A ride of faith

Faith - Confidence or trust in a person or thing.

Faith is what has been my 'challenge' word this year. I thought it was going to be 'gratefulness' but over and over again this year I have been challenged in the area of faith. Faith is defined as "believing in the unseen." The unseen in my past has included many different events such as graduating college, career after college, countless harmful relationships, a teaching job when I wasn't looking, a job for my persevering husband,  making it to the end of several rough days in Prek... the list could go on and on and on and those are just a few from the last 6 years. In each and every one of these instances the Lord has provided abundantly. He has blessed me beyond my wildest imagination... and yet after all that I still have doubts. I still doubt that we will be ok... That has lead me tho this next step.

Andrew works a few hours a week with On the Rock Ministries  and every year they go on a bike trip to a different state in the US. This year is the 20th anniversary of this trip and so they are holding NOTHING back. (more on that later)

A few months ago it was assumed that my love and I would go on the Bike Trip together, him as a rider and me as part of the support staff. Well, Andrew recently got a new job at Conoco Phillips (an answer to prayer and more proof that the Lord is taking care of us) and thus he can't go. However, I was asked if I could join the trip as a rider. I quickly declined... but then felt like God had other plans. The night I declined I didn't sleep well and all I kept hearing in my head was "have faith"...

The next Sunday I confirmed my commitment after asking someone who works at The Rock a LONG and quite ridiculous list of questions and still being full of doubt and fear...

We leave on Friday June 1, at 6:00 am! We will leave Bartlesville and head to California! From there we will make our way back... partly on bike. We will ONLY be biking 275 of the total miles back. Yes, thats right, I Heather Schumacher will be riding a bike (like the kind with petals) 275 miles between California and Oklahoma. I haven't been told everything about this journey. I believe that is why I am so stressed about it. However, everyday I remind myself... "have faith!" The lord will provide. We are taking about 40 people, half of which will be teenagers between 6th and 12th grade. It has been a LONG time since I have worked or interacted with youth! I am a little nervous about that... "... have faith!" I don't know where we will be sleeping, some times in a hotel, sometimes at churches ... "have faith!"  I don't know what we will be eating ... "have faith!"  I don't know when or if there will be bathrooms or showers... "have faith!!!" 

I have done a few things to to prepare for this trip here is the short list

• gave up Dr. Pepper (I might have had the total of one 20 oz in the past 2 months) 
• 4 practice rides
• bought a new bike :) Finally I have my birthday present (picture later!) 
• bought shorts, teeshirts, socks, bike shorts (saving my life!), make up bag, ribbons, helmet, gloves, bag, bug spray, nail polish, water bottle, sleeping bag, mascara, water bottle cage, granola bars, journal, extra strength Advil, sun screen, book for my Kindle (not yet but will be purchases tomorrow) and gummy worms...  I'm sure there are more things, I'm sure my husband could name a few more things. 
• caught up on my sleep... uh yeah... that will happen after the trip
• learned how to load up my bike
• countless other things... mostly prayed, panicked and packed! 

I am freaking out... mostly internally. I have not had a signature 'Heather Melt Down' yet. I have a feeling it will happen the 2nd night on the trip.

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We just got back home from the 'load up dinner'!
We leave tomorrow. In less than 10 hours I"ll be on a bus heading West! WOW!

Here is a rough schedule of our trip:

Day One:
Leaving  The Rock at 6:00am!
Staying at a church in Gallup New Mexico

Day Two:
Leave Gallup NM and driving to
Garden Grove CA where we will stay at a church.

Day Three:
DISNEYLAND all day!!
Staying at a church there.

Day Four:
25 mile bike ride - Boardwalk Bike Trail
Swim and Tour Santa Monica Pier
Lunch/Dinner/Touring -- Hollywood  Hollywood Tour in Double Decker Bus
Staying at Church in Barstow CA

Day Five:
20 Mile ride in Mojave Desert, CA
Staying at Hualapai Lodge on Indian Reservation

Day Six:
15 Mile ride
See the Grand Canyon from top and bottom!
Staying at church in Flagstaff, AZ

Day Seven:
Slide Rock State Park
Staying at El Rancho Hotel, Gallop NM
(Apparently famous people in the 60's stayed here... rooms are only $49 a night!!)

Day Eight:
42 mile ride
Blue Hole, Santa Ros
Rout 66 Motel, Tucamcari (This might be the famous hotel...)

Day Nine:
40 mile ride
Groom TX Cross 
Cadillac Ranch
The Famous BIG TEXAN 72oz. Steak House
Wonderland Park 
Staying at Trinity Fellowship

Day Ten:
55 mile ride
Visit Museum in Elk City
Dinner at Pop's Soda Ranch 660 Rout 66
Back to Rock around 12:30 am!!


Thats all I know. I was told we will start most days at 5:30 am and then be done at the earliest midnight. That means that on good days we will get 5 hours of sleep. If you know me ... yeah... you know how I'll be by day 3 of that little sleep.
I am excited about the change this trip will bring in me. I am sure my heart will change a good deal as I am broken physically, mentally and emotionally! I am curious about the lessons God will teach me on this trip. I will be journaling daily... hopefully clearly documenting my feelings and experiences. This will definitely be a life changing trip.

Please please please pray for me as I do this... I'm mostly terrified with a little excited in there from time to time.
The week after I get back I'll come up with some snazzy way to sum up this trip... might take a couple posts.

Before I go... here is a picture of the sweet wheels my handsome husband bought me for this ride... and my birthday!! 

A moment I'll never forget!

A couple weeks ago Andrew mentioned that him and his dad were going to meet in Tulsa at the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel to watch The Patriot Cup, a golf tournament where pros are matched with Military Veterans. Sounded lame-sauce to me... but whatever. (My favorite way to watch golf is when its on TV, behind closed eyes. I get my BEST naps that way.)

I asked who all was going to be there... if Bubba Watson, Rory McIlroy (who has his own website), or Tiger Cheater Woods (who I am not a huge fan of but hey... I know who he is), were going to be there then I might have asked for a ticket my self. However, he assured me that they wouldn't. This wasn't "that big of a tournament"! So I said great, I'll drop you off at the casino and then run around town while you do that... I had plans to drive around town, maybe check out Target and then to go to Barnes and Noble  where I would sit, look trendy with my coffee, glasses, iphone and mac... all while catching my blog up. (Hopefully finally posting about this upcoming bike trip.) Well I am now sitting at B&N with coffee, glasses, iphone and mac, and I AM blogging... but the Bike trip can wait.. 

We got to the Casino a bit early and I decided to go inside and visit with my Father In Law a bit before heading "to town,"...  

SIDE NOTE: The current time was 7:30am, that means I was up at 5:30 am to get ready to leave my house at 6:15 for the hour drive to the Casino, little did I know it would all be worth it!! Luckily I put my make up on on the way to Tulsa, my original plan was to do it in the parking lot as I waited for Target to open. 

Anyways...  as I was saying ... 

As my precious husband and I were walking in this very tall, well dressed man walked between us. We both turned at the same time (like in a movie) and did a double take. Then stared at each other and Andrew said... "I think that is Craig T. Nelson." I said "Uh me too!! Its COACH!!" Then we stumbled into the lobby to try to find my FIL. We ran into some one that works there and Andrew asked if our suspicions were right. He said, "Yeah! He is here to watch the tournament. He was in the casino last night having a good time. Mingling with all the 'locals'!" I asked the guy if he thought Mr. Nelson would mind if I took a picture with him. He said no way! He was snapping pictures with people right and left last night. So... I, Heather Lynn Hunt Schumacher, thought to my self "You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it." (Quote from We Bought a Zoo.. if you haven't seen it GO NOW and rent it. Its at Red Box... GREAT movie!!) So I did it... 

I walked up to him he had just lit his cigar and was talking with an employee who quickly walked off when I got there, and I, Heather Lynn Hunt Schumacher (NO I don't still have my maiden name as part of my name, but it makes me sound much more... well how I felt, little girl like, small, scared, timid... something I haven't been in a while.) said, "Hi, Mr. Nelson. I grew up watching Coach and I am a big fan! Can I take a picture with you? It would really make my dad's day!" (I'm not sure why I threw that in there instead of making it personal... it totally made my day, but I do know my dad has always been a fan, but then again who hasn't. My mom is a fan, my brother, my husband and I'm even almost 100% sure that the crazy man sitting a table away from me at B&N is a fan.) He said, "Well sure!" and put his cigar down and then put his arm around me!! HE put his arm around me. I was just going to stand there nervously and try not to shake... but he Craig T. Nelson gave me a side hug! I will never wash this dress again. I am pretty sure I threw my phone at my husband who quickly very cool and calm like he wasn't phased at all took the picture. It is a little blurry but I'm pretty sure thats because I was 'all shook up'! He smelled like cigar smoke and alcohol. It was beautiful. I could smell him! He is TALL! He is handsome! He is nice. He was nicely dressed. He was kind. He took time to give this nutty girl (woman- I feel so strange calling myself a woman... I still feel like a little girl, especially when I'm hugging a famous person!!) a picture that will always be special. 

Thank you Mr. Nelson for the time and the picture. Thank you for the years you spent on the hit TV show Coach and for the current one that I love, Parenthood. Every time I watch the show I will think about this moment in time... the moment that I am sure you forgot about as soon as your Lexus picked you up for your ride to the course.  

Me and Mr. Craig T. Nelson. May 28, 2012.
He smelled like cigar smoke and alcohol.
It was a beautiful moment. 

An extra tid bit... he doesn't have a lot of hair on top of his head (a look he wears well! and I am quite the judge of 'going bald') but he has a head full in the back. It was almost touching his collar. It is a very pretty dark shiny grey. I'm going to assume that it is shiny because of the product that he uses not because he didn't shower the night before!

Going Home ...

Being a teacher has many frustrations and challenges, however, one of the many blessings that come with this profession are the breaks. My favorite break has always been Spring Break. It is MUCH needed by both the teachers and students. We all have a little bit of spring fever at this point and it is not a fun time to be cooped up in a small classroom!

This year I suggested to my parents that I might look into flying to Midland for my break and visit everyone there. With in the next two days I got a call back from my mom saying that they needed to know when I wanted to come because they were going to pay for my plane tickets. We worked the details out and it was set... I would spend 6 days traveling to Texas and seeing home again.

School was out on Thursday and I had to work till noon on Friday. As soon as I got home I packed and prepared for this trip. I was quite anxious. A mix of both good and bad anxiety. The good was ... seeing family and friends (including my teacher friends that I hadn't seen since the wedding!!) and the bad came from the fear of being away from Andrew for 6 days. We haven't been apart more than 4 days since we got married. I know I know... I'm a sap but you kinda get use to having each other around! Well the good news is that we survived. Both of us were so busy that it was hard to get lonely.

I left late Saturday evening and headed to Dallas. My Ettie, uncle Dustin and little cousins Emma and Ben live there. Emma and Ben are only 7 and (almost) 10. This had made our relationship much different than typical cousins. They are more like my niece and nephew and I love it. I don't have any real nieces or nephews yet so they are my 'trial run'! I get to practice my spoiling on them and then be a pro when I get my own. It also makes me happy that they will be able to do the same for my kids when they come around. Ettie (my aunt) and I have a special relationship. I have looked up to her for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories involve sitting on the bathroom counter watching her do her make up. She was only 15 when I was born and as far as I was concerned... she was the coolest chick I knew. It is fun to be with her and her kids and play "aunt" to them.

One of my reasons for stopping in Dallas first was to get a lesson in cookie decorating. I have inherited my Ettie's famous sugar cookie recipe. It is amazing and so delish!! (However, it is quite TOP SECRET ... so don't even ask!) I got my lessons and feel very accomplished! I made a batch this weekend and even my cookies taste better this time.

Cookies that we made and decorated. They were taste tested by Ben... he approved!

(after all, who cares what they look if they don't taste good!)

Poor Emma. The night I got there she had an allergic reaction to something. She had such a good attitude through it all. It broke my heart to see her so miserable. By the time I left on Monday she was showing some improvements and I think was better by the end of the week. The sweet girl has learned well though... she knew how to milk it!! 

Oh the food in Texas!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Texas food. I had In-N-Out Burger, Steak and Shake, Labodega, Taco Villa (2 times) and Rosas... those are only a few of the wonderful things I had. That doesn't include momma's cooking!

On the way to Midland from Dallas, Brandon and I were on the same flight. It was scheduled to leave around 6:30 (I think) that night. Well at about 11 that night after many delays we were told that it MIGHT leave around 1 am. We didn't want to risk it so we booked a hotel and stayed an extra night. There are several things that I should note about this leg of my adventure. 

1. My little brother, who I use to taking care of... making decisions for ... buying dinners... well he stepped up and took care of EVERYTHING! I didn't have to go check our flight status once! When we needed to get a hotel he booked it. When I needed coffee (which was often) he got it. When my tummy hurt, he got me Rolaids. When I wanted to cry, he made me laugh. When I was HYPER from lack of sleep and singing my silly songs... he rolled his eyes and did his darndest to put a smile on his face! 

2. My brother paid for almost everything... 

3. My brother is awesome. 

4. My brother and I are NOTHING alike ... thus why we had a BLAST being stuck in the rain. 

5. We 'hailed a taxi' to go to Wal-Mart to get this needy sister some essentials ... he paid for the ride and I bought him some sleep pants... but we experienced our first taxi ride together... best part was the driver was from somewhere in Africa and we couldn't understand a THING he said! it was priceless!!

6. My brother's BRAND NEW iPad fell out of his lap and busted as we were getting off the shuttle. He didn't realize it was busted till we were back from Wal-Mart. He handled it like a man! I would have thrown myself under the next shuttle. (PS.He had a brand spanking new one 3 days later!)

7. If ever I'm to get stuck in any airport or town... I hope he is close by! We have now officially moved from being siblings to being friends! I'm a lucky girl!  

If you show up at our house in the evening and there are 4 people there (if I'm there at least) we will be playing cards. It is how we hang out. It keeps the TV off and conversation flowing... it is almost a right of passage in our house! 

This was lunch right before mom took me to the airport. The week was a JOY. I can't wait to go back this summer and spend more time with everyone! 

The week was perfect... it started out rough with the flight delays and such but it was such a joy spending extra quality time with Brandon. I can't wait to go back at the end of the summer!!