21. Volleyball. Watching it on TV is great, actually playing is better. I even played on my jr. high school team as well as our high school team while I lived in Montana. I was the setter!
22. Playing games. Unlike my dear friend, JA, I thoroughly enjoy trivia games. I'm really not that good at them but I still love to play them. Of course they have so many different trivia type games that I usually go for the ones I'm more familiar with. Like the Pop Culture edition of Trivial Pursuit or the Scene It games - Disney, Movies, Friends, TV and Squabble editions. (Notice no Harry Potter or ESPN Sports.)
23. Listening to my kids play together. I love to pretend to be engrossed in something when they are playing and have them not realize I'm listening in. They still have such an innocence about them and yet they are maturing and it brings back memories of my first "loves" and friendships from when I was a young girl.
24. Christmas music. I know y'all are thinking - not music again. But music is such a HUGE part of my life and Christmas music deserves it's very own spot on "the list". Today is the first time I've listened to Christmas music this year. When I was younger we started listening to it not long after we went back to school. After getting married, Keith restricted me to Oct - Dec. I've actually tried to hold off until November but usually don't make it. But Oct 27th isn't that bad, if I do say so myself.
25. Shopping.
26. But even more than shopping - I love getting a bargain. Matter fact, I'm so much of a bargain shopper that I won't even shop at the thrift stores until they have 50% off sales. The clearance racks are the first ones I head to in any given store and lots of the time I won't even check out the other racks.
27. Candles. My favorite scents are food type scents. Like brownies and coffee and caramel. My favorite is Belgian Waffle from Partylite.
28. Fires in the wood stove. I love the smell, feel and sound of it.
29. Camping. While growing up, my family tried the whole camping thing a number of times. No lie, every single time we went it rained! I'm not joking or exaggerating. When I met Keith he was an avid camper and hiker. I decided to give it another try which is kinda ironic because we live in the Pacific NW, really how often are you going to go camping and it not rain? Keith must have prayed a lot because now I love it! (Though I do admit that we have a tent trailer now so camping in the rain is a bit easier. Also, we plan on getting a regular trailer hopefully by next summer which means it won't matter at all how much it rains. We cheat!)
30. Road trips. If I had the option of driving or flying, hands down I'd choose driving 95% of the time.
31. Autumn - my favorite season of the year.
32. Watching TV on DVD. Once again - I cheat, but being able to watch a 60 min program in 44 minutes is not only a time saver but if you have to pause it you can and you don't have to wait a whole week to watch the next episode!
33. The beach - not the shore - but the warm, sandy beaches of Southern Callie. I guess once a So Cal girl always a So Cal girl.
34. In n' Out Burger. (Speaking of So Cal.)
35. Log Cabins. We lived in one in Montana. I loved that little house. If I was going to build my dream home it would be a log home.
36. I love smiling. Smiling's my favorite! (ha, ha!)
37. Laughing and making other people laugh.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
I simply remember my favorite . . .
Okay, so I'm going to try and do a "list" of some of the things that I love. These are in no specific order and are completely random thoughts. We will see if I can do this without trying to write an explanation on every single thing. Hopefully, this will be a sort of getting to know you kinda post. Please feel free to leave comments on your favorite things as well!!!
1. My knew CD that was given to me for my birthday - Coco by Colbie Caillat. You should definitely check this one out!
2. Driving fast - I would love to be in a long distance race like in the old Herbie the Love Bug movies from Disney.
3. Chocolate - anything
4. Coffee - iced or hot, anytime of day - caffeinated. I prefer Starbucks espresso but can't stand their coffee, weird huh?
5. Being a stay-at-home Mom. I can't imagine there being anything more desirable.
6. Snow - the more the better. I'm not afraid to drive in it but other peoples tendencies to be a bit stupid in the snow keep me home for the most part when it's snowing. While living in Montana it snowed on Halloween and from then on we had snow until after Easter!!!
7. My favorite time of year is Christmas. I love the extra time spent with family doing "holiday" things like playing games, watching Christmas movies, making candy and baking. Even the occasional craft night is thoroughly enjoyed during Christmas time.
8. Reading. When I was a kid my parents used to punish me by taking away my books. Sheer torture, I tell ya!!! I have been devouring the Christian fiction from our local library lately. Mystery with a bit of romance is the best! My favorite book of all time is The Hawk and the Jewel by Lori Wick, the first in her Kensington Chronicles series.
9. Music - in a wide variety of genre's. For the most part I like it if it can be sung to/with. (I'm thinking of titling my posts from now on, names of songs or lines from songs. Think it can be done?)
10. Singing. You might say that this is the same as #9 but I feel it's completely separate. Many people like music but don't enjoy singing. Not me and not my family. We sing, we sing everything. You say something, we respond with a song. I wish that I was a better singer but I enjoy it enough that it doesn't bother me, I guess.
11. Harmony. Yes this does go along with #10 but it is so important that I feel it deserves a spot on the list all by itself. I love hearing it and I love singing in harmony with others. Singing with my mom, dad, sisters, daughters, sisters-in-law, brother-in-law and friends from Ecola is amazing!
12. My husbands fajitas! One of the few meals he cooks but when he does - watch out, you're in for a treat!
13. Scrapbooking - The best gift I was ever given was everything I needed to get started in scrapbooking. It was a gift from my husband and was a complete surprise. Also, my dad got me a scrapbooking table that is right up there with my scrapbooking supplies because my dad never gets gifts for people, that's kinda my moms job. He used to get us girls chap stick every year for Christmas but stopped because we teased him so much about it. Now we really miss getting a new brand/flavor every year.
14. My favorite "religious" holiday is Easter. I LOVE the message of Palm Sunday and cry every year when I'm reminded of the ultimate gift and sacrifice my Savior made for ALL who would believe, but would have given solely for me! What an awesome God we serve!
15. Babies - love 'em! Screaming, crying, smiley, giggly, poopy or freshly changed. You need a baby held, I'm your gal. At one point in my life, I wanted to have eight kids!!!
16. Disneyland - it is absolutely the Happiest Place on Earth!!!!
17. Churros from Disneyland. While there on our honeymoon, Keith and I went crazy over the churro's. We would walk past a vendor and purchase a couple and then keep walking thru the park. If we came across another churro vendor we would buy a couple more even if our first ones weren't gone!!! I've yet to find a churro that compares.
18. Flip-flops or as my mom would call them - thongs!! Hee, hee!
19. Pedicures - I had my first pedicure in June of 2002 for my baby sister's wedding. I can count on both hands the times I've had a pedicure since then but it is unquestionably one of the most decadent things you can pay to have done to yourself (that's legal!). But you have to go with a friend, that makes all the difference in the world!
20. Receiving emails from friends and family.
Okay, well this doesn't even come close to covering ALL OF MY FAVORITE THINGS, but it's a good start!
1. My knew CD that was given to me for my birthday - Coco by Colbie Caillat. You should definitely check this one out!
2. Driving fast - I would love to be in a long distance race like in the old Herbie the Love Bug movies from Disney.
3. Chocolate - anything
4. Coffee - iced or hot, anytime of day - caffeinated. I prefer Starbucks espresso but can't stand their coffee, weird huh?
5. Being a stay-at-home Mom. I can't imagine there being anything more desirable.
6. Snow - the more the better. I'm not afraid to drive in it but other peoples tendencies to be a bit stupid in the snow keep me home for the most part when it's snowing. While living in Montana it snowed on Halloween and from then on we had snow until after Easter!!!
7. My favorite time of year is Christmas. I love the extra time spent with family doing "holiday" things like playing games, watching Christmas movies, making candy and baking. Even the occasional craft night is thoroughly enjoyed during Christmas time.
8. Reading. When I was a kid my parents used to punish me by taking away my books. Sheer torture, I tell ya!!! I have been devouring the Christian fiction from our local library lately. Mystery with a bit of romance is the best! My favorite book of all time is The Hawk and the Jewel by Lori Wick, the first in her Kensington Chronicles series.
9. Music - in a wide variety of genre's. For the most part I like it if it can be sung to/with. (I'm thinking of titling my posts from now on, names of songs or lines from songs. Think it can be done?)
10. Singing. You might say that this is the same as #9 but I feel it's completely separate. Many people like music but don't enjoy singing. Not me and not my family. We sing, we sing everything. You say something, we respond with a song. I wish that I was a better singer but I enjoy it enough that it doesn't bother me, I guess.
11. Harmony. Yes this does go along with #10 but it is so important that I feel it deserves a spot on the list all by itself. I love hearing it and I love singing in harmony with others. Singing with my mom, dad, sisters, daughters, sisters-in-law, brother-in-law and friends from Ecola is amazing!
12. My husbands fajitas! One of the few meals he cooks but when he does - watch out, you're in for a treat!
13. Scrapbooking - The best gift I was ever given was everything I needed to get started in scrapbooking. It was a gift from my husband and was a complete surprise. Also, my dad got me a scrapbooking table that is right up there with my scrapbooking supplies because my dad never gets gifts for people, that's kinda my moms job. He used to get us girls chap stick every year for Christmas but stopped because we teased him so much about it. Now we really miss getting a new brand/flavor every year.
14. My favorite "religious" holiday is Easter. I LOVE the message of Palm Sunday and cry every year when I'm reminded of the ultimate gift and sacrifice my Savior made for ALL who would believe, but would have given solely for me! What an awesome God we serve!
15. Babies - love 'em! Screaming, crying, smiley, giggly, poopy or freshly changed. You need a baby held, I'm your gal. At one point in my life, I wanted to have eight kids!!!
16. Disneyland - it is absolutely the Happiest Place on Earth!!!!
17. Churros from Disneyland. While there on our honeymoon, Keith and I went crazy over the churro's. We would walk past a vendor and purchase a couple and then keep walking thru the park. If we came across another churro vendor we would buy a couple more even if our first ones weren't gone!!! I've yet to find a churro that compares.
18. Flip-flops or as my mom would call them - thongs!! Hee, hee!
19. Pedicures - I had my first pedicure in June of 2002 for my baby sister's wedding. I can count on both hands the times I've had a pedicure since then but it is unquestionably one of the most decadent things you can pay to have done to yourself (that's legal!). But you have to go with a friend, that makes all the difference in the world!
20. Receiving emails from friends and family.
Okay, well this doesn't even come close to covering ALL OF MY FAVORITE THINGS, but it's a good start!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Updates
Just wanted to briefly "update" a couple of older posts:
After Fall coming unseasonably early to the Pacific NW, yesterday was a delightful treat. It was 73*F degrees. A t-shirt w/o jacket or sweatshirt, flip-flops and an iced Carmel Macchiato helped make the day perfect (weather-wise)! I'm really looking forward to a couple more sunshiny days towards the end of this week. We might even try to throw in a visit to the pumpkin patch.
As far as the NY/DC trip is concerned, my sister has our itinerary basically done (Thanks Janeen!), and boy is it FULL! We have so much planned that I don't even know where to start. Hopefully we will be eating at one of Bobby Flay's restaurants, ice skating at the Wollman Rink on Thanksgiving (after the Macy's parade, of course), seeing a play on Broadway starring Jennifer Garner (my all time favorite actress), getting dessert at Serendipity 3 (from the movie Serendipity), going on numerous tours and seeing numerous memorials, watching the tree lighting ceremony at Rockefellar Center; just to name a few. We are still very excited!
Work on the house is still progressing, Praise the Lord. We now have a front porch and covered deck along with gutters! Plumbing is almost completely finished and about a days worth of electrical left to do. Then we are ready for sheet rockers! After that we should be painting and then flooring goes in or kitchen (not sure which one we will do first). Hopefully I'll be posting pictures soon!
After Fall coming unseasonably early to the Pacific NW, yesterday was a delightful treat. It was 73*F degrees. A t-shirt w/o jacket or sweatshirt, flip-flops and an iced Carmel Macchiato helped make the day perfect (weather-wise)! I'm really looking forward to a couple more sunshiny days towards the end of this week. We might even try to throw in a visit to the pumpkin patch.
As far as the NY/DC trip is concerned, my sister has our itinerary basically done (Thanks Janeen!), and boy is it FULL! We have so much planned that I don't even know where to start. Hopefully we will be eating at one of Bobby Flay's restaurants, ice skating at the Wollman Rink on Thanksgiving (after the Macy's parade, of course), seeing a play on Broadway starring Jennifer Garner (my all time favorite actress), getting dessert at Serendipity 3 (from the movie Serendipity), going on numerous tours and seeing numerous memorials, watching the tree lighting ceremony at Rockefellar Center; just to name a few. We are still very excited!
Work on the house is still progressing, Praise the Lord. We now have a front porch and covered deck along with gutters! Plumbing is almost completely finished and about a days worth of electrical left to do. Then we are ready for sheet rockers! After that we should be painting and then flooring goes in or kitchen (not sure which one we will do first). Hopefully I'll be posting pictures soon!
Friday, October 12, 2007
What do you see?
I still get the "word of the day" everyday. I still feel that it's a waste of my time and inbox space but every once in a while the word does create some intellectual thinking on my part (or at least thinking). A couple of days ago the word was physiognomy (see definition below). I have been mulling over this word since it appeared in my morning "mail" and here are some of the thoughts it has provoked:
physiognomy \fiz-ee-OG-nuh-mee; -ON-uh-mee\, noun:
1. The art of discovering temperament and other characteristic qualities of the mind from the outward appearance, especially by the features of the face.2. The face or facial features, especially when regarded as indicating character.3. The general appearance or aspect of a thing.
What do you see when you look into someones face? What does my face reflect? Do I look deep enough to see what is behind the physical appearance of any given person?
I would have to agree that the face can reflect so much of what is going on inside. Have you been hurt deeply? Do your eyes hold a sense of sadness? Are you insecure or shy? Do you have fine lines appearing around your mouth because of your constant smiles and laughter? What makes you smile and laugh? Do you have dark circles or puffiness under your eyes? Is this from lack of sleep or from an illness? When you walk do you have a spring in your step or do your shoulders droop from an unbearable weight? But more importantly, when I see you do I really see you? Do I take the time to look beyond the initial to try and see who you really are? Do I offer encouragement when needed or a shoulder to help share the load? Do I laugh with you and accept you for who you are? Do I share in your joys and your sorrows? Or do I take my preconceived notions and judge you unfairly?
What do people see when they look at me? Do they see my insecurities? Do they notice when I'm frustrated or upset? When I'm happy or excited? Do they see Jesus in me? In the way I treat others? In the way I treat my family?
My hope and prayer is that I will take the time to look a little deeper, be perceptive in what I see, be an encouragement to others in ALL situations and let Jesus light shine through me always!
physiognomy \fiz-ee-OG-nuh-mee; -ON-uh-mee\, noun:
1. The art of discovering temperament and other characteristic qualities of the mind from the outward appearance, especially by the features of the face.2. The face or facial features, especially when regarded as indicating character.3. The general appearance or aspect of a thing.
What do you see when you look into someones face? What does my face reflect? Do I look deep enough to see what is behind the physical appearance of any given person?
I would have to agree that the face can reflect so much of what is going on inside. Have you been hurt deeply? Do your eyes hold a sense of sadness? Are you insecure or shy? Do you have fine lines appearing around your mouth because of your constant smiles and laughter? What makes you smile and laugh? Do you have dark circles or puffiness under your eyes? Is this from lack of sleep or from an illness? When you walk do you have a spring in your step or do your shoulders droop from an unbearable weight? But more importantly, when I see you do I really see you? Do I take the time to look beyond the initial to try and see who you really are? Do I offer encouragement when needed or a shoulder to help share the load? Do I laugh with you and accept you for who you are? Do I share in your joys and your sorrows? Or do I take my preconceived notions and judge you unfairly?
What do people see when they look at me? Do they see my insecurities? Do they notice when I'm frustrated or upset? When I'm happy or excited? Do they see Jesus in me? In the way I treat others? In the way I treat my family?
My hope and prayer is that I will take the time to look a little deeper, be perceptive in what I see, be an encouragement to others in ALL situations and let Jesus light shine through me always!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Bringing about the actions you desire
So this is a bit of an update from my last post:
I've figured out how to get the attention that I need (and deserve, I might add) from my girls while driving in the car.
First of all, you have to kick one of the girls out of the vehicle. Right away this gives you an advantage. Less distraction for their little minds when there is only one other person in the car with you.
Secondly, no longer allow them to bring books to read in the car. Even less distraction for them.
Now all you have to do is turn the music up, aim the rear view mirror so that those in the back seat realize you are trying to connect with them and sing. If you still need to get there attention - SING LOUDER!!!
My girls aren't dumb - they figure it out and start singing along.
Now if I can get them to play the air guitar, I'll be REAL happy!
Thursday, October 4, 2007
What's wrong with this picture?!?
So driving home from school today this is the scene you would have been privy to if you'd been a fly in our little car:
MOM - being the "cool" mom she is, is listening to her daughters Jonas Brothers CD while driving with her "shades" on even though it's pouring down raining because it's also brilliantly sunny. Song #13 comes on - she turns the volume way, way up because all three of us girls LOVE THIS SONG, she starts singing loudly and looks in her rear view mirror to see her two daughters in the back seat, who should be singing just as loudly along with her. What she sees:
DAUGHTERS - sitting in the back seat both reading their books, quietly. Daughter #1 looks up at mom in the rear view mirror and raises her one eyebrow, looking rather bored and then continues to read. Daughter #2 doesn't even lift her head to acknowledge that mom is going for a moment here!
Apparently Mom isn't as "cool" as she once thought!
MOM - being the "cool" mom she is, is listening to her daughters Jonas Brothers CD while driving with her "shades" on even though it's pouring down raining because it's also brilliantly sunny. Song #13 comes on - she turns the volume way, way up because all three of us girls LOVE THIS SONG, she starts singing loudly and looks in her rear view mirror to see her two daughters in the back seat, who should be singing just as loudly along with her. What she sees:
DAUGHTERS - sitting in the back seat both reading their books, quietly. Daughter #1 looks up at mom in the rear view mirror and raises her one eyebrow, looking rather bored and then continues to read. Daughter #2 doesn't even lift her head to acknowledge that mom is going for a moment here!
Apparently Mom isn't as "cool" as she once thought!
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Why not add a little fiber to your diet?
Namely in the form of SAWDUST! And if inhaling it for six hours in a day isn't enough, you can add in the amount consumed in the coffee mug. And if that still isn't enough "fiber", you can always starting digging out the stuff that has lodged itself up your nose or in the corners of your eyes. Or the stuff that managed to makes it way past a zipped up coat, zipped up sweatshirt and t-shirt into your bra and underwear!!! I do believe you can actually have too much "fiber"!
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