Little Blessings (Pt. 21)

February 5, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

:) My daughter’s newest phrase…belly “butt”. Golly, we laugh hard. Every. Single. Time.

:) Music. Praising God with people I love.

:) Random lunch dates that leave me encouraged.

:) Awkwardly wonderful conversations that I’m sure will make me smile for days.

:) Seasons. I am learning to appreciate winter…in more than one way.

:) Super Bowl fun…the friends were the best part.

And the food. Then the football. Not so much the halftime show…

:) A reason to look forward to Mondays. Got a few of them, actually.

:) My Father, Who is enough for every thirst and every need.

:) His precious promises.

:) Not being able to give up the blog-every-day thing yet…because I needed to count my blessings first.

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, football, friends, just life, Maelie, where I am

Remembering…

February 4, 2012 by · 2 Comments

I had fun

looking through some random pictures this afternoon while waiting for Maelie to take a nap.

Twenty minutes later: she is still fighting. Forty later…ahhh, quiet. 😉

Anyway…we just booked our hotels for our trip (finally!) and it got me thinking back to some of the crazy trips we’ve taken. So, of course, I had to look at pics!

Here are a few I thought you might enjoy. Yeah, we were younger…we definitely look it!

It’s fun to remember.

This is us at Clifton Beach in Cape Town, South Africa…and it just screams happy. It’ s one of my favorite picture

s of us ever. (I won’t tell you how many tries it took for us to get one that was Christmas card worthy.) :)

We unashamedly went to Bali six times while we lived in Indonesia. Yes, we did. (And you would have, too. Promise. ;)) This was from the trip we took at the end of our first year there. Good memories. :)

Here’s adorable us at the Grand Palace in Bangkok. It was cool…and I was sick. Like, horrendously, running-a-fever-on-Christmas-day-but-still-traipsing-throughout-90 degree-Bangkok sick. In fact, after this, I think we got Subway and went back to the hotel so I could sleep. Alas, it was a fun memory, and I had dreamed of seeing the Grand Palace for years. So cool that it happened.

I know it’s dorky, but I think this is one of the coolest pictures ever. When we were in Kuala Lumpur for our visa run several years ago, we had to see the Petronas Towers. And though we don’t look as cool at night, the towers? Most definitely do. That was fun.

I don’t have a photo of just the two of us, but there’s no way I could leave this trip out. In ’08 we took a long weekend beach trip with some of our closest friends. We crammed eight people into an eight passenger car (plus luggage!), drove six hours one way, sang every song imaginable…and we had the most amazing time. This pic tugs on my heart a little…I doubt we’ll all be together again this side of heaven. But what a memory. (And I had to laugh when I saw this, ’cause I realized that the trip was just a few weeks after I’d broken my foot…and begged our P.A. to let me go to the beach without crutches.

Thus, the taped up foot. Haha. :D)

Oh, the beach, how I love thee…even if I am not wearing makeup and got “slightly” sunburned. 😉

Such fun memories.

Here’s to many, many more…whether we’re travelin’ the globe or around the corner. :)

Thanks for letting me share.

😉

Sig

Filed Under: adventures, friends, Indonesia, remembering, Tobin, travel

Just Curling Up Under a Blanket with a Diet Coke…after 11 p.m.

January 23, 2012 by · 2 Comments

Nothing new…

Really. This scenario is not all that uncommon as the amount of caffeine in a Diet Coke does not affect me. And I often consume it late at night, too.

But, note to self: Blogging must be done before the weekly Monday night workout.

Because once the post-workout socializing is complete, there is still the drive home, the obligatory long, hot shower, the inevitable snack to replace some of those calories burned…and by then it’s after 11.

Anyway.

True, I do work out on Monday nights.

(Actually, I work out a lot more than that, but this workout is different.) My cool, trainer-friend, Sarah, puts together a workout…one that could rival Jillian Michaels…for a bunch of us (there are usually around eight) that makes us sweat and hurt and limp around for two days after. Kidding, kidding…well, sorta. 😉 It’s one of my favorite parts of the week…I really look forward to it.

It was a good day, despite the fact that it started a little rocky.

For once, I got up early to run on the treadmill, headed downstairs…and five minutes into the run, I knew I couldn’t keep going. I’ve been battling runner’s knee, and it’s the strangest thing. It hurts at odd times…mostly when I’m walking down stairs, but if I try to run two days in a row…um, no. I’m almost not sure what to do with it, but I guess it’s to be expected since I’m a runner and I typically run more than the suggested 3-4 days a week. Ooops. Let’s just say ibuprofin has been a good friend the past couple of weeks. Really, I just need to rest, which I don’t do well.

But once I decided that the morning run was not happening, I went on with my day and played with my girl and then picked up the house while she was watching Elmo, the new fave.

(All I can say is THANK YOU to my sweet friend for the new stack of Elmo DVD’s…I could not sit through Elmo’s Potty Time one. more. time.!!!)

Then our friend came over, and we made lunch…which is becoming another Monday tradition. We both love to cook, so we’re getting a little creative and trying some new recipes on Mondays.

It gives us a chance to drink coffee and catch up, too. And makes a Monday a little more bearable because, let’s be honest, Mondays are still Mondays. Yep, they are.

(No matter how much caffeine we add to them. ;))

And now that I’ve shared all this glorious random with you…I think I’m going to hit the hay. I still have no clue how it got to be so late, but I need some sleep.

Tomorrow’s a big day. Well…it’s a new d

ay. And it marks a year of the blog…wowsers.

Hope your Monday was fabulous!

Sig

Filed Under: friends, just life, random

Little Blessings (Pt. 19)

January 21, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

:) A video camera to record moments like Mae’s first sledding “trip” and her piano “playing”. Love memories.

:) A daughter who “sings” at the piano and a husband who doesn’t. (Tobin said that…really. :))

:) A breakfast date with

my good friend and sweet girl.

:) The fact that I didn’t burn ALL the bac on

on above date.

:) A first snowboarding lesson, and, other than a sore bum, my body is still intact.

Whew.

:) Watching my doggies romp in the powdery snow…and come inside with it on their noses. Too cute.

:) Dropping my phone about six times this week on the marble floor..and, amazingly, it still works.

:) $5 purse. (Yes, pursE…only onE. ;))

:) Hugs and kisses from a certain little girl.

Pretty sure there’s nothing better.

:) Dark chocolate and a friend to share it w

ith.

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, friends, just life, Maelie

Little Blessings (Pt. 18)

January 14, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

:) Full-on laughing with (at?) the girl when we caught her in the bathroom looking in her hand mirror and pretending to put on powder, just like mommy.

We LOL’d…totally.

:) A creative streak that produced three new pieces of jewelry this afternoon, one of which I am going to have a very hard time selling. Perhaps I will wear it tomorrow…just once to “try it out”!

:) Snow…and the pretty that comes from looking at it from inside the house.

(Looking on the bright side here…)

:) A fun night out last night with friends.

:) Returning boots today that I don’t need…only to be told that I could rebuy them for 70% off. I totally did.

$15 for a brand spankin’ new pair of too-cute boots that I’ll wear next year? Yes, please!

:) A hubby who is finally not in so much pain.

Thankful for meds but even more thankful that he doesn’ t need

them anymore.

:) Neighbor boys who shovel sidewalks for us just because they’ re cool like that.

(Have I mentioned how much I love my neighborhood?)

:) A bathroom scale that forgave me this morning for the piece of cheesecake I ate last night.

That one’s worthy of two smileys. 😉

:) W atching my d

aughter grow and change a little more every day.

She truly is the sunshine of my day.

:) Sunday tomorrow. I love Sundays.

(And the naps that usually come with them!)

What’s your blessing today?

Sig

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

No Coffee…Just Diet Coke

January 12, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Golly gee, I’m tired.

I shoveled snow today for the first time in, oh I don’t know, my LIFE.

Kidding, kidding. It’s just been quite awhile. See, I have a hubby who usually does all that kind of stuff…and there w as

no way I was allowing him to attempt shoveling, though I’m sure if I hadn’t done it, he would have eventually. But he really needs to rest his arm, and we both know it.

So, enter Meanie Mel, who will be enforcing doctor’s orders for the next week. Trust me, I can be one stubborn, hotheaded woman if I have to be. (Ask Tobin next Friday if he’s sick of me yet.

Better yet, ask him tomorrow.

;))

So I decided that tonight I’ll have a step closer to a coffee date with you all and drink Diet Coke while I chat. If we’re being honest, there’s been far too much of it flowing through my veins lately, and I know a certain reader of my blog who has given up pop for the year.

So I won’t rub it in too much that I’m drinking SODA. Mmmmm….

Ok, enough. Really. :)

It was a really good day. I love Thursdays. Wonderful Bible study. Good chat with friends.

Lunch out and time at the mall play place…and for once it wasn’ t overcrowded wi

th kids. Home for Mae’s nap and time to get a few things done.

And you may have heard that we are finally getting some snow in this part of the country. Thankfully God decided to send us a real snowstorm…because I find 1-2 inches just. plain. annoying. Enough to slick up the roads and bring out the less-than-bright in so many drivers, but not enough to actually play in or build a snow sculpture of the Eiffel Tower or whatever.

Yeah, can you tell what’s on my mind?

I spent a fair amount of time tonight attempting to find hotels for our trip. I am thoroughly annoyed with the fact that our excursion to one of my top three dream locations EVER is complicating plans. Let’s just say it’s hard to book a hotel in Tangiers when we’re not exactly sure we’ll be able to go on the days we want. So I’m debating whether to book…and trust that it’ll work out. Or to book just our first night somewhere and hope that there will be open rooms for the rest of the nights.

This is the part of trip planning that I don’t enjoy. And yet, I’m really trying to focus on the fun.

We get to take a pretty cool trip for our 10th! And, it’s alone time for us…which we really need. It’ll all work out, even if we have no hotel room and

have to sleep on the beach. 😉 More money to spend on purses in Morocco that way.

I read a fabulous blog post here that just made me smile. I love her writing style…and this particular topic hit close to home. Please click over and read…I promise you it’s worth your time.

And I love that she wrote about laundry because, well, I can relate.

Says Mel, 20 minutes after starting the first of four loads for the night.

So I had kind of an aha!

moment in the waiting room yesterday.

At the time it seemed so pressing to share it with you all, but today, I actually feel the need to process a little more. So you’ll have to wait another day or two.

Hope your Thursday was wonderful…mine was. Completely. :)

G’nite!

Sig

Filed Under: friends, just life, travel, where I am

Little Blessings (Pt. 17)

January 3, 2012 by · 4 Comments

:) A day off last week. (I’m still feeling pretty good from that

one!!!)

:) A new year…I just signed 2012 for the first time a few minutes ago…CRAZY! And awesome friends to ring it in with.

:) Reunions with friends who never change…love that. Love them.

:) Two days of pajamas, a fantastic daughter,  and a cold that is almost gone.

:) Christmas lights that are still twinkling…can we just keep ’em up all year?!?!

:) An Irish Cream Americano and a quick chat with a friend tonight.

:) Anniversary trip plans that are actually happening…and probably happening much quicker than we thought they would.

Um, hello March

? (More details later… ;))

:) Surprise phone calls from friends who just want to say hi.

I like that.

:) Maelie said “coffee” today…such a brilliant, educated-in-the-important-things-in-life, daughter I have!

:) An impending Scrabble game in about five minutes…I totally plan to kick his butt… we shall see.

😉

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, friends, just life

Pajama Monday and a Recap of Last Week

January 2, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

So I managed to get sick…I guess flu shots don’t make a person immune from everything floating around during the season, huh? I had decided on Saturday that my scratchy throat was nothing more than that and figured mind over matter was more important.

It didn’t work this time.

Bummer.

But only a little bummer…definitely choosing to count my blessings today.

For one thing, Maelie slept in until 8:30, which was very much appreciated by her mama!

Then when she got up, all she wanted to do was play with her kitchen and doll and new alphabet toy, which was just fine with me!

We turned on the Rose Parade, played with lots of toys, and spent the morning (ahem…the whole day…ahem) in our pj’s. Well, one of us did.

😉 (Haven’t done that in a long time!)

I think we both needed a down day after the busyness of last week.

We had a wonderful time in Minnesota with family. I especially enjoyed seeing Maelie finally able to play with her cousins. She’s definitely smaller and can’t keep up as well, but that didn’t stop her from trying and getting so excited to be around them. It was a fun memory, and I’m so glad everyone was able to make the trip to be together.

While we were in Minnesota, we were also able to see a few friends.

I had lunch with my good friend, Sara, and we also visited a family from a church we used to attend when we lived there. Christen was in the youth group we helped with, and she has a daughter just a few weeks older than Mae.

I had been wanting the two of them to play together and was happy to see them hit it off.

Mae LOVED her Cozy Coupe…guess what we’ll be watching for on Craigslist?!

We came home on Thursday and Friday and the weekend were busy with different get-togethers.  We spent New Year’s Eve with Jonny and Kris eating Chinese and playing cards and we actually made it to almost 1 a.m., which I think could be my personal record.

Yes, friends, contrary to what you believe about this party girl, I love my sleep.

😉

Then last night, our friends from Indonesia, David and Tiff, came over for dinner.

We got to meet their sweet baby girl, Luisa, and it was so good to catch up with them.

But today? We’re tired.

Definitely a good day for the pj’s.

But also a day to count blessings…because there are so many of them.

So thankful. :)

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, family, friends, just life

Merry Christmas!

December 25, 2011 by · 2 Comments

 

From my family to you…Wishing you a jo

yous Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Savior!

Sig

Filed Under: family, friends

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
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