Blog Post #5 (of 30)

A Photo of Myself Two Years Ago

August 2009

Okay- this one was tougher than I thought! I don't have many pictures of myself. This one is one I took when I was playing around with a new toy - my remote control for my camera. :) Guess I need to get more photos with me in them! :)

Blog Post #4 (of 30)

20 Of My Favorite Things

1. Pedicures
2. Sleeping In
3. The Sound of Rain Falling
4. My Wednesday Night Bible Study
5. Sunday Afternoons
6. A Good Book
7. Trying a New Recipe that Turns Out Delicious
8. Family Get-Togethers
9. Road Trips
10. Barbecues
11. Weddings (Especially My Own)
12. Fall
13. Venti Iced Nonfact White Chocolate Mocha
14. Taking Pictures
15. Hair Day (i.e. - The Day I Get My Hair Done)
16. Ventano's
17. Finding the Perfect Book for a Patron
18. Dinner with Friends
19. A Good Workout
20. Spending Time with Jimmy - It Doesn't Matter What We're Doing, So Long As We're Doing It Together! :)

Blog Post #3 (of 30)

My Favorite Photograph of My Best Friend

Caveat - This is not actually my FAVORITE photo - I'm not sure I have one. But my best friend is definitely Jimmy.

He is everything to me - he is the one person who knows the good, the bad and the ugly about me and loves me in spite of it!

I can tell him anything and he listens. He always tries to solve my problems (which is not always a good thing!).

He is the one friend where I feel I ALWAYS get as much back as I give.

He is an amazing man, and I am thankful to call him my best friend, my husband, my greatest love.

Blog Post #2 (of 30)

A Picture of Myself and a Description of How My Day Was

I put this post off for awhile because I really wanted a current picture of myself for it. This picture is really current - as in I took it about an hour ago (more on that to come in my description of my day).

I am off from work this week, so my days have been pretty atypical this week. This morning I woke up relatively early, had a cup of coffee while watching the morning news, and I waited for my sweet little nephew, Calvin, to come spend the morning with me. Ashley dropped him off at about 7:30am. His big sister Layla was going for an MRI (prayers appreciated) for some eye pain she's been having. That meant Auntie Marcie got to play babysitter. He is a real sweetheart and was great. Corey and Abbey came over this morning to hang out with Calvin too. They brought maple bars and Cherry Cokes - which are two of my favorites! :) We had a fun little morning. Kelly came to pick Calvin up around noon.

Next I ate some lunch (Tomato Basil Bisque and French Bread) and watched Monday and Tuesday's episodes of my soap opera - All My Children (one of my guilty pleasures). Then I set up my little studio to take some pictures! I love photography and spent a little time doing some self portraits this afternoon. I think I ended up with a couple of good ones, but the joy is in the set up. AJ got me some new lights for Christmas so it was fun to play with those.

After picture-taking time, I loaded the photos onto the computer, paid a couple of bills and then edited the pics. Now I'm posting my blog! Tonight Jimmy and I will be heading over to Central Christian Church for First Wednesday. :)

I hope everyone else is having a great day too! :)

30 Days of Blogging - The Beginning

Good Afternoon! So I'm taking this idea from my sister, and committing to the 30 Days of Blogging! Let me forewarn you - while this is an effort to post more often, I will admit up front that my 30 Days will not be a consecutive 30 days! I can't possibly blog everyday - and I don't want to set myself up for disappointment, so I promise to complete all 30 Days in a somewhat timely manner! :)

So, without further ado, we'll begin with Day 1 - List 15 Things About Yourself

1. I have a wonderful husband who I've been with for almost 13 years -wow! We dated for three years, were engaged for two and have been married for seven and a half years. We have a wonderful marriage - I'll admit it isn't always easy, but it is always worth it. Jimmy is my rock - he keeps me balanced.

2. I have an almost-five-pound chihuahua named Hannah (though we call her Hannah Banana more than anything else). We butt heads terribly, but I love her nonetheless.

3. I love to cook.

4. Me and five wonderful others (Mae, Joan, Shannon, Bryan, & Michelle) broke a Guinness World Record for longest continuous reading aloud by a team. We read for 100 hours 33 minutes - it was great!

5. I danced with the Nevada Ballet Theater in The Nutcracker when I was seven. I was a gingersnap!

6. My family is the most important thing to me. I am lucky to have the most wonderful of families - both my blood family and my in-laws. They are all so supportive and I love to call them mine!

7. I am a Christian - I accept Jesus Christ as my Saviour and I know without His sacrifice I would not be who I am/where I am today.

8. I really enjoy photography. After I complete my 30 Days I might start a 365 Photo Project here. :)

9. I love to eat out - I love trying new places and new foods - as well as returning back to the favorite restaurants with their tried and true dishes.

10. I love word puzzles - crosswords, word searches, Text Twist, etc.

11. I can pick a lock.

12. I'm the middle child - I think your role in your family does affect who you are - I am forever the peace-maker. :)

13. I easily become hooked on awful reality shows - knowing this about myself I try not to let myself watch even one episode - that's all it takes!

14. I hate crowds - they stress me out. And, the more people there are in any given place, the greater the chance some of them are just going to be rude.

15. I wish on stars and birthday candles.

So there you have it - 15 Things About Me. Stay tuned for more to come! :)

(This list was adapted from a FaceBook note about myself.)

Question

I saw this post on Twitter about a month ago and I favorited it - I keep looking at it and thinking about it - here's what it says:

Here is a good question to ponder: What is in your life today that is not in line with what you want tomorrow? - Dr. Henry Cloud

If I'm honest, it's a hard question to answer. So, I keep thinking about it, pondering it, but haven't gotten up the nerve to actually answer it yet. It is a call for action - and change is hard.

Perception of Riches

“If your daily life seems poor, do not blame it; tell yourself that you are not poet enough to call forth its riches.” — Rilke

I came across this quote yesterday as I was contemplating that I have nothing to write about on my blog – obviously I need to “poet-up” and call forth the riches in my life. There is plenty of beauty in day to day life that we chose to overlook, ignore even. When I open my eyes and mind to it, I can find plenty of things that deserve commenting on. For today:

*Sleeping in until 6:25am – It was actually delicious

*The dull ache of yesterday’s great workout (Jillian Michaels kicks my butt!) – Nothing makes you more self-aware than those post-workout muscle aches

*Fresh pineapple for breakfast – It’s always been one of my favorites, the juice dribbling down my arm while I’m deciding if that bite was more sweet or more tart

*Sharing said pineapple with Yogi the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach

*Storytime with the babies – it was my last one for a couple of weeks – I love the carefree excitement that consumes the little ones!

*Being able to go home on my lunch break – How wonderful is it to be able to take a few minutes at home to really relax in the middle of the day (and eat a home-cooked meal – leftovers count!)?

*Giant rain drops – Even if for only a few minutes – the rain is so cleansing and invigorating!

*Helping high school students with research – What makes a successful college student? These kids are on their way – filled with so much promise and so much still lies ahead for them!

I feel blessed to have so much richness in my life – sometimes I just have to remind myself to take a moment to reflect on and enjoy it!

One thing I can’t fail to mention is the richness that comes from my family and friends. I could be dirt poor, but having the love and support of my family and friends is all I need. They’re the best!

What riches do you call forth in your daily life?