Christmas Eve Almost

Last night BJ and I were on our way to his grandparents for Christmas Eve dinner with his dad. His mom wasn't feeling well and decided not to go. Well, about 2 and a half hours into a trip that normally takes about an hour and twenty minutes, we decided to turn around and come home. So instead of enjoying seeing family I haven't seen in a few years, we enjoyed about 4 hours in a car with the few of us talking about whatever happened to come up. The weather was crazy between the wind and the snow and 287 was basically a parking lot for over an hour. It didn't turn out as we all expected, but it was okay. Once we got home, we had to find some place open to eat dinner because we were starving. We ended up at Splendid China, one of our favorite local places. The food was yummy and then we opened our Christmas presents to each other. One of the things BJ got me was the new Super Mario game for the wii and I am so excited. I am not very good at games like that, but I still love them and spend way too much time trying to beat all the levels. He also got me Big Brain Academy which is right up my nerdy alley. Because of the weather, Bop and Marcy decided not to make the trek down to my house this morning, so Christmas ended up only being BJ's parents and us until about 1 when my dad showed up. Besides opening presents, we played on the wii for a bit and were highly entertained. Lets just say that my dad and BJ's are quite animated and it was fun watching them play. We ended the day with a game of Balderdash that Neal won. Tomorrow, I guess my mom is having dinner with some family (I didn't know anything about it until today so I guess I haven't been communicating with her well the past few weeks). BJ works so tomorrow evening will be Christmas with my family after he gets off. I haven't been feeling the best, but I am surviving. I have the crud, I guess, and my throat has been scratchy and I get to coughing every once in a while. I am still able to sleep, so that's good and I should be better soon.

Christmas Time is Here

I cannot believe tomorrow is Christmas. Where did this year go? Seriously! It was just January and here it comes again. I finished the last of my Christmas shopping and wrapping on Tuesday so now I just have to bake some desserts for tomorrow and clean my house since BJ's family is coming over for Christmas. Tonight we are going to the Fowler grandparents to eat dinner with the family after BJ gets off. I'm not sure I've seen them since we got married, so I guess this visit is long overdue. I made Italian Creme Cake to take with us as my contribution to the meal. After we get back tonight, I think me and Beej are opening our presents from each other. Then we will be up a little early in the morning to put some cinnamon rolls in the oven for breakfast. BJ's parents are supposed to be over at 9 and grandparents at 9:30 or so. Then my dad is coming over for lunch at about 1. My mom is working all day and my sister and brother-in-law are with his family, so my dad would otherwise be alone all day. Last year we started a tradition to have a fish fry on Christmas, so we are continuing that tradition this year as well. Christmas with my family will be on Saturday after BJ gets off. Our last Christmas will be Sunday evening with my aunt and uncle, cousins and second cousins. And then it will all be over and January will be here. Wow, you look forward and plan for this and before you know it, it is all over and time to start planning for next year. I pray that this Christmas, you take a moment to remember that Christmas is not all about the gifts and the frantic shopping and preparing for meals, but about the greatest gift of all. God sent love to us in the form of his Son Jesus and he loves us more than we can ever even express or imagine.

I've Neglected You for 11 Days

As I'm sure is the case for all of you, the past few weeks have been absolutely crazy! And I don't even have kids to throw into the mix. I cannot imagine how people do all the crazy Christmas things with kids. I am so very appreciative of every parent who handles all this and manages kid functions as well. So, what have I been up to for the past 11 days? A LOT. -painting backdrops -Christmas cards -buying presents (I am still not done with this, but I think I have everything I need to make it through the Christmas functions this weekend and Monday) -going to the gym 3 times a week -Ladies Christmas party at church and memorizing the lines for the little skit I did -children's church -Sunday School -Wednesday night girls class -Christmas caroling -planning Christmas lunch, which is at my house this year The "Challenge" is over and I am so over not having fried foods and sweets. It's the holidays and right now, I'm gonna eat whatever I want to. I didn't lose any weight to speak of during the challenge, but the one thing I did gain was that I learned that I really enjoy going to the gym, especially to attend group exercise classes. I plan to continue getting my water in every day and working out as I have time, but besides that I am so through with the challenge. I would probably feel better about missing so many good foods if I actually managed to lose weight. Since that didn't happen for me, I just decided that the size and weight I am now is fine. I'm really not that overweight, so just getting my exercise in will help me be healthier in the long run. This weekend is our Christmas program at church and tomorrow I have to go up to the church, help put up the backdrops I painted and get the lights situated. Our dress rehearsal is at 2. I also need to go get the groceries I need for my Sunday School "party" and our all church dinner after the play. I just remembered, I also need to write out the words and chords for a song I'm going to sing at the all church singing and that BJ is going to play guitar for. Maybe I should work on that tonight. Next week I am off all week and have something going on every day except Thursday when I will be making some things in advance for Christmas. I am hoping to get up early to finish my Christmas shopping before the crazy people get to the store. Monday I have my Cardio Dance class at the gym and our work Christmas party at 11:30. Tuesday I have a dentist appointment and then am meeting some ladies from work for lunch. Jackie, who used to work with us is coming to visit, so I am going to go to lunch with them, whether I am able to actually eat after the dentist or not. Wednesday I have a doctors appointment before lunch and maybe lunch with a friend and her boys. Wednesday night we are doing Christmas with my best friend and her family. The most exciting thing going on is that MY SISTER WILL BE HERE ON SATURDAY!!! I am a little excited, can you tell? I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas. I may update this week while I'm off, but you never know. Until then, the craziness continues...

Love is Not Easily Angered

Have you ever met someone that was always offended? It's like they walk around looking for something to take offense at. Well I decided over a year ago that was not going to be me. I was always the one who was oversensitive and was always getting my feelings hurt. I had to come to the realization that generally people are not out to get you and hurt your feelings. I had to make a decision that no matter what things looked like, I was not going to be offended, especially by what may or may not have actually been intended to hurt me. A lot of times people get offended because they read into what people say and assume their intentions are the worse. In all honesty, most people are too self centered to spend their time concocting some plan to hurt someone else. People are fragile and say things they don't mean and we should all decide to not be easily angered or offended by others. We all mess things up sometimes, but deciding to not be offended is the best decision I have ever made. Besides, if people have a problem with me, they should take it up with my Father, because it is Him they are really offending.

Running Around Like a Chicken With My Head Cut Off

Today has been just crazy busy. I got up bright and early to work on painting backdrops for the church Christmas Play. In case you are not in Texas, I wanted to inform you that it has been pretty cold (in the 30s and 40s) and painting a back drop in the garage is not much warmer. BRRRRRR!!!!!!!!! I got one of the two backdrops done, so I am feeling pretty good even though it was very cold and at moments I thought I was going to lose a finger or two to frostbite. After I finished that, I went grocery shopping, which really needed to be done. I guess we haven't been grocery shopping for a couple of weeks. We spent a lot of time at my parents over Thanksgiving, and since we weren't home to cook or in the evenings, we survived even though the food in our house was minimal. Tomorrow we are having our senior Christmas lunch, and since I do not know if our missionette director will be there or not, I have a lot on my mind that needs to be done tomorrow before church. I have to make sandwiches, get my soup ready to go in the crockpot, get lettuce and tomato cut, move tables in the fellowship hall, decorate the tables and the wall with our theme, and get everyone elses sandwiches on trays and in the fridge during church. I also have to make breakfast for my class and get my Sunday School lesson together. I don't tell you how busy I am so you will feel sorry for me or want to help. I tell you because I have this odd memory that if I tell someone anything or write it down, I remember everything and am able to plan my time to get everything done. You should ask BJ. I often tell him to remind me to do things and he knows he won't have to because I will remember if I tell him to remind me. Also, tomorrow, I have Christmas play practice and practice for the Ladies Christmas party skit. We are going to practice between services since we will all be there anyway. I have about half of my 4 page script memorized, so I am doing pretty good. Tonight is the Big 12 Championship and I am looking forward to watching my Huskers. I don't really expect them to beat Texas, but I do want them to show up for the game and I want the blackshirts to at least get Colt McCoy on the turf once and let Texas' offensive line feel some pressure. Winning would be icing on the cake, but I'm not expecting a miracle. I learned a long time ago in high school not to trash talk the other team unless I know that Nebraska will beat them. The sad thing is that my dad can't decide who he is supporting in this game. Can you believe that a lifelong Husker fan is indecisive? Hypocrisy I tell you. His years in Texas has jaded his viewpoint. I guess I am the only true Husker fan in our family. Dad, I am disappointed! How dare you deny your Huskers when they need you the most! It's a sad sad day in the Hutsell family.

I Love Time Off!

So, my sister and her hubby Sam came in on Wednesday and were here until yesterday afternoon. We played a lot of games and had a lot of fun. The time went by so quickly and now we are counting down the next three weeks until they come back for Christmas. While I was off I got quite a bit accomplished. I have started a habit of going to the gym and am really enjoying it. Me and Beej went together yesterday and I got a good run in. My grandparents are still in town for a few days so we are going over to my parents again tonight. We have been spending basically every evening over there since last Tuesday. We are both so glad to be getting a break from cooking (except for the things I made for Thanksgiving). My grandpa likes to have little projects to work on while he is in town, so on Wednesday, they installed an attic door in my garage. This year after the Christmas decorations come down, I'll get to haul my stuff up to attic and it won't take so much space in my garage. Thanks Grandpa and Dad and Mom! My current projects include finishing decorating the house (the tree is up and the outdoor lights are up, but the rest needs to be finished), sending Christmas Cards (last year they never got done), Christmas shopping, memorizing my lines for various Christmas productions, and painting the backdrops for the Christmas play. I am hoping to get the first two done during my free hour after BJ goes to bed the next couple of days. We haven't been home in the evening since we are spending as much time as possible with the family and it has been hard to get some of these projects done. I love that they are able to come visit, it just puts a few things on the back burner for now. Wednesday I have got to get most of the first back drop completed. I am running out of time. I don't even have an idea for the second backdrop yet, so that one may take me a little longer to figure out. Our Christmas play is on December 20th, so I must get those done soon. Maybe some day soon I'll have some great, deep post about my thoughts, but for now I am doing good to just get something posted so all you get is my long list of things to be done.

Making a List, Checking it Twice

I like to plan and make lists, though not quite as much as my friend Elisha or B.J.'s friend Paula-Beth who makes her grocery list and organizes it by aisle at the grocery store. Now, that is craziness. With that being said, I have a huge list of things around the house that I'd like to get done while I am taking it easy at work and getting an extra day off each week. It it literally 2-3 pages long and tomorrow I plan to tackle 4-5 things on that list. Tomorrow is my last day before family arrives. Family will not totally take over my days this week, but I'd like to spend as much time with them as possible, so probably after lunch, I'll head over to my parents starting on Tuesday and going on through the weekend. I keep telling myself a few things every day and this list will be done. In reality, I am adding things to the list as fast as I can take them off and this is like only paying the minimum payment on your credit card. That is definitely no way to get your balance paid off. For anyone who reads this, you should know by now that every thought that passes through my head as I'm writing makes it to this blog, so it doesn't always make sense or really express my logical thought or opinion, but my feeling of the moment. Ok, so back to ranting and rambling... Sometimes, I just need to be my own cheerleader and encourage myself to get stuff done. GOOOO SANDRA! (picture me doing a cheer complete with spirit-fingers) In the end I always feel better when something is completed. My main issue is that the fun things on my list that I want to do are not necessarily the things that need to be done first. My other obstacle is that I am technically off from work and who wants to use their free time to be productive? I am totally satisfied to sit on the couch and sleep/watch TV until January, but I should really get things done. In the end of the argument with myself, I'm sure I'll at least get some of this list done, but probably not all of it. Hey! You win some, you lose some, but you always just keep moving forward, marking one thing off the list at a time.

Success!!

Today I had a very successful day off. I got a lot of things done. First, I got up and went to the gym. No, my alarm was not set, but our lawn service was mowing at 7:30 so that is when I got up. I got moving pretty slowly but was at the gym at 9. When I went to the Ladies retreat a couple of weeks ago I realized that I much prefer jogging on a treadmill to jogging outside. So I decided to join the gym where BJ is a member and go running on a treadmill at least once a week. It was definitely a great start to my day because running on a treadmill is exhilarating. Then, I came home and watched some tv before I headed out to run errands. My errands included going to the bank, getting my hair cut (which I love by the way), and going Christmas shopping. I went to Kohl's first because I had Kohl's cash to spend. Then I went to some other places which will remain nameless because I bought BJ's gift and he knows that. I did swing by Ann Taylor Loft and Compass Trading before I did some grocery shopping. I bought everything I need for cooking for thanksgiving, our work lunch for Friday, and our church potluck on Sunday. I think this is the first year I will not be going to the grocery store the week of Thanksgiving to get stuff so I can cook. This evening we had home made chicken noodle soup and it was yummy. Now we are sitting on the couch and it feels like 9 or 10 and it is only 6. Starting at 7 we have so many things to watch on TV but for the next hour we will be channel surfing in hopes of something decent to watch. My grandparents are flying in on Monday and my sister is flying in on Wednesday. I, however, have 3 more work days before I am off for the week. I cannot wait. Since the Nov 15th deadline is over, I am so not in the mood to work and it is really bad. The days go by so slowly and I don't feel like working on the few things I actually do have to work on. Friday at 5, please get here quickly!!!

It's Over!!

We finished the last 990 today and we are officially on the down hill slide until the end of the year. Praise God!! Some days I wondered if it would ever end and it actually did. We survived 5 weeks of total craziness and everything got done. Starting next week, I'm working 4 day weeks until the end of the year. Next week I am off on Tuesday and then I'm off the week of Thanksgiving and Mondays after that until 2010. Now I get to catch up on all the things that are not related to work that have been pushed to side. My list of things to do is ridiculous, but at least I have time to start marking things off. Tomorrow I am sleeping in until whenever my body decides to wake up. I'm sure I'll be up by 8, but it is the principle of the thing. I could sleep in until noon and it would be totally okay and I wouldn't need to feel guilty one bit. Also, I met my first production target and got the related bonus. Wohoo!! At lunch I went shopping and may do some more of the same tomorrow just because I can. I bought some new tennis shoes and some other shoes (since they were buy one get one half off). Tomorrow I plan to hit up Kohl's and see if I can find anything fun. I was going to think about Christmas shopping tomorrow, but I think I'll hold off on that until during the week since the weekend shopping is getting crazier every weekend and by the end of a shopping day I feel totally useless. Thanksgiving week my grandparents are flying down and Jill and Sam are coming for a few days. I guess this is the first holiday that Jill has had to travel to come home. We have 23 people coming over to my parents for Thanksgiving. I guess this is really one of the only family traditions we have. This year we have my parents, BJ's parents, Jill and Sam, my cousins and their 7 kids, two sets of uncles and aunts, and my grandparents coming. I have decided I will cook the dressing and three pies. I'm ready for some relaxing and playing games. Kim, my best friend, and her family are traveling to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving, so I hope they get to really relax and have some fun. Kim really needs a break from work and the craziness of having so much going on, so I'm really praying she gets just what she needs on her little escape from normal life. I am going to take the opportunity of being off to spend some time with some old friends who I don't see often. I am hoping to plan a few lunch dates on the days I am off and get to do some catching up. So here's to time off, pushing through the craziness, and achieving success!! ~ Sandra

Ladies Retreat

Last night and today I went to the North Texas District Ladies Retreat. It was nice. I really enjoy being able to go to a service and just be a participant. I am very used to staying busy and I am getting pretty good at being able to worship while I play piano and sing every week at church, but it is nice every once in a while to just worship. The speaker was Lisa Bevere and she was really good. She is very passionate and had a very good message at both services. Last night's service was not as good as this mornings, in my opinion, but overall it was a really great time. God led Lisa to pray for a specific need that I am currently dealing with, so once again, I was assured that God has everything in control and I should always trust him and never lose hope. God is definitely stretching me lately. The last two years, I have had the opportunity to drive people to the retreat that I don't talk to on a normal basis. It is not natural for me to just talk to people, so it is a good thing when I am forced to step out of my comfort zone and have conversations that I wouldn't otherwise have. Last year, Betty rode with me and this year it was Shirley and Sis. Perez. I've got to realize it is not all about me and my insecurities and fears, but it is all about the Kingdom of God and what I can do to make someone feel God's love through me. We are God's hands and feet and quite honestly, the people of God need to be hugged a little more. You never know when God just wants to use you to be his love to someone who is having a bad day. If you never get past your comfort zone, you may miss an opportunity for God to use you.

Winding Down

Things are slowing down some, kinda. Church Fall Fest, check. Scrapbook for friend, check. 2 Sundays without BJ, check. Baby Shower, check. Today is November 1st so there are only 2 more weeks until the end of my crazy season at work. Things are starting to wind down some and I'm really liking it. I went to a baby shower yesterday and someone asked me what my next project is. I honestly don't know. Trust me that I do have a few more things on my list that needs to be done, but for now I'm not actively working on any of them. I'm looking forward to the end of month when I start working 4 day weeks. Maybe I'll get some projects done then. I'm really glad I can see a light at the end of the tunnel of my current craziness, because working 50-55 hour weeks gets old. You'll be very proud to know I updated the background for my blog all by myself. That is usually BJ's department, but this time I figured it out all by myself. Let me leave you with an excerpt from a song that I've been listening to this week:

The beauty of the cross is that there's one who has redeemed my soul. The beauty of the cross is that I'm finally free and letting go. The beauty of the cross is that your grace has found me just as I am.

The middle line bring the biggest smile to my face. God is teaching me to let go of the things I hold so close and let him be God. In letting go, I can finally be free.

God's Timing is Perfect!

There is freedom in knowing that God's timing is not flawed in the least bit. If you know me, you know I love to plan and organize things. At first, I was having some major issues with God not following my plans. You may think that sounds silly, but honestly, when you are used to being able to control everything and you are suddenly faced with something you cannot control, it can be a little rough. Over time I've realized that it's actually kinda nice that when it comes to God, I don't have to worry about him not getting things done by the deadline or not meeting my expectations because God's timing is totally perfect! That's doesn't mean I'll understand his timing, but I don't need to micromanage God because he has it all under his control and he never fails me. Never!

Busy Times

Things are crazy busy right now, so I'm pretty sure that getting my once a week post in for October is pretty much shot. Everything about my life is busy right now and here are the highlights. 1. Work - We are down from 4 tax preparers to 2 (I think, we aren't sure what treatment one of them will need, but it's looking like she is gonna be out for a while). We are also in the last month before our final deadline for the year, so saying the 2 of us left are busy is an understatement. I'm not blaming anyone and I know that life happens, I'm just telling you that this is what we are working with. I'm trying to work as much as possible and be as efficient as possible while I am working. I was really hoping to go to the Women's Retreat at church on Nov 6-7 and even paid for it, but I knew there was a possibility I wouldn't get to go because of the unpredictable work schedule. It's looking like it is pretty much out at this point, but that's okay. 2. Church - Next weekend is our fall festival at church and I am in charge of the games. I have looked online and found nothing that appeals to me. Our theme is popcorn, so I was trying to do large group games involving popcorn but can't find anything on the internet. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know. Even though they were supposed to be giving BJ Sunday's off, somehow, he got scheduled for next Sunday, so I am also in charge of getting the music set up outside and running it. That won't take very long, so I should be good to go, as soon as I can come up with games. 3. Other - I must finish the scrapbook I am doing for a friend. It's going pretty well, but I've got to get it finished by Sunday so she can have it by the 27th. 4. The Challenge - Life changes and Kim and I are no longer walking in the morning. That's fine and I totally understand that she has more time to walk in the evening so she is going to do her own exercising in the evenings. That being said, I have got to make myself get my exercising in. I was originally going to get up at 5 still and go walking or do something else by myself, but with work suddenly getting busier, I really need to get up at 5 and go to work. In the evenings I need to get on my Gazelle at least 3 days a week, which I can totally do, but its really nice to have my exercising done before the day starts. I'm not saying I have no free time, because that is totally not the case, but I just have some things I need to motivate myself to get done. BJ and I watch a bit of TV and I consider that my winding down time and I really enjoy it. It something we like to do together, even if it isn't really quality time. I'll leave you with a quote that is totally unrelated to my above post, but that I am really loving right now.

When our self image gets so wrapped up in God that we lose ourselves in the process, we're free. ~By: Stormie Omartian

Just Another Saturday Night

I know, I haven't updated in a while,but my life is a little crazy right now without having anything that all exciting to share with the world. Work is well, work. I worked 6 hours today to get one of the 2 tax returns finished that we will be getting out by Thursday. I don't really like working Saturdays, but who does? I know I could be working a lot more hours, so I'm thankful that I don't have to work Saturdays often. I did get a lot done today, so its nice to be going into a new week with one large thing off my plate, at least until it gets reviewed, again, and sent back to me, again. Yes, it will definitely reappear in my office sometime before Monday morning, but hopefully, most of the large issues are over. There are a few small things that I am still missing from the client. Ok, no one reads my blog to catch up on the status of my projects at work (unless you are really bored or as addicted to reading anything as long as it is an update as I am) so I'll move on. This week I took on a new project and I am very excited about it. I am working on making a 8 by 8 scrapbook for a friend at church. I think the project is a surprise for the recipients, so I won't share any pictures. I am making a book from my friend and her husband to her adopted grandkids. Their family has a lot of traditions, one of which includes giving a certain book to each of her grandchildren. The book is called "I loved you before you were born" and is about a grandmother that dreamed of the day when she would have her grandchild and imagined what they child would be like. The book doesn't really fit the situation for the two newest grandkids, since they were adopted when they were 6 and 7 or something like that, so I am making a similar book that better fits the situation. Anyway, I am getting to be crafty, which I love. After I got home from work today, I worked on it for a couple of hours and got 4 pages done. I think it looks great, if I do say so myself. My main concern is making the book not too girly since the adopted kids are brother and sister. So after I finish this project, I will move on to my scrapbook which needs some updating. I'm not sure what the last thing I scrapbooked actually is for myself. I don't have kids so I don't have that much going on really. I think I have to scrapbook a page for getting my CPA license, kitchen renovation, and then our vacation to Cozumel. I actually have a house renovation scrapbook, kinda. It has the house when we first bought it and all the changes we made before we moved in. I plan on putting the kitchen stuff in that scrapbook. I have had a little more time the past few Saturdays, even if I did work, because Nebraska hasn't played either day. 3.5 hours to watch a football game definitely makes my Saturday fly by. I love my Huskers and must watch them, it just makes the day go so much more quickly. BJ is now working on Saturdays, so I potentially have until 4 to do whatever I want or need to do. Somehow, I make it through the day without being as productive as I hoped, every week. I think my problem is that I keep telling myself it is Saturday and I should relax, so I end up doing more of that then actually being productive. Oh well, I'm sure everything will get done eventually. I actually made a long list of random projects last weekend. I think it has about 25 things that need to be done. It will take me forever if I only cross off one thing per weekend, but at least its getting crossed off, right? So this post has taken me about 30 minutes and it is now time to go to bed so we can get up tomorrow and start the busyness that is our Sundays. But I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Trusting

This song has been on my heart the past few days. God is teaching me to trust him. I know you are saying, what does that song have to do with trusting God, so here you have it. There are two lines that keep coming back to me. "When you call I won't refuse" and "When you call I won't delay." That is total trust: no delay in obeying what God says. Yesterday at church God spoke to me about some things he wanted me to do and my first response was total fear. It's been a while since I've felt that. I thought I was doing so good obeying and trusting and there was fear, rearing its ugly head. We all are afraid at times, but we have to learn to trust God completely. I picture a small child standing on a ledge of some sort and a parent saying jump. The child doesn't hesitate in the slightest, but jumps full force, knowing their parent will catch them. The parent won't let them fall or get hurt. That's what we have to learn to do. Jump full force, with total trust in our Heavenly Father who loves us and won't let us fall. Trust him, completely. With the innocence of a child.

None But Jesus

In the quiet In the stillness

I know that You are God

In the secret of Your presence I know there I am restored When You call I won't refuse Each new day again I'll choose

There is no one else for me None but Jesus Crucified to set me free Now I live to bring Him praise In the chaos in confusion I know You're sovereign still In the moment of my weakness You give me grace to do Your will When You call I won't delay This my song through all my days There is no one else for me None but Jesus Crucified to set me free Now I live to bring Him praise All my delight is in You Lord All of my hope All of my strength All my delight is in You Lord Forever more

Husker Football

Have I ever told you how much I LOVE college football and the Nebraska Cornhuskers? They are 2-0 so far this season and tomorrow they play Virginia Tech, who is ranked 13. I am really looking forward to a good game tomorrow afternoon. The past few weekends I've gone to my parents to watch the game, since it's been on pay-per-view and my dad always buys the games. The only thing that would make college football better would be a little cooler weather that actually feels like fall. Is anyone else excited that college football has begun?

The Challenge

So, I haven't posted much about the weight loss challenge I am currently doing, so for anyone who wants to know, here's how it's going. I've followed the rules: I have not had fried foods or sweets, I've drank the required water and usually don't even drink the 12 oz of soda I am allowed. I've exercised more times than required each week and used only an average number of cheats. We are on week 4 and I've used 4 of the 25 cheats allowed over 17 weeks. Results: There are none to speak of. My weight has fluctuated since I started the challenge and I am almost back down to my starting weight. It's a little frustrating, but I know that I am healthier and in better shape than I was before the challenge. And I'm starting to like running and/or my exercise time. I feel good to be doing something for me, even if there are no results in the numbers. My goal was to lose 10 pounds in 17 weeks, so I guess I could potentially still reach that, but I'm beginning to have my doubts. There are reasons to explain away my lack of results, none of which are related to me not being committed or cheating more than I will admit. The reasons are all legitimate, but I'm not here to make excuses for myself. I'm just here to give an update. So, if any of you other beauties are having issues, know that you are not alone. Just keep going! Even if you don't see the results you desire, know it is changing you and your life for the better.

Thank God for Alissa!

So normally you all get my to hear about my gripes and complaints. I try to stay upbeat or at least talk about some scripture after I vent so you are not left in a bad mood, but it doesn't always work that way. Well today, I'm just going to be thankful for a change. Today, I realized how thankful I am for Alissa. She is the girl who has been playing drums since Jill moved a month ago. Things could just be so much worse. Even a week before Jill left I was a little apprehensive about how everything would turn out. Things have all fallen into place so much quicker than I anticipated. She is growing as a drummer by leaps and bounds every week. We have not had to go a single service without drums and worship is going so great! Today I was just so relaxed during worship and it was so nice. I am still playing drums for the hymns, but that is becoming second nature to me and doesn't take much concentration for me either. Today I got to worship and it just felt so good. Thank you so much Alissa for stepping up and filling Jill's shoes. You are such a blessing and God is using you greatly! I know things aren't always perfect, but God always helps us when we step up to minister to others. You are such a blessing!

Times By: Tenth Avenue North I know I need You I need to love You I'd love to see You but it's been so long

I long to feel You I feel this need for You I need to hear You Is that so wrong?

Now You pull me near You When we're close I fear You Still I'm afraid to tell you all that I've done

Are You done forgiving? Can You look past my pretending? I'm so tired of defending what I've become What have I become?

But I hear You say My love is over It's underneath It's inside It's in between

The times that you doubt me And when you can't feel The times that you question Is this for real?

The times that you're broken The times that you mend The times you hate me The times that you bend

My love is over It's underneath It's inside It's in between

The times that you're healing And when your heart breaks The times that you feel like you've fallen from grace

The times that you're hurting The times that you heal The times you go hungry and are tempted to steal

In times of confusion In chaos and pain I'm there in your sorrow under the weight of your shame

I'm there through your heart-ache I'm there in the storm My love I will keep you by my power alone

I don't care where you've fallen or where you have been I'll never forsake you My love never ends It never ends

Yesterday=Bad Morning, Today=Better

So yesterday I got to work in a good mood and got an e-mail from someone asking me about something else they thought we should start doing in the sound booth at church on Sundays. Normally, this would not be a big deal really. Yesterday, it brought me to tears. Apparently I was much more stressed about everything going on in my life than I realized. I guess the main thing that got me was that someone else decided I should add something new to what I already do on Sundays. Before Jill left, I was getting to the place that I could actually worship while playing the piano on Sundays. It used to be very hard for me to play the piano, and sing and actually worship. You know there is definitely a difference between singing and worshiping. It's a heart thing and I could write an entire post on it. Someday, maybe I will. Anyway, when I am able to worship at church on Sundays, it helps me de-stress and actually get refreshed The day just goes smoother and I have less chance of getting overwhelmed. Since Jill has left, I haven't gotten any of that. Now, I am trying to fill Jill's role in addition to my normal Sunday madness. (By the way Jill, I am not very good at doing your job so can you come back soon please!) I now have a microphone every service and am supposed to help Dad start songs when he is having trouble. I also am trying to help Alissa get started on the drums for each song and pay attention to her enough to help her be steady and not speed up or slow down. And I am still playing the piano. And I am teaching Sunday School. And I am switching to play drums during Bro. Buddy's Hymn book songs. And I teach children's church once a month (Praise God we didn't decide to do more often then that!) And that is just when BJ is there to do his job. When he is not there, I have to put together the power point, turn the sound system on, and make sure Aaron and TJ know the order of service and what is going on. Thank God that I don't have to do BJ's job often since he is usually off of work on Sundays. The point is, adding one more thing to my Sundays does not sit well with me right now. But lets not dwell on what stressed me out yesterday. Today is a new day, full of God's grace and mercy which is new every morning and never runs out. God will not allow me to be tempted beyond what I can bear, so I just keep trusting him to be my peace and give me strength one day, one moment, one second at a time. He knows all I need and is able and willing to provide for me. God, thank you for a new day!

God Speaks

This week in Sunday School we talked about "Preparation for Spiritual Victory." BJ and I teach the college & career Sunday school class at church. It was the first time that the lesson came across the way I prepared it. Often times, while God is leading me as I put the lesson together, I feel his presence and get excited about what God is saying through his word. Somehow, by the time the lesson makes it to the class, things aren't as exciting as they were originally. I think part of it has to do with who my audience is and part of it is that I allow my excitement to be squashed by the response I get from them. Don't get me wrong. I know they are listening, but they aren't exactly interacting with me or shouting "Amen" after every sentence usually. Yesterday, God's presence was so real in that class and I let myself get excited about God was saying. Class was just good! Thank you God! And to top it off, can you guess what Bro. Beard spoke on in the Sunday Morning service? Victory over temptation. It's always nice to get a little reassurance from God that you really heard him speak. For several weeks, I've been taking my morning commute and praying for a different person in my class each day. There are 5 of them, so that works pretty well. This morning I was praying for Elisha and Courtney (since I didn't go to work yesterday) and God's presence was just so sweet and real. I think I could have stayed in my car and prayed another hour once I got to work. By the way, girls, if you read this, God has some great things in store for you! What a great way to start my work week! I didn't realize until I started to write this post all the ways God is speaking to me right now. For a couple of days, I have felt like I needed to do something. I'm not sure if it is God or some of the books I've been reading, so I'm still trying to get some clear direction. I am hesitant because I fear that when I do this thing, it'll bring up a lot of emotion that I've been trying not to think about or haven't really had to deal with since the beginning of the year. I don't mind that sacrifice if it is really what God is leading me to do, but if it is just me, I would rather not go there again emotionally. I know God will give me clear direction, so I'm just trusting and waiting for that. I may share more details in the future if I feel released to do so.

Running!

Two times this week I've gone running and lived to tell about it. I amaze myself.

No Means No!!

Honestly, I was going to blog about this yesterday and increase my August blog count, but I fell asleep on the couch at 8:30, woke up at 9 and went to sleep for the night. This whole getting up early and working 10 hour days is wearing me out. So this post almost counts as an August post. Don't you think? Why can people not understand what the word no means? Specifically, I am referring to church people asking others to help with events and other things. I attend a small church (about 100 people) and most of the Sunday School or Wednesday night teachers teach 2 different classes and help with something else. That's all fine and good and most of them are more than willing to teach their classes and help with things. The problem comes when those people get asked to do something else and they dare to say no. People just keep pushing and pushing, waiting for them to cave in and act almost offended when people will not agree to stretch themselves into one more thing. Then, the person who says no feels like they have to defend themselves and prove that they really don't have time to take on another thing. I wonder if they ever thought that God has told us to stop stretching ourselves so thin or that we are causing ourselves physical problems by being sooooo busy. Of course they didn't think of that, because the only thing they are thinking of is themselves and their program or event. I'm not saying that the current program or event has anything wrong with it, just people should learn that no means no. There are reasons we say no sometimes and quite honestly, we don't have to defend our use of time to anyone but God. So there's my two cents. I feel much better now. On a separate note, I ran the block around the school tonight and I'm proud of myself. I haven't run in a long time and I didn't think I could do it. I have never been a big fan of running, but I wanted to give it a shot. With God's help I did it and hope to increase how much I run over the next few months. I'm not shooting for a marathon, but just a little more exercise during the challenge. I think I'll run 2-3 times a week in addition to the walking in the morning with Kim. I have also started doing a little bit of work on the Wii Fit on my arms in an effort to get more of an overall workout/exercise routine.

Must Catch Up

I was looking at the number of blogs I've written in August, and realized I haven't written as much as usually do. That must mean one thing. I am either busier than usual or nothing exciting is going on. I think it's a little bit of both. Since Jill left we have been working in a new drummer at church and quite honestly, Alissa is improving by leaps and bounds every week. The transition is going much more smoothly than I anticipated. I am still playing drums for the hymns, but Alissa is able to the pay the rest almost without a single mistake. I am so proud of her and actually relieved things are going so smoothly. On another note, the challenge is going well. This weekend I used my cheat on Calamari and it was so tasty. I bought some more healthy snacks to have during the week so I'm hoping this week I am able to lose some weight. I actually gained a pound last week. My weight fluctuates quite a bit with my monthly cycle, so I'm sure that is the reason. That and we only had 4 days really in the challenge. Tomorrow starts my getting up way too early in the morning to go power walking with Kim. I already know I'll be tired, but it'll be worth it. I am only trying to lose 10 pounds in 17 weeks, so this is gonna be a slow and steady thing for me. I really don't have much weight to lose, so it's going to take more time for me to lose it. I am dedicated if for nothing else, for my friend. I think she needs this support of a group or at least one other person to do it with her. Maybe tomorrow I'll have something that is post-worthy and will be able to bring my blogs for the month closer to what is normal for me. We'll see.

The Challenge

So Kim and I are doing this weight loss challenge thing for the next 17 weeks. In order to get in our 4-6 times per week of exercise, I've been getting up and we've been walking at 5 in the morning. If you know me, you know I am not a morning person and I love my sleep. I am definitely tired, but it's kinda nice to be up for longer than 30 minutes before I start working. The other part of the challenge that is hard for me is the no fried foods portion. I really like food that isn't fried for the most part, but Monday my boss suggested we go to Hibachi. Do you know how fabulous their fried rice is? It is wonderful. But I was good and only had steamed rice. The good news about this challenge is that I get 25 cheats, so on occasion I can get fried food or other things not allowed for the challenge. We are on day 3 and I haven't used any cheats yet. I figured if I planned for 1 per week, I should be fine and have a little wiggle room in case we go somewhere extra fabulous for lunch during the week. We are also in the middle of planning for our next unit for children's church, which starts on Sept 20th. I need to figure out all my decorations. We, me and Kim, are planning on decorating on Labor Day since we are both off. We use the High Point literature and we really like it so far. We just finished 5 lessons on Devotion and this time we are doing Attitude Check. Each unit "travels" to a certain place weekly to learn about the theme. Last time we went to Hollywood. I can't tell you where we are going, because I am keeping it from the kids and the suspense is just killing them. Maybe this weekend, while BJ is at Bops I can get some more of the decorations made and planned so we will be ready to go next weekend.

Cozumel Trip

We are back from vacation and had a very relaxing time. Day 1 - Monday: We arrived in Cozumel at about 4 and then took a shuttle to the Wyndham, the resort we stayed at for the week. Our room was beachfront and we were very glad we spent the extra money to be right on the water. We could basically go out our patio to the water and it was so beautiful.

Isn't it gorgeous?

Day 2 - Tuesday: We didn't have anything planned for Tuesday, so we hung out at the resort all day. BJ went snorkling for 2-3 hours while I read in a beach chair and got some sun. BJ also managed to get some sun and was basically in a lot of pain for the rest of the trip. Who would have thought that having your back on top of the water could turn you into the color of a lobster? Because I love BJ and don't exactly want to cause any unnecessary riffs, I am not posting a picture of his pasty white self before or the red lobster-like version. We also had reservations for Roberto's, an Italian restaurant on the resort for dinner and it was definitely yummy. BJ had grilled fish and I had lasagna. We decided we should make reservations for another night at Roberto's during the week. Day 3 - Wednesday: We had booked an ATV tour of the jungle part of the island before we went for Wednesday, so we taxied to El Cedral for our afternoon tour. BJ drove the ATV while I just rode. On the tour we got to see the jungle and swim in a cenote. Basically a cenote is an underground fresh water reservoir that is found in caves and is the island's source of water. There were a lot of bats in the caves, but the water was very clear and quite cold. We really enjoyed this part of the tour and would definitely try to tour more cenote's if we go back in the future. Day 4 - Thursday: We tried to book BJ a deep sea fishing tour for Thursday, but since we couldn't find some other guys to split it with, we decided to do the all day tour of the island by jeep. The tour included 5 stops: snorkling, Mayan ruins, Tequilla museum, chicken fajitas on the beach, a crocodile preserve and one of the islands 3 lighthouses. We skipped the snorkling since BJ had already had his fill and was still pretty sun burned and I wasn't interested. We walked along the beach a little a took some pics instead.

The Mayan Ruins were located in the center of the island. Apparently every Mayan was supposed to make a trip at some point in their lives to the island of Cozumel, usually for their wedding and honeymoon. The next stop was the Tequilla Museum and tasting. We did not take any pictures to avoid future incriminating evidence, but lets just say you don't have to be worried about us becoming alcoholics any time soon, because that stuff was horrible. :) The fajitas right on the water were good and the scenery was amazing. This was on the west side of the island, so the water was much more rough than anything we saw on the resort.

Next stop was crocodiles and the lighthouse. Max, the largest and oldest crocodile in the area, came right up to us for a little snack while we were there.

The last stop was the lighthouse, which we climbed and got some great pics from. The view was once again, amazing.

The Jeep tour was a great idea and we would suggest it to anyone interested in seeing a variety of things on one tour. Day 5 - Friday: On the last day on the resort I got the opportunity to go parasailing and it was the best experience of the trip. BJ sat on the boat and took pics. It was so smooth and very much like being on a swing but way up in the sky. I wish I could have figured out a way to capture my view from up there, but I didn't want to risk dropping the camera.

Overall, the trip was a success. We got some relaxing in, I got some sun, and even got the opportunity to read a few books. It was really nice to get a break from work and everything else for a few days and take a relaxing vacation. So, there you have it. And Jill, since you specifically asked, I'm dedicating this post to you.

Up, up and away....

Tomorrow we are on our way to Cozymel. I really don't enjoy going to new places and doing new things, especially when that new place is somewhere that I won't understand what is going on. I've been told that Cozymel is so touristy (if that's a word) that almost everyone speaks English. I guess I'll find out tomorrow. BJ is trying to convince me I'll have fun, but at this point I'm still unsure. I'll have to update you about all this weeks happenings when we return on Friday evening. Until then, pray for our safe travels and that I'll chill out and get some relaxing in and have fun!

I Apologize For My Tardiness

I'm not sure if anyone out there actually reads this, but I am very sorry for the delay between my postings. I am not living up to my own expectations and I apologize. Ok, on to the real post. Life has been CRAZY!!!!! Since the last time I posted, I got a new car, had a birthday, and said goodbye to my sister until Christmas. I got a Honda CRV. I would take a picture for you, but it looks just like the one on the Honda website, so go check it out. It is glacier blue metallic in the EX trim. Birthday - I am older and feel just the same. For my birthday we ate at my parents and played a card game called Hand and Foot, which has become a favorite past time around here. I got books, gift certificates, and tickets to see Mary Poppins in Fair Park in September. BJ always gets me such good gifts. Jill and Sam and my parents are currently in the Chicago area moving Jill and Sam in. Sam is attending Wheaton and is in the PHD program for psychology there. It is a 4 year program, but they plan to come home to visit for Christmas and then again in the summer. Jill is working at a school for all the kids with autism from a certain public school district. Since she is working for a school, she gets a couple of weeks off at Christmas and then again in the beginning of August, so that makes coming to see us possible. I have talked to them a couple of times already and everything seems to be going smoothly. My parents are going to see my Uncle Bob and Aunt Lana while they are up there, and that is the part of the trip I am really regretting not being there for. To give you an idea as to when they last came down here, BJ has never met them and we have been together coming up on 10 years. I saw them last when we moved my Grandma Hutsell down here to live with my parents in early 2004. Uncle Bob is still my favorite and maybe we'll get up there to see them in the next couple of years when we go to see Jill and Sam in Chicago. Next week me and BJ are going on our vacation to Cozymel. We are staying at the Wyndham Resort and Spa and I'm looking forward to laying on the beach and doing some reading. The main things BJ wants to accomplish is eating at a real Mexican restaurant and a good fresh seafood place. We have booked a dune buggy tour of the jungle in the center of the island for Wednesday afternoon. I plan to do some walking on the beach and just generally exploring our new surroundings and shopping some. Our resort is pretty close to down town San Miguel, so everything should be within walking distance which I like a lot. I've had friends say stay on the resort, but I like to explore. I'm sure we will eat mostly at the resort since it is paid for, but I am looking forward to going shopping and figuring out where everything is that we want to do later in the week. I really like the independence of basically doing whatever we want without anyone else's input mattering for a whole week. Oh, yes and I'm getting a pedicure. Hopefully when we get back I'll have lots of fabulous pics and stories to tell.

The Kitchen is DONE!!!! Wohoo!!!

Ok, so the kitchen is really really done! Here are some final pictures.

The first set is from the opposite end of the kitchen than the other pics I've been posting, but I think it gives you a better picture of the countertops and my new fabulous sink and faucet!

In other exciting news, it looks like I will be getting a new car here in the next couple of weeks. BJ is working Saturday morning, so I think I am going to ask my dad to go test drive a few small SUVs with me. I'm sure he'll be thrilled since he loves to look for cars for other people. My sister, Jill, and her husband, Sam, are going to buy my car from me before they move to Illinois in 2 weeks, so we are kinda under the gun as far as getting a new car goes. The conference this week was great! God really moved and I'm glad I could be a part of it. God is just so good.

Busy Weekend

This weekend has been very productive and it isn't even Sunday. Kitchen cabinets in - Check Plumbing done/sink in - Check Conference Done - Check I'm exhausted, and will update details and pictures later. Right now I'm trying to do some touchup paint work in my kitchen and need to clean out the sawdust from my cabinets and drawers. Then I'll start putting things back in my kitchen. I'm just ready for normalcy (is that a word?), but too tired to get things back to normal today. Maybe I'll get somethings back in the cabinets tonight, but I don't think I'll be able to get enough unpacked to be able to cook breakfast for my class tomorrow. We'll see.

More Pics

I had a friend ask for pictures of the progress since Monday, so here it is. Basically the difference between these pictures and the ones a few days ago is the lighting (much better than the previous pics), the hardware, and you can see the little cabinet to display my cartoon character glasses.

The Process

I thought I would write a little about what is going on and where we are in this whole kitchen remodel. The cabinets are up, most of the hardware is on, and the spice rack is being installed this afternoon. The cabinets really are white, even though they don't look it in the pictures. The kitchen makes me feel very small. I think I'm going to need to get some new things for my kitchen once it is complete like things to better organize inside my cabinets. So, for anyone out there that plans on buying me something for my birthday, and hasn't yet, maybe a gift card to Kohls or Bed, Bath, & Beyond would be a good idea. On Friday morning, our countertops will be installed starting at about 9. They came yesterday and measured the new cabinets so we would make sure the countertops would fit with the new additions. On Saturday, the plumber is coming to install my new sink, fixtures, garbage disposal, and reinstall the dishwasher. Thanks Dad for agreeing to sit over at my house while the rest of us are at the conference in Addison! By the time I get home on Saturday, hopefully my kitchen will be done and ready for me to move back in. I will post more pictures once the countertops are in and then again after the plumbing is all completed.

Progress

Out with the old...

And in with the new!!

If you missed what the kitchen looked like before, see this post.

Freedom in the Spirit of God

So, I've posted about freedom before and dancing in the rain and that whole thing, but today at church, God showed me something totally different about freedom that I had never thought of before. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom." II Corinthians 3:17 Usually when I think about the Spirit of God bringing freedom, I think about me being free from things that weigh me down and keep me bound spiritually, but today in Sunday School we talked about being full of the Spirit. So, the Bible says that when you are saved, the Spirit of God lives in you. So if the Spirit lives in me, there is freedom in me. What God showed me is that when His Spirit is in me, I don't just have freedom in Him, but God has freedom to do what he wants to change me into his likeness. That's my prayer: God be free to do whatever you want with me. Your plans for me are always best, so come in me and do a remodel and renovation. Get rid of what doesn't please you and have complete freedom in my life.

Tomorrow!!!

The day has finally arrived. Tomorrow our kitchen remodel gets started. I finished emptying my cabinets this evening and am so excited to see then whole thing come together. I promise to take pictures throughout the process so I can blog about them and scrapbook about them later. If everything goes as planned, my kitchen will be ready for me to move back in on Saturday afternoon. So, we are without a kitchen for about a week, but it is such a small price to pay for a kitchen that is not straight out of the 80s, which is what we currently have. Maggie is coming to sit over here at the house and let everyone in for the next couple of days and we are sooooo thankful. If I need to come home, I can, but hopefully everything will run as planned. I made a list of things that Tom, the cabinet guy, needed to know and am ready for the mess to begin! Also going on this week is the ladies conference I have been working on for a few months. After Saturday, I'm not sure I'm going to know what to do with myself. We got our passports in the mail on Saturday. BJ and I are going to Cozymel to an all-inclusive resort for a week starting August 17th. I'm looking forward to a vacation. It feels like I haven't gotten a break in a while. I totally accept responsibility for most of that since I tend to keep getting involved in more things every week. You know what they say. If you want something done, ask someone who is busy to do it (or something like that). I guess people who are used to being busy are used to prioritizing their time and not procrastinating. That's how I feel right now. I'm not really stressed (today), but I am ready for some true down time. Honestly, it's not like I haven's been watching TV every evening or never doing anything fun, but I am really ready to sleep in as long as I want to for a few days. I guess that's the main thing I am not getting so much of right now. I have been going in to work early in order to work some extra hours. The problem with that is that I do not do well going to bed early. It seems like I finally wake up about 9 at night and then my mind is going a hundred miles a minute until at least 11 or 11:30. Part of my problem today is that I took a nap for a few hours this evening and after I emptied my kitchen I am awake. Ok, I'm going to do one more quick post about something God is showing me and then I'm going to go try and sleep, I promise.

The Countdown Begins, or Continues

Our kitchen remodel got pushed back to Monday and Tuesday the 20th and 21st. So, we are down to 5 days until our current cabinets are taken out and the new starts going in. I'm very excited, but I've been too busy with the conference and work to think about it, honestly. That is only a week and a half away. Wohoo! And I haven't updated in over 10 days, so I'm very sorry for anyone out there that cares and feels like they need an apology for my absence. So here's an update: short and sweet and to the point. I would guess that my next post will be pictures of my new kitchen, so I'm sure you are all waiting anxiously for that.

A Little Competitive

So if you know me at all you know I am competitive. My friend Stacy who now lives in Alabama was inspired by me to update her blog more often. With that being said, she has updated twice since I have, so I have to update about something. Sometimes I am too competitive for my own good. I am off today so, Alissa came over this morning and we packed everything in the cabinets except for what I anticipate will be used between now and July 16th, when the kitchen remodel will begin. The kitchen cabinets are definitely a little bare, now. Wohoo!! Then we went to Angelo's for lunch and ate spaghetti casserole and got strawberry cheesecake to go. It was very tasty. She had never been there and it had been a while for me. Tonight I need to go grocery shopping and cook some desserts for Sunday. We are having an all church cook-out after church Sunday morning and I am bringing Italian Cream Cake and Frozen Strawberry Pies. Yummy! Tomorrow we are going to Bop's for the day and then I need to finish my Sunday school lesson tomorrow. Then it's back to work on Monday. Next Friday and Saturday we are having a campout for our church kids, so I'm sure that'll be fun and hot. God, a nice breeze next weekend would be greatly appreciated. I hope to get some pictures to post and write about. I know that a post is so much better with pictures, so I'm working on it for my few faithful readers.

It's Been a Few Days

So I've been a little busy with conference stuff and haven't had an opportunity to update. So, what has changed? Things are good. Forgiveness is a great thing, especially when its real and doesn't have selfish motives. Work is good. We are staying busy and I am feeling better about things every time I am able to get a tax return out. Tonight BJ is fishing with Tony, Tony Mac, and Tristin and I am home alone to do as I please. I am working on two posters I need to make for the conference and getting everything possible done this weekend for the conference. On the 3rd, I am paying Alissa, my best friend's daughter to help me get most of the things out of my cabinets in my kitchen. I think I can get about 80% of the stuff out of my cabinets at that point. The couple of days before the kitchen remodel, I will empty out the rest by myself. Have I told you how great it is going to be to have my kitchen done? It is going to be fabulous! It's almost July and I cannot believe it. Christmas is just around the corner and will be here before we know it. I almost e-mailed my mother-in-law a list of some of the things I would like for Christmas. She usually starts asking about August, so I guess I'm not that far ahead of the game. She would be so proud! That also means Jill will be moving away in about a month and a half. I don't think we've ever been in a different state or country for longer than 20 days, so it's going to be a life change for the both of us. I'm sure time will fly, just like it is doing now, but it's gonna be wierd with her being away for the next 4 years. I'm trying to just not think about it right now as I'm sure God will work everything out and she'll be back in no time.

A Sneak Peak

This morning we made all our decisions for our kitchen. I'm so glad it is over. So here's a sneak peak of some of the things we chose. We are getting white cabinets. The doors we picked have a really pretty raised trim. I don't know what brand the doors we chose were, so I couldn't find it online to post a picture. We have scheduled the cabinet install for July 16th and 17th. We are making progress.

Come On Rain

It keeps hinting of rain, but I have yet to see a single rain drop. I'm a little stressed, so I really need some rain. If you missed my post about the rain, you can see it here.

Perfect Love and Imperfect People

I Corinthians 13:4-7 The Message

"Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.

Love doesn't strut,

Doesn't have a swelled head,

Doesn't force itself on others,

Isn't always "me first,"

Doesn't fly off the handle,

Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn't revel when others grovel,

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back,

But keeps going to the end. "

Why is it so hard to love people perfectly like God does? Because we are imperfect people. Even when we have the best intentions people read things into our motives. I'm so sick of being misunderstood. I'm sick of people assuming I think I'm better than them. I'm sick of hurting people on accident. We are all imperfect people and it happens. It's a shame that doing nothing can cause as much strife as actually intending to cause an argument or make someone mad.

Before

So, we've decided on our contractor and are moving forward with our new kitchen! We are meeting on Saturday with the contractor and making some decisions as far as cabinet doors and laminate. We anticipate getting everything done the first or second week of July. Wohoo!!! Ok, so here are some before pictures:

We did what we could with it, but we are so ready for it to disappear! Oh, happy day!! We are getting white cabinets and high grade laminate countertops. BJ's mom has agreed to come sit here with the contractors while they are installing the new kitchen so we don't have to take off work. Thanks, Maggie! We are very excited, in case you didn't already get that by all the exclamation points in this post!

New Stuff and a Movie

So tonight we went to Lowe's and bought some of the new stuff we need for our kitchen. We are getting new cabinets and countertops. Our second estimate should be here tomorrow morning and then we will make our decision. We bought our new sink, new garbage disposal, and some accessories . We also got our hardware for our cabinets that we got off of e-bay in the mail today. My new faucet is on the way. I ordered it off of e-bay as well. I'm so excited about my new kitchen. We have been wanting to do this since we bought the house over 2 years ago, so I am thrilled we are finally able to afford to do it! When we get closer to the remodel, I will try to remember and take some before pictures so I can post before and after pics once it is completed. Posts are so much more fun with pictures. I'm sure you all agree. Tonight we were sitting on the couch watching a movie at about 9 when Sam called BJ. I knew they wanted to do something with us. I was right and we ended up going to see the new Star Trek movie in Grand Prairie. I was sure I'd be asleep since I usually go to bed earlier on Fridays than the rest of the week. The movie was pretty good since it was able to keep me awake past my bedtime. In a few short months, Jill and Sam will be in another state, so I'm enjoying every opportunity to hang out.

Update

In case anyone is waiting intensely for this, the doctor's appointment went fine.

Crazy day so far

This morning I was up at 6:00 to put stuff out for me and Kim's garage sale. We sold a lot of stuff and I ended up with about $125. Not bad for some stuff I just really wanted out of my house. I sold my curio cabinet for $50 and the guy was coming back to pick it up when it fell and broke the glass. I gave him his money back, so I would have had $175. Now it is laying on my curb for someone to take away. It's kind of a bummer, but it is one less thing in my spare bedrooms. At 9:30AM we had our first contractor come look at our kitchen and take some measurements to prepare a proposal for us. I'm really curious what he is going to say and hope the number is near what I have in my head. He's supposed to e-mail me the proposal Monday. I really think he will do a great job. Our second contractor was supposed to show at 1 and still isn't here and it is 2:45PM. I guess I need to find another company to come and give me an estimate. I was really looking forward to getting the estimates out of the way. Sometimes things don't go as planned, and am I ever learning that right now, in so many ways. Just before 1, two police cars showed up at our house. We were still outside at Kim's for the garage sale, so we went over to see what was wrong. Apparently someone called to report a disturbance and gave the cops the wrong address. We knew we hadn't done anything wrong, but for that odd moment, we were hoping we weren't in trouble. It's similar to the moment all drivers put their foot on the brakes when they see a cop, whether they are speeding or not. It feels like 6 or 7 and it isn't even 3 yet. Today has been crazy.

God's Ways and Randomness

As soon as I admit I am broken hearted, I realize that every single song on the CD I am currently listening to talks about God taking care of and restoring the broken hearted. It's amazing how God knows exactly what I need. (See previous post) In other news, I have a doctor's appointment on Monday, so if you think about it, I would appreciate your prayers. Also, BJ and I have finally decided what we are doing for vacation. We are going to Rivera Maya to an all inclusive resort for a week. We are very excited to do something we have never done before. We are planning on going the week of August 17th, so we are working quickly to get our passports and everything ready to go. We are about 11 weeks out. Wohoo!! I love vacation!! Man, this post is getting really random. I keep saying I am going to get my cabinets and countertops replaced in my kitchen this summer, but I haven't really done anything about it until now. I figure, since it is June next week, I should probably get my behind in gear. Yesterday I found a couple of companies in Arlington/Fort Worth and e-mailed them to set up a time for a consultation and estimate. I just heard back from the second company and am planning to get the estimates done this weekend. Shannon at work is so proud. She is one of those people that when she decides to do something, she gets it done. So, here's my tribute to Shannon. I played drums on Sunday at church. It was fun and I even did a few fill-ins. Jill would be so proud! If you are still reading, I would guess you are as addicted to reading blogs as I am. Actually I'm not sure anyone reads this besides me and BJ. So there's the update. I hope it provided a few minutes of entertainment for our faithful readers, if there are any of you.

Brokenhearted

I have been going through some stuff lately that is just been really hard on me. Today at church I was finally able to put my finger on it (with God's help). I'm not mad, or scared, or hurt as I previously thought. I'm brokenhearted. I'm trusting God, but it just seems like I keep getting my heart broken. For me, that's good news. You want to know why? Because Jesus was anointed to heal the brokenhearted, so that means he can fix me.