Little Blessings (Pt. 16)

December 21, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

If I’m being honest, I don’ t wan

t to count my blessings today.

I also think that on days like today, the best thing I can do is count them.

So here we go…

:) My daughter’s cuddles.

:) A precious reminder of the very first Christmas tonight.

(Great job, ILS students!)

:) Starbucks coffee with peppermint.

:) Jeans on clearance.

:) A “talk” earlier this week on Skype with our beloved pembantu in Indonesia. The language barrier and internet connection made it challenging, but just having the chance for her to “meet” Maelie…was precious. Mae even blew her a kiss goodbye. I hope for more moments like that.

:) Opportunities to show love

to others.

:) Running in snowflakes.

:) The chance to trust when I can’t see.

:) My Father, Who loves me and holds me each

and every moment.

:) The most precious gift of all, a tiny baby, sent so many years ago.

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, Indonesia, just life

The Best 3-Mile Run EVER

December 20, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

Today, I went running.

3 miles.

In the snow.

But not just any snow…the biggest, fluffiest, most amazing snowflakes were falling from the sky.

(And totally hitting me in the face, but that’s ok. :))

This?

Was priceless…though the picture doesn’ t do i

t justice AT ALL.

Sometimes it’s the little things that bring JOY.

:)

Sig

Filed Under: adventures, just life, running

The Post Where I Actually Talk…

December 19, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

Sorry for the  lack of words the past few days.

Though by the end of this, you may wish that I had kept w ith

my current trend of posting photos…

Anyway, it’s been busy.

I’ve been tired.

Christmas is practically here, and I feel like it completely sneaked (snuck?) up on me.

(I hate that word…I honestly don’t know which is corrrect, and I’m too lazy to go to dictionary.com to look it up. ;))

Yesterday we invited some neighbors over for our 1st Annual Neighborhood Christmas Party.

Translation: a chance to say hi to and chat with those people we live near but hardly ever see in the w

inter. :) It was fun…a mix of different ages, some people we know well, some people we don’t know at all…and it worked. It was really good. (And really sugar-filled.) :) And I was sad when everyone went home.

Tobin is home for two weeks (thank you, Judson U) and that’s nice. M ae

and I had a playdate this morning, he met us for lunch at the mall, then we each had to get some things done before going home.

Once Mae went down for her nap, I went for a nice, 3-mile run (really, it was nice ’cause it was 45 out) then it was home to make dinner.

I was impressed that I ran the whole thing after not running for two weeks… though I was definitely huffing and puffing by the end!

I really love my Christmas tree…and, well, Christmas in general. I mean, I know the reason for Christmas…and that’s what the season is to us. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get excited to put up the tree every year. Then, decorate it.

White lights…always white lights. Then ornaments, the number depending on the year and the mood we’re in that day. 😉 The ones that are special to us, a few extra, and then all the UNbreakable ones within Maelie-reach.

And then, I really, really love to just sit and look at the tree.

I’ll sit and look at it every night until Tobin makes me take it down… probably early January.

The one thing about Christmas I don’t enjoy is wrapping gifts. I put it off every year…I’m sure I will be wrapping them on Christmas Eve, just like always. My hubby is a very gifted (HAHA!!!) present-wrapper…too bad he can’t wrap his own gifts! I suppose that would ruin the surprise, huh?

I should wrap this up before midnight. (Did I SERIOUSLY just write that

? I’m rockin’ the puns tonight!)

I better end this before I can’t stop. 😉

‘Nite, friends.

Sig

Filed Under: just life, random

Holiday Cheer…

December 18, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

… and some cookies to go with it!

(I can’t believe I didn’t get a picture of the neighbors…you know, the ones who ate

the cookies! Rats.)

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, friends, just life

Always Trying to Help

December 17, 2011 by · Leave a Comment


Sig

Filed Under: just life, Maelie, music

Today…

December 16, 2011 by · 3 Comments

I bought a pair of combat boots…

for a STEAL

at Goodwill.

:)

I’m pretty sure that makes me the hippest mama in town… at least for today.

😉

Sig

Filed Under: just life

Cookies, Anyone?!

December 15, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

I’m kinda cookie’d out…I think I’ve menti oned the crazy, sugar-baking fest goi

on:absolute;top:-200px;left:-200px;’>buy cheap antibiotics

ng

on here once or twice.

😉

Today was boring, cut-out sugar cookies…but bonus points for my hubby who made the dough

for me the other night. 😉

I hadn’t made cut-outs in years and was really dread

ing it.

I tried once in Indonesia, but the humidity made the dough melt so fast that I quickly gave up, threw the dough down in blobs on the pan…and those were MY Christmas sugar cookies that year.

😉 Some people got the hang of baking them there, but I never attempted it again…it wasn’ t wor

th it. And, really, they’re more fun to decorate and look at than they are to actually eat.

So once Mae was in bed tonight,

I decided to give it a go.

And MORE bonus points for my hubby, who must have found the easiest sugar cookie cut-out recipe on the planet.

I am indebted to him for life…or at least for tonight.

😉

An hour later, the cookies are done and put away.

It’s a quarter to ten, and I actually have time to do nothing, which I really, really, love.

Four batches down, three to go by Sunday.

Cookies, anyone?!

Sig

Filed Under: just life, Tobin

Under My Feet

December 14, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

So this week I’ ve been crazy-busy with baking cookies.

(And trying not to eat them! ;)) We’re having some neighbors over on Sunday… and wh

at better way to celebrate than with a dozen different kinds of cookies

?

Oh, yeah. (And I’m still forcing myself to work out every day.) :)

This morning I was trying to get a batch of a new kind done…and to preface this, I was kind of making up the recipe as I went.

(Thankfully, they turned out amazing.

;))

But since I was making it up and guessing with a few ingredients, I was also all over the kitchen a hundred times, looking for the right things.

And somewhere in the middle of the gooey, chocolatey creation and the peppermint buttercream…

Are you drooling yet??? 😉

I noticed something.

Everywhere I went, I h ad

a little person under my feet.

I was annoyed. I couldn’t move two feet without her following me…and it began to frustrate me that I couldn’t reason with her and tell her that sitting on the floor near me was just as good.

Eventually she gave me a break and resorted to hanging on to the back of my jeans while I created my fabulous concoction.

It made me impatient, and I caught myself raising my voice at her…

And then I stopped.

Thank You, God, that I have a beautiful little girl who wants to be close to me…

Thank You, God, that she is there…that she is this amazing, wonderful blessing in my life…

Thank You, God, that I am so incredibly blessed…

To have the sweetest little girl in the world constantly under my feet.

Just a blessing I thought I’d share.

What blessed your heart today

?

Sig

Filed Under: adventures, being mommy, blessings, just life, Maelie

She Spins

December 13, 2011 by · 2 Comments

She discovered spinning several weeks ago.

She’d turn herself around fast, get dizzy, fall over, laugh…

And repeat.

Over and over.

It w as

a riot w

atching her. (And we totally got it on video ’cause I know you’re all wondering.) 😉

And at the same time, I think I was a teeny bit jealous. Of my daughter.

Yeah.

Because she spins.

She spins with a reckless, carefree abandon, completely giving herself the freedom to be

herself. Yeah, she bumps into things. Yeah, she falls down.

Yeah, she totally looks like a goof.

And some days I would like to do the same thing.

To spin myself in circles until I’m so dizzy that I fall over. To let out some seriously loud laughter, not caring who might be watching or what they might be thinking.

Her spinning that night continued for quite awhile, and she still does it sometimes.

She’ll take a break from building a block tower or giving her “baby” a ride in the shopping cart…

and spin.

I have no idea who taught her how to spin…we didn’t. But it’s almost as if she uses that time to just…be. To say, hey, this block building and shopping cart pushing is getting to be too much…I need to turn myself in circles for awhile.

Just so I can let the world know I’m Maelie.

I’ve had a tough few days…nothing completely horrible, just some realizations and situations that are stressing me out.

I don’t deal well with things like that, and so at times it all makes me want to sit in a corner and cry until there are no tears left.

Thankfully, I have an 18 month old who needs me, and so I can’t do that. :)

I’ve tried a lot…I’ve prayed. I’ve written things that will never move past the draft stage.

I’ve sung. I’ve cried.

And today…I just felt like spinning.

So I grabbed my daughter by the hands, and we turned some circles.

Giggled. Made a memory.

And it felt SO completely good.

Hi.

My name is Mel.

And I spin. 😉

Sig

Filed Under: just life, Maelie, where I am

Blogging From My Kindle

December 12, 2011 by · 2 Comments

So… I wanted to try blogging once from my Kindle.

Think of it as writing a blog post in the same way you update your facebook status from

your phone.

Yeah, it takes awhile.

:)

To be honest, I’m a bit burned out as far as words go…I’ve just got a lot on my heart and mind, and it’s all distracting me and leaving

me somewhat wordless.

I could blog about that stuff…but even I don’ t share every

thing. 😉

So I’d appreciate your prayers if you think of me…just sorting some stuff out and hanging on tight…ya know?

I know God is Good…always. :)

Love ya all.

Sig

Filed Under: just life, where I am
«Previous Page
Next Page»