Our Life in the Yellow Brick House

The annual ADRP Conference was in Memphis this year. I've been to Memphis a few times before but it's always fun to experience a city with a new group of people. Several of my coworkers were able to go, and we had a blast exploring the city. We would conference all day, head out for a bite to eat and then turn in early, which was totally my speed. Here are some pictures from the trip.  We stayed at the Peabody with all kinds of ducks.   From the live ducks in the lobby to the floor in the elevator and the duck soap in each room, they truly embraced their most famous residents.   We arrived the day before the conference and were able to squeeze in a trip to Graceland.   This was my favorite part of the trip. It's such a great tour and was even better the second time around with John Stamos' voice and iPads to help guide us.  Such a pretty lawn. Kyle would be so jealous.  Checking out the office where they r...

July 1 began a new fiscal year at work and a big change for our team. The Compliance and Stewardship department was merged with Donor Relations, so my life came full circle as I once again joined the DR team and moved back into the Murphy House. I am excited about this change and the opportunities it will bring. Plus, I am thrilled to still be working for a manager I love and a team that is talented, creative and, best of all, fun. Now there are many more of us, but we've been able to hold on to some familiar traditions like One Word . Last year, my word was GIVE. It was definitely within my wheelhouse considering I work for a nonprofit and write reports that celebrate generosity for a living. But Kyle and I managed to find new ways to be givers, taking a trip to the Dominican for our first (and possibly only - if Kyle has a say in it) volunteer vacation. It was quite an adventure, and I am so glad we got to experience it together. This year, my word makes me much more uncomfor...

April flew by and that's probably because it's been a full month. About halfway through, I went to Austin for the CASE District IV Conference. It snuck up on me like conferences tend to do. However, this one was different because I was presenting a session for the first time. Michal and I were responsible for 45 minutes worth of content. Public speaking has never been a comfortable thing for me, so I was a little anxious going in. But I'm happy to report that it went really well! God helped calm my nerves, and the attendees were very engaged and receptive to what we had to say. So overall, I would say the trip was a success. I even got to squeeze in some fun with my coworkers while we were there.  Hello Austin!  You can stop searching. Truluck's serves the world's best carrot cake! If only I had a piece right now! The weekend after I got back, I went to Hennessey for a day trip. Morgan's first birthday was at her Gram's house, and there was no...