THE ROOHA'S

Biscuits N'Gravy

2011-01-08T14:10:00.003-05:00

My husband asked me out on a date last night to one of my favorite restaurants in Richmond, Comfort. It's one of my favorite restaurants because it is a glorified Cracker Barrel. And anyone that knows me, knows the way to my heart is the Crack House. When given a food choice, I know that I am ALWAYS going to lean towards anything fried, buttered, or "southern". Fried okra, hashbrown casserole, mac n cheese, biscuits and gravy, chicken tenders, bacon, pound cake, sweet tea...

THOSE FOODS ARE WHAT LIFE IS MADE OF:-)

Of course I'm being partly dramatic, but Southern food really is the best. I know that my cholesterol thinks it's the best, too. On a sidenote, I often wonder what Paula Deen's cholesterol is... I'm not really sure where I inherited this passion for all things bad for me. I believe the only thing my New Jersey mom has ever fried was green beans. And I know my New York dad disapproves of these eating habits since I was scolded about 25 times on our recent family vacation for eating cookies. (That's a whole other issue...)

Everyone is passionate about their own type of food. You get near the South though, and that's what you're gonna get. Did you know that Mississippi is the fattest state in the U.S? I can guarantee that they enjoy their share of fried chicken, greens, and mashed potatoes. But before you sit there getting too smug, did you know that Tennessee and Alabama actually tie for 2nd place? That's really sad and it's a good thing I don't live in TN anymore:-)

Anyways, I just felt like sharing my passion for Southern food today. Any new recipes are always appreciated. Just don't tell my dad:-)

Here's a picture from our date night. It was snowing a ton during our dinner in Richmond. Unfortunately when we got back to Chester, it was just rain.

It's That Time Again.. Part II

2011-01-03T20:44:00.002-05:00

I still love New Year's resolutions! They never get old. (Well, never say never. They do get old when my patients tell me they are going to lose weight, start taking their medicine, or stop smoking for the 50th time). I think the organizer in me loves writing in a fresh planner and scheduling fun events for the upcoming year. I think it seems fun and not so stressful at the time. But anyways, in honor of this new year, I thought I'd take a look at last year's resolutions and see how I did:

Previous 2010 Goals:

1. I plan on journaling much much more and also blogging more. My blogging didn't actually start getting bad until the end of the year. Then I realized that nothing seemed important to write about really. But I know that it really helps family and friends keep up with each other so I'm trying reeeeealllllyyyy hard to get back in the swing of things. I've already been working on this post for almost a week so things are not looking up for the blogging world:-)

2. Praying more as a couple. I would consider this a half-way-met goal. I've definitely done a better job at being a more spontaneous prayer warrior but I think we could always all do better in this area. I still would like Adam and I to be able to pray together more.

3. I want white, clean teeth this year!
I did not do anything to this goal last year:-( My teeth are no better than 2009!

4.I look forward to new travel and this year is no different. On tap this year:
- a medical missions trip to Guatemala with Lee University (DONE and definitely life changing!)
- a vacation with the Douglases to the Outer Banks (DONE and very relaxing)
- TN 10 Vacation (possibly also the Outer Banks) (NOT DONE and this makes me very sad! I need my yearly trip with those girls to feel complete. They went to D.C. this year but I was unable to go due to Greece.)
- a hopeful trip to Greece with the Reusses (DONE and the best trip of my life! Everyone needs to go!)
- Short term trips include hopefully going to see my friend Hope and a trip to Nashville and Vegas! (NOT DONE. Mostly spent our weekend trips to see family or for our anniversary. There's always next year.)

5. And of course the infamous "weight control goal". We always get in shape enough to run the 10K and this year we added a 5 mile Mud Run which was so fun! However, once these are done in August, we tend to not challenge our selves quite so much (aka be lazy). Gotta be more consistent...

Now on to this year!

1. Go to sleep by 11pm every night, excluding weekends or days off. My body NEEDS more sleep! Unfortunately I have not met that goal even once this week. It's really hard when you get home at 8pm or later.
2. Cook more meals at home or at least prepare for meals better. I find that when we don't have meals plan, we'll inevitably eat our more. This in turn affects our budget and our waistline:-)
3. Find a new job closer to home. As much as I absolutely LOVE my job and am terrified of change, I NEED to find a new job. I'm so exhausted and now my poor sciatic nerve is acting up from riding in the car so much:-( (pity party here please:-)))
4. Be more consistent to read the Bible and also keeping track of prayer requests somehow. Since I am so organized, I feel as if I get off of track reading or something then I can't ever get back on. I've learned over the years that God doesn't love you when you're just "put together". I've tried the prayer log in the journal but I just can't seem to stick with it. Does anybody else have any suggestions on what works for them? I feel like if I can track my prayers then I'll appreciate God for everything that he does, not just the good stuff.

So cheers to a new start in 2011! I hope that this year is everyone's best yet!

Let's Try This Whole Blogging Thing Again

2010-12-13T15:13:00.003-05:00

Well, it's been a busy couple of months around here considering my last blog post was at the beginning of October. Once you stop blogging, it's incredibly hard to get started again. I just felt like nothing going on was very earth-shattering blog worthy:-) And this post will be nothing exceptional- Just a catch-up:-)

Obviously, it's Christmas time and this has been the hardest year for me EVER to try and get in the Christmas spirit. I think after losing my grandmother in February, I was dreading this holiday because I knew it was going to be emotional and sad. We are going to try our best to make it fun and enjoyable while still honoring Bam, and Adam and I will be heading to TN to share a few days with my parents. Unfortunately I don't get off work until 12/23 and so it will be a very quick weekend visit.

Here are some Reuss Christmas tidbits:
-We decorated our first REAL Christmas tree last weekend and I must say, it's quite beautiful:-) This has been Adam's plea since we got married and since I'm sometimes ridiculously frugal, this was our first one. I'm now not so sure that we will ever go back to a fake one!
-All my Christmas cards (except for a few) are out in the mail today! I absolutely LOVE Christmas cards- giving and receiving!! I seriously think that I start thinking of them in June.
-I managed to start my Christmas shopping this past weekend. (Very late, I know). We had a mini family reunion of my mom's side in Northern VA this weekend and it was so fun! My uncle and his family recently moved from California to this side of the country and we were never able to spend alot of time with them growing up. Now that we're all grown up, it's a blast to hang out together. We spent Friday in D.C. touring the Capitol (thanks to my friend, Jess!), Saturday visiting the Air and Space Museum and shopping, and then Sunday at my uncle's fun church followed by a "Posh Christmas" vendor show where my aunt Jody had a table selling handmade aprons and yummy baked goodies. My goal is to finish my Christmas shopping this week and be able to enjoy Christmas week.
-I had to take my first sick day from work today. I hadn't missed a day in almost 2 years but I felt a throat/fatigue thing coming on yesterday and when I woke up today, I knew that my patients would not want me coming near them. So I called in, slept until 11, and decided to start my Christmas baking tonight. I know everybody gets overloaded with sweets during this time of the year, and I feel like contributing to their weight gain:-) We also received our first snowfall of the year today! I think we maybe got about a 1/2 inch or so but it's stuck and it looks beautiful! Not a bad day to be off work.

So anyways, that's my Christmas update! I will try to do a better job blogging even though nobody probably reads this thing anymore except for my mom and Aunt Barb:-)

Why October Is The Best Month EVER!

2010-10-02T11:47:00.000-04:00

1. Birthdays! These are just a few of the wonderful people that I share a birthday with in October:

2. Cake Decorating Class! I'm in a small group at church and we're s.l.o.w.l.y learning how to decorate cakes:

3. Anniversary! Adam and I will be celebrating our 3rd Anniversary on October 6th. We will be celebrating for a couple of days at this fabulous place:

4. Fall Decor! I actually don't have any fall decor up yet in my house but that is getting done today! Envision a fall wreath, pumpkins on the front step, pumpkin candles burning, new placemats....

5. Halloween! I think I just like the kid's concept of Halloween with the dressing up and the trick-or-treating but as adult, I love all the candy!

6. Pumpkin Spice Lattes, Pumpkin Muffins, Pumpkin Pancakes, Pumpkin Cookies... you name it. If it's got pumpkin, I'm there.

7. Tennessee Football! It's on almost every weekend and nothing screams Fall more than TN Football! Oh, to be back in TN.... Go Vols!

8. Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Obviously, this is a great cause that takes over the entire month of October... but the best part of my month is that I get to wear jeans and my breast cancer t-shirt once a week to work! Jeans at work is always a good thing! (Sorry for the ghastly picture)

9. Fall clothes! Who doesn't love big chunky sweaters, leggings, layers, flats, and orange? Sigh.. It makes me want to go shopping right now. It's a shame that it's always more expensive to shop in the winter!

10. The Time Change! (Well, at least I think it's in October) Who doesn't love an extra hour of sleep? Especially sleeping with the windows open... And since my watch is currently broke and unable to change time, I got a new watch this weekend! (Note to anyways that cares: This is not actual said watch:-))

Life on the Daniel Fast

2010-09-21T13:00:00.000-04:00

Ok, I know you are not supposed to let people know you are fasting of any kind (so sayth the Bible), but this Daniel Fast is really rocking my world! Adam and I chose to do a Daniel Fast after our Greece trip for two reasons: 1. We are specifically praying for some important future decisions and 2. Because we ate like glutenous pigs on our vacation. In a nutshell, you are not allowed to eat meat, breads, sugar, caffeine, preservatives, anything that tastes good, etc. We are 8 days into (out of 21) and
I miss meat.
I miss bread.
I miss sugar.
I really miss caffeine.
I even think I miss preservatives:-0

I am the grouchiest, meanest person in the world. I'm so bitter about the things that I CAN'T have that I'm not even focusing on all the things I CAN have. I have decided that after a fantastic vacation, going on a fast is like torture. Adam is hanging in there as well. He's allowed to have coffee, black, so I think he's a little happier in the mornings, but we're still both a mess. As with most fasts, you spend the time you would be eating/drinking in prayer or a more focused quiet time. Instead, I feel like I am at the grocery store trying to buy something to eat. Not to mention the fact that all that fresh food is expensive! I know alot of people that have done this before and I am certainly open to any and all suggestions! I'm praying also that my attitude turns around...quickly. I know this will benefit us if we stick with it but I don't want to be a jerk for the whole three weeks either.

Content

2010-09-12T08:57:00.000-04:00

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Phil 4:11-13

Today is just one of THOSE days. The good ones that is. The ones where you feel just so utterly content with God and your surroundings that you just feel c.o.n.t.e.n.t. There is really no other word to describe it. These days are definitely too rare and when they occur, I just feel so blessed. We returned from our amazing Grecian vacation (pictures to come) last night and due to the jet lag/time difference, we were both up at 4:30am. We are usually sleepers-til-the-very-last-moment when it comes to mornings but it felt good to get up early this morning. It allowed for a blogging/email check up, laundry, coffee, and a much needed lengthy quiet time. Rita Springer is playing throughout the house, rain is falling outside, and I am so content. Denali is still vacationing with his grandparents in Tennessee and the house is empty right now. This past vacation was really amazing and much-needed. We promised not to discuss the future, our jobs, or anything that required a calendar. My relationship with my husband feels like it is in the strongest phase ever. We are content. For the past 2-3 months, whenever I got stressed about the future, I would just say, "I'll take care of it after Greece" or "Let's think about that after Greece". Now that we are back, it's that time. But today, when I woke up, I didn't feel stressed at all. I just felt content that God is soo with us and everything is going to be good and we are called to be content.

Cornerstone Changes

2010-08-23T21:27:00.000-04:00

The winds of change have definitely been blowing around Cornerstone lately. In mid-July, Pastor Wayne announced that he and Mrs. Diane would be moving to San Jose, California where he will be a missions pastor/church planter at one of his best friend's churches. At the time of the announcement, it felt like we still had a million years to spend with them before they left, and now, BLINK, it's their final week here at Cornerstone. You can't help but feel excited for this next chapter in their lives, but it is so bittersweet. Pastor Wayne is not only Adam's boss (and the best boss he will probably ever have:-)), but him and Diane, whether they wanted it or not, have become unbelievable mentors to us. They are our imaginary "Chester parents" and a large reason that Adam accepted the job up here in the first place. It's also a big loss to the Richmond community, as they have been very strong leaders here for over 22 years. That's considered a very long time to pastor ONE church. My heart also goes out to our friends, Timothy and Jessica, since they are their "real parents" :-). I can't imagine my parents moving across the country and I know that would be hard. These past couple of weeks have been filled with goodbye meals and tearful sermons. It's been meaningful opportunities to show the Mancaris just how much we love them.
But with change, always comes excitement of what's to come. It's very clear that the Lord's hand is upon our church. Last night our church unanimously voted for Pastor Shawn, our associate pastor, to take the job as head pastor. Adam's role won't change, but he'll probably gain some additional responsibilities. And with all this change, I've accepted the job as head lyrical dance pastor. HAHA yeah right! I only WISH there was that position :-)
We leave for our Mediterranean cruise on the Mancari's last Sunday. It'll be weird to come back in a few weeks and everything will be different. But in the famous words of P.Wayne, "How fun!" :-)

The "How Fun" gang at the Dauber Dash

The Greatest In-Laws

2010-08-16T12:40:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to take a quick moment to wish a "Happy 30th Anniversary" to the greatest in-laws ever! I always knew growing up that I had wonderful parents/role models to look up to, but when I met Adam's parents, I really understood that God gave me a double blessing. From the moment I met the Reusses, they loved me and took me in. I consider myself so truly blessed to be able to have loving, Christian in-laws to share my life with. And of course they produced my amazing husband!

To Teri: Thank you for loving both Adam and I unconditionally. I love your enthusiasm for life and your Godly character. I admire your prayer life and I appreciate that you will travel to the ends of the earth for your family. I also thank you for loving me and accepting me wholeheartedly into your family:-)

To Brent: Thank you for being such a Godly example to Adam growing up. I can rest assured that he won't stray from the ways of his upbringing because of the example you gave him. I appreciate you for your organization:-) and also for your hard work. Because of working so hard, you are able to take us to all the cool places that we traveled to as a family.

I love you both so much and of course Adam does too:-) Can't wait to celebrate in Greece in less than 2 weeks!!!

What We've Been Up To

2010-07-30T21:05:00.001-04:00

I've decided that summer time is the worst for trying to keep up with a blog. I just want to be outside all the time! I'll take 100 degree weather ANYDAY over winter. I also realized that I hadn't blogged in so long that my wallpaper had expired. How sad! Anyways, here's some pictures of what we've been up to lately along with a smancy background (just for you, mom!)

A trip to the Outer Banks with this wonderful family

You have no idea how hard this was to do for our family!

Day One at the beach=needed a little bit more of a tan before I hopped in a picture

Relaxing with my favorite sibling and cousins

Denali celebrated his first birthday! Too bad we forgot about it:-)

My latest project around the house: I hung pictures up our naked stairwell and I love it!

I even crashed the Brose family vacation for a little while at VA Beach

King Family Vineyards in Charlottesville with the Reusses

LOVE my in-laws!

A little rock-climbing for the boys

Running around Maymont Park

A visit from my FAVORITE little man, Rader

And of course his mom and dad-- Life long BFF's:-)

Today is consisting of a run (as soon as my husband wakes up), a trip to the river, and a wonderful dinner at Cous Cous. Ahh..life is good:-)

Guatemalan Recap

2010-07-03T18:24:00.000-04:00

Well, I have been avoiding writing my Guatemalan recap for quite some time and the fact that I just finished it and then blogger deleted 2/3 of it does NOT make me a happy blogger:-) It's just always so hard to recap a trip that had so much stuff going on! Or one where every day of your 8-day trip held a different experience. So here is my best attempt (the 2nd time around) at a recap:

The Medicine: Every day we would wake up around 6 or 7 and drive about an hour to some remote city/village. We would set up our clinic in a church or community center and would usually see about 150-200 patients a day for basic primary care medicine. They were really long days, considering we had about 3-4 stations set up with a provider, a translator, and usually about 2 or 3 Lee students. We even had a station with Dr. Veenstra pulling teeth. We saw tons of upper respiratory infections, GI parasites, skin infections, and even some pregnancy checkups (my favorite!) just to name a few. On a sad note, we saw many, many things that we could not cure. There were people that traveled far to have us check out tumors and other life threatening diseases when sadly, the most we could usually do was to give them some ibuprofen and pray with them. I wish we could order bloodwork, imagine studies, and other tests, but we just didn't have the means. That was probably the most frustrating thing about the whole experience. The fact that we couldn't do more for these precious people. That just becasue they lived in a 3rd world country, they didn't have access to the healthcare that our country gives. But that leads me well into my next subject:-)

The Faith: The people of Guatemala had such great faith! I think most of them practiced Catholicism, but everytime we asked a person if he/she knew Christ or believed in Christ they would say yes. If you asked them if they drank alcohol or had sex before marriage, they would look at you like you were crazy! We would always pray with them after we finished giving them medicine and depending on the village that we were in, they would usually cry just at the idea of you wanting to pray with them. That was probably my most favorite part:-) We even had the opportunity to go to a Spanish-speaking church one night. It was so cool to experience Christ in another language!

The People (Lee): The group consisted of about 2 physicans (over the course of 2 weeks), 2 NP's, 2 RN's, a pharm tech, Dr. Veenstra (the Lee teacher/dentist), and about 20 students. Most of the students were pre-med or pre- medical profession. I loved answering all the questions they had about "real life" and NP school and all the stuff that I have done to get where I am now. These kids were so bright and I'm excited to see where they end up in the future. And of course that is possible, since we are all facebook friends now:-)

The Travel: This might have been potentially the worst part of my trip. I really love traveling but I was super scared about traveling to a 3rd world Spanish-speaking country. And rightfully so.... My plane landed Friday night around 9pm. The Lee group was supposed to have landed around 8pm and were to have been waiting for me at the airport. Well they kind of usher you straight out of the airport and into a gated area with about 300 people all waiting to pick up their loved ones from the airport. It was chaos. And there was no Lee group. And I waited and waited and waited. I even had someone come up to me and ask me who I was waiting for and then proceed to tell me that they SAW someone holding a Lee sign up but those people were gone. Then I freaked out. I called Adam from a stranger's cell phone and started crying. Thanks to Teri (who is a travel agent), they let me know that the group had NOT let me but their plane hadn't landed yet! I ended up meeting up with them around 11pm and breathed a HUGE sigh of relief. I traveled out of Guatemala with another lady and her daughter that had to come back early and we thankfully did not have any problems. Next time, I'm learning Spanish.

The Sickness: Of course everyone must get sick when they travel oversees. Hannah Baldwin begs to differ with me:-) Around Tuesday night, it began. The diarrhea/vomiting/grossness of everything. I was up a complete night partaking in all of these glorious things and when I woke up in the morning, I didn't feel much better. Thankfully, we had an off day from clinic so I was able to sleep alot on the bus and walk around doing a little bit of shopping. The worst part might have been the Phenergan shot that I received in the wrong location. I say "in the wrong location", because it hurt sooooo bad going in and here we are 3 weeks later and I still am having pain/numbness in my left hip. I think over the course of the trip, everyone I knew got sick just a little bit. It goes to show that you what kind of conditions these people are living in.

All my pictures are on uploaded on here, so if you want to take a look, check them out:-) When asked if I would go on the trip again, the answer would have to be yes (if I got to take my friends and husband along!) It was an awesome opportunity to get to serve these people with the skills/knowledge that I already had. I would encourage all my medical friends to do something like this at some point!

Huehuetango, WHAT?

2010-06-15T22:56:00.000-04:00

So in 36 hours (ish), I am going to be boarding the plane headed for Guatemala!! Me and students/faculty from Lee University will be heading to Huehuetango, Guatemala for 2 weeks (I'll only be gone 8 days) for a medical mission trip. We'll be roughing it and spreading the love of Jesus through antibiotics:-) What could be better?? Obviously I am super excited. I have so many mixed emotions about this upcoming trip. I love traveling and I love going to new places. I also love the fact that we will be blessing people through the gift of medicine. I have been praying for an opportunity like this for a while and I really believe the Lord laid it right in my lap. I know He wants me going. Buuuuttttttt.... on the other hand, I'm EXTREMELY nervous. 1. I will be traveling by my self to a third world country to meet the rest of the group down there. 2. I don't really know anyone else going (sans the 2 teachers I know). 3.. I'm very nervous that I'm not going to be able to properly treat the people down there. My specialty at work is Women's Health and we're going to be doing alot of primary care. 4.. There is always the risk of volcanoes/hurricanes. And I think those are all pretty legitimate fears. But I know God is going to do some great things while we're down there. I'm praying and trusting that He is going to take care of us the entire time. I can't wait to come back and share!

Glimpses of Bam

2010-06-08T22:27:00.000-04:00

Today would have been my grandmother's 82nd birthday. Thankfully, I'm surrounded by glimpses of her everyday.

This was a chair in her living room. We had it recovered and picked it up in Cleveland last weekend. It fits perfectly in our corner and reminds me of her everytime I sit in it.

This is one of the random pieces of jewelry I picked out of Bam's jewelry box. It was probably a gift from a child or grandchild in the family, but whenever I wear it, I think of her.

This was a 50th Anniversary Party that we celebrated for Bam and Doda's best friends, Uncle Tony & Aunt Yvonne. Aunt Yvonne and Bam literally saw/talked to each other every single day. Seeing her last weekend really reminded me of Bam and how much she cherished her friendships. I hope that I can be that way too at 81:-)

I think about calling Bam often. I wanted to go see her the last time we were in Cleveland. I see cards in the store that I want to send to her. I hate that I'm going to have to wait until heaven to see her smiling face or hold her hands again. Happy 82nd Birthday, Bam! I miss you every single day. We all do...

Life with a Nosering

2010-06-04T12:43:00.000-04:00

This blog is in honor of the fact that I can finally change my nosering out. As with any piercings, you have to leave the large stud that they pierce you with in for at least 2 months before you can switch it out. It's been 3 months since I've gotten it done, but I'm a slacker and haven't had a chance to get to the store. Anyways, life with a nosering (or a "nosestud" as my mother likes to remind me) has been interesting to say the least. Most people are receptive to it, but a large chunk of my beloved hate it. I personally am still enjoying it. Here are the most common questions/responses I've gotten:

Why would you do this to your beautiful face? Oh this is definitely my favorite question. Why did I do it? Well to be honest, I don't know. I think I just needed a little spontaneity in my life when everyone around me was having children. I think I just regressed a little bit. I had always thought they were cute on other people and I had been thinking about it for a couple of months. Plus, people don't think twice about it here in Virginia... not so in TN:-)

What did your husband say? He loves it and he went with me to get it. He says that he has a "cool" wife. I wouldn't go that far, but it goes with the whole youth pastor role I guess. Obviously he's the one that has to look at it the most so if he wasn't a fan, I wouldn't haven't gotten it done.

Did it hurt? I used to say "no" confidently. The actual process of getting it done really didn't. I got it done at a super-sketch tatoo shop (probably would have picked a different place if I got it done again:-)) and the guy with 18 piercings in his face told me it would feel like I got kicked in the face with a dodgeball. Luckily, that has happened twice to me and the dodgeball hurt waaaay worse than this. And it was over in like 2 seconds. However, the first time I changed it out, I wanted to cry because it hurt so bad. So I guess it's a yes and a no answer.

People have even been so rude as to say, "What's on your face"? My response is to look closely and you'll figure it out.

What did your pastor say? Seriously? My pastor could care less. And I'm pretty sure he's going to love me with or without a nosering. The kids in the youthgroup tend to like it so that's gotta be good for the numbers, right? (just kidding about the numbers!)

What did your boss say? She didn't even notice for the first week. Then she asked me if it was new and she said it was "pretty". Her daughter stopped in the office to say hi and then the following week told her mom (my boss) how much she loved my nosering and how she wanted to get one. She is in college, but I'm thinking Dr. Hines probably wasn't too keen on that happening. Some of my patients even noticed too. Most of the older ladies probably are thinking I have no clue what I'm doing when it comes to taking care of them. I did have an instance when a patient was being seen for a miscarriage and all her insensitive/redneck mother could talk about was how much she loved my nosering.

Don't they make smaller ones? Yes, they do, and I now have a smaller one in. I got the smallest one you could get when they pierced it. Thank you, Shauna:-)

Overall,one thing that I've learned is that you really have to love what you do to your body. I'm happy with it for now. It's not permanent and it's not a tatoo. It'll probably come out in a year or so. Comments are hurtful so it's best to just not say anything if you can't stand it.

A Happy Apple Family

2010-05-23T17:56:00.000-04:00

This week was a good week in the Reuss household. Our new MacBook arrived! This had been a battle of sorts in our household due to my old computer's EXTREME inadequacy and Adam now might be the happiest guy in the world because he can simply open 4 windows at a time on a computer if he wants to and not have to keep the power cord plugged in all at times. When you get married, you obviously have to merge all sorts of fun things. The computer is one of those things. Adam brought to the table a lovely Dell while I brought in the coveted 2005 iBook. But sadly, it's 2010 now. And if you do the math, 5 years in computer world is a very. long. time. Now what made us wait until we were at the point of this frusteration? Apple pride. With the recent popularity of iPhones and iPads and everything else that Apple is creating, I wanted to be a trendsetter in the Apple world with my 2005 computer (keep in mind, I was totally just a follower 5 years ago). I didn't want people to think I was just hopping on the trend train with this latest purchase. But I totally am and it's fantastic:-) Adam and I are perfectly satisfied with our phones and computers and now I might actually be able to blog in a reasonable fashion without cursing 50% of the time:-) Not to mention Macs are very pretty to look at:-)

Is it Lee Day?

2010-05-18T20:52:00.000-04:00

For the past 2 weekends, Adam and I have been slaves to yardwork. Thankfully, when we moved in to our 15 year-old home, it didn't need any immediate massive renovations, just some cosmetic changes. Well almost 2 years later, we are getting around to the outside! I am not what you call, "A Green Thumb" :-). I tend to kill every living flower/plant within a couple of months, through no fault of my own:-) If you remember, our garden crashed so badly last year that we never ate any of our produce. So Adam and I headed to Lowes and stocked up on flowers, weed killer, grass seed, tools and 4 truckfuls of mulch (not from Lowes). Remember how at Lee they would always put down fresh mulch on Lee Day and Homecoming? That's how it smells around here and I love it! We planted lots of things that I really can't remember the name of....except hydrangeas! I have a vision of a huge hydrangea bush where I can go outside and pick fresh bouquets for my table:-) We didn't do anything dramatic, but we were proud of ourselves. Trust me, if I had a lot more money, this place would be looking freakin awesome. Now here's the problem: The daisy-looking-flowers have only officially been in the ground less than 2 weeks and some of them are already dying! They've been watered, topsoiled, weeded, everything! Any suggestions?

Adam has also said that neighbors just aren't as friendly in Virginia as they are anywhere else he's lived. We actually hang out with our immediate neighbors, but in 2 weekends that we spent in our front yard, we have had every single neighbor within a 2 house radius stopped by to say hi. We also have awesome neighbors across the street that have loaned us any tool we ever needed (including their mildly autistic son who has joined us for hours upon end!). It's great!

Before and After Pictures of Everything:

This is after we painted/replaced siding on our house last summer

The 18 bags of leaves I bagged

Befores:

Afters: (I realize it doesn't look like a whole lot on pictures but I promise it is!!)

Adam's buddy, Matthew, just helping out

How our neighbor decided to increase the resale value of the neighborhood:

My Youth Pastor is Youthtastic

2010-05-05T23:09:00.001-04:00

So I'm sure every single one of you out there has read the blog, "Stuff Christians Like". It's absolutely hysterical and whenever you read it, you find yourself secretly agreeing with every single point this guy makes. So when my husband showed up with a mohawk last week, I decided he needs a blog dedicated to being a youth pastor. Since I'm nowhere as creative, I thought I'd just go ahead and recopy this onto my blog. Half my friends are married to youth pastors and the other half grew up in youth groups, so I thought you might get a laugh.
(Beware, it's kinda long. The bolded ones are my favorite)

#747.
I owe you all an apology.
I’ve been so focused on detailing and chronicling what we call the “Metrosexual Worship Leader” that I’ve effectively ignored an equally exciting species of church employee – the Youth Minister. Today, I want to make up for that.

Below you will find more than 100 statements about youth ministers. I encourage you to score your youth minister. More than that, I encourage you to email this or tweet this or facebook this to your youth minister. Together, we’ll give the fascinating creature known as the “youth minister” the attention they deserve.

The Youth Minister Scorecard.

1. Has at any point made one of the students cry because they are so competitive in the sports. = +2 points

2. Always stacks the team they are on in any games they play. = +1 point

3. Drives a car a church member sold them for $1. = +1 point (Tammy Two Tone might as well be)

4. They think burping is gross. = – 2 points (Oh, the complete opposite)

5. They can burp the entire five points of Calvinism. = +10 points

6. They are awesome at Frisbee golf = +1 point

7. They are awesome at Ultimate Frisbee. = +2 points

8. Their toddler can throw a Frisbee farther than you can. = +3 points

9. They know how to fix the youth group van when it breaks down on the side of the road. = +2 points

10. They’ve had a “talking to” from the elders. = +2 points per each talking to

11. They have a goatee. = +1 point (Or a mustache, or a fumanchu or however you spell it)

12. They are professionals at pulling off epic pranks. = +1 point

13. There are still three counties your youth group is not allowed back into after one of those epic pranks. = +2 points

14. They work at another job because they love the youth but can’t afford to live on the salary the church pays. = +100 points Not true but so sad!

15. They are just using the youth minister job as a stepping stone to being a senior pastor. = -100 points Thankfully, no.

16. They have a baldhawk haircut. = -3 points

17. They have rapped at youth group before. = +1 point

18. They have rapped at “big church” before = +2 points

19. They are no longer invited to big church. = +3 points

20. They are known to regularly cheat at youth group games because they want to win. = +2 points

21. They refuse to use “youth slang” like “Phat” because that’s just not how they talk even if the “kids are all doing it.” = +2 points

22. They have been known to wear fanny packs on mission trips. = -3 points

23. They are willing to call “fake” on the camper who always sprains their ankle to get out of helping clean up the cabin. = +3 points Or the youth that claimed her tampon went through her stomach when she jumped off the dock.

24. They are so hyperactive you think their blood type might be “5 Hour Energy Drink.” = +3 points

25. They refuse to let college kids come back and hang out awkwardly in the senior high youth group, much like that college sophomore that went to the prom. = +4 points

26. They have been known to toilet paper houses. = +1 point Or there wife has been known to...

27. In their hands, toilet paper is like a paintbrush in Michaelangelo’s hands. The texture and rhythm of what they can do with two ply is breathtaking. = +3 points

28. They once made someone pee in a Mountain Dew bottle because they didn’t want to stop during a road trip. = +3 points

29. They are the church’s version of a centaur, half youth minister/half worship leader and know how to play acoustic guitar. = +2 points

30. Often tells you that they “married up.” = +1 point

31. Often tells you how “hott” their wife is. = +2 points

32. Is single and often gets set up on awkward dates by church members. = +2 points for each date

33. Once convinced the church to pay for an official youth group event that may have involved going to a U2 concert. = +15 points

34. Justifies iPad purchase as “something I need because a lot of my students have one.” = +3 points

35. Has eaten a live goldfish as part of a sermon illustration. = +2 points Or a cricket:-)

36. Is currently writing me an angry email about “goldfish rights” = – 10 points

37. Dresses 12 years younger than their actual age. = -2 points

38. Willing to fit 10 kids in their 2002 Honda Accord if it means they’re coming to youth group. = +1 point for each kid

39. Named youth group something extreme. = +2 points We went from GetEpic to CJ7

40. The extreme name starts with a lowercase “i,” e.g. “iExperience” or “iYouth.” = +3 points.

41. The extreme name contains a capital X, e.g. “Xkids” or “Xfactor.” = +4 points

42. Is regularly offering to shave their head if the students accomplish certain goals. = +2 points.

43. Designed a cool youth group room at church, complete with working traffic light, a booth from a coffee shop and a mural. = +3 points

44. Has more toys in their office than Michael Scott of the Office. = +1 point for each toy.

45. 80% of their wardrobe consists of free t-shirts from camps and conferences. = +1 point

46. Had to explain to church elders that a summer mission trip is not the same thing as a vacation. = +2 points

47. Is on a first-name basis with the people at the laser tag arena or local skate park = +2 points

48. Has popped and repaired a “jumpy thing” before. = +3 points

49. Has been known to take students off-roading in knee deep mud in a church van on the way to camp = +3 points

50. Was in a hardcore band that caused no small degree of musical ruckus before “settling down” in the ministry. = +2 points (haha, I think of Brandon Baldwin)

51. Has a tattoo and explains that if you look at it in the right light, it has deeper meaning as a witnessing tool. = +3 points

52. Tells youth group that the Psalms are kind of emo. = +1 point

53. Has referred to our Lord and Savior as “This Jesus guy” or “Big Dude” on multiple occasions. = +2 points

54. Their refrigerator at home is full of leftovers from youth group events. = +1 point ... Mostly hot dogs and baked spagetti

55. Can easily distinguish Dr. Pepper from Dr. Thunder in a blind taste test. = +1 point

56. Has full knowledge of all the names of Target and Sams Club knock off sodas. = +2 points

57. Has ever purchased “sandwich cremes” instead of Oreos. = +3 points

58. Regularly rocks an oversize backpack or satchel bag with sewn-on patches. = +2 points Adam has about 5

59. Proactively shaved his head to hide the fact that he is going bald. = +2 points

60. Convinces the kids in his youth group that children’s shows like veggie tales or 3,2,1, penguins are actually cool so he can simultaneously hold a youth event and entertain his own children. = +3 points

61. Has ever placed a slip n’ slide inside the church building. = +3 points

62. Believes that most of life’s problems can be solved with a well run car wash fundraising event. = +3 points

63. Staged a successful, “Get this church a Wii” campaign. = +1 point

64. Has been known to keep tabs on the students by spying on their facebook statuses. = Not sure about this one. (I tend to take on that role)

65. Often confused for a student since they look so young. = +2 points

66. Was ever at a restaurant having a beer with his family when he saw a student, felt incredibly awkward and then slid the beer toward his wife as if it were her’s. = +3 points

67. Still making Chuck Norris jokes. = – 2 points

68. Devotes an entire month to talking about sex and abstinence. +2

69. Also uses luggage to demonstrate sexual “baggage” in this same lesson. = +7 points

70. Had to hold a serious conversation with his students during which he explained why they had to retire the phrase, “that’s what she said.” = +2 points

71. Is a girl and constantly rages against the perception that only boys can be youth ministers. = +2 points

72. Has some sort of other worldly sense that alerts them whenever someone sneaks out and breaks curfew during a retreat. = +3 points

73. Believes no youth retreat is complete without a “fear factor” session, complete with habanero peppers and beef & peas baby food. = +3 points

74. Requires that all movies watched on youth group van be motivational sports movies, like Rudy, Remember the Titans, and the Sandlot. = +1 point

75. Wakes up at 4:30 am on youth retreats and runs down the halls singing “Rise and shine, and Give God the glory glory” at the top of his lungs while banging on doors to wake everyone up: = +10 points

76. Has a sense, like Spiderman, whenever two kids are “making purple” at camp. = +1 point (Once again, the wife.)

77. Will interrupt kids making purple with a rain of water balloons. = +2 points

78. Bought every student a copy of the Stuff Christians Like book. = +100 points

79. Will kill you at Guitar Hero. = +2 points

80. Owns Justin Bieber CD because it helps them relate to students, but secretly loves it. = +2 points

81. Owns their own megaphone. = +2 points

82. Is no longer allowed to hold “Youth Sunday” after that unfortunate “mongoose incident.” = +3 points

83. Considers any game that does not end with at least one person vomiting to be a personal failure. = +2 points

84. Knows the value and importance of the liability forms they make kids sign before any event. = +2 points

85. Often has the fire department involved whenever they hold a lock in event at the church. = +3 points

86. Has the teenagers volunteer in the screaming baby nursery as a way to encourage abstinence. = +3 points !!!!!!!!!

87. Is willing to sew your stitches for you. Seriously, I’ll do it dude. = +3 points

88. Regularly holds some sort of mustache growing event. = +2 points

89. Happens to be a girl, but still insists on participating in the mustache event. = +weird

90. Has a “parents voice” that is about three octaves lower and slower whenever he has to talk to adults.

91. Tries, unsuccessfully, to turn cleaning up the youth room into a fun game! = -2 points

92. Has a map, much like the Marauder’s Map in Harry Potter, of all the popular makeout spots that kids try to hide at camp = +3 points

93. Believes that when it comes to youth group events, it’s always better to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission from the Senior Pastor. = +3 points Adam probably says this about 3x a week

94. Overuses the fog machine, turning every event into a smoky, pineapple flavored haunted moor. = -3 points

95. Has ever said the phrase, “If it was illegal, there’d be a sign telling us not to do it.” = +3 points

96. Found a way to get the youth group room outfitted with a better sound system than the sanctuary. = +2 points

97. Tweets more than Jon Acuff. = +3 points

98. Owns a skateboard or snowboard. = +2 points

99. Had to sign a legally binding document with the church administration that they would not go near the baptismal again. = +3 points

100. Turns any youth group trip to a restaurant into an eating contest. = +3 points

101. Knows how to multiply cheap pizza almost as well as Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish. = +3 points

102. Buys shaving cream and marshmallows in bulk at Costco. = +3 points

103. Is often asked by parents, “What do you do all week?” = +3 points He gets asked all the time!!!

104. Once sustained a wrist sprain during a foosball game. = +3 points

105. Ruined their cellphone when they were throw into a pool/lake/crick by the students. = +3 points

106. Prior to joining the church staff, the office they have was called by it’s correct name, “Closet.” = +3 points

107. Does more things with Duct tape than McGuyver. = +2 points

108. Has ever accidentally left a youth at a rest stop while on a road trip. = +1 point

109. Had someone in the church ask, “Do you think someday you’ll want to be a ‘real’ minister?” = +10 points Always a favorite:-)

110. Insists on regularly doing a Song of Solomon/True Love Waits medley message. = +2 points

111. Often reminds girls in the group that, “the butt is not a billboard.” = +2 points

112. Has swam in the church fountain. = +2 points

113. Owns all the Nooma videos. = +3 points

114. Owns a Nerf gun that is so big they had to register it with the state. = +3 points

Did you add up your score? What does your total mean? Here is the breakdown:

0-10 Points: Temporary Help

You’re not a youth minister. You’re a random person at church that was temporarily asked to help out with the students. You actually kind of don’t like teenagers and are counting the days until they hire someone full time.

11 – 30 Points: Amateur Hour

You wouldn’t know how to lob a roll of toilet paper in a perfect tree covering arc if it came up and bit you. You think Lady Gaga is the sister of Lady Antebellum and your car is way to nice to be owned by a youth minister.

31 – 50 Points: Minor Leagues

Now we’re talking. You’ve been to a Skillet concert or two. This isn’t your first goatee (unless you’re a lady.) You know the joys of discount pizza and off brand sodas. Congrats, you’re in the minor leagues of youth ministry.

51+ Points: Legend

Seminaries have classes dedicated to your escapades. Your work on the Johnson house in 2008 is still discussed at the Charmin factory headquarters. You’ve put so many kids in your car it made Circus clown cars seem lazy. You are a legend my friend. You will go down in the Youth Minister Hall of Fame. (Which I made up for this post but would probably be in Ohio if I had to guess.)

How did your youth minister score? How did you score? Hopefully high. (Only time that sentence can be said about youth ministers and be positive.) Big shout out to all the readers who contributed to this list. There were dozens of folks.

Addendum

2010-04-26T22:07:00.000-04:00

So I think I owe a little apology to all my faithful blog followers out there. Apparently I was being slightly dramatical with my last blog post and worried all my loving family and friends into a frenzy. Adam kindly pointed out that maybe my journal would be the best place to write those crazy thoughts down. And I think I have to agree with him. We had a really great weekend in Cleveland with some of the Juniors/Seniors from church and on Saturday we went up to the Ocoee River for some much needed quiet time. It was absolutely beautiful sitting on the porch in the rocking chairs watching the rain fall into the river. While I didn't get a clear direct answer about the things I was/am struggling with, it felt wonderful getting away from everything for a little while. So I'm really sorry for being so distraught with the last post but I'm so thankful for great friends and family who love me no matter what:-)

One of Those Weeks

2010-04-21T23:02:00.000-04:00

This has been one of those weeks. One where your mind constantly thinks, envisions, plans, and analyzes everything to the point of exhaustion. It's the kind of week where your husband walks in the house to find you sobbing on the couch. It's the week where you want to have everyone else's life except your own. It's one of those weeks where strangers ask you how you are and you just want to go into detail. It's one of those weeks. I wish I could be open and transparent to everyone. I wish I could walk around with my heart on my sleeve. I wish I could scream. And frankly, I wish I could talk in a non-raspy voice and quit coughing up my lungs. And sometimes I wish we could live our lives according to our own will and desires (even though I KNOW that would not be the best plan).

Unfortunately, God isn't quite having that right now.

But I trust Him.

I trust God so much with my life. With Adam's life. Even with Denali's life:-)

I know that things aren't ideal right now. And I know that God works in seasons. So seasons change, right? They HAVE to change. I'm waiting for that change. So if you read this and feel like having some compassion on a friend, say a little prayer that God will speak to me clearly through this oh-so-frustrating time. Thanks.

Southern Longing

2010-04-12T17:52:00.000-04:00

Usually when springtime comes along, so does my longing to be in the south again. And please don't argue with me- Virginia is NOT the south:-) We always tend to visit Adam's parents in Charlotte, NC during the most absolutely gorgeous weekends possible. The weather is always perfect and we always leave feeling refreshed, relaxed......and not wanting to come back to Virginia. So was the case this past weekend. We started off our journey Thursday night with a refreshing trip to Bojangles. We decided that for best results, Bojangles should only be consumed in North Carolina or Tennessee. Now, please don't judge me on this one- I haven't had friend chicken and french fries in over a month due to my new cholesterol regimen. This was just my little reward for absolutely nothing:-) On Friday, we were able to share lunch with a few of Adam's friends and then spent Friday night hanging out with LeeAnna and Justin, who have now lived in Charlotte about 6 months. Most of our time Saturday was spent either eating or shopping, where I was constantly reminded of the south with the southern blondes trying to sell me things I couldn't afford in the boutiques or being overwhelmed with NC State paraphernalia at Dicks Sporting Goods. I got the "official" Charlotte city-tour by Brent and Teri and saw little glimpses of where Adam grew up. I also saw some of the largest/most massive homes in the downtown "old money" section. It is there that I decided that there is absolutely no way these people need this much of a house. (Well, unless they have 15 kids.. and then I will give them a large house). While driving, I saw one of these aforementioned large homes with a "Moving Sale" sign inside. I really HATE yard sales and all things antique-y but I persuaded everyone to stop. We enter into a grimy old house that has been divided into apartments and this "Moving Sale" is really just a scary old lady trying to sell crap (there is no better word to describe it) out of her home. She told us to just look around and anything was up for grabs. We survived... but barely. We had dinner with Adam's parents Saturday night and then headed home sadly. Abby and I used to call this type of experience "Post Party Depression". It happens when you are either traveling and you have to head home or are hosting guests and everyone leaves. Either way, it's not a fun time. I'm looking forward to summer trips that can't come soon enough!

Time Is Tickin Away

2010-04-07T22:45:00.000-04:00

.....tick tick tickin away. Who can name remember that wonderful DC Talk song?

Unfortunately, DC talk flashbacks are not the highlight of my blog post tonight. TIME is (or the lack thereof). The cover of Real Simple this month has in big bold letters, "More Time For You'. How glorious and appealing that sounds! Too bad I don't actually have time to sit down and read about how to give me more time. And I know I'm totally not alone. Our church did a big series of Sabbatizing (aka: taking a Sabbath) and it totally hit on the fact that society makes us feel as if we are not worthy human beings if we are not constantly doing something. Heaven forbid that you just come home from work one night and sit, watch TV, and go to bed by 9pm. We did well for a little while; making sure that we took a couple of nights out of the week to relax and have "family time", but we've slowly gone back into our old habits. My main question for you is

"Is it always going to be like this????"

Is there ever going to be a morning when you wake up and don't immediately want to go back to sleep because you are so exhausted?
Is there ever going to be a morning (or evening) when you feel like you got a quality quiet time with God?
Will my dog ever got a decent walk that lasts more than a mile?
Will I ever be on time or even EARLY for an event?

I mean, I'm going crazy here and I only have Adam and I to take care of:-) I can't imagine throwing an entire family into this chaos.

I realize that I can fix this however with a few simple steps.
1. My hairdresser is going to come over every morning and help me get ready for work. Megan does fabulous hair:-)
2. My breakfast, lunch, and dinner are going to be cooked by my own celebrity chef who has a specialty for low-cholesterol dishes.
3. For job transportation, I will either take a commuter van or hire a personal driver. This will give me an extra 2 1/2 hours/day to catch up on emails, read a book, or catch up on sleep. That might be the most glorious life ever.
4. At night, since I won't be exhausted from my drive and I won't have to cook, I'll be free to actually hang out (not just on the weekend), exercise, or walk the dog (if the dog sitter hasn't already done it for the day).

And while I'm at it, I'm going to extend my 2 weeks/year vacation plan to at least 2 months/year. Who's brilliant idea was it anyways to only give someone 2 weeks off out of a total of 52?

So anyways, that's my perfect life:-) Right now I actually do have time to blog since Adam is studying for his credentialing license for the Assemblies of God church. He takes a nice big test tomorrow morning and if he passes, his new name will be Reverend Adam Michael Reuss. haha. hilarious.

Hardwood Help!

2010-03-31T13:18:00.000-04:00

I know this is a weird request, but does anyone have a good suggestion for cleaning hardwood floors? Some people tell you to only use water, some say don't use water, and some say to only use a special hardwood floor cleaner. I'm so confused and my floor is in desperate need of a good spring cleaning! Any suggestions are appreciated!!

The Last Word

2010-03-25T12:53:00.000-04:00

This week was one of those weeks where the first thing I think about when I wake up is, "Where should I get my coffee from today?". I'm truly not THAT much of a coffee drinker, I'd say about 3 cups/week. And when Adam gets up in the mornings with me, he does usually make a mean cup of java for me. Well he had small group bright and early this morning and I was running late for work as usual. So for my hour-long car ride to work, I kept thinking about how the ladies in the office make like 15 pots/days and I have one of those gigantic Coffeemate flavored creamers in the fridge (Vanilla Caramel to be exact:-)). So when I go to the fridge, imagine my surprise when my precious vanilla caramel is gone. Now, this has happened before, but the other lady who finished off the bottle actually told me so I could buy some more. Now I buy the big ones for the office for a purpose. Because I only use like 1/8th of the whole thing and I don't mind sharing. But I like for there to be actually be some left for me when it's time for me to use it! So what do I do? I take the other creamer that belongs to someone else (and who I am almost 100% sure is my caramel vanilla thief). It just so happens to be the end of her bottle and so I finish it up and put it back in the fridge. empty.
Now why did I do that? Because I wanted to make a silly childish statement for nothing other than personal satisfaction and having the last word. Adam came across a similiar situation last week when a guy on Mountain Trader emailed him and told him he was asking to much for these used boots he was trying to sell. Adam wrote a lovely email back with smart alec response, basically to only have the last word. Don't worry, he very much regrets it and has since repented of it:-) What is the big deal in our society that it's so important to have the last word? So anyways,the empty coffeemate container is still in the fridge (and I really do smile when I think about it:-)) but we're trying to do better about having the last word. Today was just a stepback:-)

Wicked Weekend

2010-03-23T21:07:00.000-04:00

I love girl time! I'm so thankful and appreciative that my mom and Abby each made the long haul to Virginia this past weekend for "Girls Weekend" as Adam so lovingly referred to. He had to go up to Northern VA for a class so it left the girls to do our thing. Here's a weekend recap: Thursday night, mom and Abby arrived safely. We hung out at the house, I cooked a mexican fiesta, and everyone (excluding me, cause I could care less:-)) watched March Madness basektball.

Denali greeting everyone! Props to Abby for putting up with him the whole weekend:-)

Friday we headed to Williamsburg for some outlet shopping and a yummy dinnner at the Blue Talon Bistro. For some strange reason, we had HORRIBLE waiters all weekend. No one wanted to ever bring us bread! Does this say something about us???

And oh yeah, I got a nosering about a week ago:-) Mom refuses to call it a nosering. She prefers "nose stud".

Saturday consisted of a filling breakfast at Cracker Barrell, Target, and relaxing before the big night! We had Wicked tickets for the Landmark Theatre at 8pm, however we ALMOST missed it due to our SLOW service at Europa. Seriously people, we tip good if you deserve it! We raced to the theatre, with my out-of-town cousin driving the wrong direction down Cary St., with my mom tripping up the steps at the theatre, and sat down with 3 minutes before the show started. Panting and sweating all the way. Wicked was FABULOUS and I'm so happy the show came to Richmond!

Mom and Abby had to get up early Sunday morning for the drive, but it was so nice to have a piece of Cleveland up here in Virginia. Visitors are welcome anytime!

What Did We Do???

2010-03-12T15:43:00.000-05:00

Denali is officially 8 1/2 months old and has never had a haircut. I've never owned a dog before that needed actually grooming, but apparently long-haired dogs need that or they end up with looking like a hippie with dreadlocks. After we kept finding mats in his hair, we knew it was time for the big day. We scheduled an appointment today and just picked him up from his new 'do'...

....And we didn't even know it was our dog. Adam and I were both speechless when they brought him out. (And NOT in a good way!) We had specifically told them we didn't want him to look like a poodle... and out prances a poodle. I actually cried when I got in the car. Our car ride home was pretty much silent, except for the occasional, "Well, I could just trim him up around the mouth" or "Keep smiling, dogs can sense feelings" or "I CAN'T BELIEVE we paid this much for THIS?". Adam made me promise that I wouldn't do any snipping/touch ups today. Here's the before picture:

And the after picture:

We honestly don't mind the back of him so much because his hair is incredibly soft and hopefully this will cut down on the shedding. But the front is outta control!! We were almost embarrassed to get him out of the car because we thought the neighbors would see! I can't wait for it to grow out again. Also, this has been such a eventful week for Denali. He graduated from dog school, FINALLY! This was an 8- week course we started Dog Lover's Obedience School back in November and we're just NOW finishing. Due to snow, holidays, and funerals, 20 weeks later, we're finally done. Tomorrow, he is getting neutered. Can we make our dog any more girlier in one weekend?? It's gotta be too much for the precious thing to take:-)

Millionaire Matchmaker

2010-03-05T13:13:00.000-05:00

Since Adam and I don't have cable and fancy things like TiVo:-), my mind is usually spared of all the ridiculousness that comes along with cable television. That is, unless I am running. I don't enjoy running outside.... give me a treadmill with a TV 2 feet in front of my face and I can usually go for miles. And since we normally do most of our running in the wee hours of the night, the really "good stuff" is on. Lately I've been hooked on a show on Bravo called "Millionaire Matchmaker".

Quality, huh? This lady's purpose is to hook millionaires up with people that are looking to marry into money (Now, they don't actually come out and say that but let's be honest). And call me gullible, but I actually thought Patti had some morals since she doesn't believe in living with boyfriends before marriage and no "relations" on the first date. The other night they featured a 40-something millionaire who kinda looked like George Castanza off of Seinfeld. He was the nicest guy and I was so impressed when he asked his flight-attendant date about her religion 3 minutes into their dinner date. He was very adamant with Patti that he couldn't date anybody that wasn't a Christian. HOWEVER, he also wouldn't deny that he wouldn't have "relations" before marriage. (That drives me crazy on a whole different level!) In the end, the lady was Jewish and that was a big dealbreaker for Castanza. Patti the matchmaker was quoted later saying "I think it's sad that religion has to be a dealbreaker for so many relationships today". Oh, Patti, you really do know your stuff, don't you?

On a completely different note-- has anybody else seen the OnStar commercial (also seen while I was on the treadmill) about a stolen vehicle. It takes place on I-95 S right in downtown Chattanooga! A little representation of home:-).

So Here Goes

2010-02-25T13:35:00.000-05:00

I guess it's about time to blog about the past couple of weeks in my life. I know a blog doesn't have to be super peppy all the time so I'm keeping real once again. After my last post asking for prayer for Bam, I guess things went downhill quickly. The Friday of Valentine's weekend was the last time she was really coherent and thankfully all of my dad's siblings were with her. By Sunday, she had gone into a deep unarousable state and on Monday at 2:20 pm, she had passed away. It just seemed strangly quick since we had been home 3 weeks prior and she was up and moving around. We think she just kinda made up her mind that she was tired of the pain and ready to go home.
Adam and I went home for the funeral this past weekend and it was an extremely emotional time for everyone. We have a pretty close extended family and everyone was there. We were showered and blessed by so many friends with flowers and food the entire week. (I think at this point, I am trying to keep 5 different arrangements alive in my house:-)) [Also on a sidenote: These are the moments when you're on the other side and you realize what it really means to have have a meal cooked for you or a note to say you're thinking of someone. It makes you want to do kind things more often]. Bam was buried Friday morning on a GORGEOUS sunny morning at the National Cemetery in the same plot with my grandfather, Doda.
Since this is kind of like an online journal for me, I've decided to copy some of the words I shared from Bam's funeral. I'd like to be able to look back and read it when I miss her. It's been hard getting back to the "routine" things in life. Life goes on all around you, even if you're grieving on the inside./ My heart hurts for my parents now who have to deal hardest with the empty hole and empty house that was left behind. I'm trying to remember that "things" are not how you remember a person, but the memories.

So here goes:
This past Monday, I lost not only an amazing grandmother, but a best friend. Since I was one of the lucky grandchildren that lived in town, I can only think of a few moments or life events that didn’t include Bam. Without fail, she was present at every recital, graduation, prom, tennis match, birthday, holiday, new home, and wedding.

Growing up, I spent my afternoons after school with Bam. And still to this day, no one can figure out where I came up with the names “Bam” and “Doda”. One of my favorite memories is when Bam and I would walk down to M&M Mars to meet Doda on his way home from work every day. I would play “salon” with her hair and give her hair massages using every single washcloth in the house.. and she would feed me baconJHer and Doda took me on a trip to Disney World and we would always laugh at how the cops pulled them over thinking they weren’t making me wear my seatbelt. She would let me sip on her wine (even when I was completely underage) and try on her engagement ring. I helped decorate many Christmas trees and help finish puzzles. My favorite would be when she would watch me play tennis for 2 hours and not know if I had won or lostJ She always had a way of making you feel special and were the “favorite” grandchild.

Bam truly lived up to her motto, “Live, Laugh, Love”. Everyone loved her who met her and I often had friends comment on how jealous they were of my relationship with my grandmother. She had one of the most contagious spirits about her. She was beautiful, poised, graceful and remained fashionable throughout time. Everything in life was always “so wonderful”. She was generous and kind to everyone.

Throughout the last year of her life, we were able to share some of the most intimate moments together where she shared that she was ready to go home. I miss her already and know that I will continue to miss her for a very long time to come. However, Bam left us all an incredible legacy and I know that she is now rejoicing in Heaven. “And God shall wipe away tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain”. We can be reassured with these words, but Bam, we will miss you dearly.

Things I Hate Talking About

2010-02-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

I really don't enjoy putting sad or depressing things on my blog, but I just felt like I should share the latest with what's going on with Bam. Christmas was great getting to spend lots of time with the family but it was extremely evident that Bam was not feeling like her usual self. Over the past few weeks, from what I'm hearing from my mom and dad, she has spent a large amount of time sleeping and in a significant amount of pain. They have set up a Hospice nurse and a "sitter" to be with her while my mom, dad, aunt and uncle are rotating nights. It's especially tough to grasp this situation, especially being 8 hours away, but I still trust in God that He will be with her and take care of my Bam. They have switched her pain meds and along with Hospice, I hope she can be comfortable. As always, we appreciate prayers because that's the only thing we can do.

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze... Since you are precious and honored in my site, and because I love you". Isaiah 43:2,4a.

8 inches, baby!

2010-01-30T23:25:00.000-05:00

So this is what our welcomed snow day consisted of:
Breakfast of cinnamon rolls and coffee: 12:15pm
Watching 2 episodes of 24: 1-3
Chores/Home Improvenment activities: 4-6
Taking Denali Dog for a walk: 7pm

Oh, I HAD to put this picture on here! Since Denali's fur is basically the equivalent of velcro when it comes to snow, Adam had the brilliant idea of putting real socks on his feet to prevent the snow from sticking. It was hilarious!

Dinner of chicken noodle soup and beer bread: 8:15

Watching "Australia" next to my homemade fire: whatever time it is now

It's amazing that when you can't leave the house, you finally give yourself permission to relax!

Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back

2010-01-28T12:49:00.001-05:00

This past weekend Adam and I made a very quick trip to Tennessee for a special reason. We had gotten a phone call on Thursday night that told us my brother, Scott, had gotten the vote for Chi. This is always a cool thing and especially cool because his brother-in-law (my husband:-)) probably had a large hand in Scott choosing Chi. Apparently his sister's bias had zero influence:-) To anybody outside of the Lee Bubble, our "Greek clubs" are crazy. And I'm so thankful that I married someone who could understand this craziness. But to anybody that's ever been a part of them-- it totally consumes your life during college and it's SO worth it. The friendships that you make, the life lessons it teaches you, and of course the cool jerseys that you get to wear every Monday were definitely highlights of my time at Lee. You're not the first person to be in the club or the last, but you'll always be a part of the legacy that that club is. I'm excited for Scott and partially jealous because sometimes I wish we could all go back 5 years (or however long it's been) and have that much fun again. Getting to watch a sampling of DZT's induction on Saturday brought back that feeling, but also made me realize that you do grow up and life does go on after Lee and yes, even after induction:-). I'm so thankful for my time at Lee, but I think I'm doing alright where I'm at too.

Crickets and Dance Parties

2010-01-17T15:03:00.000-05:00

So I'm sitting here on Sunday afternoon exhausted, body sore, eating a hot dog. Since my boss decides not to celebrate MLK day, I do not get the privilege of a three day weekend like most of you. For that reason, I had to come back a day early from our youth Winter Advance this weekend. I thought I would be excited to come back a day early and be able to regenerate and take a nap and everything else glorious that comes with being at home by yourself for a day. But I'm not. I'm sooo wanting to be back up in Keiseltown, VA with the kids (and of course my husband). We had such a great weekend. We took about 55 kids and 15 adults into the mountains for a weekend to advance in their relationships with God. And it worked:-) We had an awesome speaker from Camp Lurecrest (where Adam used to work), we played ridiculous games (of which the #1 reason I'm sore all over and also why I spit a live cricket out of my mouth!), ate home-cooked meals from our awesome cooks, made only 1 trip to the ER (for a leader:-)), and closed last night with the best dance party I've ever seen including the coolest girls to the "geekiest" boys. And as far as I know, we had at least 1 girl who gave her life to Christ! Those are the moments where I am so proud of my husband and what he does on a daily basis for those teenagers. I love that God has called me to work with teenagers and I can't beleive that I'm sitting at home wishing I was with them!

It's That Time Again

2010-01-07T16:34:00.000-05:00

I feel so inspired by reading everyone's blogposts about their highlights of 2009 and resolutions of 2010. I love so much that we have a God that gives us new beginnings every year and even every day. Even though there are times of doubt and loneliness, we know that no matter what, God is in control. And no matter how much we strive for in a new year, God is ultimately the one who is going to guide our steps. Sometimes I like that, sometimes I don't:-) I will give you some of my goals and resolutions for this new year but first I need to highlight some of my favorite Christmas moments:
-Traveling to TN a day early to surprise my parents
-introducing Denali Dog to all my family (he's like our kid, ok?)
-Meeting SO MANY new babies! Rader Jackson Brose, Charleston Graham Sluder, and Jodie Ann Baldwin. I fell in love with each of them.
-Having another Christmas with my grandmother and watching her put on her TN Snuggie Scott gave her Christmas morning:-)
-Not having to rush around and see a gazillion people (just the ones that mattered:-))
-Visiting with Holly H. on her route home to Ga.
-Winning at Domino's:-)
-Eating enough 3 Layer cookies to last through 2010 and then having my mom make me a special batch just for the plane ride home.
-Christmas morning at Bams with every single family member on my dad's side. I adore this family.
-Having Adam's parents come and visit last week and exchange presents. His sister Rachel was even in town from Colorado.
-The new 6 person HUGE kitchen table we bought at a steal of a deal:-) We also obtained an enormous living room rug for another steal.
-Watching Scott show off his potato gun... ridiculous.
-Getting to sleep in and come downstairs every morning for some sort of a homemade breakfast, usually cinnamon rolls:-)

The Christmas decorations are finally coming down today. I'm over it and now ready for the new year! And here are the resolutions I promised earlier:
Last years resolution was to read the Bible in one year. Granted I still have about 7 days left to read, I'm considering it an accomplished goal. I really did learn so much that I never knew! But I was definitely a time-consuming goal. This year I am making up for things that were neglected last year. I plan on journaling much much more and also blogging more. I don't exactly LOVE writing but I know it's good for me.

Praying more as a couple. Adam and I realize that we are more in sync when we pray together as a couple and not just individually. This also includes being less selfish and praying for other people more.

I want white, clean teeth this year! I know this one sounds a little superficial compared to the last two but this is really a goal. For a girl that has had braces 2 lengthy times in her life, I want to get them permanently straight and whitened this year. I also agree with Lisa and am adding flossing to the list:-)

Every year I look forward to new travel and this year is no different. (Does it mean something when I'd rather be traveling then be at home??) On tap this year: a medical missions trip to Guatemala with Lee University, a vacation with the Douglases to the Outer Banks, TN 10 Vacation (possibly also the Outer Banks), and a hopeful trip to Greece with the Reusses. Not to mention since my boss now gave me off every other Friday, I get three day weekends 2 weekends a month! Short term trips include hopefully going to see my friend Hope and a trip to Nashville and Vegas!

And of course the obvious. Adam and I have gotten fat and lazy these past few months and while it's been fun, the fun must come to an end. The annual Monument 10K will be in March again and it's time to start training for that. yuck. I'm already dreading it.

Of course all this is subject to change:-) God knows my heart and He knows where I would love to be by the end of the year. We will just have to wait and see:-)

Winter Storm 09!

2009-12-19T20:14:00.000-05:00

Call me skeptic, but when I left work yesterday, I truly did not believe that we were going to get a foot and a half of snow that weatherman had predicted for the weekend. Well it's now Saturday night and while there is not 18 inches of snow on the ground, there is a solid 5 combined with lovely ice. The "Noreaster" :-) started yesterday night on my way home from work and it sure did take me 2 1/2 hours to get home with my blood pressure probably shooting extremely high. Adam and I had a wonderful evening planned out that included dinner at Olive Garden (we had a gift card:-)), watching The Blindside, and finishing Christmas shopping. By the time I got home at 8:00, we decided to risk it and head out into the storm anyways. Basically hunger was our motivation. We headed on to the interstate and before we could even get off the ramp, there is a wrecked car on the side with a teenage boy walking towards town. This was certainly not the first stranded car on the side of the road. We ended up taking him home, which was in the middle of absolute nowhere (keep in mind by BP was still skyhigh since our car does not have 4wheel drive). By the time we pulled into Olive Garden at 10pm, they were closing due to "inclement weather" and we ended up at DENNY's at 11pm. We had a very college date night, thankfully making it home alive. We woke up today to a wonderful winter wonderland and ventured out once again to finish up the Christmas shopping. This time we took Tammy Two-Tone because we thought if something happens to her, we don't care as much:-) The first two church services are cancelled for tomorrow and who knows about work on Monday:-) Let's just hope we make it home for Christmas!

See Ya Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T21:37:00.000-05:00

Ugh. Time to get back to the real world. I say this every single Sunday night but I REALLY don't want to go back to work tomorrow. I have the hardest time getting motivated each week and it's especially hard after a holiday. We spent the last 4 days in Charlotte with Adam's family for a very relaxing Thanksgiving. We were lazy (maybe a little too lazy), we ate too much (even Denali helped himself to some of grandma Trees' homemade apple pie), shopped Black Friday madness (scored a printer and all 10 seasons of Friends), and caught up with family and friends. As always, I wish I could have spent Thanksgiving with both the Douglases and the Reusses and I'd like to say a happy belated birthday again to dad! Thanksgiving was great, but I'm ready to move on to Christmas! I feel like last year's Christmas FLEW by, so this year I am making a special effort to savor every minute:-) So after a great church service and an awesome lunch at Cracker Barrel, we put up our Christmas decorations! Granted the weather was about 65 and sunny here today, it was still fun! Here are some pictures:

I'm so afraid of making my house look tacky that sometimes I hold back even when I want to put something up:-) We put greenery on our railings outside and Adam is going to put up some icicle lights so we'll put some more pictures up of that when it happens:-)

Speaking of tacky, this is Adam's mullet shirt (party in the front, business in the back) :-) It was really an old tshirt I was cutting into a dusting rag but Adam felt the need to model it:-)

Family Bonding minus the husband

2009-11-16T22:50:00.000-05:00

This past week I have been on a plane 4 times. My husband will have been on a plane twice and yet none of these trips have actually been made together. I was lucky enough to have my mom and my aunt Barb join me for a work conference in Chicago from Saturday to Tuesday and then Adam flew to Germany Wednesday until tomorrow. So instead of moping around Chester (:-)), I decided to head home to Cleveland. The weekend was action packed as always and I got to see most everyone I loved including Bam and my preggo friends. The weather was absolutely beautiful and so the fam took the opportunity to play a little tennis on Saturday afternoon. Scott & I lost to our parents. How pathetic is that?? I guess that's ok considering I have picked up a tennis racket twice this entire year. But by far, my favorite family bonding moment took place at 11:30pm Saturday night. I was coming home from Katie's house around 11 and I turned onto TN Nursery Rd (the road that takes me into the neighborhood), hitting a sewer/pothole thing on the way. I made it about 100 more feet and then realized I had a flat tire. Now it's a sad day when you are 2 miles from home and consider calling AAA over calling your father. So what do I do? Call my brother:-) And then we contemplate what to do, eventually deciding on calling mom and dad. There's nothing like family bonding having everyone standing outside, tired, cold, cranky, while watching dad change a tire:-) But it really was a great weekend. I'm thankful that I was able to come home and see everyone. Thanks mom and dad!

Thoughts on the Drive Home

2009-10-29T12:33:00.000-04:00

1. I had a really great birthday. I LOVE birthdays and I don't think I'll ever get bored/sick of celebrating. I will blog about the day's festivities later. Thank you to everyone who called/texted/facebooked/gifted, etc. Which brings me to my next point:
2. Why do people that you don't even know that well send you Happy Birthday messages on facebook? Come on people, we really aren't "friends".
3. UPS drivers are the worst on the interstate. I have actually been secretly boycotting using them due to their bad driving.
4. People are probably saying the same thing about me since I got my Iphone (:-)) and now have the luxury of checking my email while driving.
5. People that are super anxious all the time should not have children.
6. People that are not responsible should not have sex. Quote of the day: "I'm sure I didn't catch anything or have any STD. I pray everyday. So I couldn't get one because I pray every day". ..... Realllly?????
7. I sooo sooo badly want to be in Cleveland to celebrate my pregnant friends with their showers. I feel like I am seriously missing out on life events. Why does airfare have to be so expensive??
8. My husband is one of the most selfless people that I know. Hands down. I'm not really sure how I got so lucky.
9. I turned 27 and officially fell apart. I pulled something in my back and now am wearing a Thermacare heat wrap around my torso. And this is the 2nd time it's happened.
10. Hannah and Brandon's baby shower is Friday night. It's gonna be the most interesting coed Cornerstone shower yet I feel like. I have a part as a cheerleader. I have to learn lines. And get a cheerleading outfit. Enough said about that.
11. How do people have so much time to be on the computer? Like to be on facebook all the time? And to check your email all the time? Maybe I'm just jealous that I don't sit at a desk all day.
12. Tammy Two-Tone is shaking violently lately. This is what happened before that last tire blew out. Please pray for our lives on a daily basis.
13. Denali Dog is getting big. And once we realized he wasn't deaf (only selective hearing:-)), he's proving to be a somewhat smart dog. SOMEWHAT. If we could get this biting thing under control, we'd be good. We also still can't believe that we paid money for him to shed this bad:-)

That's all for now:-)

Boston In Pictures

2009-10-22T20:31:00.000-04:00

Here is a look at our anniversary get-away to Boston. (A timeline in pictures basically)

We flew out of Newport News Thurs. morning at 7:00am. This allowed us to to be in Boston by 8:30am and enjoy a full day of action. The first thing we did was grab a famous cinnamon roll from this place that was featured on the Food Network.

Then we hit the Freedom Trail, a walking historical tour through the city....

That night was Adam's treat for the trip...

After a busy day, we headed to our B&B for some sleep, Aisling B&B

Day 2: Harvard

We met up with my second cousin Chrissy and her husband for dinner in the Italian District

And paid tribute to a legend

haha. just kidding. this picture was just too great.

Spent the night with the Testaverde's and was shown around Gloucester, MA (It is known for 2 things: The Perfect Storm & the teenage "pregnancy pact"

So glad we got to hang out with these guys!

Be Nice to Me, I Gave Blood Today

2009-10-15T22:16:00.000-04:00

If you've ever donated blood before, you realize that once you donate, you are suckered in for life. The blood bank employees (Va Blood Services up here) literally STALK you with phone calls week after week until finally you cave in and donate again... which can be once every 2 months I learned tonight. While giving blood is definitely not my most favorite activity in the world, I really do think it is for a good cause.
Since Thursdays are my day off, I actually had a moment to sit down and watch afternoon TV. (We don't have cable so those options are limited). Dr. Oz happened to be on and the show was focused on a free clinic they ran one day in Houston. They showed stories of these uninsured Americans with real life-threatening conditions that didn't have access to healthcare simply because they didn't have health insurance. These people weren't lazy. They were educated. Had families. Many worked multiple jobs and many were simply not approved for insurance due to their "preexisting conditions". These were AMERICANS, not just illegal immigrants.
I literally sat on the couch and wept for a solid 30 minutes. Adam walked in and thought something horrible had happened. My heart was so broken for these people that are not given the same rights that all people should be entitled to. I got angry, but I also got inspired that one day I might be able to work for something with an amazing purpose like that.
So I know it was a small step, but Adam and I went and gave blood this afternoon. It was his very first time and he did wonderful:-) The fingerprick is still the worst part to me and you better believe I'll take the free Little Debbie snacks at the end, but I really believe that even the small steps can help save someone's life. So as my sticker says, "Be Nice to Me, I Gave Blood Today".

2 Years and Counting

2009-10-07T23:45:00.000-04:00

I can't believe that Adam and I have been married 2 years! The time has flown by and I feel like it was yesterday that we were shoving cake in each other's faces and moving to Virginia! We celebrated big time over the weekend with a really great 3-day trip to Boston. (Pictures and details to be posted later). But yesterday, October 6, was our official anniversary and with it falling on a weekday and Adam leaving for Atlanta at 4:30 AM this morning, we enjoyed a delicious dinner and dessert at Millie's Diner in Richmond. And of course when we got home we sat and watched the video of the actual ceremony:-) No tears this time!

Happy Anniversary Adam! These have been the best 2 years of my life and I can't wait for 62 more:-)

A House Divided

2009-09-28T21:37:00.001-04:00

This past Saturday Adam and I went to Raleigh, NC to meet up with the Reuss parents and grandparents. We got to do a little bit of shopping at this awesome mall (where i also received awesome birthday shoes:-)) and then had lunch at Firebirds Wood Fired Grill. Then the day turned magical for Adam. His buddy, Dan, called him up and had gotten us 2 free tickets to the NC State/Pittsburg game. Now I knew my husband is a die-hard NC State fan, but we had not gotten the opportunity to go to any NC State sporting events as a couple. I also like to add that I think I am a pretty good wife for sitting in the rain the entire game. The game was actually pretty good, but I realized one thing: I am a true Vols fan and I don't think I realized just how much I love TN football. I felt like a poser with my NC State t-shirt on that day (Hey, it was a Christmas gift). It is just not the same going to watch anybody else play! Give me a Rocky Top cheer any day over that creepy wolf pack howl thing:-) And let's be honest, the SEC is definitely the most competitive region in college football. Alright, so I might be slightly biased with my faithfulness to the bright orange, but I think that's ok. Adam & I will argue about this to the day we die. You know how you see those license plates with the two sports teams logos and then their is a split down the middle and it says "A House Divided"? If anyone can find one with NC State and Vols, then please let me know:-)

Home Alone on a Saturday Night

2009-09-19T20:10:00.000-04:00

That's right. I am home, all by myself (and Denali of course), at 8:00pm on a Saturday night. Adam has been in Cleveland for his friend, Grant's, wedding since Thursday and I am chilling at the house and LOVING IT. Now maybe in high school or college I would have been insecure about not having any fantastic social plans on a Saturday night, but now I love it. I had my social fix last night and this morning and so from 2pm on, it's all about me:-) I've decided that life is just too dang busy during the week and most of the weekends are usually spent traveling or doing a million other activities. When you have the house to yourself you can choose to not take a shower until 6pm and eat whatever you want (my meal of choice tonight was left-over pizza and mangos). I can bum around in sweatpants and a t-shirt and feel giddy because I get to clean, organize the house, read my bible before 11:30 at night, and do my bank statement. (Please don't judge me on that last sentence-- I feel like Katie and Abby might be my only 2 friends who also feel the same way:-)) So however "cool" you think you are that you can't stay at home on a Friday or Saturday night, I encourage you to try it and feel liberated as well:-)

TN10 Vacay- St. Pete's Beach

2009-09-14T21:40:00.000-04:00

Well I'm always a week behind in blogging, but last weekend (Labor Day Weekend), was the 3rd annual TN10 Vacay. For those that may not know, the TN10 is the nickname we dubbed ourselves. We are a group of 10 girls from Lee (all in DZT) that have made a special effort to keep in touch even after we all graduated. The first year we vacationed at Myrtle Beach, the 2nd year in Maryland, and this year at St. Beach, FL. We traveled from Tennessee, Maryland, Virginia, D.C, and Minnesota (kind of.. since Lisa & John just moved to TN). Arhmin & Steve Thompson headed up the task of organizing this year and it was awesome! Since we have so many attendees (9 girls this year + 8 spouses), we rented a house that was within walking distance of Steve's parents house and the girls slept in one house with the guys in the other. Our days consisted of laying at the beach, talking, laughing, talking, eating, swimming, talking, taking pictures, reading, and talking some more. (Trust me, we covered every topic available). This year the boys really seemed to get along and actually hung out with themselves more than with us! They enjoyed making pyramids in the ocean:-), playing any kind of sport imaginable, fishing, eating, and taking our pictures:-) I can't imagine my life without these girls and I value their friendship so much. I can't wait until next year!!
** Please check out this AMAZING video that my friend Jessica made. All credit goes to her!

Inadequacy

2009-09-02T23:28:00.000-04:00

I feel like I have it pretty good when it comes to my job. If we could just erase the hour drive there and back, I think I would actually consider this THE perfect job. I only work 4 days a week, get a decent paycheck, and have a generous amount of autonomy. The practice is small (but growing, growing) and it's so nice working in a Christian environment. I love that I am allowed to share life experiences with a number of people on a daily basis. I am so thankful that God chose this path for my career (at least for the time being) and I know this is what I enjoy doing. BUUUUTTTTTTT... even when you know you're in the right place, do you ever feel like you're just not good enough? Maybe I'm just having a slump this week or something, but it just feels like every procedure I've done, along with a few negative/rude patients and a little extra criticism from the boss is just a little too much for one week? And this has only been a 3-day work week might I add. I understand that I'm still really new at all this, but sometimes it just feels like you can't do anything right. Does anyone else ever feel like this? I'm trying to not get discouraged and I'm sure it's just a nice little attack from Satan, but all I really want to do is provide excellent healthcare to women. I want to be GOOD at what I do. Is it too much to pray for God to sharpen my gynecological/obstetrical skills:-)

Can I add that I CANNOT wait for the TN10 Vacation tomorrow??? Here we come Florida!

The Life of our Denali Dog

2009-08-23T23:28:00.000-04:00

I've always said that we would never be those parents that talks about their kids (now pets) ALL THE TIME. I know that not everyone is a dog lover and I hate to be an inconvenience to anyone with my latest pet discovery. But since we've only had Denali for 3 weeks and my job is good, Adam's job is stressful as always, we haven't traveled anywhere fun, friends/family are the same, I've decided to update on the dog. The precious dog previously written about in the last blog is still precious, but much, much, much more "puppy-like" (ie: chewing, peeing, not eating, biting, etc). The biggest struggle for us as new parents has been getting this stubborn dog to eat. Another thing I said I would never do is have a picky eater in my house.... That too has been disproven. Denali came to us eating Iams dry food. He wouldn't touch that stuff with a 10-foot pole when he got here and we have since tried dry food with chicken broth, dry food with wet food, only wet food... you get the picture. Since he's underweight and having severe GI issues (I'll save you the details), the vet now has us feeding him a strict diet of homemade chicken and rice. Seriously? I don't even eat that good. He is crate-training and doing quite well with that, but still struggling with the concept of peeing/pooping outside. Does anyone know how long this "phase" will go on/ have any good tips for us? :-) He's also had numerous scares for me where he falls or runs straight into the glass door (which was hysterical might I add) in which I was convinced we were going to have to make a trip to the vet. I must say though, I think he is a pretty good dog. He loves car rides and has been to Williamsburg, the James River, and numerous homes and get-togethers. He is a people lover:-) I definitely advise anyone thinking about children to get a dog. It's excellent training:-)

Michael gave him this duck when he was visiting last week

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He loves his bed. He also loves to pee on his bed. Does that make sense to anyone?

First bath... Not quite the water dog. Actually he looks super skinny and sick when he's wet!

I'm in love....

2009-08-03T22:30:00.000-04:00

....with our new puppy! I mean, I feel like a proud parent. I want to show him off to everyone and take him everywhere (Which is NOT a good sign for when we actually have children). We picked Denali up on Saturday in Fayetteville, NC. The breeders said that he was the calmest one of the 9 and so far we've found that to be true. He rode the entire 3 hours on my lap without making a sound! He's about 9 or 10 lbs right now (we think) and he's a big ball of fur. But the best thing is that he doesn't shed! That's right folks, he's hypoallergenic (because of the half poodle)... and also the reason we chose this breed. We are working on crate training and potty training and I must say that he is doing a pretty good job (We won't count the fact that he kept Adam and I up half the night last night with his yelps) But he really is soooo precious and loveable. So that's enough gooshing from this parent-- here are some pictures:-)

Back from: Lame Deer, Montana's Finest

2009-07-30T11:49:00.000-04:00

Still trying to recoup here from last week. We got back from Montana Sunday night around 5ish and jumped right back into a full work week Monday morning. I can officially say that the trip was exhausting (especially being a leader), but I wouldn't have traded it for the world. Adam and another girl named Lindsey were the co-leaders and we took a total of 42 kids/leaders out to Montana for 8 days. Cornerstone has sent groups to the Lame Deer Reservation for about 5 years now, so the people recognize us and for the most part are receptive to us coming in and doing our thing. I think the population of Lame Deer is about 2000(?-- I could be completely butchering that number) and you honestly feel as if you stepped into a 3rd world country. That's not what you're supposed to see in the good ole USA, right? Everyone lives off food stamps, alcoholism is rampant, kids living with foster parents or grandparents, depression, you name it. So what we did for the week is we put on an outdoor kids camp, we mowed lawns, painted, prayer walked, hung out at the Boys & Girls Club, and just tried to show Christ's love anyway we could. The beginning of the week was a little rough with the lack of communication (no cell phones or internet on the reservation) but God really used all the negative things to create one of the best weeks ever. I learned so much and I'm so proud of every single teenager that went! I also slept in a real-life teepee! Here are some pictures of the week:

Lame Deer, Montana

2009-07-21T01:57:00.000-04:00

Hi all--- for anyone who wants to follow our mission trip to Montana, I will be blogging through our Get Epic website---

www.getepic.blogspot.com

Have a great week!

AAA

2009-07-16T16:35:00.000-04:00

And for the third time since we've owned Tammy Two-Tone, AAA would have been very useful. The first two times I could have used them, I forgot to turn off Tammy's lights resulting in a dead battery when I tried to leave work. I've since learned the magic of jumper cables. Then yet again, the non-automatic car leaves me hanging. I was on my way home from a vvvveerrrrryyyy long day of work yesterday when I needed to stop and get gas. Since I don't have automatic locks, to get out of the car, I had to physically pull the lock up and exit the car. Somehow when I was getting out, it managed to lock (totally on it's own might I add:-)), with my wallet in the front seat, my phone in the cupholder, and my keys in the ignition. Being exactly 30 miles from work and 30 miles from home, I attempted to pry open the door for a few minutes just in hopes that my super human strength would kick in. No luck. So I turned around and headed into the gas station where these two old men smoking cigarettes have been watching me the whole time. (sidenote: This is one of THOSE gas stations where people hang out all day because there is nothing else to do in the town). By the time I got inside, they had already called the police for me so I wouldn't have to call a locksmith. I can honestly say that was the first time I feel like I have been shown "southern hospitality" since I've moved to Virginia. Anyways, the policeman showed up about 15 minutes later and used his little tool thing to break in. My stomach was in knots when he couldn't get the first 2 doors open, but yet sucess on the third. He was super nice and I asked him to hang around until I made sure my battery wasn't dead since the keys had been in the ingition. Of course he did, and I was on my way home again secretly cursing myself again for not filling out the AAA application that has been sitting in my planner all month.

Deeters and Delbonis

2009-07-14T22:02:00.001-04:00

This past weekend I had the wonderful privilege of being in Michael Delbonis and Katie Dietz's wedding. Not lying, this was definitely one of the most fun weddings I've ever been to (mine of course being the most fun for me:-)). The weekend started off with a beautiful bridal luncheon hosted by Arhmin's mom, Susie. Katie had 10 bridesmaids and it was nice since we all knew each other from Lee( with the exception for her two younger cousins who fit right in!). The rehearsal Thursday night went smoothly and Farmhouse catered the dinner afterwards. You gotta love coming to TN and consuming sweet tea at every meal! We were given the opportunity to toast the couple after dinner and the words spoken of Katie and Michael were precious. Later that evening, the bridesmaids decided to spice Katie's night up with her bachelorette party. Of course, I can't really share alot of details about that:-) After a couple of hours of sleep, we woke up Friday morning ready for the big day. We checked out the reception site at the Cleveland Country Club and it was absolutely perfect. Katie's colors were royal blue and green and it was so summery and cheery. Armed with Starbucks, we headed to the church to get ready, take pictures, and relax for a couple of hours. The wedding ceremony was perfect and I don't think there was a dry eye around:-) Katie and Michael have such a cool story of friendship and the wedding was tailored to that theme. The wedding reception was so fun--- Ricky, a friend of Michael's from NJ was the DJ and he really knew how to get EVERYONE dancing. At one point, you couldn't tell the difference between a club and Katie and Michael's wedding:-) I think everyone had a really great time, though, and Katie and Michael are relaxing and enjoying their honeymoon in Mexico! Thanks Katie for making me a part of your special day. You mean the world to me!
---There was no way to post all my pictures on here so check them out on facebook if you are interested:-)

The Fourth

2009-07-07T23:35:00.000-04:00

We were invited to spend the 4th of July weekend at Brandon Baldwin's parents house in Urbanna, VA. We slept, ate lots of bad-for-you food, fished, sailed, tanned, played games, and achieved my Vitamin D quota for the week (aka sunshine).

This week has been insane at church (it's Discipleship Week which means the youth are there 24/7 for the whole week) and I'm leaving tomorrow night for Cleveland for Katie and Michael's wedding. When we get back, it's T-1 week for missions trip!
(July is WaaaaaaayyyyyY too busy..)

Finally, a Day at the Beach!

2009-06-28T20:07:00.000-04:00

Thankfully, my parents have always been the kind for family vacations. Growing up, we always went to the Outer Banks every year, usually for the week of the 4th of July. Those vacation spots have now expanded to Hilton Head or certain remote parts of Florida... all with the only requirements being that the beach be as relaxing and with as few people as possible. If you've ever been to the Outer Banks, you can agree that it's the most relaxing place on earth. Large beaches, amazing homes with hammocks and hot tubs, biking everywhere, lighthouses, no hotels in sight, and even the occasional wild horse.
VA Beach is not like that:-)
Sadly this year, I will be foregoing my vacation time for a missions trip in late July. So when the chance to go to the beach for a Saturday with the young adults at church came up, you can bet that I hopped on board. However much fun we had "riding the waves" and getting sun, this beach is different. I'd even like to go as far as to call it the Gatlinburg of beaches. Think hotels, boardwalks, millions of people, greasy food, and tourist shops on every corner. It was a great place to people watch and some of my favorites were the 300+lb woman "riding" one of those blow-up whales, the teenage couple making out in the water under the boardwalk... with their jeans on, the older ladies that probably shouldn't be wearing the diamond encrusted bathing suit they probably got when they were 20, and the millions of precious little kids shrieking everytime the waves crashed in on them. The best part of the day was that I even got to read a book for fun (I'm trying to get through "My Sister's Keeper" so I can go see the movie). Minus the missed sunscreen spot on my lower back, the day was great and much needed for this summer.

The Ultimate Youth Pastor

2009-06-24T22:27:00.000-04:00

Check this video out about the ultimate youth pastor. If you have any part in youth ministry, you will definitely appreciate it:-)
(It's a little long, but well worth it:-))

Prayer Request for Bam

2009-06-18T16:49:00.000-04:00

For those that don't know, my grandmother on my dad's side is affectionately known as "Bam". (My grandfather was "Doda" as if that makes any more sense:-)) She had a small bout with bladder cancer a couple of years and did really well with that. Recently, she has been feeling very nauseous and sick and her doctor actually found a lump in her groin. After the biopsy, we just got the confirmation that the bladder cancer was back and now it has spread to some other areas of her pelvis. The doctor wasn't very giving with a good prognosis, and the only option at this point is chemotherapy. Now I'm asking anyone that reads this to please pray for her. Of course I am asking for complete healing from the Lord for her body, but at the same time I am asking for strength for this new chapter of chemo. She is 81 years old and I know this is going to be very tough on her body. I love my grandmother and it's killing me that we don't live closer to TN where I could help out with things. This does, however, give me more of an opportunity to lift her up in prayer. Thanks guys.

In the wise words of my friend Courtney, you can't put the power of God in a box:-)

Catch Up Time

2009-06-09T22:51:00.000-04:00

I feel like I can safely say that these past 3 weeks or so have been some of the busiest, most exhausting days since we have been married. Between graduations, graduation parties, cookouts, youth events, birthdays, work, church.... it has been a whirlwind. I mean, I can't say most of it hasn't been fun, but there is something to be said when I haven't cooked a homemade meal in over 3 weeks and the laundry that was washed two weeks ago is still sitting nicely in the dryer. I leave the house in the morning and usually don't come home until 10:30 or 11. Can anybody else relate to this???? Does it ever get better??? Maybe the more important question is-- How can we start saying no to things? (Any tips would be appreciated:-)) But enough whining....
We did have the opportunity to go home to Cleveland Memorial Day weekend for Scott's graduation and also for Katie's shower. I was so looking forward to this weekend because it was full of friends and family. Here are some of my highlights of the trip:

Watching my baby brother graduate from high school! I realize that it's expected this day and age to graduate, but I still think it's a neat way to end one chapter in your life and start the next. He is going to go to Lee next year for anyone who's wondering:-)

Watching Scott and Brandon's face as they opened their personalized Taylor Swift photographs. They message reads, "I love Scott" & "I love Brandon" Thank you Emily Evans!

Finding out that my very best friend is pregnant!! Courtney surprised all of her family and some of mine with their big announcement. It was so fun to watch everyone's faces! Congratulations John and Courtney!!

Getting to spend an entire weekend with alllll of my extended family (on my dad's side at least). I absolutely love the Douglas family and had a blast catching up with everyone

Getting to throw Katie's lingerie shower! I had some really great pictures from the day but I decided my friends would hate me if I posted them:-) Let's just say we got to use our imaginations that day:-)

Spending time with Katie before she moves to the far off land of New Jersey!! She won't be there anymore when I come home to visit but thank goodness for weddings and TN10 vacations!

Other highlights without pictures:
-Breakfast with the quad pod at the Cracker Barrel. We've had some crazy discussions at that place but it always reminds me of these girls.
-Getting to see Abby's NEW house and helping her pick out paint colors. I hope I wasn't too overbearing in my decision-making..:-)
-The best quote by Abby: "Your family is so great. They are just like mine except they cuss and drink beer!" :-)
- Getting a 4 day weekend from work!! Nothing could be better!

Never Give Up

2009-05-21T08:33:00.000-04:00

We have a boy in our youth group who is autistic. I believe he is in 9th grade because this is his first year coming to youth. At the beginning of the year, it was rough- He has a problem cussing and saying inappropriate things, walking around during service bumping into people and chairs, and honestly just being very distracting. Alot of people don't really know much about autisum (I, for one) and I could tell it was very distracting to most of the kids. BUT, over this past year, I have begun to see a change. (And props to my husband for being so patient, working with him, and really looking out for him). The other night in worship, this boy actually stood next to me the entire time (which is a big accomplishment anyways), was still, sang the songs, and even raised his hands up to worship!!! I was blown away! Then on Sunday morning, he went down to the altar to ask for prayer for rededication/salvation! You might not think this is a big deal-- but I am so encouraged!! It just proves to me that we serve such an amazing and awesome God that loves EVERY SINGLE person and will never give up on us! Just because we think somebody is "different" than us, that they aren't the allowed to share in the glory of heaven. It takes you out of your Christian box and stretches you to think and be more faithful in sharing the gospel. That right there is enough to make me smile for a long time:-)

Disclaimer: For anybody reading this from Cornerstone, please know that I am not trying to point out/gossip about this person. I am simply sharing about the miracle I see transforming in someone!

A League of their Own

2009-05-12T21:39:00.000-04:00

For the past couple of seasons, I have had the pleasure to sit on the sidelines and cheer Adam on in his softball games. Being the competetive person that I am, while supportive:-), I always wanted to get in there and play. So this is my year! We officially joined the Cornerstone Coed softball team. And let me tell you, it is a sight to see. The team is diverse to say the least: We've got men that are really good and are just playing because their wives convinced them (i.e. Adam), girls that are have trouble making any kind of connection with the ball, and then some in-between. We play on Friday nights and so it makes it like a fun date night for the weekend. Everyone is really laid back and since we're playing in a church league, it's mostly a friendly atmosphere. One thing we have realized, however, is the fact that our coaches are sticklers for the rules:-) We play back-to-back games and since we were late signing up for the season, we had to sit out the first game. Then, Adam forgot his glove the 2nd week and they made him sit out out the first game as well. It's definitely been a humbling experience:-) Not to mention the fact that I pulled a very large muscle last week running to 1st base (Nothing will make you feel older, huh?) But it's been great and we've had the opportunity to also meet people that we have never met from the church before. I'm having a blast and I would attach pictures if I had them. Mental picture: Our shirts are teal:-)

Marley and Me

2009-05-04T19:28:00.000-04:00

So I think everyone knows by now that Adam and I are on the dog hunt. We know that we want some sort of an athletic dog, specifically a lab or labradoodle. Well my good friend Hannah told me that we needed to rent Marley & Me because it was about the story of a young couple chronicling their life with their labrador (Marley). Well, after crying my eyes out for the last 45 minutes of the movie, I'm not sure if I even want a dog anymore:-( This movie had the complete opposite effect of a feel-good movie for me! And we were even watching precious Ellie (the Franco's chocolate lab) that night. Basically, I don't do well when pets get old in age. (Don't even get me started on the movie Homeward Bound!!) In fact, I don't like watching movies when people get older either. I always end up relating the pet/person to someone important in my life and then thinking about how sad it will be when they'll pass away. Does anybody else ever feel like this or am I completely morbid??? So by the time Marley was going to the vet for the 2nd time, my brain and my eyes had had enough and I wasn't even sure that I wanted a dog anymore. Then, as if I wasn't depressing me or my husband enough, I got on my where-are-we-going-to-live-when-we-get-older/am-i-going-to-have-to-work-all-my-life/i'm-terrified--to-have-children spill. Adam definitely thought I was crazy and probably just wanted me to go to bed. I really did think it was a cute movie, but I think it just had waaaayyyy too much of a personal impact on me. Give me a week or so, though, and hopefully I'll be back to my dog-hunting:-)

Puerto Rico Purses

2009-04-28T21:01:00.000-04:00

No one can ever say that I don't work for a generous doctor. The week before last, Dr. Hines went on a week-long vacation to Puerto Rico. Apparently this was the first time she ever went away for so long and kept the office open. Part of me felt honored that she trusted me enough to watch over the office (the other part of me was freaking out that I was the one in charge!) She brought everyone souvenirs.......

In her words, she couldn't find anything that said "Puerto Rico" on it, so she went to the Coach store instead:-) Keep in mind that I work with 7 other women... and we all got one. Then I found out that last year for our office manager's birthday, her gift was a trip to Puerto Rico. Maybe she wants to give me a birthday gift of enough money to pay off my student loans:-)

Our Little Garden

2009-04-23T18:16:00.000-04:00

One of the best things about living in our own home is the fact that we can do whatever we want to it! No apartment management telling you what color to paint your walls, that you can't have pets, and that it's normal to be 92 degrees on the 3rd floor in the summer:-) So in our backyard, we have now started a garden! It's a very slow process but it's so fun to come home from work everyday and check on the little plant's progress. We had to start the seeds inside, until the "danger of the frost has passed" and in the next week or so, we will start planting outside. I was getting a little worried when I was seeing any progress, but it has worked so far. I might have been a little overzealous with our first garden, but we are planning on growing tomatoes, green peppers, zucchini, cucumber,broccoli,lettuce, green beans and even blueberries and blackberries! Here are some pictures of our gardening skills and everyone can be looking forward to some fresh produce come harvest time (late July/August) :-)

Adam working on moving this giant fence thing that was in our back yard

Our first seeds!!

It's hard work shoveling out a plot of land!

"Resurrection Day" 2009!

2009-04-16T11:18:00.000-04:00

Well for most of you, the traditional day is called Easter:-) However, I was officially corrected about 2,045 times on Easter Sunday when I said "Happy Easter". Apparently the correct saying is "Happy Resurrection Day". I don't know, maybe it's an Assembly of God thing:-) Anyways, it's the day that Jesus rose from the grave and whatever you want to call it- I'm so glad he did it!!! Poor Adam had a sunrise service (at 6:00 am), 4 regular services, breakfast run by the youth, and an outreach service at Shady Hill (the trailer park community our church does outreach with) in the afternoon. It was a pretty exhausting but pretty wonderful day! Since I haven't lived in Cleveland in about four years, one tradition that I have started on Easter is my traditional Easter dinner:-) When I was a graduate student in Nashville, a bunch of us weren't able to go home for the weekend, so we had Easter potlucks two years in a row. (I realize I tend to take on the mom/cooking role for special events). Last year was Adam and I's first Easter in Chester and we invited some of our friends over for a laidback meal. This year, however, I wanted to provide a full-out traditional Easter feast and invite all our close friends and have them just show up and hang out without worrying about bringing a dish. I made a huge ham (for the 1st time), smashed potatoes, green beans, corn casserole (thank you, Abby:-)), croissants, grape salad, and strawberry shortcake. We pulled out the good China and the boys set the table perfectly. Thanks to everyone for coming over!

Easter Morning

Most everyone helped get everything together since the outreach lasted a little long

Look at this table:-)

Give Me Your Eyes

2009-04-09T12:32:00.000-04:00

Call me "behind the times", but I just went and saw the movie Slumdog Millionaire last night. Alot of people had said it was a really good movie and I knew that it had won tons of awards (which USUALLY means that it's too deep of a movie for me to understand:-)), but last night was the first opportunity for us to go see it. And I'm so glad I did.
As compared to most Christians I am surrounded by (and here's some honesty here...) I feel like an inadequate Christian. I know it's not a comparison game that we are playing, but I also know my downfalls. I have one of the most selfish spirits in the world and I don't have a heart for the lost as I feel most people do (and I know I SHOULD). I have had an easy and wonderful life and find that it's so easy to get complacent. I always beat myself up that I am not a missionary living overseas or that I don't do more outreach even in the city where I live. I know that working with the youth is bound to get me some points, but let's face it, most of them grew up in the church and have had at least a chance to hear the gospel. I get so caught up in my daily life that I just glance over the "other things" and let someone else go do it. I pray SINCERELY for God to open my eyes up to the rest of the world. We are called to spread the news of Jesus to the poor and brokenhearted and what do I do? I go shopping. Or out to eat. You get the picture. But anyways, back to the movie. Last night's description of the slums of India really hit home to me. And I honestly don't think it was just an emotional response. My heart broke for those kids that have to grow up like that and I know children have that kind of life right across the highway from me, too. Adam and I have talked about adoption and I believe that is one step we will take later on. Right now, as always, our lives are a work in progress. And everyday I have to ask God to show me his heart for the lost, because I'm not doing a very good job by myself.
If you haven't heard the lyrics to this song by Brandon Heath, it's called "Give Me Your Eyes", I would recommend downloading it.

Lyrics | Brandon Heath lyrics - Give Me Your Eyes lyrics

And I apologize for the seriousness of this blog-- I'll try not to let it happen again:-)

Monument 10K

2009-04-01T15:26:00.000-04:00

So this weekend was the 10th annual Monument 10K here in Richmond. It was a HUGE race with well over 40,000 people running/walking and it was Adam and I's first official 10K ever. We had been training since January and I honestly never thought I would be able to run the whole thing (6.2 miles). Well, the rain stopped for the morning, my old lady knees held in there, and we finished in a good time. It was such a fun race, too-- bands were playing every half mile or so, people were cheering with their families and dogs, and Monument Avenue is one of the "old money" streets in Richmond so you basically get to run beside beautiful homes the whole time. Not to mention the course is almost completely flat:-) This race is also one where you can enter into a costume contest and this year Pastor Wayne won! He's placed 2nd or 3rd every year up until this year, but if you can see this picture, you'll understand how he got 1st.

(Indiana Jones..complete with rock behind him and an Ipod playing the theme song)

But now that the race is over, I realize I kind of miss running. Now don't get me wrong, I have no aspirations of ever completing anything farther like my crazy half-marathon and marathon running friends (I truly envy them!!!) , but I would be interested in running some more 8 or 10K's. So if anyone has any suggestions, I'm up for it!

Meet Tammy!!!!

2009-03-26T22:34:00.001-04:00

drumroll please)
I would like everyone to meet the new addition to our family: Tammy!
Tammy Two-Tone that is. ISN'T SHE BEAUTIFUL?!?!?!

Now let me explain. Putting almost 1000 miles a week on my 4-Runner was not cutting it anymore, so Adam and I have been shopping around for a "ghetto-commuter car". And look what we found:-) Tammy is a 1998 Hyundai Accent, has 137,000 miles on her, and is perfect for driving to and from work. No power windows or power, she shakes when she reaches 70mph, only an AM/FM radio (no cd/tape player), and a horn that sounds like someone is throwing up. The BEST part about the whole situation, though, is that she is TOTALLY two-toned. I mean, how many people can say they drive a purple car with a silver hood? Not many:-) We literally laugh out loud every time that we get in to drive her. And yesterday was the first time in my life that I have ever had to have somebody jump my car (Since there is no "dinging" noise that reminds you to turn off your lights, they were left on all day at work, resulting in a dead battery-and only the 2nd time I had driven her to work). But Tammy brings a life lesson with her: humility (and I am being really serious). Now please don't think I am being snobby, but I have always had a nice car. You couldn't have paid me money to drive something similiar in high school or maybe even college. But I'm noticing something changing in me (that I know still needs ALOT more work)-- I am starting to focus less on material things and more on things that are really important. It's a slow process, but I believe Tammy is really helping me out with this. It's really teaching me that it doesn't matter how the world views you on the outside, it's about what your heart looks like. And I believe Tammy is helping me out with this:-)

Unlucky Weekend!

2009-03-17T10:32:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I was able to fly home to TN for a quick weekend visit. I knew it was going to be rushed and packed full of family and friends but I was up for the challenge. Now normally I am a pretty organized, on-top-of-things, non-clumsy, not unlucky person. This weekend, however, was the farthest thing from that! Here is the woeful tales of my clumsy weekend:-)
-Friday night: I left work at 5pm and had until 7:25pm when my flight was departing. The airport was only an hour away (according to Mapquest). Traffic was rough, the DC airport was insanely busy, and I checked in late enough for them to tell me it was too late to check a bag. (Thankfully I was carrying on!)Security took forever and I was THAT late person on the flight where everyone watches you walk down the aisle glaring at you and wondering how someone could be so unprepared. Let me also mention that somewhere in the shuffle I lost my parking ticket that told me what lot I parked in and when I entered it.
-Friday night on the way home: My wonderful friends Katie, Abby, and Courtney came to the ATL airport to pick me up. On the way home, it was raining and a big wreck happened literally 20 feet ahead of us. Courtney was the 1st person to call 911! (Granted this event was no related to my clumsiness, but it still happened!)
-Saturday night we were sitting around the dinner table and my brother threw a nerf ball at me. Of course I threw it back at him (missing him) and hit one of my mom's hurricane vases. This being the 3rd one that either Scott or I have broken.
-Sunday afternoon: I went over Abby & Katie's apartment and being the good patron that I am, saw empty parking spaces but still decided to park on the side, in the mud. The minute I pulled in, I realized that I was not going to be coming out easily. Brad & Steve attempted with no avail. Thankfully Cameron's brother came to our rescue with his jeep and helped pull me out. (Keep in my mind, this is all happening in a parking lot)
-Sunday night at the airport: I make my 1st flight to Charlotte without problems. I rush to my connecting flight and realize it is 2 hours late! This makes the departure time 12:30 AM (due to mechanical problems). So me and my fellow passengers wait in the airport together for >3 hours late in the night. We ended up taking off at 2:15 AM, arriving at 3:30. I finally arrived at Tim & Jessica's apartment at 4:40 am, slept from 5-7, and had a complete work day! It was pretty rough!

Now I hope you don't think I am being pessimistic, because I am really had a wonderful weekend. It just felt like everything I touched was falling apart:-) I think this is how my friend Paula feels all the time:-)

Snow Day!

2009-03-05T15:40:00.000-05:00

Since Adam and I really don't watch the news all that much, we found out Sunday morning that apparently it was supposed to snow later that night. Of course, skeptical as always about snow, we didn't believe it and all I could think about was how I was in for a rough drive to work Monday morning. Well the heavens opened up and God proved our skeptical hearts wrong! We had about 1 1/2 inches Sunday night and woke up to a winter wonderland Monday morning. We got a total of 4 1/2 inches! Now I know all you northerners are laughing at us right now but I don't care! Adam and I both got off work that day and Chesterfield Co. schools ended up being closed for 3 days! Hannah and Brandon called early that morning and like giddy school kids, we headed out for some sledding. For lunch we came in for some homemade soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, and homemade cookies (we had made the night before to celebrate the snow:-)) We had such a blast the whole day and I realized I want to be a teacher so I can get out for more snow days! Here are some pictures of our day of fun!

Sunday night playing in the snow

4 1/2 inches!!

Adam helping the neighborhood kids build a ramp for snowboarding (in our front yard:-))

Check out my skills

Our hill of glory:-)

Snow beards

The bottom of our hill had an awful bank that stopped us

We took a little break for some of Chester's finest graffiti:-)

Jonny, Kate, and Sunny

Step by Step, oh baby, gonna get to you girrrrrrrlllll!

2009-02-22T16:57:00.000-05:00

Step 1: We can have lots of fun!
Step 2: There's so much we can do!
Step 3: It's just you and me!
Step 4: I can give you more!
Step 5: Don't you know that the time is right???!?!!

Now for those of you faithful fans out there, you know exactly what I am talking about. New Kids on the Blocks. Jordan, Joey, Jon, Danny, and Donny. Step by Step. Hanging Tough. The Right Stuff. Some of the best memories of my childhood involved these guys (I might be slightly exaggerating here). Sleepovers with my NKOTB sleeping bag, playing with my NKOTB Barbie-like dolls, kissing Joey's picture goodnight at my friend Lexie's house, cutting out pictures of the guys from Teen Beat (and then organizing them into separate folders), skating around Courtney's garage to their music... I'm gonna stop there. The keyword , however, is "memories". I don't feel the need for this reinventing of New Kids on the Block. Why not let the memories linger pleasantly in my mind:-) The other morning on the radio they were giving away free concert tickets for their upcoming reunion tour and you would have thought they were giving away free tickets to Europe. Grown women were calling in screaming.
But does this make me less of a true New Kids on the Block fan? Is it ok to think grown men should not call themselves "kids"? Is it ok that I prefer to keep their songs on my 80's/90's playlist on my Ipod? Is it ok that I don't want to hear 30 year old men sing creepy lyrics about half-naked girls in the summertime? After much deliberation and soul-searching, I think it IS ok. And the next time I hear my boys sing "Hey girl, can I get your number", I'm going to have to say no.

Valentine's Weekend

2009-02-17T22:06:00.000-05:00

I think Valentine's Day and all things associated with it (well, all except boxed chocolates and stuffed animals) is great. This year I decided to have Valentine's weekend. My goal was to have an all-things Adam and Shawn weekend. Weekdays can be soo stressful and with my new job, I cherish the weekend. So here's a run-down of our weekend: Friday night we went out to eat for our nice dinner at Maggiano's. Keep in mind that our reservation wasn't until 9:30 (Adam was a little delayed in making reservations:-)) But dinner was awesome and we had a great time. Saturday morning consisted of sleeping late and homemade blueberry pancakes at 11:30am. We then decided to take Ellie, the Franco's chocolate lab that we were dog-sitting for the weekend, to Belle Isle for some walking and swimming in the river (her, not us:-)) We went with another couple who has a dog and it made the dog-fever even hotter. (Insert random thought: Adam just sat down and put the "Find Pets" section of the newspaper down in front of me...Too bad he was looking for used cars on the back:-( ) When we got home, we exchanged gifts. Adam got me flowers (that he arranged himself), a red pair of my favorite Nike running shorts and mountain biking gloves (how romantic:-)). I got him the The Love Dare book from the movie Fireproof and a very cute sweater:-) We decided to go see a movie that night and saw He's Just Not Into You (or whatever it is called.. I never get it right). The other option was to see Twilight in the old $2 theatre downtown, which had specially balcony seating for "couples only" on V-Day- haha. We went with Option 1. Anyways, the movie was cute, with lots of famous faces in it, but I didn't think it had the world's greatest view on marriage. I did, however, inspire a new haircut which I am going to attempt to have my hairdresser try on Thursday (stay tuned for more). So anyways, that was our Valentine's Weekend 2009. I'm still married to the most romantic husband who makes every little thing special and I'm thankful for our relaxing time together.

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!!

2009-02-08T17:32:00.000-05:00

The other day it hit me while I was in the Christian bookstore. I realized that my parents 30th wedding anniversary was January 12 and being the horrible daughter that I am, I never properly acknowledged what an accomplishment this truly is. It's definitely not the norm anymore for parents to stay together and I am so proud that mine have! I thank them for this example and in honor of this momentous event:-), here are the 30 reasons that I am thankful for my parents: (in no particular order)
1. For making me and Scott 8 years apart. 8 years as an only child was awesome:-)
2. Sitting at countless tennis matches, softball games, basketball games, baseball games, ballet recitals...I could go on and on with this one
3. For dad secretly letting Courtney and me ride in the back of the truck to Dairy Queen
4. For buying me my very first car (the 93 Camry), then giving me the trooper when I wrecked the Camry, and then finally letting me have the 4 Runner as a graduation gift
5. For paying for my dream wedding
6. For not being TOO much in my business but ALWAYS being there for me at the right times
7. For moving me in and out of numerous houses and apartments
8. For building/sewing/crafting/painting/molding anything I can ever dream up
9. For always taking the verbal abuse if I've had a bad day
10. For making it a priority to take family vacations every year (usually to the Outer Banks or Snowshoe... you guys aren't much for changing it up:-))
11. Allowing opportunities to be around extended family as much as possible
12. For letting me believe in Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy
13. For being at church EVERY Sunday morning..bright and early at the 8 o'clock
14. For welcoming Adam into our family with open arms
15. Having family dinner every night at 6:00
16. For paying for me to go to college and supporting me financially through grad school
17. For always telling me how pretty I am.... even with braces, frizzy hair, acne (you get the idea)
18. For never claiming to know things they don't
19. For raising me in Tennessee... and NOT New Jersey or New York:-)
20. Sending me to public school, even though I always thought I wanted to go to private
21. For allowing me to have freedom in high school to hang out with friends and learn my own mistakes
22. For always being a phone call away
23. For always having brownies on hand when I come home from being far away
24. For living in the same house I was raised in (for 23ish years!)
25. For letting me stay with Bam and Doda after school when I was growing up
26. For having dogs.... NOT CATS!
27. For your involvement and generosity with the schools and the Cleveland community
28. For attending every awards banquet we ever were invited to
29. Always making sure I have cash on me:-)
30. For always letting me, Scott, and Adam know how much we are loved!

These are just a few of the reasons, but I just wanted to tell you guys how much I love you! Happy (late) Anniversary!!

Winter Advance '08

2009-01-29T11:26:00.001-05:00

Well, for those of you that doubt that Adam and I actually do youth ministry up here, here is a little proof for you:-) Martin Luther King weekend is always our designated weekend for Winter Advance. It is the biggest trip for the youth (they don't have a youth camp during the summer like most of us fondly remember:-))and they LOVE it. This was my 2nd year to be able to go and we took the most kids since Adam has been the pastor: 61 youth and 18 leaders! We stay at Camp Bretheren Woods, about 2 1/2 hours away, for 4 days and 3 nights of no sleep and eating junk. Sunday is the day we head up to Massanutten Ski Resort where the kids can ski, snowboard, tube, or just hang out in the lodge. This year's theme was "Purity with a Purpose". Pastor Wayne (our head pastor) was the teacher this year and laid it ALL out about sex. It was so awesome and the kids got alot of answers to questions they had and had the chance to sign a new covenant with God for purity in their lives, focusing on grace-filled accountability with each other. I'm telling you, there is nothing more rewarding in life than to see young people turning their lives back to the Lord. I was tearing up alot that day:-) I also got the chance to talk with all the girls on Saturday morning, sharing my own testimony about relationships and high school. I was sooo nervous but so glad I got to share with them.

Here are some highlights from the weekend. I apologize for the poor picture quality (I'm still using the ghetto Kodak EasyShare since I dropped my good camera)

The first game of injuries: some sort of thumb war or something

We played another game where certain kids had to describe what was under the boxes to the audience. The boxes had fruit, a shoe, and then under the last box was Tim Brock, one of our adult leaders.Every kid screamed when they peaked under. It was hilarious!

This was sharks and minnows only on land, not water. The kids had to crawl from one end to the other, with the sharks having to steal a shoe from the minnows. It basically turned into a giant wrestling collision.

Some of my favorite girls

Bad quality picture but here is everyone sitting down for a session

Can ya'll believe that people STILL play the cup game?? I for one was never a fan, but they still love it!

Adam in charge

Scary snow monster:-)

Yes, my husband is wearing a Teletubby costume at the ski resort. There was an autistic boy who thought he was real and wanted to stab him to death!

How pretty...

First Day of Work

2009-01-22T09:23:00.000-05:00

Well yesterday was my very first day of work as a nurse practitioner. Needless to say, it was quite overwhelming! As most of you can remember, I graduated school in August of 2007 and haven't really been in the NP mindset since then. So of course I have been freaking out for a the last couple of weeks and trying to study notes, etc. I was slightly at ease though when the doctor said about a week ago, "Don't worry, I'll hold your hand the whole way through". So I showed up Wed. morning with a hand ready to be held:-) Instead, I show up to a schedule that has me seeing 10 patients by myself!! I basically had to b.s. my way through the first day and act completely comfortable and that everything was no problem. I was there at 8:30 and didn't leave until 7pm. (Then of course, I had the 1 hour drive home). Needless to say, it was overwhelming. I did annuals, contraceptive planning, HPV counseling, pyschosocial consults, and more cultures and paps then I've done in a while. I've realized that I'm working with a brilliant doctor and that is also a little intimidating. She is a VERY OCD with cleanliness and she says everything is "beautiful" (ex: beautiful uterus, beautiful cervix, beautiful breasts.... you get the point:-)) Anyways, today is a well needed day off and I'm hoping I can recoup a little bit. I guess we'll see how the rest of the week goes!

School Loans

2009-01-13T14:58:00.001-05:00

Few things in life frustrate me more than school loans. Can somebody please explain to me how a STUDENT loan can cost you nearly 3x the amount you borrowed in the first place??? How compounded interest can depend on if they do it daily, monthly, or continuously?? How you pay and pay and pay on your "principal" and all you are really paying for is more interest?? Or my favorite is when you call the loan people to ask them a question and you get some super math nerd spitting out so much information that you finally just say "oh, I get it now" (when you are even worse off than you started). I am not even lying, if I had known how much this whole process was going to cost me in the beginning, I would have done a whole lot of things differently. (How differently? I have no clue. Just differently). And if one more person tries to tell me that school loans are an "investment", I might just scream! Now don't get me wrong, my wonderful parents totally helped me out with college and I couldn't have done it without them. And precious Adam probably didn't realize that my marriage dowry included so much fun like school loan debt. He just smiles and says, "We'll get through it". And in the end, I know we'll get through it. It just makes you wonder if the amount you pay off in the end was truly worth the education you got.

New Year=New Beginnings (pun intended)

2009-01-09T05:31:00.000-05:00

So the word is officially out on the streets--- I got a new job!!! Praise the Lord! After a very long and often sleep-deprived year (and the reason I've been up since 3AM tonight), I will no longer be working the night shift! In about 2 weeks, I will officially be employed as a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner at New Beginnings OBGYN. I am so stinkin excited! The office consists of 1 female physician (they are looking to hire another), 1 RN, an ultrasound tech, a phlebotomist, about 4-5 office staff, and ME. During my interview, the physician told me that they are a Christian office who "prays together and plays together":-) Shoot, they even hugged me when I left my interview. The biggest downfall of the job is that I will have to commute 1 hour each way. Luckily, I will only be working part-time (about 27 hours/week), with the opportunity to move up once I build my own clientele. The 1st 90 days will be a trial period where they make sure that I fit well with the practice and that I know my stuff. Which brings me to my next emotion: FEAR. I am so scared that I've forgotten all my knowledge from school and I am going to get into a patient's room and just blank-out. But I believe the Lord has given me this position and I know that I will be ok (hopefully)! So keep me in your prayers on January 21 and until then I'll be sleeping in, having 3 day weekends, frantically studying, and preparing for my sex talk to the youth girls for our upcoming winter retreat (more on that later:-)!

Christmas Fun

2008-12-30T01:36:00.000-05:00

This year's Christmas was just as action-packed as Thanksgiving was! We started off our weekend with 2 of my favorite people stopping in Richmond to stay with us for the night- Paula and Adam Richwine! That night, we celebrated Hannah's 25th birthday at Comfort (think upscale Cracker Barrel type food) and drove around looking at "posh" (as Hannah calls things) homes on Monument Avenue with cool Christmas decorations. Unfortunately, I dropped and broke my camera and have no evidence of my good friends being here. Saturday night, Adam's best friend Michael and his girlfriend Mary met us for coffee in Richmond before we headed to see the Nutcracker. Sidenote: I absolutely love the Nutcracker! It reminds me of the glory years when I used to take ballet:-) AND it definitely puts you in the Christmas spirit! On Sunday, church as always and then we headed to Tennessee for the week. The week was wonderful, getting to spend quality time with good friends and family. Unfortunately, I received a special visit from the nausea fairy on Christmas Eve and spend that night and all of Christmas Day not feeling so great (another reason why there are no pictures taken on Christmas morning with my family). The only thing that could have made Christmas better was if I had gotten a puppy:-) (hint, hint Adam) Below are some highlights of our trip!

Adam and I all dazzled up for our night out at the Nutcracker

6th annual(?) Quad Pod Christmas-- we dressed up and headed to J.Alexanders for a feast. The best present was Lindsay's little box that held a picture of her latest sonogram...she's pregnant again!

I had to put a picture of Sienna on here:-)

Emily Evans had a huge get-together at her cabin on the lake. It was great to see old friends from high school and especially great to be at the cabin. I will be so sad to see it go!

Breakfast with LeeAnna at Panera

I am so thankful that even though we live far away, I have been able to spend every Christmas in Cleveland. I can't wait until next year!

Do You See What I See?

2008-12-21T22:56:00.000-05:00

First of all, this is one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs. If you really think about the words and put yourself in the context of the song, it kinda sends chills up your spine. I wish so badly sometimes that I could live back in biblical times to be around for the birth of Jesus (or anytime around Jesus). I suggest googling the lyrics:-)
Secondly, "Do You See What I See?" has been our theme at Cornerstone for the past few monthes. It's all about making God's dream your vision. It's really crazy to think about how the world could be such a different place if everyone made God's vison our priority and died to our selfish hearts and lives. The advent booklet that the church puts out for Christmas has daily examples of real God-given dreams that people in our church have; and it has been so inspiring to read these. They include everything from starting ministries, mission trips, raising Godly families, outreaches, businesses, adoption, etc. But I also know that you can't just pray one time and expect an overnight vision statement from God for your life (usually:-)). This journey of faith isn't a one stop shop- It's a continuous and never ending process. Adapting this from Pastor Wayne, there are 4 different types of people and how we look at our relationship from God:
1. Exploring Jesus- This person believes in God, but is not sure about Jesus. Faith is not a significant part of their life.
2. Growing in Jesus- This person believs in Jesus and is working on what it means to get to know him.
3. Close to Jesus- This person feels really close to Jesus and depends on Him for daily guidance.
4. Jesus-Centered- This person believes that God is all they need in their life. Everything they do is a reflection of Jesus.

As for Adam and I, I want us to be Jesus-Centered. I want everything that we do on this earth to be for the purpose of God. As for my vision, I see myself working with young girls and healthcare. Adam wants to continue leading the youth group according to God's plans, not his. Together, we have the vision to hopefully adopt a child one day. My dream for anyone reading this is that they would continue to strive to be Jesus-centered and ask God for His vision for their life....It will totally rearrange the way you think.

Tacky Sweater Christmas Fun

2008-12-15T14:33:00.000-05:00

(Yeah, I made my own shirt:-) Complete with bells, glitter glue, and a real gingerbread cookie) This weekend was definitely packed full of fun. Friday night we went to a "Young Marrieds" Christmas party at our friends, the Coffins. We ate lots of great treats, met some new people, and played "The Newlywed Game" (it was hilarious!) Saturday consisted of some last minute hectic Christmas shopping before I had to work the evening shift, while Adam went to his friend's wedding in Raleigh. Sunday was church, lunch with friends, Christmas cookie-making with my friend Kate, and then to top it off-- the Common Ground Tacky Sweater Christmas Party. Common Ground is the young adults group at church and I am so thankful for this group! I don't get to go very often due to my work schedule, but I love being there. The group is very ecletic and Brandon (the college pastor) is awesome at really hearing what the Lord is saying and then sharing it in a way that challenges us everytime we are there. But anyways, last night was just plain fun at CG, with everyone dressing up in their ugliest Christmas attire. We had a Christmas trivia game, a runway walk-off to strut your Christmas best, and an 80's dance party to wrap it up. Who says dance parties don't happen after college:-)?

Adam really just looked like an Abercrombie kid

Hannah and Brandon

DJ Aaron spinning it up (I wish you could see the ornaments hanging in his hair)

1st & 2nd place winners- Joy & Phil Brock

A glimpse of the dance party winding down

Christmas Time Is Here!

2008-12-07T13:25:00.000-05:00

I am soooo excited that Christmas time is finally here! The weather is starting to get really cold (cold enough to snow anyways), shopping is at it's peak, parties are beginning, Christmas music is on 24/7 and holiday baking is underway! Could life GET any better:-) We put up our tree Thursday night for our 2nd Christmas together and our 1st in our new house. Much to Adam's disappointment, the artificial tree made it's way up again this year. I've also realized that it takes a whole lot more decorations than I have to fill an entire house and make it Christmas-y. I now have new respect for all those moms and grandmothers out there:-) Now with all the things I love about Christmas, I do feel the need to make some Christmas recommendations for anyone deciding to read this:-) 1. Don't get a job where you have to work holidays (ie. anything in healthcare) 2. Sing your little hearts out to Christmas music. My all-time favorite Christmas CD's are Amy Grant and Mariah Carey (although I will give honorable shout-outs to Elliot Yamin's CD and the one from Starbucks last year) 3. Bake all the best cookies you know how and feel free to bring them to me:-) 4. Please don't put giant blow up things in your front yard and 5. Don't forget that Christmas is really about celebrating the birth of our Savior! I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas season!!

Happy Birthday Adam!

2008-12-02T15:42:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was my wonderful husband's 26th birthday. Usually for birthdays we try to do something that neither of us has done before or something we can do together. (For example, last year I took him to see a comedy show in DC and this year he bought me tickets to see the Nutcracker.) Last night, I surprised him and we went to Texas de Brazil for dinner. It is a Brazilian steakhouse and if you have never been here, it is quite an experience! Forewarning: YOU MUST LOVE MEAT to go here! :-) This restaurant is crazy! Everyone has red and green tokens on their table and you flip them whenever you want more to eat or if you need a break. If it's on green, these huge non-English- speaking scary men wearing pirate pants rush over to you and start carving meat off their large skewer straight onto your plate. You have no idea what you are eating and if you ask, they mumble something and you pretend like you understand:-) We had lamb, chicken, and every type of steak you can imagine....all amazing! Not to mention the fried plantains, mashed potatoes, and 50-item salad bar! I can just taste it now! Afterwards we came back to the house and had cake/ice cream with our good friends Johnny & Kate and Ben & Samantha. Adam says it was a great 26th birthday-- we're getting so old!

*** By-the-way, if you haven't noticed, I had to change the name of my blog to something more plural:-) Mr. anti-blog Adam has requested it be OUR blog that we can share together:-)

I can't believe it....

2008-12-01T10:20:00.000-05:00

I honestly cannot believe that I am starting this thing. But something has sucked me in this time. Whether it's the ability to let my family keep in touch with my life even though we live far away, the chance to stalk all of my friends even more than I already do:-), or just the fact that I can make my page look super cute, I'm going to give this thing a try. I know that I don't have super important passionate and theological things to say (and I'm definitely not the best writer in the world), but who cares:-) So today is December 1st and I am going to give it a try for the month of December. Surely there is enough excitement in this month to get me through!