Waiting and in the meantime

My nephew Luke, my middle sister's miracle baby, is due on Tuesday. I can't wait to meet him, to hold him, to smell that little baby smell and kiss his sweet head. But alas, he seems to be pretty cozy in his current surroundings, and so we continue to wait for his big debut. In the meantime, you can bet that I'm carrying around my cell phone, ready for the call, anxious to take myself and my yo-yo sewing kit to sit and wait some more in the hospital's waiting room.

And stalk the floors looking for marketing collateral so I can gather ideas. 
Oh wait, I would never do that.

While we've been so busy waiting, we've kept ourselves occupied with many other worthwhile endeavors.

Like not eating bread or sweets. That takes up a lot of time and mental energy. But I'm proud to report that I've made it six meals without any mishaps, and I haven't killed anybody yet. Or thrown anything. But I will probably dream about cinnamon rolls tonight when I go to bed. Cinnamon rolls and french toast drizzled in syrup and powdered sugar.

Oh my, there I go again.

Last weekend we went to a graduation party for the son of one of our favorite ESL students from West Africa - Togo to be exact. We've known my student's son for a year now and he's an absolute delight - he wants to be a doctor and I am confident that if that's what he chooses to do, he'll be a darn good one. 

The highlight of the party, besides seeing his mama all dolled up, was two of his African cousins, ages 4 and 8, dressed in their biggest party dresses, who went up to me all wide-eyed and cute and said, "We love your hair!" in a way only a 4-year-old can do. My heart melted and I've since decided that when we adopt, we may need a little girl from Togo. Heck, I'll take a little girl from just about anywhere, actually. The more people I meet from far off places, the more I just love people.

We also hit up an engagement party for one of our other friends, spent the day at the pool, took our Nigerian friend to a family dinner at Grease Monkey (best burgers in town, I assure you), took an incredibly long Sunday nap, and hosted another family dinner at our house. 

Speaking of days at the pool - I broke down and bought a new swimsuit. At the first store I went to, I tried on exactly one suit, loved it, paid for it, and was gone within 10 minutes. I hate shopping for swimsuits (and jeans) so this "rip off the bandaid" approach was the least painful way to do it. I found one that's pink and ruffled and covers up a few of my least favorite places.

I hope I don't have to do that again for another four years, which is how long it's been since I purchased my last one. Or by that time I'll find a body double who can shop for me and save me the mental anguish. 

In the meantime, we're all killing time until we can hold that sweet Luke. Say a little prayer for my sister as she lets him cook a little longer. She's going to make a great mama, and I can't wait to train him to call me Aunt B.

My weekend in Instagram Photos

What a glorious weekend...

Friday night Mr. Right and I met his family for a dinner on the patio at Piola. If you live in Fort Worth, you need to visit their patio. One of the best in town.

After dinner Mr. Right and I walked around downtown and visited one of our favorite spots - the new TCC downtown campus. It's romantic and has gorgeous architecture, and for some reason there is never anybody there at night. It's a great date spot.

(Full disclosure: Mr. Right gets the photo credit for these Friday night pictures)

Then Saturday morning, I did that thing that every naturally blonde girl likes to do... I spent my morning at the hair salon... getting blonder. 

When I came home, Mr. Right had whipped up a lunch of grilled chicken with homemade avocado butter and fresh fruit drizzled with honey. Other husbands do this, yes?  He had also prepped all of our food for dinner AND prepped the two dishes I needed to bring to Easter the following day. What a guy.

Later that evening we hosted dear friends over for a cookout and then went to a movie. I must say that I swoon anytime I see Mr. Right at the grill. And my stomach growls. He made us homemade fry bread (dipped in mashed black beans and honey) and chicken kabobs with grilled veggies and pineapple. 

I think he missed his calling... he should host a Christian cooking show.

Sunday was Easter... and I am a terrible person for not taking A SINGLE PICTURE. It was a hectic day - getting up at the crack of dawn to fix our dishes, rushing to church (which was glorious - I love our church), rushing home to change and then rushing to my parents' house for a big meal. For people who work at churches (like Mr. Right) Easter is the biggest work day of the year, so he had to miss half of our lunch, and by the time we got home we were both exhausted and took long naps. 

So no pictures, even though we had a wonderful time with my side of the family AND my wonderful in-laws, who joined us. We had so many opportunities to take a picture, and it would have been perfect seeing as my sister is adorably pregnant and I have not a single picture with her since she's been showing. But no... all I got was this...

This is a picture of the leftover strawberry pie we made for Easter... that I finished off mid-morning on Monday while sitting at my desk at work. Mr. Right sent it with me so I could share it with my coworkers... but instead I ate all of it myself. But in my defense, it wasn't THAT big of a piece.

Weekend hodge-podge

Sometimes in the heat of a Texas August I wonder why I choose to live in such a boiling hot state. As my bare legs sear themselves with the blaze of my SUV's leather seats and I finally give up and settle on a ponytail for weeks on end to keep my long hair off my sticky neck, I fantasize about moving to the mountains with their cool nights and everlasting breezes.

But then we have a weekend like this past one, and I'm reminded of why I continue to stay. Because there's nothing more beautiful than an 80 degree March day.

I spent the entire weekend outside basking in the glorious weather. Friday I joined with a local nonprofit that I serve as a board member for, and 1,300 of us fixed up about 30 houses in our community. I did what I do best... paint. Actually, I also scraped and learned to caulk, and then primed - which is like painting. I got dirty and sunburned, ate TWO hotdogs and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Later that night I got gussied up and went on a double date with dear friends and fellow newlyweds Randy and Lori. Oh, and Mr. Right and I made a slight detour to the bicycle shop to get me a basket for my beloved cruiser. 

I took my bike-and-basket on a test drive Saturday, and as soon as my tushy hits that extra-wide seat I transformed into an 8-year-old version of my self, enjoying the sweet freedom that a bike can bring as the wind blows through my hair. If only Harley the Wonder Schnoodle could fit in that basket.

Saturday we spent the whole day working inside/outside our house, with the windows open and the smells of spring washing out the staleness of winter. We planted our very first vegetable and herb container garden on the back porch - we spent $140 so that we can save money on tomatoes and jalapenos and poblanos at the grocery store. But it will all be worth it if our rosemary takes off, as that's the secret ingredient to our sweet potato fries. For the past year we've been stealing (with his permission) from our neighbor's rosemary plant, and I love it when the smell of a fresh piece fills our kitchen. We also tried cilantro and sweet basil and maybe another thing or two that I can't remember at the moment - I'm too busy thinking about that rosemary.

And now I will start praying and laying hands on these vegetables, hoping that they can survive my black thumb and live to see a fruitful harvest. Please.

We also did some major spring cleaning - cleaning out the garage, putting things in the attic, cleaning out hall closets and washing windows. I got dirty and sunburned, drank decaf ice tea and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

That night we joined Mr. Right's family for a birthday party at Joe T's and then sat outside on a patio in the trendy part of Fort Worth and enjoyed ice cream and the warm night air. 

Speaking of food, Sunday night we went over to our dear friends' house and brought these:

 Our world-famous chocolate cupcakes with homemade chocolate-banana frosting, Mr. Right's super secret recipe invention. As good as these cupcakes look in the picture, let me assure you that they taste 10 times better. To save us from temptation he brought the leftovers to work today to give away, but rest assured I managed to snag a few for my freezer to save for a future rainy day.

I wish all my weekends could be like this one.

New stuff, old stuff

Lot's of news on the "new" and "old" front:

We sold our truck. And in true Mr. Right fashion, by the end of the transaction he was besties with the college kid who bought it. We sold it to a missionary kid from South Africa, and this was his first car, which made it sweet. Even sweeter because WE SOLD THE TRUCK!

We think we may have found our new car. A used-but-decked-out Sequoia, complete with DVD players and leather interior. And room for one... or two... or three car seats in the back. You know, in case we ever need them. (Note - we have no need for them now, so don't even ask). Even better... we're going to pay cash for it (thanks Dave Ramsey). Fingers crossed that we might get it Friday - if not, then we'll wait and find something after Mr. Right gets home from his big trip.

We bought a new, gigantic ottoman. We've been throwing around the idea of selling our leather couch and love seat and replacing it with a big leather sectional. I always swore I'd never own a sectional, but they are so comfy, and we don't really fit very well on if we want to lay together on the sofa and watch a movie together. However, we found this ottoman when we were buying our bed frame last week, and when you push it up to the couch, it's more like a giant chaise lounge, and it's super comfy! And, an ottoman is much cheaper than buying a new sectional. We laughed, because we've added lot's of new pieces to our house this year, but this is one of the only ones we've actually purchased together. Everything else has been thrifted/handed down/generously given to us. 

Speaking of which... our next big house projects are going to include (1) new shelving for my laundry room and (2) extending our back patio and building a pergola. I had to sacrifice my beloved rose bushes, which were in the way, but it will all be worth it by summer. In the meantime, I need to use my new Instagram feed to take pictures of all of our new home projects - we've been busy!

I wore this old dress to a wedding last weekend... our third wedding in a month. I absolutely love weddings - and I cry at most all of them. This wedding was on a particularly chilly night and at the last minute I opted to borrow my sister's dress... which happens to be the bridesmaid dress from my own wedding. So for all those brides who say "And the best part is, you could wear this dress again," I'm the one bride who actually meant it... see? I just paired it with some sparkly heels and this little beaded cardigan that didn't fit for most of last year, but thanks to the half marathon fits once again! Hooray! To celebrate I may wear this cardigan every day next week. Would that be weird?

Weekend Hodge Podge

It's a boy!

No, it's not our boy, much to the surprise of a few friends whom misunderstood my seemingly innocent Facebook post. It's my sister's boy... and he's making his debut in just a few months!

My super cute sister and her husband hosted a gender reveal party at their house Friday night, and both sides of the family held their breath as we watched the parents-to-be cut into the cake. To our excitement, we got a blue cake (and blue mouths after eating the blue cake), and soon I'll have my very first nephew. I can't wait to start shopping!

Then again, we've already done a little shopping - Mr. Right and I found this moose rocker at an antique sidewalk sale last summer, and since my interior designer sister has an affinity for moose decor, I just had to get it. Even though there wasn't even a baby yet. I knew he'd be here someday.

The next morning, Mr. Right and I drug ourselves out of bed to run six miles... ahh, the half marathon training. This was the first time since our training started December 5 that my run actually felt good. Thank goodness. Now if only all of those runs would translate to a few lost pounds... but alas, I've lost a grand total of two pounds after 61 miles of running. Life is so unfair sometimes.

After our run we raced home, sopped up our sweat and changed into nicer clothes so we could jet off to a late morning wedding. It was one of my favorites ever - he's from Syria, she's from Dallas, and they both love Jesus like crazy. The ceremony was done in both arabic and English, and maybe it's because we've got arabic-speaking students in our ESL program, or maybe because I'm a huge softy at weddings - but I loved every minute of it. Plus I got to hold a baby at the reception.

After the wedding I went home for a much-needed nap while Mr. Right went to work for a little while, and then we got gussied up again (confession - I wore the same dress again... because it's new and because I love it - you'll see it at another wedding later this month as well) and drove to Carrollton to eat at a hole-in-the-wall Colombian restaurant.

I wore my new boots. I haven't posted these yet, so here they are - as you can see, I went with a very understated style. Actually, I went as loud as I could go... because after all, these are boots that will never see dirt... or a stirrup... so I might as well go loud and fancy.

If you live in DFW, I highly recommend Casa Vieja. We were destined to love it, since we fell in love with Colombian food (and their people) during our trip there in 2010. Fried plantains, arepas, lot's and lot's of beef, and fruit juices served up like smoothies. I had lulo juice - a fruit only grown in Colombia - the juice was pea green but tasted amazing. Kind of like a mixture of grapefruit and kiwi...

Lulo

I'm so adventurous. But my adventure has its limits... like when you start ordering blood sausage or fried pork skin. Nope, my adventure usually ends with exotic fruits and big jewelry.

A little of this, a little of that

I got a little burned out from the 30 Days of Thankful. I'm still thankful, but glad to not have the pressure to post every day.

So now we can catch up on what I didn't write when I was being so thankful.

-I'm tired of finals. It's horrible for me to admit, but I am. Sick of it, and I'm not even the one in school! Mr. Right does a fantastic job juggling school, work, and me, but finals means a month of intense studying... there's just no way to get around it. Which means many nights I go to bed and he's still downing coffee and pouring over books. I'm proud of his hard work, and I'm happy to say that it ends TOMORROW!

We're going to celebrate with a big night out. It's what we do. And this semester is definitely worth celebrating (he had a really good semester).

-I got to teach my old Sunday School class last Sunday, and I'll teach again this Sunday. My how I've missed it. But I'm also confident that it's not what I'm supposed to be doing right now... that this chapter in my life's book is meant for ESL. For now. But the occasional teaching still warms my soul.

-Mr. Right got a promotion. I'm not sure I've mentioned it yet...but he did. And I'm so proud of him.

-I'm having a disorganized Christmas. I have so many projects I want to do for my house and for gifts, but they're all half done. So is my shopping... and the last of my Christmas cards. I'm not really sure how to finish any of it. But even so, this has been a particularly wonderful, quiet Christmas, and in the end, felt wreaths and hand-sewn cards aren't the reason for the season anyway.

-Mr. Right made me cornbread last night... he just took a box of Jiffy, added half a can of corn, one can of mild green chiles, and cheese. Oh my word, it was to die for. My New Year's Resolution is going to be to eat cornbread every night.

-I'm two weeks in to our half marathon training... Saturday I was supposed to run four miles and barely walked two. Fail (I blame it on a killer headache). But last night I was supposed to run three and went for the fourth... and if felt fantastic. I had completely forgotten that the first three miles are hellish, and then something clicks and miles four through eight are absolutely fantastic. I guess that's what they call "runner's high." My fourth mile felt amazing, which is encouraging because I was starting to second-guess this decision to run a half marathon. And I burned 455 calories... which made me feel less guilty about eating TWO pieces of cornbread.

Living the dream... I mean, adventure

This week we've had a lock out and a break in. We have laid in the pool, eaten Indian food, stayed up late watching reality TV... and called 911. My husband had to jump a spiked fence and we watched one of the most moving movies of my life. And I found a new way to live my passion.

First things first. Our rent house got robbed. It stunk. All they got was a bunch of copper wiring, but they did considerable damage to our air conditioner (outside and inside) and made a nice little mess that I'll have to clean up. But thankfully they didn't scratch my newly painted cabinets during all their debauchery and lowliness. Small wins, right?

The worst part was that it took the Fort Worth Police Department four hours to respond to our 911 call. FOUR HOURS. And since our AC was damaged and the house has no furniture, we had to sit in lawn chairs on the front porch in our work clothes, getting eaten by mosquitos and sweating in the humidity as we waited... and waited... and waited. It was a lot like camping, minus the camp fire, tent, or the soothing sound of crickets chirping. Apparently Wednesday nights are hopping nights for the Fort Worth police. We made our initial 911 call at 7:30 (right after the most lovely date with Mr. Right at our favorite Indian food restaurant) and the police finally rolled up at 11:15 p.m. On a work night. Lovely.

Crazy thing is, I feel total peace about this house. It's been on the market for two weeks and has already had a break-in, and yet I know deep in my soul that God is in control. He has proven in the past that he can take care of us and that he cares about the smallest details (I mean, he brought me the man of my dreams by way of Colorado and Oklahoma and somehow convinced him that he should drive 45 minutes to join a church he didn't have any connection with). I know he will prove faithful, and so we continue to thank the Lord for protecting our house from serious damage, for keeping us away during the break-in, and I know that when His time is right, that cute little house will sell.

Speaking of break-ins, my nextdoor neighbor at our OTHER house had their front door kicked in last week... while they were home. My sister also had her door kicked in about a month ago. Yikes. Good thing I have that intricate security system with the lasers like they have at the casinos in the Oceans 11 movies. One foul trigger and BAAAAM!

Back to our week...

We house sat for my parents this week, which meant we took full advantage of that wonderful pool in their backyard and the many cable channels on our TV that we're too thrifty to pay for. Being removed from our regular surroundings and without any house work to do felt like a mini retreat with Mr. Right, and we had such a wonderful time together. I feel like my batteries are recharged.

There was the one little snafu while house sitting where Mr. Right got locked out while taking the dogs out to use the bathroom at 6:00 a.m. during a rain storm, while I blissfully slept on the other side of the house. After ten minutes of pounding on the back door, he had to jump their 6-foot, wrought-iron fence (with spikes) and come around to bang on the front door until I (finally) heard him and let him in. Poor guy, he married a VERY sound sleeper.

I have a new favorite TV show - Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition. I love watching the one-year transformations... it's so much more gratifying than waiting an entire season of The Biggest Loser. It has replaced The Bachelorette as my very favorite reality show (this season is oh so boring).

And, we watched Hotel Rwanda. I'm now ready to move to Africa and adopt an orphan (or two). That was the most disturbing and moving movie I have ever seen, and it's just another way that my heart continues to spur for people living in far away places. I have to admit I had to cover my eyes on more than one occasion. You should watch it.

Speaking of people in far-away places, Mr. Right and I are getting ESL certified next month, and we plan to start teaching in the fall, most likely through our church or at a location that's brimming with internationals (we have our eye on one). I've had a heart for women's ministry for many years, and after retiring from teaching my beloved ladies' class at church when I got married, I've been praying that God would provide a new ministry for me that I could be as passionate about, while still supporting my husband in the class that he works with. I think I have found my answer, and I'm so excited! We sat in on a class last week, and my heart leapt with joy as I saw women from all different cultures sitting together, gaining practical skills that will help them thrive in their new home, but also being exposed to the gospel that has the ability to transform their lives.

I'm just giddy.

As for Project 115... the good news is that my pants continue to get looser by the week. The bad news is that I had to take a week off because our house sitting put me 30 minutes from work (instead of 5) and nowhere near my gym, so those 5:30 a.m. workouts were out. But I've still been watching my calories and I plan to pick up where I left off on Monday. Promise.

We have something really fun planned for this weekend. I'll give details next week.

2010 Year in Review

This is my fourth year to do a year-in-review. It's fun to look back on how my life has changed over these past few years, and I think 2010 may have been one filled with the most changes, and the MOSTS fun. For past years, feel free to check out 2007, 2008, and 2009.

Where did you begin 2010?

I went to a church party, but left a little before midnight, so I rang in the new year on the telephone with my sister. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day were both filled with dozens of media calls, and on January 2 I had a story on the front page of the paper (the best New Year's gift a PR gal can have).

New Year's Eve

What random cool things happened in 2010?

I went on a first date with a certain Mr. Right who ended up being the man of my dreams... six months later he asked me to marry him, and VERY soon we’ll officially be husband and wife! Other than that rather cool thing, I also went on a mission trip to Colombia, a beach trip to Florida, cooked a ton, hosted 30 people at my house for Easter, attended my first World Series game, watched my sister marry her best friend, bought a car, had my picture made with the governor, I got a new office with a window, and went on some amazing dates. Oh, and my house got hit by a tornado.

Books read in 2010?

Beth Moore’s So Long Insecurity

Key Principles of Biblical Fasting

The Essentials of Effective Prayer

Little Bee

The Help

Son of Hamas (one of my favorites of the year)

Laura Bush’s autobiography: Spoken from the Heart (this is what I'm reading now, only half-way finished)

Orange is the New Black (such a fun book!)

The Kite Runner

The Missionary Call

Forgiveness: Breaking the Power of the Past (maybe the best study I've ever taught... life changing)

Wuthering Heights

The Magician's Nephew (a Narnia book)

The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe (a Narnia book)

The Horse and his Boy (a Narnia book)

The Lost Symbol

South of Broad

Do anything embarrassing?

Right before Mr. Right asked me out, but when I knew he was kind of digging me, I had a very flirty conversation with him after church one night. I was feeling really good about myself... probably too good. As I was walking away, still looking at him as I said goodbye, I walked STRAIGHT into the visitor welcome desk. HARD.

What scripture did you study? (this is for me... fun to keep a record)

I did pretty deep studies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, John, and all of Paul’s letters in the New Testament. I did an amazing study during Christmas on the Advent with Mr. Right (we’re going to make this a new family tradition) and taught Sunday School classes on forgiveness, prayer, and fasting. I had never studied much on fasting, let alone practiced it, and this year I loved learning about this often missed spiritual discipline. Even better, we had some much older and wiser people come speak and give us tips - it was so interesting to learn from them.

Did you know anybody who got married?

2010 was the year of the wedding. My other sister got married (Sarah & Philip), Sara & Dave, Amanda & Kevin, Amanda & James, my boss’ daughter, and two of Mr. Right’s closest friends. I was a bridesmaid twice and ALMOST a bride (I’ll make the 2011 list).

(With my sister @ her wedding)

Did you move anywhere?

Celebrating four years in my house this January. And getting a new roommate!

What sporting events did you attend?

I went to the last game of the Rangers World Series (we lost), and also to a Division Series playoff game against the Yankees. I went to Opening Day of the Rangers and saw a handful of their games through the summer. I also attended my favorite marathon, where I single-handedly handed out about 8,000 finisher shirts. Woah nelly, that was a crazy exhausting but very fun day.

(at the World Series)

Describe your birthday:

Mr. Right threw me a lovely birthday party at our favorite coffee shop (site of our first “sort of” date) and our two families and some friends came by for cake made by our wedding cake designer (my favorite). Since it was my 30th we did a lot of celebrating - I also went to dinner with some girlfriends, and my family and his family both had family dinners.

(at my 30th birthday)

What's something you learned about yourself?

I learned that God really did have plans for me that were better than my own. I learned a lot about what it takes to love someone else in the way they want to be loved, and I got lot’s of great advice from married couples young and old about how to make a good marriage. Hopefully I can put those things into practice!

I also traveled to my first third-world country and learned so much about myself, my desire to serve the Lord, and my willingness to follow Him wherever He leads me. I learned a lot about people - we're all the same, whether we live in the interior of Colombia or in the suburbs of DFW. It's one of my favorite parts of traveling - realizing just how similar we all really are.

(in one of the barrios in Cartagena, Colombia)

Were you in school this year?

NO! For the first time since 2006... no school for me!

(NEW!) Where did you travel this year?

I got to add South America to my ever-growing list of places I’ve conquered. We took a week-long mission trip to Colombia, where I discovered that I love the people there and LOVE the food.

I also went to Destin, Florida with my family for a week, I went to “The Lake” with Mr. Right (aka - his family reunion), drove to Oklahoma for a wedding shower, took two trips to Midland, and squeezed in a quick road trip to Abilene.

Destin, Florida

Any new additions to your family?

I got another new brother-in-law (Philip), plus an enormous family through Mr. Right. I am so blessed to be marrying into a solid, laid-back Christian family who has been absolutely welcoming. All my life I hoped I’d marry into a big family, and last year when I attended their family reunion with 100+ people (complete with an old-fashioned baptist hymn sing-along), I knew my prayers had been answered!

Favorite night out?

There were several. Our first date at my favorite Italian restaurant (Taverna) and then a walk through downtown and our favorite bookstore. Or the night we had a private tour of the Amon Carter Museum and then a walk through the museum grounds and a nightcap on the patio at Starbucks. Or maybe it was the night he took me to Babe’s for old-fashioned comfort food after a particularly stressful day, and then we walked out onto the dock overlooking the lake, dipped our feet in the water and watched the stars... for hours. Or maybe it was a simple evening of hanging out next to the glow of our Christmas tree listening to the crackle of a warm fire. There were MANY favorite nights this year.

What do you want to change in 2011?

I think I’m going to get married. Maybe gain a new roommate--seems like a good idea. I also look forward to finding a new way to serve in our new ministry. There’s lot’s of new folks I don’t know very well, and that has to be remedied quickly. It’s time to start hosting dinner parties again.

Where did you spend most of your time?

I spent a lot of time home in my kitchen, cooking dozens and dozens of dinners with Mr. Right. It's kind of "our thing" and probably why he and I have had to hit the gym a bit harder lately. Worth it though.

Do you have a new year's resolution?

Get married.

Memorize 2 verses per month.

Read through the Bible chronologically.

What was your favorite purchase?

I didn’t purchase any of these things, but my new favorite things are (1) my engagement ring, (2) my new chaise lounge, (3) my Nook.

Did you get sick this year?

I was very healthy this year - what a blessing.

Start a new hobby?

No, but I picked my quilting and knitting back up. It seems to go in spurts, but I think this year I’ll have more time than ever before to work on projects, since Mr. Right is in grad school and will have lot’s of homework to keep him occupied. I also sorely neglected my writing (and this blog), but hope to remedy that in 2011.

My latest quilt, made from scraps of material samples from Ethan Allen

What are you hoping and planning for in 2011?

I plan to learn how to be a good wife to Mr. Right. I plan to learn how to serve in a new ministry--this includes figuring out how to be a good minister’s wife (not the cookie-cutter stereotypical minister’s wife, but one who can help my man love on our people and reach out to folks who desperately need to know Christ’s love), but it also involves me finding my own “place” in a new ministry and different areas of the church than I’ve been for the past seven years. I plan to read through the Bible in a year, this time chronologically (I have been going in book order before). And I plan to log a lot of time on my knees asking God where he wants us... whether it’s here or in some far off land. Either way, I pray that we can both be faithful to the Lord and his calling for us in 2011, whatever that looks like.

You should be reading this

I'm working on a couple of posts... a 2009 recap, my 2010 New Years Resolutions, and a scripture/church one that may not ever get posted, but will at least be sent out to the lovely ladies in my Sunday School class. So much to do, and so little time.

Oh wait. I've got all sorts of time these days! And I am so very grateful! Not only am I done with school, but I'm enjoying a bit of a Christmas holiday from work. I truly adore my job, but I also am one of those people who realizes that I'm a much better employee if I have some time off to myself to play and recharge. And that's exactly what I'm doing this week... and man is it nice!

So while you anxiously await future blogs (nah, I know you're busy too!), here's some reading for you:

The Pioneer Woman - Recipes, plus fun stories from a "regular gal." I like regular gals, seeing as I'm about as regular as they come.

Copy Cat Chic - This gal takes trendy, expensive items, then points you toward a cheaper-but-equally-chic steal somewhere else. I'm on a big home decorating/reorganization kick, so this one is right up my alley.

Beth Moore's Blog - Anybody who knows me knows I simply adore Beth Moore and her Bible studies. I find a lot of encouragement from reading about this great woman of God who is another one of those "regular gals" who finds humor in normal female things. One of my favorite Beth Moore stories was when she forgot her hair stuff and had to tease her hair with a fork. I've been known to use any random sharp object I can find to part my hair... including a pencil, tweezers, my keys...

Back to organizing those closets and cabinets. There's something so refreshing about regaining control of your life, one messy cabinet at a time. Yet somehow the more I organize, the more junk I seem to accumulate on my kitchen counters that no longer have a "home." Luckily I'm taking a car-full of goodies to my church's food pantry/clothing closet this week - so I can get rid of all this superfluous stuff and somebody else can be blessed with items they need.

Hodge Podge Blog

Just a few random updates...

1. My car has been in the shop for 24 days and $2400. Today my dad came and picked her up, and we were scheduled to trade cars back tonight... but she broke again. The mechanic had said, "Be sure to watch for such-and-such, if that happens, it's a very bad sign." Well, as luck would have it, such-and-such happened. So back she goes to the  mechanic tomorrow, and I will cross my fingers that the next fix doesn't cost too much more. I'm trying to maintain my sense of humor, but it's definitely a challenge.

In the meantime, I'm swearing off pedicures until I save for a new car. I hope you will continue to be my friend even if I have horrible hobbit feet.

2. I'm sick again. My allergies have been absolutely horrible. So have Harley the Wonder Schnoodle's. As I've said before, we're allergic to the same thing, and both of us are teetering on the edge of allergy misery this week. No time to be sick, so we're going to continue to dope up on allergy meds and hope for the best. Makes the head a bit cloudy though.

Luckily the cloudy head keeps me from focusing on my car.

3. My professor decided to double the length of my paper due next week, on a whim. Hate is a strong word for this situation. But incredible frustration, extreme annoyance, and flabbergastedness (if it were a word) might suffice. There goes my weekend plans. Oh wait, I have to work Saturday anyway. And read three books in the next week or so. No big deal.

4. I have the blog of all blogs floating in my head... you may have seen the pictures from Facebook of my little country adventure, but it's definitely a story that deserves its own blog. I mean, we caught armadillos on a ranch in the middle of the night while I pranced through a cow pasture in my red high heels and a cocktail dress. My joyride in that '71 lime green convertible was one of my most memorable nights in years.

But these allergy meds are clouding my head, which greatly diminishes my ability to be witty. So the lime green convertible story will have to wait until the pollen count drops a little.

Tow trucks, backpacks, and hobbits

Today was my very last first day of school. Ever. I made my family promise that if I ever decide to pursue a PhD, that they will hold an intervention and, if necessary, knock some sense into me by force. Or, they have my permission to lock me up until I return to my senses. This is indeed my very last semester. And I think it's going to be a good one.

And if it's not, that's okay, because it's also my LAST one. Three and a half long years, and I'll finally have something to show for all that hard work!

As for my car... they towed poor Snowflake away today. I laughed as I hid my key under a flower pot on my front porch, thinking that somebody might try to steal poor Snowflake. But they sure wouldn't get very far! No word yet on how bad the damage is... I appreciate any prayers you might send my way for an affordable fix. I keep reminding myself that it's just "stuff." I'm trying to keep it in perspective. No need to stress too much about temporary things.

I wonder how many skipped pedicures it will take to pay off this repair bill? I'm guessing I may have hobbit feet by then. I'm also thinking about getting rid of my lawn boy (gulp). I know. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

In the meantime... I'm taking up a new hobby. It's a bit of a surprise, but I promise to write all about it next week. Let's just say that it's an athletic endeavor that should prove to be a lot more fun than that silly half marathon I had considered training for. This one involves athleticism... precision... and cute shoes. 

Oh yeah, that's my kind of sport.

Recap

What a week it has been...

Last week started off with a midnight trip to the Emergency Room. I've been struggling with some major asthma issues over the past two weeks, and it really got ugly late Sunday night. I got to the point where I could barely breathe and finally drove myself to the ER. By the time I arrived, I was in pretty bad shape (imagine trying to breathe through a stir straw), but after lot's of drugs and some heavy duty breathing treatments, I was better. Not great, but better. 

Luckily I work at the best hospital in the Metroplex, and they took good care of me. I can happily say that I'm not only the spokesperson, I'm now also a patient (it worked for that Hairclub for Men guy). I'm just hoping to not be a patient again anytime soon, although this asthma stuff still isn't under control. I'm working with my doctor on it... feel free to send a few prayers my way!

So that was Sunday night. Monday night I had 20 people at my house for dinner and a church meeting. You know me... I don't do anything half way. Luckily I have some wonderful guy friends (thanks Joel) who came over early and set up everything so I didn't have to do any heavy lifting in my sorry state. I had already baked pies the night before, and we just ordered pizza, so it was a relatively easy party... at least as far as dinner for 20 goes.

Then Tuesday, I found out my big summer school paper was due on Friday (note to self: always double check the deadline). I thought I had another week. My 50 page paper was only a 10 page paper on Monday morning, but by Thursday night at 11:55, that sucker was written and edited and emailed to my professor. Let's just say that I didn't eat or sleep very much between Tuesday and Thursday. That's a lot of writing.

Then Friday I celebrated the end of my paper with a road trip to float the Comal River in New Braunfels. It was such a nice trip--18 of us stayed in two rather posh condos and floated the river for two days. We also managed a little outlet mall shopping (yes!), some two-steppin' at Gruene Hall, and dinner on the patio at the Gristmill. It was such a nice, mellow weekend and it gave me the chance to get to know a few folks better, as well as travel with some of my very favorite friends. I had a really great time, and I got to wear my cowgirl boots.

And now I'm back, unpacked (not really, my bags are still on my bedroom floor, but I just step over them), and life is back to normal, whatever that is. This really has been my favorite summer in my history of summers, and as I look toward the fall and some upcoming fun trips (San Diego and Estes Park, Colorado!) I must say that I can't wait.

Random hilarity in my head

1. Good old Tiffany saved the day yet again. She got my sewing machine to work, and thanks to her help and encouragement, I have successfully pieced together my first quilt! It helps to have friends who are talented, occasionally it rubs off on me. It also helps to have a hobby that involves an excuse for a girls’ night. Not that anybody ever needs an excuse for girls’ night! This means I'm well on my way to becoming a quilting phenom... maybe I'll be the female Michael Phelps of quilting. I'll post photos as soon as I can find where I put my digital camera...

2. I ran seven miles tonight at the park. It was ugly. On Saturday, when I did six, I felt fantastic. Tonight, I just wanted someone to shoot me. Funny how that happens sometimes.

3. I think I have a ripping problem. Or a “moving too fast” problem. Today, I bent down to grab something off the bottom shelf of my storage cabinet, and stood up too fast. Riiiiip. My high heel got caught on my cute black skirt and ripped a hole right through it! It wouldn’t be so bad if this wasn’t the millionth time I have ripped my clothes at work. I had to go home and change. I loved that skirt, but alas, now it’s just a distant memory.

4. I’m now a girl with two jobs! As if I didn’t have enough things going on right now, I have taken the job as a graduate assistant to a professor up at school. In exchange for working on projects for them from home, I’m getting free tuition PLUS a stipend! Hooray! The only challenge will be fitting in that work between my full-time job, my homework from grad school, my half-marathon training, my tennis game, my new quilting hobby, my Sunday School teaching, and my social life. Yeah, I think I can do it! (In reality, I’m super thankful to have this new job, because private school tuition is EXPENSIVE, so this is a huge blessing!)

5. A few months ago I blogged about running into a guy from high school whom I hadn't seen in nine years. When we finally ran into each other, I was getting my hair done and had a head full of goop, wearing a shower cap, sitting under a hair dryer (hey, having hair this naturally blonde requires a lot of work). I looked awful. Well, guess who I saw AGAIN after I ran my six miles on Saturday in the heat of the day. Yep, same guy. Only this time instead of a head full of goop, I was sweating PROFUSELY, my face purple, huffing and puffing. Boy do I know how to impress a guy! Groan.

-------------------------------------
Sorry, my head was just swimming with information. I’m probably still a bit delusional from lack of oxygen to my brain after all that running. I’m off to go soak my poor muscles and slip into bed early. Thanks to everyone who has been leaving me comments, it makes me so happy to see them!

Another one of those sayings

This one is framed and up in my house in a place I where I can see it every day:

If you stumble... make it part of your dance.

It may be one of my favorites. If you've ever met me, you'll know why!

Friday Ketchup

Last night my poor softball team lost yet again. During one of our innings, they scored 8 runs (the run rule) before we ever got a SINGLE out! The final score was 15-5, but it seemed like 100-2. I consider it a victory, though, since nobody asked me if I was a boy this time. Baby steps.

I also played tennis the other night with friends. It was fantastic! Way better than going to the gym, and an excuse for me to wear a cute tennis skirt! I think we're going to make it a standing "thing" each week... there I go again overcommitting! But this one will combine socializing and exercise--my favorite!

Life is good. I've got the next nine days off from work--a regular "vacation-sandwich"... with the meat being a quick trip to New York, and the buns being time at home lounging by the pool, reading books and sleeping late. Yea!