I am really not a morning person. Some people just bounce right out of bed, ready for the day! Some people don't have a problem getting up before 7am. I am NOT one of those people.
As i was sitting in my living room this morning eating breakfast and just slowly waking up (at about 10am) i was just thinking how nice it is and how thankful i am that i have a part time job that allows me, at least a few, of my favorite mornings.
For the most part, my job does not require me to get up early. Usually my earliest massage is at 10am. Which enables me to sleep at least until 8am, leaving me with1 1/2 hours before i have to be at work. A good half hour to 45 minutes of this time is spent with my Lord. I just sit up in bed and talk to him for awhile before reading the Bible and maybe finish out with a devotional book or another good book i am reading. Then i have breakfast, get myself ready for the day and check the email before leaving. I LOVE having a nice slow morning with few (if any) deadlines!
It is not that i can't get ready faster, because sometimes i do. There is the odd 8:30 massage that forces me to get up at 7:30 and get ready and be to work in a half hour. I can do it, and do it fairly well, i just don't like to.
I think that part of this desire to have a ton of time to slowly get ready stems from the fact that i rarely go to bed very early, and probably do not get enough sleep on a regular basis. Though i know this is part of it, i still believe we are either created morning people or not. I am not.
Many of you my be rolling your eyes and thinking "She is complaining about getting up at 7:30?!? I leave the house at 7:30!" Yes, i know. I am very fortunate, and have no reason or right to complain. And i am not, i am just sharing my thoughts and feelings. If i could always have all morning to get ready, i would LOVE it! Of course i would probably never get all the stuff done that i do. I often joke about that it is a good thing when i have a 10am massage, because it forces me to get up at a decent time, and i actually get things accomplished during the day!
Also, it may help you to know, that i am making up for having to get up super early for work. Because for about 7 months i had to be at work at 3:30 am! And then for two years i had to be at work at 8:30am (not bad, i know), but i worked 40 hours a week AND went to school 4 hours a night, 4 nights a week. So i would like to think i am making up for all those months of rushed mornings and little relaxation. Thank you Lord that you gave me a low-key, low-stress, part time job that i love! It fits me perfectly!
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Friday's Fave Five
Since i am going to women's retreat tomorrow, and i am trying to get my house clean before leaving, i probably will not post tomorrow. So i am doing it today, cause i like friday's fave five!
1. My job. The Lord has just been blessing my socks off and keeping my massage calendar full and this week was no exception! I am just so thankful that even in these uncertain economic times, i know that my God is bigger then an recession or depression and he will get me through! He is proving it every day! :)
2. Spring! I think this has been on my list every week! Can you tell i am excited for spring? There is so many good things in the spring: gardening, warmer weather, lower power/heating oil bill, sunshine :), fishing, camping, tans, swimming, and summer it right around the corner!
3. Drains that work! This is another one that i am super excited about: my kitchen sink drains! Woo hoo! I am vowing to never take for granted a sink that drains and a dryer after going with out for so long. We get so used to conveinience, we forget to be thankful it is there, until it isn't.
4. Hot tubs! This is really more forward looking, cause i don't have a hot tub. I am anticipating using the one at women's retreat! If i won the lottery, it would probably be one of my first purchases.
5. Craigs list! I sold our waterbed! For $100 bucks cash! I am so excited, cause usually you have to practically give them away. And i only had it on Craigs list for a week. The people called me, came and picked it up saturday and paid me cash! Now our spare room is empty....
1. My job. The Lord has just been blessing my socks off and keeping my massage calendar full and this week was no exception! I am just so thankful that even in these uncertain economic times, i know that my God is bigger then an recession or depression and he will get me through! He is proving it every day! :)
2. Spring! I think this has been on my list every week! Can you tell i am excited for spring? There is so many good things in the spring: gardening, warmer weather, lower power/heating oil bill, sunshine :), fishing, camping, tans, swimming, and summer it right around the corner!
3. Drains that work! This is another one that i am super excited about: my kitchen sink drains! Woo hoo! I am vowing to never take for granted a sink that drains and a dryer after going with out for so long. We get so used to conveinience, we forget to be thankful it is there, until it isn't.
4. Hot tubs! This is really more forward looking, cause i don't have a hot tub. I am anticipating using the one at women's retreat! If i won the lottery, it would probably be one of my first purchases.
5. Craigs list! I sold our waterbed! For $100 bucks cash! I am so excited, cause usually you have to practically give them away. And i only had it on Craigs list for a week. The people called me, came and picked it up saturday and paid me cash! Now our spare room is empty....
In Wendy's Own words
As you all know, Wendy made it to peru! Yeah! And since i know my sister (and i know she is going to be really busy) and she will probably NOT keep her blog super updated, i am helping her. So here is an email we got detailing her trip to Peru and our first picture! Yeah!
Hey mom! I am here! Obviously I talked to you on the phone. So our first flight was really boring. Callie slept like almost the whole flight and we actually didn’t talk that much. Believe it or not. There wasn’t a movie or anything so we just listened to our i-pods. Then when we got to San Fransico, we had to go to a different terminal for the international flight, and then when we got to the building we had to walk all the way to the end! And let me tell you that was a long walk! Then we had to wait because the check out counter that we had to use wasn’t opened yet. Callie didn’t have her boarding passes for the other two flights so we had to get that done. Then we slept on the floor in the airport, well I did, Callie was talking to her boyfriend Tony because she wasn’t going to be able to talk to him again. So I curled up on the floor and sort of slept. Then we both slept on the flight, and I actually slept really good! But I did wake up in time for them to serve us breakfast! And they were actually really good waffles! So then we had to sit in the airport for like the whole afternoon. Callie fell asleep again! So I borrowed a book from her and read for a long time. Then we bought lunch at Subway, the meat tasted different, but it wasn’t bad! So we flew to Lima, and we got to watch a movie on that flight. Nights in Rodanthe, it was ok, really sad. And we sat by this guy who was really weird. He does mission work with a “Christian” church, but he had some weird beliefs. He told Callie that Tony was a stumbling block for because she missed him and it made her cry. He said that you shouldn’t miss someone even when you love them or they are a false idol. Really weird! So both of us just put on our head phones and ignored him! Then we got to Lima and we had to go through customs, which was a piece of cake! They didn’t even ask why we were going to Peru! So then we had to wait, we couldn’t check into the gate area until one in the morning! So we sat in a moxie java and used the wi fi so Callie scyped Tony for like 5 hours and I curled up on one of the big chairs and fell asleep. Then we went and sat in the gate area at like 1:30 and tried to sleep. And then we started to board and we had to get on a bus that you stand up in and just hold onto the bars, and they drove us to our plane and we climbed up the steps to the plane just like they did in the old days! It was a new experience for us! Then we only flew for like an hour and we landed in Arequipa, grabbed our bags, found Sarah, and went to their house. We ate breakfast at like 6 in the morning and they have the cutest little boys. The oldest boy Isaiah is so funny he is four but is way smart, he actually is really bilingual already and he speaks with an accent when he speaks in English. Well on certain words he does, and he has that cadence that they all use, when he speaks English! And then well I already told you the rest. So I will e-mail you again soon! I love you so much! Tell dad I am giving him a big hug without tickles and big kisses! And the same for you but it doesn’t matter about the tickles. And tell shane the same, but add the tickle part! I loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!
From Left to Right: The Smiths x 3 (Wendy's, Olivia's, Adam's, & Callie's host family), Wendy, Callie, Olivia, Adam, Peru Pastor and Brian Tibbs(Extreme Nazarene Director)
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Thorny bushes and Peru Finally!
My sister had made it to her final destination: Arequipa, Peru! I got an email from her this morning. Her and her friend Callie are living in an "apartment" with their host family, the even have their own bathroom and sitting room! God is so good! Wendy has assured us all that she will be emailing/blogging soon to give us the story of all her adventures getting to Peru and how things are now that she is there. I am so excited for her! She is also very excited. My mother is much relieved, she was able to actually talk on the phone to Wendy for a little bit when she arrived.
In other news today, i am trying to get a monumental list of things done today, probably won't get it all done, but the list is always longer then your time, isn't it? I am feeling pretty good though, i got a TON done yesterday! I singlehandedly dug up and pulled out 3 rose bushes! (Well, almost single-handedly).
The first rose bush was actually a breeze. I dug pretty deep around it, applied some side ways pressure and it folded right over! One down, two to go! So after my first victory i was pretty energized and encouraged to keep going! So i dug around the second one just like i had the first, applied some pressure, and hmmm. It would quite come up! What is a girl to do? My hubby was at work, and we don't own a chain saw, much less do i know how to use one. Besides, how do you use a chain saw on something that is partially buried? So i dug some more, and i pulled some more. I tried to use brute force, but what can i say? I don't have much. :)
Then i thought, oh! We have a Sawz all. It's pretty much like a tiny chain saw, or a tiny band saw. So a drag it out, plug it in, and away we go! Went right through that one tough root i had been unable to break!
Whew! On to number three. By now i was a little tired, a little sore and i was wishing we had a shovel with a longer handle (unfortunately, our only working shovel has a REALLY short handle. Sure doesn't help you use proper body mechanics. :) So I dig, i pull, i push, i tug. This one is NOT budging! I bust out the sawz all (my secret weapon), and start cutting. This time i can't see a specific root, i just know there is a huge something keeping it stuck in the ground. So after holding that saw and pushing it into what feels like a ginormous root, i pull it out. Okay, that is not good! I bent the sawz all blade! Luckily it bent back, but the rose bush was still not budging.
At that point, i knew i needed a man. Luckily, my neighbor showed up about that time! He used his brute force and pulled that baby out! So i didn't entirely do it by myself. But i am so proud of myself for getting that much done yesterday! Hopefully i can match it today!
In other news today, i am trying to get a monumental list of things done today, probably won't get it all done, but the list is always longer then your time, isn't it? I am feeling pretty good though, i got a TON done yesterday! I singlehandedly dug up and pulled out 3 rose bushes! (Well, almost single-handedly).
The first rose bush was actually a breeze. I dug pretty deep around it, applied some side ways pressure and it folded right over! One down, two to go! So after my first victory i was pretty energized and encouraged to keep going! So i dug around the second one just like i had the first, applied some pressure, and hmmm. It would quite come up! What is a girl to do? My hubby was at work, and we don't own a chain saw, much less do i know how to use one. Besides, how do you use a chain saw on something that is partially buried? So i dug some more, and i pulled some more. I tried to use brute force, but what can i say? I don't have much. :)
Then i thought, oh! We have a Sawz all. It's pretty much like a tiny chain saw, or a tiny band saw. So a drag it out, plug it in, and away we go! Went right through that one tough root i had been unable to break!
Whew! On to number three. By now i was a little tired, a little sore and i was wishing we had a shovel with a longer handle (unfortunately, our only working shovel has a REALLY short handle. Sure doesn't help you use proper body mechanics. :) So I dig, i pull, i push, i tug. This one is NOT budging! I bust out the sawz all (my secret weapon), and start cutting. This time i can't see a specific root, i just know there is a huge something keeping it stuck in the ground. So after holding that saw and pushing it into what feels like a ginormous root, i pull it out. Okay, that is not good! I bent the sawz all blade! Luckily it bent back, but the rose bush was still not budging.
At that point, i knew i needed a man. Luckily, my neighbor showed up about that time! He used his brute force and pulled that baby out! So i didn't entirely do it by myself. But i am so proud of myself for getting that much done yesterday! Hopefully i can match it today!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
"The Saga of the Sink"
I AM SO EXCITED TODAY!!!!!!! Want to know why? How about you guess....
Could it be that my sister is gone to Peru? WRONG!
Could i be preggo? DOUBLE WRONG!
Maybe i had a lot of massages or got a great tip? NOPE, only 1
Okay, no more guessing....My kitchen sink works! Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To understand my ecstatic excitement you must know "The Saga of the Sink".
This story started 1 1/2 years ago when we bought our house and moved in. Within a day (and i am not even kidding you) things started breaking/going wrong.
I think it was a week into living here though, that the sink thing began. First it drained rrreeeaaallllyyy ssssllllooooowwwlllyyy. Pretty soon it wouldn't drain at all. We had no money to fix it, and my dad and hubby thought it would require the skills of a plumber to fix it (cause it looked like the problem was in the stack. (?) So after "snaking" it with our garden hose and getting no where, i busted out a plastic dish pan (like all the old ladies use in their sinks? I don't know why they do, it is just one more thing to dump and wash!) we proceeded to "deal with it" until we could afford to fix it.
Fast forward from November 2007 to NOW. Nearly a year later, and after talking to a professional plumber, my wonderful, fabulous, handy, loving hubby decided to try and fix it himself.
So i left for work this morning with a clogged sink, and came back at lunch to a working sink! It works! I can do my dishes in both sides of the sink! I can rinse my dishes! I don't have to put up with my kitchen kind of smelling! (Cause when you have clogged water and such in a pipe for an extended amount of time, it smells!)
I am sooooo excited and so thankful to God for helping my hubby to get it all figured out, and that it didn't cost near what we thought it would and that my hubby took time on his day off to do it and just that MY SINK WORKS! YYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Could it be that my sister is gone to Peru? WRONG!
Could i be preggo? DOUBLE WRONG!
Maybe i had a lot of massages or got a great tip? NOPE, only 1
Okay, no more guessing....My kitchen sink works! Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To understand my ecstatic excitement you must know "The Saga of the Sink".
This story started 1 1/2 years ago when we bought our house and moved in. Within a day (and i am not even kidding you) things started breaking/going wrong.
I think it was a week into living here though, that the sink thing began. First it drained rrreeeaaallllyyy ssssllllooooowwwlllyyy. Pretty soon it wouldn't drain at all. We had no money to fix it, and my dad and hubby thought it would require the skills of a plumber to fix it (cause it looked like the problem was in the stack. (?) So after "snaking" it with our garden hose and getting no where, i busted out a plastic dish pan (like all the old ladies use in their sinks? I don't know why they do, it is just one more thing to dump and wash!) we proceeded to "deal with it" until we could afford to fix it.
Fast forward from November 2007 to NOW. Nearly a year later, and after talking to a professional plumber, my wonderful, fabulous, handy, loving hubby decided to try and fix it himself.
So i left for work this morning with a clogged sink, and came back at lunch to a working sink! It works! I can do my dishes in both sides of the sink! I can rinse my dishes! I don't have to put up with my kitchen kind of smelling! (Cause when you have clogged water and such in a pipe for an extended amount of time, it smells!)
I am sooooo excited and so thankful to God for helping my hubby to get it all figured out, and that it didn't cost near what we thought it would and that my hubby took time on his day off to do it and just that MY SINK WORKS! YYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Far Away
Well, my little sis has left for Peru! We saw her off today at the airport and she should make it to her final destination, Arequipa, sometime on wednesday. As i titled this blog, the movie Shrek II started going to my head, when Shrek is talking to donkey when they are on their way to the kingdom Far Away and he is saying "Far, far, away!". (probably not picturing it if you haven't seen the movie. So just skip that part, otherwise it sounds really stupid!)
Anyway, she will be far away, and she is already as far away as San Francisco. And this may sound really horrible and unloving, but i don't really miss her. Maybe i will later, or maybe i won't until something big happens and her not being there impacts my life more, but who knows? I love my sister very much, don't get me wrong, but i am just so proud of her and so excited for her that i can't be sad! She had the guts to follow God's leading, even though it was hard, and she is going on this awesome adventure! Yes there will be differences from what she is used to, and their will be hardships, but it is where she is supposed to be. God sent her and he is going to protect her and do amazing things through her and i am just so excited to see who He will change her into at the end of these two years!
Anyway, she will be far away, and she is already as far away as San Francisco. And this may sound really horrible and unloving, but i don't really miss her. Maybe i will later, or maybe i won't until something big happens and her not being there impacts my life more, but who knows? I love my sister very much, don't get me wrong, but i am just so proud of her and so excited for her that i can't be sad! She had the guts to follow God's leading, even though it was hard, and she is going on this awesome adventure! Yes there will be differences from what she is used to, and their will be hardships, but it is where she is supposed to be. God sent her and he is going to protect her and do amazing things through her and i am just so excited to see who He will change her into at the end of these two years!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Friday's Fave Five
So I was sitting here trying to think of my five fav things this week, and it is hard! But i am going to try:
1. SIM cards. If you don't know what that is, it is a nifty little card that Nextel has in their cell phones that is like the brain of the phone. This is my fav thing this week because yesterday, my naughty golden lab got a hold of my cell phone and used it like a chew toy. This is bad, but even worse because it is my business phone as well as my appointment calendar! Luckily i had a old phone that i could transfer my SIM card into. Now all i have to do is call all my clients and figure out when i scheduled them!
2. Sunshine! The inversion is gone and it has been so nice out! We might actually have spring around the corner!
3. Water. That may sound a little silly, but it is so nice to have cool, clean water to drink when you have been working hard (especially outside)
4. Nasal spray. If you haven't tried it, you should! One squirt, once every 12 hours and you have no stuffy head headache and no stuffy nose! Problem is you can only use it for like three days or you get addicted! (oops!). Oh, and the off brand works just as great as the brand name.
5. Milk. I have always been a milk lover, and i still am. Nothing else tastes quite so good.
1. SIM cards. If you don't know what that is, it is a nifty little card that Nextel has in their cell phones that is like the brain of the phone. This is my fav thing this week because yesterday, my naughty golden lab got a hold of my cell phone and used it like a chew toy. This is bad, but even worse because it is my business phone as well as my appointment calendar! Luckily i had a old phone that i could transfer my SIM card into. Now all i have to do is call all my clients and figure out when i scheduled them!
2. Sunshine! The inversion is gone and it has been so nice out! We might actually have spring around the corner!
3. Water. That may sound a little silly, but it is so nice to have cool, clean water to drink when you have been working hard (especially outside)
4. Nasal spray. If you haven't tried it, you should! One squirt, once every 12 hours and you have no stuffy head headache and no stuffy nose! Problem is you can only use it for like three days or you get addicted! (oops!). Oh, and the off brand works just as great as the brand name.
5. Milk. I have always been a milk lover, and i still am. Nothing else tastes quite so good.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Funny Nose
Most people wouldn't think that a cold is funny. Even i don't think a cold is funny. I hate having a cold! I would almost rather have a sore throat. Or even a cough! But today, i had no choice but to laugh!
I had never thought about a runny nose being inconvienient. Yucky, yes. Frustrating, yes. Annoying, yes. Gives you a sore nose? Definitely yes! But a major problem, or much less, funny? No! That was until i was a massage therapist.
Imagine. My client has just came in and i am getting ready to start their massage. I enter the massage room. It is nice and warm to keep my client comfy. I have blown my nose until i thought i would loose my brains, and washed my hands, before entering the massage room.
Now fast forward 10 minutes. It is a cozy warm room, i am even warmer due to the fact i am working, and my nose is about to gush. What do you do?
"Excuse me while i blow my nose,?" Umm, no. Can you imagine being my client? What if i happen to get some goobers on my hands? Then end up rubbing it into the oil and then all over them? Can i say eeewwwhhh! And so wrong! How would i wash my hands after blowing?
Next option: hmmmm.
Sniff. Only problem is, it takes a long, very loud sniff to stop the gusher. Not so professional. Definitely not relaxing. And would you want a massage from a therapist who is sniffing all through your massage? I would not be able to relax afraid that i would get their cold, or worse, a booger!
Now what? It is almost going to blow!
Well, this may sound really gross, but it was my only option. The old wipe-on-the-sleeve. Only not on a sleeve, (since i can't have a sleeve and do a massage) on my collar. Yes, i wiped my nose on my collar! It may be gross (and hopefully a little funny! What else can you do?) but a collared shirt can save a massage therapists life (or reputation) when that therapist has a cold!
So you can imagine i didn't really mind letting my neighbors seeing me wipe my nose on my coat while working hard this afternoon to dig rocks out of my flower bed after what i went through in my office.
Don't judge me, but i almost just shoved a nice wad of kleenex up my nose before going outside to work, but i wasn't quite prepared to let my neighbors see me like that!
I had never thought about a runny nose being inconvienient. Yucky, yes. Frustrating, yes. Annoying, yes. Gives you a sore nose? Definitely yes! But a major problem, or much less, funny? No! That was until i was a massage therapist.
Imagine. My client has just came in and i am getting ready to start their massage. I enter the massage room. It is nice and warm to keep my client comfy. I have blown my nose until i thought i would loose my brains, and washed my hands, before entering the massage room.
Now fast forward 10 minutes. It is a cozy warm room, i am even warmer due to the fact i am working, and my nose is about to gush. What do you do?
"Excuse me while i blow my nose,?" Umm, no. Can you imagine being my client? What if i happen to get some goobers on my hands? Then end up rubbing it into the oil and then all over them? Can i say eeewwwhhh! And so wrong! How would i wash my hands after blowing?
Next option: hmmmm.
Sniff. Only problem is, it takes a long, very loud sniff to stop the gusher. Not so professional. Definitely not relaxing. And would you want a massage from a therapist who is sniffing all through your massage? I would not be able to relax afraid that i would get their cold, or worse, a booger!
Now what? It is almost going to blow!
Well, this may sound really gross, but it was my only option. The old wipe-on-the-sleeve. Only not on a sleeve, (since i can't have a sleeve and do a massage) on my collar. Yes, i wiped my nose on my collar! It may be gross (and hopefully a little funny! What else can you do?) but a collared shirt can save a massage therapists life (or reputation) when that therapist has a cold!
So you can imagine i didn't really mind letting my neighbors seeing me wipe my nose on my coat while working hard this afternoon to dig rocks out of my flower bed after what i went through in my office.
Don't judge me, but i almost just shoved a nice wad of kleenex up my nose before going outside to work, but i wasn't quite prepared to let my neighbors see me like that!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Rocks Galore!
So, inspite of my non-motivated spirit yesterday, i conquered all and finished clearing one of my flower beds! Yeah! It looks so good, and the barrel that i thought was full of cement was not, so i can move it and use it for something else. Yeah! I am so excited! It took me a couple of hours, but it was worth it! Now on to the next, hopefully this afternoon, because the sun is shining so bright and beautiful! :)
Rocks Galore!
So, inspite of my non-motivated spirit yesterday, i conquered all and finished clearing one of my flower beds! Yeah! It looks so good, and the barrel that i thought was full of cement was not, so i can move it and use it for something else. Yeah! I am so excited! It took me a couple of hours, but it was worth it! Now on to the next, hopefully this afternoon, because the sun is shining so bright and beautiful! :)
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Just a blurb
i don't have much to say today, but isn't it ironic that the one day that it is finally semi warm and sunny (which i have been praying for) i have no motivation or energy whatsoever to work outside?
I need to work outside, i have to get my beds cleared and lasagnaed before march (hmm, that's like a week and a half away right?) I don't think i will be getting much done today!
I need to work outside, i have to get my beds cleared and lasagnaed before march (hmm, that's like a week and a half away right?) I don't think i will be getting much done today!
Just a blurb
i don't have much to say today, but isn't it ironic that the one day that it is finally semi warm and sunny (which i have been praying for) i have no motivation or energy whatsoever to work outside?
I need to work outside, i have to get my beds cleared and lasagnaed before march (hmm, that's like a week and a half away right?) I don't think i will be getting much done today!
I need to work outside, i have to get my beds cleared and lasagnaed before march (hmm, that's like a week and a half away right?) I don't think i will be getting much done today!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Friday's Fave Five
My fave five for this week are: (drum roll please :)
1. My new perm! i hate the smell, i hate not being able to wash your hair for forever, but hey! My hair looks pretty fabulous today!
2. Yard Sales! This may seem like an odd one, but i love deals. And the business in front of mine just happened to be having an INDOOR yard sale. And guess what i found? A dirt bike helmet, almost brand new (!), for $25! This is really big cause most helmets start at like $80 and go up! You may ask, why do i need a dirt bike helmet? Well, you have to have one for snowmobiling, and now i have my own. And it is actually pretty! Yeah!
3. Snuggling. I HATE HATE HATE (!) the cold, but i LOVE snuggling with my hubby. And the last couple of super cold days have necessitated some pretty good snuggling!
4. Spaghetti! I am making some tonight and i can't wait! I LOVE pasta and italian food. All though, come to think of it, i should probably make this fav garlic bread, because usually i eat more of that then the spaghetti!
5. My job! I love that i worked 5 1/2 hours this week and made $188! Wo hoo!
1. My new perm! i hate the smell, i hate not being able to wash your hair for forever, but hey! My hair looks pretty fabulous today!
2. Yard Sales! This may seem like an odd one, but i love deals. And the business in front of mine just happened to be having an INDOOR yard sale. And guess what i found? A dirt bike helmet, almost brand new (!), for $25! This is really big cause most helmets start at like $80 and go up! You may ask, why do i need a dirt bike helmet? Well, you have to have one for snowmobiling, and now i have my own. And it is actually pretty! Yeah!
3. Snuggling. I HATE HATE HATE (!) the cold, but i LOVE snuggling with my hubby. And the last couple of super cold days have necessitated some pretty good snuggling!
4. Spaghetti! I am making some tonight and i can't wait! I LOVE pasta and italian food. All though, come to think of it, i should probably make this fav garlic bread, because usually i eat more of that then the spaghetti!
5. My job! I love that i worked 5 1/2 hours this week and made $188! Wo hoo!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
mmm, chocolate!
It's back! My intense and almost continual need for CHOCOLATE! It is consuming my thought today (okay, maybe a bit dramatic there) so i had to write about it. I don't know if i have written about this topic before (!) so hopefully it won't be boring old news.
Me and my best friend were talking about it last week, how just any old chocolate thing does not always work. Sometimes you crave the sweet, buttery smoothness of homemade chocolate frosting (right now i have some in my fridge that i am just eating with my finger. I have no graham crackers :). Sometimes you crave the semi-sweet, icy goodness of a really good chocolate icecream (my person favorite is Dreyers Chocolate. Perfect balance of sweet and bitter, not too sugary!) Sometimes you crave the dark melty pleasure of a dark chocolate bar, like my favorite Dove's Dark Chocolate bar! Yum! And sometimes you just have to have the warm, gooey heaven of a just out of the oven, almost not done brownie!
So this is were it gets complicated, and frustrating. You can't possibly have all those forms of chocolate in your house at the same time! ARRRGGGHHH! So usually i will crave brownies when i have half a gallon of chocolate icecream, or i will crave a chocolate bar when we have frosting, or i will be DYING for frosting and we are out of powdered sugar! I think this is really an addiction, and it could be serious!
Me and my best friend were talking about it last week, how just any old chocolate thing does not always work. Sometimes you crave the sweet, buttery smoothness of homemade chocolate frosting (right now i have some in my fridge that i am just eating with my finger. I have no graham crackers :). Sometimes you crave the semi-sweet, icy goodness of a really good chocolate icecream (my person favorite is Dreyers Chocolate. Perfect balance of sweet and bitter, not too sugary!) Sometimes you crave the dark melty pleasure of a dark chocolate bar, like my favorite Dove's Dark Chocolate bar! Yum! And sometimes you just have to have the warm, gooey heaven of a just out of the oven, almost not done brownie!
So this is were it gets complicated, and frustrating. You can't possibly have all those forms of chocolate in your house at the same time! ARRRGGGHHH! So usually i will crave brownies when i have half a gallon of chocolate icecream, or i will crave a chocolate bar when we have frosting, or i will be DYING for frosting and we are out of powdered sugar! I think this is really an addiction, and it could be serious!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Give me your eyes
I love the song Give me your Eyes ( I think it is by Toby Mac, they play it on Air One alot 98.7). Here is a the chorus if you haven't heard it:
Lord, Give me your eyes for just one second,
Give me your eyes so i can see
Everything that i keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Lord, Give me your heart for the broken hearted
For those who are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so i can see, yeah...
I think i love this song because every time i hear it, it makes me stop and think about how much i have been given, and how often i restrict my gaze just to my life and let my problems overwhelm my focus, rather then seeing the others that are hurting right a long with me. This song, when i hear it, makes me want to be better, to truly see through God's eyes.
Some of the things he has shown me today, is how good my life is! I have so much to praise Him for! I have been so worried about having to get a different job if the economy affected my clientel too much. I have been praying a lot and the Lord gave me a full and busy week this week! I feel it is an answer to prayer, a sign that I do not need to get a new job, at least for now.
Because of this week, I also feel a little pressure off of worries about finances. God has been so good to us and provided us with so much in the last couple of months. We have been able to pay off some bills and make a good plan for getting out of debt fast.
God has just been so good to us! My heart is just full to overflowing today! It is true, that tomorrow i may loose this joy and focus, but i pray not. And i know that even if i do, it doesn't change the amazing things that God has done for us! He has just filled me with joy and peace and i need to praise Him today! Thank you Lord!
Lord, Give me your eyes for just one second,
Give me your eyes so i can see
Everything that i keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Lord, Give me your heart for the broken hearted
For those who are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so i can see, yeah...
I think i love this song because every time i hear it, it makes me stop and think about how much i have been given, and how often i restrict my gaze just to my life and let my problems overwhelm my focus, rather then seeing the others that are hurting right a long with me. This song, when i hear it, makes me want to be better, to truly see through God's eyes.
Some of the things he has shown me today, is how good my life is! I have so much to praise Him for! I have been so worried about having to get a different job if the economy affected my clientel too much. I have been praying a lot and the Lord gave me a full and busy week this week! I feel it is an answer to prayer, a sign that I do not need to get a new job, at least for now.
Because of this week, I also feel a little pressure off of worries about finances. God has been so good to us and provided us with so much in the last couple of months. We have been able to pay off some bills and make a good plan for getting out of debt fast.
God has just been so good to us! My heart is just full to overflowing today! It is true, that tomorrow i may loose this joy and focus, but i pray not. And i know that even if i do, it doesn't change the amazing things that God has done for us! He has just filled me with joy and peace and i need to praise Him today! Thank you Lord!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Life gets "good" busy sometimes!
I love my job. I mean i really love my job. I would not trade it for anything! I hope i stay busy enough and don't have to get another job! But sometimes i wonder, if all my clients conspire together to plan their massages on the most inconveinient days!
Take today for example: I had a massage in the morning, a perm in the afternoon and a jewelry party in the evening. As is it was still a pretty busy day, but that is normal for Tuesdays. It is the Gold Standard day for massages. For some reason that is the day that everyone wants!
So that is how my day was scheduled for a long time. Until yesterday. Someone called me and HAD to get in today. Holy Cow. So i ended up with a massage at 11am, had to leave right after for my perm at 1pm, had to rush back for my other massage at 4pm, and then had to rush back to caldwell for a jewelry party at 6pm. I HAVE NOT BEEN HOME ALL DAY!
For some of you that is no big deal, this is unusual for me. And i hate when i have like 15 minutes to eat a meal, and i have to pack both lunch AND dinner! Yikes!
But i am also so thankful! I have been praying that God would give me some direction about whether i should cut back my massage days and get a part time job due to the economy, or if i should stick it out and see if it picks up. This time of year is normally slow, but it was just a little scary to think that because of the economy that it might not pick back up like it normally does in March or April. So God provided me with a good week this week.
I prayed for a massage on monday and got one! I got two today and i have a two hour one on thursday and then one on saturday! God is so good!
Take today for example: I had a massage in the morning, a perm in the afternoon and a jewelry party in the evening. As is it was still a pretty busy day, but that is normal for Tuesdays. It is the Gold Standard day for massages. For some reason that is the day that everyone wants!
So that is how my day was scheduled for a long time. Until yesterday. Someone called me and HAD to get in today. Holy Cow. So i ended up with a massage at 11am, had to leave right after for my perm at 1pm, had to rush back for my other massage at 4pm, and then had to rush back to caldwell for a jewelry party at 6pm. I HAVE NOT BEEN HOME ALL DAY!
For some of you that is no big deal, this is unusual for me. And i hate when i have like 15 minutes to eat a meal, and i have to pack both lunch AND dinner! Yikes!
But i am also so thankful! I have been praying that God would give me some direction about whether i should cut back my massage days and get a part time job due to the economy, or if i should stick it out and see if it picks up. This time of year is normally slow, but it was just a little scary to think that because of the economy that it might not pick back up like it normally does in March or April. So God provided me with a good week this week.
I prayed for a massage on monday and got one! I got two today and i have a two hour one on thursday and then one on saturday! God is so good!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Friday's Fave Five
Today is friday. Friday's Fave Five! I love this day! I mean it is friday! And it is easy to write this blog and i always enjoy writing this blog! But i don't know if i can come up with five things this time:
1. Girls nights: I have the BEST friends. They understand me, they accept me for who i am and they know me better then almost anyone. And they aren't afraid to tell me bad things when i need to hear them. :) We have so much fun together. I just love getting together and just laughing and talking and hanging out! I miss highschool ONLY because we got to see each other every day!
2. Quite times with my hubby: i love when we just have an evening to snuggle on the couch and just talk or relax or watch a movie. It hasn't happened very often lately cause he is so busy, but when we can, i sure love it! :)
3. My bed: we have a FABULOUS Nasa memory foam tempurpedic bed and NOTHING can top it. It makes it easy to stay in bed for a long time!
4. Computers: they make our lives easier, except this week it made my life less productive (TOO MUCH FACEBOOK!)
5. Contacts: what would my world be like with out them? A little fuzzy and really frustrating! Can't wear them swimming or skiing, if it is raining, cold or you are kissing, they are just not doing it for me! LOL!
Okay, so now i want to share what is really on my heart. At least i think i do. I am very sad. I don't think my hubby and i can afford to have kids right now. And we want to. It looks like it will be another year or two at least. I don't want to wait that long. Even if it is for the best. It just seems like forever. (I think i might be pms'ing too, hence the utter sadness. ) So that was probably too much to share with the world wide net (and my mother and mother-in-law, since i know they will be sad as well) Who knows, i know God can work miracles, i just don't feel very hopefully right now. More weepy really.
But on a happy note: (drum roll please) i got my cabinets all painted! YEAH! I still have some touching up to do (like a couple doors that need holes patched where i drilled them in the wrong place! GRRRRR) but they are all pretty much done! Now on to the next project!
1. Girls nights: I have the BEST friends. They understand me, they accept me for who i am and they know me better then almost anyone. And they aren't afraid to tell me bad things when i need to hear them. :) We have so much fun together. I just love getting together and just laughing and talking and hanging out! I miss highschool ONLY because we got to see each other every day!
2. Quite times with my hubby: i love when we just have an evening to snuggle on the couch and just talk or relax or watch a movie. It hasn't happened very often lately cause he is so busy, but when we can, i sure love it! :)
3. My bed: we have a FABULOUS Nasa memory foam tempurpedic bed and NOTHING can top it. It makes it easy to stay in bed for a long time!
4. Computers: they make our lives easier, except this week it made my life less productive (TOO MUCH FACEBOOK!)
5. Contacts: what would my world be like with out them? A little fuzzy and really frustrating! Can't wear them swimming or skiing, if it is raining, cold or you are kissing, they are just not doing it for me! LOL!
Okay, so now i want to share what is really on my heart. At least i think i do. I am very sad. I don't think my hubby and i can afford to have kids right now. And we want to. It looks like it will be another year or two at least. I don't want to wait that long. Even if it is for the best. It just seems like forever. (I think i might be pms'ing too, hence the utter sadness. ) So that was probably too much to share with the world wide net (and my mother and mother-in-law, since i know they will be sad as well) Who knows, i know God can work miracles, i just don't feel very hopefully right now. More weepy really.
But on a happy note: (drum roll please) i got my cabinets all painted! YEAH! I still have some touching up to do (like a couple doors that need holes patched where i drilled them in the wrong place! GRRRRR) but they are all pretty much done! Now on to the next project!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Waiting
I don't like waiting. I think most Americans will agree with me since we are always looking for the fastest thing: Fast food, drive-thru's, fast lane, fast checkout, self checkout (debateable if that is really any faster!), fast dry nailpolish, speed limits, faster internet, email, texting, cell phones, speedier dryers, washers, dishwashers, etc. I don't like to wait for food, i don't like to wait to check out at the store, i don't like waiting for this darn burn scab to come off (okay, maybe thats just me :)
Anyway, i think i have established i don't like to wait. Most people don't like to wait. And i think God is telling me to wait. ARRGGHHH!
Me and my hubby have been married almost 4 and 1/2 years. That is a long time! We have been together for 7 years because we dated for a little over 3 years before we got married. We have been through a lot together! Schooling for both of us, moving across the country (okay, just sort of across country!), 9 jobs, two apartments, numerous vehicles (my husband collects them, i swear!) and now, finally a house, that we had to wait for for 3 years! We are tired of waiting. We want to have 2 become 3!
But we are both so mixed up about what we want, what God wants, whether we should pay off some more debt first, if i need to get a more stable job, if we should wait till michael has less jobs (he currently has 4), etc, etc. Why is this so complicated!? I don't want to wait, but then again i do. Reason and rationallity tells me that if we just waited a year or two and really focused on paying off debt, we would be in a MUCH better position financially for having children. I mean, face it. Kids are EXPENSIVE! And i really want to be on insurance first, which we actually figured out we could afford now. ( according to my hubby anyway)
I don't know. I just feel so mixed up inside, i don't know what God wants! I was so certain until last night! I knew we needed to wait till we can afford insurance. Now we can. But we also had a plan to eliminate debt within a year or two. Should we wait till then? I feel like my wants and Michael's wants are so all mixed up and confused that i have NO idea what God wants. Help!
Anyway, i think i have established i don't like to wait. Most people don't like to wait. And i think God is telling me to wait. ARRGGHHH!
Me and my hubby have been married almost 4 and 1/2 years. That is a long time! We have been together for 7 years because we dated for a little over 3 years before we got married. We have been through a lot together! Schooling for both of us, moving across the country (okay, just sort of across country!), 9 jobs, two apartments, numerous vehicles (my husband collects them, i swear!) and now, finally a house, that we had to wait for for 3 years! We are tired of waiting. We want to have 2 become 3!
But we are both so mixed up about what we want, what God wants, whether we should pay off some more debt first, if i need to get a more stable job, if we should wait till michael has less jobs (he currently has 4), etc, etc. Why is this so complicated!? I don't want to wait, but then again i do. Reason and rationallity tells me that if we just waited a year or two and really focused on paying off debt, we would be in a MUCH better position financially for having children. I mean, face it. Kids are EXPENSIVE! And i really want to be on insurance first, which we actually figured out we could afford now. ( according to my hubby anyway)
I don't know. I just feel so mixed up inside, i don't know what God wants! I was so certain until last night! I knew we needed to wait till we can afford insurance. Now we can. But we also had a plan to eliminate debt within a year or two. Should we wait till then? I feel like my wants and Michael's wants are so all mixed up and confused that i have NO idea what God wants. Help!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Gardening! Part 2
So today i was puttering around the house trying to make myself do dishes and get the house cleaned before i would allow myself to go outside and "garden"(!), when i realized: it doesn't really matter if the dishes don't get done now! And my house has been a lot dirtier then it is right now (it's been a lot cleaner too, but that's not the point!) So with much joy i decided to take advantage of this beautiful day (and my part time work) and work outside!
I have quite an ambitious garden planned for myself this year and i am hoping to lasagna garden all of it, hopefully i will have enough materials. So, in order to do that i MUST get all of my beds cleared and lasagnaed before the first of march when i start to plant stuff!
Now normally this wouldn't be a big deal since all you do is, esentially, make a compost pile over whatever ground you want to use. But since i am being so ambitious this year i have run out of actual cleared garden space. So i decided to clear and use my two big beautiful flower beds in the front. Enter major obstacle:
The previous owner of this house, so thoughtfully created ROCK GARDENS in the above mentioned flower beds. They are full of rocks.
So what did i do today? Well, in two hours i managed to clean half of one bed of it's rocks! Yeah! But whew! Talk about hard work. Mandy is not working out today, she shoveled and lifted rocks instead. And why oh why did i just paint my nails?
Anyway, side note: my poor little sister contracted strep throat (or something very similar) just this past week. Enter big problem: she is on her typhoid fever vaccine (a series of pills you take for a week) and can take NO antibiotics. The poor thing can barely talk and we made her laugh so hard on sunday that it hurt (and i am sure did not help her throat!) So pray for her. But good news is she only needs 10 more people to pledge $30 dollars a month for 27 months and she has the whole two years expenses funded! YEAH! She still has to pay for her plane ticket and would like to get a computer to take down with her for email purposes, but all else is pretty much taken care of! God is so good!
I have quite an ambitious garden planned for myself this year and i am hoping to lasagna garden all of it, hopefully i will have enough materials. So, in order to do that i MUST get all of my beds cleared and lasagnaed before the first of march when i start to plant stuff!
Now normally this wouldn't be a big deal since all you do is, esentially, make a compost pile over whatever ground you want to use. But since i am being so ambitious this year i have run out of actual cleared garden space. So i decided to clear and use my two big beautiful flower beds in the front. Enter major obstacle:
The previous owner of this house, so thoughtfully created ROCK GARDENS in the above mentioned flower beds. They are full of rocks.
So what did i do today? Well, in two hours i managed to clean half of one bed of it's rocks! Yeah! But whew! Talk about hard work. Mandy is not working out today, she shoveled and lifted rocks instead. And why oh why did i just paint my nails?
Anyway, side note: my poor little sister contracted strep throat (or something very similar) just this past week. Enter big problem: she is on her typhoid fever vaccine (a series of pills you take for a week) and can take NO antibiotics. The poor thing can barely talk and we made her laugh so hard on sunday that it hurt (and i am sure did not help her throat!) So pray for her. But good news is she only needs 10 more people to pledge $30 dollars a month for 27 months and she has the whole two years expenses funded! YEAH! She still has to pay for her plane ticket and would like to get a computer to take down with her for email purposes, but all else is pretty much taken care of! God is so good!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Spring! Plants! Dirt! Oh my!
Okay, so this weekend i have realized that i am a gardener to the core! I don't think i could have lived in the old days, but part of me would have LOVED growing everything we needed to eat, treating my families sickness with herbs and tonics and having ALL DAY to do it!
I have this fabulous book called Lasagna Gardening by Patricia Lanza (you can get it on amazon for like $4!). It is all about EASY, organic, minimum work, weed free, water saving, waste using gardening. If you think you have bad soil, you can grow anything with this method of gardening, and not have to put in a ton of work. I have yet to try it but i have friends who have and they say it is wonderful. But anyway, i am learning about plants and zones and when, where and how to plant and i find i have already ran out of room (and i haven't even planted anything yet!)
I would love to have room to grow berries of all sorts (which take up a lot of room and are kind of permanent once you plant them), apples, peaches, nectarines and plums, cherries and more! I want a salad garden and a herb garden for cooking and i really want a medicinal herb garden and to learn more about natural remedies.
I have nothing against medicine, and sometimes medicine is very necessary. But if i can grow a plant that i can make a tea with that will help my cough or sore throat as well or better then Triaminic and Chloraseptic, then i am all for it! They must work somewhat otherwise people way back when wouldn't have used them!
But anyway, i can hardly wait to get my hands in some dirt, get some things planted and try my hand at this lasagna gardening. It is just so hard to decide what to plant and what not to!
I have this fabulous book called Lasagna Gardening by Patricia Lanza (you can get it on amazon for like $4!). It is all about EASY, organic, minimum work, weed free, water saving, waste using gardening. If you think you have bad soil, you can grow anything with this method of gardening, and not have to put in a ton of work. I have yet to try it but i have friends who have and they say it is wonderful. But anyway, i am learning about plants and zones and when, where and how to plant and i find i have already ran out of room (and i haven't even planted anything yet!)
I would love to have room to grow berries of all sorts (which take up a lot of room and are kind of permanent once you plant them), apples, peaches, nectarines and plums, cherries and more! I want a salad garden and a herb garden for cooking and i really want a medicinal herb garden and to learn more about natural remedies.
I have nothing against medicine, and sometimes medicine is very necessary. But if i can grow a plant that i can make a tea with that will help my cough or sore throat as well or better then Triaminic and Chloraseptic, then i am all for it! They must work somewhat otherwise people way back when wouldn't have used them!
But anyway, i can hardly wait to get my hands in some dirt, get some things planted and try my hand at this lasagna gardening. It is just so hard to decide what to plant and what not to!
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