Can you fill in the blanks? Haha. To tell you how silly I am, let me tell you a little story.
When I was younger, I usually never had a problem falling asleep. In fact, I was usually begging my parents to go to sleep. But there were occasions where I had something on my mind and couldn't go to sleep. So I had always heard the theory of counting sheep. But that bored me quickly. (Although, I think that is the point!) Anyway, I also had this fear of forgetting how to add or subtract or multiply... or anything having to do with math. So, I would do math games in my head until I went to sleep. And one of my favorites was starting with a number and doubling it and then doubling that one. Yes, I know, I am a capital N-E-R-D. I take pride in it :)
Anyway, tonight I was thinking metaphorically about that math game. What if we just do ONE thing to encourage someone, to make someone smile, to brighten their day? Then you've made one life better. But then if that person passes it on... it's turned to two people... and so on and so forth. So, one little act will not only impact one little life. It will impact a lot!
So today, I have decided to try to do or say something everyday to help brighten someones day... to dust off their glasses so that they can see the world a little better. And in those little things, I can impact the world!
There is a candle in every soul
Some brightly burning, some dark and cold
There is a Spirit who brings fire
Ignites a candle and makes His home
Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Perfection
Ah, the Christmas season. The season for herds of people at the mall fighting to get the best deal. The season for overstretched credit. The season of over-eating. And my personal favorite... the season of returns and exchanges.
I start my gift shopping rather early so I don't have to fight the crowds or rush to find the "perfect gift". I started this year with Present #1 for the husband. I decided it was "perfect" Until I saw present #2. That was more perfect. But I couldn't afford both presents with our budget. So I take present #1 back at Store #1. Well, they refund my store credit card (which was already paid in full) and tell me I have to spend money at Store #1. Perfect gift is at Store #2. So I peruse the aisles of Store #1 looking to find another gift and find present #3. I'm keeping this one. It's perfect :)
But then... it probably won't be. At some point, it is going to disappoint somewhere along the line... it'll age, fade, scratch, wear, break.... The only perfect gift is the real reason for the season. That is Jesus Christ. HE is the eternal gift that never goes away. It never ages, never fades, never scratches, never breaks! And the only thing you ever have to exchange is your sin for His grace!
I start my gift shopping rather early so I don't have to fight the crowds or rush to find the "perfect gift". I started this year with Present #1 for the husband. I decided it was "perfect" Until I saw present #2. That was more perfect. But I couldn't afford both presents with our budget. So I take present #1 back at Store #1. Well, they refund my store credit card (which was already paid in full) and tell me I have to spend money at Store #1. Perfect gift is at Store #2. So I peruse the aisles of Store #1 looking to find another gift and find present #3. I'm keeping this one. It's perfect :)
But then... it probably won't be. At some point, it is going to disappoint somewhere along the line... it'll age, fade, scratch, wear, break.... The only perfect gift is the real reason for the season. That is Jesus Christ. HE is the eternal gift that never goes away. It never ages, never fades, never scratches, never breaks! And the only thing you ever have to exchange is your sin for His grace!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Got to have faith-a-faith-a-faith
Driving down I-95 this weekend, I saw a bright yellow billboard that said "Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen" I guess because it was bright yellow it stuck out and made me realize how much I take my faith for granted.
Then, on the radio came this song by Kutless:
Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it’s more than you can take
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Don’t you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining
I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do
It doesn't matter what you’ve heard
Impossible is not a word
It’s just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody’s scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It’ll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing
Overcome the odds
You don't have a chance
That’s what faith can do
When the world says you can’t
It’ll tell you that you can!
I have seen people that have dreams that move mountains.... people who continue to have hope even when the sun hasn't been shining for years, I've even witnessed a few miracles. I've certainly seen the effects of faith and I know 100% who is behind those moving mountains, endless hope and miracles happening.
But, am I being faithful enough for others to see God in my life? There are times that I've questioned if something is possible... but deep down, I know that with faith in my God, it is possible! So I've vowed to stop using the word impossible... and just be faithful and believe because my faith will speak volumes to the world.
James 2:14-What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?
Then, on the radio came this song by Kutless:
Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it’s more than you can take
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Don’t you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining
I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do
It doesn't matter what you’ve heard
Impossible is not a word
It’s just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody’s scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It’ll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing
Overcome the odds
You don't have a chance
That’s what faith can do
When the world says you can’t
It’ll tell you that you can!
I have seen people that have dreams that move mountains.... people who continue to have hope even when the sun hasn't been shining for years, I've even witnessed a few miracles. I've certainly seen the effects of faith and I know 100% who is behind those moving mountains, endless hope and miracles happening.
But, am I being faithful enough for others to see God in my life? There are times that I've questioned if something is possible... but deep down, I know that with faith in my God, it is possible! So I've vowed to stop using the word impossible... and just be faithful and believe because my faith will speak volumes to the world.
James 2:14-What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Breaking the Cycle
I happened to pick up a book the other day that was talking about how over 600,000 NEW juveniles are processed through the detention system every YEAR. Most of those will make a return visit through either juvenile or adult detention. My question is WHY? Sure, I get that human nature is sinful... we aren't perfect and we are going to mess up. But why don't we learn from our mistakes the first time?
600,000 new juveniles... only a small percentage of them go on to get help and get out of their situation. Do the rest not think they deserve a second chance? Do they not know there is anything better out there?
These are our futures leaders... we've got to help them understand that they can do better. They are valuable. They could turn their life around and be the next President, the next NFL superstar, the next business executive... or just the next proud involved father or mother. But instead, they continue in the same cycle of illegal activity.
Maybe it is because the illegal activity is easy...profitable... makes them feel better about themselves. But there has to be an easier way... a way that makes your life of more value... a way that makes you feel better about yourself that is beneficial to society.
We've got to break the cycle... or we are going to get nowhere.
600,000 new juveniles... only a small percentage of them go on to get help and get out of their situation. Do the rest not think they deserve a second chance? Do they not know there is anything better out there?
These are our futures leaders... we've got to help them understand that they can do better. They are valuable. They could turn their life around and be the next President, the next NFL superstar, the next business executive... or just the next proud involved father or mother. But instead, they continue in the same cycle of illegal activity.
Maybe it is because the illegal activity is easy...profitable... makes them feel better about themselves. But there has to be an easier way... a way that makes your life of more value... a way that makes you feel better about yourself that is beneficial to society.
We've got to break the cycle... or we are going to get nowhere.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Make my life easier
Have you ever had a load of laundry that you started and forgot about and when you remembered, they had mildewed??
Why has no one ever created an upright washing machine/dryer combo where the washing machine is on top... and has the option of automatically dropping the clothes down into the dryer when they are done washing?
Seriously......
And yes, I am that lazy.
Why has no one ever created an upright washing machine/dryer combo where the washing machine is on top... and has the option of automatically dropping the clothes down into the dryer when they are done washing?
Seriously......
And yes, I am that lazy.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
What is eating Gilbert Grape?
The past few weeks for me have been really hard emotionally for me to get through. Not because of anything personal, but because of the things that my job and my community have exposed me to. I never realized just how lucky I was until these past few weeks.
Working with parents and families in the community, I have a new definition of poverty. There is not having money and then there is flat out being poor in every sense of the word. No money, no food, no transportation, no spiritual beliefs, no support system, no education. There have been times that we’ve been down to pennies in our checking account with just enough gas to make it through the next paycheck… but we have always had some type of food in our cupboards, two cars to get us to work, a God who loves us no matter what and watches out for us and two amazing families who love us dearly and would help as soon as we ask. We have far more than a majority of the families in our communities do. And that is a hard pill for me to swallow. I’m trying to make a difference, but we have so many factors to go up against. There are those parents who work two jobs who don’t have time to be involved. There are the parents who don’t have the transportation to be involved. There are the parents who don’t care enough to be involved. And there are the parents who aren’t educated enough to feel that they are capable of being involved. And because the parents aren’t involved, the students get the message that school really isn’t all that important. ARGH. Our ninth grade class starts out 400 deep and by the time they get to their senior year, they are lucky to graduate with 200. WE LOSE THAT MANY KIDS! There has got to be something that we can do… if we don’t start working on a solution in the community, it is just going to keep going in a downward spiral.
Last night, the mister and I went to bed. Of course as soon as my head hits the pillow, I am dead to the world. But the loving and protective hubby heard sirens and made me aware of them. For about twenty minutes, we heard police and fire trucks going by our house. I knew something was up, but there really isn’t a way to find out since we don’t have a daily newspaper. Well this morning at work, a fellow tells me what happens and it ripped my heart into 100 pieces. Three blocks from our house, there was a drive by shooting that killed three people and injured five others. A family just sitting in their yard playing cards and visiting with each other was shot because someone felt the need to “represent”. A 20 month old girl died. A 21 year old boy… dead. A 45 year old man… dead. Absolutely senseless. It is being reported as gang activity, but I really hope that is not the case. I at least hope there was a motive in this... but I doubt it.
Its not that I am not familiar with gangs – they were in my old community and they are surely in this one. I just don't undersatnd them. People demand respect… and they think they can get it from carrying a gun around and taking other’s lives. They THINK people respect them, but in reality, people are fearful of them because of the gun. Well maybe I’m just way off the rocker, but I’m pretty sure that is where I lose respect for someone. If they have no respect for another person’s life, why would someone respect their life? Ralph Waldo Emerson said that "Men are only respectable as they respect"
Gangs don't appear very often in thriving communities. They usually take root in disadvantaged neighborhoods... communities that are failing. The whole community. Not just the parents who aren't supervising their kids. The community that offers no center for students to spend their free time in. The community that has no appealing jobs for those old enough to work. The churches who look the other way. The school that isn't effectively getting through to these kids. Gang members are usually not students who excel. They aren't successful in school, so they are looking for another outlet that they can fit into. We've got to figure out a better way... help them "fit in".
Okay, so obviously this all bothers me. I am saddened, fearful, and really at a loss. I want to make an impact, but I really don’t even know where to start… It is time to address it. We can't sweep it under the rug. This community is made out to be a sweet little southern community. Let's face our problems... admit that there is a gang problem and do something about it before another tragedy occurs!
Guess I just have to take one day at a time and ask God for the strength and wisdom to make a difference!
Working with parents and families in the community, I have a new definition of poverty. There is not having money and then there is flat out being poor in every sense of the word. No money, no food, no transportation, no spiritual beliefs, no support system, no education. There have been times that we’ve been down to pennies in our checking account with just enough gas to make it through the next paycheck… but we have always had some type of food in our cupboards, two cars to get us to work, a God who loves us no matter what and watches out for us and two amazing families who love us dearly and would help as soon as we ask. We have far more than a majority of the families in our communities do. And that is a hard pill for me to swallow. I’m trying to make a difference, but we have so many factors to go up against. There are those parents who work two jobs who don’t have time to be involved. There are the parents who don’t have the transportation to be involved. There are the parents who don’t care enough to be involved. And there are the parents who aren’t educated enough to feel that they are capable of being involved. And because the parents aren’t involved, the students get the message that school really isn’t all that important. ARGH. Our ninth grade class starts out 400 deep and by the time they get to their senior year, they are lucky to graduate with 200. WE LOSE THAT MANY KIDS! There has got to be something that we can do… if we don’t start working on a solution in the community, it is just going to keep going in a downward spiral.
Last night, the mister and I went to bed. Of course as soon as my head hits the pillow, I am dead to the world. But the loving and protective hubby heard sirens and made me aware of them. For about twenty minutes, we heard police and fire trucks going by our house. I knew something was up, but there really isn’t a way to find out since we don’t have a daily newspaper. Well this morning at work, a fellow tells me what happens and it ripped my heart into 100 pieces. Three blocks from our house, there was a drive by shooting that killed three people and injured five others. A family just sitting in their yard playing cards and visiting with each other was shot because someone felt the need to “represent”. A 20 month old girl died. A 21 year old boy… dead. A 45 year old man… dead. Absolutely senseless. It is being reported as gang activity, but I really hope that is not the case. I at least hope there was a motive in this... but I doubt it.
Its not that I am not familiar with gangs – they were in my old community and they are surely in this one. I just don't undersatnd them. People demand respect… and they think they can get it from carrying a gun around and taking other’s lives. They THINK people respect them, but in reality, people are fearful of them because of the gun. Well maybe I’m just way off the rocker, but I’m pretty sure that is where I lose respect for someone. If they have no respect for another person’s life, why would someone respect their life? Ralph Waldo Emerson said that "Men are only respectable as they respect"
Gangs don't appear very often in thriving communities. They usually take root in disadvantaged neighborhoods... communities that are failing. The whole community. Not just the parents who aren't supervising their kids. The community that offers no center for students to spend their free time in. The community that has no appealing jobs for those old enough to work. The churches who look the other way. The school that isn't effectively getting through to these kids. Gang members are usually not students who excel. They aren't successful in school, so they are looking for another outlet that they can fit into. We've got to figure out a better way... help them "fit in".
Okay, so obviously this all bothers me. I am saddened, fearful, and really at a loss. I want to make an impact, but I really don’t even know where to start… It is time to address it. We can't sweep it under the rug. This community is made out to be a sweet little southern community. Let's face our problems... admit that there is a gang problem and do something about it before another tragedy occurs!
Guess I just have to take one day at a time and ask God for the strength and wisdom to make a difference!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Dee Oh for the Bee Oh
Last night at 9:00, the husband informs me that he is completely out of deodorant and won't have any to use... on the day of a football game. Not good. Although, those boys don't smell like they use it if you get a good whiff of them after the game. Anyway, today I decided I better take a trip to Wally World and drop off some deodorant at his school before practice. So off I go.
I walk into the aisle with deodorant and go to his brand... only to realize that I don't know his particular scent. I never really took notice.... he always takes care of grabbing it when we are in the store and we use different bathrooms, so I never see it. So, I started grabbing, uncapping and sniffing. Hmmm, Fresh...that one smells like him, I think that is it. No wait, maybe it is Pure Sport.. I mean, he is a sporty guy..... well, that one smells like him too. Why do two different scents smell so much alike?? Then I realized there are the deodorants and the clear deodorants. Pretty sure I've never seen deodorant stains on his shirts, so it had to be the clear.. Suddenly, I realize that this is probably close to the feeling men get buying feminine products... or shampoo...or probably just about anything for women. Poor fellows. I finally picked Fresh... I liked it better........ which of course meant... it was the wrong one. Oh well, at least he won't smell of body odor tonight :)
I walk into the aisle with deodorant and go to his brand... only to realize that I don't know his particular scent. I never really took notice.... he always takes care of grabbing it when we are in the store and we use different bathrooms, so I never see it. So, I started grabbing, uncapping and sniffing. Hmmm, Fresh...that one smells like him, I think that is it. No wait, maybe it is Pure Sport.. I mean, he is a sporty guy..... well, that one smells like him too. Why do two different scents smell so much alike?? Then I realized there are the deodorants and the clear deodorants. Pretty sure I've never seen deodorant stains on his shirts, so it had to be the clear.. Suddenly, I realize that this is probably close to the feeling men get buying feminine products... or shampoo...or probably just about anything for women. Poor fellows. I finally picked Fresh... I liked it better........ which of course meant... it was the wrong one. Oh well, at least he won't smell of body odor tonight :)
Friday, October 30, 2009
Apple Schmapple
So the husband recently mentioned how bad he NEEDS a new phone... and how bad he WANTS an MP3 player. So being the loving and devoted to his NEEDS (and WANTS), and because I'm such a resourceful, money saving person, I decided to look at iPhones since they are both. :)
Being the bargain shopper, I found one for a great price... but then I find out it is an extra $30 PER MONTH to have a data plan for this little hot gadget. SERIOUSLY?! That is an extra car payment every year! I have never been a fan of Apple products, and this sure doesn't make me one.
On to check out these Zune players I hear so much about.
Apple - 0
Microsoft - 1
Being the bargain shopper, I found one for a great price... but then I find out it is an extra $30 PER MONTH to have a data plan for this little hot gadget. SERIOUSLY?! That is an extra car payment every year! I have never been a fan of Apple products, and this sure doesn't make me one.
On to check out these Zune players I hear so much about.
Apple - 0
Microsoft - 1
Monday, October 12, 2009
Thankful!
Okay, so I know I've been slacking on the blogging lately and I have some catching up to do. I've made a few dinners that I wanted to post, but they need some revisions. So you'll have to wait on seeing more tasty creations.
But in the meantime, I've got a "life" post. I like to log on to Facebook, particularly in the mornings before I leave for work to check in on my world of friends. If someone is having a bad morning already, I take some time to pray that their day gets better/ less stressful. This morning I woke up and logged on to find that an old friend from when I was in high school had lost his mother. I sat in shock for a few minutes hoping it was a sick joke... but it wasn't. Here is a young man... a few years younger than me who lost the one woman he has known and who has had the most influence in his life. She won't be able to see his wedding or his children. I cannot even imagine what he is going through. Tragedy is good about quickly reminding us to be thankful... to get your priorities straight. t usually takes a tragedy to make us realize what we are thankful for. So today, I've been in a reflective mood... trying not to take things or life for granted because it is so easy to do that when life is going smoothly. So here is my list of what and who I'm thankful for!
1. Many people didn't have a chance at another day today. So today, I am thankful that I woke up to another day in this world... a day I can make a difference
2. Many people don't know the loving, patient, gracious, merciful God that I know. I am thankful for having the opportunity to know Him and share Him. And I am grateful that He has a plan for my life
3. Many people woke up this morning and didn't have a job to go to (and not just because it is a holiday!)... but I am thankful for having a job... and a job that I enjoy doing at that!
4. There are plenty of children, men and women who live in a house where they fear their safety... or they don't even have a house to live in. I am thankful for my house... that is right next to a police station :)
5. Many people will wonder what they will eat today... I am thankful for cupboards with food in them.
6. I am thankful for my loving, caring and supportive husband who reminds me everyday that he loves me. I have so many reasons to be thankful for him... he has helped me in so many ways. He puts up with so much from me... I can be pretty crazy sometimes. :) Even the little things that irritate me... I'm thankful for. Like when he hogs the covers... I'm thankful that he is in the bed with me hogging my covers, not someone else's! And when he doesn't fold the bathroom towel the right way, I'm thankful that he at least uses the towel to try to clean up... or thankful that he washed his hands! ;)
7. Freedom of speech and religion
8. The expensive electric bill because it means that our house is kept cool and I have electricity in my home!
9. My sight, hearing and the ability to walk and function properly
10. Technology that helps me keep in touch with family and friends
11. My car that allows me to get around to places I need or want to go
12. A father who was and is actively involved in my life
13. A brother who is still alive
14. My DVR that allows me to skip all commercials :)
15. The rain that we are currently getting here in SC... we need it!
16. All of my extended family.. grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, nieces, etc who have taught me various life lessons in the past 24 years. I would have never known how to cross stitch, bake, sew, grow a garden, snap green beans, can vegetables or make hay if it weren't for my grandparents. If it weren't for my aunts and uncles I wouldn't have learned how to make quadruple stuffed oreos (which by the way is the only way to eat them!), to drive a stick shift, a go-kart, a boat, a snow mobile or a 4 wheeler, or known how to ski. I wouldn't have had the privilege of hand-me downs such as the Nintendo or Play Station or had fond memories of playing capture the flag or TV tag at family gatherings if it weren't for my cousins. I wouldn't have a wonderful, loving, God-fearing husband if it weren't for my in laws. And I wouldn't have ever enjoyed the peanut butter and jelly time dance or "Walk it Out" if it weren't for my nieces.
17. My mom who has sacrificed a lot the past few years for my sister, brother and me.
18. All the soldiers who risk their lives daily for our freedoms
The list could go on and on... It is amazing how fast you can think of things to be thankful of... you just have to change your perspective. So the next time that you are angry at your teenager for playing video games instead of listening to you... stop and take a moment to be thankful that they are with you at that moment. When your mom starts telling you the same story ten times because she doesn't remember telling you, just smile and be thankful that she still wants to talk to you and that you have the opportunity to listen. When your boss irritate you, be thankful you still have a job.
But in the meantime, I've got a "life" post. I like to log on to Facebook, particularly in the mornings before I leave for work to check in on my world of friends. If someone is having a bad morning already, I take some time to pray that their day gets better/ less stressful. This morning I woke up and logged on to find that an old friend from when I was in high school had lost his mother. I sat in shock for a few minutes hoping it was a sick joke... but it wasn't. Here is a young man... a few years younger than me who lost the one woman he has known and who has had the most influence in his life. She won't be able to see his wedding or his children. I cannot even imagine what he is going through. Tragedy is good about quickly reminding us to be thankful... to get your priorities straight. t usually takes a tragedy to make us realize what we are thankful for. So today, I've been in a reflective mood... trying not to take things or life for granted because it is so easy to do that when life is going smoothly. So here is my list of what and who I'm thankful for!
1. Many people didn't have a chance at another day today. So today, I am thankful that I woke up to another day in this world... a day I can make a difference
2. Many people don't know the loving, patient, gracious, merciful God that I know. I am thankful for having the opportunity to know Him and share Him. And I am grateful that He has a plan for my life
3. Many people woke up this morning and didn't have a job to go to (and not just because it is a holiday!)... but I am thankful for having a job... and a job that I enjoy doing at that!
4. There are plenty of children, men and women who live in a house where they fear their safety... or they don't even have a house to live in. I am thankful for my house... that is right next to a police station :)
5. Many people will wonder what they will eat today... I am thankful for cupboards with food in them.
6. I am thankful for my loving, caring and supportive husband who reminds me everyday that he loves me. I have so many reasons to be thankful for him... he has helped me in so many ways. He puts up with so much from me... I can be pretty crazy sometimes. :) Even the little things that irritate me... I'm thankful for. Like when he hogs the covers... I'm thankful that he is in the bed with me hogging my covers, not someone else's! And when he doesn't fold the bathroom towel the right way, I'm thankful that he at least uses the towel to try to clean up... or thankful that he washed his hands! ;)
7. Freedom of speech and religion
8. The expensive electric bill because it means that our house is kept cool and I have electricity in my home!
9. My sight, hearing and the ability to walk and function properly
10. Technology that helps me keep in touch with family and friends
11. My car that allows me to get around to places I need or want to go
12. A father who was and is actively involved in my life
13. A brother who is still alive
14. My DVR that allows me to skip all commercials :)
15. The rain that we are currently getting here in SC... we need it!
16. All of my extended family.. grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, nieces, etc who have taught me various life lessons in the past 24 years. I would have never known how to cross stitch, bake, sew, grow a garden, snap green beans, can vegetables or make hay if it weren't for my grandparents. If it weren't for my aunts and uncles I wouldn't have learned how to make quadruple stuffed oreos (which by the way is the only way to eat them!), to drive a stick shift, a go-kart, a boat, a snow mobile or a 4 wheeler, or known how to ski. I wouldn't have had the privilege of hand-me downs such as the Nintendo or Play Station or had fond memories of playing capture the flag or TV tag at family gatherings if it weren't for my cousins. I wouldn't have a wonderful, loving, God-fearing husband if it weren't for my in laws. And I wouldn't have ever enjoyed the peanut butter and jelly time dance or "Walk it Out" if it weren't for my nieces.
17. My mom who has sacrificed a lot the past few years for my sister, brother and me.
18. All the soldiers who risk their lives daily for our freedoms
The list could go on and on... It is amazing how fast you can think of things to be thankful of... you just have to change your perspective. So the next time that you are angry at your teenager for playing video games instead of listening to you... stop and take a moment to be thankful that they are with you at that moment. When your mom starts telling you the same story ten times because she doesn't remember telling you, just smile and be thankful that she still wants to talk to you and that you have the opportunity to listen. When your boss irritate you, be thankful you still have a job.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Let the cooking begin!
So, since I've started my new lifestyle of a diet, people think that there is NOTHING that I can eat. Well, some days it does seem like it is easier to say what I can have rather than what I can't, but luckily God blessed me with a love of the kitchen and a creative mind.
My restrictions are: gluten, dairy, eggs, yeast, soy and legumes (beans and peanuts). And, no red meat or pork because of the high fat. So, it does seem like that eliminates a whole lot. But, luckily there are products out there such as gluten free flour that make life a little easier. Anyway I figured since I have a blog, I might occassionally post a recipe or two up here so people can see that I really do eat rather normally.
My first one isn't a meal, but a snack that I cam up with all on my own. I bought this amazing granola at Sam's club about a month ago that had pumpkin seeds in it and I loved the pumpkin seeds. So the other day when we took our monthly trip to town (in our covered wagon...haha), I visited the Whole Foods Bulk section and found...pumpkin seeds! They looked just like the ones in the granola, so they had to be just as good right? Wrong... they were terrible. I figured then that they probably had to be roasted.... so I figured I'd just make my own granola.
Seeing that it is almost fall (although in the South, you'd never know with the 80-90 degree days), I thought I'd do something a little fall-ish.
So here it is:
Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice Granola
1 1/2 cup rolled oats (gluten free of course)
1/4 cup of raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/8 cup sunflower seeds
1 tbsp flax seed
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
In a large mixing bowl, mix these ingredients together.
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup pumpkin pie filling
In a small bowl combine these ingredients and whisk until mixed.
Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix well.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, stirring often to prevent from burning. Take out and let dry. Enjoy!
I had every intention of making another pumpkin delight with the rest of the can of pumpkin pie filling, but I pretty much ate the rest right out of the can with a spoon :) (Hey, its got lots of fiber and Vitamin A!)
My restrictions are: gluten, dairy, eggs, yeast, soy and legumes (beans and peanuts). And, no red meat or pork because of the high fat. So, it does seem like that eliminates a whole lot. But, luckily there are products out there such as gluten free flour that make life a little easier. Anyway I figured since I have a blog, I might occassionally post a recipe or two up here so people can see that I really do eat rather normally.
My first one isn't a meal, but a snack that I cam up with all on my own. I bought this amazing granola at Sam's club about a month ago that had pumpkin seeds in it and I loved the pumpkin seeds. So the other day when we took our monthly trip to town (in our covered wagon...haha), I visited the Whole Foods Bulk section and found...pumpkin seeds! They looked just like the ones in the granola, so they had to be just as good right? Wrong... they were terrible. I figured then that they probably had to be roasted.... so I figured I'd just make my own granola.
Seeing that it is almost fall (although in the South, you'd never know with the 80-90 degree days), I thought I'd do something a little fall-ish.
So here it is:
Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice Granola
1 1/2 cup rolled oats (gluten free of course)
1/4 cup of raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/8 cup sunflower seeds
1 tbsp flax seed
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
In a large mixing bowl, mix these ingredients together.
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup pumpkin pie filling
In a small bowl combine these ingredients and whisk until mixed.
Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix well.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, stirring often to prevent from burning. Take out and let dry. Enjoy!
I had every intention of making another pumpkin delight with the rest of the can of pumpkin pie filling, but I pretty much ate the rest right out of the can with a spoon :) (Hey, its got lots of fiber and Vitamin A!)
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Ladies and Gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts
How many of you have flown in an airplane recently? Anyone realized that when the attendants get up and review the safety features, no one really pays attention? I admit, this includes me. I paid REAL close attention the first time I flew.. a little bit the second, but after that, I paid more attention to the guys on the runway putting up luggage... (Hey, someone has to watch them!)
But I was thinking the other day... I wonder if these attendants get angry that people aren't listening to them? I think I would. What if something happens on the plane... then I'm sure everyone is scrambling to find that attendant to ask them what to do. If I were the attendant, I think I'd have to kindly remind everyone that we went over this before takeoff. .. you should've paid attention. Haha, no, of course I would help them.
But what about when there isn't a second chance to help someone? As Christians, it is our job to warn everyone about what to do to prepare themselves for the "crash landing". But there are LOTS of people that just aren't listening. They have better things to do. But I'm willing to bet when those trumpets sound, they'll be scrambling to find a Christian and ask them what to do again. But it will be too late. Time will be up.
Actually, maybe this is our second chance. Genesis tells the story of Noah... who followed God's instruction to build a boat for a flood that was coming. For 120 years Noah kept at it. I'm sure he listened to lots of people tell him he was crazy. He watched plenty of people go about their business as if nothing was going to happen. After all, it wasn't even raining, so what was the big deal? The big deal was that the rain DID come... and those people Noah tried to help? They were no more. The Bible warns us....
"In the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving their children to be married, until the day Noah entered the boat. They knew nothing about what was happening until the flood came and destroyed them. It will be same when the Son of Man comes" - Matthew 24:38-39
This is our second chance. Have you listened to the flight attendants? Are you equipped with the knowledge to exit the plane safely?
But I was thinking the other day... I wonder if these attendants get angry that people aren't listening to them? I think I would. What if something happens on the plane... then I'm sure everyone is scrambling to find that attendant to ask them what to do. If I were the attendant, I think I'd have to kindly remind everyone that we went over this before takeoff. .. you should've paid attention. Haha, no, of course I would help them.
But what about when there isn't a second chance to help someone? As Christians, it is our job to warn everyone about what to do to prepare themselves for the "crash landing". But there are LOTS of people that just aren't listening. They have better things to do. But I'm willing to bet when those trumpets sound, they'll be scrambling to find a Christian and ask them what to do again. But it will be too late. Time will be up.
Actually, maybe this is our second chance. Genesis tells the story of Noah... who followed God's instruction to build a boat for a flood that was coming. For 120 years Noah kept at it. I'm sure he listened to lots of people tell him he was crazy. He watched plenty of people go about their business as if nothing was going to happen. After all, it wasn't even raining, so what was the big deal? The big deal was that the rain DID come... and those people Noah tried to help? They were no more. The Bible warns us....
"In the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving their children to be married, until the day Noah entered the boat. They knew nothing about what was happening until the flood came and destroyed them. It will be same when the Son of Man comes" - Matthew 24:38-39
This is our second chance. Have you listened to the flight attendants? Are you equipped with the knowledge to exit the plane safely?
Sunday, September 13, 2009
A picture is worth...
A thousand words? Really? Okay, well maybe some of them...
(Courtesy of Awkwardfamilyphotos.com)
I love photography... from taking pictures to looking through old pictures. But does a picture really tell the TRUE story? I was looking through the rehearsal dinner and wedding pictures the other day and got to thinking about what they "say". They speak to the beauty of the day, the happiness and the love that the husband and I have for each other. But.... do they tell the story of what was to come? Not at all. In less than 48 hours, I would begin to have a series of symptoms that turned out to be MS. You would never know from looking at the wedding pictures that this creature of a disease was lurking beneath the surface.
Okay, so maybe pictures aren't supposed to tell the story of what is going to happen in the future, but do pictures really even tell the story of what was REALLY going on at the time? I have a picture of Russ during the first night of our honeymoon where it looks like he is relaxing on the bed and talking on the phone. But what he is really doing is telling his parents the news of my disease. Looking at some family photos from long ago, it appears everyone is really happy... but I now know that they really weren't. There was a storm brewing beneath the surface that would later come to surface and cause an entirely different picture to be painted.
Think of Jon and Kate Gosselin..... Just a year ago, millions of people watched them renew their vows in Hawaii. They both seemed happy... it was a Kodak moment. But oh how that picture has changed now that their marriage is dissolving. There was obviously something else going on that those photos did not portray.
Everyone wants to have the perfect family photo.. you know, a spouse, 2.5 kids and a dog. But there is no such thing as a perfect family. You can use PhotoShop as much as you want, your family is NOT going to be perfect. Natalie Grant has a song called "Perfect People" that is stuck in my head today and it goes right along with these thoughts:
There is no such thing as perfect people, there is no such thing as a perfect life. So come as you are, broken and scarred and be amazed, be changed by a perfect God.
How true.. what we really need to do rather than worrying about matching outfits and perfect smiles is worry about Photoshopping Jesus into the picture to fix the imperfections... and trust God to create the perfect picture!!!
(Courtesy of Awkwardfamilyphotos.com)
I love photography... from taking pictures to looking through old pictures. But does a picture really tell the TRUE story? I was looking through the rehearsal dinner and wedding pictures the other day and got to thinking about what they "say". They speak to the beauty of the day, the happiness and the love that the husband and I have for each other. But.... do they tell the story of what was to come? Not at all. In less than 48 hours, I would begin to have a series of symptoms that turned out to be MS. You would never know from looking at the wedding pictures that this creature of a disease was lurking beneath the surface.
Okay, so maybe pictures aren't supposed to tell the story of what is going to happen in the future, but do pictures really even tell the story of what was REALLY going on at the time? I have a picture of Russ during the first night of our honeymoon where it looks like he is relaxing on the bed and talking on the phone. But what he is really doing is telling his parents the news of my disease. Looking at some family photos from long ago, it appears everyone is really happy... but I now know that they really weren't. There was a storm brewing beneath the surface that would later come to surface and cause an entirely different picture to be painted.
Think of Jon and Kate Gosselin..... Just a year ago, millions of people watched them renew their vows in Hawaii. They both seemed happy... it was a Kodak moment. But oh how that picture has changed now that their marriage is dissolving. There was obviously something else going on that those photos did not portray.
Everyone wants to have the perfect family photo.. you know, a spouse, 2.5 kids and a dog. But there is no such thing as a perfect family. You can use PhotoShop as much as you want, your family is NOT going to be perfect. Natalie Grant has a song called "Perfect People" that is stuck in my head today and it goes right along with these thoughts:
There is no such thing as perfect people, there is no such thing as a perfect life. So come as you are, broken and scarred and be amazed, be changed by a perfect God.
How true.. what we really need to do rather than worrying about matching outfits and perfect smiles is worry about Photoshopping Jesus into the picture to fix the imperfections... and trust God to create the perfect picture!!!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Welcome to the club
Friday night marked the official beginning of high school football with our first football game. Since there is only one school in the county, the games are quite a drive. The wife of the head coach called me last week and invited me to ride with her and some other ladies to the game...which was quite nice since it was a "few country miles away" as one of the ladies said. Note - I love South-isms and I'm actually starting to pick them up which is scary. Today I caught myself saying "I was fixing to tell ya something". I caught myself before it slipped out though and referred back to the Yank Speak (READ: I was going to tell you something very important but it slipped my mind. I will have to tell you later. )
Anyway, on Friday I realized that I am now a part of a new "club" - The Football Wives Club. I never saw this coming and I don't know why I didn't.. I think it crept up on me and I never thought about it. I wasn't with Russ during his first season as coach, so it didn't hit me and I just never thought about it. Until Friday. When I was younger I remember watching NFL games or races (yes, I watched NASCAR races) and seeing those cameras pan over to the wives when their husbands did something.... and I remember thinking I would never EVER want to be that woman on display. Well, we are on our way folks. In a smaller degree...but well on our way.
Some women probably think I'm crazy because those women get attention... money (which I assure you, we are FAR from that stage!).... and perks. What could be better than those three right? Haha.
Well, first, I was never one to enjoy attention. It seems like if the players do something they shouldn't have, everyone watches the coaches to make sure they do their job of scolding them. But when the coaches make a bad call, everyone looks to the wives to make sure they saw their husband's bad move. Here's the truth... I really don't care what he does out on that field... we all make mistakes and I'm sure you make plenty at work too, you just don't have hundreds or thousands of people watching you. Truth is.. I'll proudly stand beside him and support him whether we win every game or lose every game. I believe in him and his calling to attempt to instill integrity and sportsmanship in the next generation of athletes. So please don't think your look will change my mind about him. Hmmm, wonder if I can get a shirt that says all that? :)
Secondly, sure, being the wife has it's perks, but I'm not the type of person to enjoy perks... Should I get to park closer just because I married a man who spends months of his life coaching? Well, its nice, but it sure doesn't make up for the time that I don't have him at home. (There are days that Russ leaves so early in the morning and comes home so late, that the next day, I wonder if I even spoke to him the day before...or was he just a figment of my imagination? And I used too laugh when this guy at work talked about the good months to have a baby. I'm thinking we'll be planning too.... for a bye week delivery...or a spring baby. haha.) I know the perks are just to show appreciation, but the families and fans of the teams sacrifice their time and money to support the team too.
And lastly, you probably won't ever hear me complain about having extra money, because there is always someplace for it to go to. It's a shame that Sallie Mae isn't a charity because we sure give them a lot of money...and will continue to do so until 2025. There are always needs and when we don't have any, others do and we try to give back to them too. But I don't see money being one of the perks of coaching anytime soon!!!!
The upside of this club though is that I get to be a part of my husbands job. Its not like when he worked at the bank and I was a customer... I can now cheer him on from the sidelines. And I get to be a part of the community. And when he is gone from home, I get to do things that interest me... such as blogging :)
Anyway, on Friday I realized that I am now a part of a new "club" - The Football Wives Club. I never saw this coming and I don't know why I didn't.. I think it crept up on me and I never thought about it. I wasn't with Russ during his first season as coach, so it didn't hit me and I just never thought about it. Until Friday. When I was younger I remember watching NFL games or races (yes, I watched NASCAR races) and seeing those cameras pan over to the wives when their husbands did something.... and I remember thinking I would never EVER want to be that woman on display. Well, we are on our way folks. In a smaller degree...but well on our way.
Some women probably think I'm crazy because those women get attention... money (which I assure you, we are FAR from that stage!).... and perks. What could be better than those three right? Haha.
Well, first, I was never one to enjoy attention. It seems like if the players do something they shouldn't have, everyone watches the coaches to make sure they do their job of scolding them. But when the coaches make a bad call, everyone looks to the wives to make sure they saw their husband's bad move. Here's the truth... I really don't care what he does out on that field... we all make mistakes and I'm sure you make plenty at work too, you just don't have hundreds or thousands of people watching you. Truth is.. I'll proudly stand beside him and support him whether we win every game or lose every game. I believe in him and his calling to attempt to instill integrity and sportsmanship in the next generation of athletes. So please don't think your look will change my mind about him. Hmmm, wonder if I can get a shirt that says all that? :)
Secondly, sure, being the wife has it's perks, but I'm not the type of person to enjoy perks... Should I get to park closer just because I married a man who spends months of his life coaching? Well, its nice, but it sure doesn't make up for the time that I don't have him at home. (There are days that Russ leaves so early in the morning and comes home so late, that the next day, I wonder if I even spoke to him the day before...or was he just a figment of my imagination? And I used too laugh when this guy at work talked about the good months to have a baby. I'm thinking we'll be planning too.... for a bye week delivery...or a spring baby. haha.) I know the perks are just to show appreciation, but the families and fans of the teams sacrifice their time and money to support the team too.
And lastly, you probably won't ever hear me complain about having extra money, because there is always someplace for it to go to. It's a shame that Sallie Mae isn't a charity because we sure give them a lot of money...and will continue to do so until 2025. There are always needs and when we don't have any, others do and we try to give back to them too. But I don't see money being one of the perks of coaching anytime soon!!!!
The upside of this club though is that I get to be a part of my husbands job. Its not like when he worked at the bank and I was a customer... I can now cheer him on from the sidelines. And I get to be a part of the community. And when he is gone from home, I get to do things that interest me... such as blogging :)
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Father Abraham
had many sons..had many sons had Father Abraham....Come on.. I know you know the song.... so let's just praise the Lord. I remember singing this song for the longest time and I had no idea why I was considered a child of Abraham. But I thought it was pretty cool that my dad was on the face of a penny. Haha. Later in life, I realized that the Abraham I learned about in school and the Abraham we sang about at that VBS were very different!
Recently I was reading about Bible Abraham and realized how applicable the beginning of his story is to my story right now.
'The Lord said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your fathers household and go to the land I show you." - Genesis 12:1
Similarly, I was called to leave my state, my "people" and my family and go to this small town that is completely not what I'm used to. Is it what I would've chosen? No. But, we are creatures of habit and we like to be comfortable. However, we don't grow when we are comfortable! The promise that follows God's command to Abraham makes all of that worth it though...
"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" -Genesis 12:2-3
Wow.. that gets me excited. I mean, who doesn't want to leave a legacy of greatness behind? And how cool is it that God promises to "have our backs"? There isn't anyone better to protect us!
God's message to us since the beginning has been to trust Him. Are you trusting in Him to bless your life? To protect you? To love you? To make your name known? Or are you trusting your husband, wife, your boss or yourself to do those things?
Once you trust Him to do these things, your life isn't going to be easy... you are ogoing to have trials and tribulations. Abraham picked up, carried his family to a far away land, and the first thing he experienced was a famine. Why? Not because God forgot about His promise to Abraham, but because He wanted Abraham to TRUST him. God asks us to go places and do things without too many details because He wants us to trust Him. The great thing is... that if we follow Him, He will take care of us...if we obey!
Recently I was reading about Bible Abraham and realized how applicable the beginning of his story is to my story right now.
'The Lord said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your fathers household and go to the land I show you." - Genesis 12:1
Similarly, I was called to leave my state, my "people" and my family and go to this small town that is completely not what I'm used to. Is it what I would've chosen? No. But, we are creatures of habit and we like to be comfortable. However, we don't grow when we are comfortable! The promise that follows God's command to Abraham makes all of that worth it though...
"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" -Genesis 12:2-3
Wow.. that gets me excited. I mean, who doesn't want to leave a legacy of greatness behind? And how cool is it that God promises to "have our backs"? There isn't anyone better to protect us!
God's message to us since the beginning has been to trust Him. Are you trusting in Him to bless your life? To protect you? To love you? To make your name known? Or are you trusting your husband, wife, your boss or yourself to do those things?
Once you trust Him to do these things, your life isn't going to be easy... you are ogoing to have trials and tribulations. Abraham picked up, carried his family to a far away land, and the first thing he experienced was a famine. Why? Not because God forgot about His promise to Abraham, but because He wanted Abraham to TRUST him. God asks us to go places and do things without too many details because He wants us to trust Him. The great thing is... that if we follow Him, He will take care of us...if we obey!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Church Shopping
The past few weeks Russ and I have been searching for a church home in our new town...... and needless to say, its been quite interesting for us. The church we choose to attend can profoundly affect our faith and our relationships here in this new town, so we have been putting a lot of thought into this.
Living in the South, there is this traditional view of a big brick church with a steeple... stained glass windows...a pulpit, a choir, a baptismal and pews. we've seen a lot of those.. nad have visited a few, but you know, none of that makes it a church. Sure, it makes it pretty, but the building sure doesn't welcome the new visitors as well as a person. Seeing that I grew up in a church that met in schools, a movie theatre and an arts center, I do not feel that a church even needs to have a church building to be a church... the body of Christ can meet ANYWHERE. The strength of a church does not lie in the brick of their building, but rather the people of the church!
The first church we went to was a very much so traditional church with all the "churchy" things... but not one soul introduced themselves to us. It was pretty to walk into, but it was relationally cold inside unfortunately. Most regular church goers don't remember the concept of greeting. They quickly meet people and forget what it was like to be a first time visitor. They walk into church, go to their comfortable place and don't get outside their bubble. I admit, I'm guilty. But after visiting a few churches, I will change because it makes a difference, the more people that say hello, the better. Churches shouldn't have to have greeters or a welcome ministry... the whole church should take on that responsibility.
Then there is the music...some people think of hyms, some of more contemporary music. Should there be organs, pianos, dums, guitars, a choir? We actually visited a church that sang without instruments or a worship leader... it was actually very lively! I don't think there is a right or wrong way to worship, we just need to find the church that allows us to express our love and appreciation to God through their worship service.
One of our must haves is ministries...we feel that a church should be growing deeper within and should also be active in the community through their ministries. Unfortunately, this is one thing that a lot of churches have given up.... there are a few select families that do EVERYTHING and they get burned out and the ministries fizzle away. But, sometimes churches can get too internal with their ministries and thats all they talk about. One church talked about who was going to bring what to the church dinner that week...for 20 minutes. I was ready to hear a message from the Word of God! But instead, got a message from my stomach that it was hungry after hearing about food for so long!
We've also realized how important it is to read the statement of beliefs to make sure it lines up with our beliefs and more importantly, the Bible! There are churches who bend the Word of God to be something different...something they are more comfortable with. The message has to be good and cause us to grow in our faith..otherwise what is the point of going to church?
Needless to say, finding a church that "fits" has been harder than finding a pair of jeans that fits!!!
Living in the South, there is this traditional view of a big brick church with a steeple... stained glass windows...a pulpit, a choir, a baptismal and pews. we've seen a lot of those.. nad have visited a few, but you know, none of that makes it a church. Sure, it makes it pretty, but the building sure doesn't welcome the new visitors as well as a person. Seeing that I grew up in a church that met in schools, a movie theatre and an arts center, I do not feel that a church even needs to have a church building to be a church... the body of Christ can meet ANYWHERE. The strength of a church does not lie in the brick of their building, but rather the people of the church!
The first church we went to was a very much so traditional church with all the "churchy" things... but not one soul introduced themselves to us. It was pretty to walk into, but it was relationally cold inside unfortunately. Most regular church goers don't remember the concept of greeting. They quickly meet people and forget what it was like to be a first time visitor. They walk into church, go to their comfortable place and don't get outside their bubble. I admit, I'm guilty. But after visiting a few churches, I will change because it makes a difference, the more people that say hello, the better. Churches shouldn't have to have greeters or a welcome ministry... the whole church should take on that responsibility.
Then there is the music...some people think of hyms, some of more contemporary music. Should there be organs, pianos, dums, guitars, a choir? We actually visited a church that sang without instruments or a worship leader... it was actually very lively! I don't think there is a right or wrong way to worship, we just need to find the church that allows us to express our love and appreciation to God through their worship service.
One of our must haves is ministries...we feel that a church should be growing deeper within and should also be active in the community through their ministries. Unfortunately, this is one thing that a lot of churches have given up.... there are a few select families that do EVERYTHING and they get burned out and the ministries fizzle away. But, sometimes churches can get too internal with their ministries and thats all they talk about. One church talked about who was going to bring what to the church dinner that week...for 20 minutes. I was ready to hear a message from the Word of God! But instead, got a message from my stomach that it was hungry after hearing about food for so long!
We've also realized how important it is to read the statement of beliefs to make sure it lines up with our beliefs and more importantly, the Bible! There are churches who bend the Word of God to be something different...something they are more comfortable with. The message has to be good and cause us to grow in our faith..otherwise what is the point of going to church?
Needless to say, finding a church that "fits" has been harder than finding a pair of jeans that fits!!!
Friday, August 14, 2009
More thoughts...
It's been a few weeks since my last update, so I thought I would check in in case anyone reads this other than my husband :)
Yesterday marked two months of marriage... time is flying by and before we know it, we'll be at the five year mark... and then twenty...fifty.. I can't wait to see what life has in store for us!
God definitely has some big plans for us... I can feel it.... I just don't know what exactly it is and I've been praying really hard to find out exactly what it is that I'm supposed to be doing. While I enjoy serving the guests at the hotel, the pay just isn't going to work for the long term. The problem is that when I work for four hours, I'm dead tired... and I mean TIRED! Right now there is laundry to be done, dishes to be put away and I am glued to the couch...don't have any motivation to move. While my energy has definitely increased with taking supplements, it is still hard to get through the day without a nap. When someone with MS says they are tired, its a whole new definition of tired...its exhausted times 10. I've always been easily "tired" but since June 15th when this attack hit, I've learned a new definition of the word. I'm just thankful that I don't have kids to take care of and have depend on me right now because it is hard. But I'm confident that things are going to continue to get better. And if they don't, well, its in God's hands and He can take care of it.
It's been such a different and peaceful ride learning to let go and let God. sure, there are days when I look at what bills are due for the week and wonder how its going to happen....but I've learned to not really stress about it terribly like I used to. The numbers might not make sense to me, but they do to God...He has it all under control and it seems that when we've needed it the most, there has been unexpected money show up. And a check engine light in Russ' car turned into absolutely nothing.... God takes care of us, that's for sure!
I'm a firm believer that when we tap into our limited resources and help other people out, that God sees that and then reaches into his UNLIMITED resources and gives back to us more than we could imagine. We just have to remember to help others out when they need it and God will help us out when we need it. How encouraging to know that I don't have to take on all the stress of life!
Russ has started football camp and he seems to really like it here. The guys are already seeing him as a leader and looking up to him, which is great. Unfortunately so many young men don't have good male role models in their lives. They need a sense of what a "real" man is.....that a man doesn't have to drink, yell, cuss or be disrespectful to be a man. And its unfortunate that fathers don't care or don't take the time to teach their kids these things........as their kids are the only legacy they will leave behind. But a lot of parents just think that it is someone else's responsibility.... but I once heard a poem that said that there was a job that was given to everybody and everybody thought somebody would do it, but nobody did it. Then somebody got angry because everybody didn't do it but everybody blamed somebody for not doing it. So I guess if the parents aren't going to step up and we see a need, we should step in and do it because at least we are doing something and can't be blamed for doing nothing!
Well, that's all of my provoking thoughts for the day! Until next time....
Yesterday marked two months of marriage... time is flying by and before we know it, we'll be at the five year mark... and then twenty...fifty.. I can't wait to see what life has in store for us!
God definitely has some big plans for us... I can feel it.... I just don't know what exactly it is and I've been praying really hard to find out exactly what it is that I'm supposed to be doing. While I enjoy serving the guests at the hotel, the pay just isn't going to work for the long term. The problem is that when I work for four hours, I'm dead tired... and I mean TIRED! Right now there is laundry to be done, dishes to be put away and I am glued to the couch...don't have any motivation to move. While my energy has definitely increased with taking supplements, it is still hard to get through the day without a nap. When someone with MS says they are tired, its a whole new definition of tired...its exhausted times 10. I've always been easily "tired" but since June 15th when this attack hit, I've learned a new definition of the word. I'm just thankful that I don't have kids to take care of and have depend on me right now because it is hard. But I'm confident that things are going to continue to get better. And if they don't, well, its in God's hands and He can take care of it.
It's been such a different and peaceful ride learning to let go and let God. sure, there are days when I look at what bills are due for the week and wonder how its going to happen....but I've learned to not really stress about it terribly like I used to. The numbers might not make sense to me, but they do to God...He has it all under control and it seems that when we've needed it the most, there has been unexpected money show up. And a check engine light in Russ' car turned into absolutely nothing.... God takes care of us, that's for sure!
I'm a firm believer that when we tap into our limited resources and help other people out, that God sees that and then reaches into his UNLIMITED resources and gives back to us more than we could imagine. We just have to remember to help others out when they need it and God will help us out when we need it. How encouraging to know that I don't have to take on all the stress of life!
Russ has started football camp and he seems to really like it here. The guys are already seeing him as a leader and looking up to him, which is great. Unfortunately so many young men don't have good male role models in their lives. They need a sense of what a "real" man is.....that a man doesn't have to drink, yell, cuss or be disrespectful to be a man. And its unfortunate that fathers don't care or don't take the time to teach their kids these things........as their kids are the only legacy they will leave behind. But a lot of parents just think that it is someone else's responsibility.... but I once heard a poem that said that there was a job that was given to everybody and everybody thought somebody would do it, but nobody did it. Then somebody got angry because everybody didn't do it but everybody blamed somebody for not doing it. So I guess if the parents aren't going to step up and we see a need, we should step in and do it because at least we are doing something and can't be blamed for doing nothing!
Well, that's all of my provoking thoughts for the day! Until next time....
Friday, July 31, 2009
Life Adjustments
Have you ever realized just how capable we really are? We really don't give ourselves credit for what we can actually do... in fact, most of the time, we talk ourselves out of doing things because we are chickens. We are too scared... too worried.... too much in control to take a risk. But the past month or so I've realized a lot about me... what I really can do.
If you would've asked me a month ago if I could...
survive a month without internet...
eliminate meat and gluten from my diet
move to a town that doesn't have a mall, a ritas,or even a blockbuster within an hour
survive on a minimum wage part time job
be able to cope without use my right hand
I would've laughed at you and told you that I was not made for those circumstances... but apparently, I was... and I am surviving! And actually, I'm doing pretty good :) I've adapted to the use of a phone and phone book to stay in touch....I've started finding fish, rice and potatoes to taste simply amazing, I've become a large financial supporter of the local chapter of SuperWalmart, I've cut back on unneccesaries and my left hand is becoming dominant. We may be resistant to change, but once we are forced into it, if we keep a positive outlook, we actually do much better than we could have ever anticipated.
While I would've never chosen this particular path, I've accepted it and I am actually enjoying the new pace. I am determined to keep going because I can't wait to see the beautiful scenery ahead!!!
If you would've asked me a month ago if I could...
survive a month without internet...
eliminate meat and gluten from my diet
move to a town that doesn't have a mall, a ritas,or even a blockbuster within an hour
survive on a minimum wage part time job
be able to cope without use my right hand
I would've laughed at you and told you that I was not made for those circumstances... but apparently, I was... and I am surviving! And actually, I'm doing pretty good :) I've adapted to the use of a phone and phone book to stay in touch....I've started finding fish, rice and potatoes to taste simply amazing, I've become a large financial supporter of the local chapter of SuperWalmart, I've cut back on unneccesaries and my left hand is becoming dominant. We may be resistant to change, but once we are forced into it, if we keep a positive outlook, we actually do much better than we could have ever anticipated.
While I would've never chosen this particular path, I've accepted it and I am actually enjoying the new pace. I am determined to keep going because I can't wait to see the beautiful scenery ahead!!!
Friday, July 17, 2009
MRS AND MS
The past few weeks have been a rollercoaster of feelings, emotions and a massive amount of travel.
Married life so far has been incredibly hectic. I am finally down South and we are just about settled into our cute little house. I am learning new things about Russ everyday and for the most part, love each one of those things. Still trying to learn to accept the toilet seat left open thing... but at least I'm learning patience :) I drpped my brush in the open toilet seat the other day, but laughed it off. And soaked it in some disinfectant. haha.
Another thing I'm dealing with is sharing the bed. haha. I'm such a bed hog and so is Russ, so we spend all night rolling into each other and stealing back the covers from each other. I see the purchase of a king bed in the near future!
But we'll get used to it and the pros (like having someone to share chores with.. hehe) outweigh the cons.
The other battle I'm fighting is rather ironic to me.....The day after our wedding, I began getting a numb sensation in the back of my head, but brushed it off as my hair being "sore" after being pinned up all day the day before. However, it turned into numbness in my jaw, and right arm. I again brushed it off as a pinched nerve and couldn't wait to get back to my chiropractor in Maryland. After two visits to him and little relief, I wasn't so sure it was something simple, so I went to the doctor. She said it was probably a pinched nerve but she wasn't sure. WHAT? You are a doctor, can't you do better than that? It seriously irks me when doctors are so complacent. I don't go to the doctor at the drop of a hat, so it just bothers me when they brush off everything I say. Anyway, then I started getting chest pains and numbness in my rib cage, at which point I went to the emergency room. After pricking me, brusing me and scanning me, they said maybe a pinched nerve but they also referred me to a neurologist. At this point I was four days away from moving, but fit in an appointment anyway and some MRI's. Three days later I got a call from the neurologist that after looking at the scans, there were several spots on my brain and spine that were consistent with multiple sclerosis (MS). I still say I haven't had time to process this, but I find it very ironic that I finally got my MRS. and God gave me back the MS..... in a different form. haha. (I'm trying to find the humor and positive in all of this!)
Seriously though, I am thankful for the cause of numbness being found so quickly and for it not being more serious than it is. I am thankful for my wonderful husband as well... he has been very supportive and understanding of my frustrations. I have very limited use of my right hand, I tire very easily and the past few days I've found myself stumbling over my words and my feet. haha. But I've always done that, I just have an excuse for it now!!!
Well my left hand is dying from typing all of this, so, I'm off to read some more about MS. I am not going down without a fight and doing everything in my power to help myself and others!!
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"
Married life so far has been incredibly hectic. I am finally down South and we are just about settled into our cute little house. I am learning new things about Russ everyday and for the most part, love each one of those things. Still trying to learn to accept the toilet seat left open thing... but at least I'm learning patience :) I drpped my brush in the open toilet seat the other day, but laughed it off. And soaked it in some disinfectant. haha.
Another thing I'm dealing with is sharing the bed. haha. I'm such a bed hog and so is Russ, so we spend all night rolling into each other and stealing back the covers from each other. I see the purchase of a king bed in the near future!
But we'll get used to it and the pros (like having someone to share chores with.. hehe) outweigh the cons.
The other battle I'm fighting is rather ironic to me.....The day after our wedding, I began getting a numb sensation in the back of my head, but brushed it off as my hair being "sore" after being pinned up all day the day before. However, it turned into numbness in my jaw, and right arm. I again brushed it off as a pinched nerve and couldn't wait to get back to my chiropractor in Maryland. After two visits to him and little relief, I wasn't so sure it was something simple, so I went to the doctor. She said it was probably a pinched nerve but she wasn't sure. WHAT? You are a doctor, can't you do better than that? It seriously irks me when doctors are so complacent. I don't go to the doctor at the drop of a hat, so it just bothers me when they brush off everything I say. Anyway, then I started getting chest pains and numbness in my rib cage, at which point I went to the emergency room. After pricking me, brusing me and scanning me, they said maybe a pinched nerve but they also referred me to a neurologist. At this point I was four days away from moving, but fit in an appointment anyway and some MRI's. Three days later I got a call from the neurologist that after looking at the scans, there were several spots on my brain and spine that were consistent with multiple sclerosis (MS). I still say I haven't had time to process this, but I find it very ironic that I finally got my MRS. and God gave me back the MS..... in a different form. haha. (I'm trying to find the humor and positive in all of this!)
Seriously though, I am thankful for the cause of numbness being found so quickly and for it not being more serious than it is. I am thankful for my wonderful husband as well... he has been very supportive and understanding of my frustrations. I have very limited use of my right hand, I tire very easily and the past few days I've found myself stumbling over my words and my feet. haha. But I've always done that, I just have an excuse for it now!!!
Well my left hand is dying from typing all of this, so, I'm off to read some more about MS. I am not going down without a fight and doing everything in my power to help myself and others!!
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Married Life
Well, it's official, I am a married woman!
The first week of married life proved to be rather hectic! We left Sunday for Charleston (in two different cars!) and didn't get there until the evening. We unpacked, ate dinner and Russ started on his school work. That continued all week. He was gone from 7:30am until about 3:30 everyday. I slept until at least 10 everyday which was fantastic! Then I hit the job and apartment hunting trails. What fun that proved to be. Apparently the new trend in apartments is to not have a washer and dryer in the unit. Not cool. I lived through dragging my clothes across the world in college and I really don't care to do so again. And the new trend in hiring people... is to not do so. haha. So unfortunately, I didn't prove successful in either one of those. I did take a day to go to Boone Hall plantation which was gorgeous. It's the place that has the "Avenue of Oaks" in the Notebook:
I loved it! I can't wait to get a house and start framing pictures. My goal is to be able to decorate our house with pictures that we've taken from various places.
Anyway... we got to spend the day together on Saturday and went downtown Charleston. We ate breakfast at a little place called Toast which is apparently a hangout for college kids who went out and had a little too much fun the night before. It proved for some interesting entertainment. The best two quotes of my entire trip were heard there...
"Corned Beef Hash?! Wow, does that have corn in it?"
"Kentucky......... isn't that where the Kentucky Derby is?"
haha. I love it. Glad that God blessed me with some common sense!
We left there and went to the downtown market... pretty cool place where all these artists and vendors come out and sell their stuff. We decided to try to start collecting Christmas tree ornaments for anywhere that we travel to... so we bought a Charleston ornament... and a Palmetto tree pitcher for all that sweet tea Russ drinks :)
On the way to the bathroom, we spotted what appears to be a Charleston fad... gum posts. This post had so much gum on it... it was disgusting up close, but it looked pretty cool from afar :) There were a bunch of others like it, but this one had the most gum on it.
We then got suckered into attending a timeshare presentation... for all these free attraction tickets. The place looked great... cool idea..... but they presented it to the wrong couple because we certainly didn't have the money they were looking for. haha. So we got some free tickets... and vowed to never attend one of those things again.
We headed back towards the car where we spotted a Moonpie General Store.....
Moonpies and RC Cola...Its a Southern thing :)
Which... we then spotted the Gamecock paraphenalia... and since I did vow to be a Carolina Gamecock, I had to get the "Fear the Spur" picture. haha. I promise, I'll show some more excitement about this as the years go on :)
And then we headed to dinner... where we watched a wedding in the Courtyard and reminisced about a week beforehand when we were doing the same thing. It was quite the week... and then I had to leave :( The drive home was long and boring and I sure do miss him being around! However, I don't miss having to check to make sure the toilet seat is down! That was definitely the first lesson of marriage... make sure to check before you sit. haha. Even if he does leave the toilet seat up all the time, I love him :)
Well, it's dinner time... until next time...
The first week of married life proved to be rather hectic! We left Sunday for Charleston (in two different cars!) and didn't get there until the evening. We unpacked, ate dinner and Russ started on his school work. That continued all week. He was gone from 7:30am until about 3:30 everyday. I slept until at least 10 everyday which was fantastic! Then I hit the job and apartment hunting trails. What fun that proved to be. Apparently the new trend in apartments is to not have a washer and dryer in the unit. Not cool. I lived through dragging my clothes across the world in college and I really don't care to do so again. And the new trend in hiring people... is to not do so. haha. So unfortunately, I didn't prove successful in either one of those. I did take a day to go to Boone Hall plantation which was gorgeous. It's the place that has the "Avenue of Oaks" in the Notebook:
I loved it! I can't wait to get a house and start framing pictures. My goal is to be able to decorate our house with pictures that we've taken from various places.
Anyway... we got to spend the day together on Saturday and went downtown Charleston. We ate breakfast at a little place called Toast which is apparently a hangout for college kids who went out and had a little too much fun the night before. It proved for some interesting entertainment. The best two quotes of my entire trip were heard there...
"Corned Beef Hash?! Wow, does that have corn in it?"
"Kentucky......... isn't that where the Kentucky Derby is?"
haha. I love it. Glad that God blessed me with some common sense!
We left there and went to the downtown market... pretty cool place where all these artists and vendors come out and sell their stuff. We decided to try to start collecting Christmas tree ornaments for anywhere that we travel to... so we bought a Charleston ornament... and a Palmetto tree pitcher for all that sweet tea Russ drinks :)
On the way to the bathroom, we spotted what appears to be a Charleston fad... gum posts. This post had so much gum on it... it was disgusting up close, but it looked pretty cool from afar :) There were a bunch of others like it, but this one had the most gum on it.
We then got suckered into attending a timeshare presentation... for all these free attraction tickets. The place looked great... cool idea..... but they presented it to the wrong couple because we certainly didn't have the money they were looking for. haha. So we got some free tickets... and vowed to never attend one of those things again.
We headed back towards the car where we spotted a Moonpie General Store.....
Moonpies and RC Cola...Its a Southern thing :)
Which... we then spotted the Gamecock paraphenalia... and since I did vow to be a Carolina Gamecock, I had to get the "Fear the Spur" picture. haha. I promise, I'll show some more excitement about this as the years go on :)
And then we headed to dinner... where we watched a wedding in the Courtyard and reminisced about a week beforehand when we were doing the same thing. It was quite the week... and then I had to leave :( The drive home was long and boring and I sure do miss him being around! However, I don't miss having to check to make sure the toilet seat is down! That was definitely the first lesson of marriage... make sure to check before you sit. haha. Even if he does leave the toilet seat up all the time, I love him :)
Well, it's dinner time... until next time...
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Another life lesson
Do you know how God works? I do... after 16 years, I've figured Him out. Just kidding :) He's always keeping me on my toes with new lessons.
Russ was offered a new job in the South and has been waiting on the contract for over a week now. Meanwhile, I'm still at my job in the North waiting to give notice. My boss wanted notice so he can replace me.... understandable. I didn't want to give notice in case something fell through with Russ' offer... okay, so I worry a little too much.. Anyway, yesterday, I decided it was time to let them know that I was going to be leaving in July. Even though it wasn't 100% certain. My stomach turned handing him the letter and I thought for a moment that I might throw up... but I swallowed hard and made it through. It's hard to just step out, give up my amazing job and have nothing. I haven't not had a job or some kind of income guarantee since I turned 16. So I spent yesterday worrying about how we are going to make it through.
I walk out of work and my phone beeps telling me that there is a message... I listen to it and anyone want to guess what it was???????????
A message from an agency that I applied to last week........ I just grinned and apologized to God for worrying so much. I know he has this under control... it's just hard to step out there.
Coincidentally, this is the devotion I read yesterday... it was pretty convicting of how we act sometimes....
Have you ever heard of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism? I’m guessing most of us have not. Yet, according to research most American adults and teenagers live by this new cultural religion. It is a religion that piggybacks upon existing Christian beliefs and then tweaks them just enough to rob the power from a thriving Christian life. So, what exactly does MTD look like?
Moralistic refers to the concept that most Americans believe in right and wrong. In MTD, people decide for themselves what those things are. As long as people live consistently according to their own list of rights and wrongs, they can call themselves moral people.
Therapeutic refers to the concept that most Americans believe God exists for our happiness, satisfaction and fulfillment. God’s job, according to MTD, is to solve people’s problems and to help them get what they want out of life.
Deism refers to the idea that most Americans believe in a God who cannot really be known. In MTD, God watches people play the game of life and doesn’t get involved much, unless of course, when people need Him to fix a problem or help them get what they want.
There’s probably a bit of the MTD “infection” at work in all of our lives. Sometimes, we play fast and loose with moral definitions, creating wiggle room to hold to “morals” even when we know the Scriptures draw a different line in the sand. Sometimes, we expect God to be the “genie” in our hip pocket; when we want or need something, we rub the lamp (pray) and expect God to give us our three wishes. And sometimes, we too tend to view God as distant, unknowable, detached and unreachable.
So here is to trusting God more, sticking to the morals that Scriptures teach, drawing close to God and letting Him be involved in ALL parts of my life... good or bad!!!
Russ was offered a new job in the South and has been waiting on the contract for over a week now. Meanwhile, I'm still at my job in the North waiting to give notice. My boss wanted notice so he can replace me.... understandable. I didn't want to give notice in case something fell through with Russ' offer... okay, so I worry a little too much.. Anyway, yesterday, I decided it was time to let them know that I was going to be leaving in July. Even though it wasn't 100% certain. My stomach turned handing him the letter and I thought for a moment that I might throw up... but I swallowed hard and made it through. It's hard to just step out, give up my amazing job and have nothing. I haven't not had a job or some kind of income guarantee since I turned 16. So I spent yesterday worrying about how we are going to make it through.
I walk out of work and my phone beeps telling me that there is a message... I listen to it and anyone want to guess what it was???????????
A message from an agency that I applied to last week........ I just grinned and apologized to God for worrying so much. I know he has this under control... it's just hard to step out there.
Coincidentally, this is the devotion I read yesterday... it was pretty convicting of how we act sometimes....
Have you ever heard of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism? I’m guessing most of us have not. Yet, according to research most American adults and teenagers live by this new cultural religion. It is a religion that piggybacks upon existing Christian beliefs and then tweaks them just enough to rob the power from a thriving Christian life. So, what exactly does MTD look like?
Moralistic refers to the concept that most Americans believe in right and wrong. In MTD, people decide for themselves what those things are. As long as people live consistently according to their own list of rights and wrongs, they can call themselves moral people.
Therapeutic refers to the concept that most Americans believe God exists for our happiness, satisfaction and fulfillment. God’s job, according to MTD, is to solve people’s problems and to help them get what they want out of life.
Deism refers to the idea that most Americans believe in a God who cannot really be known. In MTD, God watches people play the game of life and doesn’t get involved much, unless of course, when people need Him to fix a problem or help them get what they want.
There’s probably a bit of the MTD “infection” at work in all of our lives. Sometimes, we play fast and loose with moral definitions, creating wiggle room to hold to “morals” even when we know the Scriptures draw a different line in the sand. Sometimes, we expect God to be the “genie” in our hip pocket; when we want or need something, we rub the lamp (pray) and expect God to give us our three wishes. And sometimes, we too tend to view God as distant, unknowable, detached and unreachable.
So here is to trusting God more, sticking to the morals that Scriptures teach, drawing close to God and letting Him be involved in ALL parts of my life... good or bad!!!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Etiquette Class
Okay, so if this wedding has taught me one thing... people can be really clueless. I've decided that it should absolutely be mandatory to learn things like... how to respond to a wedding invitation at some point in their life. I think high school would be an excellent place for such a class.
Seriously... the first unit would be on "How to use your cell phone appropriately" Nothing bothers me more.
Lesson One - Texting - Sure, it's quieter than a phone call, but it should still only be done at certain times. The police say, don't text while driving. Well, I say.....
Do not text while having a conversation with someone... they can see you aren't paying attention to them
Do not text while eating a meal, even if it is at your own house. Have a real conversation with a person.
Do not text in school or church... or any other social atmosphere where someone is trying to talk to you... have some respect.
If absolutely necessary, go ahead, text ONE TIME... don't keep popping open your phone.
Lesson Two - Taking phone calls
Unless there is some emergency... Don't answer your phone in a meeting. It is rude to everyone else in that meeting. None of them are answering their phones are they? Oh, and did you turn that ringer off? Something about hearing a 40 year old co-workers cell phone ring with "Soulja Boy" is a huge loss of respect. haha.
When in a public place, do not talk about closed doors subjects or use the speakerphone feature... everyone doesn't want to hear your conversation. Plus, the other person probably doesn't appreciate you allowing their conversation to be announced to everyone around.
Lesson Two - The art of Eating at home... or at a restaurant
It seems like people these days have spent too much time at McDonalds or other drive thrus and haven't had to learn any manners about eating because they are stuffing their face between one place and another. No, you don't have to be all prim and proper like people from centuries ago were, but you also don't have to chew with your mouth open or tell everyone how disgusting the food is. And oh my goodness, please do not blow your nose at the table. Sick. A few days ago, this guy blew his nose and I'm not talking a mere blow of the nose, it was a severe snot fest. I almost threw up. Anyway, when the bill comes, please for the sake of humanity, tip your server. Even if you thought the meal was terrible... that is the cook's fault. The cook is making big money whether the food is good or not. The server merely brings the food. They don't make good money unless you tip on the food they brought you. (Note: I also think it should be mandatory for everyone to be a server at some point in their lives. They'd become much better customers and tip a lot more freely)
Lesson Three - The art of driving like a civilized person
USE YOUR BLINKER. PEOPLE CAN'T READ YOUR MIND. USE YOUR HEADLIGHTS... PEOPLE CAN'T SEE YOU IN THE DARK. DO NOT TAKE UP THREE PARKING SPOTS WHEN PARKING YOUR EXPEDITION. It is big, but it isn't a bus. Learn how to fit it in the parking spot please. End of lesson :)
Lesson Four - Weddings
When you receive an invitation in the mail... look closely at the names that were on the invitation. Was your name there? If not, sorry, you weren't invited... If so, proceed. Open the envelope... read the fancy words. On the small response card, write the names of the attendees or the people who were invited. Do not add a name. Review the options on the card... check yes/no chicken/fish/beef/etc. and put it in the little envelope provided that should also have a stamp on it. Tomorrow when you go to your mailbox, put it back in there and raise the little flag on the side of the box.
If you are sending out the invitations go over your guest list 10 times to make sure you included everyone. I know that I (believe it or not!) actually missed some people completely by mistake. When you are inviting over 200 people, it is easy to do. People usually don't come and ask why they weren't invited to the wedding, so you won't be able to realize that you completely left them off. So be sure to go over it a few times with your future spouse to make sure everyone is on there.
If you are not planning the wedding, please keep your opinion to yourself. The bride and groom are grown ups... they can make decisions for themselves. If they really want your opinion, they will ask for it. Let them know you are there to help, but please don't tell them how things HAVE to be done. Especially if you haven't planned a wedding in twenty years.
Alright... I'm done venting on some of my biggest pet peeves :) I'm really not Emily Post or anything... I just get really irritated when people are brazen and rude. But then again, maybe I'm just getting old. These things don't seem to bother younger people. In ten years, instead of holding a staff meeting, everyone will just text message with their boss while driving and eating their food with their mouths open.....
Seriously... the first unit would be on "How to use your cell phone appropriately" Nothing bothers me more.
Lesson One - Texting - Sure, it's quieter than a phone call, but it should still only be done at certain times. The police say, don't text while driving. Well, I say.....
Do not text while having a conversation with someone... they can see you aren't paying attention to them
Do not text while eating a meal, even if it is at your own house. Have a real conversation with a person.
Do not text in school or church... or any other social atmosphere where someone is trying to talk to you... have some respect.
If absolutely necessary, go ahead, text ONE TIME... don't keep popping open your phone.
Lesson Two - Taking phone calls
Unless there is some emergency... Don't answer your phone in a meeting. It is rude to everyone else in that meeting. None of them are answering their phones are they? Oh, and did you turn that ringer off? Something about hearing a 40 year old co-workers cell phone ring with "Soulja Boy" is a huge loss of respect. haha.
When in a public place, do not talk about closed doors subjects or use the speakerphone feature... everyone doesn't want to hear your conversation. Plus, the other person probably doesn't appreciate you allowing their conversation to be announced to everyone around.
Lesson Two - The art of Eating at home... or at a restaurant
It seems like people these days have spent too much time at McDonalds or other drive thrus and haven't had to learn any manners about eating because they are stuffing their face between one place and another. No, you don't have to be all prim and proper like people from centuries ago were, but you also don't have to chew with your mouth open or tell everyone how disgusting the food is. And oh my goodness, please do not blow your nose at the table. Sick. A few days ago, this guy blew his nose and I'm not talking a mere blow of the nose, it was a severe snot fest. I almost threw up. Anyway, when the bill comes, please for the sake of humanity, tip your server. Even if you thought the meal was terrible... that is the cook's fault. The cook is making big money whether the food is good or not. The server merely brings the food. They don't make good money unless you tip on the food they brought you. (Note: I also think it should be mandatory for everyone to be a server at some point in their lives. They'd become much better customers and tip a lot more freely)
Lesson Three - The art of driving like a civilized person
USE YOUR BLINKER. PEOPLE CAN'T READ YOUR MIND. USE YOUR HEADLIGHTS... PEOPLE CAN'T SEE YOU IN THE DARK. DO NOT TAKE UP THREE PARKING SPOTS WHEN PARKING YOUR EXPEDITION. It is big, but it isn't a bus. Learn how to fit it in the parking spot please. End of lesson :)
Lesson Four - Weddings
When you receive an invitation in the mail... look closely at the names that were on the invitation. Was your name there? If not, sorry, you weren't invited... If so, proceed. Open the envelope... read the fancy words. On the small response card, write the names of the attendees or the people who were invited. Do not add a name. Review the options on the card... check yes/no chicken/fish/beef/etc. and put it in the little envelope provided that should also have a stamp on it. Tomorrow when you go to your mailbox, put it back in there and raise the little flag on the side of the box.
If you are sending out the invitations go over your guest list 10 times to make sure you included everyone. I know that I (believe it or not!) actually missed some people completely by mistake. When you are inviting over 200 people, it is easy to do. People usually don't come and ask why they weren't invited to the wedding, so you won't be able to realize that you completely left them off. So be sure to go over it a few times with your future spouse to make sure everyone is on there.
If you are not planning the wedding, please keep your opinion to yourself. The bride and groom are grown ups... they can make decisions for themselves. If they really want your opinion, they will ask for it. Let them know you are there to help, but please don't tell them how things HAVE to be done. Especially if you haven't planned a wedding in twenty years.
Alright... I'm done venting on some of my biggest pet peeves :) I'm really not Emily Post or anything... I just get really irritated when people are brazen and rude. But then again, maybe I'm just getting old. These things don't seem to bother younger people. In ten years, instead of holding a staff meeting, everyone will just text message with their boss while driving and eating their food with their mouths open.....
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Less than one month away!
Yesterday morning I was greeted with an email from The Knot telling me I had exactly one month to finish planning one of the biggest, most expensive days of my life. Thanks for the reminder people, but I don't do well with countdowns.
Little by little... my "To Do List" for the wedding is getting shorter.
I'm one week away from my third and hopefully final dress fitting. Got an appointment for my trial hairdo on Saturday. I have all but 5 of our centerpieces done. And all but three of our aisle decorations done. And we go for our final meeting with the venue next week... and get to taste cake... YUM! I've just got small minor things from here on out. Except for maybe the whole name change thing... that's a little daunting to me. Have you ever stopped to look how many things your name is on??? (Car, loans, bank accounts, utilities, business cards, name plates, checks, address labels, drivers license, bank cards, credit cards... whew)
But with one month left, it's starting to really sink in that I'm getting married.... I'm moving three states away from the family I've spent my entire life with...I'm not going to get to watch Katie play softball, baseball, soccer, or any other thing she chooses to participate in...I won't get to listen to Khris be his goofy self... I won't get to eat Mom's good cooking as often... or find something different every day to give dad a hard time about. I'm going to be starting a new job.... I'm going to be living in my own place, maybe even buying my own house. I'm going to be a wife. (Hmm, note to self... come up with a new word for wife... it makes me feel old.) That is A LOT of change. It's going to take a lot of adjusting...and it'll be a lot of ups and downs but in the end, it'll all be worth it. I'm ready for the next chapter of my life with Russ. I'm excited to start a new family (as old as that makes me feel) and... I'm ready to be close to Russ again!!!!!!!
Little by little... my "To Do List" for the wedding is getting shorter.
I'm one week away from my third and hopefully final dress fitting. Got an appointment for my trial hairdo on Saturday. I have all but 5 of our centerpieces done. And all but three of our aisle decorations done. And we go for our final meeting with the venue next week... and get to taste cake... YUM! I've just got small minor things from here on out. Except for maybe the whole name change thing... that's a little daunting to me. Have you ever stopped to look how many things your name is on??? (Car, loans, bank accounts, utilities, business cards, name plates, checks, address labels, drivers license, bank cards, credit cards... whew)
But with one month left, it's starting to really sink in that I'm getting married.... I'm moving three states away from the family I've spent my entire life with...I'm not going to get to watch Katie play softball, baseball, soccer, or any other thing she chooses to participate in...I won't get to listen to Khris be his goofy self... I won't get to eat Mom's good cooking as often... or find something different every day to give dad a hard time about. I'm going to be starting a new job.... I'm going to be living in my own place, maybe even buying my own house. I'm going to be a wife. (Hmm, note to self... come up with a new word for wife... it makes me feel old.) That is A LOT of change. It's going to take a lot of adjusting...and it'll be a lot of ups and downs but in the end, it'll all be worth it. I'm ready for the next chapter of my life with Russ. I'm excited to start a new family (as old as that makes me feel) and... I'm ready to be close to Russ again!!!!!!!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
It's Picture Season!
So I finally broke out my camera again. Man, I miss taking pictures!
So here are some pictures of us coloring Easter Eggs while Russ was in town...
We always have competitions on the best eggs at our house and as Russ says "Kacey always wins, hers always look awesome and mine look crappy" Hey, he said it, not me :)
So, here is my batch of eggs... with my wedding egg in the middle :)
Then, gotta love her... Katie made a Junior... or should I say 'Junoir' Bridesmaid Egg for herself :)
She also decided to win the ugliest egg contest:
And we had a tie in the Sports category :) We gave one award for NCAA and one for NFL :)
In other picture related news... Katie started softball season. I love watching kids play sports. They are so into it one minute and then they are staring at the birds in the sky... Like here... I don't know what she was doing... her glove was off... Runner is on second... you are on third Katie... put that glove on girl!
She did well though... she was serious when she got up to bat. Of course I was behind the plate when she hit a beautiful shot past second base... but I made it around to the opening (gotta love fences when you are trying to get a good shot) in time to get her on second base
And finally, when I was leaving the park that night, the sunset was beautiful over the farm that is right next to the park. Not the greatest picture because of the cars traveling on the gravel road created dust... plus I took it from inside my car... while driving (smile)... but these nature pictures are my favorite... its a simple reminder of God's beauty and awesome-ness :)
So here are some pictures of us coloring Easter Eggs while Russ was in town...
We always have competitions on the best eggs at our house and as Russ says "Kacey always wins, hers always look awesome and mine look crappy" Hey, he said it, not me :)
So, here is my batch of eggs... with my wedding egg in the middle :)
Then, gotta love her... Katie made a Junior... or should I say 'Junoir' Bridesmaid Egg for herself :)
She also decided to win the ugliest egg contest:
And we had a tie in the Sports category :) We gave one award for NCAA and one for NFL :)
In other picture related news... Katie started softball season. I love watching kids play sports. They are so into it one minute and then they are staring at the birds in the sky... Like here... I don't know what she was doing... her glove was off... Runner is on second... you are on third Katie... put that glove on girl!
She did well though... she was serious when she got up to bat. Of course I was behind the plate when she hit a beautiful shot past second base... but I made it around to the opening (gotta love fences when you are trying to get a good shot) in time to get her on second base
And finally, when I was leaving the park that night, the sunset was beautiful over the farm that is right next to the park. Not the greatest picture because of the cars traveling on the gravel road created dust... plus I took it from inside my car... while driving (smile)... but these nature pictures are my favorite... its a simple reminder of God's beauty and awesome-ness :)
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
My momma always said...
to watch what I post on the internet. And I've really never put anything incriminating on there... at least I don't think so. But after this week... I think that I've gotten a better understanding of what Mom meant.
There was an unfortunate tragedy in a nearby community where a man killed his wife, kids and himself. In a press release yesterday, they revealed that the family was in debt (what family isn't these day?) and that could've been a reason for the husband's stress. The Washington Post went into the wife's blog and found a blog where she said she likes to spend money (again, what woman doesn't) and that she likes to buy specific shampoo and they speculated that her high tastes might be the source of their debt. OKAY... sure, they could've been. But who are the newspaper reporters who know NOTHING of this lady or her family to speculate on that? Like I said, I like to spend money too... but Russ will be the first to tell you that I will do everything in my power to keep us out of debt. And from what I read of this lady's blog... she was willing to make sacrifices so that she could be home with her kids. I guess the community wants answers to why... but should we really care why? There were lives lost for no apparent reason. There are two families mourning their losses. Let's focus less on the past and what has happened and more on the future. The lesson I think we should all take from that is that we don't always know what other people are going through... we should try to be more compassionate and helpful to those who need it.
And maybe to not put that I like to spend money on my blog. I might suddenly become an out of control spender in the eyes of the media. :)
Praying for those families and friends who lost dear ones this week!
There was an unfortunate tragedy in a nearby community where a man killed his wife, kids and himself. In a press release yesterday, they revealed that the family was in debt (what family isn't these day?) and that could've been a reason for the husband's stress. The Washington Post went into the wife's blog and found a blog where she said she likes to spend money (again, what woman doesn't) and that she likes to buy specific shampoo and they speculated that her high tastes might be the source of their debt. OKAY... sure, they could've been. But who are the newspaper reporters who know NOTHING of this lady or her family to speculate on that? Like I said, I like to spend money too... but Russ will be the first to tell you that I will do everything in my power to keep us out of debt. And from what I read of this lady's blog... she was willing to make sacrifices so that she could be home with her kids. I guess the community wants answers to why... but should we really care why? There were lives lost for no apparent reason. There are two families mourning their losses. Let's focus less on the past and what has happened and more on the future. The lesson I think we should all take from that is that we don't always know what other people are going through... we should try to be more compassionate and helpful to those who need it.
And maybe to not put that I like to spend money on my blog. I might suddenly become an out of control spender in the eyes of the media. :)
Praying for those families and friends who lost dear ones this week!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Love and Marriage... Love and Marriage...
Goes together like a horse and carriage. Haha. That song always made me laugh for some reason....it just seemed so silly and reminded me of "Sally and Johnny sitting in a tree.... K-I-S-S-I-N-G"
ANYWAY, that song has been stuck in my head... so it was my random post title. I haven't posted in awhile... oops.... sorry, Russ was in town, so I had someone to talk to when random thoughts poured across my mind.
One of the things we talked about while we were together was the large amount of negative feedback we've been getting from friends and co-workers about marriage. We've heard just about every negative comment in the book. I mean, really people, we are getting married in two months, can't you pull out the nice comments that you write in the guestbook????
We know that marriage isn't all fun... it's not always neat and organized. It's life. It gets hectic, stressful, painful, hard.... but we also know that "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." and in the end, thats what we want. And that's what we are striving to show the world... the different kind of love... the different kind of marriage. The marriage rooted in God.
With that, we've decided to either play, or possibly even sing this wonderful song at our wedding ceremony. I absolutely love it and play it anytime I'm feeling a case of the wedding blues setting in. haha.
ANYWAY, that song has been stuck in my head... so it was my random post title. I haven't posted in awhile... oops.... sorry, Russ was in town, so I had someone to talk to when random thoughts poured across my mind.
One of the things we talked about while we were together was the large amount of negative feedback we've been getting from friends and co-workers about marriage. We've heard just about every negative comment in the book. I mean, really people, we are getting married in two months, can't you pull out the nice comments that you write in the guestbook????
We know that marriage isn't all fun... it's not always neat and organized. It's life. It gets hectic, stressful, painful, hard.... but we also know that "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." and in the end, thats what we want. And that's what we are striving to show the world... the different kind of love... the different kind of marriage. The marriage rooted in God.
With that, we've decided to either play, or possibly even sing this wonderful song at our wedding ceremony. I absolutely love it and play it anytime I'm feeling a case of the wedding blues setting in. haha.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Sir, may we borrow your donkey?
On Saturday, I was driving with Katie to go shopping at the outlets. On the way there, for some reason this donkey in the field caught my attention. Katie was talking to me and I don't even remember what she was saying because I couldn't pay attention because I was zoned in on this donkey. Interesting right? Well, actually, it was.. when I got closer, I realized that not only was there a donkey in the field, there was actually a zebra. Yes, a zebra... in the middle of nowhereville Maryland... where it just snowed yesterday. Katie thought I was crazy until I pointed it out to her on the way back.
Anyway, with Easter a few days away, I've been reading the Easter story and thinking about all of the events that took place in just a few days. I think my life is stressful sometimes with the amount of events that take place on a day to day basis... but wow, a lot sure went on in three days.
Anyway, with this donkey incident in my mind, the part of the story where Jesus rides a donkey into Jerusalem really stuck out to me. Why a donkey? I don't really know. I mean, it seems kind of weird to me living in 2009 where you rarely see donkeys, but they weren't so uncommon then. Problem was, it wasn't Jesus' donkey that He rode in on. Not even one of His disciples. He just told the disciples to go fetch the donkey in town. The donkey belonged to someone... What would your reaction be if you were shopping downtown and came out to find these 2 strange men taking your car? And when you questioned them, their answer was "The Lord is in need"
Would you be willing? Would you say "Sure take it!"... or would it be more like "Um, I don't think so" Or... maybe you'd be willing... if you could be in the drivers seat. Something tells me that the story wouldn't have been the same had the owner of the donkey also been riding Jesus. haha. No, instead, the owner must've been okay with it (or the disciples were slick....... hmm, doubt it)
The owner probably had no idea that his donkey would be used for such a noble purpose... that the story of his donkey would be told for years to come.
We all have donkeys... something we have been given in our lives that we can use to move Jesus' story along the line. If God asks me for something, am I going to be selfish and keep it to myself? Or am I going to allow him to use my gift to carry Jesus to another place?
Anyway, with Easter a few days away, I've been reading the Easter story and thinking about all of the events that took place in just a few days. I think my life is stressful sometimes with the amount of events that take place on a day to day basis... but wow, a lot sure went on in three days.
Anyway, with this donkey incident in my mind, the part of the story where Jesus rides a donkey into Jerusalem really stuck out to me. Why a donkey? I don't really know. I mean, it seems kind of weird to me living in 2009 where you rarely see donkeys, but they weren't so uncommon then. Problem was, it wasn't Jesus' donkey that He rode in on. Not even one of His disciples. He just told the disciples to go fetch the donkey in town. The donkey belonged to someone... What would your reaction be if you were shopping downtown and came out to find these 2 strange men taking your car? And when you questioned them, their answer was "The Lord is in need"
Would you be willing? Would you say "Sure take it!"... or would it be more like "Um, I don't think so" Or... maybe you'd be willing... if you could be in the drivers seat. Something tells me that the story wouldn't have been the same had the owner of the donkey also been riding Jesus. haha. No, instead, the owner must've been okay with it (or the disciples were slick....... hmm, doubt it)
The owner probably had no idea that his donkey would be used for such a noble purpose... that the story of his donkey would be told for years to come.
We all have donkeys... something we have been given in our lives that we can use to move Jesus' story along the line. If God asks me for something, am I going to be selfish and keep it to myself? Or am I going to allow him to use my gift to carry Jesus to another place?
Monday, April 6, 2009
Then
I heard this song on the radio the other day andthe part about going back to the place where we first met and getting down on one knee... it made me laugh.... a good belly laugh. Because that was Russ' plan... but I wouldn't let him propose in the restaurant that we had our first date in. haha. I sent it to Russ and he said "Do you want to dance to that instead of what we chose?" But I don't think I could... I'd be laughing when he sang that part and making fun of Russ (hehe)... and no one would know what we are laughing about. But then again, its our story.... and what makes us... us. And that's what the day is about... us.
68 days to go!!!
Monday, March 30, 2009
This is a long car ride Dad...
Yesterday's message at church was certainly applicable to my life.... "When God makes you wait" It helped me to remember that it is best to wait and not try to do it on our own. There are too many instances where people in the Bible tried to do it on their own and things just didn't turn out so well (Abram and Sarai wouldn't wait to get pregnant in God's time.... and there were huge consequences).
So today I heard something on the radio that brought that point home again. This whole ordeal is like a car ride....and God is in the front seat driving. I let him sit there a long time ago... and He has taken me to some really exciting places... but it feels like right now, we are on a cross country trip... and I'm the little kid in the backseat saying "ARE WE THERE YET?" "HOW ABOUT NOW?" "I HAVE TO PEE...I'M HUNGRY... I WANT TO GET OUT... NOW" Haha. And He just looks in the mirror and smiles reassuringly..... or He just tells me "Not yet, listen to the music and look out the window" like my parents used to tell me. I'm trying really hard to just enjoy where I'm at... and I am... but being the planner that I am, I want to know where we are going, when we are going to be there and what we are going to do when we get there. Yes, I'm one of those pain in the butt kids. But I'm learning to just be content... I mean, I don't want God to use the "DON'T MAKE ME STOP THIS CAR" threat. I always hated that one. But of course, it did make me stop whining.
So I'm going to be content with just riding in the car... enjoying the time with God and enjoying the scenery. :)
So today I heard something on the radio that brought that point home again. This whole ordeal is like a car ride....and God is in the front seat driving. I let him sit there a long time ago... and He has taken me to some really exciting places... but it feels like right now, we are on a cross country trip... and I'm the little kid in the backseat saying "ARE WE THERE YET?" "HOW ABOUT NOW?" "I HAVE TO PEE...I'M HUNGRY... I WANT TO GET OUT... NOW" Haha. And He just looks in the mirror and smiles reassuringly..... or He just tells me "Not yet, listen to the music and look out the window" like my parents used to tell me. I'm trying really hard to just enjoy where I'm at... and I am... but being the planner that I am, I want to know where we are going, when we are going to be there and what we are going to do when we get there. Yes, I'm one of those pain in the butt kids. But I'm learning to just be content... I mean, I don't want God to use the "DON'T MAKE ME STOP THIS CAR" threat. I always hated that one. But of course, it did make me stop whining.
So I'm going to be content with just riding in the car... enjoying the time with God and enjoying the scenery. :)
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Laughter is the Best Medicine!
I have adopted the following quote as our wedding motto:
"I dreamt of a wedding of elaborate elegance. A church filled with flowers, friends and beautiful music. I asked him what kind of wedding he wished for. He said one that would make me his wife."
"I dreamt of a wedding of elaborate elegance. A church filled with flowers, friends and beautiful music. I asked him what kind of wedding he wished for. He said one that would make me his wife."
I truly try to get Russ' input on these things, but he just doesn't have much of an opinion. Not because he doesn't want to help, but just because it really doesn't matter to him. He really just wants me to be happy. Which is lovely... romantic... and all that good stuff. Except when I want his opinion because I can't make up my mind.
There have been plenty of times that I wish he was here so I could get him involved in all these little "joys". There have been times that I've been upset because I'm stressing about some minor detail and he is off in NCAA football land. Or March Madness land... not a bit worried about what our centerpieces look like.
I stumbled across list of reasons to not put a groom in charge of the wedding today and it made me laugh... and motivated me to get back on wedding planning, lest Russ take over and come up with one of these plans:
Instead of tuxedos, the ushers would wear tie die shirts and the groomsmen would wear camoflauge. (Although, Russ' fashion expectations actually exceed mine, so I wouldn't have to worry about this)
The Bridesmaids attire would look something like this:
Instead of flower bouquets, Bride would carry bag of Doritos for Groom to snack on during ceremony.
Weddings during football season would have to take place during the week.
Weddings during football season would have to take place during the week.
During ceremony, Bride would be forced to participate in emotional "giving of the Remote Control" custom
Instead of spending thousands of dollars on an elegant reception site, the reception would be held at Hooters.
Instead of spending thousands of dollars on an elegant reception site, the reception would be held at Hooters.
Instead of dancing and socializing at the wedding, there would be huge plasma screen TV's set up hooked up to every game system known to man.
The Bridal Party would arrive in a F-250. (or wait, is this redneck weddings? hmm, a whole other list of possibilities could come in there!)
And my favorite......Your Save the Date would look like this:
So... back to wedding planning I go.... by myself :)
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Food for Thought
Have you ever done something or eaten something and thought "Who thought of this?" I do it all the time.
I will occassionally watch Unwrapped on the Food Network where Marc Summers (yes, the host from Double Dare!) goes around and tells us how certain foods are made. I never realized how many cool machines there are out there. But I realized this weekend why they invent machines like that... because there are certain repetitive tasks that you realize "there's got to be an easier way to do this" I just wish I could invent one of those "make your life easier" machines... maybe it'd help my finances!
Anyway, this weekend at my grandmothers, my uncles heated up some maple syrup sugary mess... and then poured it into a freezing pan to cool it off and instructed me to pull it into taffy. Hmm, I thought that stuff only happened at the beach. I was in the mountains... with nothing else to do.... so I watched them and it intrigued me, so I thought I'd try. Two days later, my fingers are still aching. Now, don't get me wrong, I like taffy... but after an hour of standing over the stove, preparing the cold pan and then spending 15 minutes pulling each tiny peice..... uhhh, not sure if it's worth all of that. It's no wonder that someone made a machine to pull the stuff.
Haha, or if you've ever wondered where utensils came from... try eating with chopsticks, or go to one of those Medieval Times theatres. Someone else had some tired fingers :)
Strange food combinations always make me wonder too... who ever thought to put those things together? Today, Russ tells me that he ate a peanut butter and egg sandwich... as in fried eggs (not that any other kind of egg would sound good either)....... I think he's gone absolutely crazy.... or maybe he was just really starving. He says it was delicious. Not sure I'll be trying that one. A lady at work said they had never seen anyone eat a peanut butter and banana sandwich before they saw me eat one... I thought that was pretty normal. Wait until I tell her about peanut butter and egg. Actually, I remember a long time ago when my mom had me try peanut butter and pickle sandwiches... it actually wasn't bad.... maybe the egg wouldn't be all that terrible. And Russ' mom eats Peanut Butter and Mayonnaise sandwiches... not sure about that one either.
Some other crazy food stuff I've seen or heard of... that are legal... and found in America:
Pickled Eggs... yummy, but really, who thought of that one?
Hamburger and Eggs... I might try this before PB and eggs
Waffles and Fried Chicken
Hot Dogs topped with coleslaw... I had never seen this until I moved South
Salt on Bananas, Canteloupe or Watermelon
Cheese and Jelly Sandwiches - Guy Fieri did a show on this one time... apparently it's not bad, but it still is strange to me. But, I guess people eat grapes and cheese? Why not add bread.
Coffee and Salt
Chocolate in Chili... tried this one... it's a winner. Make sure its dark, unsweetened
Strawberries and Balsamic Vinegar... this is another one of my favorites. I was mad at Russ one night for ruining strawberries with vinegar... little did I know just how good it was!
Cottage Cheese and Apple Butter
Beets and Bleu Cheese
Anyway, that is my crazy and random thought for the day... off to eat my stuffed peppers. Who ever thought of stuffing peppers? I'll have to thank them :) And I'll go ahead and thank Pillsbury for inventing cookie dough in a 5 pound bucket ready to eat :)
I will occassionally watch Unwrapped on the Food Network where Marc Summers (yes, the host from Double Dare!) goes around and tells us how certain foods are made. I never realized how many cool machines there are out there. But I realized this weekend why they invent machines like that... because there are certain repetitive tasks that you realize "there's got to be an easier way to do this" I just wish I could invent one of those "make your life easier" machines... maybe it'd help my finances!
Anyway, this weekend at my grandmothers, my uncles heated up some maple syrup sugary mess... and then poured it into a freezing pan to cool it off and instructed me to pull it into taffy. Hmm, I thought that stuff only happened at the beach. I was in the mountains... with nothing else to do.... so I watched them and it intrigued me, so I thought I'd try. Two days later, my fingers are still aching. Now, don't get me wrong, I like taffy... but after an hour of standing over the stove, preparing the cold pan and then spending 15 minutes pulling each tiny peice..... uhhh, not sure if it's worth all of that. It's no wonder that someone made a machine to pull the stuff.
Haha, or if you've ever wondered where utensils came from... try eating with chopsticks, or go to one of those Medieval Times theatres. Someone else had some tired fingers :)
Strange food combinations always make me wonder too... who ever thought to put those things together? Today, Russ tells me that he ate a peanut butter and egg sandwich... as in fried eggs (not that any other kind of egg would sound good either)....... I think he's gone absolutely crazy.... or maybe he was just really starving. He says it was delicious. Not sure I'll be trying that one. A lady at work said they had never seen anyone eat a peanut butter and banana sandwich before they saw me eat one... I thought that was pretty normal. Wait until I tell her about peanut butter and egg. Actually, I remember a long time ago when my mom had me try peanut butter and pickle sandwiches... it actually wasn't bad.... maybe the egg wouldn't be all that terrible. And Russ' mom eats Peanut Butter and Mayonnaise sandwiches... not sure about that one either.
Some other crazy food stuff I've seen or heard of... that are legal... and found in America:
Pickled Eggs... yummy, but really, who thought of that one?
Hamburger and Eggs... I might try this before PB and eggs
Waffles and Fried Chicken
Hot Dogs topped with coleslaw... I had never seen this until I moved South
Salt on Bananas, Canteloupe or Watermelon
Cheese and Jelly Sandwiches - Guy Fieri did a show on this one time... apparently it's not bad, but it still is strange to me. But, I guess people eat grapes and cheese? Why not add bread.
Coffee and Salt
Chocolate in Chili... tried this one... it's a winner. Make sure its dark, unsweetened
Strawberries and Balsamic Vinegar... this is another one of my favorites. I was mad at Russ one night for ruining strawberries with vinegar... little did I know just how good it was!
Cottage Cheese and Apple Butter
Beets and Bleu Cheese
Anyway, that is my crazy and random thought for the day... off to eat my stuffed peppers. Who ever thought of stuffing peppers? I'll have to thank them :) And I'll go ahead and thank Pillsbury for inventing cookie dough in a 5 pound bucket ready to eat :)
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Busy Bee
So, I haven't posted much this week, but it's been a crazy one! I was sick most of the week, just not feeling well. And things at work are busy as usual.
But the world of our wedding has been busy too! I finally bought my shoes and they should be here anyday now! I love buying shoes, but I have to say that trying to find a cute pair of wedding shoes has not been so much fun. Thank goodness for DSW though :) I kept myself safe and just shopped online versus going to the monstrous warehouse where there are enough shoes for me to wear a different pair each day of my life. I did however end up buying another pair of shoes, even by just going on the internet. But only because they were $4 and super cute. At least thats how they looked online... we'll see when they get here. haha.
Secondly, we finally picked a place for our rehearsal dinner. Glory Hallelujah. This little event has caused oh so many fights. (Yes, even the green bean fight) The location has been the big issue. We really wanted to have it on campus... at the music hall, where we actually met. Didn't work... you had to know special people. We don't.
Then we went for the Italian restaurant across the street.... which didn't meet the standards of some. Then it was suddenly put at the Gingerbread House, where the reception is. This is where my Bridezilla moment came into play. I refused to have the rehearsal dinner and the reception at the same place. Seems petty, I know, but I wasn't willing to do it. I've been pretty accomodating and compromised a lot, but I wasn't doing this. I get one Bridezilla moment :) But Russ, being the amazing man that he is, went out on his own and found a new place that we hadn't looked at before. It's beautiful, close by, available and it's OURS! Check it out.... www.ironcityplace.com
And finally, today, I am going to pick up my dress! I'm a little nervous about it.... and trying to brainstorm where I am going to put it... Especially when Russ comes to visit at Easter. It's like trying to hide an elephant in a bat cave. haha. Oh well, I'll figure it out.
Only two months, three weeks and two days!
But the world of our wedding has been busy too! I finally bought my shoes and they should be here anyday now! I love buying shoes, but I have to say that trying to find a cute pair of wedding shoes has not been so much fun. Thank goodness for DSW though :) I kept myself safe and just shopped online versus going to the monstrous warehouse where there are enough shoes for me to wear a different pair each day of my life. I did however end up buying another pair of shoes, even by just going on the internet. But only because they were $4 and super cute. At least thats how they looked online... we'll see when they get here. haha.
Secondly, we finally picked a place for our rehearsal dinner. Glory Hallelujah. This little event has caused oh so many fights. (Yes, even the green bean fight) The location has been the big issue. We really wanted to have it on campus... at the music hall, where we actually met. Didn't work... you had to know special people. We don't.
Then we went for the Italian restaurant across the street.... which didn't meet the standards of some. Then it was suddenly put at the Gingerbread House, where the reception is. This is where my Bridezilla moment came into play. I refused to have the rehearsal dinner and the reception at the same place. Seems petty, I know, but I wasn't willing to do it. I've been pretty accomodating and compromised a lot, but I wasn't doing this. I get one Bridezilla moment :) But Russ, being the amazing man that he is, went out on his own and found a new place that we hadn't looked at before. It's beautiful, close by, available and it's OURS! Check it out.... www.ironcityplace.com
And finally, today, I am going to pick up my dress! I'm a little nervous about it.... and trying to brainstorm where I am going to put it... Especially when Russ comes to visit at Easter. It's like trying to hide an elephant in a bat cave. haha. Oh well, I'll figure it out.
Only two months, three weeks and two days!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
A Dr. Seuss Wedding?
So Russ and I are writing our own vows... and in the search for inspiration, I found these vows. A little much for me, but they made me laugh. I can imagine some Dr. Seuss crazed fan doing this... the pastor wearing a big Cat in the Hat hat and then serving Green Eggs and Ham for the reception.
Pastor: Will you answer me right now These questions, as your wedding vow?
Groom: Yes, I will answer right now Your questions as my wedding vow.
Pastor: Will you take her as your wife? Will you love her all your life?
Groom: Yes, I take her as my wife, Yes, I'll love her all my life.
Pastor: Will you have, and also hold Just as you have at this time told?
Groom: Yes, I will have, and I will hold,Just as I have at this time told, Yes, I will love her all my life As I now take her as my wife.
Pastor: Will you love through good and bad? Whether you're happy or sad?
Groom: Yes, I'll love through good and bad, Whether we're happy or sad, Yes, I will have and I will hold Just as I have already told, Yes, I will love her all my life,Yes, I will take her as my wife!
Pastor: Will you love her if you're rich? Or if you're poor, and in a ditch?
Groom: Yes, I'll love her if we're rich, And I will love her in a ditch, I'll love her through good times and bad, Whether we are happy or sad, Yes, I will have, and I will hold(I could have sworn this has been told!) I promise to love all my life This woman, as my lawful wife!
Pastor: Will you love her when you're fit,And also when you're feeling sick?
Groom: Yes, I'll love her when we're fit, And when we're hurt, and when we're sick, And I will love her when we're rich And I will love her in a ditch And I will love through good and bad, And I will love when glad or sad, And I will have, and I will hold Ten years from now a thousandfold, Yes, I will love for my whole life This lovely woman as my wife!
Pastor: Will you love with all your heart? Will you love till death you part?
Groom: Yes, I'll love with all my heart From now until death do us part, And I will love her when we're rich, And when we're broke and in a ditch, And when we're fit, and when we're sick, (Oh, CAN'T we get this finished quick?) And I will love through good and bad, And I will love when glad or sad, And I will have, and I will hold, And if I might now be so bold, I'll love her my entire life, Yes, I WILL take her as my wife!
Pastor: Then if you'll take her as your wife, And if you'll love her all your life, And if you'll have, and if you'll hold, From now until the stars grow cold, And if you'll love through good and bad,And whether you're happy or sad, And love in sickness, and in health, And when you're poor, and when in wealth, And if you'll love with all your heart, From now until death do you part, Yes, if you'll love her through and through, Please answer with these words:
Pastor and Groom: I DO!
Pastor: You're married now! So kiss the bride, But please, do keep it dignified.
No worries, I got no inspiration from those vows....my vows will NOT rhyme... even though I am the rhyming queen.
I do have my vows written and there is one funny part that'll help me get through them without crying. :) Now I have to work on the readings... hmmmm.... maybe we could read a Dr. Seuss book?
Pastor: Will you answer me right now These questions, as your wedding vow?
Groom: Yes, I will answer right now Your questions as my wedding vow.
Pastor: Will you take her as your wife? Will you love her all your life?
Groom: Yes, I take her as my wife, Yes, I'll love her all my life.
Pastor: Will you have, and also hold Just as you have at this time told?
Groom: Yes, I will have, and I will hold,Just as I have at this time told, Yes, I will love her all my life As I now take her as my wife.
Pastor: Will you love through good and bad? Whether you're happy or sad?
Groom: Yes, I'll love through good and bad, Whether we're happy or sad, Yes, I will have and I will hold Just as I have already told, Yes, I will love her all my life,Yes, I will take her as my wife!
Pastor: Will you love her if you're rich? Or if you're poor, and in a ditch?
Groom: Yes, I'll love her if we're rich, And I will love her in a ditch, I'll love her through good times and bad, Whether we are happy or sad, Yes, I will have, and I will hold(I could have sworn this has been told!) I promise to love all my life This woman, as my lawful wife!
Pastor: Will you love her when you're fit,And also when you're feeling sick?
Groom: Yes, I'll love her when we're fit, And when we're hurt, and when we're sick, And I will love her when we're rich And I will love her in a ditch And I will love through good and bad, And I will love when glad or sad, And I will have, and I will hold Ten years from now a thousandfold, Yes, I will love for my whole life This lovely woman as my wife!
Pastor: Will you love with all your heart? Will you love till death you part?
Groom: Yes, I'll love with all my heart From now until death do us part, And I will love her when we're rich, And when we're broke and in a ditch, And when we're fit, and when we're sick, (Oh, CAN'T we get this finished quick?) And I will love through good and bad, And I will love when glad or sad, And I will have, and I will hold, And if I might now be so bold, I'll love her my entire life, Yes, I WILL take her as my wife!
Pastor: Then if you'll take her as your wife, And if you'll love her all your life, And if you'll have, and if you'll hold, From now until the stars grow cold, And if you'll love through good and bad,And whether you're happy or sad, And love in sickness, and in health, And when you're poor, and when in wealth, And if you'll love with all your heart, From now until death do you part, Yes, if you'll love her through and through, Please answer with these words:
Pastor and Groom: I DO!
Pastor: You're married now! So kiss the bride, But please, do keep it dignified.
No worries, I got no inspiration from those vows....my vows will NOT rhyme... even though I am the rhyming queen.
I do have my vows written and there is one funny part that'll help me get through them without crying. :) Now I have to work on the readings... hmmmm.... maybe we could read a Dr. Seuss book?
Saturday, March 14, 2009
I'm getting married!
It's so easy to get wrapped up in the little details of the wedding planning that you forget the whole point of it. And being three states away from the person that you are marrying... doesn't make it any easier. The reality has suddenly hit me this week.... that I'm getting married. Don't get me wrong, I've realized that from the beginning, but I think the three month mark this week put the fear back in me.
Dad asked me when we first got engaged if I ever wondered if Russ was the right one. And I didn't even have to think about it... I said no. But this week, to be honest, the question crossed my mind. So today I went through some pictures of Russ and I... reliving the times when we've been together since we can't be right now. And those pictures helped me remember that I'm definitely not afraid of that. Russ is caring, he loves me for who I am (even when I'm as crazy as can be), he is passionate about his job, he is great with kids, loves people, loves God, makes me laugh when I need it the most, is my tower of support when I need it, he cooks with me, he cooks for me, he cleans with me, he acts silly with me and makes messes with me, he sings at the top of his lungs in the car, he sings sweet songs to me, he makes me want to be a better person.... and he is going to be a wonderful husband.
Like I said, I think the problem is that I see myself getting old now. I really can remember the first day of kindergarden.... and it doesn't feel like its been 20 years. I feel like if I blink, I'm going to be having kids. Then if I blink again, those kids will be graduating high school and getting married themselves. That makes me feel old. And that scares me.
But I'm putting it behind me. I'm ready for the next stage of my life... even though it is coming fast. I'm going to cherish every moment until the wedding... the next chapter of my life... and I can't wait to make more memories with Russ. :)
Dad asked me when we first got engaged if I ever wondered if Russ was the right one. And I didn't even have to think about it... I said no. But this week, to be honest, the question crossed my mind. So today I went through some pictures of Russ and I... reliving the times when we've been together since we can't be right now. And those pictures helped me remember that I'm definitely not afraid of that. Russ is caring, he loves me for who I am (even when I'm as crazy as can be), he is passionate about his job, he is great with kids, loves people, loves God, makes me laugh when I need it the most, is my tower of support when I need it, he cooks with me, he cooks for me, he cleans with me, he acts silly with me and makes messes with me, he sings at the top of his lungs in the car, he sings sweet songs to me, he makes me want to be a better person.... and he is going to be a wonderful husband.
Like I said, I think the problem is that I see myself getting old now. I really can remember the first day of kindergarden.... and it doesn't feel like its been 20 years. I feel like if I blink, I'm going to be having kids. Then if I blink again, those kids will be graduating high school and getting married themselves. That makes me feel old. And that scares me.
But I'm putting it behind me. I'm ready for the next stage of my life... even though it is coming fast. I'm going to cherish every moment until the wedding... the next chapter of my life... and I can't wait to make more memories with Russ. :)
I miss this kid
Thursday, March 12, 2009
This week's resolutions
"Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other's nerves you don't snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out." 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15 MSG
So last night I'm sitting in traffic and coming the other way is this man on a bike. When he gets close, I can see he is probably in his 50's and his face is filthy. He has a construction hard hat on and a backpack... and he looks utterly exhausted. But he was pedaling as hard as he could to get up the hill and to wherever he was going. Who knows where he came from, there aren't construction places or even places he'd be working looking like that for miles... and who knows where he was going. But right then and there, I said a prayer for him... that whatever hard times he is facing would bring him closer to the Lord... then I thanked God for all that I have... most of which I take for granted. I take my car for granted... the one that drives me half a mile or halfway across the country... for the warm house I knew I had to come home to.... for the job that has been stressing me out so much. I take my family for granted... that they are always going to be there... but we aren't guaranteed another day. I take the food on my table for granted... a lot of people these days don't have it.
So my second resolution is to become more grateful/thankful and to try and lift people up who need it. That guy on that bike sure looked like he could've used a "Jesus loves you"
I really like the way the message has translated this verse. It really spoke a lot to me this week. I have been insanely busy at work the past two weeks and things with the wedding are REALLY picking up. Needless to say, my nerves have been worn out. And unfortunately for Russ this week, he has been the recipient of my "snappings" :( We've had some really silly "fights" this week... I mean, fights over green beans silly. hahaha, yes was definitely a fight to put in the book of our relationship history. We can both laugh at it now, but my words certainly weren't uplifting.
I've always always always said that I won't let my work take over my life. But unfortunately, that is a lot easier said than done. Most of the times, I'm successful. But then these huge "important" deadlines come in and I feel that I have to be 100% committed or the world is going to end. It's really not. So my first resolution is to stop letting the urgent crowd out the important. And make sure I don't let my stress build up in me to the point that I hurt others.
My next resolution sort of goes with that, but it hit me through a totally different avenue.
Over the past few months, I've had the chance to drive through a not so great area of town when coming home on the backroads. Everytime I go through there, whether it is nice or it is freezing, there are tons of people just walking. Not for exercise, they are obviously walking to get to where they need to go. Some are carrying books, some are carrying groceries, some are toting kids around with strollers loaded full of stuff. It is in a populated part of town, where you can just walk to places... but I know I sure wouldn't. My lazy self would go get in my car (especially when its freezing cold) and I would drive the three tenths of a mile to the grocery store.So last night I'm sitting in traffic and coming the other way is this man on a bike. When he gets close, I can see he is probably in his 50's and his face is filthy. He has a construction hard hat on and a backpack... and he looks utterly exhausted. But he was pedaling as hard as he could to get up the hill and to wherever he was going. Who knows where he came from, there aren't construction places or even places he'd be working looking like that for miles... and who knows where he was going. But right then and there, I said a prayer for him... that whatever hard times he is facing would bring him closer to the Lord... then I thanked God for all that I have... most of which I take for granted. I take my car for granted... the one that drives me half a mile or halfway across the country... for the warm house I knew I had to come home to.... for the job that has been stressing me out so much. I take my family for granted... that they are always going to be there... but we aren't guaranteed another day. I take the food on my table for granted... a lot of people these days don't have it.
So my second resolution is to become more grateful/thankful and to try and lift people up who need it. That guy on that bike sure looked like he could've used a "Jesus loves you"
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Back to Reality
OH.MY.STARS.
http://www.bluepalace.gr/bluepalace/frontend/index.jsp
This is where we've decided we want to honeymoon. Isn't it fabulous? My Nikon is jumping for joy at this one. Russ had his finance class researching budget honeymoon spots... something tells me this isn't budget.
Since things are going to be really crazy with our jobs and Russ' required two week training that conveniently happens the day after our wedding and then football season, we aren't going to get to take a big honeymoon until next winter at the least. At first, I was a little bummed, but it's not so bad....I'm thinking that next winter when there is eight inches of snow on the ground, I'd love to be in Greece :) But anyway, enough with my daydreaming....
I called the dress shop today because I haven't heard a word from them since December and I was starting to wonder..... she kept me on hold for like 15 minutes... the store is not that big. When she came back, she didn't sound so good and I was a little worried that the dress hadn't been ordered. I held my breath.... and she said they've had it there since January 15th....!?!?! Super... thanks for calling me.
Ah, the joys of a wedding :)
http://www.bluepalace.gr/bluepalace/frontend/index.jsp
This is where we've decided we want to honeymoon. Isn't it fabulous? My Nikon is jumping for joy at this one. Russ had his finance class researching budget honeymoon spots... something tells me this isn't budget.
Since things are going to be really crazy with our jobs and Russ' required two week training that conveniently happens the day after our wedding and then football season, we aren't going to get to take a big honeymoon until next winter at the least. At first, I was a little bummed, but it's not so bad....I'm thinking that next winter when there is eight inches of snow on the ground, I'd love to be in Greece :) But anyway, enough with my daydreaming....
I called the dress shop today because I haven't heard a word from them since December and I was starting to wonder..... she kept me on hold for like 15 minutes... the store is not that big. When she came back, she didn't sound so good and I was a little worried that the dress hadn't been ordered. I held my breath.... and she said they've had it there since January 15th....!?!?! Super... thanks for calling me.
Ah, the joys of a wedding :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)