a 50 pack of wieners?

Tandem surfing rocks! Brian Lovold came out with us yesterday morning to surf, and he brought a 12 foot board with him—it was huge. So, he told me to hop off my board and join him on his. We paddled together into a wave and rode TWO people on ONE surfboard! I wish I had gotten a picture of it!

Last night was our second ITF meeting. My sermon got put up on the chopping block, but I felt good enough about how it went that I wasn't too nervous. The ITF are a group of folks who support me, offer me feedback, and critique my sermons. One of the most memorable lines of the night: "I was watching Amber get ready to preach. She was singing and worshipping. I just had this sense that the Holy Spirit was around us. It's like getting ready for a good rock concert. You just know when something amazing is about to happen!" Hearing another young woman express how much it means to her that there is a woman her age preaching was also very meaningful for me. After two days of critique, it's time to put this one to rest.

I have had three days to work my butt off! I stayed at the office last night until 11:30. I forgot that raccoons and opossums are nocturnal, oh dear, so when I walked outside, I stomped my feet against the ground as hard as I could so they wouldn’t be surprised to see me. No wildlife. Thank goodness.

Today, I’ve been planning a picnic, a Bible Study, and activities for Kevin while he’s here. As of right now, he’s on a plane headed out to see me! I can’t wait! He picked a great day to come—85 degrees, humid and sunny!

This afternoon, Ellen Paulson and I took a trip to Costco—my first trip there ever! Wow! That’s about all I can say. I’ve never seen so many televisions, hotdogs, tampons, and people in one place. It was awesome! Ellen and I went to stock up on food for two different GS events this weekend. The best find of the day was a massive 6 pound bag of pretzels for only $4.99. We should’ve bought two! As we were leaving, I tried propping my camera up on some carts to get a photo of the two of us. But, there were tons of cars passing in front of us. As I stood there waiting, I heard someone yell, “Go ahead, Amber!” Sue Wiedenmann, a member of the congregation saw what I was trying to do, and literally stopped traffic for this shot! How ironic! As I ran back across the street, she chuckled, “Do you really document everything?” I replied, “It’s my first trip to Costco—this is huge!” She understood. :)

Did I mention that Kevin is coming today?! YIPPEE!