CKU was a great experience. A really, really great experience. I left Nashville feeling like I learned a lot. Man, I missed my family. So great being back home to the whining, sippy cups, sticky jam faces, laundry, a little flooding with the hose outside, dishes, too many e-mails, and poopy diaper changes (well, no – I could skip that part).

Seriously – I love this life.

First, a handful of photos:

This is why I don’t mind flying. Somewhere over Texas (going from Phoenix to Nashville), I looked up from my book and saw this out my window. Took my breath away. There’s something about an arial view that helps me keep everything in perspective.

Thursday night was the traditional tailgate party which really kicks off the CKU event with a very festive atmosphere. One of the dorms had these PERSONALIZED m&m’s at their table. Love the school spirit.

Had an awesome album track. Loved my students. Such amazing women from so many walks of life. A Brazilian scrapbook store owner who happens to also be a pediatrician. A few expectant mothers. A couple cancer survivors. Nurses. Teachers. Artists. Homeschoolers. Doctors. Grandmothers. Fantastic women. All with their own strengths & struggles. All there to do their part to preserve personal & family history one page at a time. Totally feel like I could spend hours with each of them and let them teach ME through sharing their experiences.

And this is what my classroom looks like as the busy bees work away on their “Snapshot of Me” album.

And here, a few of my gal pals (who also teach at CKU) … plus Rusty Pickle’s Lance (who, I am quite certain, doesn’t want me to call him my “gal pal”). : ) The fact that this is a totally blurry shot doesn’t bother me. Bummed that a few chums are missing in this picture though. We had so much fun hanging out. Laughed a LOT. Learn so much about life (outside of scrapbooking) from these guys … and love them for that.

So grateful for quality time I got to spend with a few friends in Nashville ( …and in the air. Talking with Candice Stringham on the airplane ride back home was better than reading a book. Love her.) My new friend Grace helped me appreciate my life & my family even more. She lost her husband at the young age of 34 (this was fairly recent) and, instead of living a “why me?” life, Grace seeks for opportunities to bless other people with her service. She is a junior high teacher and contributes to society in a way that more of us should. Selfishly. Optimistically. Proactively. I totally appreciate her way of BEING.

I could go on a lot about the stuff I absorbed from this trip. Feeling extra blessed for crossing paths with people that I probably wouldn’t see otherwise. Definitely need to catch up on a lot of other things though. I love Mondays.

Plus, I don’t want you spending another second on this blog when you likely have a million things to do today anyway, right? ; )