I 'break' for vacation

Vacation is a good name for a break. You literally get to 'vacate' life as you know it for awhile... It's strange how you never really realize how badly you need to take a vacation until you go. At least that's how it was for me this week.

Last Wednesday I was scheduled to fly from Grand Rapids through Atlanta, and then on to Ft. Lauderdale. The problem is that I was sitting in traffic when they made the final call for my flight. That was a first for me (but most likely not the last!). I got moved onto a flight connecting in Cincinnati, and then my Mom and I went to IHOP to kill time. I called Steve and Laina (the couple that I was meeting in Florida) only to find out that they too had missed their flight and wouldn't be leaving Tulsa to meet me until 5 pm. I arrived in Ft. Lauderdale (after a horrible flight in which I offhandedly grabbed an old man by the arm who I hadn't even introduced myself to because I was freaked out) at about 6 pm and played the waiting game until they got in at 12:15 am. It was so good to see them and the kids when they finally breezed through the hotel doors.

All week we ate at great restaurants, shopped, and played in the sun. Vacationing with small children is very different than going as a 20 something adult with a group of friends... but it's fun nonetheless. The kids: Mekenzie 9, Zachary 6, and Delaney 18 months, were hilarious. Zach cracked me up with a couple of the following:

"Hey Berzie (that's what they call me), you know why we toot? Because sometimes they get so hot inside that they just want to come out for a breath of fresh air."

He was running around and jumping on the couch and I told him, "Zach, you really shouldn't do that. You know what it reminds me of...? When you broke your arm. How old were you anyway... 3? 4?"

His response, "Shut the door." (How quick can one kid get?)

When I told Steve, his dad, what he said about the 'toots' Steve told me the following story. "We were at a wedding reception and Zach was playing with the sugar caddy. He opened a honey packet, smelled it and said 'Ew, this stinks. Mekenzie, smell it.' She took a whiff and scrunched up her nose too. I asked, "what does it smell like Zach?"

"A bee's bottom."

Too cute.

I think that the weather here in Michigan was hotter than the weather we had in Florida. Not until the last day did I really get to enjoy the sun... and I got a bunch. I'm not complaining though. It was a gorgeous day.

The evening services were really good. There was a special concert from Bethany Dillon and I talked to her briefly... She's a genuinely sweet girl with a heart for God. She had some really good things to say between songs, and did an acoustic set completely on her own, so I was thoroughly impressed.

All in all, the best thing about my vacation was the rejuvenation I felt. My work has really picked up over the past few months, and so has my stress level. It was great to have a mini-reunion with people that I care so deeply about, vacate my mind from the day-to-day things that can so easily clutter it, and reconnect with my own heart. God's promise to us is that He uses all things together for our good when we love Him and are called according to His purposes.

As I stood in the back of the room, worshiping with nearly 500 other people I was transported back to that same experience I shared there in Florida last summer. I am amazed at the difference I felt this time. Last time I was there I was a mere week and a half from my divorce being finalized, a hurting, broken-but-trying-&-longing-so-much-to-be-strong person. This year, wow, what a difference 12 months with the Lord can make. I am so thankful to be on the other side of that whirlwind. What I'm experiencing now is the good-kind-of-broken... the kind that makes me close my eyes, throw my hands in the air and sing 'I surrender All' from somewhere way deep down inside, and really mean it. I've vacated a lot of negativity this year...

And it feels so good.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Well, I've been trying to get on here to post all day... and it's about 11:50 pm! I'm in the process of folding laundry, going through my mental packing checklist, charging up my iPod and preparing for tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll be encountering 2 things:

1. One of my least favorite things in the world... and
2. One of my most favorite things in the world.

(Side note, Detroit just went 3-3 -- SWEET!)

My least favorite is flying - and I'm headed to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. As much as I hate being 30,000+ miles in the air, it's all worth it when I consider the payoff -Reconnecting with some of my dearest friends... the aforementioned 'one of my most favorite things.' I'm meeting up with the Big World Ventures team in Florida for missions training. Nothing beats a week of sun, free airfare, hotel and meals and quality time with people from all over the country that really feel more like extended family.

...And I'm ready for the break.

Please keep me in your prayers, and I'll post if I can get a chance. Either way, I am sure I'll have pictures to post and stories to tell. I'll be back next Wednesday.

Sleep + cereal = Amber's Crazy Friday Night

It's clear that I haven't posted anything new in a while. There's really no good excuse for my lack of posts, other than, I just haven't gotten around to it. You know how it is, you're busy with work, or family, or forcing yourself to take the evening to watch that DVD you rented 4 days ago that's been sitting in your bedroom waiting ever-so-patiently for you to watch it. That's what I've been up to.

It's one AM, and I am just now posting for the day. Actually, let me clarify. I got home from work at about 6:30, climbed into bed, watched 2 episodes from the first season of Scrub on DVD (with director's commentary, for something different), fell asleep and just woke up... starving. Now I'm sitting here typing this as I wait for my mom to get home from babysitting my niece. It's not that I'm really so eager to see my mom, although it's always nice to see her - it's that she's bringing milk for my cereal. I know, big plans.

Tomorrow's another busy one. I have to be at work at 8:30 (on a Saturday!!), then we're headed up to our car dealer client in Traverse City. They're a Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, BMW dealer who recently acquired Mazda. We're doing a huge promotion for the Mazda dealership grand opening. It's called 'Be a Star, Win a Car.' Basically, entrants will tell us in 2 minutes or less on video why they should be the new spokesperson, we'll pick the top 5, air them on TV and encourage everyone to go online and vote. Actually, the plan is to put all 5 finalists on the website as well, so I'll make sure and let you know where you can vote when the time comes. As payment, the winner will star in the Grand Traverse Mazda TV ads, and win a one year lease on a new Mazda3. It's pretty cool. So about tomorrow, we are appearing at the dealership during a live radio remote for those who don't have access to a video recorder, so they can stop by and have their auditions recorded.

Other than that, I don't have any huge plans for the weekend, other than attempting to see Batman Begins and/or Cinderella Man. Also, I'm going to Florida next week (leaving Wednesday) so I have a few things to get together for that. Hey, any excuse to buy new clothes, right?

So, there's a little update for ya. Excuse me while I have my 1:18 am bowl of frosted flakes.

(p.s. I just ran spell check on this post and it offered all sorts of suggestions to replace my name... yet it offered Bateman (the last name of 80's sibling child stars from the sitcom Family Ties and the movie Teen Wolf Too), as an alternative for Batman. How did Bateman make it in, and Amber, a relatively common word in the english language, did not? Hmmm.)

Olivia and I during the car ad shoot - I know I'm going picture crazy lately, but c'mon, it's fun!

Pleasantly surprised

So I've made a few discoveries this week...

1. Ordering more Sephora products online just to pass the 'free standard 3-5 day shipping' mark really does pay off. And who knows, they might just send it to you in 2 days for free instead. (Side note, buying a scent after smelling it only on a magazine sample insert and not on your wrist sometimes really DOES turn out okay!! Yay, 'Island' by Michael Kors!)

2. It IS entirely possible to go from 60 to 90 degree weather in a matter of days - or in our case, moments.

3. A dear friend can spring news on you that they are moving but because you know it's the right thing for them - it doesn't devastate you. In fact, you can actually encourage them wholeheartedly to go. I guess this is also a sign that you are growing older and hopefully less selfish... Even though you will miss them dearly (unless they end up dragging you along!).

4. A person who wants to do great things for God must not despise the small things. As one of my favorite songs right now says "I will be faithful in small things, not neglecting what's right in my hand." We might be catching on to this idea when we realize that "all great things are not so big, they're sometimes small."

5. There's no MP3 player substitute for the iPod. Rios may try, but the ones your mom borrows from the library to download audio books on just won't cut it, no matter how many plug-ins & programs you stress yourself out downloading to try to make it work for her (AND you'll get all worked up and sweaty in the process).

6. It's easy to get hung up on finding the "Good, acceptable, and perfect will of God." Over dinner last night, my good friend and I were discussing this very topic: How do you know, especially when more than one decision feels 'right'? I don't have this figured out by a long shot, but I know that when you step out into something that's "Good," it feels different than when something is His "Perfect" will for you. You just KNOW when it's His peace settling on you about a decision... even if it doesn't make sense to your natural mind. Scripture calls this the "Peace that passes understanding." Basically, it's peace that's beyond you... and aren't you glad for that?

7. Jeans rolled up 3 times are just as cute, if not cuter, than actual capri pants.

8. Seeing any movie with your siblings is a good time. Mainly because they don't care if you totally two-hand the popcorn tub.

9. Spiders can feverishly build an evil web from the front porch to your car during the night. Don't be surprised if it's at the level of your sleeveless shoulder and you walk right through it... not one, but three mornings in a row. They will find you.

10. People will never cease to amaze you. Even when you expect harshness from them (and maybe even deservedly so), some have incredible powers to forgive.

Amber, Lacey and Olivia

Amber, Lacey and Olivia
Originally uploaded by amberleebs.

This is a candid shot of my sisters and I yesterday afternoon. (Apparently I was in the middle of saying something...)

Pictures from June 7, 2005... today

As you'll notice, I've added some new pictures today. At work, we are in the middle of creating a new ad campaign to launch a Mazda dealership that we represent. My little sister Olivia is doing a scene in the ad that emulates the iPod advertising campaign. You'll see her in the production shot at the end of the 3. The first two are just my sisters and I being our cute selves... like we usually are. Wink.

Blue steel

The sistas

Production shoot June 7, 2005

An Im-Patent Message

A Couple of “Believe It or Nots” or you, my readers:
(For you to believe... Or not).

If you were not lucky enough to be born with dimples but want them, here’s a sure-fire solution. (Or so the inventor claimed). In 1896, a US patent (number 560,351) was granted for the ‘Dimple Drill.’ The dimple producing device had a rounded tip made of either ivory, marble or India rubber. To produce a dimple, simply press the drill’s tip on the desired area and turn the knob, rotating the dull tip into your face. The inventor claimed it could also be used to nurture and maintain already existing dimples. The patent ran out in 1996 for failure to pay maintenance fees. (Note from author – Quick! Run! Claim the rights to it! You’ll have to fight me for it.)

If water gets spilled on your computer keyboard, it takes about 3 days before things go haywire. First, your computer will scroll through the start menu and various other menus completely on its own. Then it will act like the keys are sticky – for some reason, all except the Number lock. Then it will stop working all together and you’ll start pulling out your hair because you can use your mouse to click around, but not actually type anything original. (Okay, maybe not you or me, but just ‘someone’ in general). Then you’ll have to wait 2 days while the computer guy pokes around town leaving you at the bottom of his list. When, and if he does in fact get to you, he’ll pick up the keyboard, and when water literally pours out of it (who would think it wouldn’t evaporate after 4-5 days!?), he’ll tease you relentlessly. But hey, you might just get it a perfectly silent new keyboard out of the deal.

Hypothetically speaking, I mean.

But you don’t have to take MY word for it… (Any fans of the well-placed Reading Rainbow reference?!).