a blessing they're missing!  I'm so thankful for my church family!  They support me, pray for me, and love me no matter what.  I'm thankful for their presence in my life and for their genuine concern.  Missing church makes me sad because it means I won't get to see my honorary aunts, uncles, grandparents, siblings, and nieces/nephews for at least another few days!  I couldn't ask for a more amazing church family than the one I have at First Baptist Church in Farmington!

Day 3: Cold, Rainy Days

This won't make sense to most people, but I'm honestly thankful for rainy, cold days like we had today!  I love how these kind of days in November make me want to cuddle up with a fluffy blanket and a good movie/tv show/ book.  Coffee somehow tastes even better on cold, windy days too!  There's just something about days like today that make the holidays seem that much closer!

Stay tuned for the rest of my Thankful Thoughts, and feel free to try it yourself!

Wild, Crazy Fun!

It's been awhile since I posted for the Photo Challenge, so for today- since I have nothing new to report on my crazy life- here's a photo of 

People with whom I do wild & crazy things!

These girls are wonderful! They make me laugh so hard!  We recently went out for a "girls night," and Oh. My. Word!  We had WAAAAYY too much fun!

In other news, I should know by the end of the week what's going on in my crazy, wonderful life!  Thanks for praying & stay tuned!

Seasons of Change

I think I may have mentioned this before, but just in case you've forgotten, this is my absolute most favorite time of year!  The weather is changing, and the promise of winter is in the air.  The changing leaves remind us of God's perfect plan for His creation as they drift to the ground.  My three favorite holidays are just around the corner:  Thanksgiving, the day AFTER Thanksgiving, and Christmas!

As some of you know (and all of you will know after reading this post), life has been pretty crazy for me over the last few weeks.  I'll give you the short rundown here, but if you really want to know every single little detail, I can probably send you a seventy-five page e-mail later. :)  Last weekend, I had a little mid-life crisis.  This scares me a little bit because I'm only 22.  I hope that doesn't mean I'll be dying at 44!!

Anyhow, I was sitting at my desk working on my homework, and it hit me:  I really don't want to do this!  Now, it wasn't just the typical college kid "I hate homework and would rather be doing ANYTHING else!" kind of thing. It was more of an "I definitely do not want to do this for the rest of my life" kind of realization.  This realization, combined with a large number of other things God brought to my attention sealed the deal. So the short version is that last Monday, I withdrew as a student at Iowa Wesleyan College effective immediately.  I got a pretty sweet refund out of the whole ordeal, and I am SOOO much happier and at peace with my life!

God is so good to us, is He not?  I knew for positive sure that He was leading me back to school, so it was hard for me to understand at first why He would lead me away from college half way through my first semester back. However, after thinking it over during the last week, I came to this conclusion:  God led me back to school so that He could SHOW me why He doesn't want me to be a teacher.  I tend to be a little hard-headed, and God knows that, so He told me the only way I would listen (or at least the way I would listen the fastest).  I'm so thankful that God works very suddenly in my life; otherwise, I'm afraid I would over think things and rationalize my own agenda.

So now what, you may ask?  Well, that's a very good question.  I applied for a few full-time jobs.  One was in Des Moines, the other is pretty close to home.  Again, in keeping with the "short" version, I can tell you I'm pretty sure that I will NOT be moving to Des Moines.  I have not yet been offered the job, and there were just a number of other things that led me to believe God had other plans for me at this time.

I have applied for what I think will be the perfect job (close to home!!), but I have yet to hear whether or not they are considering me for the position.  I am definitely qualified, as it is a secretarial position, and that is what I went to college for!  I'm really hoping and praying that God will open the door to this huge potential pseudo-ministry! 

As soon as I know for sure what's going on in my life, I'll be sure to let you all know too!  Thanks for stopping by!

Finding My Place

Life confuses me.  It seems that no matter what I choose or where I go, it's not right.  I feel the Lord leading me, but sometimes I feel like once I arrive, He abandons me.  I know this isn't true, but that's sometimes how it feels.

That being said, it looks like change might be once again in the air.  Maybe it's something in the water... Nothing concrete yet, but I'll keep you posted. All I can say is that I feel like I'm living the real-life music video to Michael W. Smith's Place in This World. I find this interesting because that was one of our Senior class songs my last year of high school.  Anyhow... hopefully I'll find the place where I belong soon!  This is just getting ridiculous!  Don't worry... I don't expect you to understand or even agree with me.

In other news, my wonderful-amazing bestest friend in the whole world is coming for a visit this weekend.  I haven't seen Laura (unless you count some sketchy Skype) since we took her away in August.  Her birthday is this coming Wednesday, so we get to do some serious celebrating this weekend! I soooo love that girl!

I guess that's all for now.  Stay tuned!

A Wonderful Weekend

I love this time of year.  From now to the first part of January, I will be {for the most part} a very happy person. It begins with the hint of fall in early September, and ends with the celebration of a new year in early January.  In reality, it's all the stuff in the in-between that I love the most:  crisp, cool (maybe rainy) days, my sister's birthday, Thanksgiving, the day AFTER Thanksgiving, my birthday, another sister's birthday, Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, and my precious niece's birthday in mid January.
Anyhow, this weekend was the beginning of my favorite time of year.  The weather was simply fantastic!  I love rainy, cool fall(ish) days when all you want to do is curl up by the window, crawl under a blanket, and read a book or watch a movie.  If I hadn't kicked my Spanish class to the curb last Tuesday, I'd have been cuddled up with a big binder of garbage I didn't want to study and my laptop.  Thankfully, instead, I was able to be curled up with my favorite two little girls: Bethany & Alexxa.  My cousin and second best friend, April, and her sister Alisa came over for awhile to watch a movie.  Verrrrryyy relaxing!
On Saturday, I started working the sales floor at Peebles.  I think I'm really going to love my job. After work, I went with the fam to celebrate "Grandma" Edith's 80th birthday.  "Aunt" Nancy was home for the occasion, so it's been really fun catching up with her this weekend.

Well... I guess it's time to get back to the homework for this fresh, new week!  Hope you all have an amazing week!

Alexxa and I ended up matching (for real... it was NOT planned!).  

I sure do love these girls!

Teaching & A Parade

Upon my sisters untimely (at least in my opinion) departure, the role of 3-6 year old Sunday School teacher became mine... kinda.  I didn't actually start teaching until... today! Anyhow, most of you won't care whatsoever about this, but for my wonderful sister, here are a few pictures of my first bulletin boards in my new classroom.  Enjoy!

Attendance: each student chooses a leaf to staple to the board

Harvesting Love, Joy, Peace, Faith, & Gentleness 

 The somewhat festive hallway...

We also took in the Rodeo parade in Ft. Madison this weekend.  

Bethy is a huge fan of parades where they throw candy!

It says "Cute & Adorable Cowgirl in charge"

And In Other News...

Yikes!  I can't believe I'm already two weeks in to the new school year!  Where on earth did the time go?  I'm really enjoying my classes, or at the very least, I've done a fairly good job of convincing myself (and my professors) that I am.  I started the semester with 19 credit hours (one freebie), but after a little discussion and common sense, I dropped two classes (3 credit hours) and am down to 16. What classes am I taking, you may ask?  Well, here ya go:

• Composition (a 4-credit writing intensive course for Freshmen)
• Developmental Psychology
• Education of Exceptional & Diverse Persons
• Readings in Literature for Adolescents
• Spanish I

Three of the five courses also have a service learning component, which means part of my grade will be based on a community service type project.  I have to have so many service learning hours completed in order to graduate, so this is a great way to get some of those taken care of.  The work isn't too hard, nor is it terribly time consuming... at least not yet. I'm sure these things will come.

In other news, Lindsey and Alexxa finally arrived this morning.  Bethy was ecstatic, as was the rest of the family.  Baby A is so cute!  I can't believe how tiny she still is; she looks like a newborn even though she's actually 2 months old (on Tuesday). So stinkin' adorable!  Now I actually get to actively be the favorite aunt of two! I guess we'll see how that goes... having a baby in the house while I'm trying to do homework. :)

Not much else to report.  Yes, Laura is still gone.  She needs to come home, or I need to move there.  Either way would be fine.  I miss her sooooo much!  I haven't seen her in three weeks, which is far too long!  She and I are still both seriously in need of jobs.  Nothing seems to be opening up for either of us, so if anyone out there knows of something, let us know. We're trying to keep ourselves from being anxious.  God will supply our needs (Phil. 4:19), and all we need to do is actively trust and pray (Phil. 4:6).  I'll keep ya posted!

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Vacation Illustrated

Vacation is wonderful!  Every summer for as long as I can remember, long about August, my family piles into the mini van and drives 600 miles to see my grandparents (Mom's parents) in Nebraska.  This year was no different.  Well, maybe it was a little different.  We had the World's Cutest 6 1/2-year-old with us this year, but that was different in a fun way.  :)

We didn't really do much during the week we were gone.  Mostly we just did things locally, like celebrate hick-stick days (or Brule (little dinky town) Days... something totally Podunk-y!), go to church, and laze about the house. So, rather than bore you with the details, here are a few pictures of Bethy enjoying her first ever parade with candy (apparently they don't throw candy at parades in California. Weirdos!!).

Waiting for the parade to start

 Getting candy in the street!!

With the horses...

Learning to be "attractive" with Aunt Looney

Face painting :)

Penny Toss!!!! Yay for free money!

Penny collection :)

The highlight of the trip for Laura and me was spending a day and a half in Denver with Aunt Lisa, Uncle Dave, and Téa.  We left Sunday after church from our Grandparents' house and arrived in Denver in the late afternoon. On Monday, we had the house to ourselves.  An entire day just for us to relax and not have to interact with anyone.  Laura chose to spend her "Me" day lazing on the couch reading a book.  I chose to spend my "Me" day at the mall.  There's just something about going to the mall alone that totally relaxes me.  I know... weird, right? But I've learned to live with it...

Anyhow, Laura has to be at Faith on Thursday, so this week will consist of cleaning, sorting, packing, & repeating.  We both begin classes on Monday (Aug. 22), so it could be a very busy week in the Vance house! 

 Thanks for stopping by! :)

Somewhere Between Here and the End of the Book

Have you ever met one of those people who think reading the last chapter of a book is a good way to decide whether or not to read the entire thing? Ya, I'm not one of those people.  And to be perfectly honest, those people annoy me!

Life has been pretty crazy over the last couple of months.  For those of you who've been keeping up with me, you know exactly what I mean.  For those of you who haven't, well... read some of my posts from the last few months, and you'll figure it out. The latest development hit me Saturday night.  My best friend and little sister, Laura, dropped the bomb on us that, in accordance with the Lord's leading in her life, she would be attending Faith Baptist Bible College for her education.  The original plan was for both of us to attend Iowa Wesleyan College together in the fall.

I was a big fan of the original plan.  In fact, I was a big advocate of the original plan.  We were both excited about going to school together again.  Then there's the bomb shell: Faith. Now, before you think I'm  being totally hypocritical (considering that FBBC was my first college of choice), I'd like to say that I am SUPER excited for Laura!  She feels the Lord leading her into missions/education.  What better place to mesh the two than Faith?  I know she's gonna love it... I just also know that I'm going to MISS HER like crazy!

I've been sitting here for over two hours processing it all just one more time.  I'm not ready for my best friend to leave.  I'm not ready to things to change.  I'm not ready to lose my constant ally, companion, and  confidant. I'm definitely not ready to give up my personal dessert chef! But God doesn't work on my timetable, and although it doesn't feel like it right this second, I'm glad for that.  Isaiah 55:8-9 promises that His thoughts/ways are higher/better than ours, so who am I to argue?!

But for the first time in my life, I kinda feel like one of those people.  You know... the ones I was talking about in the beginning... the ones who always have to read the last chapter first. I used to think of my life as one big book with many chapters.  Then one day, I realized that all the BEST books always have a sequel... or better yet (Karen Kingsbury) dozens of others to follow.  So I decided my life is more like a series of books. Each one uniquely titled and written by the best Author of all. I just think if I could skip to the last chapter of this particular book and see how it all ends, I might enjoy the rest of the story a little more.  Thankfully, with God in control, I don't have to worry about how it will end.  I just have to trust that it will work out for our good and for His glory.  For now, I guess I'm just stuck somewhere between here and the end of the book.

How Cool Are You?!

Ok, it's officially HOT outside!  For those of you who've been wondering why on earth I'd ever want to leave southeast Iowa for the mountains of Colorado, here's your answer: HUMIDITY (Iowa has a surplus; Colorado has zilch!)!  I loath and despise the stuff!  Have you BEEN outside today? Yikes!  Talk about instant heat stroke!

In light of the fiery temperatures outside this week, I thought I would share with you 10 things this weather is good for:

1. Ice cream
2. Swimming
3. Ice cube wars
4. Movie marathons (inside... basking in the central air)!
5. Eating cold foods like salads, sub sandwiches, etc. (avoid using the oven!)
6. Water Balloon Fights- any kind of water fights!
7. Slushies, smoothies, & blended coffee drinks
8. Jet Skiing (one of my personal favorites!)
9. Scrapbooking (this is good in any weather- during THIS weather, you should make sure you're in an air-conditioned location!)
10. Singing Christmas Carols (mind over matter, right?!)

DISCLAIMER: This should by no means be taken as an indication of my endorsement of such weather. :)

Creativity Hurricane

Two of my many hobbies are scrapbooking and card making.  Today, I spent a lazy Saturday afternoon/evening doing just that! I dug out all my supplies, popped in a movie, & got to work.  I had a pretty productive day! Here are the end results:

A Birthday Card for my friend in Germany~ 

Her birthday is next month!

A batch of "Pocket" cards. 

I use these quite frequently because I enjoy writing lengthy letters. The letter paper is just 12x6 scrapbooking paper (muted design... if it's too  busy, it is REALLY hard to write on & read) folded in quarters so you end up with a 3x6 accordion.  Since I was completely out of this sort of card, I made 7!

These are two of my favorites: 

Love in Bloom

It says "If you don't have a smile, 

you can borrow one of mine!"

P.S.- Feel free to let this inspire YOUR creativity! :)

The Bestest Friend I Love

It's been awhile since I did a post for the Photo Challenge, so today I'll be doing just that.  Enjoy!

A picture of the person you have been 

closest with the longest and/or your best friend:

My Sister Laura!

The Lion King

Des Moines Civic Center

 Swinging at the Park

Christmas 2009 

Nebraska

Painting Laura's Room

(At the time, it was going to be OUR room.)

Laura hasn't always been my best friend.  We didn't get along so well when we were in Elementary/Jr. High.  BUT, my Senior year of high school, she was a Freshman.  And that's when we became best friends.  It was natural, really.  We hung out with the same people, had most of the same friends, and did things together.  Now, I can't imagine NOT having her as my best friend!

My top 10 favorite things about my best friend 

(in no particular order):

1. when she tells me "You have beautiful eyes!"

2.  Reading Junie B. Jones books out loud

3.  Late night babblings 

(I talk... she listens)

4.  Breaking out in random song & dance 

(she sings... I dance!)

5.  Going to school together- this time to become teachers!

6.  Watching my favorite movie together

7.  Family Vacation 

8. Using names like "Helen" and "Grandpa Frank Miller" 

in public

9.  Any meal in the privacy of our own home... where we can be ourselves!

10.  She's my sister, which means we LIVE in the SAME HOUSE!  That's the best part of all!

French Braids & Painted Nails

The World's Cutest 6-Year-Old just happens to be staying with us for the summer.  My adorable niece, Bethany, has been so much fun to have around over the last month!  Today, we painted our nails purple & hot pink.  After that, I french braided her hair... she wanted to  be just like Aunt Cece!  I love that little girl!

The big  news around here is that Bethy is now a BIG SISTER!!! Baby Alexxa Lynn was born on Wednesday.  However, since Beth's mom is in California, we haven't gotten to meet her yet.  Baby Alexxa will be in the hospital for quite awhile because she is about nine weeks early.  Thankfully, mom & baby are both doing fine.  Here is Bethany making a couple of "name plates" for baby Alexxa's incubator home:

10 before 30

There are so many things I want to do, see, and experience in this life!  As with anything though, if you don't have a specific deadline, most things never get accomplished.  

So, here is my list of "10 [things to do] Before [I turn] 30" with a deadline of my 30th birthday 

(which is scheduled for December 6, 2019):

1. Visit NYC during Christmas/New Year's
2. Move to Colorado
3. Finish my teaching degree and get a job teaching Literature or Drama (or both!) in a public High School
4. Play a role in a local theater's production of a musical 
5. Go to the Tree Lighting at Jordan Creek in Des Moines
6. Visit the Mall of America
7. Get Married (although, this one isn't really within my control)
8. Visit colonial history (Washington DC, Boston, etc.)
9. Read through the entire Bible (yes, even the "boring" parts)
10. Learn to play at least one Jon Schmidt song well enough to be performed

It doesn't look like much, but I only have 8 1/2 years to complete the list, and I'll be in school for the next 2 1/2.  Stay tuned for progress; I'm sure I'll alert you as I cross things off the list!

Up, Up, & Away!

What has Lacy been up to over the last month? In light of my lack of blogging, you may be asking this question (or at least my 4 faithful followers probably are). The truth is I've been crazy busy!  Here's the condensed version of my life in the last three weeks:

- My older sister, Lindsey, made the decision to move back to Iowa.  She has a 6-year-old and a baby on the way.  The plan was for them to move into our house, thus moving me out of my room and into Laura's.  We had just one week to get everything situated before Dad and I flew out to California to help Lindsey pack up the truck and drive back to Iowa.

-Laura and I made the executive decision to paint "our" room.  We moved everything out and painted three walls white and one wall sunflower yellow in two days.  It looks fabulous!

-Dad and I few out of Des Moines on Friday, June 24 at 8pm.  We arrived in San Diego at 11pm (that's 1am Iowa time).  Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE flying!  Great trip!

-Oh ya, Friday morning before we left, Lindsey called to let us know she was in the hospital waiting to have her baby.  Long story, but just FYI- she'll probably be having her baby TODAY. That means she's been in the hospital over a week... almost two.

-Saturday & Sunday, Dad and I cleaned house, boxed up all the stuff, and packed the truck (which happened to be the LAST Budget truck in the COUNTY available until after July 4).  

-Monday: 19 hours, 5 states (California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, & Colorado), and 2/3 of a murder mystery novel before arriving in Denver for our overnighter at Dave & Lisa's.

-Tuesday: 15 hours, 3 states (Colorado, Nebraska, & Iowa), and the rest of the murder mystery novel before arriving back home.

-Dad and I returned the truck on Thursday.  I did some shopping & got lots of bargains!

-Friday: Potluck & Fireworks with the Farmington church family to celebrate the 4th of July... SO FUN!  Also, my "brother" and his lovely wife joined us all the way from Huxley, Iowa!  I haven't seen them in months... so good to finally spend a little time with them again!

-Saturday: Assist with wedding "mini" reception before attending main reception.  Again... SO FUN!

-Sunday: Dinner with the extended family for Grandpa's 86th birthday followed by April, Amber, & Alisa spending the night for some quality chick-flick time.

-Monday: lazy day at home.  FINALLY!

Now I'm back to work.  That's my life over the last three weeks in a nutshell.  Things are still up in the air with Lindsey.  She won't be able to come to Iowa until at least a few weeks after the baby is born.  However, we do have Bethany (the 6-year-old cutie) staying with us.  She's been super fun to have around.  We've read a million books, watched dozens of movies, and played outside.  Bethy has got to be the sweetest kid ever!  

Thanks for stopping by! 

A Compass

Mr. Holland's Opus  is one of my all-time favorite movies.  The poignant story is of would-be music composer turned teacher Glenn Holland.  His goal is to work a few years teaching music until he has enough money to support his wife while he composes full-time. But, as in most stories, things don't work out quite like planned, and Mr. Holland ends up teaching for many, many years, never finishing his one life-changing composition.  In the end, he is let go due to budget cuts.  On his final day as a teacher, his wife orchestrates a large farewell celebration; many of his students return to take part, proving that his greatest composition was created not in sheets of music, but in the lives of those he influenced.  

These are two of my favorite quotes 

from the movie:

"Mr. Holland had a profound influence on my life and on a lot of lives I know. But I have a feeling that he considers a great part of his own life misspent. Rumor had it he was always working on this symphony of his. And this was going to make him famous, rich, probably both. But Mr. Holland isn't rich and he isn't famous, at least not outside of our little town. So it might be easy for him to think himself a failure. But he would be wrong, because I think that he's achieved a success far beyond riches and fame. Look around you. There is not a life in this room that you have not touched, and each of us is a better person because of you. We are your symphony Mr. Holland. We are the melodies and the notes of your opus. 

We are the music of your life."

~Adult Gertrude Lang, former student of Mr. Holland

"A teacher has two jobs; 

fill young minds with knowledge, yes, 

but more important, 

give those minds a compass 

so that that knowledge 

doesn't go to waste."

~Principal Jacobs

It began when, as a little girl, I played "school" with my little sisters & stuffed animals.  From there, it progressed to a love of books, reading, and writing.  Throughout Elementary School, Middle School, and High School, I attended 5 Young Writers Conferences.  I constantly asked for permission to go to the library.  Books were a staple in my backpack.  When high school rolled around, my English/Literature teachers were always encouraging me to broaden my reading horizons, writing topics, and life goals (note: for most of my high school career, my "life dream" was to be a chef living in New York City). 

By the time my Senior year rolled around, I had big plans to study culinary arts in college, graduate with honors, and move to the big city, much to the dismay of my beloved English/Literature educators (who had mentioned a number of times that I should consider pursuing a degree in English education). However, God had other plans, and I ended up with a passion for secretarial things like organization, public relations, and (big surprise) words!  

I went to Faith Baptist Bible College in the fall of 2008, and I graduated two years later, in the Spring of 2010, with an AA in Administrative Assistance.  God threw open a fabulous door of opportunity for me to use my newly acquired skills (or rather my newly acquired degree... the skills were mostly already there before I went) right away. For the last year, I have worked as the office manager at Calvary Baptist Church. I love my job!  God brought me here for a reason, and I think the growth in my life is great evidence of His purpose.

My love of books, words, and (believe it or not) High School has never really gone away.  AND..... the time has FINALLY come to do something about it!  I can't tell you all how hard it was to make this decision, but it's settled: in August, I will be leaving my oh-so-love-it job and returning to school for a degree in Secondary English Education.  If you keep up with my posting, you may recall that this is one of my life dreams.  I'm so excited!  I received an e-mail this morning telling me that I've been accepted as a full-time transfer student at Iowa Wesleyan College for Fall 2011.  I dearly love the people of CBC, but I can't deny the hand of the Lord in this.  I'm very VERY excited to be finally doing what I've always wanted to do!

I simply cannot present this news without taking a moment to recognize a few people who made this dream possible.  So, in closing, here's to you:

John Grunwald, my MS & HS Vocal Instructor, for never letting me settle for being "good enough", and for always pushing me just a little further than I thought I could go.

Audrey Ekle, my High School English/Literature teacher , for first planting the idea in my head, and for being the best drama teacher/director ever!

Andrea Crooks, my other High School English/Literature teacher, for encouraging me to pursue a career of changing lives by being a teacher, and for being my godly mentor/encourager!

You not only inspired me to be the best version of myself, but you also set the best examples of what a good teacher looks like.  To you I say "Thanks!"