Category — ramblings

Wow, I hadn’t realized just how many weeks I have missed – so sorry!

Given the late MIA-ness, I thought I should do a short update post to help explain myself.  Well, here goes!

First off, I have some fabulous news – Falcon Ridge is moving!  Yay!  While I love being in the LIttle White Church, it really is a smaller space than we need (expecially for the kids!) and we have been blessed to find a bigger space to move into for roughly the same cost (Praise God!).  Starting on December 6 we will be meeting in the Old Arlington High School building (downtown on French street, where Highland Christian School currently meets).  We had our first rehearsal there last night and while there will definitely be some bugs to work out, I’m really excited to have the space!

With the upcoming move, well, life has been a bit more hectic.  Last week was crazy – I has at least 2 appointments/meetings every day, sometimes 3-4 in 1 day.  Yeah, I know, that is nothing for some of you but when you are not used to it, well, it seems like a lot!  On top of that Eric was in Europe last week as well.  That meant finding places for the girls to go while I was at some of the evening meetings.  Such fun…

That brings me to another reason… Eric has been travelling a bit more, and we haven’t known his schedule until sometimes the day before he leaves.  Seriously.  It’s been insane!  The trip to Europe was scheduled, cancelled, and re-scheduled about 5 times each, with the final “you’re going” coming down 2-3 days before he left.  He left last Monday and came home last Saturday if that gives you an indication of how quick the trip was.  He thinks he got about 6 hours of sleep the whole week between jet lag, working on stuff for here and thinking about things he was working on.  Oy!

Then there is the typical “tis the season” stuff – you know, cold & flu season!  The girls have had a few days home from school – thankfully not as many as last year though!  In fact, 1 is home with me today too.  She woke up with a sore throat and an occasional cough.  Not terribly sick, but enough that with the current “flu craze” she would have just been sent home.  I suspect she may simply be recovering from being up past bedtime too many nights in a row.  At least I hope so!

Finally it seems that I have once again become a girl who can’t say no… to ministry opportunities.  We started a Women’s home group in October, and have been meeting during the day for a few weeks now.  It’s really nice to be involved in a Women’s group again!  As much as I love attending a home group with Eric, there is something different about meeting with just women.  It was one of those occasions when God puts something on your heart – and then you argue with him for a month or so that you just don’t have time.  You’d think I’d learn that life is just easier when you don’t try to argue with God, after all, He will win!

So, I have become the home group leader for that group (and incedentally the fill-in leader for our couples group too, since I have the book anyway…)

Yep, life has gotten a bit more hectic!

So that’s been my life in a nutshell for the past month or so!  Yep, there are days that I just feel tired… but I will try to do a better job of posting more regularly.

This day has foerever been changed for American’s… at least we can hope that it will be forever remembered.

Where were you 8 years ago?

Most of the world knew what was going on before I did.  You see, I was a stay-at-home mom of an almost 1 year old and we didn’t have cable.  Live streaming on the web wasn’t quite there yet, and all I had was a cell phone.

That phone rang.

On the other end of the line was my mom in Colorado, calling to let me know that an airplane had just struck a tower of the world trade center.  All of the sudden she stopped talking – then in a ruch she said “Oh my Goodness!  Another plane JUST HIT THE SECOND TOWER!!!!  I can’t believe this is happening?  What is going on?”

Many people lost their lives that day.  Many more people lost loved ones.  Many were afraid that they had lost someone, and the stories that came out over the next weeks and months of people who were running late to work or had to stay home with sick children came out.  Women whose husbands had given their lives to save others became heroes overnight.  Books were written, and America was united… for a while.

But now we look back through a filter of 8 years.

Can it truly have happened?  Was it real?

I had a cousin working at a hospital in NYC.  A cousin who had arrived home from a night shift and was in the shower when it happened.  A cousin who turned around and went back to work that morning to help however she could.  She sent out an email to her family letting us know that she was OK, and that she was heading back.

I have a friend who has made a ministry around caring for those firefighters who were impacted.  She takes teams of people to NYC a few times a year to minister to the firehouses.  They take coffee and cocoa and Jesus to these men and women.  They pray for them DAILY.  They listen to the stories.  The bring back the stories to Washongton State and share them with others who can pray more specifically.

We should all be praying for those who lost someone.  It’s the least we can do.

I went to NYC a couple of years ago.  Manhatten.  As we were walking, there was suddenly an empty space ahead in the sky – no buildings were there.  Yes, it sounds odd, but I was wondering why there was so much sky there.

Then I turned the corner.

and I remembered.

Twisted metal in a deep hole, a deep pile of rubble.  A huge expanse of sky above it with no tall buildings to block it.  A fire station directly across the street with a memorial set up to those that responded first… and lost their lives in the attempt to save others.

There is a memorial set up across the street with “found objects” a womans black pump, a spoon from the restaurant at the top, notes and photos of those who were and are missing.  Video from 9/11/01.  Teddy bears.

That is the hardest for me as a mom.  Knowing that children lost their lives, that children lost their parents.  Their grandparents, aunts and uncles.  Babies were orphaned overnight.  I look at my almost-9-eao-old daughter and know that it could just as easily have happened to her.  She could have lost Mommy or Daddy to an act of terror.  We could have lost her.

And it still could happen to any of us.

BUT

That is a powerful word, but I know another one that when added to it is so much more…

But GOD

That is the most powerful word in any language… GOD

GOD is the reason that we don’t need to live in fear.

GOD is the reason that we can have hope – hope for today and tomorrow.  Hope for our children and their children.

GOD is the one that brings peace to our hearts and minds and lives.

Yes, we should remember what happened 8 years ago.  Yes, we should keep those who were directly affected in our prayers.  Yes, we should be united as a country.  Yes, we need to teach our children about the ugly reality that this world is…

But GOD needs to be shared and taught even more so.  We need to live our lives in such a way that Jesus shines through us, that Jesus can use us to make an impact on the world around us.  That Jesus can impact the lives of our children and their children.  That Jesus can bring unity and love and kindness and justice and mercy and forgiveness and acceptance and peace and hope.

For without Him, there is no hope.

Lest I forget, lest we all forget.  Lives were sacrificed 8 years ago.  Lives were stolen away.  But there is a life that was freely given that can save us all, and those of us who know Him need to share Him with those who are hurting and fearful.  Those who are in need and those who have too much.  Those that need a Comforter and a Friend.

Remember those who were affected, and choose to be an effect on our world.

Wow… the end of August is Monday already!  Labor Day is a mere 9 days away and the girls start school again just a couple of days later.  Where has the Summer gone to?

Well, let’s see… we spent a few mornings at a movie theater watching free movies in air conditioned comfort (great on those days that were over 100F!) and we have spent substantially more time at a few of the local libraries doing crafts, learning about art and building, reading and checking out books to take home.  The girls each did the local library system’s Summer Reading program(who gives you a Aquasox tickets and a free book), as well as the one through Barnes & Noble (another free book) and the one through Borders (where you get 1/2 off a book).

We also have spent a bit of time in the yard – picking berries, tearing down the playset, putting in a little kidney-shaped island at the end of the yard, picking berries, pulling weeks, digging up the yard to put in a retaining wall, piccing more berries, begging others to come pick said berries, making jam jam & more jam, and playing in the sprinklers.  Oh, and picking more berries.  Yeah, really.  That many berries.  We will be gifting some raspberry bushes and a red currant bush to a friend because we just can’t keep up with the production!  Eric is planning to start working on the retaining wall this weekend, so hopefully we can start to re-build the yard soon.

We also spent a week in Missouri at Eric’s Dad’s house – a very relaxing week just hanging out with family.  The girls lived in the pool with their cousins and I got to discover a possible addiction to Guitar Hero… good thing I don’t allow video game consoles in the house!  (yeah, now Eric fully understands why I don’t allow them in!  I’d never get anything done!)

It’s been a pretty good Summer overall.  The girls have had a chance to play and just enjoy being kids.  There have been scads of Lego creations built, torn apart and refashioned into something new.  There has been time spent with friends, and a lot of softball games watched (yep, our church won the tournament – yay!).  There has been time spent in God’s word and time spent learning all about the adventures of Baby Mouse and other literary characters.  M has begun requesting thicker chapter books (think Anne of Green Gables and A Wrinkle In Time) and A is right on her heels in reading those.  The favorite genre of the Summer has been Graphic Novels though – with Nancy Drew being at the top of that list.  No, it isn’t the ones I grew up reading, but they are still pretty good.  I have been averaging 4 books a week myself… yes, those library cards have been seeing a lot of use.  I have re-discovered (again) the joy found in a good book.  It’s been really, really nice.

The wacky heat has been a bit irksome, but I did grow up where it usually hits 100F in the first week of June, so I can deal – I just don’t like to.  I am seriously missing my rain by this point, but I’m sure that we will get our fair share of it this Winter.  Fortunately today seems to be a bit cooler. I am hopeful that Autumn will be mild but a little more moist than we have had.  The plants are so thirsty!  Some of the leaves are changing from lack of water rahter than cooler temps, and other plants are just dead and brown.  We do need some rain, but I know it will come eventually.  Don’t worry – I’m not praying for it just yet!

What do the last 12 days of Summer Vacation have in store?  Well, Mom & Ryan are arriving tomorrow evening for a visit.  They will be taking the girls & I to high tea and for a ferry ride or two, and we get to play tour guide to some of my favorite parts of Washington.  We will be heading down to Seattle with a group of friends (16 in all) to see Wicked for my birthday and possibly dinner afterwards, and Grandma wants to take the girls back-to-school shopping… it looks to be an action packed couple of weeks!

Yep, we will be sending Summer off with a bang.

But then, isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?

Alright Tam, here it is.  This is being posted here all because of you! 

I met Eric at church.  I was good friends with his little sister (by 9 years) and he had just moved to our little small town from LA (culture shock!).  We were sitting on opposite sides of the church, but in the same row.  He was wearing a denim button-front shirt and a tie.  He was tall, blonde, tan and (let’s just get it out there) hot.  Yup.  I could no more have told you what the sermon that day was about than anything else…

I artfully arranged a meeting (offered to drive his sis to a youth event even though I was not in the youth group anymore) and poor Tami had to put up with both of us asking her about the other one for the next week.  Sorry sis!

Then there was the college & career picnic at highline lake, where I *supposedly* tackled him during a game of… well it was kinda volleyball without a net crossed with soccer.  This is something that I don’t remember, but he does (and quite vividly).  That was July 10, 2004.  The CC pastor informed me later that evening that there was a guy there that had asked him about me, and was interested in getting together, but he wouldn’t say who… I had such hopes!  It wasn’t Eric – he wouldn’t go through someone else I now realize.

There was another C&C outing at another lake – this time an overnighter.  We sat in the car and talked for hours and hours.  His other sis informed me that I was too young for him & to back off (don’t worry, I stil love ya D!) but I managed to ignore that… I know, big shock.  He was thinking I was interested in someone else (gag) and took a slight it of prodding, but eventually figured it out.

I came home & informed my mom that I had found the guy I was going to marry – he was smart, handsome gorgeous, well-read, liked music, and actually enjoyed literature (!).  On top of all of that, he was a Christian.  Did it matter that he was just a tad bit older than me?  We don’t have to tell Dad, do we?  How old he is, that is… (I was almost 18, he was 24, but Dad thought he was about 21 – still a bit on the old side!)

Our “official” first date was Aug 5, 1994.  We went up on the Monument and talked.  Watched the sun set & the lights begin to twinkle in the (small) city below.  From that day to the day we were married we saw each other every single day except 10.  We got married on Dec 1, 1995.

He had just moved to town and didn’t have a job, so my dad hired him for odd jobs so he’s have cash in his pocket to take me out.  (Dad built houses, so there were ALWAYS odd jobs).  Gotta love a Daddy that thinks of those kind of things!  I was in college, and I would often come out to my car to find roses under the windshield wiper or inside the car.  Such a romantic!

We started talking about “life plans” around February ’95, and the subject of family, kids, goals, etc came up.  We kinda meshed there too.  When we started looking in jewelry stores I kinda had a feeling.  I didn’t want to go ring shopping, I mean, every girl wants to be surprised, right?  He informed me that my wedding/engagement ring was too important to leave it to the chance that I wouldn’t like it.  Me made me go along and took Tami for reinforcement – and to help him remember which one I liked the best.

On Mar 6 we took my parents out to dinner for my dad’s birthday, where Eric asked his permission to ask for my hand in marriage.  What a birthday present (ha!)  Daddy’s little girl had found her knight in shining armor, and would be heading off to start her new life.

On March 8 he “officially” proposed.  We went out to dinner and for a walk in the park (a regular occurrence).  He found a small grove of trees, got down on one knee, held up the ring box and asked me to be his wife.  The answer had been yes for about 8 months, so it was a given there!

And that, my friends, is all that you get tonight!  It’s 11:15, and I’m tired.

More to come…

Some of you may recall the 101 list I typed up a year or so ago… or you may have noticed it along the bottom left side of the blog here (waaaaaaaaay down there!) and wondered what it was.

101 things I want to accomplish in 1001 days… yep.  I’m doing my every-so-often revisit to see how I am doing.  It’s not usually very encouraging, unfortunately!

Well, here goes.

My 1001 day is Wednesday, January 12, 2011

house and yard maintenance
1. get stairs on the deck – 2 years and counting.  Maybe next year?  Mostly a money thing.
2. clean and plant flower bed in backyard – did it… now the grass has re-claimed it.  Bummer
3. build a sunflower house for the girls -  will try again this year – the slugs won that battle last year.
4. clean and maintain the flowerbed outside the office – LOOKS GORGEOUS!
5. finish planting the pathway to garden – um… yeah.  Pulled up the groundcover & transplanted it.  Needs to be started over COMPLETELY.
6. finish making stepping stones for path – see #5
7. terrace back hillside for garden – well, we got part of the wall up last Summer, and that is Eric’s one-and-only project he WILL complete this Summer.  His goal, not mine.
8. find a new home for the evergreen trees before they get too large to move – well, we tore one out & replaced it with a nice planter, and the blue spruce died last year.  We are down to 2, and one is becoming a nurse tree for the wisteria.  We have a beautiful scotch pine though – any takers?
9. paint the outside of the house – May do this in a couple more years.  The colors are picked though!
10. finish M’s mural – I have some more trees painted, but getting INTO the room is a problem.
11. finish A’s mural – yep, can’t get to the wall to paint.
12. get laundry room remodeled – I may have given up on this idea.  Getting a new w/d would be nice though (before these completely die)
13. finish bathroom remodel – getting there.  New towelbars, new paint, just need the new cabinet.
14. put down hardwood floors – next year!  I think… I picked out a nice bamboo, we just have to afford it.
15. re-carpet the downstairs – may do tile instead – THIS SUMMER!
16. tile the stairs – should be done by August
17. clean out the garage – ALMOST THERE!!! I will have to take a picture after the next goodwill run.
18. fix the garage door opener – umm… yeah.  someday.
19. fix the side fence & gate – ugh

office

20. get all the fabric organized and PUT AWAY – how about sorted & sold?  Really need to do that too.
21. get filing done – you mean the piles aren’t files?  giant elephant there.  ugh
22. KEEP filing done – do all filing 1x per month – gotta get it done 1st.  Good idea tho!
23. get all buttons, clasps & hooks organized (95% there!) – I WAS 95% there.  now they are buried.  Need to sell those too
24. make and hang a ribbon organizer – eh, they are in a drawer pretty well organized.  Don’t need it so much anymore.
25. hang pictures/whiteboards up – 1 is up, don’t need the other.  Pics & crosses were hung, but I used the crossed @ church.
26. get rid of the extra boxes – THIS WEEK!
27. post unwanted fabrics to sell every 6 weeks – umm… yeah.  desperately need to do that.
28. unpack & put away office supplies from move – how about get rid of?  Even better idea.
29. donate/pass on patterns that are too small for the girls – did some, need to finish the job

work
30. get rid of excess flowers – they go to goodwill this week.
31. remove flowers from website – Jen R is taking care of that for me… I think!
32. find a new home for Carole’s table runners – anybody want some gorgeous velvet & silk table runners?  A variety of colors and styles.  Eric wold really like them our of his garage…
33. finish moving TC products over – or not.  Shutting down Mimsi too.
34. Clean up website – delete old product pages – yep – needs done.  I think Jen R is going to do this though.  May just delete the whole site!
35. sell/donate purchased bags – GONE!
36. build wholesale site – not happening.  Done making lots of bags for a bit.
37. send out newsletter to wholesale companies every 6 weeks – not gonna do it!
38. make swatch books – nope
39. hire a bookeeper – found one, unfortunatley don’t need her anymore. 
40. get all patterns copywritten – may still do this one.
41. review 2 products each month – debating about this.  Reviews take time, giveaways cost me $.  Dunno.
42. update/catalog orders & donations 1x per month – if I pick it back up this is a NECESSITY
43. send out newsletter 2x per month – nah, just blogging these days.
44. post new blog 1x per week for Mimsi  – if I keep it.
45. post 6 blogs per month for gift guides family (recipes, reviews, etc) – Nope!  moved them all over here and to Cottage-Recipes.com!
46. find wholesale supplier for fabric – don’t need to now.
47. make 1 RTS/art bag each week – nope, unless I just want to.
48. do inventory – yes, I do need to do that – so I can sell it off!
49. meet with mastermind group each week – over – no more meetings

Health/cooking
50. cook 3 vegeterian/vegan meals per week – working on it
51. learn to use 1 new ingredient per month – not so much.  Still want to though
52. post 2 new recipes per month (1/24) – hasn’t happened too often recently as I haven’t been cooking as much.  I know, bad me.
53. exercise 3x per week – I’ve made this goal for 2 solid weeks, and am on my way to a 3rd.  I’m GOING to make this a habit!
54. drop 4 dress sizes – no comment
55. learn to use the dutch oven well – Camping Season is here again, so I will be using it much more!
56. bake bread once per week (0/52) – I was doing really, really well, then I stopped for a bit.  Getting back on that wagon.
57. clean out the fridge 2x per month – needs it again…
58. use/freeze leftovers – we have been doing much better at this!  Yay!
59. grow corn – the slugs ate it.  I’ll keep trying though.
60. go on a walk with the girls & Eric at least 1x per week (0/7) – been walking without them…
61. climb the stairs at the end of the road 2x per week (0/7) – done it once per week for 2 weeks.  Gotta build up to that one.
62. make healthy snacks for the girls – overall, this is working.
63. use up the CSA produce each week – may not be able to get it this year – too much $$
64. learn to bake with flours other than wheat – my become a necessity.  Wondering if A has celiac or something.  Getting lots of tummy aches again.
65. make 1 entire meal from a different country 2x per month – such a nice idea…
66. get a bike – still really want to do this.  Anybody have one they don’t use?
67. get up by 7 every day – I do it every Sunday, but that’s it.  Contemplating the why…
68. go to bed on time – there’s a novel idea.  Been staying up with Eric while he works.
69. eat 1 raw meal per week – kinda sorta.  Will be easier with Summer here.

personal
70. read psalms each morning – I usually make it about 2 days.  Trying to do 1 proverb too.
71. make Eric’s pants – yep.  3 years & running.  gotta clean out the office 1st.
72. make Mom H’s piano bench cushion – need the cushion part – oh, and to find the fabric again.
73. keep the granite cleaned off – I have good days and bad days.  Mostly bad.
74. have a clean, empty sink each night before going to bed – we try…
75. make at least 1 trip to goodwill each month – Made 3 last month.  I’ll make one this week.
76. save up for a new car – Bought it may 08 – now we just gotta PAY for it.
77. build up an emergency fund – Brilliant idea!  dollars in bank? $0
78. post cd’s to swap or take to sell/trade in ~ freecycled a BIG box of cd’s, but I still need to go through them & get rid of more.
79. get last summer’s camping trips scrapbooked – & the Summer b4 that, & the one b4 that… waaaay behind!
80. teach the girls to sew – may have that ability once the office is accessible again.
81. teach the girls to garden – working on that one.
82. memorize 1 scripture per week – REALLY need to get back into this!
83. memorize with the girls! – yep.  REALLY need to.
84. find the cord the the keyboard – FOUND!
85. practice the piano again – Doing lots of that lately!
86. teach the girls the basics of playing the piano – kinda sorta doing that.
87. get M into violin lessons ~ she took them last Summer, and quit.  Mentioned interest again this morning tho
88. go on a date with Eric 1x per month – been out more often, but not quite 1x per month
89. find a good babysitter – SAMMY!  and Mrs. J
90. have QUALITY 1-on-1 with M each week  – I miss this.  We used to go out to lunch 1x per week, but haven’t for almost a year
91. have QUALITY 1-on-1 with A each week – just trying to figure out when.
92. have QUALITY 1-on-1 with Eric each week (1/7) – besides sitting here on the seperate computers?  need this!
93. finish A’s curtains – someday…
94. have “girlfriend time” 1x per month – really working on this one.  Been going to lunch w/ a friend every couple of weeks.  It’s been really, really nice!
95. send a handwritten letter 1x per month – the question is, to who?  Just need to take the time.
96. send a letter to Norma 1x per month – REALLY need to do this.
97. pray more – can we ever pray enough?  Need to do it though
98. read the bible through – yep.  I get bogged down around numbers every time.  Can I skip that one and come back?
99. read 1 book every 6 weeks (but don’t ignore everything else!) – Been doing this a LOT more.  Really enjoying it.
100. be a better mom – always a work in progress.
101. be a better wife – He deserves it, just like the girls do.

That’s my 101 things to accomplish in 1001 days.  I have about a year-and-a-half left.  We’ll see what can get done!  I have replaced a few of these as they were completed, just so you don’t think I’m a TOTAL failure!

Have YOU ever set a goal like this?  Did it work?

…just what to title these random posts, so you’ll have to make due with that for today

The Sun has decided to grace the Pac. NW with it’s presence this week… temps up in the 70′s and no rain in sight *sigh*  yes… I’m weird.  I actually like rain, and I honestly don’t like too many days in a row of sun.  Please don’t shoot me for it… I do have a good excuse!  Living in Phoenix for a “cool Summer” where temps stayed above 95 for 4 solid months and got up to 120 regularly (i.e almost daily for 3 solid months) I just don’t much like heat anymore.  And we don’t have a/c in our house, so heat + humidity = grouchy me… and nobody wants to be around a grouchy me!

However, even I will admit that a few days of sunshine are a welcome reprieve this year… we didn’t get the usual sun break in Feb this year, and had snow on the ground in April *gasp* so sunshine, thanks for coming by for a visit.  Don’t make it too hot, let the rain water my plants every 3-4 days, and we’ll get along just dandy.

At the moment I just want to go lay down in the sunshine and sleep… Eric has had a TON of work piled on him over the past month – putting in 10 hour days (of solid meetings) and coming home and working until midnight.  And I’ve been staying up with him to keep him company (and ’cause after 14+ years, it’s hard to sleep when he’s out here…).  It’s been about 3-4 weeks of this now, and I’m just getting tired – I can’t imagine how he is doing it either, ’cause he gets up an hour or 2 before I do!  I just hope this season passes soon… you know, before he has a heart attack at 40 or something. (which ain’t that far away folks!)

I’ve been trying to be good with my decision to get some physical activity into my life too – hoping it will help to off set the tiredness and up the energy level.  I made the girls walk to school last Friday when they missed the bus *evil grin* because I had been planning to walk them to the bus stop and continue on my walk so I could be done before my meeting.  They slept in and then drug their feet all morning, so I decided a walk was in order.  The Eldest threw a fit over it, but The Younger thoroughly enjoyed it… and keeps asking if we can do it again!  They missed the bus TWICE this week, but I had meetings I had to get to so I just took them.  They almost got to walk again today though!  Personally, I’m glad they didn’t, because my legs are kinda sore.  You don’t realize just how many hills are in your neighborhood until you have to walk them…  hills that seem like they will never end!

This is the first time I have EVER seriously considered doing anything close to exercise, so we’ll see how long it lasts.  I am even considering using one of those giant balls to sit on when I work through songs on the keyboard… may-as-well put that time sitting on my butt to good use, right?  I’m just not sure it would be tall enough.  Something to think about.

So why this sudden desire to get into better shape?  I feel… icky.  For the past 3 Summers we have had a constant supply of fresh produce from a CSA farm and I was feeling wonderful from it!  I was enjoying prepping it and eating it and fixing meals for my family… then I got busy and decided I didn’t really enjoy cooking anymore.  We started eating a bit more processed food (not a lot tho – that stuff is nasty!) and more “quick fix” meals.  I started grabbing something to eat while out & about (and having a coke with it) and drinking a lot less water.  Wow… it’s amazing how different I feel going into this Summer than the last couple!  I feel sluggish and gross.  So, I’m going to try to get to feeling better.

Add in the fact that Eric keeps wanting to climb the mountains that we look at every day – which is something that I just can’t do at the current time – and the need to be in better shape is obvious.  So, I walk the hills of the neighborhood, and occasionally attempt the stairs from hell at the bottom of the road (I did it Friday without too much difficulty.  Yay!)  I need to be able to at least attempt to keep up with him and the girls!  And that’s just at sea level – if we go visit Mom at all, we will be starting at 4700 feet…  the air is thinner up there, you know!  And to think I used to laugh at people who came to visit from sea level…

But the walking is another reason I’m not crazy about warmer temps… if I don’t get out there early it gets HOT!  And the rain is a great excuse to not go for a walk *wink*  a mist or a slight drizzle I can still walk in, but if it’s raining too hard, well, I just can’t!  LOL

Need another reason?  I keep getting reminded that this body of mine is a temple… that God is residing inside of it, and that I need to take better care of it.  I have been given stewardship of God’s temple, and I’m not doing the best job at it… I can do better.

And finally… I have to stand up in front of our church every week, and I’m getting tired of the same few outfits that I’m restricted to!  I have cute clothes that almost fit and I really want to wear them again!  Yeah, I know, it’s a girl thing.

So, what are you doing to get or keep your body in shape?

I may have to go radio silent for a bit… I’m taking the laptop in to have it looked at in an hour.  The screen keeps flickering and defaulting to “unplugged dim” and well, it’s getting really, really annoying. Do you realize how hard it is to work on pictures and type charts when the screen keeps flickering on you?  Meh.  Don’t like it.

On the brighter side, I get to go down and pick up my new glasses today!  Yay!  I can finally have a pair of glasses that are the right prescription and aren’t broken!  Oh the excitement…  I’ll try to post a picture someday.

In other news (this being a post simply to update you) I have decided that it is time to be less sedetary.  It’s time to get off my keister and get outside.  There, I’ve said it.  Now if I can just follow through!  I attempted “The Stairs” yesterday, with less than pleasant results.  No, seriously.  It was embarrassing.  To what stairs am I referring?

These…

Um… yeah.

The problem may have stemmed from me trying to take the steps of the bridge two at a time.  At a sprint.  Before I started anything else. (no, I didn’t do anything to warm up first… I knoooooow!)  Then I attempted to do the many flights at the same pace.  Doh!

So, now that I realize just how out of shape I am, I am resolving to change it.  Let’s see how many days that resolve lasts!  I think I will build up to the stairs… perhaps just do the top flight or two for a while.  Perhaps start by walking around out VERY hilly neighborhood once or twice a day.  Oy.  It sucks to be this out of shape!

Yes, I’m a wuss.  I will readily admit it.  I will also admit that up until this point I didn’t really care.

As I get older, I am realizing the need to care.  It sucks, this having to care.  Seriously.

So, I hope to be spending less time sitting in this chair with this laptop on my lap doing NOTHING active, and actually getting out of this chair and reminding my body that it can, in fact, move and not feel like it’s dying.

Please pray for me!

I am hopeful that by the time the girls are out of school (June 18) I will be able to climb the stairs again ad a decent speed and not DIE.  I’ll let you know.

I also have to get myself back into the habit of drinking water.  I used to be so good about it – I easily drank the 8-10 glasses recommended daily.  Then I got sick and started drinking warm lemon juice and honey in the water.  As I got better I dropped the lemon and forgot to put back the h20… bad Jennifer!  But I found something today that may help me get back on track, and I thought I’d share it with you (assuming the code actually works at some point).

What do you think?  Can you use it too?

I know that when I was drinking the water I needed I felt better, my skin and hair looked better, and I was a couple pounds lighter, and I wasn’t always thirsty… time to get back into it!

But for now, I have to finish packing up my comrade in arms and drive it down to the Mac hospital.    I hope they can fix it up quickly!  After all, it has taken over as my brain!  Sad, I know.

What tipped the scales on the whole exercising bit?  One word.  CHOCOBACON. Seriously.  Gag.  But kudos to Mandy for sacrificing on our behalf!  (although I’m not sure her husband saw it as a sacrifice… grease?  blech)

I’ll take chocolate any day, just as long as there isn’t any bacon involved!  Well, real chocolate.  you know, above 62% cacao… preferably with nibs.  But not 100% – THAT’s for baking, not eating.

April was a very busy month, and it spilled over into May just a bit. I have to say that it seriously wore me out!  Not sure why… it just did.

You may remember the water leak we had a couple weeks ago.  Turned out to be a 1-inch crack in the copper pipe connected to the outdoor faucet.  Yep, a cracked copper pipe!  Eric fixed that this past weekend (yay!) and we were only without water for one day.  Fortunately M & I were at church for half of that day (Eric had stayed home with A who wasn’t feeling well).  That was one bit if stress that is now in the past, and MUCH less of an issue than I was afraid it may have been.

There was also the flower bed I built last week.  It’s coming along nicely, but I still need to go dig up some plants from the back hillside and move them up front…  The hillside is the Summer project – and one I’m not entirely looking forward to.  The hill is 75′ long % 25′ tall, with a fairly steep incline and very not level.  Oh, and lots of tree stumps.  It’s covered with grass, blackberry vines, buttercup and nettles.  And dandelions.  And the 6-10 plants that survived the winter that need to be moved before Eric attempts to kill everything.  And trees scattered here and there.  Not good trees, mind you, but the kind that (as the former owner put it) “grow when you cut down a forest” which they apparently did to build this subdivision.  yeah, not looking forward to that project.

However, my kitchen looks AMAZING!  Eric did SUCH a nice job on it!  We painted the walls a lovely mocha suede color and put in a marble backsplash in creams, taupes and colors in between.  All that is left for this Spring is to get a micro-hood installed to free up counter space.  We called it the remodel-on-the-cheap.  The paint was $50, the tile about $350 for everything.  We took down the vertical blinds and put up some sheers that have been in a box for years and it looks SOOOOOOOOOOOO much better!

Now I just need to get everything put away.

The end of last week and beginning of this week also saw the girls & I making some Mother’s Day gifts for Grandma’s… one of which I still need to finish and get in the mail.  They are very cool though.  I’d share more, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise for anyone!

I know that doesn’t seem like a lot, but I must remind you that the mortar holding on the tile must set for 24-48 hours, then we had to seal it (another 48 hours) and THEN grout it, which set over the next day or so.  And Eric was out of town in the middle.  Yep, I essentially had no kitchen for 10 days.  I’m now officially tired of “away food” and want to eat something that we cooked again!

The flower bed was another long project.  We had to *whisper* remove the tree.  Then we used leftover bricks from the portion of the wall we built last year to start the flower bed… and ran out.  So that sat partially done for a couple of weeks before I made it to the lumber yard to get more brick (Lowe’s didn’t have any and Home Depot’s bricks were waaaaaay different!).  But it’s now built (although Eric says they are crooked) and that project is 95% finished.

It’s amazing how unfinished projects make a person weary!  It’s not a physical weariness (although that eventually comes) but a mental weariness.  Living in a constant state of limbo and chaos just isn’t good for us…  I’m just thankful that we are getting the list checked off, one project at a time.

Now I just have to tackle the garage and my office.  Ugh, my stress level just went up again!

Oh, and the good news from the water leak?  A new storage space!  The faucet came into the house under the entry-way, which means that the hole we had to cut into the wall opened up into a great little storage space under the stairs and landing!  Just a little something to help clear out the garage…

That all fell on the heels of taxes and 10 solid weeks of being sick.  Plus Easter services and all that those entail… No wonder I feel a bit tired this week!

Can’t complain though… life is just too good!  God is good, and He keeps us sane if only we will let Him.  It is from Him that we get that peace that goes far beyond all human understanding – that peace for which I am so very thankful.

Just a little update to help explain my lack of posting as of late.  Well, all of that and spending time online doing, er, other things.  Like something that starts with F and the end rhymes with hook.  And twitter.  And PandoraJam.  And typing chord charts. And planning music for services.  And… and.. and… well, you get the picture!

Have a great week, and Happy Mother’s Day to those that are, just in case I don’t make it back until next week.  Make it a great one…