Thursday, April 27, 2006

crazyness!!!

that is pretty much how our lives have been lately..
this spring weather has definately put a skip in our step!!!
(did I just say that??)
I am pouting, b/c the last week and a half have been so packed with photo opps.. and I have been without a camera :(
however, I finally decided on one, and ordered on Monday.. so hopefully I can get out and recreate some of these moments!!

I have been super busy in the yard.. planting and weeding. I am designing a pathway to go around the whole right side of our house.
Thanks to my dog who, so nicely got rid of the grass by pacing in a very specific path throughout the entire winter!! That's a little less work for me!!
We are also designing a deck so we'll attack that sometime in May.
Brigham is loving being outside; he has become quite the little gardener too! He gets down in the dirt with his little trowel and scoops up like TWO pieces of dirt at a time!!
He also has developed quite the little obsession with running under the garden hose, when I water the flowers. he always ends up soaked!
This is going to be a fun (and dirty) summer!!! I can't wait!!

I started working three days a week at my church. We offer a cool service of Mom's time out to people in the community.We have three different sessions, and the kids take part in so many fun activities. It is such an awesome ministry to start with these wee ones!!
I am having a blast being with so many different temperments and Brigham is loving it too.
He learns so much from being there.. and it very cool that I can be there to experience it with him.
My friend and I are gonna tackle a renovation this summer of all three child care rooms.
that is Infants, toddlers , and community care. We are throwing around some different themes and then will get out the paint and go nutz..
I will probably come to you bloggers for a vote when the time gets closer. I am a horrible decision maker.. and can use all the help(KAT???) I can get!!

I have been asked to be in charge of a room for VBS this June. Vacation Bible School is an awesome week for the kiddos to release some energy and learn about God too.
The theme is SONTREASURE ISLAND... set in the Carribean.
I am so excited to have the wee ones again... 1-3 year olds!!! its gonna be so much fun!!
So, I have less then a month to get my room ready, including, stories, crafts, decor, and snack!
ANY creative cats have any ideas??

I have been pretty pathetic at blogging lately, mainly cuz after I visit all of you, I have just about enough time for a quick nap, before Brigham wakes up!!

Our days have been packed with play dates, and walks, and going to the park.
I am hoping to walk every day ..we have this really cool trail, by our house, that is close to 4 miles.
I thought having a toddler would help me burn off these pounds!! Its probably the fact that us moms get together for lunch 3-4 times a week, and meet for coffee a couple times a week.
My social calender seems to be revolving around food!!
anybody else have that problem?
Why is it that no one wants to get together for a gym play date???
Can you tell I am stressing about bathing suit season??
.. and for one more random thought... I am so stoaked about the blogging babes cj!!!
it is going to be so much fun!!
I need to get the blinkie link.. so I can add it to my blog.
speaking of, I actually have a lot of updating to do on this thing...wish I could just snap my fingers!!
I'll leave you with the last LO I did of brigham . I love the brightness of it, and he still had his baby chubb cheeks.!!!

have a super Thursday!!

how could I forget AI...
i was completely okay with the results of Kellie getting the boot(as if my opionion mattes!).
my picks are that Paris, will be next..
then Katherine, Taylor, Elliot, and hopefully the next AMerican Idol will be Chris..
I think he is really deserving..
they all rock.. and will end up very successfull/
i always hate that there CAN be only one!!

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

still recovering

from the weekend!!
yep, it has taken me until Wednesday to be able to post. I guess I should stop saying "out loud" that I have intentions to blog more frequently.. because it almost never happens!!
REally, I do mean to spend more time blogging, but life just gets so busy.

I truly hope everyone of you had an awesome Easter weekend. Our entire last week, was awesome, as we spent lots of quiet time in reflection as to the meaning of Easter.
One of our friends gave the most powerful sermon on Maundy Thursday and then on Friday our church did a really moving thing, where in almost darkness, people were invited to walk up and "nail their sins" to a big cross in the front. The only sound was the hammering. Very intense.

I also stayed up on Friday and watched the Ten commandments. I can't believe I had never seen that one before. Yes, the acting and the special effects were extremely out there...
but it was a cool story. Hollywood has definately come a long way since then.


Well, we had horrible storms last weekend too.. A tornado warning on Friday night. Andrew was in route from work to home while the sirens were going off. I have the biggest fear of tornadoes, and was trying to stay calm and keep Brigham calm and quiet so that I could hear the weather reports. I think he sensed I was tense, because he was soo figety and whiney.. the more I shhhh'd him, the more he escalated his whine...
The phone rang, and Andrew was calling me from church.. he had thought I was there, and in the middle of the Good Friday service, the pastor came out and told everyone what was going on with the weather.
So , since Andrew knew I would be scared to death, he decided, to leave the safety of a HUGE church basement, and DRIVE home through it!!
.... and this was supposed to make me feel better!!!
anyway, the wind died down, and everything was fine, but it was quite and eventful Friday.
oh yeah, and while I was doing laundry, the washing machine decided to start smoking and it was determined later that the transmission was out. So we either pay $300 bucks for a new one, or we just go buy a new washer . So we're now making trips to several applicance stores.!!


Saturday, my dad came over to watch Brigham so that we could have a date night. He even gave us money so we could go out to dinner. My mom had given us money too, so that we could go get each of us a new Easter outfit!!
I don't know about any of you, but whenever I have money to burn, I can never find anything!!
It took us forever to find a new shirt for andrew and a new dress for me.
We went to dinner at one of my favorite places. This joint has the best fried dill pickle chips..
MMMMM> dip them in horseradish sauce, and it is just heaven!!

We were finishing up our dinner and planning on heading to Wally world to get Easter basket stuff for our egg hunt the next day..
We were almost home, when the blue and red flashing lights came up behind us!!
Yes, we were pulled over!!! unbelievable--
turns out, a campus cop had been following us for awhile, and for some random reason ran my plates.
they were not in the system.... is why she pulled us over. Then come to find out, my tags were expired two years! My last registration known was 2004!!!
WHAT?????? this was crazy... I had no idea at all.
So, after we got a ticket for $112.oo, they politely (there were now three cop cars around us) that it would be unlawful for them to allow us to operate this vehicle.
SO they impounded my poor jetta. We were both a little mad, but what can you do...so we had to get everything out of my car, and pack into a squad car, and then got dropped off at home.
What a romantic date huh????
The best part was that because it was the weekend, we could not get the car out til Monday.
well, so we thought. I had to show proof of payment for updated registration, and conveniently the License branch was closed on Mondays.
I had to pay for two extra days for them to take ever so great care of my Greta.(yes, my car has a name.. Greta the Jetta).
side note.. when we finally picked up the car on Tues. there is a big sign that says... Warning: Do not enter with a hostile attitude or an abusive mindset. we reserve the right to withhold your car....... Guess they have had some not so pleasent situations. and they are not known for hiring very nice people.
Seriously, this is a gold mine, though, after I saw how many cars were in the lot, and being charged $25 a day.. and get this.. They are not responsible for any damage, theft or fire done to the vehicles... surprising huh??!!! funny, though, they have the lot all chained up and with barbed wire at the top. Don't know that anyone would be getting through anyway!
okay, we got the car back and all is well.
Sunday was an awesome day. The weather was beautiful. the food was great. the chocolate was fabulous. We had a blast with family and friends.
Brigham had so much fun with the easter grass.
I have pics.. but will have to post later.
Last week, Brigham decided throwing the digital camera was more fun than a ball and he chucked it on the drive way.
We are now researching cameras.
Are you tired yet???
I am exhausted, just typing out this crazy antics that occured this weekend.
Plus, I came down with a cold and had no voice until yesterday.
I hosted my bible study last night so I was up making a dessert and cleaning the house..etc.
and then this morning I had to be a co hostess for a women's organization I belong to.
Finally, I got to relax today, when one of my closest friends, came to visit.
She and her husband are real good friends of ours, and they moved to Virginia about a year ago.
Her husband is deployed, so she made the trip to IN for a visit...by herself, with two kids under two. She is a very brave woman!
It was so much fun to have our kids reconnect too.
Of course no pics either since my camera was MIA.
man, this is really going to bring angst to my life....
any suggestions on real good cameras... would be awesome.=)

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

life is good

okay, so I am now gonna do something. .. that I usually don't find attractive in others..
You know , when people go on and on about how great their life is... and they have no problems.. and they want all this "atta girl/guy" praise from people..
We all know someone like this.. and we all know that it is not real.

"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strenght or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight" Jer. 9 23-24

It is in my thoughts, that one does not have to boast about the good in their life, yet, the good will be evident by the way the conduct themselves.
Plus, the fact, that if everything is always just super duper, than it would be easy to conclude that all is not super, and that overcompensating the good is to cover up the bad..
and we ALL have the bad..

I share this, because so often, I look at relationships,(marraiges) and think.. "how do they do it" .. or "they are so in love".. "how come its working for them"...
the truth is that it usually is not.. more often than not there are struggles, fights, distrust, selfishness, isolation, and unhappiness going on that the "world" can't see.

We are all very good at putting on outward appearances.. but what I really admire, is when those people who open up and say.."we have problems".
This weekend, I sat among 1400 people who were confident enough to stand up and say...
"the most diffucult years of marriage, are those following the ceremony"
My Husband of 2 years and I attended the most incredible weekend and probably the most important . We spent three days in downtown Indianapolis at A Weekend to Remember..
this is an amazing conference put on by http://www.familylife.com.
We had the most dynamic speakers.. couples, sharing what 23 and 35 years of marriage is really like.
Andrew and I really got to talk.. and we hit some big topics. We focused on timeless blue prints for marriage, about committment, and communication.. romance, and of course resolving conflict.
Having gotten my degree from Purdue in Management, I thought I knew all about these big topics.. from my classes, well except the romance part..( I learned about that one on my own!!)
Funny, how all the basic principals go out the window when you are dealing with the one you love.
In business, you are lacking one thing.. EMOTIONS!!!
What an amazing time for Andrew and I to share, and laugh and cry.. and really reconnect.
We had so many of our friends and parents praying for us during this time, and it was really evident.
From the fact that an annonymous donor(from our church) and dear friends of ours, committed to financially enabling us to attend( the conference and hotel were over $600) simply through the power of prayer..
We are so grateful to have had the opportunity this past weekend and are committing to invest in not only ours, but marriages of others.. as we start up a HOMEBUILDERS couple series.
If you are married and have not heard of this.. you need to run.. not walk to the website I already mentioned.. and discover how to make your relationship all that God intended it to be.

So why is life good??
*absolutely because, I got to attend this conference with Andrew.
*and we got to eat like kings..(really splurge) for every meal in some awesome restaurants
*we got to enjoy the beautiful spring weather on the Canal Walk..














* Seeing the beauty of nature, as my flowers are all coming up!














*God is good
*my little guy peed on the potty while staying at my moms over the weekend.
Yay for grandma, getting him to do it!!
*My dad performed Sun. at our church Traveling light which is a modernday, 38 monoluge, drama depicting parts of Christ's life.. and leading up to the reserection... very powerful.
*my brother"s recently ex-wife is pregnant..(thankfully not my brothers).. GOD is GOOD.
*I only have five days, until I can indulge in that sweet sweet substance!
*Experiencing holy week with my family
*my husband is going to a concert tonight, so I will be free to Scrap!!

Have an awesome Tuesday!!

Monday, April 03, 2006

and the winner is......

well, it certainly is NOT me..
i am the world's worst blogger..
but did you know that they have awards for this crazy addiction???
Yep, its true, I saw on Dateline last week that the first annual Bloggie Awards were handed out.
(was going to post on this subject a week ago, but just would not be me, if I was not very sparatic in my postings!).. so I am doing it today!.

They had some interesting catagories.. most HUMOUROUS....best british... best European, etc..
There are appearantly some 30.6 million blogs around, and of all of these, the judges(who have way too much time on their hands).. chose a mere 30 winners.

The best Irish blog was "girl with a one track mind".. in it the author just reveals the escapades of her sex life.. and appearantly, she has a lOT to write!!

The best Eurpean blog was called "my boyfriend is a word that Josh cant say on Dateline-nbc"

The best Humorous is called "overheard in New York".. this one actually sounds pretty amusing..
the author compiles lists of sentence fragments and emails heard through out the streets on New York..
that one kinda makes me think of the "headlines that Jay Leno does" and when the last names of potential couples are listed in the marriage section.. You wonder if this could be real, but obviously somone is spending their "spare" time scoping these things out!! and providing us entertainment in the process.

BOING BOING won the bestest award there is.. the LIFETIME ACHIEVMENT award..
this would be fitting, since the author of this blog is only six years old!

One of the most interesting, that I found, was the "my secret" blog. This won for the best american blog. the author simply asks for anyone to send him a postcard stating their secret. he then scans it in and posts it on his blog.
any thing from the most trivial to the big whoppers.. are posted from people all over the country.
And the coolest thing about these awards, is that there actually is a prize.. a whopping $20.06 !!!

So I ask you, why do you blog?? I wonder how much time, do you actually spend reading other people's blogs.. and what purpose does it serve you?
If you had to hand out awards for the above mentioned catagories.. who would you choose?

My husband completely makes fun of me, for having entered the blog world . He has some few choice words, about it that I can't say on blogger.
wait, what am I saying.. I control this blog..!!, but I choose not to for fear, I could offend someone.
I keep trying and trying to explain this addiction.. when I reveal that it actually stemmed from a scrapbooking addiction, then he really says I've lost it!

So I wonder, do your husbands or significant others, think you're crazy, for spending hours on the computer, telling random thoughts, or even pouring out your hearts to total strangers.. and much less, potentially the whole world???
Personally, I don't have that much time to invest. My schedule is busting at the seams between, all the activities I have with Brigham, or organizations, I am part of, or preparation for offices I hold, or trying to manage home with my business.
Some of you know, that I am not the best when it comes to keeping in bloggy touch. I have found many of you to be very entertaining, and interesting, and down right hilarious.
I love those of you who are REAL. The ones who say it like it is. The ones that admit that life aint a bowl of ice cream. There is a whole lotta crap in our lives.. and I love to hear the "REAL" stuff.
I think that people who are willing to share the downs of life.. are the ones that are the truest.
It is hard to believe when some one is always "UP" and has everything so "good".
anyway, that may just be the first catagory that I award.. KEEPIN IT REAL.
feel free to nominate yourselves.

I have decided to take a new approach in my blogging.. but this will mean I will have to be disciplined. I am committing to blogging 3 times during the week, and once on the weekends.
I look forward to this new direction in my blog, and hope that anyone who reads it will benefit in some way.
thanks for all of you, who take time to read the randomness in my head..
Here is a LO that I did of Brigham with one of his new toys at Christmas. I love to see him constantly learning new things. He has such an intense look on his face, as he focuses on new skills.
Happy Monday!

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