Today it snowed! It has snowed three times this year, but the first time it was really light and I missed it, and the second time it snowed overnight and just a tiny bit stuck, so this is the first time I really got to see it. It didn't stick because it is 40 degrees outside, but I don't care, snow is cool!
Casper and I went out in it for a little walk. This sounds silly because technically I know that snow is just frozen water, but it surprised me how wet we got! I guess I expected that since snowflakes seem lighter and airier than rain that I would get less wet....or something like that.
Then we came inside and I may or may not have listened to Christmas music while watching the snow come down and imagining that we were having a white Christmas. My tree is still up so it was fairly easy to imagine.
Snow is magical! And beautiful and festive. It makes a dreary winter day exciting and cozy.
January 9, 2012
January 3, 2012
Back to Reality
This morning my alarm clock went off. (Well actually it was the alarm on my phone.) I sincerely hope there are no alarm clocks in heaven because it is a very unpleasant way to wake up. At least my phone plays a somewhat-less-annoying tune instead of that wretched beeping.
As I got out of bed, I noticed that my muscles are abnormally sore from my run yesterday after taking a whole week off. Even my abs hurt, which is unusual. I don't know if I'll ever get good at this running thing.
Then I walked out into the living room and noticed that the outside temperature gauge reads 30 degrees. I think today's high is supposed to be 36. Fun! (That was sarcastic in case you didn't catch it.) I have a day of cleaning the house planned so I don't have to be anywhere, but the dog still has to go out, so I can't escape the cold. I'm a little jealous of bears who get to hibernate all winter right now.
And so it is back to reality once again. There is only one thing that reality can't take from me and that is my Christmas decorations! The tree is still up and lit, the decorations are still out. I am pleading the 12 days of Christmas as an excuse.
January 1, 2012
Intentional
I feel like January 1 shocks me every year. How can the year be gone already? When I was a kid the years seemed to last forever, but now they fly by. It's true, time passes faster for grown ups.
We spent this beautiful 60-degree day walking Casper on the Three Notch Trail, doing laundry, and playing with our new toys. I've already had one new experience for the year: Casper barked at a donkey and he brayed back. I've never heard that sound in real life before and let me tell you, donkeys are LOUD! I actually thought it was a pony but it was clear I was wrong once he opened his mouth.
As usual, the start of the new year has me reflecting on the old and thinking about the new. 2011 was a big year for us; this time last year I was agonizing over whether James would be laid off and whether I would have to suffer through another year at my job. Little did I know that God had big changes in store for us. And while it was pretty scary going through, I feel like He brought us through an emotional time of famine into a time of plenty, and taught us a lot along the way.
James did lose his job, and we worried for a while. But during that time He brought us our sweet Hands and Feet group to fellowship with, pray with, and learn with. I prepared for the possibility of working another unhappy year at my job, but then the Maryland job popped up and seemed to have real promise. I remember that James messaged me that he found this job description that seemed to fit him perfectly and that he wanted to apply for it, and that it was in Maryland. I was in a meeting and I spent the rest of the meeting googling Maryland on my laptop. James was offered the job and in August I happily said goodbye to my job of 3 years and we road-tripped it to this new, very different, and very beautiful state. Since then it has become apparent that God really did prepare a place for us. James likes his job, I am happy here, and we found a wonderful church family. And we got a dog! It has been quite the year. God has been so faithful.
So for 2012, I have a few goals such as run a 5K, and possibly buy a house (we're still talking and praying about that one), but I haven't been able to think of any resolutions. I never accomplish many of my resolutions anyway. But I have seen a resolution idea that I like: pick one word for the year to come that describes who you want to be or how you want to live for the next year.
My word is Intentional.
My Dad always used to tell me that I need to take more initiative and live more intentionally. Initiative has never been my strength and I have a tendency to just let life happen to me. I wasn't doing too bad at the beginning of this year but with all the changes that have gone on, I've been reverting back. So this year I want to be intentional in my pursuits. I want to give intentionally, serve intentionally, and live aware of others and how my choices impact them.
What is your word or resolution for the year? Happy new year everyone and may it be filled with blessings!
We spent this beautiful 60-degree day walking Casper on the Three Notch Trail, doing laundry, and playing with our new toys. I've already had one new experience for the year: Casper barked at a donkey and he brayed back. I've never heard that sound in real life before and let me tell you, donkeys are LOUD! I actually thought it was a pony but it was clear I was wrong once he opened his mouth.
As usual, the start of the new year has me reflecting on the old and thinking about the new. 2011 was a big year for us; this time last year I was agonizing over whether James would be laid off and whether I would have to suffer through another year at my job. Little did I know that God had big changes in store for us. And while it was pretty scary going through, I feel like He brought us through an emotional time of famine into a time of plenty, and taught us a lot along the way.
James did lose his job, and we worried for a while. But during that time He brought us our sweet Hands and Feet group to fellowship with, pray with, and learn with. I prepared for the possibility of working another unhappy year at my job, but then the Maryland job popped up and seemed to have real promise. I remember that James messaged me that he found this job description that seemed to fit him perfectly and that he wanted to apply for it, and that it was in Maryland. I was in a meeting and I spent the rest of the meeting googling Maryland on my laptop. James was offered the job and in August I happily said goodbye to my job of 3 years and we road-tripped it to this new, very different, and very beautiful state. Since then it has become apparent that God really did prepare a place for us. James likes his job, I am happy here, and we found a wonderful church family. And we got a dog! It has been quite the year. God has been so faithful.
So for 2012, I have a few goals such as run a 5K, and possibly buy a house (we're still talking and praying about that one), but I haven't been able to think of any resolutions. I never accomplish many of my resolutions anyway. But I have seen a resolution idea that I like: pick one word for the year to come that describes who you want to be or how you want to live for the next year.
My word is Intentional.
My Dad always used to tell me that I need to take more initiative and live more intentionally. Initiative has never been my strength and I have a tendency to just let life happen to me. I wasn't doing too bad at the beginning of this year but with all the changes that have gone on, I've been reverting back. So this year I want to be intentional in my pursuits. I want to give intentionally, serve intentionally, and live aware of others and how my choices impact them.
What is your word or resolution for the year? Happy new year everyone and may it be filled with blessings!
December 16, 2011
Failed crafts, successful running, and the lack of snow
I found this quick and easy Christmas craft that I thought I would try: glittery votives. They were supposed to look like this:
Well let's just say they do not look like that. I think I should have used spray adhesive instead of glue to hold the glitter on because the glue dripped down the sides taking the glitter with it. And the glitter that is left comes off very easily so they make a mess anywhere I put them. Oh well, not every project can be successful!
In other news, today I ran for 8 minutes and then 10 minutes with only 2 minutes walking in between. This is a big improvement for me! By the end of next week I should be running for 20 minutes with no walking. I won't tell you how slow I run though because it kind of makes it less exciting. But I figure that once I get the time down, then I can work on the distance.
And if you are wondering why it is taking me so long to get through this 9-week program, it is because I am a big baby and I keep repeating weeks because I'm too scared to move on. That and I quit running for a couple of weeks because it was cold outside and I lost my key to get into the exercise room at the apartment complex. I had to buy a new one. For $60! That shows you how dedicated I am to finish, even if it takes me a whole year. But it better not because I am aiming to run a 5K in March. When that actually happens, I want cake or something, because I will have completed the biggest challenge I've ever had to do. Finishing college, easy. Running, hard!!
And in final news, it still hasn't snowed here, and I am kind of disappointed. But I am enjoying this 40 and 50 degree weather we've been having. If only it didn't have to be freezing to snow...
Well let's just say they do not look like that. I think I should have used spray adhesive instead of glue to hold the glitter on because the glue dripped down the sides taking the glitter with it. And the glitter that is left comes off very easily so they make a mess anywhere I put them. Oh well, not every project can be successful!
In other news, today I ran for 8 minutes and then 10 minutes with only 2 minutes walking in between. This is a big improvement for me! By the end of next week I should be running for 20 minutes with no walking. I won't tell you how slow I run though because it kind of makes it less exciting. But I figure that once I get the time down, then I can work on the distance.
And if you are wondering why it is taking me so long to get through this 9-week program, it is because I am a big baby and I keep repeating weeks because I'm too scared to move on. That and I quit running for a couple of weeks because it was cold outside and I lost my key to get into the exercise room at the apartment complex. I had to buy a new one. For $60! That shows you how dedicated I am to finish, even if it takes me a whole year. But it better not because I am aiming to run a 5K in March. When that actually happens, I want cake or something, because I will have completed the biggest challenge I've ever had to do. Finishing college, easy. Running, hard!!
And in final news, it still hasn't snowed here, and I am kind of disappointed. But I am enjoying this 40 and 50 degree weather we've been having. If only it didn't have to be freezing to snow...
December 13, 2011
You know you live in a small town if...
1. You run into people you know everywhere you go.
2. All the radio stations come in fuzzy because you're so far away from the big city.
3. You've stopped going to movies because the only movie theater worth going to is 1.5 hours away.
4. The entire commercial sector is built off of two roads.
5. It takes an hour to get to the mall...several towns over.
6. There are only 5 or 6 decent apartment complexes and when you say which one you live in, everyone instantly knows where it is.
7. Cell reception is bad everywhere and in certain parts of town it is nonexistent.
8. Every new restaurant that opens is impossible to get into without waiting an hour.
Ok so I realize that some of you may be laughing at me because you have lived in REALLY small towns and this is nothing...but having lived my whole life in one of the biggest cities in the country, this feels like small-town America to me. The lack of convenience can be annoying but it certainly has charm that Houston does not have. Now if only we could get a decent Tex Mex restaurant...
2. All the radio stations come in fuzzy because you're so far away from the big city.
3. You've stopped going to movies because the only movie theater worth going to is 1.5 hours away.
4. The entire commercial sector is built off of two roads.
5. It takes an hour to get to the mall...several towns over.
6. There are only 5 or 6 decent apartment complexes and when you say which one you live in, everyone instantly knows where it is.
7. Cell reception is bad everywhere and in certain parts of town it is nonexistent.
8. Every new restaurant that opens is impossible to get into without waiting an hour.
Ok so I realize that some of you may be laughing at me because you have lived in REALLY small towns and this is nothing...but having lived my whole life in one of the biggest cities in the country, this feels like small-town America to me. The lack of convenience can be annoying but it certainly has charm that Houston does not have. Now if only we could get a decent Tex Mex restaurant...
December 5, 2011
Date Night
*This picture was from a college Aggie game.
Sometimes date night doesn't really look like date night.
Yesterday after church we cut down a Christmas tree and we (mostly James) did the hard work of sawing a bit off the trunk and getting it secured in the stand. And then I made a quick (read: not very good) pizza and we watched America's Funniest Home Videos together on the couch with a very snuggly dog and ate blah pizza and laughed our heads off. Laughing may be good for your health, but laughing together is good for your marriage, I'm convinced. Then we made a trip to Target for the stuff we still needed for the tree, holding hands, talking about traditions, and trying on hats.
There was no fancy restaurant, no nice clothes, no candlelight, and yet it was one of the best "dates" I can remember. I'm so thankful for James and that we can find fun and laughter in the everyday life!
Christmastime already?
*The tree still needs a star and maybe some ribbon.
I've been meaning to write a post for the past week but haven't had much to write about. I can't believe it's already December and we've been here for 3 months! It's been a lovely fall with the temperature gradually falling and then going back up again for a few days of respite. I thought I would be overly sensitive to the cold, but it has given me a chance to get used to it before plunging me in.
Yesterday we got our first real Christmas tree! We went to a local tree farm and chopped it down. Real trees are a lot of work! Now I understand why my Dad would put up the tree and then just sit on the couch directing when it came to lights and ornaments. :-) But it was fun to see the tree come together, even though the branches are very prickly and putting the ornaments on made my fingers hurt from getting poked so much. I just love Christmas decorations, I wish I could leave them up all year! I don't know who instituted the strange idea of putting a live tree inside your house for Christmas, but I'm glad they did.
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