4 years ago..

As we enter 2013, I am often waking up at 3:00 in the morning to feed the little guy and reflecting on the adventures life has taken me on. This morning I was thinking about how far life has taken me in the past 4 years. Four years ago today, if you told me that I would be married to an amazing man with a sweet three-month old baby, I would have told you that you were making up the whole thing. 

As I entered 2009, I was halfway through my junior year in college, single with no boyfriend on the horizon, living with three of my best girl friends and super involved in a Catholic community at Florida State. Although, I was more than half way through my Bachelor's degree, I had no idea what I wanted to do and basically picked a major just to be on track to graduate on time.  I guess you could say I was going through the motions of life. My three best friends were in pretty serious boyfriend-girlfriend relationships, which could be hard to be around at times when I was feeling lonely or lacking confidence in myself which was more often than not. I was in a rut.

Little did I know that 2009 would be a life changing year for me. I had applied to a video internship with another Catholic organization and was turned down. As I was looking for a way to spend the summer, one of my room mates and best friends had a friend with a friend, which opened up an opportunity to spend the summer in Kansas doing mission work. While most Kansans plan to vacation in Florida for summer vacation, I made last minute plans to spend the summer in Kansas, where I had never been and knew not one single person. I knew that I needed to get away for the summer after a difficult Spring semester. When I talked on the phone to a seminarian (male studying to become a priest) named Gale about flying out to Kansas, I thought about how crazy I was and almost told him "no" immediately. I didn't really know much about what I was going to be doing in Kansas, but I knew that it would be some type of mission work and I could make videos each week, which was similar to the original Catholic camp video internship I had applied to several months before.

I flew out into Kansas City, KS on June 1 to begin the adventure. I spent the entire summer working with 5 seminarians and 2 amazing Catholic women working with a mission program called Prayer and Action in the Salina diocese of Kansas. Every morning we would begin each day with morning prayer, mass, rosary and breakfast. After breakfast, everyone would head to their work site to paint someone's house, clean someone's yard and most of all visit with the lost and lonely who owned the house being painted or the yard being cleaned. Some of the people we were worked with were lonely elderly and unable to do the work themselves and it was amazing how a few high school teens and young adult volunteers could really lift their spirits. Around 3 pm, each group would leave their work site, shower and head back to the school we were staying at to prepare for an evening activity followed by dinner. After dinner, we would gather together for praise and worship music, discussion about the day and a nightly talk about God's word.

I met amazing teens seeking Christ, amazing adults seeking Christ, amazing priests and future-priests, and amazing families that embraced me almost as their own while staying in Kansas. The love that I felt while in Kansas helped me to love myself more and introduced me to a confidence in myself that I had not known before and have not lost since I left. Every individual that I encountered was so kind to this crazy Florida girl that flew to Kansas for the summer. Many wanted to know why I was there and how I got there. Looking back, I can only say that it was the hand work of the Lord and I didn't have much to do with it. I don't know if I changed anyone's life while in Kansas-- I've been told by a few that I made an impact, but most of all, the people I met made an impact on me, taught me why I am lovable, and my life is forever changed. And to add to it, I got to milk cows, ride horses and see the waves within the beauty a wheat field ready to harvest. 

I rarely talk to my Kansas friends anymore due to my lack of keeping in touch, being busy with the little guy and being bad with the phone in general. I'm not sure they will ever know the depths of my gratitude. I am forever thankful and will always have a special place in my heart for Kansas from Manhattan to Oakley and all the folks of all ages I met there and in between.

Here are some pictures:
Before and after painting a house. Seriously, these teens did some good work!

and another.

and you know...typical Kansas settings.

and some painting pictures and friends that I worked with the whole summer.

and

When I returned for Kansas, I was new, rejuvenated and ready to start Fall 2009! And it just so happens that I became friends with a hottie tottie guy named Noland that Fall... Yes, but that is a whole other story for another time. See, 2009 was just a life changing year! It's amazing how your life can change so much in four years. God is so good and I am so blessed for every opportunity and blessing this life has offered me. Off to snuggle with my guys! Thanks for listening to my reminiscing & rambles.