Paris on the horizon

I realize that it has been a really long time since I have blogged. Life has been so busy lately, but I've been loving every minute of it!

Currently, I'm sitting in an airport in Lubbock on my way to Dallas. I just spent a week in El Paso with my precious family and it was wonderful! I love my family with all my heart! I love our traditions, camaraderie, inside jokes, sarcasm, and the fact that it doesn't matter where we are, as long as we are together, it always feels like home! Lorin and Phil weren't able to be with us this year for Christmas. Lorin had to work and so they stayed in Galveston and spent Christmas with Phil's family. I will admit that it was hard to not have her around! She's my other half! She was deeply missed but this is part of growing up, right? Sharing isn't always easy, but I understand that sometimes it's necessary.

Now, I'm headed to Paris to visit my best friend Danielle! We planned this trip while I was visiting her in Taiwan (her current home) way back in March and sometimes it felt like it was never going to get here. But, now, here I am, sitting in an airport waiting to head that way. Danielle's mom, Joanna, is also meeting us there. She is coming a day later, but will be flying back with me. I'm so excited! We have lots of fun things planned and I just can't wait to ring in the new year Paris style!

I pray that all of you, my dear friends, had a very Merry Christmas and may God bless you abundantly in 2011!

Oh, and don't worry! Pictures and a full report from Paris will be coming soon!!

White Christmas

I didn't have to dream about a white Christmas, because we had one this year! It was so beautiful and made me miss Wisconsin! I had such a wonderful Christmas celebrating with my family and am thankful for the long vacation from work - I don't have to go back until Sunday! Here are some pictures from the last week so you can see all the fun that has been had by the Lowrie family.

SNOW! We actually played football in the snow on Christmas Day, it was so much fun!

Me and Jamie, I didn't realize the camera was on zoom, but it's still fun!

Sisters at the Christmas Eve service
The Newlyweds by the roaring fireMom and her new Emeril saucepan, she was WAY excited!

On Christmas day we went to my grandparent's house in Lubbock. There are so many of us that my cousin Rachel had to sleep in the bathtub, haha. Our newest addition to the Lowrie family, Ben Brooks (he's my cousin Sarah's baby boy and he is adorable, as you can see!)
Sisters and our grandmother - she has been researching our family history and gave us cookbooks with old family recipes. We have a very rich heritage!

Lessons and Carols

This evening I had the pleasure of being part of a beautiful Christmas service at St. John's Episcopal Church in Brownwood. It was called "Lessons and Carols," and it was modeled after The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols which was first held at King's College, Cambridge, on Christmas Eve in 1918.

Tonight, HPU's Heritage Singers performed the same service and it was amazing! I have heard them perform several times, and in my opinion this was their best! The songs they sang were so beautiful, presenting a great representation of the birth of Jesus. During the service, faculty and staff members read nine lessons, chronicling the Christmas story from Adam to Jesus. I was asked to read the Fifth Lesson about the angel Gabriel coming to Mary.

It is not often that I attend more traditional services like this one, but I always enjoy it! There is beauty in the "thees and thous!" It was such a joy be a part of this beautiful night and I will definitely plan on attending this service next year! What a wonderful way to start preparing my heart for the celebration of Christmas this year!!

Twas the Night Before Finals

My Dad was the guest speaker in chapel at HPU yesterday. The last time he spoke, I was a sophomore in college. It was great to have him back again and of course, in my unbiased opinion, I think he was wonderful! My mom got to come too, so it was a special treat!

I warned Dad that he wasn't allowed to embarass me like he did last time. (I think he used every embarassing story he had on me from college to share with all of my classmates, causing quite a red face!) So instead, he focused his jokes more on his longtime friend, Dr. Gary Gramling -one of my favorite professors at HPU! I'm going to "re-blog" what my Dad wrote today, so that you can read his great parody on "The Night before Christmas."

From Dad's blog: Love and Lead

Brownwood: This week I had the opportunity to speak in chapel at Howard Payne University in Brownwood. My daughter Kalie is the Media Director for the university and I have the honor of being on the board of trustees. At this last chapel of the year before finals, historically Dr. Newbury has been the key note speaker. Unfortunately he was not able to be there, so I had the honor of stepping into his big shoes. Dr. Newbury has a way of making you laugh and teaching you at the same time, so I attempted to follow in his steps. Below is my attempt a college humor. This poem is like most sermons, it is some of mine and some of others I uncovered on the internet. I want to give credit to fellow bloggers Andrew Hund, Comedy Bytes, and a young coed named Shannon.

Twas the night before finals
When all through the college
All the students were praying
For last minute knowledge

Note: there is no use in praying for divine intervention
If in class you paid no attention!

Most freshmen were quite sleepy,
But none went to bed
Because of the nightmares of finals
Dancing in their heads

There was a study party at Skillets for the Greeks
And a study group with Tristan Summers for the Geeks
The sophomores were in their dorm rooms studying like mad
While the juniors came up with creative excuses for mom and dad

Meanwhile the seniors were out on the town
They knew better than to let a little exam get them down
Besides armed with coffee and twelve hour energy drinks
All things were possible with graduation on the brink

At last it was “dead” day
So what can I say
My future depends on the grades I make
Please Buzzsaw, oh I mean, Dr. Ellis pass the pancakes

At the last minute I stared blankly at my notes
My thoughts were quite blurry and confused
My only memory from Dr. Gramling were his lame jokes
And neither then nor now was I amused

I had nearly given up when to my surprise
I began to hear strange noises outside
When my door flung open wide
And the Patron Saint of Procrastination ambled inside

(Speaking of poor jokes let me take a test: What would you call our nation if everyone drove a red car! —A Red Car Nation. Please note it rhymes with procrastination!)

His spirit was careless
His manner quite mellow
When all of a sudden he started to bellow
“On Cliff notes, On Crib notes! On Last year’s exams.
On wingit, and slingit, and last minute crams!”

His message delivered, he vanished from sight
But I heard him laughing outside in the night.
“Your professors are out to get you, so just do your best.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all good luck on the test!