Memorial Weekend in Austin, Texas

I spent Memorial Day weekend down in Austin, Texas to attend my cousin's college graduation at the University of Texas! This was my first time visiting Texas. We mostly hung around Austin on the UT campus, watching bats fly, lounging by the poolside, and enjoying Mexican/Texan food. We also ventured over to San Antonio for a day trip to visit the Alamo and the Riverwalk.
Fun Memorial weekend!

My two cousins,me, and my brother down by the bridge by the river to watch the bats fly off at dusk...the largest urban bat colony....

Bats! Really, kind of gross to me...they all take off at the same time and fly off to the hill country to feed

This sign creeped me out too...something out of a Bate's Hotel movie or something. It even made that buzzing noise!

At my cousin's graduation ceremony...

My aunt and I at the famous Salt Lick restaurant enjoying Texan bbque up in the hill country

The ceremony on Saturday night at the UT tower was amazing but we had to get there a few hours early to save seats and it drizzled the entire time! We forgot umbrellas

Only in Texas...Cowboy boots with a suit(?)!

This shot is the fireworks going off after the ceremony at the tower...it's kind of a scary shot to me...like an explosion...yikes!

In front of the UT tower after the graduation ceremony with my cousins and my brother..."hook em horns!"

Famous UT tower lit up with orange lights and "09" after graduation

The Alamo in San Antonio...weird how it's in the middle of the city...I always pictured it out in the midde of nowhere;)

The Riverwalk in San Antonio...a fun little river than runs through the city...little shops and cafes line the water...we had lunch on the river and took a boat tour

Emily and Morgan (my cousin) outside the Emily Morgan hotel in San Antonio :)

Stephanie's Bachelorette Party

My brother (Sean) is getting married in two weeks. Last night, we went out with his fiance (Stephanie) for her bachelorette party. We started out having dinner at Tony's in Alton and then went over to Fast Eddies. Later on the crew headed back to Eville to hang out but I had to retire early that night bc of my "Girls on the Run" 5K on Sunday morning.

Here are a few pics early on in the night...

Fast Eddies...

mom, me, and my sister

My mom, sister and I with Stephanie and her sister and mom

Girls on the Run

On Sunday I ran a 5K as part of the "Girls on the Run" event. Girls on the Run is a non-profit international org that supports promoting healthy lifestyles and building self-respect in the lives of young girls. The program has developed a whole curriculum that the girls follow throughout several weeks before leading up to the race. The lessons gear towards healthy development in their social, emotional, mental, spiritual and physical development. Our school offered this curriculum for our middle school girls as part of an after school activity.

For more info visit: www.girlsontherun.org

The morning of the race was beautiful. The sun was shining and the temp was just perfect, 70 degrees. The race was held in Forest Park and this time of the year...it's gorgeous! All of the greenery and flower landscape made the run even more beautiful.

Our middle school "Girls on the Run" team

ready-set-go.....off we go....

our schol librarian and a student....this was a bit dangerous...me running backwards and trying to take a shot;)

still running through the park...loved taking in the scenery...

A day out in the city...touring the local brewery and soaking up the warmth in Forest Park

I had today off and spent the day in the company of good friends.
One of my friends that I went to college with (up at Illinois State) and her husband are in town for a few days. Today we toured STL. We started off at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery and then went over to Forest Park for lunch at the Boathouse. I then discovered my back brakes on my car were in desperate need of changing (this became evident when the screeching kicked in), so the next couple of hours were spent at Dobbs;) At least I was in the company of good friends and reminiscing on the good old days back in college and the perks or aging;)
I'm thankful for the friendships I've developed and cultivated over the years!

Laura-Sam-Ann-Mark

me-laura-ann

Anheuser-Busch Brewery-St Louis

Ann-Me-Laura...sampling beer on the end of the tour

Rocking at the Boathouse in Forest Park

lunch at the Boathouse in Forest Park

Induction Ceremony for the National Junior Honor Society

A student and I at the NJHS induction ceremony

Tonight I had the privilege of inducting 37 new members into a new chapter of the National Junior Honor Society at the middle school I work at as a counselor. I am now the official sponsor/adviser of the chapter society at the school. What was really exciting is that this is the first chapter to ever be established at this middle school. History was made tonight...including special memories that I will take with me.

The charter members of our first National Junior Honor Society...this will be framed and hung in our school entrance

The ceremony started out chaotic. Pulling together the organization of this ceremony was a bit overwhelming. May is a busy month for me at work and there is a lot going on. I had to make a lot of last minute decisions in the last couple of days. I wrestled with what songs to walk into and exit...how we would light the candles...the design of the programs...I almost felt like I was planning a wedding;)

Thankfully, the ceremony went really well, with the exceptions of a few minor glitches...like me leaving the pins on my desk in my office and not having time to go get them at the time I realized so because I was in heels and up next to speak;) (Pause. Breathe.) I also was lacking in adult volunteers who for understandable reasons had to bail last minute in helping me out. Therefore I got to play the simultaneous roles of: emcee, speaker, award announcer, cuing students when to enter and exit, photographer, refreshment server, and sound system controller. It was quite funny as I ran from the podium to the sound system to play a song and then back to the podium.

In the end....we pulled it off. I did step back and smile....quite proud that I was able to multi-task. But, most of all, I was so proud of the students. Often as a counselor, I find myself working with students who are having a crisis, academic or behavior problem. Tonight I got to work with students who shine not just in their academic abilities but in their service, leadership, character, and citizenship as well. In the end, the chaos that I walked into turned into a night that in the end made sense and came together. I got a chance to champion the potential of young people! What a privilege in the midst of all the chaos!

8th grade students...proud of their achievement tonight...


And, I deserve to smile :)

Wine Country

A couple of weekends ago I joined some friends out in Augusta, Missouri at the Montelle winery to celebrate a friend's bday. Weekends this time of year are awesome out there because of the live music, great wine, and amazing scenery. I enjoyed my ride out there and even pulled over a few times to take in the beauty at a few scenic points.

This is just a random shot I took out my window while driving...just liked it;)


This is a shot of the Mississppi river (this one is especially for you Anne WP...and the travels of Huck Finn...I thought of you then;)


A shot at the winery overlooking the valley


I think this one is self-explanatory;)

Changing the World One Smile at a Time :)

Monica, Me, & Amee at trivia night for the Smile Train on Saturday night

Just got back from a trivia night to help sponsor a very cool org called the Smile Train. This international charity provides clef lip and clef palate surgeries for children in need in over 75 countries around the world.

Many children in other parts of the world are casted out of their community. They are often teased, not allowed to attend school, and cannot hold a job.

Here is a quick excerpt from their website of a story about a little girl's life who was changed by this org.

Little Pinki suffered for 6 long years.
Treated like an outcast, tormented by children who threw rocks at her and called her Torn Lip. Never allowed to go to school. There were times when her father thought she’d be better off dead.
Then one day, a social worker told her parents about The Smile Train. Pinki and her Dad walked 70 kilometers and she received free surgery that gave her not just a new smile, but a second chance at life.
Millions of children just like Pinki are waiting for the same life-changing surgery. Some have been waiting for 10, 15 even 25 years.
For a simple surgery that takes as little as 45 minutes—and costs as little as $250.

Tonight they raised $11,000. How amazing to think about how many childrens lives will be forever changed!

http://www.smiletrain.org.uk/site/PageServer

Check out Ice Kitchen

Last night I met up with some friends at a new place in Westport Plaza called Ice Kitchen. We were invited to a family/friend night by a friend who is one of the co-owners of Ice Kitchen.

This restaurant/vodka bar features tapas with a fusion taste of Latin American, Mediterranean, and Asian flavors. Tapa prices range from $9-15 and they are open for lunch and I heard the lunch menu rocks! A neat feature is the ice bar which has an ice-topped counter that keeps your drink cool. I love the interior decor, it has a great flare!

We dined outside (such a beautiful evening last night) and then later moved inside for a while for live music and a dj. I had a tomato salad as an appetizer and then an order of their risotto for my main tapa. Excellent! My highlight was ordering a martini flight. I love martinis and they have an awesome selection to order from. My flight consisted of chocolate banana (best choc martini i've had), cool flirt (my new fav), and gold digger (pineapple flavor, great for the summer;)

Last night we did have to wait awhile for the food (they have only been open for two weeks). It was a family/friend night to give the kitchen a chance to get hit hard with orders. So, they were hit hard. In return, there were some discounts and free tapas and drinks to sample. I'm sure in a couple of weeks all the major kinks will be sorted out and things will be flowing smoothly.

Great place to meet up with some friends for happy hour or to hang out on the weekends!

Definitely check it out!


Ice Kitchen
302 Westport Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63146
314-542-2000

RESPONDING TO INJUSTICE

While surfing the net today to catch up on some world news...I came across a disturbing story. It has been reported that the father of a 9-year-old "Slumdog Millionaire" star tried to sell his daughter to an undercover reporter (pretending to be a sheik) for $300,000. This allegation is under investigation and at this time the father is denying such claims.

When I read this story, thoughts flooded my mind...

...of places I visited in India and Thailand where children were being sold into slavery.

How much is a human life worth?


Sex traffiking has been around for centuries and continues to grow as a global problem. It is estimated that around 1.2 million children are traffiked each year. Fifty percent of these victims are children and around 70 percent are female. It can be found in Japan, India, Thailand, Eastern Europe, Brazil, and yes, even the US.

Children are sold into prostitution for an array of reasons. Some children are born into prostitution to support the family or it may be a form of bonded labor. They might be roped in by being tricked, drugged, or abducted. Because traffiking is so lucrative and growing in tourism, there is a demand. Often, these young children are promised to be fed, clothed, and educated. This never happens! When the pimps are finished with these children, either because of disease, sickness, or age, they are thrown out on the streets. Sometimes, these children are bought into slavery for as little as 10 dollars.

Hmmm....what you or I might pay for our dinner or a movie ticket...is the cost of a human life. That is disturbing to me.


I know, reading this information stirs a lot of thoughts and emotions in us. It grieves me. I feel angry. I feel overhwhelmed and hopeless at trying to fight such a global problem. Emotions are God given. Like I teach kids, they are detection signals in our body to alarm us that something is good or bad. How we respond is what makes it right or wrong. God allows us to feel. It is a way for us to connect with Him and others. What do we do with these feelings? How are we responding to these feelings?

Several years ago I attended a conferenece in Southeast Asia. I'll never forget listening to the speaker share about his stories and how he dealt with all the tragedy he witnessed in the world. He had traveled to some rough places and has ministered to some very broken people.

His response: "respond to injustice with justice"


How do we as Christians extend justice to an unjust world? An uunjust cause?

It's easy to turn a blind eye or frown upon these realities and say "that's ashame". Or, to think about and then block out the thoughts because they are difficult to face. And it is. But, I beleive as Christians we are called to respond to injustice. We serve a God that calls us to rise up and extend mercy, compassion, and justice.

How do we do this?

Extending justice can take on many forms. It is becoming aware of what is going on in this world. Take time to learn about human traffiking. There's lots of literature out there. Take time to see what orgs and ministries are intervening. I know it can seem burdensome, but there are many cool stories and miracles of children being rescued. There is hope!

It's about becoming an advocate for the voiceless. Share what you learn with others. Make them aware. Look for ways you can partner with orgs and ministries to help end slavery. There are many ways to get involved through being an advocate, financial support, prayer, or giving your time through volunteering.

It's spending time in prayer and getting God's heart for these children and crying out for their lives. Take time in your pesonal prayer life and band together with other Christians in prayer. Pray for these children and the amazing people that are out there fighting for these kids freedom.

Child traffiking is an area that I carry heavy on my heart. Stay tuned for future posts that will highlight some of these countries and what's currently taking place as well as stories and ways to get connected.

What are you passionate about?

What change do you want to see in this world?

What are you doing to bring about this change?


How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single minute before starting to improve the world. Anne Frank