Camping Disaster ... AGAIN!

So it seems like EVERY time that my family decides to go camping it rains. Not just the little drizzle kind of rain but a downpour!!!! Last time that I remember camping was in middle school with the Pattersons and my AWANA girls. It rained then, and we had to leave. Before my brother was born, my family used to go camping all the time, but the last time we did, EVERYTHING got ruined and my mom just left the tent there and declared she would never go again. We gave away our tent, and she remained true to her word. Since over a decade ago we have always gotten a floating cabin on the river or a little bunkhouse, but this summer my mom decided that since my brother is now 10 years old and has never been camping with the family in a tent, we would give it a shot.

Well yesterday evening after I got home from school, Alex, Danielle and I packed up his 2008 Dodge Ram and headed for Green River Lake in Campbellsville, KY. We got there in about two hours and checked in at the campsite. We started setting up camp and getting the tent put up. About 40 minutes into our camping experience, the clear blue sky was suddenly filled with dark, dark rain-clouds and the wind started blowing, and the rain came ... who would have guessed?

We stood there trying to think of WHAT to do. We decided on unpegging the tent, putting it under the picnic table so it wouldn't blow away, getting the rest of our things and then finding shelter until we could think of what to do. We got in the truck (soaked to the bone), wrapped ourselves in Colby Jack's little dog blanket and then drove to Sonic to wait out the storm. We went back after it stopped raining, rolled up the tent and put it in a big bag, and then drove 2 hours home with the heat blasting the whole way. WHAT a camping trip. This always happens. Come on, can't we ever get a break?

Here are some photos and a video of the lovely trip.











We are gonna give it a second shot on Sunday when the weather is supposed to be nice. We rented a boat, so we'll go out on that. PRAY for better weather ... I want SOME fun out of this trip!!

- b -

:: Integrity ::

Sometimes it's the little things in life that reassure me that there is still some good and generosity left in the world. At work I rarely see any of that. Especially when people yell at you for things that you have no control over ( I am a waitress at Steak 'N Shake ), leave without tipping and sometimes without even paying at all. Parents constantly leave their kids' messes spilt all over the table and complain when they order 5 cups of cheese sauce and they have to pay for them. Nothing ever seems good at my job, but on Friday night there was a guy that showed a little integrity and motivated me in my own life ( and I'm pretty sure he had no idea the impact he made ).

They were a young man & a woman. I'm pretty sure they weren't dating. How do I know this? Most couples request a booth and snuggle in next to each other or if they do sit across from each other they hold hands or make silly, lovey-dovey faces at each other . ♥ But no, they sat in the back corner at a table across from each other. I'm not sure if he was a pastor or not. He was young ( late 20s / early 30s ), but little snips of their conversation as I cleaned off the tables around them included statements about baptism, past sins as a child, the church, etc. gave clues that she was seeking his counsel. He ordered a salad and a drink while she just got a milkshake ( i'm pretty sure ), but when I came back to check on them I noticed his salad pushed aside, hardly touched. I asked him if there was something wrong with it, and he replied that it just didn't hit the spot. I offered him something else to replace it, and he ordered a cheeseburger and I told him I would bring it out shortly and take the salad off his ticket. He insisted that he would pay for it, and I walked away pretending like I would let him pay for it. Of course I wasn't going to make him pay for it. Our salads aren't that great to begin with so I'm pretty sure it wasn't that good and he was just being polite. I had my manager Jennifer take the salad off his ticket and brought out his cheeseburger and the new ticket. They sat there for a long time ( over an hour ) and I was getting ready to leave and was filling up salad dressings in the back near the door when he signaled my attention and he said this.

"I saw where you took that salad off my check. Are you going to get in trouble for that? I can pay for it."

"No sir. I talked to my manager, and she took care of it. Don't worry about it."

"Alright. Well I was just going to make sure. Thanks so much. Have a great night."

The fact that he went out of his way to come and find me ( it was a busy night! ) and offer to pay for the salad that he didn't even care for after I had already taken it off his ticket just hit me. He was truly an honest guy, and even though it was just a $6.00 little salad, he wanted to do the right thing. And that's how I want to be in my life. I want to have integrity in the little and the big things. So I just thought that I would share this little story with you in order to encourage YOU to have integrity no matter what circumstances you are in.

1 Timothy 1:5 "The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."

- b -

Mid-June Update!

Well lots has happened since my last blog. I started summer school last Thursday, and it going to be a really good class I think. So far it's not too hard, and all the busy work that Union requires is all condensed. Basically, we get the lectures online and print them off before class so we can just pay attention and add to our notes instead of write write write. It's a small thing, but I am thankful for that. My goal is to get an A in this class, and I really think it is quite achievable. We'll see how it goes :)

Alex has been here since Friday, and it is great having him around. He got a job as a soccer coach at River City Soccer Complex. He starts coaching tomorrow morning right after my Bible study, and he is still waiting on a call from Dicks Sporting Goods that is supposed to come tomorrow evening! That is the main job he wants. So I guess I should start moving all my stuff to the good ol' basement.

Work is going good .. it's just frustrating sometimes because sometimes we are slammed and sometimes we are so dead. On my way to work I always try to guess if everything will be ready to go or just a mess all over the place. But I love the people that I work with, and it is really good money. I love not working on the weekdays (Tues/Wed/Thurs) because it gives me time to just relax and catch my breath. I received an $164.83 vacation paycheck on Saturday, and I was really excited because I wasn't expecting it at all. Even though I was on educational leave since Feb., I was still technically an employee of Steak 'N Shake so I got my vacation pay! I don't know anyone else my age that gets that! Haha

We had a good Father's Day yesterday. Church was so good and I loved how Kyle and Dave did a duel sermon. It was funny yet touching all the same. We went to lunch as a family at Buckhead's Mountain Grill. Yummm :) Then we were going to go to an Open House in Adams Run (where we might be moving), but it had gotten cancelled for some reason. So we turned around and drove 30 minutes back home. I took a little nap, and then we were on our way to drop Nick off at camp at Country Lake! I LOVED Country Lake when I was little. It's such a good camp. So he's there now, and I'm about to watch the Bachelorette (as we do every Monday night) and then read some chapters in my bio. book for class tomorrow!

Hope you all are having a great summer! Let me know what you are up to!

- b -

The Pieces Are Falling Together :)

So I was very happy on Monday to receive an e-mail from one of the professors at Jefferson Community College. As you know, I've been trying to get into this Biology lab so that Union will accept my credit from JCC. I was worried for a little while because I had not heard from him, and the beginning of class was drawing nearer and nearer, but Monday afternoon I got a message from him, and he assured me that he could find a spot for me in the lab!! I was so excited!! Now I have something to actually do with my summer, and after the class is finished at the end of July, it's just one check on my to-do list. SUCH a relief. So now I will be going to school taking Introduction to Biology on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30 - 7:00. It's such a long time, but somehow I don't think it will be THAT bad. I hate science, but I'm praying for the Lord to just give me an open mind and to understand and actually WANT to learn. Now, I just hope the book doesn't cost me a lot! :o) Today, I also start tutoring this little boy named Joseph. He's about to go into 7th grade and is struggling with math. As most of us know, once you get behind in math, it takes forever to catch up and sometimes you even can't! So hopefully this summer we can make some big improvements or get him completely caught up for his 7th grade year. I don't know how great of a teacher I'll be, but hopefully it'll be fun. We're going to start with multiplication so I bought a big bag of M&Ms and Skittles for some visual (and edible) fun. :o) So after I meet him today and we hang out at the pool a little bit, we'll start with the basics and see how it goes from there! Please say a little prayer!

- b -

New Addition to the Merante Clan ???

No my mom is NOT pregnant !!! :) But since Alex recently (as of < 24 hrs. ago) left his job at Jackson Golf & Country Club, we might have a new "Merante" for the summer. Hopefully he will get the golf position available at Dicks Sporting Goods on Hurstbourne Lane and start there possibly within the coming weeks. I'll be crushed if he doesn't, but the Lord opens and shuts doors accordingly. While my new (possibly) home will be in our "furnished" basement :/, it will all be worth it if it works out, and he gets to stay with us! Of course he'll have his chores and responsibilities around the house just like everyone else ... maybe. It will just be very interesting to see how he handles this situation. And I am just going to sit back and laugh. Haha ... welcome to the family!

- b -

Love

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

Exactly Where I'm Supposed To Be!!!

So because I am going to school to be an elementary teacher, I thought it would be a good idea to volunteer with the elementary kids at Southeast this summer even though I'll only be home for a few months. I've been toying around with thoughts of what age group I would want to teach, and I've come to the conclusion that I just absolutely love 1st graders. And my conclusion was confirmed this morning as I played with them and worshipped with them and taught them their Bible lesson. 1st graders are just so cute, and they're still in that stage where everything is new to them, and they're eager to learn. The boys still have that sweet side, and will hold your hand and talk to you and love on you. It's just a cute age. I was kind of nervous today because I thought I had figured things all out and then church was going to be completely the opposite of what I thought it would be. But my worst fears have no control over what God has planned!!! Just sitting there with them, with this big smile on my face gave me the peace that I was exactly where I was supposed to be. No questions asked.

"Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other." Psalm 85:10 NIV

I have no doubt in my mind that I love these kids, all of them. I can't wait for classroom observing in the fall. First, because I'd better enjoy it because I have over 30 required hours in just one semester :o) and second, because I don't get a choice in which grades I get to have (I get 2 different classes). This will help me be open-minded to wherever God wants me to be at and will also give me further reassurance in my preconceived feelings already. I'm just so excited about this summer and the rest that I am going to get to experience!

- b -