Death by Dum-Dum?

November 6, 2012 by · 1 Comment

Ok, so I’m in kind of a quirky mood…potentially to curb some of the nerves these election results are bringing tonight?

Ugh.

Definitely a nail biter.

Anyway, so I was driving home from my hair appointment tonight, eating a dum-dum. (Thank you to my favorite hair stylist for letting me be a kid and take one. Or two. ;))

Then I suddenly had a really freaky thought. Something like, Man, it would be a bad time to get in an accident and have my airbag deploy. I’d choke on my dum-dum, and that would be the end.

Ok, ok, I admit that my brain can get extremely imaginative at times. :)

But it was enough for me to crunch the rest of my sucker in about half a second and get that stick out of my mouth. No more driving with dum-dums for me!

Now that you know for certain that I’m really quirky…

Tonight is that one night every four years that is such a strange paradox. I detest the way the news stations report election results and yet I’m glued to the tv…and feeling insanely sick to my stomach but eating some form of chocolate anyway.

But I promised not to talk politics, didn’t I?

So Mae and I spent the day at home today, and it was a long one. Darn time change…seriously, her eyes pop open with the sun…hellooo early mornings. For now, anyway. Thankfully I had a moment of genius when I remembered the “gift” my mom gave her several months ago. “Gift”=100+ piece plastic food set for her kitchen.

Gift for Maelie. I-will-injure-myself-by-stepping-on-all-these-tiny-pieces, non-gift for Mel.

I hid it in the garage…until today.

I can’t believe how many hours that kept her occupied.

She loved having new toys so much that I didn’t mind having to pick up that 100+ piece set a dozen times in an afternoon.

It was fun watching her “cook” all kinds of different food for me. She had fun, and for a moment, I felt guilty about not giving it to her for…ahem…about six months. Well, I felt guilty until I stepped on one of the plastic pieces and reminded myself exactly why I’d hidden the thing.

Oh, well. She’s not likely to forget about it anytime soon, so I’ll have to be extra careful about where I walk. :)

Well, it’s getting late…and I’m seriously thinking about turning off election results and watching a chick flick.

Sounds way more fun. :)

G’nite, friends.

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, hair, just life, Maelie, random, where I am

Monday Random

November 5, 2012 by · 2 Comments

I’ve got a hundred thoughts swimming through my head, but it’s far too late to try to actually make any of them sound intelligent. :)

Can I blame the time change?

I went to bed at 9:30 last night. Usually, I don’t even start blogging by then. I must have been exhausted. Actually, the tired probably had more to do with an early morning race and two hours of bowling in the afternoon. All fun, but definitely energy-zapping.

So it was Monday, and a mostly uneventful one…except for the stop sign I ran. Totally not kidding, totally feeling like a complete scatterbrain. I drive that route a dozen times a week…there’s no reason in the world for it. I took Maelie home after that and we stayed home for the rest of the day.

Though I did go work out tonight…for part of it. More on that tomorrow, maybe. I’m on a twoish-week running hiatus, and I can’t say I’m in love with the idea. But when one has a stress fracture, the only thing that helps is NOT doing the thing that caused it in the first place. (And, yes, I ran yesterday. With said stress fracture. Like I said, we’ll talk tomorrow. :))

Speaking of tomorrow, it’s Election Day.

Like y’all didn’t know that. Well, you did if you’re like me and have literally been counting down the days to the end of the the political ads and completely annoying and inconveniently timed phone calls. Anyway, you know what you need to do…so go do it. Obviously, our country needs some help…so vote for the candidate that will bring positive change. And that is ALL you’re gonna get from me as far as politics go.

Anyway, I’d be shocked if you didn’t know which side I party with. :)

Though I may kick up my heels and do a virtual jig if things end up like I’m hoping and praying they will. I’ll let you all know if I dance, k? 😉

I sent in an application today for something big. It’s not a job but definitely involves responsibility and a pretty incredible opportunity. I’m really praying…for God’s Will first, but also that His Will lines up with what I’d like to happen. :) Do you ever do that?

I guess I just need to remind myself that when I find my joy in Him, He’ll give me my desires.

I’ve been really lovin’ this song lately…singing-it-all-the-time lovin’. Have a listen and sing along. It’s a good one!

Thanks, friends, for stopping by the blog tonight.

Hope your Monday was good…and that it didn’t involve running any stop signs! 😉

Sig

Filed Under: just life, random, where I am

Five-Minute Friday: Roots

November 2, 2012 by · 8 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: Roots

Sometimes having a scattered life can lead to that feeling that there are no real roots. When pieces of existence span oceans and continents, knowing where exactly those roots are deeply planted is difficult.

The first decade was just that.

A cute little green house in a Twin Cities suburb. Job bouncing and church hopping, waiting for what He had for us.

We knew it was something, and it was.

Three years after we moved into that cute little house, whose color resembled that of pistachio ice cream, we pulled up the roots we’d put down, hopped on a plane, and flew to the other side of the world.

Those roots grew differently in the tropics.

Though we planted and watered, things just blossomed in a different way. Five years of wonderful and stressful, of stretching and challenging, of loving and living made us into different people. Gave us different worldviews, insights, and most importantly, lifelong friends.

And yet the roots were not to remain there forever.

Once more we pulled them up…strangely, far more painful than the first time…and moved them to an at-the-time obscure, almost-suburb of Chicago.

We planted them and we daily water them because, for now, this is where they should grow.

We have a daughter now, and she needs a place to call home. We are investing in the life around us, determined that these roots will stick no matter if there’s something next or if this is it.

And while, in this place, it is good to have roots and we love that they are planted here, my Father daily reminds me of something.

That this world is not my home.

As important as it is to have that place on earth to be my home, rooting myself in Him and His Word, His Promises, and His Love is what will truly bring growth.

My dear friend said it best in a song she wrote…

Lord, plant Your Word in my soul, only You make me whole.

Father, keep my roots planted in the right place.

Five Minute Friday

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, Five Minute Friday, Indonesia, just life, remembering, where I am

So I Will Dance With Cinderella…

November 1, 2012 by · 6 Comments

Oh, she was beautiful.

Absolutely.

She sat perfectly still while I did her Cinderella hair. Just for the record, that never happens, but she barely moved a muscle as I twisted her hair into a bun, doing what I could with her limited amount of hair. (Cinderella must have had a lot of hair…of course, it seems to work that way in fairy tales. No fair. At least she didn’t want to be Rapunzel!)

And she loved it anyway. :)

Tobin and I looked at each other, almost in disbelief at how fast she is growing up. Dressing like Cinderella. Old enough to know what it means to dance.

And perhaps the most heart-melting moment of the day was when she took her daddy’s hands and they twirled in a circle.

Danced.

I seriously couldn’t resist it…I had to sing. So I sang through part of the chorus before a lump formed in my throat and I couldn’t continue.

You see, there’s this place of honesty in my heart that I haven’t let find its place on my blog just yet.

That place where I truly ask myself, as the days slip by, if this is the only time we’ll experience this. If this time of dancing is only going to be with her.

Don’t get me wrong…she’s enough. More than that.

God poured his blessings into our lives on that Monday morning in June 2010. And He continues to do so.

I have never forgotten how wonderful it was to hear her cry, see her face, hold her for the first time. I remember thinking how tiny she was and how I felt certain that those moments would last forever.

Though they didn’t, it was a nice dream.

And as each day happens and as we soak up the wonderful and the terrible and the happy and the sad and the joyous and the frustrating and the completely blessed…well, we just do our best to make memories out of what we’re given.

Like those memories made yesterday as my sweet little Cinderella twirled with her daddy.

I don’t want to spend my days wondering; I’d rather just live them.

Live them fully as I let my little girl be Cinderella for as long as she wants to be. I’ll watch her twirl and sing and dance and be the wonderful Mae that God has created her to be.

And soak up the blessings of now.

So I will dance with Cinderella, while she is here in my arms;
‘Cause I know something the prince never knew.
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella, I don’t wanna miss even one song;
‘Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight…and she’ll be gone.

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, family, just life, Maelie, music, where I am

Update on Taylor

October 30, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Today, I believe in miracles.

I always have, but today? I really, really, really believe.

But rather than give you my take, I’ll just pass on what I know. :)

:) Taylor made it through surgery.

:) Though her tumor was wrapped around several arteries and veins, the doctors got it ALL.

:) Then, they biopsied several areas surrounding where the tumor had been, and ALL BUT ONE came back negative. The other one showed just a microscopic amount of cancer.

:) Four months ago, this little girl was diagnosed with aggressive, Stage 3 neuroblastoma. Next week she’ll hopefully continue her chemo treatments and kick the rest of this thing!

What an amazingly strong, beautiful little girl Taylor is.

What trust and unshakable faith her parents have demonstrated through this journey.

What a miracle-performing, disease-healing, awesome, powerful, sovereign God we serve.

He still does miracles, He still moves mountains.

And we saw that today.

Thank you to each of you who prayed…this family was covered in prayer today.

Praise Him.

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, encouragement, friends, prayer, what I'm learning, where I am

Little Blessings (Pt. 52)

October 29, 2012 by · 2 Comments

:) Laughter with my girl.

:) Perspective…and the insight that can be gained from a rough morning.

:) The chicken dance. (BAIS peeps, do you remember? ;))

:) What the house looks like after three hours of cleaning. (Since the girl is sleeping, we’re guaranteed it will look this good for another ten, too!)

:) Cozy blankets and chick flicks. (Guess what I’m doing tonight?)

:) Blog hopping…love reading my friends’ takes on life and all that God is doing.

:) Early morning 5k PR’s. :)

:) The gift of true friendship.

:) Anticipating a crazy-fun, downtown-5k weekend.

:) Prayer…and a Father Who loves us each so deeply. Please keep the Hall family in your prayers, especially tomorrow. (Tuesday.) I went to college with Julie and Randy; tomorrow, their youngest daughter, Taylor, who is not even two yet, will be having surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from her spine. This is a very delicate, risky surgery as the tumor is wrapped around arteries. Please lift up Taylor, the doctors who will be working on her, and her family as they trust God to heal their precious little girl. You can read more of her story here, and if you’d like more updates or information, there is a facebook group called Praying for Taylor. I know they would appreciate your prayers so much. Thanks!

P.S. Wanted to give you a photo…what a beautiful little girl. God holds her in His hands. :)

Sig

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

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

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
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