christmas in nine days.

WOW! Can't believe it. Also can't believe that I haven't blogged in so long.  b u t....I've not had much internet time, and most of my days have been spent watching kiddies and making presents. Here's a few of our Christmas goodies around the house...

yes, our puppy has cone on her head. she ripped the staples out of her belly, went for a visit to the doggie ER, and had to wear this lovely plastic cone for 11 days.

.pretty ornaments.

made from a chipotle bag an sticks on the ground. (inspiration for 'joy' from starbucks 2009 christmas cups. i also made 'peace' and 'hope'.)

well, that's all for now. hopefully more stable internet access in the near future, which hopefully means more posting.  enjoy the last nine days of christmas! remember the reason for the season.

lately...

Cranberry Lemon Poppyseed Muffins. Mmmmm. Delicious! I even improved a glaze to go overtop.


Here'a a sneak peek at some Christmas presents in the making. I love Christmas!

Sorry this isn't a real in-depth posting. Life's been crazy-busy. Chris and I are both still job searching, but God is still proving his faithfullness in so many ways.

.baby crying. gotta go.

Happy 22 to my friend Mara!

things that are making me smile today

A perfect fall day with the most vibrant colored leaves on the trees i've ever seen.

I promise you, I've never seen better looking fall leaves anywhere I've ever lived.

A delicious peppermint mocha...I have to admit, I just can't wait for Christmas. I've already started listening to Christmas tunes, I've been in gift-making mode,  and a peppermint mocha from Starbucks is the perfect topping to ushering in the season. (and I already know it's not even Thanksgiving.)

The cutest little girl at the library squealing for joy at the fish in the tank. 

A job interview. Monday. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.  I never want to forget that.

Peace and love, everyone. Enjoy the little things today. *grin*

tomorrow is wedding day!

my kara joy will become a MRS tomorrow!

congrats kara and ryan! i love you both and i'm so excited for you guys *grin*

finally, a post!

Whew! It's been somewhat of a whirlwind the last couple of weeks moving back to Ohio, unpacking and doing my best to 'nest', :) and catching up with friends. Chris is on the brink of a job, and I'm starting to babysit my cousins part-time next week. It's all so exciting. 

I'm not completely finished with the new place, but here's a few pics of completed areas :)

New little desk and chair set (thanks mom!) from an Amish farm!

Dining area

Kitchen

Exciting stuff, eh? 

Now for the more serious stuff....Chris and I have recently been offered a pretty exciting opportunity, one which would grow us and challenge us in ways we might not even realize right now. It is a tremendous ministry opportunity, which may seem to make it an easy decision, but we don't want to go anywhere God isn't calling us. So if anyone who reads this wouldn't mind offering up a quick prayer, that'd be wonderful. Hopefully I'll be able to provide better updates in the near future.  (Job=internet in the apartment) *grin*

a new home

Moving always sucks. It’s stressful and crazy busy, and it always seems that something has to go wrong. None of this was any different for our move this past weekend. But we made it! It’s all in the past, and we’re in the process of settling into our new home in Ohio. Yah! I’ve already noticed how much cooler it is, especially in the morning. I forgot how in high school, I’d leave in the morning needing a jacket, but walk home in the afternoon stripped as much as I could modestly be. But, sacrifices, right?

I need a planner. In Nashville, we didn’t socialize much. Nothing was really on our schedule but an occasional doctor appointment or euchre night with Jimmy and Lisa. But being back in Ohio, our schedule is already filling, and fast! I need to go buy a planner! Woo hoo! J And wouldn’t you figure, I saw one at Starbucks yesterday for September 2009- December 2010. Perfect, right? 

Goodbye, Granny White Pike

.granny white pike, 1935.

Two more days of driving this beauty. Wednesday marks my last day of my first job out of college. I made it just over a year…pretty good, right? My goodbye to this road is bittersweet. Ever so sweet as it marks the end this job; bitter as this is my most favorite road in Nashville…the most beautiful, serene, peaceful drive I commonly make.
Considering the situation, I'd have to say that the sweet far outweighs the bitter, so Wednesday I'll be soaking in the beauty, but rejoicing all the way. *grin*

Wonders of the Weekend

Well, I wrote this super long post last night, well really all afternoon, then went to upload it and it said I wasn't connected to the internet. psh....

So here's a quick recap of the weekend:

Friday night coffee with the Burkeys, our new but feel like long-lost friends. This is one amazing couple.  (With one a m a z i n g baby, Owen) We kinda found ourselves asking God, why didn't we meet a year ago? But God knows what he's doing.  However he leads our friendship, it will go! 

Some new wall art. Homemade, I might add. (If ya couldn't tell) ;)

New curtains. Store-bought, and still need ironed.

Homemade oatmeal that's delicious enough for a picture.

Sunday morning church with the Mark and Lauren (mentioned above). This place was amazing. Another, where-was-this-a-year-ago experience. Ugh. But it was really a blessing, and the Pastor brought the Word like I haven't heard in a while. Maybe I'll expound more later. Good stuff...

And lastly, a sweet puppy cuddled on the top of the couch. A perfect ending to a wonderful weekend. 

kylee marries paul

Congratulations Mr and Mrs Paul Dawson! 

Is she not one of the most gorgeous brides e v e r ?? 

the wedding party.

being crazy...i think the boys were better at that than the girls.

me and the beautiful bride

daddy walking her down the aisle.

they got each other good!

the newlyweds *grin*

first dance.

Congratulations Paul and Kylee! Thanks for letting me be a part of your special day! Love you guys so much :)

it was six eleven

and i finally got out of bed after about 45 minutes of snoozing. ugh. Time to rush to get ready, again. As if I weren't already running behind, I decide to touch up my toenails so I can show off my new shoes (black peep-toe heels)  :). Great idea, right? Well apparently, I forgot to screw the cap on last time I did this, and you girls know how you grab the top of the bottle and give it a little swat in your palm a few times?  I don't even think I know why I do that. Maybe is that just how we're taught? Anyway, I did that. With the top unscrewed. See photos. 

Please someone tell me why practically all of it ended up on my hands! Why not on the tile floor where it's super easy to clean up? And please note: This is not what my hands looked like, as in past tense. These are present tense, currently what they are looking like. 

But ya know? End result was all the same. My toenails are painted and they look cute. *grin* And for those of you who know me pretty well, be pleasantly surprised that when this happened, I laughed. Yes, laughed. And grabbed the camera. Normally I probably would have screamed out of anger and thrown the rest of the nail polish up against the wall. 

Ok ok ok, I should have been at work like, 10 minutes ago, so peace and love ya'll! screw the caps of your nail polish on!!!!! :)

p.s.

My cousin is getting married today *grin*

Congratulations Nathan and Kammi!! Love you both so much; wish we could be there!

Romans 5:3-5

How do you rejoice in sufferings? Seriously, this is a question, non rhetorical. Is there one way to rejoice, or many ways? Is the only way to rejoice through sufferings to look ahead as if looking behind and see how God has brought you through, built your character and given you hope? How do you continually give thanks to God in all circumstances, when your circumstances are causing you grief, pain, and heartache?  

There has to be a way. Otherwise God wouldn't command it of us. I think for me personally, it's a couple of things. I have to remember that no matter what is going on in my life and the lives of those around me, God is still God. He still reigns on His throne above, and we are still to worship Him because He is holy. Nothing changes that. No circumstances, challenges, or changes in our earthly lives. 

When I look back at my life (all 23 years, haha) and especially the lives of others, I cannot help but know and understand that God never leaves our side. He not a God who leaves us out hanging to dry and fly on our own. He walks beside us, He carries us when need be, all because of love. 

Just a friendly reminder (mainly to myself) this morning. God is good, all the time.

rain and deserts

It's a rainy day. Mom used to always sing a song on rainy days:

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down….

*the carpenters*

 

But it's Tuesday. Tuesday and rainy. For the last six months or so that Chris and I have been eating more fruits and veggies, everytime it rains Chris says it's making our food grow. Rain is good. Yes, good.

 

Our weekend in Ohio was fabulous. The wedding was beautiful and that's an understatement. I felt like my jaw was dropped the whole evening. And I didn't get any pictures worth posting. Bummer,  I know. But trust me, it was beautiful. *grin*

Here's a picture of my preggo friend, Lauren, who's 23 weeks along. Isn't she beautiful?

I feel like my mind and my heart are about to go on a whirlwind of a ride. Or maybe at least they should be. I got some unexpected news last night and I'm not quite sure when it's going to sink in. It's kind of funny because for the nine months or so, I've dealt with life a little differently than I ever have before. Normally, I'm an emotional wreck and those raindrops outside might as well be my tears. But this seems like more of a desert.

My mom said it's really great last night...God might not always deliver you from your trials, but He will always walk you through the valleys (and deserts).  So ya know? The desert is ok with me for now. 

 

just a week in mid-July

And the most amazing bowls ever. Anyone recognize these? My mom has these and I've always dreamed of owning some myself. Wouldn't you know, I found them at the thrift store Saturday. They were just sitting on the shelf! Marvelous!

Some new books...

Zoe's first t-shirt. "Major Attitude." So fitting for her. She was not too fond of it though. She kept trying to bite it then she'd get a hold of the arm and it'd make her fall over. It was sooo funny to watch!

Coworker Kimberly's wedding. She looked stunning. It was a beautiful, very touching wedding. I love wedding season!!! 

My very first watermelon cutting! Now I know why people always refer to watermelon as juicy. Talk about messy!

Delicious berries. So delightful :)

We're Ohio-bound tomorrow after work. Soooo excited for Jon and Kate's wedding. And of course seeing lots of wonderful friends. :)

G'night!

my princess

so the green pillow i made this weekend? zoe loves it. she has fallen asleep on it two days in a row. awww.... check out her ears! it's always like this, one up, one down. haha. she's special :)

happy hump day!

weekend projects

ya'll, i am so excited about how this table turned out. i wanted to paint it simply because i hated it and thought that at least a coat of paint would do. i didn't really take a proper before photo, since i had already taken the glass out and the knobs off, but here's the jist of what it was before:

and here it is after!!! i love love love it! i always thought i hated the knobs (well, handles, i guess) but i love them up against the black. and i simply covered the glass pieces with fabric from a skirt i got at the thrift store.

and i used the rest of the fabric to make this pillow. haha! it'll do for now. :) :)

five things

last night was fun. mother in law, brother in law, girlfriend of brother in law (lisa), husband and I all gathered at our humble abode for icecream cake (with whipped cream a n d ice cream, wow, i know) and some friendly euchre. lisa and i found out we have matching glasses, and jimmy's car wouldn't start because it was out of gas....it was a fun night!! *grin*

i found this on another site and thought it'd be fun, ok, well at least by my definition of fun. so here's my five things:
5 things under $5.00 that I couldn't live without:
*Starbucks Caramel Macchiato
*Coffee creamer
*stickers
*a little more than $5, but Broadway nails, for sure.
*my thrift store finds

5 favorite movies:
*The Guardian
*How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
*Hitch
*Lord of the Rings trilogy
*X-Men – Wolverine and all three…these are my new faves!

5 favorite baby names I love:
*Rylee
*Mathias
*Ashlynn
*Kiptynn
*Luci

5 songs I love:
*Brooke Fraser - Shadowfeet
*Before the Throne- don’t even know who sings it
*Colbie Caillat - Older
*James Morrison – Wonderful World
*Mark Schultz – He Will Carry Me

5 positive influences:
*my husband
*my family
*Kara Joy
*my worship music
*coffee shops

5 life changing moments:
*when I asked Jesus to come into my heart when I was 4
*moment slash time frame: when I started going to Marysville church.
*summer in between Junior and Senior year of college
*my wedding day, June 14th, 2008
*November 2nd, 2008

5 current obsessions:
*my new puppy, zoe
*blogging *grin*
*thinking of décor ideas for our new apartment
*packing/thinking of how we can downsize.
*is it too cliché if I say Jesus?

5 places I want to go:
*Some place with a turquoise ocean
*A super nice, tropical resort (probably includes the ocean from above)
*Europe- Italy, France again, Ireland…
*San Deigo- been once before, want to take Chris!
*Ohio...OH – IO!

5 appliances or kitchen tools I could not live without:
*blow dryer
*brita water filter
*coffee maker, for sure
*kitchen knives
*does the computer count as an appliance?

my body is crying, my heart is rejoicing.

*originally posted july 7th, 2009*

this is all i have eaten today. (read: one cupcake and two double chocolate cookies, not literally this adorable cookie monster cupcake, which could very well be my mascot for life *grin* )

this is all i’ve had to drink today. (read: grande toffee nut soy extra hot mocha no whip) (confession to husband- sorry i didn’t tell you.)i think my body is c r a v i n g that salad in the fridge, the apple on my desk, or perhaps the wholesome whole grain oatmeal that was meant for breakfast that i passed up for a cupcake in the breakroom. yeah, i think it’s time for that detox husband and i have been talking about for months now…

zoe's first shower

*originally posted july 1st, 2009*

a look of sheer terror….

water

*originally posted june 25th, 2009*

I’ve been reading a lot of other people’s blogs lately. And I’ve come to find something. I really like pictures. I like words a lot too, and have been incredibly blessed by many bloggers. But there’s just something about pictures! So I thought as I went to write today, that I would provide some interesting pictures for you to view. *grin*
Meet water bottle.

Water bottle and I were good friends for approximately a year and a half. Despite the fact that this was an indian gift, no, I indian gave, no…..I took this back from someone I had previously given it to as a gift. (hahaha), water bottle and I had a deep connection. I probably filled her up five or six times a day. She kept me rejunvinated. She kept me motivated to drink a lot of water. I guess the least I could have done was given her a bath….