D.C. to G.R.... Betcha thought I was gonna say Hell, huh :)
Let's observe a moment of silence at the sheer magnitude of the fact that I drove 11 hours, with no co-pilot, and Caleb (2.5) and Logan (.5) in the back seat... and we actually made it... alive... with the last few shreds of sanity and patience still in tact...
No, seriously... I am NOW observing a moment, actually many... of pure unadulterated silence, to which I am eternally thankful to my in-laws, for making possible!
I also owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Acura driver who was moving with such speed and agility through the early morning traffic out of Northern Virginia, that band of cars from New Jersey who navigated the Ohio Turnpike with me, and the Beamer that was haulin cookies up 23 and then along 96... Thank you all for letting me draft off of you.... for acting as my sacrificial lamb should we happen upon any law enforcement... To the law enforcement that I did happen to cross paths with along the way: Thank you for either not paying attention, or using your special discernment to realize that an SUV, manned by a single woman, with two car seats in the back needed a special pass.
Also gotta thank the big guy for the beautiful sun rise over the Appalachians as we drove through them, for somehow keeping me alert despite the 5am wake-up call, for getting Logan to sleep for ~6 of the 11 hours, and only scream for 2-3 of them, for keeping Caleb happy for the most part, despite his ONLY sleeping for 45 minutes (ugh!), and for helping me keep my cool. That alone was DEFINITELY an act of divine intervention, as there were certainly a couple times where I opened my mouth, paused for a sec, and took a deep breath instead..... Wooooosaaaaaa.... Gooosefraba.... Ahhhhhh :)
I also was able to stop in Pittsburgh to visit with my Cousins Nick/Sarah and meet their new baby boy Luke, which was a special treat! The only downside of that PITT stop (get it... PITT... Pittsburgh... This is why Kevin and I were made for each other :)
I digress... I do that a lot in my blogs... oh well... the downside...
Has anyone else realized there is a MAJOR difference between "Shortest" and "Fastest" navigation routes when selecting one of those as the option for your vehicles navigation system to follow?!?
I didn't. Not until I'd gone ~45 minutes through the streets of downtown Pittsburgh, past the Mall, down Main street, through a neighborhood... I'm not kidding... Thinking after each turn I was gonna see the on-ramp to my beloved Inter-State. After literally screaming in exasperation in my car, which made Caleb think I was mad at him (which made me feel AWFUL), then having to explain mommy was just mad at her car, to which we both had to roll down our windows and give the car a spanking. (Judge if you will, to each their own) I finally pulled over to see JUST what my navigation was doing. That's when it hit me... "Shortest" was doing everything in its power to reduce the actual number of MILES I was going to take to get to my destination, and it was doing so at an EXCRUCIATINGLY MIND NUMBING pace... I went over SPEED bumps at one point... I mean REALLY people! I reset the navigation to "Fastest" and we were on an Inter-state in less than 5 minutes.... Stupid car (I do realize the car was just doing what I told it to do... we'll leave that for another day though)!
BUT.... We did make it safe and sound, and now I am thoroughly enjoying the fruits of my labor, still in peace and quiet, thinking maybe just maybe I'll get crazy and watch a movie... From beginning to end, in one sitting, during the middle of the morning... UNHEARD OF...WAHOOO!!!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
So Much to be Thankful For
On the eve of heading home for my first Thanksgiving with family in 7 years, I figured it was time to reflect on all of the things I am thankful for in my life... and people... the list is extensive...
In no particular order... I am Thankful for:
The love of my life and my best friend, no matter how corny or cheesy it sounds I am the woman I am today because of this man and I love him to the ends of the earth and back... For better or worse, until death do us part (which I've already warned him needs to occur 'Notebook' style, together, both old in age, still madly in love having lived an amazing life).
Two beautiful blessings from God, that remind me what unconditional love is supposed to look like, crack me up, stretch me to grow in ways I didn't think possible (and if I'm honest, some days don't really want to), and who every day hold my heart in their tiny little hands. I love them more than I ever thought possible, and am amazed that love continues to grow exponentially.
A faith that allows me to see the beauty and hope in the world, despite the 'worlds' best effort to convince me otherwise. A faith that makes the blessings in my life SO evident, and allows me to keep perspective, even when situations around me spin out of control.
The opportunities to travel, live in unique cities around the U.S., and meet amazing friends all along the way. Friends that bring joy to my life, make me smile on a daily basis, and feel loved, feel a part of something bigger, and continue to look forward to the times I will get to see them again.
Our families... who know us inside and out and love us anyway (most of the time ;) For the support they have given and continue to give throughout our lives... for pushing us to be independent and successful (even before we knew that was what they were pushing us toward). For being open to evolve and grow together as we navigate different seasons of our lives, and the challenges along the way. For teaching the important lesson, that its o.k. to make mistakes, not just o.k., inevitable... just learn from them and when you can, say your sorry... but also for understanding that "sorry" is sometimes the absolute hardest word to say, and forgiving anyway.
My job, and the opportunity it has given me to be here with my boys, not having to miss the major milestones, getting to partake in the mid-afternoon tickle war, being present to kiss the boo-boo and make it all better, and being able to 'snuggle just for one second', thirteen times through out a day... And I'm Thankful for Tonya (nanny) for being a wonderful addition to our crazy family living in a shoebox, for the joy she brings Caleb (and Logan)... that I get to hear via squeals of delight throughout my day, and for Kevin's HARD work paying off, his degree, and new job with Oracle giving us the opportunity to check out yet another cool place.
Health. The collective 'we' haven't been impervious to unique health battles, but for the most part me and the many people I love have either been healthy or fought tooth and nail to retain/regain their health... and I am thankful everyday for the successes I've been able to witness, and pray daily they continue and that sickness would pass over those I love.
For so many small luxuries, I normally don't even give a second thought to....
Facebook, keeping me connected to my small 'world'
Great churches, helping us build new community, when we're still missing the ones we've left.
Peace and Quiet after 8pm (normally)
A full night sleep
Chocolate Milk and Eggnog Latte's
Seasons... especially the Fall... oh how I've missed you!
Music.... for there always being a song to suit the mood I'm in
Hulu... ensuring I never miss an episode of one of my Fave's
Yoga pants, man those babies are comfy
Hair Day (ladies, you know what I'm talking about)
.... and so many more
Happy Early Thanksgiving Everyone!!! It's amazing when you start listing them out just how much there is... I know it everyday, but it still blows me away to see it written down! I think I'll have to listen to Ben Harper's song first thing when I get in the car to head to Michigan tomorrow... "I've been Blessed" :) See some of ya'll soon!
In no particular order... I am Thankful for:
The love of my life and my best friend, no matter how corny or cheesy it sounds I am the woman I am today because of this man and I love him to the ends of the earth and back... For better or worse, until death do us part (which I've already warned him needs to occur 'Notebook' style, together, both old in age, still madly in love having lived an amazing life).
Two beautiful blessings from God, that remind me what unconditional love is supposed to look like, crack me up, stretch me to grow in ways I didn't think possible (and if I'm honest, some days don't really want to), and who every day hold my heart in their tiny little hands. I love them more than I ever thought possible, and am amazed that love continues to grow exponentially.
A faith that allows me to see the beauty and hope in the world, despite the 'worlds' best effort to convince me otherwise. A faith that makes the blessings in my life SO evident, and allows me to keep perspective, even when situations around me spin out of control.
The opportunities to travel, live in unique cities around the U.S., and meet amazing friends all along the way. Friends that bring joy to my life, make me smile on a daily basis, and feel loved, feel a part of something bigger, and continue to look forward to the times I will get to see them again.
Our families... who know us inside and out and love us anyway (most of the time ;) For the support they have given and continue to give throughout our lives... for pushing us to be independent and successful (even before we knew that was what they were pushing us toward). For being open to evolve and grow together as we navigate different seasons of our lives, and the challenges along the way. For teaching the important lesson, that its o.k. to make mistakes, not just o.k., inevitable... just learn from them and when you can, say your sorry... but also for understanding that "sorry" is sometimes the absolute hardest word to say, and forgiving anyway.
My job, and the opportunity it has given me to be here with my boys, not having to miss the major milestones, getting to partake in the mid-afternoon tickle war, being present to kiss the boo-boo and make it all better, and being able to 'snuggle just for one second', thirteen times through out a day... And I'm Thankful for Tonya (nanny) for being a wonderful addition to our crazy family living in a shoebox, for the joy she brings Caleb (and Logan)... that I get to hear via squeals of delight throughout my day, and for Kevin's HARD work paying off, his degree, and new job with Oracle giving us the opportunity to check out yet another cool place.
Health. The collective 'we' haven't been impervious to unique health battles, but for the most part me and the many people I love have either been healthy or fought tooth and nail to retain/regain their health... and I am thankful everyday for the successes I've been able to witness, and pray daily they continue and that sickness would pass over those I love.
For so many small luxuries, I normally don't even give a second thought to....
Facebook, keeping me connected to my small 'world'
Great churches, helping us build new community, when we're still missing the ones we've left.
Peace and Quiet after 8pm (normally)
A full night sleep
Chocolate Milk and Eggnog Latte's
Seasons... especially the Fall... oh how I've missed you!
Music.... for there always being a song to suit the mood I'm in
Hulu... ensuring I never miss an episode of one of my Fave's
Yoga pants, man those babies are comfy
Hair Day (ladies, you know what I'm talking about)
.... and so many more
Happy Early Thanksgiving Everyone!!! It's amazing when you start listing them out just how much there is... I know it everyday, but it still blows me away to see it written down! I think I'll have to listen to Ben Harper's song first thing when I get in the car to head to Michigan tomorrow... "I've been Blessed" :) See some of ya'll soon!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Always a Martha never a Mary
I told Kevin I was gonna make another blog post. First three things out of his mouth in perfect succession: "Is it gonna be about how funny I am?", "Is it gonna be about how good I look naked?", "Is it gonna be about how amazing I am?"... When I told him I was actually planning to blog about the personality test we took the day before, intended to help us discover what our 'spiritual gifts' were... he started rambling incoherently... poor guy, must be hard to suffer from such low self esteem ;)
The diversion above was too funny for me not to include... just a little glimpse into the daily banter I get to exchange with my funny/amazing husband... we'll leave the other description alone... Back to my original intent behind this blog....
The segway above, pretty much encapsulates why I wanted to take the class our church offered on discovering your spiritual gifts... Because I'm about as reverent as a rock. It's true.
The personality test we took in preparation for the spiritual assessment was called the DISC test, (Drive, Influence, Steadiness, Compliance). My dominant personality was an 'Influencer' with my secondary being 'Drive'. Check out the below description (copy/paste from website), its SCARY how close they pegged me.
(forgive my little sidebar's)
General Characteristics:
Enthusiastic. Trusting; Optimistic. Persuasive; Talkative (ya' think). Impulsive; Emotional
Value to Team:
Creative problem solver. Great encourager. Motivates others to achieve. Positive sense of humor. Negotiates conflicts; peace maker. (Love the warm fuzzies)
Possible Weaknesses:
More concerned with popularity than tangible results (ouch... the truth hurts). Inattentive to detail. Overuses gestures and facial expressions (ha ha ha, this one made me seriously laugh out loud... I'm pretty sure my nearest and dearest WROTE this portion). Tends to listen only when it's convenient (ugh! guilty as charged... again).
Greatest Fear:
Rejection. (BINGO... although the dark... bugs... and those closest to me getting sick/dying are quite high on the list as well)
Our spiritual assessment was next. I was really pulling for the cool ones, you know, Miracles/Prophecy... God knew me better than that... I guess that's only logical though.
The spiritual gifts ranking highest for me: (copy/paste from website)
Hospitality: the gift that causes a believer to joyfully welcome and receive guests and those in need of food and lodging. Biblical References: Romans 12:13, Romans 16:23a, Luke 10:38.
Administration: the gift that enables a believer to formulate, direct, and carry out plans necessary to fulfill a purpose. Biblical References: I Corinthians 12:28, Acts 14:23.
In other words I'm Martha. Girl can throw a great party, but sometimes misses the point of the gathering entirely.
I think deep down I always knew this, but I kinda was hoping I'd find something different when I did it again, cause when I think of Martha I think of Jesus scolding her and telling her she should be more like Mary... can someone say serious middle child insecurities. I feel like Jan on the Brady Bunch... "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia"... except for other than high school years I don't really harbor any jealousy towards either of my sisters, we are each so incredibly different, but seem to be managing just fine in our personal differences. The jealousy seems to be toward the Mary's of the world... (If I've lost you through all of this you can read Luke 10: 38-42... I had to Google the story to find it in the bible... Bet ya' Mary wouldn't have had to google it... ;))
There were a few others out of the ~25 different gifts they had listed that I ranked high on, which gave me some solace, and the fact that they pegged my dead last ringers correctly (Leading any sort of song/praise/worship and speaking in tongues... dead last... Yep!) Needless to say it was an interesting morning, seeing yourself essentially spelled out in black and white is a rather eye opening experience. However one of the best qualities I've found at this church yet, is their capacity for getting people involved in what they were naturally suited for. Now that they have my number (literally and figuratively), I'm looking forward to seeing how the traits I never really saw before as 'spiritual' gifts, can be put to use in a spiritual way, and hoping along the way I can give up on my 'weaknesses' of doing these things for the recognition, and rather do them knowing it was what I was put here to do.
The diversion above was too funny for me not to include... just a little glimpse into the daily banter I get to exchange with my funny/amazing husband... we'll leave the other description alone... Back to my original intent behind this blog....
The segway above, pretty much encapsulates why I wanted to take the class our church offered on discovering your spiritual gifts... Because I'm about as reverent as a rock. It's true.
The personality test we took in preparation for the spiritual assessment was called the DISC test, (Drive, Influence, Steadiness, Compliance). My dominant personality was an 'Influencer' with my secondary being 'Drive'. Check out the below description (copy/paste from website), its SCARY how close they pegged me.
(forgive my little sidebar's)
General Characteristics:
Enthusiastic. Trusting; Optimistic. Persuasive; Talkative (ya' think). Impulsive; Emotional
Value to Team:
Creative problem solver. Great encourager. Motivates others to achieve. Positive sense of humor. Negotiates conflicts; peace maker. (Love the warm fuzzies)
Possible Weaknesses:
More concerned with popularity than tangible results (ouch... the truth hurts). Inattentive to detail. Overuses gestures and facial expressions (ha ha ha, this one made me seriously laugh out loud... I'm pretty sure my nearest and dearest WROTE this portion). Tends to listen only when it's convenient (ugh! guilty as charged... again).
Greatest Fear:
Rejection. (BINGO... although the dark... bugs... and those closest to me getting sick/dying are quite high on the list as well)
Our spiritual assessment was next. I was really pulling for the cool ones, you know, Miracles/Prophecy... God knew me better than that... I guess that's only logical though.
The spiritual gifts ranking highest for me: (copy/paste from website)
Hospitality: the gift that causes a believer to joyfully welcome and receive guests and those in need of food and lodging. Biblical References: Romans 12:13, Romans 16:23a, Luke 10:38.
Administration: the gift that enables a believer to formulate, direct, and carry out plans necessary to fulfill a purpose. Biblical References: I Corinthians 12:28, Acts 14:23.
In other words I'm Martha. Girl can throw a great party, but sometimes misses the point of the gathering entirely.
I think deep down I always knew this, but I kinda was hoping I'd find something different when I did it again, cause when I think of Martha I think of Jesus scolding her and telling her she should be more like Mary... can someone say serious middle child insecurities. I feel like Jan on the Brady Bunch... "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia"... except for other than high school years I don't really harbor any jealousy towards either of my sisters, we are each so incredibly different, but seem to be managing just fine in our personal differences. The jealousy seems to be toward the Mary's of the world... (If I've lost you through all of this you can read Luke 10: 38-42... I had to Google the story to find it in the bible... Bet ya' Mary wouldn't have had to google it... ;))
There were a few others out of the ~25 different gifts they had listed that I ranked high on, which gave me some solace, and the fact that they pegged my dead last ringers correctly (Leading any sort of song/praise/worship and speaking in tongues... dead last... Yep!) Needless to say it was an interesting morning, seeing yourself essentially spelled out in black and white is a rather eye opening experience. However one of the best qualities I've found at this church yet, is their capacity for getting people involved in what they were naturally suited for. Now that they have my number (literally and figuratively), I'm looking forward to seeing how the traits I never really saw before as 'spiritual' gifts, can be put to use in a spiritual way, and hoping along the way I can give up on my 'weaknesses' of doing these things for the recognition, and rather do them knowing it was what I was put here to do.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Move over Julia Childs
I've been on a bit of a cooking kick lately....I saw the movie "Julie and Julia", about the girl that cooked her way through Julia Childs cookbook and blogged about her experience... In my opinion the movie was a flop, but I do have a better appreciation for the plot now, as I've found my own muse and am cooking my way through a different set of recipes!
I blame it on my new found obsession "Pioneer Woman". I'm obsessed... and awe inspired. This woman, Ree, does everything I want to do and gets paid for it... She writes this awesome blog, takes amazing pictures, home schools her 4 kids, and makes amazing food... and then BLOGS more about all of that! Google her, then read her blog... I recommend starting with her "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" saga, but only if you have basically a full day to dedicate to it, cause its on par with any of the good fiction books I've read recently.
From her website, in the past month, I've made Tequila Lime Chicken, Tres Leches Cake, Jalapeno Jack Stuffed Hamburgers, Parmesan Garlic crusted green beans, a Gravy Burger, Broccoli Cheese Soup, Chipotle Chile, Chipotle Corn Chowder, and have all the ingredients to make her Pomegranate Seared Ahi Tuna Steaks for dinner later this week! Every single recipe thus far has been AMAZING.... This may be the one obsession Kevin doesn't give me ANY crap over... considering he continuously laments basically any T.V. show I like, rips Twilight up one side and down the other... the list could go on... but "Pioneer Woman"... I don't get a peep about.
It hasn't hurt that this is my first 'Autumn' in 7 years, and I forgot how much fun it is to have amazing scents flowing through your house when it's chilly outside, the house is all closed up and smells just emanating from the kitchen. My house may look like a tornado went through it, but with the lights off now, the kids quiet in bed, and the remnants of sweet savory chocolate chip cookies only an hour or so removed from the oven... it smells DIVINE!
The way I look at it, with all the baking I like to do in preparation for the holidays, and then the BORING hum/drum months of Jan/Feb/March on its heals, there's a very good chance I'll emerge from my first winter back in the 'north' with a much better repertoire of recipes at my disposal, and can hopefully avoid getting stuck in my previous regular rut... of "what's for dinner".... Here's hoping!
I blame it on my new found obsession "Pioneer Woman". I'm obsessed... and awe inspired. This woman, Ree, does everything I want to do and gets paid for it... She writes this awesome blog, takes amazing pictures, home schools her 4 kids, and makes amazing food... and then BLOGS more about all of that! Google her, then read her blog... I recommend starting with her "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" saga, but only if you have basically a full day to dedicate to it, cause its on par with any of the good fiction books I've read recently.
From her website, in the past month, I've made Tequila Lime Chicken, Tres Leches Cake, Jalapeno Jack Stuffed Hamburgers, Parmesan Garlic crusted green beans, a Gravy Burger, Broccoli Cheese Soup, Chipotle Chile, Chipotle Corn Chowder, and have all the ingredients to make her Pomegranate Seared Ahi Tuna Steaks for dinner later this week! Every single recipe thus far has been AMAZING.... This may be the one obsession Kevin doesn't give me ANY crap over... considering he continuously laments basically any T.V. show I like, rips Twilight up one side and down the other... the list could go on... but "Pioneer Woman"... I don't get a peep about.
It hasn't hurt that this is my first 'Autumn' in 7 years, and I forgot how much fun it is to have amazing scents flowing through your house when it's chilly outside, the house is all closed up and smells just emanating from the kitchen. My house may look like a tornado went through it, but with the lights off now, the kids quiet in bed, and the remnants of sweet savory chocolate chip cookies only an hour or so removed from the oven... it smells DIVINE!
The way I look at it, with all the baking I like to do in preparation for the holidays, and then the BORING hum/drum months of Jan/Feb/March on its heals, there's a very good chance I'll emerge from my first winter back in the 'north' with a much better repertoire of recipes at my disposal, and can hopefully avoid getting stuck in my previous regular rut... of "what's for dinner".... Here's hoping!
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