I Am...

• wearing a bright pink shirt today (thanks, Veronica...)
• having a "big hair day"
• laughing at this site
• thinking about my to-do list
• wondering what is wrong with my camera...
• wishing for a better gas mileage car
• loving marriage to the sweetest, cutest, funnest man
• hoping for bad weather this weekend so I will stay inside and do housework :)
• training for a summer marathon
• craving my mom's gourmet cuisine
• dreaming about a vacation to Bora Bora Tahiti someday (anyone out there seen "Couples Retreat"? Where that was filmed...)
• Reading "Waking the Dead" by John Eldridge, "Cut the Clutter and Stow the Stuff" by Lori Baird and "Farmer Boy" by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• Eating watermelon flavored yogurt
• Missing my family on the other side of the state and my friends in DC
• Waiting to find out when U2 is rescheduling their June concert we had tickets to
• Praying for God's timing on our vocational goals and family dreams
• Loving having benefits again (finally on a real contract at work! :)
• Needing...to get back to work :)

Happy Thursday, all :)

Every Weekend Should Be 3 Days...

Did last week get away from me or what? I have had three 3-day weekends in a row - one for my birthday, last weekend I missed Monday so I could do a drug screening, and then this weekend I got Friday off as I switch from a staffing firm contract to a in-house one. I could REALLY get used to 3-day weekends - and guess what...this upcoming weekend is one too!! WOOOO!

It is like that is the way that they are meant to be. Matt and I are super productive for one day, running/resting another, and a play day too. (I could really get used to this...)

I remembered to upload a couple pictures my camera actually worked to take at about 5:15 this morning. The first one: the view at dawn from our kitchen window...
Matt helped install a set of floating shelves on our big, blank living room wall on Friday too:
...and of course the camera would not work for the "after" picture....boo.

Sunday after church we went to go visit our dear friends that just had a baby. Matt held her first - she was not even 24 hours old when we came by. It was so much fun! Then, we went grocery shopping afterwards and watched/heard a toddler have a major meltdown. Funny how experiencing that made me go from "I want one now!" to "...I can SO wait..." eek!
Then again, our future kids will be angels, right? No meltdowns?

What a great weekend. Between coffee dates, a nice long run, a few loads of laundry, an episode or ten of "The Office"...we just had FUN.

My youngest brother called on Friday night to wish me a happy birthday. I told him he was two weeks late. He was wishing me one now so that I don't forget that his birthday is next Monday...so FUNNY. I am glad he called though :)

Well happy Monday, all! I hope you had an awesome weekend yourselves. What are you doing for Memorial Day weekend?

No Pictures, But....

I'm alive, really I am!

It's been a whirlwind of a last few days, but one reason I have not put up a blog post since last week: my camera broke! It makes a weird wrrrrr sound when I try to auto-focus (instead of a beep) and then won't take the photo :(

I like using photos in my blog posts, so this feels so lame talking about the last few days without some fun pictures to share as well!

Last Wednesday: Matt and I volunteered at the Tri-Cities Union Gospel Mission and we stuffed 60 food boxes. They gave me a free pie and several pounds of coffee as a token of their thanks - it was truly a blessing to get to serve for an evening.

Thursday: got a haircut. No pictures to share! It is short, layered, big, and fun!

Friday: It was crazy at work. I got a 3 month in-house temporary contract which means a raise and benefits. Also meant going in for a drug test on Monday = took the day off to avoid having to drive myself (missed the vanpool). We were so excited for the news. Matt went to a guys night video game party, and I stayed home. I did my nails, and got a Blizzard with a friend. A great day!

Saturday: I slept in until 8:40, which is huge. I usually can't sleep well when there is daylight! 10 hours of sleep did me GOOD! We went on a million errands for house stuff: shelves for the living room (with leftover birthday money!), got grass seed & weed killer, did some couponing, and got a DVD to watch. Church was in the evening, and I ate dinner too late at night = tummy ache at 4am :( We had a 13-mile run to do at the crack of dawn...

Sunday: We conquered 13 miles of running trail! There was even a huge snake that came across our path at the every end - we jumped out of the way and kept on running. Then, we crashed for a nice long NAP. Hallelujah! When we woke up, we did some grocery shopping and looked for new running shoes for Matt (too many blisters!). It was a wonderfully relaxing day thereafter - and productive, too!

Monday: My surprise day off thanks to a drug test screening for work. Since it was near the couple that I lived with when I first moved to Tri-Cities, we had breakfast with them. They are due to have their first baby any day now! Once we were home again it was another nap. I felt like I was catching up on bad sleep for some reason. It was delightful to wake up and not have to rush anywhere. We made sandwiches and sat out on the deck in the glorious sunshine and just watch cotton fuzz float all over the sky. I spent the rest of the day playing in the kitchen. I made a lot of unhealthy dishes, so since my mom reads this I will just say it involved food you open with a can, got out of the freezer, and was gooey... :) We had a friend stay in our guest room last night that was passing through on her way to Ellensburg from Missoula. I was astounded to hear that the drive from our house to Missoula was only 5 1/2 hours. Here Matt and I are debating back and forth if we can still afford to go there in July when I find that out! It is looking like a strong possibility still! :)

SO! I hope to be back with pictures soon. A big reason I did this "update" post is because my family, near and far, read this - and it keeps everyone updated on our crazy fun. And, that we survived the 13-miler...

Happy Tuesday, all :)

Things I'm Praying About

I am covering the front desk for the winery while all of the staff are in a big meeting downstairs, so I finally have a moment to sneak on here and write...

I knew what I wanted to write about - my current prayer list. Because I figure if I write it all down, it will help me to keep on praying "without ceasing". It also helps me give it over, and let go (and let God).

Here are a few things:

1. For favor at work. My new temporary contract is a 3-month gig, and I am praying for favor for some work-from-home opportunity within that contract. And Fridays off, as that is the slowest day and I'd rather be at home cleaning my house. The commute is rough and ALL of my work is through the computer, all data entry. They need me, too!
2. For our marathon training. We don't even know if we can afford the trip to MT yet, but we are still training with the Missoula Marathon in mind on July 11th.
3. For financial provision to take a trip to Montana this summer. I really want Matt to meet some of my family out there, and I am so so so dying for some vacation. We need to save up enough to cover my absence from work and the cost of gas (which is horrendous!).
4. Our small family business. Matt is doing mostly consulting work right now, but we would still like to push forward with securing some design contracts. Does anyone out there have any connections to how to break into doing album art - like CD covers? Matt creates amazing stuff!
5. The consulting work. It starts out slow, so lots of patience is needed while you wait for invoices to be paid. Matt loves the work so we are excited that God led us to such an interesting career path. We are praying for more clients in our town.
6. Balance. Oh how important is that! When we have balance in our life we are at peace. We don't even have kids and there is not enough time for it all. I am up at 5:30 and in bed at 10, and if there is a two-minute window to check Facebook I consider it "getting in some downtime". Between the 11-hour workday, running, and ministry activities - our days are packed.
7. For serving at the Union Gospel Mission. I am the coordinator of this volunteer activity, and it is stressful at times. We are praying all goes well tonight working in the food pantry!
8. For our family. Near and far, we are just praying for their health, safety, and hope to see them again soon. I am missing my nephew something fierce...
9. Joy. I am praying for joy because sometimes life is hard (but it is so much more fun if you can find ways to laugh at it) :)
10. For our friends. Because we love them to pieces and they are wonderful!

Matt and I pray every night before we go to sleep - so we can sleep. It felt really good to write these out today.

What are you praying for/about right now?

900th Post

Please forgive me - I am in my Nick & Nora pajamas that my best friend got me for Christmas...and my sister was still asleep in my room so I could not get dressed in time for fun pictures...but this pic was too cute to keep to myself!
I also could not think of a creative title for today's post. I saw that it would be my 900th post on this here blog, so there you go.

I am in a funk today - it was such a fun & full weekend. Then last night was so fun going on a date with my husband to Red Robin, where we had burgers and they sang to me. I woke up this morning still full in my tummy but my heart felt sad that family is still so far away in spite of moving across the country to be closer to them. Gas prices makes it impossible to make a weekend trip over. Well, and our gas guzzler but we are saving up for car (no payments, thank you....)

One fun thing from the weekend: we went on a hike in the morning on Saturday and had a picnic. Afterwards, we went out to the winery where I worked to do a little tour. It was gorgeous weather, and we arrived an hour before they closed. Well, there was a special chocolate tasting going on, and since it was almost time to close up shop - they let all of us in for free! The chocolatier even sent some sweets home with us! It was the best little surprise. Later that night my sister and niece would bake up a batch of birthday brownies for us to enjoy :)

I won't forget how God orchestrated all sorts of surprises all weekend. I really needed it more than I knew.

Happy Tuesday, all :)

Family

Matt and our nephew, baby Daniel ("Dan Dan")
Annie and Daniel - I love this picture!
Me and my crazy fun sister!
All of us were loving on Daniel something crazy. What a grin!
Mom and dad pitched a tent in our backyard. We'd cleaned up the backyard for them and everything, but the backyard was calling their name. That, and it was too dusty downstairs!

It was *such* a wonderful weekend. I am still gathering photos, but here is a teaser.

I am slammed at work today since I took Friday off, so playing some catch-up. I hope to write the whole story tonight...we will see. Matt is taking me out for my 31st birthday! Woohoo!

Happy Monday all!

Crazy Fun Ahead

It is my Friday today - I am SO excited to have so much family coming to visit this weekend! We will be hosting my sister and brother-in-law, my sister-in-law and her kiddos (Rue has to work...) and my folks. That is a grand total of 7 people. It will be so crazy fun. I am giddy with excitement!

I am already writing out my to-do lists for grocery shopping and cleaning to do to prepare for all of our guests. I love lists...

AND - tomorrow is our SIX months anniversary! I am loving marriage! I am taking the day off to celebrate, and to prepare for our guests :)

I will take a million photos and have an update sometime soon. Until then, I hope you all have a great weekend!

Time

Last Thanksgiving, when we were over at my brother and sister-in-law's house to celebrate, a book caught my eye. It was on "homekeeping", and being a newlywed now caring for a home - I was hooked. It is full of little bits of wisdom and humor, and time-tested advice on all sorts of subjects. It was written over the course of several decades on little notebooks starting in 1866. Then, it was pulled together in a written collection. The layout makes it a fun daily read - small sections at a time.

I was surprised by all the inspiration that it contained, too. Matt had made a note that I liked that book, so I was overjoyed to hear that he ordered that book online for me for my birthday. It arrived last night, and I read the following on the way to work this morning:

Mrs. Dunwoody's Notes for Planning a Superior Day

1. Make a plan for your day. Otherwise you will find yourself making the fatal mistake of dealing primarily with problems rather than opportunities.
2. Concentrate. The amount of time spent on a chore seems not to mater as much as the amount of uninterrupted time (amen!)
3. Learn to rest and catch your breath. Being rested increases your productivity. (amen again!)
4. Don't procrastinate. It is the thief of time. Start off your day doing the most unpleasant chores first - you've conquered the most troublesome task of the day at the beginning of it!
5. Sift and Sort. Sift through the clutter of the day and prioritize. Ask, "what needs immediate action?" Work on ONE task at a time until completion.
6. Strive for excellence, not perfection. Perfection does not exist. The first is attainable and gratifying. The second is impossible and frustrating.
7. Never lose sight of the big picture. Maintain a perspective, and remember that people (especially children) are ALWAYS more important than things. Trust in God and do the next thing.

I loved this little section on how we spend our time. I feel like I am still trying so hard to find a balance between work, marathon training, cooking meals and such - but I am having so much fun with all things related to the home right now. It was a good reminder that I don't need to have it all perfect right now - but I can strive for excellence.

There are a ton of other ideas that are worthy of mention from this book that I will blog about later, but I thought this was a good place to start :) The "household tips" section alone is awesome!

"Let the refining and improving of your own life keep you so busy that you have little time to criticize others..." - Mrs. Dunwoody

May

May is here. I am amazed by how fast time is flying (six months of marriage on Friday!) and how busy we can get, too. This weekend was happy and full. Matt and I hosted some friends for dinner on Friday night and stayed up laughing and talking until nearly midnight.

Saturday was super busy - Matt had Men's Breakfast at church while I packed food and fluids for our long run. Our trick is to pack a small backpack with a couple bottles of water and electrolyte fluids, snacks, keys, ID's, etc - I wear this on the first half of a long run and Matt wears it on the way back. He wears a water belt that carries two bottles and has a pocket for a cell phone and tissue. It is a good system that ensures that we are not stuck miles out dehydrated or hungry.

We hit the running trail at 10am. Matt talked the whole way to our half-way point, rattling on about technology. He is a total techie nerd, and it got his mind off the run - it made time fly too! It was crazy weather, but we pulled off a 10-miler in just over 2 hours with stretching stops and an occasional walking pace.

When we got back to our car, I had a packed lunch all ready for us. We ate our sandwiches while we looked out on the Colombia River, all exhausted and feeling great from the long run. Hot showers were next, and an episode of The Office before we left to go help set up for church. They rotate small groups to help with set up and tear-down. Since we were scheduled to help with childcare at 5:30 too, we brought blankets and pillows and took a nap in our Bronco from 3-4pm! We were so tired from the run, and it felt so good to not be rushing around. We "treated" ourselves to a fast food dinner since we had to help with the 3-5 year olds for the evening service. It is *hard* work - there are two kids with autism, so there is extra care and attention needed. There were 7 boys and 1 girl screaming and playing the whole time, Matt and I left totally beat. What a day it was - it was all we could do to come home, have some frozen yogurt, and curl up in bed with a DVD on the laptop. We were fast asleep by 10:30...

Sunday was much more restful. I was awake and up at 7, making coffee and protein pancakes (add flax seed and protein powder to a regular recipe). We attended the 10am service at church since we did childcare the night before and missed it. It was really good. We did our weekly grocery shopping next and had lunch afterwards. Wanting to relax, we watched "The Pursuit of Happyness" in the afternoon. It had us BOTH in tears, as the story and struggle was hitting a little too close to home right now for us. It has a great ending though, thank goodness...

I had to shake it off though. We walked to Starbucks and used a coupon to split a Carmel Macchiato Frappacino (oh yum) and get the Sunday paper for coupons. Nice to take a stroll and stretch our sore legs...and just spend sweet time together.

I cooked all evening: made whole wheat pizza dough, sandwiches for our lunches, falafel and hummus and salad, and...homemade frozen yogurt. SO GOOD. I had fun!

Soooo there was our weekend. I made up for my lack of photos with more words :) I do have some pics, but they are on my laptop at home...

Until then: happy Monday, all! I hope you had a great weekend ;)