I am so excited right now (and exhausted) but mostly excited. I can't write long because I'm about to leave for the FIRST HOUSECHURCH OF THE SCHOOL YEAR (Holla!) But..first day of interning was oh so fantastic.

I'll boil it down to this:
My whole life I've wondered why I am the way I am, why I think the way I think, why I befriend the people I befriend, why some things make me tick, and others do not...why I never seemed to fit in with the "norms" of life as I knew it (and when I did fit in..it lead to massive amounts of trouble.) I never understand why everyone looked at me like an IDIOT (aside from my family and close friends) when I decided I was interested in social work, and I never understood why I didn't know about social work earlier. When I started those classes, I spent my classes wide eyed and with a heart about to leap out of my chest at the perfection that was this field of study. I totally fit in, and it was a WHOLE different world of Clemson and college I never knew before. The students, the professors, it's a different universe of strangely like-minded people. I totally fit in and I totally dig it. (This is a major accomplishment for me considering I grew up beating myself up for EVERYTHING and never fully felt as though I belonged in a certain "crowd"..I also felt like I was basically mediocre at everything. This is really sad as I type this because God and my family were shaping me to eventually discover things about myself that I am really proud of.)

Well.
If DSS is the "dirty-work" of the social services world (which it is known for), then I am in for a treat. This position, the workers, the supervisors...they are some rockin' people. Their work is the bomb, and I hope that my experience there will allow me to clear up the very common and very incorrect misconceptions people tend to have about DSS and social workers in general. I can't speak on the behalf of these positions everywhere across the US, but I can speak for where I am now. This work is hard, it's emotionally challenging, and it has it's dark days..but it is NECESSARY, and the goals and protocols set in place are REALLY positive and really focus on rehabilitation..not handing out checks and slappin' a bandaid on the situations. These people are IN the communities, IN the homes, IN the families using every resource, every idea, every theory, and every amount of energy to get these families on track. And they love every minute of it. (Why else would you get payed so little to do something so crazy. Come on.)

More to come!

..the Hayes family STILL manages to teach me great things. Need a good read? This family is inspiring. Seriously. And we totally miss them, and there is a Hayes-sized-hole in the hearts of basically everyone at DCF and used-to-be-Riggs family, but we are so excited to hear about their adventures!

Hayes Family Odyssey

But I'm kind of excited that I'm in school an extra year.
I didn't wish for it, and I surely feel a good bit of guilt because it's expensive for my parents...but all that aside, I realized today that if I HAD graduated in May..I'd be missing school right now for various reasons. Last school year I was so focused on the wedding and marriage that I had a really hard time enjoying student life and my classes. I did well and I was proud of my grades, but if I had graduated I would be looking back thinking about how I "missed" the joys of senior year.

Now that I'm married, there is a sense of relief and peace, and I'm not anxious about anything. I'm excited for having this year to lead a small group with my husband at our house church, and to be able to see my younger brother experience another year of college. My husband (who is totally an amazing over-achiever and thus misses out on a lot of fun activities due to his heavy school work load) will get to experience all the joys of college life without the exam weeks, papers, and projects.

And finally, it gives us a chance as newlyweds to breathe and really pray over where God wants us to be next year. We didn't have to rush into that decision in the midst of engagement and marriage and graduation. This is SUCH a blessing for us, because both of us are very similar in that we like to think things through and rest without having a million decisions to make at once.

So, sorry Mom and Dad for the extra expense, but it is yet another blessing you have given to Chris and I, and I'm so grateful for it!

Here's to the super-senior victory lap! And to the day when my parents will laugh and cry and kiss the ground (and their wallets) when I finally walk across the stage at graduation. (I'm totally looking forward to it.)

I've got one. For people who have lost their hearing.

As of right now, I can only hear out of my right ear due to this VERY awful ear infection that I got, which started from a not-so-painful swimmers ear and progressed into a beastly infection that decided to take over my left ear.

To be honest, I feel very defeated right now. First it was my wisdom teeth, now it's my ears..two of which I think are the most painful areas to feel pain. Mostly because they are on the head. And jaw pain/ear pain almost guarantees head pain and bad sleeping due to the fact that you won't be able to roll over onto the affected side. :(

I really really want to keep a positive mind. I won't let this get me down..especially right before school/work/internship starts. However, I really really think it's AMAZING that people lose their hearing completely and go on to learn an entirely new language from the ground up. I just feel so helpless and pitiful, and I'm totally not acting like myself..mostly because I can't hear whats going on, and its pretty painful so Chris has been doing everything around here. When I'm down, I'm usually down until my situation gets better, and that is not a good quality to have. It's so hard for me to see outside my circumstances, so to hear stories about people that persevere after ridiculous accidents (lost hearing, eyesight, limbs, etc) really motivates me to step outside of my circumstances. It definitely could be worse.

I can't say I've made it that far. I still feel pretty bummed. Especially because I start work today doing after school counseling and I want to be able to pour out energy on these little guys...guess I'll have to tone it down until I'm fully healed. Prayer would be much appreciated. Here's to hoping these antibiotics kick in sooner than later.

This is was my coffee pot. I can't decide what is more tragic..the fact that the pot is broken to a million pieces, or the fact that there's a whole lot of coffee wasted on the floor.

At one moment, this guy was sitting perfectly on the counter. Then my butterfingers decided to pick it up and let go of it. Then I just stared at it in this condition....for a really long time.

Chris dropped what he was doing (not literally, thank goodness) and picked up all the glass (what a man) and I contemplated getting out the other coffee maker until I realized that that is ridiculous. Because I don't NEED the coffee. Jeez. What a stupid hold it has over my mornings. (Flashback to lent?) Anyways...The other coffee maker is for my brother. Because I don't need two.

My morning took a turn for the better when I realized that when we got to raid the Hayes kitchen [see Pantry Makeover.] we got like a 35 year supply of every kind of tea you could imagine.

Then I remembered the super legit chai tea that our friend Leah's mom made us..and sure enough I found enough chai tea to last us through at least 3 winters. or summers. or falls. (When is chai tea NOT good!?) Plus, we make it with almond milk since we're lactose intolerant..and I'm pretty sure its EVEN better. Just sayin'. Try it.

I must say, looking at the coffee maker without the pot is just kind of sad. But waking up and drinking chai just feels really really good. Plus, Chris seems to enjoy it as well! Bonus!

I don't WANT to be dependent on coffee. In fact, I don't want to be dependent on ANYTHING materialistic and non-God related. So even when we get our replacement decanter, I'm going to try and switch it up. Yes, I realize tea is still caffeinated. But it's NOT coffee. Baby steps.

I secretly want to be a filmmaker. It all appears so easy until you actually hold a camera and are lost in the fact that you don't even know where to begin. How do you capture art, feeling, emotion through the lens of a video camera?

looks like I just found my life goal #34,794.

that's okay. Hopefully we'll remember more.

R: [to Chris] why did you have to shut my door?
Chris: because we have to help out your roommate and he needs the door shut for it
R: Well how am I supposed to see your pretty wife walk down the hallway with the door shut?
Chris: HEY! You can't be lookin' at her! She's my wife!
R: Well too bad she was holding my hand earlier today.....

What a flirty con-man.



W: [who has dementia] I'm about as lost as a mockingbird with its tail cut off.
Jordan: No you aren't, Ms. W! We're in you're room!
W: I don't know what the S*** you're talking about!! I can't even remember what happened two seconds ago.
Jordan: Ms. W, this IS your room, this is all your stuff.
W: Well, d**m. Get me the h*** outta this dungeon.

*Don't worry, y'all. Dementia is not a funny disease. But we LOVE Ms. W, she's a hoot. She's always angry, but her words are priceless.

Nursing homes tend to be a bit depressing, once you learn to laugh and learn from these people, time flies by. Chris and I come home and quote residents ALL night, it is hilarious. Such a fun experience.

I don't know where you've decided to disappear too, or who took you, or why you decided they'd be a better owner than me, but not having you around is getting really old. I'm sharing Chris' ipod, but it's not the same. There is music on you that is not on my computer anymore, and if you don't come back it will be lost forever because I can't afford to buy it again.

It's been a few months since I last saw (heard) you, but if you could reappear or teleport back from the thief who stole you I would really appreciate it.

I've really enjoyed nurse aid clinicals. Most people said, through grimaced faces, that it's a "tough" and "humbling" job, and many just flat out said it sucks. Turns out, I actually enjoy it. (Just another reason to take discouraging words with a grain of salt...as we've been learning a LOT lately.) While I can see that working as an aid in the nursing home setting could get old after many months, it's still an okay place to be. There are definitely some bad seeds, but too many crazy, funny, sweet little elderly people to get caught up with them. I have my health, and they don't. I'd probably be a grumpy old fart too if I had to press a stupid button every time I had to pee (which is often.)

Anyways, as I was feeding my resident lunch this afternoon I was so happy to see how excited she was with the menu for the day. She couldn't use her hands, but after every bite she would say "that's good! Do you like [insert food she just ate.]"

Or another resident who doesn't talk much, but if you catch her with a silly face she'll laugh and laugh and laugh and it's definitely contagious. In our experience so far, the only discouraging part has been seeing how the ACTUAL nurse aids treat the residents. Doing all of these things for people who can't do it themselves is definitely tiring, and very very similar to how you have to take care of an infant. But they aren't infants, so you don't talk to them as if they are. They have had WAY more life experiences than I have, and they are able to inspire and share wisdom if you let them. (Like C and H, husband and wife who room together and at a VERY ripe old age, he still refers to her as his "better half.")

I hope that if I'm ever working in this setting I am able to keep off the creeping complacency that happens when you get into a rhythm. These folks don't have all that much life left, but something can be learned from every patient despite their condition, and they deserve to be treated as worthy of good care.

You should read this quote every day and stop being stupid:

"The irony is that while God doesn't need us, but still wants us...we desperately need God, but don't really want him most of the time."

Thanks,
me.

...we need a video camera. You can't understand the hilarity of our lives together until you see it on video. We don't want to be reality stars. We're not that interesting, and to be honest, cable television couldn't handle us. They'd laugh too hard. (Kidding) But maybe it's true.

For instance, as I type this my husband is reading a coupon out loud in a hispanic accent. I don't know why. Actually I don't even think he notices he does that until I laugh. (Chris is going to seek vengeance for this post.)

That being said: first financial splurge on a non-necessity related purchase (which is an extreme rarity) is going to be a video camera. Get excited.

"The use of stimulants with children ages 2 to 4 tripled in the 1990's and have continued increasing since."

Context: Within the U.S. only
Who: IDIOTIC parents
Why: "my child is acting bipolar, happy one minute, sad the next, and hyperactive as well, but then sometimes they won't stop crying."

Let's just take a moment to look at the facts: YOU'RE CHILD IS TWO YEARS OLD..ya idiot.

My tolerance for these types of things is extremely low. I'm sorry. No I'm not. I'm not saying that children don't have their serious medical disorders. But you can't diagnose a CHILD with a personality, mood, or anxiety disorder when they are 2. or 3. or 4.

In fact, I'm not a mother, but I'd venture to say that if your two year old does NOT act bi-polar, you're probably in the minority. Terrible two's, anyone? Oh right, we have medication for that.

Things like these make me scratch my head for days. They also make me want to punch some parents in the face and give their kids to people who actually WANT them, yet can't have them.

Sorry. That's too violent. I want to calmly report them to DSS so that people like me can intervene and professionally slap some sense into their heads.

Thank you for your time, and if you have any questions, don't comment here, just go google Rebecca Riley.

These are the figs Chris and I picked from some massive fig trees in Clemson. Those bad boys literally had hundreds of figs on them, and most of them aren't ripe yet. So we'll be hittin' up that supply again soon enough. We literally eat them whole, it never gets old. But last night Chris made some homemade pizza dough (artisan style, I'd give the recipe but I don't know how he did it..) and we made homemade pizza. Never have I ever heard of/tried figs on pizza, but I made one with them on it and it was AMAZING.

Pizza recipes are silly, because you can throw any amount of anything you want on a pizza. So I don't have exact measurements (nor do I ever really use exact measurements), but I threw on figs (sliced), chopped red peppers, feta cheese, and balsamic marinade mixed with olive oil and garlic as the base. (Baslamic vinegar can be used if you don't have the marinade/dressing kind.)

Y'all. This pizza was SO good. If you like figs and the taste of balsamic..you'll love it. It definitely has a sweeter flavor than the classic red sauce pizza, but not sweet enough to remind you of a more dessert-y pizza. Go find a fig tree, and pick some figs, and throw them on a pizza.