Fifty Wonderful Memories

In honor of my fiftieth post, I am listing 50 wonderful memories of my life. I will do them in several parts. These are in absolutely no order, and will probably be too random to be in any way all-inclusive.

1. The day my mom told us we were having a baby brother or sister (Emily). Anna and I jumped up and down on our beds half the night in excited anticipation.

2. A snowy night last January when I found a bosom friend in Christen Taylor over hot tea and leftover Panera Bread.

3. Playing kick-ball with Josh's family and my sisters at the school across the street. Neislers versus non-Neislers!

4. Leaving our wedding amidst hugs, sparklers, bubbles, snap 'n' pops and people handing us cards with money in them. We'd never felt so loved!

5. When the 3rd Lord of the Rings came out at midnight, and the theatre was so loud and exciting. Misty jumped up and shouted on the part when Aragorn jumps over the side of the boat.

6. Holding my neicelet Schmader-Cakes for the first time. She was the most darling baby I'd ever seen, and I was overjoyed to be an Auntie!

7. Super Bowl 29 with my dad. Game began at 6:00pm, gates opened at 11:00am, we arrived at 9:00am. Then we left during the 3rd quarter because it was such a blow out, and we went to a nice restaurant. :) (Only my dad! Hurry up and wait!)

8. Abby (my sister) crying and crying at my wedding. I realized how close we'd become that year after I was out of college, and the precious gift of friendship I shared with my sisters.

9. The first time I finished reading The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis, and how my heart was overjoyed and my mind was overwhelmed at those precious words "the term has ended, the holidays begun. . . "

10. The night I stayed up until 3 am finishing Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot, and I bowed my head and worshiped our Great God of Life and Death.

11. There are so many Camp OUTT memories, but one that stands out was the day Mandy did the obstacle course and the kids had to get gummy worms out of the sick wading pools. That was such a great day! And such a great summer!

12. My going away party at Blue Kangaroo Books. I was so honored and blessed by all the people who came by to hug me and say goodbye. It opened my eyes to how many people I knew and loved from those clubs and that job.

13. New York City trip with Misty, Shea and Emily. I can't imagine a better fun-packed 4 days. We walked the length of Manhattan, watched a Broadway show, ate at "21", saw the Met and the Guggenheim, and scarfed down a million pretzels with spicy mustard.

14. When I won the freestyle dance at the PowWow. I couldn't believe it when I looked over and the Native American guy was imitating me. Then he chose me as a finalist, and after I danced my guts out, and they held the feather fan over my head, I WON! I'm sure I'll tell my kids someday. :)

15. The precious last Wednesday night at Calvary with all the kids, and counting our AIDS orphans offering (over $370 total!!) and the teens and the parents blessing Josh and I upstairs with prayer and a goodbye party.

16. Being in the King and I with DLO. Abby, Emily, Nancy and I and a lot of their friends were all in the chorus, and sang "Getting to Know You". I met my friend Stephanie K there, and bonded with all the terrific "head children". I got to be the mother of the twins, as well as the one little special child with lines who reads the goodbye letter to Anna.

17. When I was 11 and I was scared of losing my salvation, I spent multiple terrified nights in a row "praying to be saved" as the Lord opened my eyes to more and more sin in my life. One night I confessed all to my parents and my mom prayed with me. Relief is one of the best feelings in the world, I found, as the peace of God stole over my small body and I was able to rest.

Stay tuned for part 2!