Welcome, Lincoln Wright Dekoster!

Katie was induced Friday morning at 5:00 am, four days after her due date. After school I started the drive up to MI and called Mom. "I think she's going to have it in the next hour- she's getting close!" she told me. We kept having the same conversation each time I called to check-in but once I arrived at 8:30 there was still no baby.

I joined my parents in the waiting room down the hall from Katie's room where they'd been sitting all day. Nick got to stop in to tell us that the doctor decided to proceed with a c-section at about 8:40.

There were two emergency c-sections that went in before her and we waited anxiously in the hall. I watched Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice--interesting to watch a medical show while you're actually in a hospital and seeing doctors pass by.

At some point to attempt to stay awake, Mom and I took pictures through the halls. I taught Mom how to take a jumping picture, she showed me where she peeks through the door to try to see Katie.

They finally went into surgery after 11. Lincoln Wright Dekoster was born at 11:48 pm, September 30th.

Around 1:30 Nick came to get us from the waiting room. The nurses were going to let us come into the post op room to see Katie and Lincoln for two minutes.

So precious. Already in a tye-dye beanie, Lincoln is so cool.

Grandma Beth loves Linc.

So dang cute. I just wanted to keep holding him.

Check out proud dad Nick.

Blue Board Question

Starbucks- The Way 7th Graders See It

"Why are you being so cryptic?"

Excuse (embrace) the ADD-ness today.

Last night I got to walk on the Monon with Emily and Rach. We tried 10 01 for dinner before watching Modern Family together. It was such a good night hanging out with two of my best friends. As I was getting ready to go home and complaining that I was tired but still had much to do Emily said, "Just say no! Don't blog, you don't have too." And when I got home I took Emily's advice and I went to bed. I felt like such a rebel. Sometimes you need to do that, rebel just because  you can and you need some more sleep.

Reasons I Loved Being A Junior High Teacher Today:

1. We worked on creating our Starbucks cups in class today with a musical background of my current favorite songs. There may be nothing better than catching a twelve year old boy singing along to "Love Story" while he works on cutting out construction paper or seeing everyone's head start to nod to the beat of "Good Day".

2. I cut my hair yesterday and between observant kids in class and nice kids in the hall I'm getting compliments all day long. Great self-esteem boost.

3. Not only do I get to teach my kids how to write and improve their word choice but today we learned about using stencil, changing your original plan, glue is always a better option than tape, and it's beneficial to help other people clean up.

BIG NEWS- The student leaders, freshmen that come back to help me, got their student leader shirts today. They're stoked.

When I crafted last weekend I made this magazine/fabric/string collage for Molly but couldn't show it yet because it was a birthday surprise. She turns 18 on Saturday and will continue to be keeping it real.

Look! I got a haircut! It's a throwback to the summer of 2009 and a bit of Kit the American Girl Doll-- I really like it but already kind of miss a top-of-my-head-messy-bun.

Many moons ago I was a frequent visitor of Goodwill with my youth group friends, with my YL girls my first year in Indy, and always with Goodwill-expert Ellyn Hessong. Today I went back to my roots and found some second hand treasures.

We popped in on the Whiting fam to deliver another t-shirt and hear about Coll's last cross country meet ever. Hearing these siblings feed off of each other kind of reminds me of the back and forth between Rory and Lorelai Gilmore.

Things I Learned Today: You can always find something you need at Target, Emel is getting better at crafts, ice-cream makes you more thirsty then frozen yogurt, the human ladder game never gets old, tweets from the anonymous @ALWAYSSMILE411 make people happy, and tomorrow is going to be an exciting day.

"Oh, Molls? Isn't that the one you eat with all the time?"

"Miss Wright, you look like the happiest one in all of these pictures." 

"Yep, it's because I smile like this..." (insert sarahwright smile)

"Ooooh."

completed challenge of the day artwork by Alex

"They'll read a document on Angel about dress code for spirit days... we're all overachievers."

this is what happened when I said, "do something fun"

"We're bring moderately attractive back. Zville stu co"

far more than moderately excited to finally see Irene 

"We go way back, like all the way back to week four by the cereal stand."

how Molls and Alli feel about life right now

"I think we like to complicate things when it really is quite simple; find what it is that makes you happy and who it is that makes you happy and you're set. Promise."

Just in case you need another social media, addictive, time-consuming online website to occupy your time, allow me to introduce you to Pinterest. 

This black hole website sucks you into an infinite number of links to images and ideas that you can then repin to your own board (facebook has a wall so pinterest has a board- genius). I've heard people raving about how great this is but didn't really believe all the hype. But while I was hanging out at Jenna's this afternoon I had some free time and this is what happened...

I think I'm hooked.

I went to a soccer game with Jenna and Avery to cheer on the girls team on their senior night. I love that when you go to sports you get to see so many people... maybe that's why I should love sports, the social aspect.

Thankful that some of the girls I got to see were Darian my mentor girl, Annie the session 1 CILT, Claire Neterer the camp T legend, and Emmie a YL girl I've really missed.

And then I got to go to Campaigners. It's easy to take it for granted that I get to see these girls each week because it becomes a routine but I don't want to do that. I love when Samantha and Megan, Coop and Mac, Steph and Emily, Heather and Hannah show up because they want to live in community, because they want to be at Young Life at tonight and have these conversations.

Tonight at Campaigners we talked about light and dark.  We read, "And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day." 

I love that MaryEllen shared, "I think it's so interesting that light was the first thing God created, and that God separated light from dark. And even at night, the time of the day that is supposed to be darkest, God gave us the moon and the stars to provide light in the midst of darkness."

When we sang "Mighty To Save" tonight Tyler talked pointed out the lyrics about light in this song. 

We read about John, a man that was sent to be a light, to share God with the people around him. We talked about people who have been a light in our lives, that have shared Christ with us by the way they live their lives out everyday. I thought of Lani who consistently shines joy and so deeply cares about her friends that she shares their joy and pain. We talked about Sarah who is such a beautiful example of trusting God even when life is hard and not your ideal plan but still committing to follow and believe that God knows what he's doing.

I love these verses, "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

And think about it this way, "Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven."

It reminds me of a song I remember singing in the wooden pews of Dimnent Chapel at Hope College called "You are the Light." I pray that this week we would live as lights and recognize the gift, responsibility and beauty that brings.

We shine like stars in the universe
Proclaimimg the hope of our God

And to the sons and daughters in all the earth

We shine You, Lord