The Funny Things She Says

October 28, 2012 by · 2 Comments

Maelie is always full of words…and she says some pretty hilarious things. Today was especially funny.

Here are a few memorable scenes from our day…humor me. :)

So Mae woke up pretty early this morning, and it was still dark out. I moved her downstairs and put her on the couch with her “special pillow” and her purple blanket. As I was tucking her in, she looked up at me, smiled, and whispered, You’re so kind to me.

Oh, melt my heart and make me laugh my head off all at the same time! 😀

After church today, Maelie and I stayed to eat lunch there. (Octoberfest…bring on the brats and kraut! :)) Since Tobin was home sick, we sat with our friends, Jonny and Kris. At one point toward the end of the music (read: live, German, pretty stinkin’ cool music), Kris got up and left. Maelie didn’t notice that she was gone right away, and a few minutes later, looked at me. Do you know where Aunt Kris went?

I told her I didn’t.

Completely dissatisfied with my answer, she ran over to the next table, got Pastor Y’s attention, and said, again, Do you know where Aunt Kris went? I can’t find her!

Good golly…complete sentences like that already…she doesn’t miss a thing! 😉

Perhaps my favorite…and, thus, worthy of being properly documented on the blog was later this afternoon. Tobin went to pick up dinner, and while he was gone, Mae and I were playing upstairs in her room.

Her pretend phone rang. (Ok, ok, so I made it ring. ;)) I answered it, handed it to her, and said, Maelie, who do you think is calling?

She looked at me, gave me that I-know-exactly-who-it-is look, and answered, It’s Jesus! Hi, Jesus!

She then proceeded to have an entire conversation with him, Disney Princesses included.

Oh, I love my girl.

And she will completely love me back one day for this post. HA!

😀

Sig

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

Five-Minute Friday: Voice

October 26, 2012 by · 6 Comments

Today I’m linking up with Lisa-Jo at The Gypsy Mama for Five-Minute Friday.

Join me!

The rules: Write for five minutes. No editing, revising, overthinking, or backtracking. Just write.

Today’s Topic: Voice

I have always loved music.

When I was a little girl, I would sing all the time…make up songs, sing along to my little Fisher Price cassette player, pound out tunes on my mini keyboard and sing along.

My singing voice was very important to me.

I remember my first solo when I was eight years old. I sang some song about a silly camel in our community children’s choir concert.

For a split second I was nervous, but once I heard myself through the microphone, I was all there.

I loved that I was being heard.

Granted, I was eight and very self-centered. More than just my singing voice has matured since then. :)

But the idea of being heard…of having that voice that people listen to…is still a desire.

This blogging community is a unique one.

Each of us use our voices in a different way…and while we won’t always admit it audibly, we want to be heard, just as I did the first time I stood in front of a microphone.

We want those readers and those comments and those people to say, Yes! I get it! I’m totally there with you! This is great.

But for many, these things don’t happen. We can’t all be the writer whose voice is heard by thousands…and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Each time I, or any other blogger, sit down to splash our hearts out, we are using our voices. Someone…somewhere…will listen.

Which makes my voice (and yours!) worth something, even if it’s not always as loud as I would like it to be.

Five Minute Friday

Sig

Filed Under: Five Minute Friday, just life, music, remembering, where I am, writing

That Place of Rest

October 25, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

I’m one of those people…I’m more secure (or at least I think I am) when things are in my control.

I love my Father, and I say I trust Him, but I know in the depths of this heart how completely difficult that can often be. When something in my life turns topsy-turvy, instead of going to Him with open hands, I clench my fists even more tightly, fighting and flailing, determined to hang on and salvage whatever it is with which I’m struggling.

Because I can do a better job, you know. Better than Him.

Why am I like this? I sometimes scream. (Well, in my head or heart, anyway.)

Recently there’s been a situation I’ve been trying to make sense of. In all of my human perspective, I can’t seem to see any amount of fairness or understanding…or good…in any of it. I’ve talked to my Father about it, but I don’t see any immediate answers from Him, and that does a lot of things to this heart.

Frustration.

A reminder that He is asking me to wait.

More frustration.

More reminders of the good He’s done in past waiting.

Bringing me to a place of honesty with Him…teaching me to admit my weaknesses.

And eventually I get to the point where I start to release that grip.

Start.

But my human nature still wants to fight with everything in me and all I’ve got to make sure things turn out as I wish.

Last week a friend and I connected briefly through texting. I asked her to pray for me, and she responded, saying she would and with this verse.

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.
Exodus 14:14 (NIV)

The image of my Father actually suiting up and going to fight for me made my eyes kinda drippy. Ok, I cried. That’s such amazing love…to realize that when He fights for me, He’s fighting for GOOD. Not evil.

Sometimes things just don’t make sense.

That’s nothing earth shattering to any of you, I’m sure. :)

This particular thing…I’ve been trying to figure it out and can’t understand what good He is possibly doing through it. And yet, it’s right there in that verse…He’ll fight for me if I’ll just let Him.

If I’ll just throw down my weapons and quit trying to fight it by myself…and just simply be.

Embrace the silence.

Be still.

Find that place of rest.

It was such a good reminder for me. And a challenge.

That when I’m in the thick of something that’s hard, I can rest, assured that He is out there doing what He needs to do for the very best outcome.

What complete Love.

I’m blessed to be loved that much. And so are you.

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, encouragement, just life, what I'm learning, where I am

Tuesday 10

October 23, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

I made up the topic today. :)

Ten of My Favorite Things About Mae
(Today, anyway…there are a lot more. :))

10. She plays hide and seek…and it adds so much laughter to our days.
9. Her imagination is exploding. You know she’s soaking up things when her Care Bears get put in time out. :)
8. She loves everyone and is always happy to give hugs.
7. She gives me the biggest smile every morning when I get her up.
6. She loves all things girly…pink, sparkles, princesses, purses. (Proud mama moment!)
5. She has the cutest poofy pigtails ever.
4. Her smile always lights up the room.
3. She’s learning to pray and has the faith of a child…as evidenced by the fact that last night she prayed for her family and friends and for the Disney Princesses. :)
2. She has the most tender, compassionate heart.
1. She says, “I love you, Mommy,” every night.

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, just life, Maelie, Top 10

Current Favorites

October 22, 2012 by · 2 Comments

This is a fun one. I did it ages ago…we’ll see if my answers have changed. :)

  • Ice Cream Flavor: it sounds so good, I could go for anything right now! Something chocolate. :)
  • Sport: running, volleyball
  • Season: still fall :)
  • Hobby: crocheting, painting :)
  • Song: I have a lot right now. Probably Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting. Such a beautiful picture of life for me right now.

  • Band: Um???
  • Female artist: Mandisa, Kari Jobe
  • Male artist: Mark Schultz
  • Place to Hang Out: still coffee shops! Coffee, anyone?
  • Musical: still WICKED!
  • Book: Just got my hands on The Kite Runner and A Secret Kept. (Thanks, SS!) Can’t wait!
  • Color: orange/gray/lime green; brown/lime green/cream
  • Animal: still my golden retrievers! Love them and the crazy they add to life. :)
  • Food: pizza (pretty sure that one might never change!)
  • Drink: um, coffee? Duh… 😉 Diet Pepsi comes in at a close-ish second.
  • Subject in School: English
  • Flower: daisy
  • Veggie: eggplant (yeah, I know I’m weird)
  • Fruit: jeruk bali (from Indonesia…kind of like a grapefruit)
  • Music: praise and worship
  • Store: tough one…lately, Goodwill…so many fun possibilities! :)
  • Day of the Week: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday…all of them?
  • Number: don’t really have a favorite :) Though the number 17 seems to have had a repetitive significance in my life.
  • Movie: Confessions of a Shopaholic, Steel Magnolias
  • Pizza Topping: pineapple and roasted red peppers. (Yes, together. I’m weird. :))
  • Fast Food Restaurant: Chipotle
  • Vacation: probably still Bali…love me some sunshine and surfing!
  • Dessert: cheesecake…mmm, cheesecake.
  • TV Show: Um, TV? What’s that??? Kidding…I just don’t watch many shows. You know, it’s probably Little House on the Prairie. How can anyone NOT love Ma and Pa and Mary and Laura?
  • Place: Wherever I am. Really, really blessed that God brought us here. :)

What about you? If you’ve got time, leave your faves in the comments!

Happy Monday! :)

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, just life, random, where I am

Coffee Thoughts

October 21, 2012 by · 2 Comments

Tonight…yeah.

A bunch of scattered thoughts.

Coffee, definitely.

And sleep, early. Hopefully. :)

Yes, I am completely aware of what an insane oxymoron those last two lines were. 😉

I was realizing that over the last two weeks, most of my posts have been somewhat shallow. I hope that those of you who read here often know that’s really not me. It’s not, I promise…and I’ll always tell you that one of the things I really can’t stand is superficial.

It’s just that sometimes it’s so hard to be deep when life feels so upside-down.

I can’t go into it tonight. Maybe I’ll share part of it later…I’m just processing a lot and waiting on God for answers. Not easy, especially when the emotional, dramatic tendencies tend to so easily take over my thoughts and days, making things often seem bigger than they are.

I beat myself up for feeling things I do and for not having answers.

That’s basically the drawn-out description of the word, Wait. (You know, that thing I do so well.) 😉

It seems like more often than not, my plans tend to not turn out just as I’ve pictured them. Really, I think we could all say that. I’m human…something I especially rock at. 😉

It’s so hard for me to give things completely to God. I want to, but in my prideful, less-than-thinking-of-others moments, I get it in my head that I can somehow do a better job.

All of those really scattered pieces to say…I’m thankful. For a God who takes me…in all of my wandering and flailing and fighting…and loves me unconditionally. What an encouragement to my heart to know that He can take something of the mess I am and make it beautiful.

And, honestly, after the last year or so, I’m expecting something pretty amazing. I love that He can do that.

More importantly, that He will.

So now that I’ve been a little less shallow… :)

Life is…life.

With a two year-old, it seems that it’s always an adventure. We are in the thick of No way! and Go away! and I find myself wondering what happened to my parenting and my daughter. Our days are filled with so many wonderful moments and memories I’ll hold forever, yet one solitary incident leading to a temper tantrum which then leads to a time-out can ruin a good part of a day.

I know she’s two. (It’s what everyone tells me.) 😉

I know she won’t always fight me when I force her to take off her princess jammies. (You know, the ones she’s worn for a consecutive twelve days.) 😉

I know we’ll both grow through these mother/daughter battles and emerge with a stronger bond.

Because I know she’s two. And I’ll blink and she’ll be sixteen.

I’ve tried to focus on the joys that make up a day. I can honestly say that each night when I sing to her and pray with her, I fall in love just a little more. The frustrations of things melt away, and my heart feels so full I think it’s going to burst.

She truly is such a big part of my JOY. :)

She also starts gymnastics this week, which we are BOTH excited about. I think she’ll love it. And hopefully she’ll quit doing somersaults off the end of the couch. 😉

I’ve been good with running this past week, and though it’s sometimes-tough to drag myself out of bed so early, I’m always glad I did it. My goal this week is 20 miles. (Gosh no, not all at once!) I’m slowly upping my distance, though, and it feels good.

Now I just need to quit making dessert.

I made this today. It’s one of my favorites, and it was so amazing. (I sent some to our dear friends across the street because I knew I’d eat it all if we kept it.)

My other downfall is this. (Which I cannot seem to find on the internet. But go look in the freezer section of your grocery store…I promise it’s there.) Thank you SO much, Cool Whip, for taking two of my very favorite things and throwing them together into one container of gooey, yummy-ness. (Hope you could sense the dripping sarcasm there…)

Cool Whip frosting…no cake required. (I can so see myself doing a commercial for them, can’t you? ;))

Well, I should head toward bed. Early morning tomorrow, and I definitely need to be up to run off all of that frosting…

Hope you all had a great weekend. 😉

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, coffee, encouragement, family, just life, Maelie, running, what I'm learning, where I am

Just What’s Up

October 18, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Gonna be short-ish tonight.

I can’t believe how tired I’ve been this week, and I have the best of intentions to actually get up and run tomorrow morning. 6:30ish early because if I go any later, then I see too many people. And though I’m sure I impress people with my astounding speed and form?

HA. HA. (Just clarifying.) 😉

Pretty during my morning run, I am not. :)

But I really need to get myself up and do a few miles. Because of this.

Yeah, it’s a whopping two weeks away, and I’ve slacked so much lately that I’m only pulling about a 28/29 5k. Would really like to run this one in the 27’s or even the 26’s, so we shall see. I’ll be bonding with early mornings until then. (And downing copious amounts of caffeine to make up for the lost sleep.) 😉

My awesome Bible study group…I seriously love these women. And I finally have a picture of us, so here y’all go. (Well, it’s most of us…the group has changed some.) And I don’t own the picture but pretty sure no one’s going to care if I post it here. Anyway, we started a new book today, Unglued. I love it…the author is just so good. So REAL…which I need right now. Plus, she writes like a blogger and tells funny stories that make me say, Hey, I’m totally there with you. (Admits the girl who had an “unglued” moment right before she walked out the door for Bible study this morning. Oy…)

All that to say, I’m really looking forward to it. :)

So Maelie watches Veggie Tales before she goes to bed. She loves them, and I still find them entertaining. (A few, I even really love.) This particular silly song is SO me and Mae…already. Cracks me up every time. 😀

Enjoy! And, g’nite, all! (No pun intended.) 😉

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, church, friends, just life, Maelie, running, what I'm learning, where I am

Wednesday 10

October 17, 2012 by · 2 Comments

Forgive me for the lack of alliteration. :)

Don’t get me wrong…yesterday’s post was a fun one. There’s something healing about the opportunity to throw out the things that really get under my skin for the world to see. (As long as I don’t do it too often. :)) But it sounded so negative! Which is really not me.

So, today, you get another list…and fyi, I left off the standard God, family, and friends. Well, duh. Of course they’re my very favorite. 😉

My Ten (Current) Favorite Things

10. Gray, orange, lime green, and turquoise…I think they look fantastic together. :)

9. Crocheting. Yeah, I’m a dork. A dork who creates some pretty cool stuff, though.

8. Bailey’s Creme Brule Coffee Creamer. Oh, happy day!!!

7. Insane clearance deals. My big score was a $2 shirt yesterday.

6. Coffee, a friend, and a chat.

5. Just-wanted-to-say-hi texts and phone calls.

4. Intense workouts that make me hurt for days. (Really.) 

3. A good book and a fuzzy blanket.

2. Pinterest and lots of DIY things. (Yes, I completely caved…bring on the furniture re-covering!)

1. Dancing with my girl.

What are some of your favorites today?

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, just life, where I am

Tuesday 10

October 16, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Linking up today with one of my favorites.

And it’s a FUN one today!!!

In my opinion, Tuesday 10 is perfect for this morning/day that has required an insane amount of coffee for this girl. Hoping Mae and I will pull ourselves out of the house for at least a little while. We need diapers or, more specifically, MAE needs them 😉 so a trip to Target is inevitable. Maybe some grocery shopping if I’m feeling super brave, but let’s not push things here.

In the meantime, I bring you, in no particular order, though they ARE numbered…

My Top 10 Pet Peeves

Oh, Boy! :)

10. Superficiality.

9. Mean people.

8. Light blue jeans. (sorry…)

7. People who are late/waste my time.

6. Being really cold. (though I don’t mind running in the cold…)

5. People working at cash registers who have better things to do than talk to me.

4. Climbing into an unmade bed at night. (I have been known to make the bed at 11 p.m. just before I climb in. :))

3. That flap of baby belly fat that I think will never, ever go away. No matter how many crunches I do and how much chocolate I deprive myself of.

2. Drivers who follow me too closely. “Get OFF my tail!” That may or may not be a phrase I use frequently while driving…

1. The sound of fingernails being clipped. In my opinion, there is never, EVER a reason that it should be done in public.

Golly, this sounds negative. I think I’ll have to post my ten favorites tomorrow. :)

What about you? Any burning pet peeves you’ve just got to get out there? :)

G’nite!

LenaBActually

Sig

Filed Under: just life

Serve MORE

October 15, 2012 by · 2 Comments

I really love my church.

I think I’ve talked about that here and there. :) 

About a week ago, Tobin, Maelie, and I participated in an outreach called Serve MORE. It was really, really great. And I love Immanuel even MORE after it…what a beautiful picture of the body of Christ coming together to be his hands and feet.

A man from our church put this video together. I really wanted to embed it onto my blog, but for whatever reason, Tobin and I couldn’t figure out how. So you’ll have to click here…but that’s ok. It’s worth it. :)

And here’s a pic of us at the nursing home. (Mae was a bit wiggly by that point, but we did get her to sing Jesus Loves Me…right into the microphone. ;))

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, church, friends, just life, what I'm learning, where I am
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