Extraordinary Women ~ Friday Night

Oh -- boy ladies... if you get a chance to attend an Extraordinary Women's Conference... I say, "JUMP!" Well -- jump at the chance -- that is!!

What fun... I'll break this up into clumps for you -- so your buns don't fall asleep, trying to read through the entire week-end. There is so much to cover... this might take me all week!!

We headed south, out of Iowa, around noon. I was so excited about this trip -- that on the way to our meeting point, I pitted out my blouse. That wasn't so bad until I went to freshen up before the Event. Ugghh... I only bought 1 extra shirt. What was I thinking? I think what I was thinking was that since I didn't have any kiddos along with me to wipe their nose on me, or use me as a napkin for their cookies crumbs, or to bump my arm while I was drinking coffee... I'd be OK. Who would of thought the idea of being responsibility free for 24 hours would have caused me to sweat so. I didn't -- but that's o.k. I didn't raise my arms much... well -- I did some while we are praising and worshiping... but I'll get to that in a bit. (over and over again)... Oops.. almost gave it away.

You know -- that 4 hour trip down there... 3 1/2, what ever it was... it just flew by. Riding in the back seat with a friend who loves to laugh is the way to go! Let me tell you -- even during the 45 minutes.. well maybe 50 minutes - but who was counting -- that we were lost, trying to find this gigantic church, flew by for me. I felt absolutely no stress. Now - the driver, Kim - sister to the laughing friend, and the map reader, Amber -- they may have been pitting out... but my laughing friend, Karen and I, we were really having a good time. Everyone needs a laughing friend or two... that's what I think. I'm pretty sure that's Biblical!

Amber, the map reader - she got on the phone with some at the church -- and they gave directions. We did a silly thing -- well... it's an Iowa thing actually. We stopped and asked for directions from a man who was working construction on a less then horribly busy street. (Boy those big cities have busy streets)... Well -- the driver, Kim, ever so nicely asked for directions and I know he could hear her -- because we were on a not so busy street... but he just shrugged and pointed and said, "blah, blah, blah." Which sounded a lot like, "I'm living in your country, but I'm not adopting your language." So we all jumped out of the car and pulled out our flags and started singing, "America, America, We all Speak English Here!!" OK -- we did not... we rolled our windows up and locked the doors, and that's when the map reader, Amber, called for directions. H.E.L.L.O... English as a 2nd language is the class for you!

Oh -- I got sidetracked... didn't I?

We found the church!! I was beautiful from the outside. We didn't get out yet... our smart map reader had us FIND the church first so we could discover how close the motel was to the church so we could time our trips accordingly. How smart was that?? So next -- we headed to the motel. FOUND it -- lickety split!! Praise God for good map readers and great drivers. Karen, my laughing friend, and I -- we just laughed some more.

We unpacked -- some of faster than others -- I'll tell a story -- but you have to promise and cross your heart and hope to die that you won't tease anyone about it.

I went with two sisters... Kim and Karen. Well -- one sister said, "I bet as soon as we get there my sister unpacks her bag first thing." LOL -- we all laughed... what a funny thing to say about a sister. But you know what?? SHE DID!!! She was the first one unpacked and we had another laugh when she was all done. There -- she felt better... she was all settled in. I guess she does that every time.

Me?? I found the bathroom... I was an idiot and tried to keep up my alarmingly high water consumption on the way down south. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Well -- actually maybe not because I LOST weight on this trip. It might have been the water... but I'm thinking maybe it was all the laughing. I didn't drink quite so much the next day... I'm afeerd of public bathrooms... they scare me. So I kept my water consumption down to a minimum.

We then decided we'd find a place to eat. Applebees it was. I had Cajun Tilapia. Which I couldn't pronounce. Why even mention Applebees? BECAUSE... the waitress was a very honest little girl.

I gave what I thought was enough money to pay my bill and give a 10% tip, and said... you can keep the change.

She brought it back and said, "I'm not sure you wanted me to keep all that..." She brought back my $20 that was stuck to my $10 apparently. EEKK!! She did a good job -- but not THAT good. So then I rewarded her... and tipped her a little more. ::tee hee:: Don't tell my dear husband.

We got to the church on time... the entry way was very crowded and I could hear a voice saying, "Show your tickets... keep your tickets because you'll need them for tomorrow... show your tickets... keep your tickets" Etc. I don't even think we went through her door -- but I thought her voice sounded like a COSTCO sample ladies voice. I got a chuckle out of that.

First on the agenda -- Praise and Worship. Oh -- I loved it... I'm really into music. OK -- not modern up to date music. But church music. I love to sing hymns and choruses at church... I listen to the radio -- they play Praise and Worship music on that station... so I was familiar with the songs... and they shot the words up on a huge screen so we could all sing a long. Lift our hands up in praise... sway or get bumped and start a domino affect of falling. All us conservative Iowa girls -- we swayed... peer pressure... no one wanted to fall down.

Then -- Then -- with much nervous excitement (probably more sweating!) CHONDA PIERCE!!! Oh my gracious... she was a hoot!! She talked about tough subjects like depression and hair you napped on, all while laughing! Oh what fun. I really enjoyed that!! In fact, I laughed until I didn't feel like I need to do any crunches before bed time. I was feeling those laughing muscles in my midsection... Oh me!! What a pleasure she was to be in the room with.

Then more Praise and Worship songs. Well -- not MORE songs... just more TIME singing those same songs. At least I think they were the same... Maybe it's all one long song, who knows? The leader said, "We are going to sing this song until we know it this weekend." I was thinking -- there are the words right there... we don't have to KNOW it do we? And besides... I think I already know it. I lost track of how many times we say the same 7/11 song. Oh come on you've heard it... same 7 words 11 times.

Don't get me wrong -- I'm not saying "HYMNS RULE", but if I sang the same hymn 11 times... I'd still be nauseous. Feeling a little dizzy from lifting my hands and swaying at the same time... to this merry go round of praise and worship ditties. ::sigh:: But it ended eventually -- and I ran to the bathroom again. LOL!! You think I'm kidding... I promise you -- I quit drinking water eventually...

Last but not least was Twila Paris. Oh -- I KNEW I knew some of her songs... I just couldn't remember what they were. I like her -- because her voice is right in my range. I can SING REALLY LOUD -- right along with her. Yep -- I did... I bellered!! HEY -- that place was full of 2699 other women... no one was going to turn around in their seat and gape at me like the little kids at church do. In fact... I thought I was hearing Kim, the driver, sitting next to me singing, and I looked at her once and her mouth was closed... it was the loud girl sitting next to her bellering right along with me and Twila. Hooray!! No one cares! I bellered!!

We waited until after "Beautiful", a song that was sung in Karen, my laughing friend's, wedding. Oh -- it almost brought tears to my eyes... but it could have been dry scratchy contacts. Ugg... let's get home and get these out!!

So we did.

Then to bed by 11:00ish.

Yep -- I skipped some didn't I? But you know what?? What goes on in Raytown... Stays in Raytown. °Ü°

To be continued...