Due to this season's unusually warm weather (84 degrees one day last week), I thought this picture was appropriate. This is a set of old snowmobiles we used to play on in my grandparent's back yard. I don't really know where these came from, but they sure were fun to sit on and pretend like we were flying down a mountain in the snow. 
Archive for 2010
Current fav: The Afters, Light Up the Sky
When I’m feeling all alone and so far to go
The signs are nowhere on this road guiding me home
When the night is closing in
It’s falling on my skin
Oh God will You come close
Light, light, light up the sky
Light up the sky to show me You are with me
I, I, I can’t deny
Oh I can’t deny that You are right here with me
You’ve opened my eyes so I can see You all around me
Light, light, light up the sky
Light up the sky to show me You are with me
When stars are hiding in the clouds
I don’t feel them shining
When I can’t see beyond my doubt
The silver lining
When I’ve almost reached the end
Like a flood You’re rushing in
Love is rushing in
Light, light, light up the sky
Light up the sky to show me You are with me
I, I, I can’t deny
Oh I can’t deny that You are right here with me
You’ve opened my eyes so I can see You all around me
Light, light, light up the sky
Light up the sky to show me You are with me
So I run straight to Your arms
You’re the bright and morning Sun
To show Your love, there’s nothing You won’t do
Light, light, light up the sky
You light up the sky to show me You are with me
I, I, I can’t deny
Oh I can’t deny that You are right here with me
You’ve opened my eyes so I can see You all around me
Light, light, light up the sky
Light up the sky to show me You are with me
Merry Christmas! If you know me, you know I don't just get super pumped about Christmas music. In fact, I could probably list on one hand the number of tunes I actually enjoy listening to. This is one of those that I love, although I don't really classify it as 'a Christmas song'. Nonetheless, I am still amazed, and learning to be more amazed, that our God would reach out to us through a tiny baby in the middle of a not-so-silent night. Today, I hope you will stop and marvel for just a moment in the mystery that He is here with us.
Here With Us, by Joy Williams
It's still a mystery to me
That the hands of God could be so small,
How tiny fingers reaching in the night
Were the very hands that measured the sky
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Heaven's love reaching down to save the world
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Son of God, Servant King,
You're here with us
You're here with us
It's still a mystery to me, oh,
How His infant eyes have seen the dawn of time
How His ears have heard an angel's symphony,
But still Mary had to rock her Savior to sleep
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Heaven's love reaching down to save the world
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Son of God, Servant King
Here with us
You're here with us
Jesus the Christ, born in Bethlehem
A baby born to save, to save the souls of man
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Heaven's love reaching down to save the world
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Son of God, Servant King
You're here with us
You're here with us
So I have to share a Christmas card I received from some sweet friends this year. I LOVE the message of this card and can't say that I've ever seen one like it. Click to enlarge and read...
I'm headed out in the morning for Canyon, so I thought I'd go ahead and post early...
I can't say that I remember Christmas gifts very well. If you asked me to name as many Christmas presents as I could think of that I've received over the years, I probably would only be able to come up with a handful. Those just aren't the kind of details I remember well. But I do recall Christmas moments over the years. There were the early, early years when the Christmas tree was set-up on the stairs in our humble little abode, the Christmas party we hosted every year as youngsters for all our cousins and friends, the traditions of decorating the tree (a real one) as soon as Mom got the thumbprint cookies iced, caroling with the youth group, gingerbread cookies with M, sausage balls and orange juice every Christmas morning, the 25-day countdown calendar with a little surprise each morning, the ridiculous notion I had in junior high/high school that I needed to be fully dressed with my hair done before we could open packages Christmas morning, the year we got a wild crazy hair and drove to a little cabin in Oklahoma for holiday time, a trip to Ruidoso armed with sleds, Christmas Eve wrapping parties, and the list goes on.
I have to say, I like that Christmas is about moments to me. I like that I grew up in a home that celebrated the season and the joy of giving above getting. Christmas has changed for our family over the years, as it always does when kids grow up and move away. And this year, we find it changing yet again. But I like to think that those 'moments' will always happen. They will shift and evolve as life happens, but they will be no less special. And they will be even more special to me this year as I think about so many who don't get to share moments with those they love.
Be blessed this weekend.
And maybe, just maybe you will find fireman hats and matching red tricycles underneath your tree. If you were extra good this year, perhaps there will also be a package with your name on it that holds Rainbow Brite and Twink. :)
... and it was 84 degrees outside today. That is one of the few reasons why I love Dallas. Still, it is Christmas, so it ought to feel like it. Guess I better head north for that.
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Last Saturday, I joined 800 runners in a 15K/5K race out at White Rock. The Jog’r Egg Nog’r was a fantastic little run, full of crazy Christmas costumes and lots of holiday cheer. My latest running motto? "If you can’t excel with talent, triumph with effort." –Dave Weinbaum
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The girls and I went for a little outing on Sunday night to the Deerfield neighborhood up in Plano, where they boast streets and streets of houses all decked out in lights and decor. When the neighborhood was first built, the homeowners were offered a $5,000 prize for the house that was best decorated, and thus begun an annual tradition for the Deerfield residents. The neatest house we saw is one that is nationally known for having over 100,000 lights on it, set to music. It was pretty much amazing. Who knew that lights could 'keep a beat' to the Black Eyed Peas?!
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Finally, 5 days before Christmas, our (Amber's) mini tree went up... on the dining room table!
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And for your viewing pleasure, this is a pretty great video of the Digital Story of the Nativity.
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"... and they will call him Immanuel” (which means 'God with us').
Probably more during the holiday season than at any other time of the year, I find myself thinking about the children still out fishing on Lake Volta. I don’t think it’s because I see people (myself included) buying gifts and spending money and basking in materialism while I know so many kids are still out there, although that’s true too. I think it’s because this time of year, for Jesus followers, is geared so much towards celebrating the birth of Jesus, the coming of a Messiah to redeem His people.
There’s this idea of the advent season, an expectation and anticipation. I’ll admit, I’ve never really known much about advent and haven’t spent a lot of time dwelling on the build-up to the birth of Jesus. But this morning, I listened to a lesson on the history of the Israelites who experienced years and years of tyranny and injustice, yearning for deliverance from their God. And the point was made that God promised that deliverance to His people, yet it was a good 400 years between that promise and the birth of Jesus. Our season of advent is so short in comparison, yet we still celebrate and yearn for a King to bring truth and peace and justice to His creation.
I'm learning to appreciate more and more the gathering excitement of the weeks building up to Christmas day, the joyful spirit with which we prepare and plan, the time that looks forward to celebrating the birth of our Savior. In doing so, I cannot help but think of those who will not be celebrating their deliverance, especially their physical deliverance from enslavement. My heart yearns for the children in Ghana, and those all over the world, to know the God who brings justice, peace and hope to His people.
He has delivered us all, and so I am burdened (in a good way) with doing everything I can to make sure Abraham, and Tomas, and the 7,000 others on Lake Volta know that deliverance too.
Last year, Mercy Project shared a video that we referred to as the "Christmas Conspiracy". This year, that video was revamped to reflect Mercy Project's growth and vision over the last year. I'd like to share it with you as a reminder of what Christmas is really all about, in hopes that you would continue reminding me that this is a time to celebrate a birth, a deliverance, and the coming of our Lord.
Mercy Project's Advent Conspiracy 2010
Like a lot of workplaces do around the holidays, the site I'm currently at asked its employees to participate in bringing gifts for an Angel Tree. I sit close to the front office where the gifts were collected, and it's been interesting to hear the comments people have made about the kids, the gifts, and the idea of charitable giving. There are those who are thrilled at the idea of shopping for a child in need and those who pick out several kids to bless. There are others who contribute because their co-worker guilted them into it, and I've even heard the complaint of "These Angel kids are just taking money away from my own kids. This money was supposed to go towards the XBox my son has been asking for."
Yikes.
I'm not gonna tear that one apart, but I've been thinking a lot about this season of giving. I like picking out gifts to give to people just as much as the next person, but I've been wondering lately why we only give gifts at Christmastime. I don't mean that we should be constantly buying things for people year-round; might get a little crazy. But I do want to be the kind of person that is not just a seasonal giver. I want to find ways to give small gifts, to give my time, to give a listening ear, to give my heart to people throughout the year and not just when it's the traditional time of year for presents.
And when I do give, I want to give like the guy at work who brought in a boy's bike for his Angel gift. Apparently, when he got to the store to pick out the items on the boy's list, he saw the same kind of bike that he had always wanted as a little boy but never gotten. He called the office assistant right then to ask if it was ok to spend more than the limit (The Angel lists had a price limit on them in order to help balance the gifts from child to child.), so that he could get the bike for his Angel boy. I love the giving heart behind his actions, the meaningful blessing to a complete stranger. That's the kind of giver I desire to be.
After digging through old Christmas photos last week, I’ve been counting down til I could share this one today. I’m not sure if this story coincides with the exact year this picture was taken, but it certainly took place in the same house/location (which is saying a lot considering the number of different houses we lived in growing up!).
Anyway, our living room in this house was nice and open, but there wasn’t a natural spot to put up our Christmas tree. So it ended up behind the front door right at the conjunction of our bedrooms. Like every year, Dad got the tree set up in its stand, we hung our ornaments while eating thumbprint cookies, and topped off the night by adding the angel on the very top. Done deal.
Then in the middle of the night, there was this crash. And I don’t mean the kind of crash like someone got up to get a midnight snack and dropped a plate in the kitchen. I’m talking about a LOUD, glass-breaking, wake-the-whole-house-up, something’s-bad-wrong kind of crash. All I remember after that was Dad leaping out of his and Mom’s room, hollering at DM and I to stay in our rooms (thinking someone had broken in). Low and behold, the Christmas tree had just fallen over, scattering ornaments and lights all over the living room. There was no need to shoot anyone that night.
The next day, the tree got put back up and rigged with fishing line for the remainder of the holiday season. So here DonMark and I are, sitting in front of the tree on Christmas morning. Like I said before, perhaps the same year this happened, perhaps not, but do take note of the angel about to fall off the top of the tree! Happy Friday!
Fridays alway seem to come at just the right time. Right when you're totally exhausted and don't think you can make it another week day, Friday morning arrives. Love that.
I must admit, I haven't really gotten in the holiday spirit yet. I'm not anti-Christmas (except for maybe the music) or anything like that, it's just that it hasn't felt like Christmastime with 60 degree weather (which I love, love, LOVE!) and lots of other activity taking precedence right now. However, I watched A Very Glee Christmas this week and am now full-speed-ahead ready to decorate, bake, wrap, and all the rest. I'll admit Glee can be a little... odd; but this episode was brilliant and fabulous and enjoyable enough to watch a second time. That's right.
So, bring on the tinsel. And the lights. And the gingerbread cookies.
Speaking of gingerbread cookies... One of my favorite childhood Christmas memories is making gingerbread cookies with M each year. Josh, Jeremy, DonMark, and I would all go together to bake. M would usually have the dough already made and we'd spread out on the table with flour and cookie cutters and go to town. There was lots of eating and maybe a few flour fights, but the day always ended with delivering a plateful of cookies to various friends from church. Here we are in '94 gathered around the table.
Thank you, M, for such a fun tradition!
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Much going on here, but check back over the weekend for another post or two. I have a few in the works if I can just find time to sit and type!
... we're back. I feel like life has been one giant commercial break lately. The really ridiculous commercial breaks in which each advertisement gets louder and louder in volume, competing for the viewer's attention in as many ways as possible. Whew! And so I find myself nearly a week into December, and I'm not sure where my concentration should be directed.
But I'm back from a solid 3 weeks of sickness/sinus infection-ness/no energy/coughing/junk. Who knew it could feel so great to wake up without a runny nose?
I'm back to full-time hours of work and really enjoying my current assignment. It's another catalog project – tedious, but pretty cool too. Which means back to balancing holiday time, training, errands, and life stuff.
I'm back with a Flashback picture for the week. Here's a shot of Dad and I with Joe and Daisy out at one of his friend's ranch. I was 15ish. Quite a fun day, if I do recall correctly.
I'm back from a wonderful little trip to College Station where I got to join in the festivities of my sweet little friend's 1st birthday party. It was a weekend full of laughter, good conversation, and time to just let my guard down for a bit.
And most recently, I'm back from a great morning of running at White Rock. Amber ran the White Rock Marathon Relay this morning, so I combined my long run with seeing her finish her leg of the race after tackling some tough hills – she's a pro. Being around and in the middle of the race participants got me pumped up for Houston, which is a scary 8 weeks away now.
I'm sure there's more to share, but for now, it's off to the next project. And maybe a brownie... or two... that's just come out of the oven. Yummmmmm...
Yes, I skipped Friday's post. Yes, it's true that I hibernated through the typical Thanksgiving post. Yes, this is what I would like to have right now...
...or one of these. I'm not picky, really.
Sometimes the 'big' things get you down in life, plain and simple. Today, I am grateful for friends who are willing to walk through the big stuff with me, encourage me all the way down to the small stuff, and help me keep perspective of it all.
November 21, 1980. Mom. Wedding dress. Dad. Suit. Flowers. Family. Friends. Yellow & brown (yikes...). Ceremony. Rings. Cake. Smiles. Reception. Pictures. Get-away helicopter. And the rest was history.
Today, my parents celebrate 30 years together. They celebrate 30 years of happy memories, and they also celebrate 30 years of enduring life's struggles together. But the grace, love, and strength they've shown through it all is well worth the celebration.
So happy 30 years to the best parents, advocates, and supporters a child could ask for. I am so blessed to call them mine!
Sadly, I do not have a wedding day photo on hand to post. This is the best I could scrounge up; I think it was one of those Western-style portraits that were all the rage in the 80's. At least, that's what I'm going to go with...
In honor of the turkey/upcoming hunting season, I'd like to share a little photo with you on how to prepare the perfect bird for your holiday table. Really all you need to do is make sure and pull the tail feathers out. Dad showed me how. Here, it's like this: 
Happy Friday!
Went to a 'mega-church' tonight. And while it's not really my style to hang out in a place that big, I have to say, it's pretty neat to think about that many people being all in one place worshiping together at the same time. And then I heard this cool song on the radio on the way home. Couldn't find just the audio link, but here it is anyway:
The Birdsongs So Much More
1. Meet Callie, Amber's new pup. Not to be confused with 'our' new pup. She's a sweet, sporatic, 4-month-old Beagle/Aussie mix. Here she is with her stuffed dragon, which has already lost most of its scales.
2. Since Callie can be a bit of a troublemaker, I'd like to post a picture of the biggest troublemakers I know for the Flashback photo of the week. This is no doubt my favorite photo of the 4 cousins and shows our attitudes quite perfectly: Josh and DM conniving something up to torture Jerm and I with later that day, having just come from church no less... Me, staring blankly at the camera, hating having my picture taken worse than having to wear a dress... and Jerm all decked out in his little green suit, perfectly content and happy. Makes my heart smile. 
3. This week I worked 40 hours, which is my second 40 hour workweek since April. I think I'll actually enjoy the weekend now. Awesome.
4. Tonight I am watching Harry Potter 6. Gotta be ready for next week. Still wanting to go to Universal Orlando.
5. I actually thought of 2 good Christmas ideas this week that I'm excited about.
6. Discovered a new favorite: Chocolate-covered Chewy Granola Bars. To. Die. For.
7. Trying to get in one last camping trip before winter hits. So far, hasn't happened.
8. Pumped about the BCS Turkey Trot 5K, even though I won't be in attendance. If you're in CS for the holidays, get out and support Mercy Project!
9. 12 weeks til Houston. Yikes.
10. Not much else to say, but I felt like there should be 10 items to this list. Happy Friday!
Finally, a few relay pictures as proof that we actually made the journey. These are all courtesy of Aja, one of our awesome relay runners...
The entire group (drivers too) before we took off on Thursday night...
Aja and I tearing up leg #1...
Landon and Chris finishing up a leg...
Gary 'handing off' to Justin...
Matt finishes at Lake Conroe for Team #1...
Team #1 group shot... [Derick, Matt, Jared, Angela, Gretchen, Victoria, Chris, Chris & Russell]
Allison brings it in for Team #2...
Team #2 group shot... [Landon, Aja, Kevin, Ronnie, Anne, Jeremy, Allison, Gary & Justin]
Already counting down the days until next October!
Welcome to Friday!
One thing I miss about being in a big city is the chance to just get on a horse and ride. Before Dad brought home our first horse, Daisy, I started hanging out at the WT Horse Barn. I was probably 10 or so when I started taking lessons and spent as much time out there as possible. Every year til we were 15, my friend Amanda and I went to as many of WT's summer riding camps as they would allow. Certainly my favorite thing ever (at the time). While most kids my age went to basketball or volleyball camp, Mom dropped me off at the horse barn. Here's a little glimpse from the good 'ole days.
This first picture is me with my favorite horse, Dusty. Dad actually tried to buy him at one point but that didn't work out. Too bad; he was fantastic.
At the end of every camp, the group would put on a 'show' for our parents set to music, which pretty much included riding around in coordinated circles. It was awesome. My friend Amanda is on the left, and I'm one horse in from her. I believe we were 15 this summer...
I also went to an English camp one year and LOVED it. Check out my sweet riding hat (they made us wear them for jumping). Also, this horse was named Mary Jane. Can't beat that.
Several updates coming up on the blog: relay pictures, an introduction to our new roommate, and a few other items of note. November is starting out to be a busy month already...
I had written down step-by-step directions but still found myself wandering among the one-way streets and road signs. Finally, I pulled up to an open print warehouse, dimly lit and quiet. I walked up the steps and stuck my head into the open space, hoping I had indeed found the right address. Two other people were there, the volunteer organizers. They greeted me, I sighed a smile of relief, and we set to work. Laid out on the table were stacks of plastic bags, flyers, and coupons; the assembly line began. 2500 race packets needed to be stuffed for the Help the Homeless Walkathon & 5K, taking place here in Dallas a week from Saturday. I volunteered to help out from 10am-1pm. Simple, right?
The first hour went by fairly quickly. Then it began to rain. Warehouses get cold and damp when it rains. And they leak and are moldy. And my stomach started growling. By noon, I was checking my watch every 5 minutes. The monotony of doing the same task over and over and over for hours was about to flat drive me insane. Bag, 5 different flyers, a newspaper, a bag of peanuts, into a box. Repeat, repeat, repeat. But sometime in that last hour, I started thinking about the boys on Lake Volta. And how they do the same thing day after day, rain or shine. No roof over their heads and likely without food in their bellies. And I thought about the monotony they must feel with no hope of a 1pm finish time. And suddenly, stuffing race bags seemed like a really good task to have.
I mentioned the other day how the relay really helped me regain some focus that's slipped away in the last few weeks. I'm grateful for times like this morning that continue to remind me just how good I have it. Moments that put me in my place as a selfish person and remind me of things of far greater importance. I'm anxious for the day when Ghanaian boys and girls will no longer feel the monotony of never-ending work days. Instead, they will grin from ear to ear as they walk to their school classroom to learn for the day; they will know the joy of being a child again.
15 runners.
30-35 miles each.
Minimal sleep.
New friends and old.
Countless peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
240 total miles.
5 kiddoes rescued. (technically equated from total event donations)
What an amazing weekend we had. I must say, it did my soul much good to get away for awhile and focus on something new, even if it was trying to figure out how I was going to survive 30+ miles on 2-3 hours sleep! But even more than that, it was important for me to refocus on Mercy Project and all the hopes and dreams we have for the kids still out on the lake. We were able to expand to two teams this year, enjoyed meeting new folks as well as friends from the run last year, and raised almost $6,000 from the weekend's efforts. So exciting!
I'm ashamed to report that I only took one picture this weekend, ONE, and it wasn't any good. Ha! But I know a few people got some team pictures and such, so I will hunt them down and see if I can get a few posted this week.
As always, a huge thanks to everyone for your prayers and support this weekend. It was so encouraging to read comments on FB, texts, etc. and know that we had so many people, many we didn't even know, cheering us on as we logged the miles.
Runners (or other brave souls), mark your calendars! Same weekend next year. 3rd Annual Run 4 Their Lives!
And this week, Flashback Friday comes on Thursday... Now, if I was really going about this in the correct manner, I would have a cute little picture of past Halloween days when I was a mouse or a bear, or a mouse or a bear, or a... well, that's all I really ever was for Halloween. Except for the year I was a pumpkin. I was a cute pumpkin. Anyway... I don't have any of those pics available at the moment, so this is the next best I came up with, in honor of Trick-or-Treating day.
Welcome to Disney Spectacular. 1993. I was 10. Our school put on a musical production with Disney songs, costumes, etc. There were the coveted Mousekateer roles (that only the popular people got) and then the rest of us had to stand on the high rise bleachers, belting out Chim Chimminy while trying to stand still and avoid falling through the bleachers... or knocking over our neighbor, Cinderella. But it was at this event that I took on my first (of few) public speaking roles (see first picture). Three of us stepped to the front of the stage to open up the show. In fact, I can still remember my lines... "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages: Welcome to the wonderful world of Disney! A magical place, where elephants fly, chimney sweeps dance, and all your dreams come true!" That was it. But it was epic. Mostly due to the fact that I was dressed as a Dalmation. It's always good to keep XXXL white shirts lying around for such times as this... 
And so, happy Halloween to all of you who actually participate in the holiday...
I'm feeling the pre- race season anxiety attacks today; that ominous time of the year in which the base miles have been built, and it's time to put 'em to the test. Marathon training is about to be in full swing, but first up is Mercy Project's 2nd Annual 'Run 4 Their Lives' Relay! Our 2 teams, Abraham and Chakobi, will be leaving from Lake Ray Hubbard at 10 pm tomorrow (Thursday) night, aiming to arrive at Lake Conroe before noon on Saturday. So pumped! We have had a few logistical 'hurdles' leading up to the start of the relay, but everyone is excited and ready to take on the challenge. Our combined fundraising goal is well underway, and we are thrilled about another event to help our sweet friends out on Lake Volta. Did I mention the excitement level here?!
This child will be on my mind all weekend. One day, he too, will know rescue.
Check out the Mercy Project FB page for updates along the way and then back here next week for a recap of the weekend.
I've never purchased anything on Steep & Cheap. Honestly, I've never spent more than about 5 minutes total on their website. I have this thing against making any clothing/gear purchase online without being able to try it on/out first. However, I somehow got signed up for their 'daily dose' emails where they alert you to the bargains of the day. And let me tell ya, I secretly get sorta excited about reading these each morning. Whoever sends the email blasts out always includes a short little story or dialogue along with the deals, and they are phenomenal. Mostly mindless and random, yet quite amusing. Here is one from last week, as well as today's dose:
"I heard that one of my friends ate a handful of mushrooms he found in the backyard. Nothing happened to him. By that I mean that he did not die instantly. A little internet research tells me that out of the thousands of mushroom varieties, a handful are poisonous and found in North America. Of those, most won't kill you right away, but they could shut down your kidneys and kill you a week later. It's hardly surprising that of all the wild food, mushrooms have the greatest chance of being lethal. They grow in dank, shady spots and their odd curvy, yet angular, shapes look out of place in the natural world. I always wondered what kind of person in the course of history would pluck one off the ground and bite into it, and now I know it's the same kind of person as my friend Rob."
"For every one good pear you get, you have to eat about 10 bad ones. No other food is so consistently inconsistent. The bananas you find in the grocery store all taste pretty much the same. You'll get an occasionally mushy peach, but you should know better than to buy those out of season. The problem with pears is that sometimes the best ones look the most abused, and sometimes the best looking ones turn out to be as hard as a cinder block once you bite into them. You think I'd give up and stop buying pears, move onto a new pulpy fruit that has a gritty texture, but that one rare pear that gives you a hit of perfection keeps me coming back. It's like a really low stakes game of Russian roulette."
Welcome to another week!
In order to make up for pushing back this post, I'd like to present two photos today for your viewing pleasure. These pics are from a little fishing trip we took in 1993 with my great-grandparents. Now I have to say, I don't really like to fish. There's something incredibly monotonous about sitting still and waiting for hours at a time that drives me flat crazy. However, this trip actually proved to be quite enjoyable. DM and I spent all day catching perch after perch (I think we counted way over 100) to use for bait on a trotline out in the lake. This first picture is us boasting part of our catch. I love the fact that I seem to think I'm the one holding the basket up (using both hands), when in reality, DM is hefting the weight. Guess I just wanted to hold the rope and pretend to help. Judging from the look on his face, DM is well aware of this nonsense.
And here we are with Granny and Papa. The trotline yielded two beautiful catfish, 5 and 7 lbs, for all our hard work the day before. Yes, you may laugh at my attire: Kool Aid man tee, windpants pulled up to my neck, and purple socks. I would, however, like to equally point out the Oakland Athletic shorts and stellar 'matching' shoelaces next to me. And Granny and Papa? Well, they always were just classy.
Now you may be wondering, 'Where are these children's parents? Obviously no one combed that girl's hair or made her take those shocking red glasses off for the pictures.' Well, as I recall, there was something about a water moccasin lurking in the area of the fishing dock...
"I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them." Isa. 42:16
Flashback Friday will actually be Flashback Saturday this week. Check back tomorrow. :)
In Dallas news...
*Saw Eat Pray Love at the dollar show on Saturday. Good because the cast was superb, but it doesn't hold a candle to the book.
*Beginning Week 2 of marathon training. The weather could not be more perfect here right now. Highs in the low 80's, lows in the mid 50's. Loving it.
*10 days until Run 4 Their Lives, yikes! Ran some 'trial runs' this weekend and felt pretty good at first. Then I got tired. :)
*Got a haircut. Can't say that it's significantly different, but then, what does 'different' even mean with my hair?!
*Lots going on this week: working quite a bit from home as well as on-site. Looking at puppies with Amber. Hanging out with my sweet friend Micah on Wednesday while her parents pack their house. Game night on Thursday at Kathleen's. And a million other things that will inevitably pop up.
*Here are a few pics of the room update. We decided to resign our lease here, and I certainly needed a change. Nothing drastic, but I cleared a lot of things out due to a desire to simplify, sold some furniture, and created a work area. It's been wonderful, minus the whole 'work out of your bedroom' bit. But let me tell ya, the commute is great. 29 steps to the coffee pot.
Some 'in progress' shots...
And the 'after'...
Awesome pillows boasting the fine sewing skills of my sweet Mom...
Closet/office and a coat of green paint...
Dry erase schedule board. Right up my alley...
A few items from 'back in the day'. Every good creative space includes a few toys...
Work area: drafting table = win...
All I lack is getting the big frames above my bed updated, but this one sits in the middle of them all...
And this is my favorite part (insert another plug for this book here)...
*Also, I should mention that the Nickson family has discovered Skype. Watch out world...
