Oh, and did I mention I love coffee now?

I've never really loved coffee. I'm more of a chai kinda girl. I'll drink coffee, but it's just never really done anything for me. Until a few days ago. Now I love it.

Sounds weird, I know, but I'm being serious. I love it.

Maybe it's because I've been watching too much Gilmore Girls (those Gilmores love their coffee) or maybe it's because we got a new coffee maker last week. Maybe it's because it's freezing cold here every single morning when I wake up and the coffee is ready to go whereas I have to wait so long for the tea kettle to whistle and the chai to steep. Maybe it's because John bought some rockin' coffee, or maybe it's because of that pumpkin spice creamer that was calling my name at the grocery store. Don't know. But I'm lovin' it and craving it. If it weren't 10:15 right now, I'd probably go make a pot, but I'll pass because I'd actually like to sleep tonight.

On a somewhat related note--I laugh almost every time I say "pot of coffee" because back in the day when John was a pastor, he goofed up his consonants during one particular sermon and said "cof of potty". It was a small Wednesday night crew and we were all in stitches. I have no idea why he was talking about coffee during his message, but it was very funny. He had a couple of other slips that were quite humorous as well...I should ask him tell about one of the more memorable ones. Any of you Arkadelphia friends remember???

Hi. I'm back. Did you miss me?

Well, I didn't really intend to take a blog break, but I was having so much fun with the kids being out of school and John's parents being here that I never found the time to sit down and post something.

We had a fantastic visit with Mimi and Papa. They helped us tackle a big project--the girls' bedroom. They bought the girls some bunk beds and we (finally) found some bedding that the girls both loved. We ended up painting their room and finishing up the room re-do that we gave Sarah for her birthday (back in July). I'll post some pictures soon! It turned out cute and the girls are very happy with it!

They sent John and I on a date Saturday night, but sadly, John has been sick and so he wasn't up to much more than dinner. We went to California Pizza Kitchen--one of our favorites--then knocked around some shops including a new Apple store where we drooled over new Macbooks. We were home by 9:00. We are so old.

We also went out to eat, went to church, went shopping, saw a movie, and played umpteen games of Scattergories, Catchphrase, and Life. So fun!

They left this morning, and it was back to reality for all of us. School. Work. Grocery shopping. Life.

John is still not feeling great. He came home from work at noon today and went straight to bed. Poor guy. I hate to see him feeling bad!

I'll be back with a real post tomorrow, or maybe the next day. Or maybe when life slows back down. :) I'm so behind on my blog reading, but I hope to catch up soon!

Right down the middle...

I probably do not need to be sitting here at the computer this morning because I have a very lengthy to-do list. John's parents arrive this evening and I still have laundry and cleaning and errands to run. I've been working hard this morning though, so I'm rewarding myself with a blog break.

Most of you guessed correctly that I'm both an introvert and an extrovert. I've typically tested "E" for extrovert, but the older I get the more I'm discovering that I lean more towards being an introvert. People energize me, but people also wear me out! I've learned that if I go to a party or a crop or Bunco, I need a couple of hours after I get home to unwind because I'm so keyed up. But too much time around people makes me tired...and grouchy! I took an online quiz this morning and scored right down the middle. I wasn't one bit surprised.

I just filled out Sarah's online application for her 5th Grade Passport. One HUGE perk of being a 5th grader in the state of Colorado is that you can get a free season pass for most of the ski resorts in Colorado. FREE. I've heard that it's because they want to get kids hooked on skiing. Makes sense to me.

We're not big skiiers...mainly because it's quite expensive for a family of five--but it's so much fun! I bought a coupon book from school that has some awesome deals in it, so hopefully with Sarah's pass we can manage a trip or two this winter.

Thanks to my friend, Stephanie, I've been thinking about some of the systems I have in place that make my home run more smoothly. My two biggies are laundry and meals. If I can stay on top of those two things I feel like I'm able to function well. I've only felt like I finally mastered these two systems in the last year or two which I'm sure has a little something to do with the fact that that's when Abbey started preschool and I found myself with a bit more time. Anyway, I'm mulling over the idea of writing some posts on my laundry and meal systems. Would that completely bore you to tears???

Today feels like Friday because this our short week! The kids are out of school tomorrow and Friday and I am so excited. The kids are excited too because their Mimi and Papa will be here. Which reminds me...I need to get back to my list!

Question of the Week...

Are you and introvert or an extrovert?

Which of the two do you think I am?

Pssst--I'll tell you tomorrow.

It's not Mr. Rogers' neighborhood, but I think it's pretty great!

I love my neighborhood.

The houses are alright, I guess, but our neighbors are what make our neighborhood great! I love my neighbors. All of them. Well, almost all of them. The ones with the dogs that bark at 10pm drive me a bit crazy.

A couple of weeks ago, I came home from running some errands and saw two of my neighbors out talking by the mailboxes. I waved, pulled into my garage, went inside and went about my merry business. About 10 minutes later I walked past the window and I noticed they were still out there talking.

Have I ever told you that I hate to be left out of something that looks like fun? Well I do.

I decided right then and there that MY mail needed checking, so I walked outside and joined them. We ended up chatting for almost an hour about everything under the sun!

One of the things we talked about that day was our love of oatmeal. The old-fashioned kind cooked on the stove with lots of brown sugar and cinnamon and raisins. NOT those goofy instant packets. We even decided that we needed to get together for an oatmeal breakfast some morning, and TODAY was the day!

I took the kids to school then walked across the street (in my slippers) and had coffee, fruit, and oatmeal with Monica and Heather. It was SO much fun! And we talked for way longer than half an hour this time!

After awhile, we decided to move our little party to the Bead Shop downtown where we spent the rest of the morning (and afternoon) talking and making jewelry. I'll have to post a pic of the necklace I made. I think it turned out very cute!

There are so many great families and couples in our neighborhood! We've lived here for five years and we've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know all the people around us.

We've shared 4th of July breakfasts and fireworks in the cul-de-sac. We've had block parties, kids craft nights, bike parades, Bunco, yard sales, and play groups. We "Boo" each other around Halloween and take pictures of each other's kids trick-or-treating. Summer finds us outside chatting on the sidewalk while our kids play and ride bikes. Winter finds us outside chatting while shoveling snow and building snowmen in our yards.

My neighbors are willing to watch our kids, our dog, lend us eggs or butter in a pinch, and get our mail and paper when we're out of town. I can call them night and day for almost anything (and believe me, I have!) and they know they can call us night and day for almost anything (and believe me, they have!)

We've seen lots of babies born (including two sets of twins), we've mourned the loss of pets, we've shared meals together, and we've laughed until we've cried.

I absolutely LOVE my neighbors because they're not just my neighbors, they're my friends! I know that not all neighbors and neighborhoods are like this which makes me all the more thankful for mine!

A few things...

We've had a super weekend! We took turns being productive and lazy, and I'm feeling rested and ready to start this busy week.

I'm about to settle in and watch Sleepless in Seattle with John. I'm on a Meg Ryan kick. I bought When Harry Met Sally a couple of weeks ago and watched it one morning while the kids were in school. It feels so decadent to watch a movie during the day! I turned around a few days later and watched You've Got Mail. And now I feel the need to watch Sleepless in Seattle to complete the Meg Ryan trilogy! I love all three of those movies, and can watch them over and over and over.

So...you may have noticed a new addition to my sidebar. I remember sitting at Panera back in May having lunch with Moriah and talking about advertising on blogs. I was pretty adamant that I would never do that. Ha! Never say never. I talked it over with John a couple of weeks ago and decided to give it a go. Who knows? Maybe I can make enough money to fund my frequent trips to the tea house!

Hope you have a terrific week. Ours is a short one--only three days of school, and then John's parents arrive to spend several days with us. Can't wait!

Testing 1-2-3

My posts haven't been showing up in Google reader, and several have told me they're not showing up in Bloglines either. This post is a test. Hopefully it will magically appear this time!

I'm running out of ideas for catchy titles for random posts...

It's Friday and I'm so happy! I actually have a day at home and that thrills me. This week has been busier than I had hoped so I'm very thankful to have nowhere to be until much later this afternoon. I do have a huge to-do list, but I'm excited to have more than an hour or two to knock out some big tasks. Don't even think of calling me today because I'm not going to let myself be distracted by the phone, or the computer for that matter!

Before I turn off the computer though, I have a couple of things on my mind.

I got a haircut yesterday. What is it about haircuts that just boost my mood? You can't really tell from this picture, but I got Rachel, my stylist, to give me some long layers and we both agreed that it made my look a little more "sassy". I love it! I can't wait to style it myself later today. I always love doing my hair for the first time after a haircut. I guess it matters if you like your haircut, but I haven't had a bad one in 3 years because Rachel rocks!



It has been getting really cool here at night lately...low 30s...and making me realize that winter is definitely on it's way. I think we're supposed to get a taste of it this weekend. I heard something about highs in the 40s tomorrow. And a chance of snow. I'll be snuggling under my new flannel sheets this weekend. Flannel sheets make me h-a-p-p-y! We needed a new set and Kohl's was having a huge sale this week so I bought some. I can't tell you how much I've looked forward to crawling into bed the last two nights.

I also bought some new dishtowels. My other ones had holes in them. No joke. I think I bought them after Abbey was born--she's 6.5. They were shameful. John kept telling me to buy new ones, and I wanted to, but I have a hard time finding dishtowels that I like. They all seem to have some sort of waxy coating on them these days which keeps them from being absorbent. I end up spreading water around instead of drying it up. What's up with that? But I found some...the brand is Food Network...and I'm loving them!!! Pretty colors too, huh?


Well, this weekend, my high school classmates will be living it up at our 20 year high school reunion. I'm sad that I decided not to go. I opted to go to a mini family reunion later this month instead, and I know that was the right choice, but I'm feeling left out of the fun this weekend! Facebook has been amazing though and I feel like I've reconnected with several of those friends but it's not the same as being there. Hope you guys have a fabulous time in J'town this weekend. Without me. Boo hoo.

Tonight, we're having dinner with a good friend of ours. We've known Lane for several years, but she got married last spring and we haven't had much opportunity to get to know her husband. Very excited to spend the evening with them! It's a kid-free evening too. Will is going to his best bud's house, and the girls are going to their best friends' house (their friends are sisters--how perfect is that?) so John and I are going to enjoy our time alone. I'm so thankful for good friends who love having my kids over! We really have some amazing friends here in Colorado.

Even though the price of gas is coming down I still try to combine all my errands into the same trip. Especially when I have to make the trek into Co Springs. That's where we're heading for dinner tonight. So...I just loaded up all my recycling so I can run it by the drop off center. We got really serious about recycling at the beginning of the summer and honestly, it's changed my life. I find myself cringing at the stuff people throw away these days. I was at a Pampered Chef party last week (two, actually) and opened the trash to throw away my plate and was sooooooo tempted to pull some stuff our of their garbage. I even bring the trash from our Brownie meetings home just so I can recycle it. I know, I know, it's pathetic, but what can I say, I'm hooked.



Three weeks ago I dropped off a huge load of recycling...and three weeks later, this is how much I have. Incredible, huh?

Hope you have a great weekend!

My turn...

Hola, amigos!

It's been a long and busy week, and I'm very ready for Friday. How about you?

Thank you so much for your feedback regarding the blogs you read. Very insightful stuff. A couple of you asked how I would answer those questions...and I would love to tell you.

What draws me into a blog and keeps me coming back for more?
I tend to be drawn to blogs written by people "like me". I'm a full-time wife and mom, and home and family mean the world to me. I think I just naturally gravitate towards those kind of blogs. What keeps me coming back is honesty, authenticity, humor, and good writing. If I sense the writer isn't honest and writes from a "happy, happy, joyful, joyful" place all the time, then I move on. Because, really, whose life is happy and joyful 100% of the time? I want to know what makes you sad, mad, and glad. What moves you, what thrills you, what disappoints you, what kind of ups and downs are you going through? That kind of stuff is real and compelling. I'm also drawn to catchy blog titles, clean design, and a good mix of text/photos!

What turns me off? Ready for this? I avoid blogs with bad grammar, bad writing, music/playlists, unappealing graphics or blog design, too much "clutter" on the blog, not enough pictures, long paragraphs, multiple posts per day (I'm okay with 1-2, but I used to read a blog where the owner posted 5-6 times a day!). I also tend to avoid blogs that are political (does that ever end well?), and preachy (who likes to be told how to vote or how to think?) I loved the comment about blogs that are "churchy" and "plastic", and yeah, I'd agree that's a big turn-off. I also tend to avoid devotional blogs. I think some people are able to do that well, but most of them tend to get a little too preachy and plastic for me. Another huge turn off for me--husband bashing. I just can't hang with that.

I guess I'm just a tad opinionated, huh? Now, just because you might have music on your blog, or you talk about politics from time to time doesn't mean I don't love you or your blog. Please don't even go there. I'm just continuing the conversation that I invited you into.

Now also seems like a good time to acknowledge a blog award that Elizabeth gave me last month. She *hearts* my blog.



How fun is that? Thank you Elizabeth! Elizabeth was also the first to correctly guess that I'm going to Arkansas at the end of the month. I'm going to spend the weekend with my dad's side of my family and the highlight of the weekend is the Razorback game! Like me, Elizabeth grew up in Arkansas, and so I'm happy to send her a little souvenir from my trip. There was a sea of burnt orange in her house when the Hogs played UT, so Elizabeth, I'll remedy that for you, okay? *smile*

In the spirit of the blog award, I want to pass it on to some of my favorite bloggers.

1. Kellie at La Vida Dulce
2. Moriah at Please the Salt
3. Angie at Flibbertigibberish
4. Kelly at Love Well

Happy Thursday, ya'll! (I'm practicing my ya'll for my trip to Arkansas!)

Talk to me...

I've been conversing with a friend lately about why we read the blogs we read. It's an interesting subject, and I'd like to bring you (the readers) into the conversation too.

So, talk to me...

What keeps you coming back to a blog for more? What draws you in? What turns you off?

I really, really want to know.

Journey to the Peak, Part I

Most of you know that I hiked Pikes Peak three weeks ago. Here's the first installment of my journey to the top.

Last fall, I started walking/hiking with some of my friends from our kids' school. We're just a group of moms who wanted to incorporate a bit more physical exercise into our daily routine and as far as friendship goes, we all just sorta "clicked". After hiking together for a couple of months, I sorta jokingly threw the "hey let's hike Pikes Peak" idea out there. We laughed about it at first, but then got a bit more serious. I decided that was going to be my goal for 2008, got my friends to commit to it also, and shortly after New Year's, we met for dinner at 3Margaritas and worked out the details of our training plan.

That plan included LOTS of hiking. If you've read this blog for any length of time, you know I love to hike. It's great exercise and it is so enjoyable for me!

Two months ago, we set the date for our Pikes Peak ascent--September 13. It turned out to be a beautiful day!

I woke up that morning at 3:10AM. Ugh. That's the earliest I've gotten up (on purpose) in a long, long time. My friend came by to pick me up about 3:45AM. Actually, her husband was driving (thank you, Chris!) so that he could drop us off at the trailhead and we wouldn't have to find a parking place or come back for her van. We arrived at the trailhead just before 5:00AM, and Chris snapped this picture of the four of us. Notice our lovely headlamps. It was pitch black when we started, and we certainly needed them for the first hour or so of our hike.

But soon the sun started to appear. Isn't this a beautiful picture of Colorado Springs "waking up"?

The distance from the trailhead at the base to the summit of Pikes Peak is about 13 miles. It's technically something like 12.7, but I like to round up. :) The elevation gain is 7300 feet. There is one (short) flat section of the trail, but the majority of those 13 miles is uphill.

Now is a good time to mention that the day before we hiked it was rainy and
c-o-l-d in Colorado Springs. When the sun came out on the day of our hike and we caught our first glimpse of the peak, I was shocked to see SNOW. I shouldn't have been surprised given the weather conditions the day before, but honestly, I just kept thinking of our hiking day forecast--sunny and 70 degrees. Snow just wasn't in my plan for the day.

The pic below shows a natural rock arch that you pass under. Very cool!

That just looks like a dusting of snow, right??? I thought so too, but it was quite a bit more than a dusting.
The leaves on some of the aspen and other trees were starting to turn colors. I just thought this was a pretty picture...I have no idea what kind of leaves those are.

I love this photo...our elevation at this point was 9170 feet...and we borrowed some guy named John to help us spell it out with our digits.

Barr Camp is situated at the halfway point on the trail. We got to Barr Camp after several hours of hiking and stopped and ate our lunch. Technically, it was probably breakfast since it wasn't even 9AM at that point. Doesn't matter what you call it...it was food and we were all starving!
When I opened my pack to pull out my food, I found this note from John. Sweet, huh? I love him so much!

Barr Camp is an actual camp that is run by a couple who live there year round. Barr Camp offers many different amenities for hikers--overnight accomodations (primitive), food, water, snacks, souvenirs, and most importantly--bathrooms!

Here are some fun pics of some of our gear. I need to interject here that yes, I wore my tennis shoes. I intended all summer to buy a pair of hiking shoes, and just never got myself to REI. I looked online, but knew that I needed to actually try them on...and I never did it. Laziness, I guess. About two weeks before our hike I decided to just forget it and wear my tennis shoes. I'd hiked in them all summer and was fine, and I knew I didn't have time to try to break in a new pair of shoes. And my shoes were fine...until the last two miles when we were trudging through snow and slush. I won't make that mistake again.

We all wore our hydration systems on our backs. Such a great invention!


John let me wear his watch because it has an altimeter on it. It was off a little bit because it's affected by barometric pressure, but it was a good guage and I was especially glad I had it at the very end of the trail...it was encouraging to see how close we were to our destination.


Getting closer!


Stay tuned for Part II.

From the kitchen...

I don't know what it is about cooler weather that makes me want to cook! I've tried several new recipes lately, and just posted them on my recipe blog. I also posted the recipe for Breast of Chicken Eden Isle that John raved about on his blog last week. Gretchen and Tiffani--you're welcome. It's usually a special occasion recipe since it's super fattening, but since he asked so nicely and I love him so much it's on this week's menu!

Here's some links for you...

Breast of Chicken Eden Isle

Stuffed Green Pepper Soup

Pinto Beans with Bacon, Tomatoes, and Cilantro

Crock-Pot Applesauce

And finally, Apple Pie


You didn't really think I would forget to take a picture of my first homemade pie ever, did you??

Day trip to Cripple Creek

We drove to Cripple Creek today to see the golden aspens and we were not at all disappointed. It's always a beautiful drive, but this time of year it is stunning! Here are some pics we took along the way.

thinking out loud...

from time to time i like to think out loud...you know...stream of consciousness stuff...and today is one of those days...

so glad it's friday and we have nothing to do tonight except eat pizza and veg...and no, our pizza is NOT veggie pizza, but that actually sounds really good right now...even better than the kind I actually got. papa murphy's take and bake is our favorite. mmmmmmm.

season 7 of gilmore girls came in the mail today from blockbuster.com john, you up for watching it with me tonight? i don't think i can stay awake for an entire movie, but i could manage an episode or two.

5th grade girl drama is exhausting. every day it's a different story of who hurt who's feelings or left who out of the group. ugh. ugh. ugh.

our dog stinks. he really needs a bath. good thing it's the weekend so i can pass that job on to john.

get that candy corn out of my house already because i CANNOT stop eating it. good grief, i love that stuff. so do abbey and will. john and sarah don't so they are just plain weird. oh my gosh, i just realized that i have a mini presidential candidate team in my house...john and sarah. and see, i said sarah and plain in the same sentence. switch those letters around and you have palin. why do i keep doing that???

my finger hurts so bad when i type. i sliced it yesterday while cleaning that pampered chef apple peeler/corer/slicer contraption. i used it to make an awesome apple pie. my family loved me and thanked me for making dessert for them. it was really good, and i made the entire thing from scratch--thankyouverymuch--even the crust. very easy. wonder why i've never tried that before.

it is about to start raining here. i love rainy evenings especially if i get to spend them at home. hope it doesn't rain tomorrow...we're heading to the mountains--still unsure where--to see the aspens in all their glory.

must remember to charge my camera for that.

speaking of cameras, i was up at the girls' school all day helping with school picture re-takes. didn't intend to be there as long as i was and had to miss my hike. r & c--I missed you guys!!!!

evidently, jack-the-stinky-beagle likes candy corn too. he just pounced on the few that i dropped and gobbled them up. grrrrr...

i'm probably gonna crash really hard in a few minutes. my body doesn't handle that sugar high very well. i get really manic and then hit the wall. maybe i can squeeze in a nap before i have to put the pizza in the oven.

i need to check noaa.gov (the best weather website EVER!)for the forecast because someone told me today that there is a chance of s-n-o-w next week. bad, bad, bad. don't want to hear that until december okay, mr. meteorologist? say it isn't so. please.

okay, just checked and yep, there is a small chance. :(

why must the kids dump their backpacks and lunchboxes on the kitchen table every single day??? we have this discussion constantly and i think they must be tuning me out.

speaking of lunchboxes, i found the scooby doo one that i thought we had lost forever. the office lady brought it to me when she saw me at school today. opened it up to find six week old sugar snap peas swimming in a lovely gray-green gravy. the wedge of cheese was the exact same color. appetizing, eh? surprisingly, it wasn't as stinky as our dog is right now.

alright...the sugar low is upon me. must log off. enjoy your weekend.

Question of the Week...

This is a totally fun, off the wall question...

Which side of the bed do you sleep on? Left or right?

I've slept on the left side of our bed for years, and will probably never move to the "other side".

What about you?

*Pretend you're standing at the foot of the bed looking at it when you answer this question.*

$8.16 date and more random stuff...

I stayed up until midnight last night finishing up my Pikes Peak story so I could post it here today, and right before I logged off, I clicked the wrong button and instead of saving it, I DELETED it. Oh, I was so M-A-D. It was very long and I had worked so hard and now I get to start all over again. I was not a happy camper when I crawled into bed last night.

So...because I don't have something really interesting to share, let me just ramble on about what's going on around here.

I just got home from a lunch date with John. We ate at Chipotle, our favorite lunch spot. I always get the same thing there--a steak burrito bowl. I had to wait about five minutes for them to put out some more steak, but was pleasantly surprised that they comped my meal. Lunch for both of us was $8.16 What can I say? I'm a cheap date! :)

This morning, I resumed my volunteer job at the girls' school. I've been a library helper for the last several years, and I go once a week and shelve books or do whatever our librarian needs done. I put off starting because I was hiking so much and training for Pikes Peak. I really didn't think I missed it, but once I got back in my groove today, I realized that I love that job and I have missed being there.

I finally feel like I've found my stride as far as the school year goes. I've tried to arrange my schedule so that I have Mondays and Fridays at home. I like to get up on Monday and get things back in order after the weekend, and I like to be home on Fridays and get the house clean so that I can let things slide on Saturday and Sunday. Tuesday is my busy day because of my volunteer job and Brownies. I'm the co-leader for Abbey's Brownie troop...and I love that too. I think I love it because my talented friend, Jen, is the real leader and I'm really there for crowd control. Seriously, it's a great group of girls, and I have a lot of fun with them. That leaves Wednesday and Thursday pretty open, but I'm such a homebody that I generally find reasons to stay home on those days too!

Abbey finished up her cross country season last night. We're really, really proud of her! She's such a great little runner and she told us she wants to do track in the spring!

We visited a new church on Sunday, and I loved it. Up to this point, we've only visited a couple of others, but I haven't really felt very hopeful about what's out there until now. I was pleasantly surprised. We walked in and realized we knew several families and friends. The music was great, the sermon was great, people were friendly, and my kids felt comfortable enough to go to Sunday school. I so needed that glimmer of hope. We're going to continue to visit around, but we'll definitely go back there again. One huge perk for me was that we were home by 11AM. I love being able to get up, go to church, but still feel like I have the rest of the afternoon to enjoy. We came home and ate lunch while watching the Broncos. Love that!

Speaking of football...every single one of my teams lost this weekend. And that's all I'm going to say about that because any more would just add to the shame.

Can you believe tomorrow is October??? Me either! October is always such a busy month for us. I'm sure it will fly by too. I actually hope it will because I'm doing something VERY FUN at the end of October. I'm going somewhere all by myself for a weekend. Wanna guess where??? If you're the first person to guess correctly, I'll bring you back a small souvenir! (If you already know, you can't guess, 'kay?)

Must go and retrieve the boy from school, then head out to Brownies. Enjoy your Tuesday!!!

35 Things

I saw this on Jacquie's blog this morning and decided to play along...if decide you'd like to play also, please let me know! I'd love to read your list!

35 Odd Things About Me

1. Do you like blue cheese salad dressing? Yes

2. Do you own a gun? Nope

3. What's your favorite drink at Starbucks? Tall, non-fat chai latte

4. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? chai

5. Do you do pushups? No, but I SO need to.

6. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? A Swarvoski crystal heart pendant that John's parents gave me.

7. Favorite hobby? Hiking

8. Do you have A.D.D? No

9. What's one trait that you hate about yourself? I'm quick to judge.

10. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment: What is Jack barking at? Settle down, people. I'm cold.

11. Name 4 drinks you regularly drink. Chai, sweet tea with lemon, Dr. Pepper, water.

12. Current worry right now? Sarah's tummy hurts...worried about her.

13. Current hate right now? Weekend homework

14. Favorite place to be? Home with my family!

15. Do you like to travel? Yes

16. What color shirt are you wearing? Purple

17. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? No...I prefer flannel.

18. Can you whistle? Yep

19. Favorite color? Green

20. If you could would you be a pirate? Nope

21. What song do you sing in the shower? Different every day! Yesterday it was Hannah Montana...today, who knows?

22. Favorite girl's name? Sarah and Abbey, of course! I also like Callie and Mary-Margaret. Those are the names of the girls' Bitty Babies, and I chose those names because they were the names we almost used for our girls.

23. Favorite boy's name? Will, Hunter, and Carson. Carson was the boy name we had picked out for our third child...which as you know turned out to be a girl.

24. What's in your pocket right now? Nothing because my pajamas don't have pockets!

25. Favorite bedsheets as a child? Raggedy Ann and Andy.

26. Worst injury? I once had a stress fracture in my foot from running. That was painful. Equally bad was running into the sliding glass door face-first--and my two black eyes that resulted from that were just lovely. :)

27. Do you love where you live? YES!!!!!!!! But you already knew that, right?

28. How many TVs do you have in your house? Two

29. Who is your loudest friend? Two come to mind, but they read my blog and I would never want to "out" them.

30. How many pets do you have? Two--Jack the Beagle and Stella the betta fish. Sunset, the other betta fish, died not long after we got her.

31. Does someone have a crush on you? My husband does. At least that's what he tells me.

32. What is your Favorite Book? Peace Like A River by Leif Enger.

33. What's your favorite candy? Hot tamales and Brach's candy corn.

34. Favorite Sports Team? Arkansas Razorbacks (I'm afaid it's not gonna be pretty today), Dallas Cowboys, and Denver Broncos.

35. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Why am I on the couch? (Sarah got in bed with us--because her stomach was hurting--and I moved to the couch so I could actually sleep).

Question of the Week...

What do you guys call the metal thing with wheels that you push around and add stuff to when you shop?

I call it a buggy.

And twice this week people have made fun of me. I guess they didn't really make fun of me, but two different groups of people I've been around have laughed and asked me why I call it a buggy instead of a cart.

I guess it's a southern thing because when I read Chickadee's post just a few minutes ago, I laughed out loud! She's from Arkansas and she calls it a buggy too!

What do you call it????

Pushing through hard things...

The other morning, I went on a walk with my sweet friend, J.

J happens to be a counselor. I actually have several friends who are therapists, and initially I found those relationships a bit hard to navigate. I was constantly wondering if my friends were trying to pyscho-analyze me, or when they asked me how I was doing, I wondered if they really wanted to know or if perhaps I should be paying them to listen to me. :) I'm so glad I got over that hump and realized they wanted to be my friends because they just liked ME!

I consider all of my counselor friends to be very, very wise. So when they speak, I pay attention.

I was sharing with J the other morning about a personal struggle I'm working through. It's not really beneficial to talk about in detail, but the gist is that I'm feeling a lot of pressure to do something I don't really want to do. (Vague enough for ya???)

As I listened to J's response, it really was one of those "aha" moments for me. She's worked really hard over the years to not operate/respond out of guilt. Knowing what it feels like when you're operating out of that guilty "place" is key. When you start feeling that guilt, that's when it is time to put on the brakes and really ask yourself how you're responding and why...and from there, give yourself permission to say no or change your course.

BUT, sometimes there are just some really hard things we need to do. Sometimes we need to push through the hard stuff, and be obedient to what God might be asking of us--not because we feel guilt, but because it's the right thing to do.

I know this struggle SO well. It sounds simple, I know, but I don't know that I've ever fully grasped the difference between guilt/non-guilt in regard to hard situations. There is no LIFE for me when I'm functioning out of guilt, but there is often a blessing when we do the right things for the right reasons.

Yesterday, I had a chance to experience this "aha" realization in a completely different situation.

A friend of mine had a baby last week. Her fifth child. She ended up having a c-section (not exactly what she'd planned) and she's needed some extra help this week. Another friend called and asked if I'd be willing to go over and help her out for a few hours. My morning plans fell through (sorry, Jamie) and so I found myself with some extra time to lend.

As that time approached, I found myself growing resentful. Not a fun thing to admit, but true nonetheless. I've had a busy week and haven't been home as much as I had hoped. I had laundry and cleaning to do, and I really started to get frustrated at the thought of leaving MY to-do list undone while checking thing off of my friend's list. Ugh...so selfish.

Remembering the conversation with J on Tuesday, I asked myself if I was doing this out of guilt. I wasn't. Believe me when I tell you that I KNOW that place within myself really, really well. This wasn't guilt. This was just a hard thing that I knew God was asking me to do. I was being asked to serve my friend, and I knew God wanted me to do it in love.

I wish I could tell you that my attitude immediately improved, but that wouldn't be true. I did manage to squeak out a prayer in her driveway and I knocked on the door determined to be cheery and positive.

I had told her the night before that I'd do anything she needed me to--errands, cook, laundry, play/read with her kids or help them with school (she homeschools). When I arrived, she handed me a list and gave me some instructions before heading upstairs to take a nap. She kissed each of her kids and said to them, "please be a blessing to Mrs. B". I probably would have said something like "please be sweet or please, please, please behave". I found her choice of words so interesting.

I fed her kids lunch, then loaded them into her van for a trip to Walmart to buy a birthday gift for her son to take to a party this week. Did I mention she has five children? Of course, the baby was at home with her, but that means that I had four children. In Walmart. In the toy section. You know what? Her kids were perfect. They didn't ask for one thing for themselves, didn't balk when I told them we all had to stay together on the Barbie aisle and we could look at Legos next, didn't whine or cry when I herded us all over to get milk and bread and checkout. Who are these kids and where can I get some more like them? (Just kidding, of course!)

They were a blessing to me! They were a blessing even after we got home and talked over a snack. They were a blessing while doing some schoolwork, and they were a blessing while reading books and tucking the littlest one in for her nap. Honestly, the time spent with them was one of the bright spots in my day. My friend thanked me for my help, but honestly, the pleasure was all mine!

Sure, my list was still waiting for me when I got home, and sure, some things even got bumped to today, but there was reward for me in pushing through and doing something hard because it was the right thing to do.

I can't say that I've ever had that kind of reward when I've done something out of guilt. For me, it doesn't seem to really work that way. I usually just end up more angry and more resentful, and blessing is NOWHERE in sight. What a difference it makes when we know why we're doing something and we're doing it for the right reasons..and when we push through even especially when it's hard. Guilt, for me, will never be a good reason to do anything.

Hangin'...

I had an email from a sweet friend not long ago telling me that I always leave her hanging here on the 'ole blog. Evidently, I throw things out there, and forget to come back and finish up the story.

So...

About that noise John heard the other night that kept me awake for hours afterward? Don't know what it was. I never heard it, but it woke him up. No, it wasn't an animal or person in our house (thank goodness!) Maybe we have some interesting neighbors. Don't know.

And about Pikes Peak. I've got all my pics saved, and am working on text for that post. It's forthcoming. I promise. If there's one thing I want documented on this blog, that would be it! Just give me a few more days to get it all together.

I can't remember what else I've forgotten to tidy up, so now's your chance to ask me if there's something I've written about that I didn't go back and wrap up and you've been awake at night wondering about. Anything? Anyone? Ask away.