Wednesday, October 31, 2012

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I am absolutely loving that it's Halloween today. Despite the rain, we still got to go trick or treating. We actually braved the mall which is something we've never done. The mall is not my favorite place to go; but L got to trick or treat with her friends and she left with a bucket full of candy. She was happy which made us happy.










I am loving my kid's costumes. I'm proud of Lily's because it is 100% homemade and proud of H's because it was $7 at a consignment fair. Can I get a what, what??? That's right, $7.

I'm loving our recent trip to the pumpkin patch. What a fun day to spend with the family (and Mimi got to come!).




I'm loving that we got to carve a pumpkin with L for the very first time. She had a blast! Papa got to help us with all the fun mess and even Boo Boo joined in on the festivities.







I'm just loving October and all the great memories it brought our family.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Woman's Daybook



For today, Monday, October 29, 2012

Outside my window... is my backyard, if I could see. It's very late.

I am thinking...    that it will be weird to not go trick or treating with my family this year. Halloween is on a Wednesday and I have to go to Awanas. Andy is taking the kids out with our friends.

I am thankful... for my mom and dad who helped me make Lily's Halloween costume.

In the kitchen...    steak (mmmmm....delish), cranberry stuffing (from the box but we love Stovetop around here), and green beans (which I managed to ruin somehow), raw carrots (Plan B)

I am wearing...    my red raspberry/cherry pajamas

I am creating...  a Happy Harvest banner

I am going...to try a new broccoli recipe this weekend for our family birthday get together

I am wondering...    how many times I'm going to talk about losing weight before I actually start to lose weight.
I am reading... Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese, really good read so far.

I am hoping... Lily's gymnastics show goes well this Thursday. She's only been to class like 4 times so I'm not sure what she's going to do; but I'm sure we will be in for some high comedy.

I am looking forward to... I have to be completely honest here, Breaking Dawn Part II coming out next month.

I am learning.....   that my greatest nemesis is ME.

Around the house...  I bought a boatload of zucchini, so I'll be slicing, grating, freezing and making some zucchini tots.

I am pondering...   the power of weather. With Super Storm Sandy here, I'm amazed and frightened by how not in control of the weather we are. How it can destroy cities in mere minutes. How God is the only one who can and does control nature.

A favorite quote for today... Lily: "Mommy, your job is to cook and play with me. Daddy, your job is to tell Henry 'No, No'. My job is to get spankings (so not true, by the way)."  Andy: "Don't I do anything else? What if I want to do something else?" Lily: "Daddy, we all have our jobs."

One of my favorite things... a porch full of pumpkins

A few plans for the rest of the week   hanging up a few more pictures, planning our family birthday party for Saturday, adding a few more fall decorations and organizing my desk.

A peek into my life... Dear Maui,
                                    It hasn't even been a month since I walked on your soft pillow-sand and
                                    I miss you  so.
                                    Yours truly,
                                    Jen



Sunday, October 28, 2012

It's The Little Things

So, yesterday we got our laptop back. We've been without our laptop, which was our main computer, for over a month. Our other computer, which Andy bought over a year ago and we never used because it never worked on a consistent basis, got fixed. So we thought. It went kaput again right when our trusty laptop did.

We handed them over to the only man who could fix the unfixable, Peter. And he did. And I'm overjoyed. Ecstatic. Doing a happy dance. Promising our laptop I'll never call it the mean names I used to when I was frustrated with it. I didn't realize how much I used our laptop with all my bookmarks and files until it was gone.

I must think of something spectacular to do for Peter as a thank you. I have a really good idea. I'll be sure to write a post about it.

Now I can post pictures when I post blogs. I think I'll just post a few....because I can.
 He's getting so big!

 The family that is silly together (and is horrified together, evidently) stays together.

Yeah, that's right. Maui is ridiculously beautiful.

So thankful to have my computer back. It's the little things, you know?

Friday, October 19, 2012

You don't mind if I ramble do you?

Can you believe October is already half over? I have to admit I've been a little disappointed by this weather. I wanted October to be cool and brisk and very fallish, not 95 degrees. Come on summer, give it up! You had your season. Let.... it..... go!

The only upside to this weather is I've been able to wear shorts and sleeveless shirts and show off the fabulous tan I got in Maui.

Ahhh....Maui. Another post (or five) for another time.

I've been MIA for way too long. I've had so many fantastic ideas to write about and blog. And yet everytime I think about sitting and writing, something else seems to get in the way. Why is this? Writer's block?

Well, this is what I tell my students in my Writing Club (and yet another blog post for another time), "When you can't think of anything to write, just write!" It doesn't matter what about. It may surprise you what comes from just rambling on the page."

Putting pen to paper, or finger to keyboard, is many times the hardest part. Sometimes you need to mentally shove yourself off the edge of the pool and just jump in. So here goes...........


We got back from Maui about a week and a half ago. We came back to 65 degrees, backed up toilets and a backed up daughter. (I will explain all of this in my Maui posts.) Reality gave us a bitter slap in the face. Reality said, "So you think you are going to go away and enjoy paradise for a week? Hope you enjoyed it because I'm going to dump a bunch of crap in your lap to deal with." (No pun intended.) But no matter how crazy life has been since we've been back, or how it seems like months ago instead of just weeks that we were strolling barefoot on the pillow-like sand of Maui, nothing can take away the special week I had with Andy.

My kids have been super cute this week. Even though Henry has been obsessed with the bakers rack in the kitchen, pulling off the dishes that are the number #1 "No Touch" in the house, he's been so darn cute! Nothing is more precious than coming into the living room and seeing them both cuddled up on the recliner, under a blanket, watching a cartoon together. 

My flowers are dying. The only flowers that seem untouched by this ridiculously hot weather and my week long absence has been my yellow rose bush. I can see it from my living room window every day and it makes me so happy just to look at it. Now, my mission is to save the rest of my flowers. I think the season for some of them is just coming to an end. So I'm looking for some pretty fall flowers to take their place.

The other reason I haven't been posting is that both our computers died, pretty much at the same time. Our laptop died without warning. I miss my laptop like I would miss a family member that just up and left for no apparent reason.  I miss my bookmarks and all my files. I hate having to remember passwords, that I don't remember, because my computer just remembered them for me.

Someone in our church kindly let us borrow a laptop while our friend is fixing ours. It's been weeks now and honestly, I want to throw this laptop out the window. While writing emails or messaging on facebook., it will randomly erase everything I've just written. While writing this post, the cursor has skipped at least 10 times to a random place on the screen. So that I am finishing my word in the middle of another word halfway up the screen. I can't use the mouse to scroll down or if I do it takes soooo long. I could go on and on about all the things this computer does wrong. I should be thankful that I have one at all; but every other day I ask Andy, "So how much does a laptop cost?"

"Be patient, ours is being fixed."

Can you loathe an object like you loathe a person? I think so.

And on a final rambling thought, this past week and half has been hard for many people. Three people I know passed away in a matter of days.  Honestly, I didn't know these people very well, but the loved ones they left behind are my close friends and family. It's been hard to understand how good can come from such loss. It made me feel a little scared actually. Like things were spinning a bit out of control. It reminded me how fleeting life is and how we have no control over death. I had to cling to the truth that God is control. He is sovereign and nothing takes Him by surprise. He is the Great Healer. He has a purpose in all things.

How do people deal with the tragedies of life without Him? I just don't know and am glad I never have to know.

If no one reads this post, at least it got me writing. Hopefully it won't be another 3 weeks until I post again.