Beautiful Life

Hi there!  Hope this finds you well, staying cool, and enjoying what's left of summertime.  As promised, I'd like to share about the weekend before last, last week, and this past weekend.


One of my cousins on my dad's side got married in Denver at the end of July, and I had the privilege of playing piano for the ceremony!  It was an absolutely beautiful wedding for an even more beautiful couple!  The ceremony was in the morning and outdoors on the patio of a country club in the mountains.  The weather was gorgeous, and everything went off without a hitch!  I feel so blessed to know and be related to such an amazing couple.  They are so very much in love, and their love is Christ-centered, as was reflected in the wedding ceremony.  I'm so excited to see where God takes them in their new life together!  (I'm also excited to have a girl cousin around!)  Here are some pictures of the festivities:

Saw this guy driving across western Kansas.  Sure do wonder where he was headed...

Don't worry - this is not how I slept.

The rehearsal dinner was at one of their favorite local restaurants (that doesn't usually do large group events...but they made an exception for a couple of their favorite customers)!

They had these cool seats by the pool at the hotel.

Didn't sleep like this, either.

Wedding musicians!

Remember my post about growing up with boys?  These are some of them.  : )

: )

Told you it was beautiful!

Delicious cupcakes!

The bride and groom!

They choreographed their first dance - so cute!

Saw these rain showers across western Kansas on the way home.  We never got a sprinkle.

I had to book it back to Lincoln, because our "term" at the studio where I teach lessons began on August 1st.  So, last week was a little crazy, because I have 30+ students this year - many of which are new, but coming from previous teachers.  These first few weeks are going to be spent getting to know how each other work, and for me, getting used to the new schedule.  Yes, I'm still working my other jobs, which is proving to be a little stressful while I still have extra, time-sensitive librarian responsibilities due to the summer municipal band concerts, but it's all under control.  : )  Needless to say, though, I was ready for the weekend, because...

...this past weekend was the first I'd had at home with little to no obligations for a very long time, and it was glorious!  My new roomie was around all weekend, too, so we had a very productive couple of days!  

In no particular order, here are some of the things we accomplished:

-made a batch of pesto (after picking nearly 4 cups of basil and getting a food processor)

-trip to the farmers' market

-found a new pot for my plant and re-potted it

-helped a friend pick out decorations for his new house

-lots of loads of laundry

-watched two movies

-organized pictures and old receipts/financial things while watching the movies

-made frozen strawberry lemonade (instead of buying it from McDonald's after seeing the billboard)

-she spent a lot of time unpacking and moving in  

-trip to Sam's Club for the no-membership-required shopping weekend...and sample day : )

Like I said - these are some of the things we checked off our to-do lists.  We did lots of other little things...and definitely slept well afterward!

THEN, Sunday afternoon was spent with college friends from out-of-town.  We had a Mary Kay facial party, then went to the Municipal Band concert with a picnic supper.  It was so great!

That pretty much sums it up.  This week is the same song, second verse...except with more trips to the Y, because I kinda fell off the work-out boat...  :-/

I'll leave you with the question I've been asking my students, "What's the most exciting thing you've done this summer?"  Comment away!

Productively,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

my young adult Bible study group

technology allowing for long chats with loved ones

Rainier cherries

For Good

Yes, the title is in reference to the song from Wicked.  No, I am not graduating from high school, moving away, or anything of that nature.  Not only does this song exemplify what I'm about to tell you about, but we also broke out in song (this one, among others) many times during our trip.


The weekend before last, I went with my young adult Bible study group on a mini mission trip to Joplin, MO.  The trip was such an amazing time of fellowship for our group while being purposeful and serving others!


While we were there, we volunteered at two different distribution centers.  The town of Joplin was very blessed to receive so many donations, but it took/takes a lot of work to sort everything that came in and make sure the appropriate items get to those who need them most.  I love sorting/organizing, so this was actually fun for me - despite the heat.  We really enjoyed working and talking with other volunteers.  Unfortunately, the distribution centers were closed to the public, due to the high heat indices, so we didn't get to interact much with Joplin residents.  The little interaction we did have with the locals, though, was really great - heard some amazing stories.  There was also an article (click here to go to it) in the paper when we were there titled "22 Miracles in May."  (The tornado occurred on May 22nd.)  This article told 22 stories of survival and hope - pretty amazing...I'd read it, if I were you.  


I'll let some pictures describe the rest of our time there:

Our accommodations at a church in a neighboring community.   Such nice, genuine people and gracious hosts!

The first distribution center - we moved items from these tents to shelving in more permanent structures.

Hooray for organizing!

The path of the storm is between the curved lines.  I think the length of it was 6 miles...I think.

Former strip mall.

They've made a lot of progress as far as debris clean-up goes.  Many lots were ready for rebuilding.

It was amazing to see some houses still standing, while ones next door or across the street were completely gone.

The play place was the only part of the restaurant that survived.

High school

Do you see the books till on the shelves and posters still on the wall?!  This blew us away...stood in awe for awhile.  It kinda reminded me of things that are still in tact on the Titanic.  Strange correlation, I know, but I had a Titanic-obsessed brother.  : ) 

"Joplin High School" became "Hope High School"

Yep - that's a guard rail.  This also gives you an idea of what the trees looked like.  Sooo many were lost, and what is left of them (the trunks and some large branches) have sprouted leaves in an effort to survive.  We were told, however, that they won't make it and will have to be taken out.

Hospital

A lady from the church in Lincoln that sponsored us survived the tornado in this stairwell.  The woman next to her did not.

Distribution center #2

Misti initially volunteered to do a few loads of laundry for those in need of clean clothes.  Her efforts turned into accepting semi truck loads of donations.  She plans to build a permanent, nationwide distribution center.  Look it up!

We took her some supplies she'd requested via Facebook, and also surprised her with some flowers "just for her."

This is a very small piece of the epic game of Telephone Pictionary we played on the way home.  Goooood times!  

I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to go on this trip and serve the survivors in Joplin.  I'll be honest and tell you that I was contemplating staying behind, because I had hardly had a weekend at home all summer.  As it turns out, though, God had me where He wanted me...and where I needed to be...as usual.  : ) 

Hope your weeks are going well!  Look forward to a post about what I did this last weekend...and the crazy week to follow!  

Thankfully,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

Nutella

the break from the heat!

having a new coopmate : )

Majestic is an understatement

Holy cow - who knew summer could be so crazy busy?!  I shouldn't complain, because I love everything I'm doing...it's just made for such an unpredictable and hectic schedule.


I'm going to take this opportunity to apologize one last time for the lapses of time that keep wedging themselves between my posts.  I've accepted the fact that this is the norm, now, so anything more frequent will just be a happy bonus.  : )


This post is dedicated to my recent vacation to Estes Park, CO with family and friends.  My church in Topeka reserves a block of rooms at the YMCA camp every three years, and we always went on the trip when I was growing up.  We didn't go the last time the group went, but were able to take the opportunity this time, AND my aunt, uncle, and cousins were able to join us, as well as my best friend from home and her parents!!!  Not only am I thankful for the ability to take the time off and spend it in the beautiful (and cool!) Colorado, but I'm also so thankful for the quality time we were all able to spend together.


Highlights of the trip:
-hiking (2 days and 12-ish miles worth)
-whitewater rafting!!!
-hours and hours of cards and games
-strolling through downtown Estes
-visiting a former music/piano teacher!
-the mid-70 degree weather  : )
-"catching up"


Here are a few captured moments:

Very cool tree root system.

A fork in the road - oh no!

Emerald Lake

Bear Lake

Bear Lake

The water was maybe 40 degrees...

...but the sunshine helped it to feel refreshing, most of the time.

Alberta Falls

Probably my favorite hiking destination.

You can't see the amount of snow in this picture, but that tree I'm standing next to is actually the top of a very tall tree coming out of the snowbank. 

Loch Vale

Of course, no post is complete without a Charlie-ism.  Once again, I'd like to express my gratitude to those who helped care for him while I was gone (esp. my wonderful neighbors)!!  After greeting me, telling me all about his week, and being super clingy, this was his "help Kensy check her e-mail" stance:

We all know music bags make the best pillows, right?

I hope you all are able to get in some R&R before the fall comes...even if it's just an afternoon by the pool (or in the A/C) with a good book!  


As usual, thank YOU for reading!  : )  Would love to hear from you, if you get a chance!


Fondly,
Kensy


P.S.  Happy Birthday, Dad! 

Favorites of the day:

PB & banana shakes

working for and with people I like 

the fact that I'm going to CO again in the very near future...and for a very great reason : )

"I go back..."

Hi there!


First of all, I'd like to apologize for the lack of meaningful posts lately.  This summer is really flying by...I actually feel busier now than a few months ago.  They're all good things, though, so I'm not too bothered - just makes me appreciate the downtime even more.  : )


Secondly, I'd like to write a bit about my trip home last weekend.  It was so wonderful to hitch a ride with some great family to see more great family!  I was able to relax and spend quality time with my immediate family, which doesn't happen often anymore, so I was thankful for the opportunity to do so.  We played the player piano my dad just finished rebuilding, went to the farmers' market, stopped to chat with my high school band director, went swimming at a local pool/water park, and celebrated my brother's b-day with a delicious meal and homemade ice cream (thanks Mom!)!


While I was home, I looked through my high school yearbooks...and was overcome with such a strange feeling!  Not only was it hard to remember some of the people I went to school with, but it's difficult to put myself back in that place in life.  Don't get me wrong - they were great peers (for the most part), and it was a wonderful high school experience; I just have a hard time remembering the day-to-day things amidst the easier-to-remember highlights.  This led me to reminisce about jr. high (a not-quite-as-wonderful time), and elementary school.  We read a book I wrote in the first grade, "Kensy's Book Full of Wonders."  In it, I wrote about my family, my pets, what I wanted to be when I grew up (model, ice skater, singer, or teacher), and wrote a story about a horse saving a cat.  This is part of the picture I drew on the cover:

I may not have become a model, ice skater, or singer, but I guess I always knew I'd be a cat-walker.  ; ) haha


My brother and I also had a chance to reminisce about our elementary school gifted classes.  That's a whole other blog post, though...


I'm going to leave it at that, for now.  More later!


Happy Friday and have a great weekend!


Nostalgically,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:
having great neighbors : )

crossing things off my to-do lists (at work and at home)

days off and friends with pools at their apartment complexes
family vacations including best friends!

July, already?!

Happy July!  I can't believe summer is half over!


Just had a couple things to share before the holiday weekend.  Read on...


- I forgot to share this quote after I got back from Florida.  This is the first thing the now-4-yr.-old I nanny for said to me upon seeing me after our trip: "Did you bring me a seashell with a crab in it?!"


- I've been teaching a pop piano class at the studio this week, and it's been soooo fun!  There are 4 students (one who I teach regularly), and they're all semi-advanced players.  It's been so great to teach them about syncopation, chord progression, etc. and to help them learn some songs they hear on the radio.  We're giving a mini lecture-recital this afternoon at 1:50 at the studio if you'd like to join us!


Happy Birthday to my brother in a couple days!  : )


And - Happy 4th of July to you all!  Hope you have a lovely holiday weekend!


Stay cool,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

hitching a ride home

making the best of the pool being closed : )

smoothies

My weekend:

Happy Monday, everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  Here are a couple highlights from mine:

I went to a second (or third...or second, once removed...?) cousin's wedding.  It was beautiful and great to see family!

This was the ceiling at the reception.  Can you tell the white stuff is that plastic table cloth that comes on rolls?  Pretty impressive, huh?!

I just thought this cake was very classy, and could appreciate the amount of time and skill it took to decorate it so intricately.  It tasted good, too!  : )

While this wedding was beautiful, special, etc., it was a little strange for me, because the couple was 1-2 years younger than me.  I know plenty of younger engaged couples, but this was the first wedding I'd actually attended where I was older than those getting married.  I kept thinking, "They're just babies - they can't be getting married!"  Just a weird feeling...that will only continue to arise, I'm sure.

Those of you living in Lincoln (or the surrounding areas) know that we had some crazy, intense storms last night...and we drove home in them.  Thankfully, I wasn't the one driving, but I was the one receiving texts from friends telling us to turn on the radio and be safe just as we were embarking on the edge of the storm.  As soon as we turned on the radio, they were talking about how the worst of it was right where we were headed, and that you should pull over if you're on I-80...which we were.  We did end up pulling off for a bit, because visibility was at 2 feet...or less.  Obviously, we made it home safely, but it took awhile.  

Don't know if you can tell, but it was a double rainbow.  We could see them both in full, but of course, couldn't capture them in a picture from the car.

These clouds were on the edge of the storm.  I'd never seen anything like them.

That's all, for now!  Enjoy the rest of the week!

Until next time,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

seeing family so much lately!

cuddly Charlie