a quick catchup.

oye.   I have NOT been good about this blogging thing lately...so here is my attempt to get back on board.   here are a few snippets from life the past few months:   a fun walk/bike ride around the lake with GiGi  it was the perfect day to spend an hour or two outside before nap time.   and bonus!  we got to see a mama (or maybe daddy?) bald eagle feeding three babies.   it. was. awesome! 

my Grammy's 92nd birthday party  almost all 3,000 of the family members on my dad's side (or so it felt!) got together to celebrate my Grammy's birthday. it was so wonderful to see and catch up with all of the family.

  adding to the family...Michael's younger brother got married! so excited to have another sister-in-law to add to the mix. :) their wedding was amazing (even though it rained)... from the decorations, to the food, to the love felt between the two newlyweds. I love them both dearly and had such a fun day!

  whew! picture overload, but it will be nice to have these memories documented.    up next...J's 2nd birthday  (I promise it won't take me 3 months to write again...hopefully...) 

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lately.

 

 life lately has been good. busy, but good. i must admit, i like busy.   a few weeks back, my mom signed me up for a 7 week photography class as an early birthday present (thanks, mom!) i look forward to each tuesday night. those two hours are so good. SO so good. it's extremely overwhelming, yes. by 9:00, my brain is practically mush. but i'm learning so much. ok, and also, i have a bone to pick- why does photography have to be such an expensive hobby? sheesh. a couple thousand for a camera lens?! i don't have that kind of moolah, people.    sigh.     my j man continues to amaze me on a daily basis. a little sponge, soaking up anything and everything. the other day, i caught him grabbing my camera to shoot a couple photos. he even had the camera twist down and everything!   lucky for us, it's finally becoming semi-decent outside, so we're able to get out in small spurts. i have to mentally prepare myself for those outings, though,  because when he hears, "it's time to go inside!"  he melts to the ground in a puddle of tears. it's pretty dramatic, i tell ya...     that self take of me above is not a frequent occurance, so don't you worry. one of my favorite bloggers, jami nato, is extremely passionate about women dressing modestly  (and rightfully so...you should really read her amazing story). anyway, each tuesday, she hosts a hashtag gathering of sorts on instagram... #turtlenecksoftheheart    i wanted to join in on the fun. modest is hottest, people.     oh, and that devotional up there for today? toooootally what i needed to hear.      "Rest in My Presence, receiving Joy that no one can take away from you."   amen.   God is so good. SO so good.    P.S. tomorrow is the start of the big 12 tournament...i've gotta show my love. GO CYCLONES!  

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hope.

I don't know about you all, but this weather has got me in a funk.   the wintertime blues are no joke, people!   i'm so over being cooped up inside, doing the same things, trying to keep a 19 month entertained with limited options... basically, i'm ready for spring, which equals nice weather (am I right!?)   as J and I were preparing to sit down and eat our lunch this afternoon,  a flash of red caught my eye.   I looked out the window to the neighbors tree  and saw the most beautiful bright red cardinal.   it brought tears to my eyes and reminded me of two things: first, it was a sign of hope,  and I have no doubt that God sent it especially for me. it was almost as if He was saying, "hold on. spring is just around the corner. be patient, my child."   it also reminded me of my grandpa,  who is no longer with us. both he and my grandma loved to look out the window in their home  to see all of the wildlife outside, especially the birds.  ...and it just so happens that his favorite baseball team was the cardinals.
it was just the sign I needed to keep trudging through this season... it will be over shortly,  and there will be new, exciting things on the horizon.

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I don't even know...

  today has been a blah day. I probably shouldn't be writing a post, but oh well...too late.   it looks like cabin fever will be lasting several more days, as Winter Storm "Q" is settling into our neck of the woods this afternoon.  

  the snow is lovely and all,  but this family is so ready for nice weather so we can get outside and play.  oh, what a difference being outside can make!
to try to ward off cabin fever, we've been busy reading lots of books, playing with toys, and shooting hoops.

apparently Mary (Jesus' mom) chose to ride the bus today...aka we haven't put James' nativity set away yet. oops.

oh...and i've also been trying to overcome a bout of shingles. ick. who knew 20 somethings could even get shingles?! not I...until the doctor confirmed it on Tuesday.
  without going into too much detail, God is most definitely teaching me faith, trust, and patience through this all.

  i've been extremely tired and don't have much of an appetite.
moral of the story? i'm ready to be done with this! (and when I say this, I mean shingles and cold weather!)     here's to hoping more consistent,  more exciting posts happen in the near future. I just haven't been feeling it lately.  

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beginning of year two.

It has been just shy of one year since I began this blogging adventure and goodness, I have learned so much!   In case you haven't read my previous post, I've spent the past several days on a nice little blogging hiatus. Two words for you: MUCH NEEDED.   The last month or so, I've been going blogging bananas.   I've spent way too much time on the computer, reading blog after blog. I've been worrying about the fact that I haven't gained many followers (Absolutely silly, I know! That's not what this is even supposed to be about...for me, anyway), stewing over what to blog about, and just generally feeling "blah" about the whole darn thing.   I don't want that. That wasn't my intent when I began this journey to document my life.   With the beginning of a new year, I'm looking forward to setting a few boundaries, if you will.   Here they are: (in hopes that I'll be held accountable to these!)   + put my devotional time above all else (maybe this will be the year that I can wake up earlier than J so I can get it done first thing in the AM instead of frantically squeezing it in during naptime?...remember, I did say maybe)   + be more organized with blogging (make an on-going list of post ideas/topics, edit pictures on a more regular basis, etc.)   + set a time limit for blogging  (writing posts, commenting & reading other blogs, etc.)   + be intentional with the friendships formed through blogging (I've already met quite a few wonderful, encouraging friends through this big adventure and I'd love to maintain and continue to grow those friendships)   I want this space of mine to be a source of encouragement. I want to be in community with other bloggers. I want to document my journey through life as a way to look back and remember both the highs and the lows. ...but most importantly, I want the Lord to use me where He sees fit.   Thank you to all of the wonderful readers for being a constant source of support and encouragement. I am forever grateful.   Year 2013? Let's do this.  

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#teamkelsey

"I believe it's more than just a 'coincidence'. God's speaking here." -my mom   I remember it so well... Michael and I went to the first ISU home football game of the season.   The announcer came over the loudspeaker and introduced the "kid captain" for the game as she proudly walked hand in hand with the rest of the football team captains to watch the coin toss... Kelsey was her name.
The "kid captain" role is for someone facing a challenging medical situation, and that she was. Kelsey was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor about a year and a half ago and her life was turned upside down. (for the record, I really, really, really hate cancer. it has taken way too many loved ones, and it's just plain unfair.)   Back to the game, though. As the announcer was sharing her story, I was fighting back the tears that were streaming down my face. I was instantly touched by this sweet, brave 15 year old girl.  
  Fast forward to this past Sunday night... I was reading twitter before bed, and noticed that a few of the ISU football players were sending out tweets with #teamkelsey at the end.   I clicked on the hashtag and read tweet after tweet about Kelsey. How she had changed the lives of so many people, how she was loved, admired, and encouraged by people all over the globe, and how she was in desperate need of prayers.   That night, I prayed for sweet Kelsey. I didn't know her personally, and yet I felt so connected to her.   She passed away Monday morning, and I was so heartbroken... for her family, for her friends, for everyone whose live's she had touched.   That afternoon, I called my mom to ask her a question and we got to talking (for the next hour). About halfway through our conversation, I began to tell my mom about Kelsey. I told her that although I didn't know her personally, I was so moved by her story and the incredible faith that both she (had) and her parents have. Our conversation ended, I finished up a few things on my "to do" list, and then I headed upstairs to begin my devotional time. Just as I had pulled out my Bible, the phone rang. It was my mom. I answered and she said, "Hey, do you have time for a quick story?"   She then proceeded to tell me that the contractor that has been working on my parent's house called her after our phone conversation to see if he could drop by and chat about one of the house projects. When he got to my parent's house, they made light conversation and then he turned to my mom and said something along the lines of, "Man, it has been a crazy day. My wife received a phone call this morning that her 15 year old cousin had passed away after battling brain cancer for the past year and a half." My mom reached over, touched his arm and replied, "Did she walk on with the Iowa State football captains at a game this fall?" The contractor looked at my mom wide-eyed and said, "Yes! How did you know that?" My mom explained that she had just gotten off the phone with me, where I had shared this story about Kelsey and how deeply it affected me. He then shared something incredible with my mom. Minutes after Kelsey passed away, he said the clouds parted and the sun was beaming down from the sky. The timing of it all couldn't have been more perfect or planned out.   My mom said they spent the next 45 minutes or so talking about Kelsey, faith, life, and death. This girl made an incredible impact on so. many. lives.   Tears filled my eyes (for the third time that day) as my mom shared this story with me. What a coincidence that I had JUST shared this story with her, only to have the contractor show up at the house and randomly begin talking about the same thing.   Clearly, God was trying to speak to us. What His message was, I'm still not sure... but one thing is for certain, I hope and pray that I can have a faith like Kelsey and her family have so boldly displayed.   Heaven welcomed someone truly amazing on Monday. Pin It Now!

just a day in the life...

You ready for the most thrilling post of your life? Ok, maybe it's not that  thrilling... it's only a photo journal of my Monday.   [thanks to Erin for the idea]   While it might not be the most exciting post ever, it'll be a nice little reminder for me 20 years from now when I look back on what life was like "back in the good 'ol days", so here goes...   [Jesus Calling devotional reading]

[look who's awake!]

[menu planning for the week/making a grocery list]

[grocery shopping adventure with my favorite little helper]

[lunchtime for J -- cheese quesadilla, mandarin oranges, and banana]

  [definitely ready for his afternoon nap]

 

[finally eating & catching up on blog reading/e-mails]

[calling to file a claim]

(got backed into in the grocery parking lot last night)

  [She Reads Truth advent study]

[paying bills]

LOVE seeing this ****final bill**** message on several

of our bills this month

  [after naptime, J helped me make a little sweet & salty treat]

[play time while we anxiously await daddy's arrival from work]

  [a quick dinner before the basketball game]

[girls lost, but it was still a fun game to watch]

 

["Ummm parents? It's my bedtime, FYI."]

[after putting J down, the hubby and I get to relax and unwind]

  ...and that, my friends, was my day.  

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