Look at me, I got a makeover!

If you're reading this in your Google Reader, you've just GOT TO click on over to my "real" blog and see my fancy new 'do! I'm pretty excited about it.

Almost as excited as I was when my fancy, GINORMOUS yellow necklace finally arrived in the mail. I have worn it FOUR TIMES since Thursday night (overdoing it much?) and I've only had one measly comment about this super loud accessory.

Which can only mean one thing - I'm just going to have to wear it more often. That settles it.

PS--If anybody knows of a good chiropractor, I may need one after wearing this heavy necklace every day for the next, oh, 20 or so weeks.

Oh, and I know this is the understatement of the year, but it is BRUTALLY hot this week. Like, so hot my husband's blind spot mirrors melted right off his car. So hot that I don't even want to go swimming. So hot that all of my summer vegetable plants spontaneously combusted. Okay, so maybe I accidentally killed them, but how are you supposed to keep a tomato plant alive when it's 107? 

I mean, really? 109 degrees on Wednesday? That's just not okay. I think it's time Mr. Right and I start looking for a place in the mountains. Or on a deserted island somewhere. Or maybe I'll just cope by eating ice cream and sleeping with the fan on.

Currently...

loving: Statement necklaces and orange tops

reading: I'm usually a total bookworm but this year I've been using all my free time to sew or design things. I always make time for my daily bible study, and lately I've been reading through the New Testament in chronological order. I made it to  Revelation... so almost done! Next up I'm going to do the Beth Moore James bible study.

waiting for: Speaking of statement necklaces, I ordered this one online two whole weeks ago. They said it would take 1-2 weeks to ship... it was two weeks ago today, which means that I'm about to explode with excitement. I'll be wearing outfits that accentuate this yellow beauty every day for the next week.

excited about: Going to my first Rangers game of the summer Friday night. Someone very generously gave us some AMAZING tickets. It'll mean another item crossed off my summer bucket list.

missing: My ESL students. A few have called me over the last week to say hi and to show off their new English skills over the phone. It warms my heart that they miss me just like I miss them.

trying to:  balance healthy eating, lot's of sleep, and discipline in managing my activities so as to keep my stress load under control. I'm successful some of the time. (I've found that bubble baths help tremendously.)

working on: Doing as much sewing as possible to get my etsy shop up and running. I'm also doing a few projects on the side that I can't talk about, but are exciting and taking a little bit of my spare time.

enjoying: Snuggling with my nephew. Or, as my native-Spanish speaking friend mistakenly said this week, huggling. I kind of prefer huggling now.

using: Our TV, now that we finally have a digital antenna and a fancy-schmancy blue ray player that hooks up to Netflix and Hulu. (Have I mentioned we got rid of our cable months ago? Saved us so much money.)

wearing: My hair like this, thanks to a tutorial from this friend. It's a combination of a poof, a french braid and a bun. My husband totally digs it, and it's a great way to keep long hair off my neck on hot summer days.

planning: For a giant event at work in a few weeks - our local radio station will be doing their show live from my hospital and I've got 837 projects to complete before that happens, in addition to regular work things. It's going to be a ton of fun though.

singing: I'm being weird about music too. I'm mostly listening to NPR. What is it with me with not reading and not listening to music? Besides, of course, The Civil Wars. I think it's because my credit card expired and I haven't updated the new info on my iTunes account, which means I haven't bought a new song in about 10 months. Gee, it's easy to become irrelevant quickly, isn't it? Someone send me a playlist... quick.

needing: A work skirt that fits. Luckily I bought this with a coupon online - should be here next week. I bet it'll look great with that yellow necklace, and I'll finally be able to breathe again.

learning: How to sew a few things. And how to start a small business - this is pretty foreign. But I love it.

listening: After writing about my lack of music lately, I just turned on Pandora and Matt White's Love started playing.

wishing: That I was less of a worrier. I'm a planner, and I'm prepared, which is good. But worrying over things I have no control about? It's not healthy, and it makes me tired. And so I continue to pray that God will fill me with faith and joy, and I continue to be reminded of how desperately I need Him, because I'm hard-wired to do the opposite.

doing: I just finished hosting 7 parties in the past 4 weeks, including 5 that were at our house (not work events - personal events). It was the the most fun month ever. And I'm worn out. So for the next few weeks I'm doing NO party planning at home. Just relaxing. And of course, planning lot's of parties at work, since that's what I do for a living.

praying for: Oh how I wish I could share my list of prayer requests, but not at this point, in this venue. The good news is that I know God can totally, 100% handle my needs. So I'm praying with confidence, and feel free to join along with me. :) 

dreaming of: Getting to reveal my new online store with my fancy new logo and a few things that people might actually want to have for themselves. Soon, my friend. Very soon.

Want to play along? What are you currently up to?

PS--I got this idea from one of my favorite blogs, Jones Design Company. 

Chocolate wisdom and leopard ruffles

Isn't that just one of the greatest quotes ever? What a treat when I opened my beloved little chocolate from a secret stash bequeathed to me by a coworker. That stash is only for the most special of occasions... like when I try to cut back on caffeine. Which I'm trying to do - not an easy task when you average about six cups of coffee a day... on a good day.

My goal is two cups a day. Today I made it to two cups of coffee and a Diet Coke because I met a dear friend at Chick-fil-a, and I just couldn't bring myself to order water. I was so strong on Paleo and so weak now that I'm off of it. I think I'm a total all-or-nothing kind of girl. Dang it.

This past weekend I threw a classy bachelorette party for one of my dearest friends who is getting married next week. I absolutely can't wait, it's going to be one of those weddings of the year, helped by the fact that it also happens to be a dear, dear friend. And there will be good food. And my dress is somewhat forgiving. And I'm wearing nude pumps that would make Kate Middleton swoon. It's a win-win.

I promise to post new pictures soon, but wanted to show off my fancy new ruffled tablecloth. I learned how to make this on YouTube -- ahh, YouTube, you have changed my life so. Mr. Right wasn't a fan of the leopard print and pink ruffles, somehow he doesn't find it as neutral (and awesome) as I do. When I assured him that I could re-use some of the fabric I purchased for the party in our house - he wasn't so game. So I may have to make some leopard ruffle pillows for my new etsy shop.

Speaking of etsy shops - I promise you I'm working hard on creating inventory so I actually have something to post. Because as beautiful as an empty shop is... well, it really isn't very beautiful. In the meantime, I have a few friends who have inquired about special items... if you have something you want, I am happy to create something ahead of time before I launch the store. Just leave me a comment and we can discuss. 

And to the sweet person who stopped Mr. Right yesterday at church and told him that she can't wait to buy something from my little shop - you are officially my very favorite person. You know who you are (ahem, Michelle--BLESS YOU). 

Speaking of Mr. Right - I got to help him out at church yesterday. He's usually busy running all over the place and we never actually see each other at church, and I've busied myself by volunteering behind the scenes with the production staff - mostly because I get to wear a cool ear piece and headset and look official and stuff.  Kind of like a member of the FBI, but in a dress. But now, one week out of the month I'm officially Mr. Right's right-hand-gal helping him with a new member class he teaches. I do very important things like sign people in, hand out books and pick up response cards. Basically the class couldn't run without me. Okay, it could. But I like to be helpful and it's nice to serve Mr. Right and my church at the same time. Besides, I love to hear him teach and love on people. 

And since my sweet nephew Luke has been hogging all the pictures on the blog lately (my goodness, isn't he adorable?) I thought I'd include a picture of our beloved niece Ella. We got to hang out at the pool yesterday, swam with our favorite girl, I watched Mr. Right do flips off the high dive, and then we ate a huge dinner on the patio overlooking the pool. It was a pretty great outing.

Ella will be a big sister in October and we will gain another adorable nephew who will probably hog the blog with all his cuteness. And of course I'm about to start his baby quilt, which may also delay my pillows. Thanks for your patience, I can't tell you how much fun I'm having getting geared up.

A little of this, a lot of random

Oh, my dear friends, we have so much to catch up on.

First and most important - I am officially opening a little Etsy shop. Emphasis on little. I feel like such a big girl, sitting down with a CPA and going over all of the steps to make my little business legit. And to protect me from being hauled away from the IRS, which the rule follower in me is just a tiny bit worried about. But lucky for me my husband believes in hiring professionals to do important things like file taxes, so I'm all set. So in the meantime I have a logo to design, shipping information to research, and fabric to buy. I can't wait to debut my little shop to you, my dear friends, first. Who knows, maybe you'll buy a little ruffled pillow and think of me?

Speaking of husbands, can I just brag on mine a moment? My sweet husband has been so supportive of my entrepreneurial endeavors, even though it means a little time and seed money to get started. I married a man who wants me to dream big dreams, and he works hard to help me to fulfill them.

Speaking of big dreams... I've been praying that God will make me a visionary. Because I am not - I am great at doing things. Implementing other peoples' visions. When someone comes up with a big plan, I'm the one with the notepad making to-do lists, figuring out how much it will cost, weighing the risks and benefits, the return on investment, mentally calculating how much time and energy it will take to make someone else's dream a reality and mapping out a schedule on my calendar. And so often I find myself thinking, "That will never work."

I don't want to be that girl. I am realistic, but I serve a God who's bigger than my to-do list. Bigger than the budget. Bigger than the resources available. I love people who dream big dreams and then God blesses them.

And so I'm praying that God will give me vision. Vision to see further than what I know to be safe and doable. Vision that requires miracles. Vision so I can support my husband's vision and not sink into the quicksand of the "how will we ever do that?" questions. I want vision so that God can use me to do big things for him.

Is it a coincidence that after I started praying this prayer, a few very unexpected opportunities fell in my lap? Maybe. Or maybe not.

But enough of the deep talk. Tomorrow night we're hosting 25-30 people for dinner at our house to celebrate July 4th, and I need to prop up my feet and dive into Netflix and turn off my brain so that tomorrow I'm ready to throw my party. Did I mention the party includes fireworks? Our city puts on a great show and there's a great viewing area just down the street. One of my summer bucket list items involves kissing while watching fireworks. I'm pretty sure I'll be crossing that item off tomorrow's list.

I promise to post pictures of my party decorations later. I couldn't help myself, I just had to whip up a few red, white, and blue goodies on my sewing machine so my guests feel special.

Best Christmas Ever

I figured out why I have so thoroughly enjoyed Christmas this year... it's because it's been the first Christmas in ages that hasn't been overshadowed by life events.

Christmas 2010 - Got married exactly two weeks after Christmas... so I was drowning in wedding to-do lists.

Christmas 2009 - Graduated from Grad School (and threw myself a giant party)

Christmas 2006-2008 - Grad School Finals

Christmas 2003 and 2004 - Moved

So that leaves Christmas 2005 as my only quiet, normal Christmas since college. And that was ages ago! But this year we are making up for lost time...

Mostly by baking and attending parties.

From last Friday to today I will have had gone to six parties. And since Mr. Right and I express love through food (and crafts), here's what we did:

Chocolate-dipped marshmallows for a dinner we hosted at our house last weekend. They had kids... and kids love marshmallows. And let's face it, I love marshmallows too... so it worked perfectly. (Mr. Right claims to not like marshmallows, but let the record show that he ate enough to convince me otherwise.)

For a Christmas dinner Friday night I made chocolate-dipped strawberries and pretzel sticks. Chocolate + sweet + salty = love.

For a surprise birthday party Sunday night we made SIX DOZEN cupcakes - half iced in vanilla cream cheese icing, and the other half with Mr. Right's super secret banana chocolate frosting recipe. It's so good it'll change your life.

We were smart and only left ourselves a few at the house, and left the rest of the leftovers at the party, except for a handful which we dropped off at Andrea's house because (a) she has become like an extended member of our family and (b) she loves Mr. Right's cooking as much as I do, so we always try to swing her some goodies whenever possible.

Now that we're just a few days away from the big day, I'm trying hard to stay laid-back and stress-free about my long to-do list, which includes wrapping presents (we haven't wrapped a single one yet) and finishing a quilt (I see some hand-binding while watching Christmas movies in my plans for this week). The unimportant things, like vacuuming, will just have to wait until next week when I'm off of work for one whole glorious week.

Or maybe I'll save it for my New Year's resolutions... I've got to leave something for 2012.

I know what you did last summer: summer bucket list update

Summer 2011 is officially over. Not only was it the hottest summer of my lifetime (68 days of 100 degree temperatures... holy cow!) but it was my first summer as a newlywed, and it was full of adventures.

Remember our summer bucket list? Here's how we did...

1. Swim

2. Watch fireworks


3. Take a picnic

This may have been our most romantic date yet - Mr. Right packed us the most amazing picnic (with homemade potato salad and chocolate chip cookies... swoon), and we rode our bikes down to Trinity Trail in Fort Worth. We sat on our picnic blanket for hours and watched the sun go down and talked about life, our first eight months of marriage, and what we want to do this fall. It was maybe my favorite date ever.


4. Go on a bike ride

5. Watch a sunset


6. Go to the lake


7. Eat a leisurely dinner on a restaurant patio (too darn hot)


8. Host our cousins for a visit (we went and visited them in OKC instead)


9. Go to Will's mall (We didn't make it there, but Will's grad school is doing a cover story in their school newspaper about his evangelism efforts at this particular mall which has an international flair... I'm so proud of my man, and can't wait to go with him there soon).


10. Ride the train to Dallas

We decided to switch out the train ride for a day in Dallas at the Dallas World Aquarium and dinner at Iron Cactus... I highly recommend both! It's not on the train route... so we drove.

11. Eat dinner on our back porch  We substituted breakfast, and Labor Day morning was the first cool opportunity ALL SUMMER to do this... but we snuck it in just under the wire. I had waffles. It was glorious.

12. Discover a new restaurant - My favorites were Cafe Medi and Twisted Root and Lili's Bistro. We were also treated to a very nice dinner at Del Frisco's, which counts since it was Mr. Right's first time to eat there.

13. Cook a brisket - Mr. Right rocked this in our crock pot. He was so cute... I bet he checked it 87 times because he was brimming with excitement. I happily ate the product of his laborious toil.

14. Watch the newest Harry Potter


15. Lose 15 pounds - FAIL. I lost 4...


16. Eat at Cowboy Chow - just never made it over there... but this rolls over to our Fall Bucket List.


17. Cheer on the Rangers - twice... I'd post a picture but I was having a terrible hair day. Both times. I'm growing out my bangs... so this is a frequent occurrence.


18. Compete in a triathlon (Will) - I watched. And cheered. And drank coffee while my cute man swam in spandex shorts.

19. Date night on Trinity Trail (see #3)


20. Spontaneous ice cream date - there were spontaneous ice cream dates, spontaneous snow cone dates, and spontaneous fro-yo dates, which is why I failed at #15.


21. Use our crock pot - there's a brisket somewhere under all those goodies... Mr. Right has been on a kick with the briskets. I don't mind.

22. Eat Argentine food - My own personal chef (husband) made us homemade empanadas inspired by his summer living in Argentina. He used pizza dough... super easy. You should try it.


23. Eat Colombian food - This is rolling over to our Fall Bucket List


24. Eat Indian food


We completed 18 of 24 items... not bad for a crazy summer! We did much more than what this list covers... we took a trip to Florida, two trips to Oklahoma (Mr. Right made three), two trips to Midland, two weekends hosting an out-of-town guest, one week of house sitting... and we flipped and sold a house. I discovered spin class (and even - gasp - wore spandex), finished a quilt, sewed hundreds of yo-yo's, went through ESL training, assured a dozen people that I am NOT pregnant, and had many fun dinners with friends. And only had two pedicures (look at me roughing it... I'm such a girl scout).


It was a very good summer indeed.

The cold front that hit over the weekend (thank you Jesus!) has inspired me to start brainstorming ideas for fall, which will definitely include a lot of quilting, finishing a Pinterest-inspired wreath, and lot's of snuggling with Mr. Right in front of the fire. 


Ciao summer... bring on the fall and its tall boots, colorful scarves, fire logs and hot chocolate. 

Greatest Weekend EVER

This weekend may go down in history as one of the greatest no-plans, normal weekends EVER. Here are the reasons:

1. My husband preached for the first time. I was so proud, I thought my heart might burst with pride for my preacher man. He spoke to a Wednesday night men's service (can you guess how much I stood out amongst 50 men?) and even though you might think I'm just a tad bit biased... my man hit it out of the park. It was all I could do to stay in my chair, I was so giddy for him.

2. We had a big family dinner of fried chicken, peach cobbler AND strawberry pie to celebrate my dad's birthday Thursday night. There goes Project 115, but it was worth it.

3. I took Friday off from work, and declared it Bethe's Day-O-Fun. And let me tell you, it was fun. I spent the morning in my pj's sipping coffee and sewing yo-yo's while I caught up on missed episodes of the Bachelorette and my favorite prison show. Please, someone start watching it so I have someone to discuss the show with. At noon I mustered up the energy to put on clothes (but no makeup) and met some of my favorite girlfriends for lunch, and then we spent the afternoon at the pool, eating brownies and enjoying those wonderful girl conversations that can only be had on a summer afternoon when no guys are around. It was wonderful.

When I came home, my husband surprised me with FLOWERS and yet another love letter, for absolutely no reason at all. I gushed. And cried. And gushed some more. And then we went out on a hot date to eat our weight in meat and cheese (hooray for the Texas de Brazil buy-one-get-one-free birthday coupon!). Again... Project 115 down the tubes.

4. Saturday, for the record, we went to spin class. I know you're finally giving me a nod of approval amidst some bad food choices this week. I even wore spandex pants, which should be good for extra credit. After class I came home and took the most glorious two-hour-nap a girl could ever have while Mr. Right cooked me a savory brisket in our crock pot, crossing two items off our Summer Bucket List. Go us. (There's brisket under all that cilantro, tomato, poblano, and tomatillo, I promise.)

5. Saturday night we settled in for a quiet evening of movie watching (12 Angry Men) without cell phones, distractions... or makeup. Until I checked my cell phone and realized that every news station in town had called about a certain breaking news story that had just happened at our hospital. Since PR jobs are wonderfully unpredictable, I had to throw on my best black suit and race up to the hospital, makeup bag in tow, scribbling notes on the back of a Hallmark bag I'd dug out of my purse, to take media calls on what turned out to be the lead story on the 10:00 news. What an adrenaline rush. And now many of my coworkers have seen me without makeup. (Then again, they saw a lot worse during my ER visit a few years ago).

6. Sunday was full of church (and Mr. Right teaching again), a baby shower, dinner with friends, and a (gulp) visit to our favorite Mexican bakery for just ONE cookie (I know you're judging me, and I really don't care--maybe weighing 115 isn't worth it anymore).

And now I'm going to turn off my computer, curl up in bed with my latest book friend and coast into the new week rested and happy.

I froze

Last night we had our second "how to drive a standard" driving lesson. And I did so unbelievably awesome...

Until I stalled out at the gas station down the street, and the car died. While a man watched in disgust. And I froze. I just couldn't do it. I had to do the walk of shame around the car to the passenger seat while Mr. Right got us back on the road.

#drivinglessonfail

Woah nelly, we've got some catching up to do!

My head is filled with so many things, that the only way I could organize this post was with numbers. I figured a mind-map wouldn't fit on the screen.

1. Yesterday was International Kissing Day. I wish I had known! Luckily, since we're googley-eyed newlyweds, we "accidentally" celebrated anyway. I think every day should be International Kissing Day.

2. Last week we were both sick with head colds, so we spent most evenings cuddled in bed, watching The Adjustment Bureau, Unknown, and two nights of Schindler's List (plus a documentary in the DVD extras). Schindler's List may be one of the most powerful movies I've ever seen, but Mr. Right and I had nightmares for two nights and I felt incredibly stressed for a few days (I'm a total softie when it comes to blood, guts, and sad movies). But, movies like that and Hotel Rwanda should be required viewing for everybody... a good reminder that people, no matter their color, gender, nationality, political affiliation or socioeconomic status, are still just like me and should be treated with compassion. And a reminder that power in the wrong hands can be devastating.

3. I got to quilt for an entire day on Saturday. It was absolutely glorious. I have huge urges to create things, and being able to work uninterrupted for hours at a time on a project is a huge release for me. I think I'm going to make it into a baby quilt (not for me... no announcements here) instead of doing a twin-size as previously planned. (ps- the colors on this "cutesy" iPhone picture are a bit washed out)

I've already got a hankering to begin the next one, which I think may be a yo-yo quilt.

4. We had a wonderfully normal 4th of July holiday. After a year of extremes (extreme health issues, extreme home makeover), I've felt like Mr. Right and I seem to have hit our married couple stride and are enjoying "normal" newlywed life. Friday night he cooked me a fabulous steak dinner and we watched a movie, Saturday night (after my quilting marathon) we had a couple from church over and got to hear about the two years they spent living in Vanuatu. What an adventure.

(photo borrowed from sweet Courtney @ church)

Sunday we had two church parties, and during the latter one Mr. Right and I schooled everybody in speed scrabble. Monday we helped friends unpack their new home and then spent the afternoon/evening laying out by the pool at my parents' house and enjoying a big family dinner.

We topped off the weekend by riding bikes out to the lake by our house, lying on a picnic blanket and watching fireworks. It was a moment I wish I could bottle and relive over and over... both because of the fireworks and because of the cute boy lying next to me holding my hand.

Sigh. What a wonderful weekend.

5. Mr. Right and I are total planners. So much, in fact, that I can tell you what we're doing every weekend between now and Labor Day. It's just the way we roll. Which is why nights like last night are so special - instead of being responsible adults and doing responsible adult things, we decided at the very last minute to drop everything and go out to sushi and a movie (Transformers)... on a school night. Poor Mr. Right still had to stay up past midnight to finish his homework, but it was worth it (of course, easy for me to say, I was back home and asleep by 10:30). I sure do love that boy, in case you haven't noticed.

6. Project 115: I had a relapse. I'm going to admit it. I haven't gained anything back, but I haven't worked out in more than two weeks - first because we house sat far away from our gym, then because I got sick with a headcold... and after being so good about watching what I eat, I had a total relapse over the 4th weekend and ate my weight in desserts and barbecue. But this morning I was back at spin class, and I am determined to be back on the wagon. I still have 12 pounds to lose... and I'm all in. I promise. For real. I have a closet full of clothes that are just begging me to fit back into.

7. One more thing... we've been doing the Dave Ramsey envelope system for months now, and we absolutely love it. So easy, so guilt-free when I want to spend my money, and I don't waste time adding up all my debit card $5 purchases to figure out where I spent my money each month. It really works for us. But this week, I lost my envelope! I have one more week until the new budget cycle and I can't find my lunch/pedicure/Starbucks/random-I-want-to-buy-this envelope ANYWHERE! Could be a long week of PBJ sandwiches for me, huh? If you find an envelope that says "Bethe's Blow Money" please return it ASAP.

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.

My A.D.D. version of updates

1. I'm still going strong on Project 115. I did the P90X legs workout and the Ab Ripper X this morning. I feel thoroughly ripped, and may not be able to walk well tomorrow, but I'm certain that my legs will someday look like hers.

2. One week into Project 115 and I've gained two pounds. I'm hoping beyond hope that it's muscle, because I'm already noticing some new definition. So, 13 pounds to go. Crud.

3. I have a new favorite restaurant - Zoe's Kitchen. Their spinach wraps are to-die-for. No kidding. I may or may not have been there three times in the last 10 days.

4. If you're not on Pinterest, you're missing out. It's like Facebook for creative girls. Please join so I have more pretty pictures to peruse over. My list of crafts I want to conquer is ever-growing... can't wait to tackle a few.

5. After introducing my husband to Pinterest, he told me that this is the "dude version."

6. Speaking of husbands, my sweet husband brought me a Sonic drink today at work. I'm so in love.

Tornado

My house got hit by a tornado today. No, that's not a euphemism for how messy my house looks after a crazy wedding week. My house actually got hit by a TORNADO. No kidding!

Thankfully it was just a small tornado, but some old ladies in the neighborhood really saw it skip throughout our neighborhood, and one of the places it touched down was in my backyard. My house is fine, but my fence died a quick and dramatic death. I heard a neighbor's trampoline ended up on someone else's fence, and a few others lost their chimneys. My neighbor's tree snapped in half and two others suffered fence damage, but my yard seems to have fared the worst.

This tornado hit the day after my sister's wedding, so I hadn't slept in a week. It was the most amazing wedding in the history of weddings, but as with any big event, exhaustion plus emotion plus constant activity for days in a row makes for a delicate emotional state. So you can probably imagine my reaction when my house got hit by a tornado. Let's just say that it was terribly scary for two minutes, and after the wind died down and I saw the damage, I did the only thing I knew to do.

I called Mr. Right. And started crying.

And he did the sweetest thing ever. He dropped everything and drove across town to take care of me. Even though I told him not to, even though I told him I was fine and there wasn't anything he could do to fix the damage, he still came. He brought me lunch, rubbed my shoulders, and then left me to a much-needed nap while he did other things around my house.

Now the rain has stopped. The house is quiet. He's in his study, working on homework and I'm sipping on a big cup of comfort coffee and enjoying the stillness of the early evening. I'm thanking God that he spared my house, kept me safe, and gave me a man who is so wonderfully fantastic. I am blessed.

And I am going to bed early.

Yes, still here

Hello friends. It's me, the girl who never ever writes anymore. I'm still here, still kicking. I'm just having more fun than any girl should be allowed to have. Some days I find myself feeling so busy, and then I reflect back on my last three years of life, and I am so thankful that now when I'm busy, it's because I'm doing things that I tremendously enjoy. I have a countdown feature on my beloved iPhone, and it tells me that it's been 77 glorious days since I graduated. Let me tell you, life after school is pure heaven.

I survived working another marathon. This one just about wiped me out, yet helping out brings me a lot of satisfaction. After five years, I've come to really like the people who run this event and look forward to it all year. And working the finish line yet again gave me "the bug" to run a big race. For the first time in my life, I felt the desire to run a full marathon... all 26.2 miles. We'll see if the bug is still alive and well come this fall, or if it has been replaced by yet another new hobby. If nothing else, I'm still determined to run a Half in honor of that milestone birthday of mine this fall.

I saw a rodeo at Cowboys stadium with my sister's community group. After watching these bull riders, I'm seriously considering permanently trading in my stilettos for my pink cowgirl boots.

I recently met the governor. He came to town to stump for my state representative, and since my job has a strong community relations aspect, I stopped by to do some networking and represent my employer. I had to elbow my way through a bunch of old republicans to finagle this picture.

My sister and I saw my very favorite band, Needtobreathe, play at the House of Blues the other night. It may have been one of the best concerts I've ever been to. I love all their songs, and they're ten times better live than on their CDs. We had standing-room-only floor tickets, and my fire cracker sister looked at me and said, "We're pushing our way to the front... follow me." And then my super petite sister elbowed her way through a bunch of huge guys until we were only a few feet from the stage. I was so proud. What a fun sister bonding night.

I'll leave you with the greatness of Needtobreathe.

2009 In Review

This is a little tradition I started back in 2007 (you can read 2007 here and 2008 here). It's fun to look back over the year as I start to make my resolutions for 2010.

Where did you begin 2009?

I hosted a New Year's karaoke party at my place. The best part was having the karaoke machine all to myself for an extra day. I may or may not have sung every song on the CD... twice. I swear I sound JUST LIKE Alicia Keyes when nobody is around. Promise.

Oh, and some mean man broke into my car New Year's morning and stole my knitting.

What random cool things happened in 2009?

I walked barefoot on the beach in San Diego. I rode a horse in a blizzard in Colorado. I saw South Beach in Miami during spring break (THAT was scary!). I floated the river in New Braunfels. I hiked a medieval wall overlooking the sea in Croatia. I roamed the streets of Florence alone, eating my weight in croissants and gelato. I auditioned for a reality television show. I flew first class for the first time. My sister got married. One of my articles got published in a real-live journal. The singles ministry at my church exploded (in a good way). I finally finished that masters degree.

Favorite books from 2009?

Don't laugh - but 20o9 was the year of the Twilight novel (actually, all four). I also read A Voice in the Wind, Black Like Me (awesome!), The Razor's Edge, Light on Snow, and at the moment I'm trodding through Wuthering Heights. I think that's nine books in 12 months... not fantastic, but remember, I was also in school.

Do anything embarrassing?

Of course! I mooned a store full of people at Banana Republic. I had a meltdown at the Apple Store. I cooked a cucumber, mistaking it for a zucchini. I thought I poisoned a dinner guest with salmonella (turns out she was fine...). And many, many other silly, klutzy, wonderfully embarrassing things. But at least I didn't set my hair on fire in 2009. Things are looking up, people.

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

I taught Esther & the Psalms of Ascent in 2009, so I lived and breathed that scripture throughout the year. During my own personal study time (when I wasn't preparing for my lesson) I went through a good part of the Old Testament (Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, Hosea, plus a good deal of time spent in the other Psalms that I wasn't teaching). And as always, when I'm having a bad day/week, I go back to my favorites - 1 & 2 Corinthians and Romans... they're like my comfort food.

Did you know anybody who got married?

My sister! Plus, I went to weddings for Tera & Lee, Katie & Justin, Rebecca & Tyler.

Did you move anywhere?

Thank you Jesus... no.

What sporting events did you attend?

Rangers games, a Cowboys game, a Baylor football game, a TCU football game, a Mavs game or two, and a marathon race. I'm in love with the new Cowboys Stadium, by the way. Never thought I'd say that.

Describe your birthday:

I had my first ever surprise party! It was so fun and I was definitely surprised! You can read about it here.

What's something you learned about yourself?

I learned that if someone is in the hospital, you should visit them. Or bring them a meal. Anything to be sure they realize that they're remembered.

I learned that if you're praying for someone, you should tell them... because they probably need to hear it. The girls in my Sunday School class--so many of them--provided such good encouragement at different times throughout the year with little cards and emails and phone calls. They're a wonderful reminder that we're here to reflect God's glory (and love) to other people.

Speaking of which... in 2009 I heard God speak more loudly and more clearly than probably any other time in my life. It was wonderful and humbling and encouraging and convicting. Praying for more of that blessing in 2010.

I learned the hard way the importance of taking time to rest, before life forces you to do it anyway.

Were you in school this year?

Yep... I took five classes in 2009. But you already knew that. I also spoke at a couple of junior high schools and to some college classes at TCU and UTA.

Any new additions to your family?

I gained a new brother-in-law whom I just adore. And he and my sister adopted a new puppy... a Goldendoodle named Rusty. He's a maniac, but he's a cute maniac.

Made new friends?

That's the beautiful thing about life... it's always bringing new folks into your path. I made some really fun new friends this year... both guys and girls. I'd list their names but don't want to leave anybody out.

Favorite night out?

When I was in Santorini, Greece, I sat on a patio for about four hours, enjoyed a leisurely dinner and watched the sun set behind a nearby volcano. When the sun finally disappeared, everybody cheered. How often have you seen folks cheer for a sunset? Only in Greece...

What do you want to change in 2010?

I want to cook more and read more. Be waiting for a dinner party invitation from me very soon.

Other than home, where did you spend most of your time?

If you don't count TCU and church, I spent a good amount of time hanging out at the lake, laying out by the pool, or finding just about any excuse I could make to spend time outdoors.

Do you have a new year's resolution?

Besides cooking and reading? You'll have to stay tuned...

What was your favorite purchase?

Plane tickets. My iPhone. And maybe the Words with Friends App (shout out).

Did you get sick this year?

After five years of never taking a sick day at work, I took my fair share in 2009. I got the "regular" flu in February (2 weeks of fever and 25 blogs) and then got the "swine" flu in September (cake compared to the regular flu). I also made my first trip to the ER for my crazy annoying asthma. But it was probably a good thing, because now I can say "I'm not just the spokesperson... I'm also a client."

Start a new hobby?

I took salsa lessons for three months. Trust me, these hips don't lie. Although they stutter occasionally.

What are you wishing for in 2010?

In 2010 I am looking forward to living a life of spontaneity. Less planning and more flying by the seat of my pants. I hope to squeeze in a trip or two, spend a ton of time with friends and family, and officially start (and maybe finish) the book that I've been mulling over in my head. And whatever plans I have will take backseat to what God has planned for me, because let's face it, my friend, those are the only plans that really matter.