Becoming

Freezing.

2012-01-21T12:39:00.002-06:00

It is cold in this here library.

Saturday morning gloriousness, my friends! No makeup, static-y hair, huddled up in an old rocking chair in an old library, flannel pants and socks and slide-ons and coat and all. Finished my first practice exam for the real thing (licensure exam ... heaven help me) in April.

Today I am happy because I got to sleep in. Why are you happy?

This and that.

2012-01-19T18:56:00.002-06:00

(This.) As promised, I give you the names for all the kitties where I'm staying. I hope I remember them all.

The Queen

Percy

Bullseye

Cyclops

Eurybates

Talthybius

Toots

I think there might have been another one ... but it evades me at the moment.

Also, Percy the cat is a girl. Don't ask questions.

(That.) I get the biggest kick out of the word verification when I comment on some peoples blogs. The words that pop up are sometimes hilarious. It might just be me. I started writing some of the (to me) funniest ones down. Here are a few. If you don't laugh, I won't blame you, I just thought I'd share. :) I'm a good kid like that.

patubta

alobotoe

squesse

usnom

I think usnom made me laugh cause it sounds like maybe a toddler asking to eat. :P

I want to hear the coolest pet names you know, and if I'm the only one who laughs when they fill out word verification?

The dark side.

2012-01-14T20:56:00.001-06:00

There is this charming book, The Gentle Art of Domesticity, and it was written by Jane Brocket, of Yarnstorm fame. Jane Brocket is fabulous. We are kindred spirits. Her book is charming and peaceful and inspiring, and makes me want to knit.

But this post isnt about knitting, its about the dark side.

In her book Jane Brocket loves color, and talking about color, and experimenting and decorating and taking pictures of color everywhere. And I instantly knew what she meant when she wrote:

"... There are times when dark is interesting in the domestic arts. Like dark chocolate, it adds a spicy, bitter contrast to a richer, sweeter diet. I am drawn to the drama of deep colors with evocative names like jet, pewter, coffee, raven, midnight, mahogany and pitch. I am fascinated by the way pools of these colors absorb all the colors in light and, in doing so, draw you into their depths."

I hadn't ever thought about it long enough to put into words, but ... I LOVE that.

Sometimes there is such a fascination with 'dark' things. Dark things can be good. Dark chocolate is good. Sometimes an event or a movie or an outfit is so serious or deep or impressive or mysterious that it has a dark feeling about it. (BBC's Bleak House does.) Things like these need words like midnight, and raven, and pitch, to describe them.

I thought of a few more. Ebony. Onyx. Obsidian. Brunet. Charcoal. Leaden. Sable. Dusk.

What are some awesome dark colors that get your imagination going? Or even just any color name you love, if it isn't 'dark'. :)

The light at the end of the tunnel.

2012-01-07T12:25:00.000-06:00

I can see it.

Its getting brighter and brighter :)

Mmkay, so Tuesday I drove out here to another small hospital in a small Nebraska town, this time for 10 weeks, to finish my last clinical rotation. I'm happy and excited, and not a little bit nervous. When it comes time to actually treat patients by myself, I feel scared, and forget everything I know. Its pathetic. But this is okay, they tell me. I hope so. Sometimes I do wish I was totally the know it all type that never runs out of confidence :D

I get up at 5:30 in the morning, and work 6:30-3. Want to know something? ... So far, it isnt awful. And the whole tiny town thing? No problemo. I've lived in them, like, all my life. This one has a Dollar General of surpassing awesomeness, and a library with a never ending used book sale in the basement, and the worlds largest porch swing. And the house where I stay has many friendly kitties who run to meet my car like dogs when I pull up.

See the kitty tail curving under my face? She was purring, loudly, and walking on my lap, and waving her tail around.

Then she rubbed her kitty face on mine.

Snuggly kitty. With pretty eyes.

The kitties are all outside kitties. I thank goodness for that. Eight of them in the house would be a bit ridiculous. I'm working on naming them, and of course I'll make sure and blog about them again, so you can know alllll their awesome names. You cant wait, I know it.

The house where I stay also has owls in it!! Not real ones ... just statues ... some little, some big.

Have I ever said, how much I love owls? <3 I even brought a little one of my own, to put on my dresser while I'm here. To come, and find owls everywhere, was just ... I loved it. So much.

But yes, here I am for 10 weeks. I may not blog much. But what I do, will be well worth reading, I assure you.

And when I am done, in March, then it will be mere days until I GRADUATE. Woo!

Can someone tell me?

2012-01-01T19:01:00.004-06:00

Cause I really can't figure it out.

Everyone ... and when I say 'everyone', I mean almost EVERYONE who is 'someone' in the blogging world, which isn't to say every blogger isn't 'someone', of course ... cause after all, the blogging world isnt nearly as important as the real world, right? But anyway ...

ALMOST EVERYONE excuse me. Why does almost everyone have: a white blog?

You see it everywhere. There might be headers of amazing artistry, colors galore in the sidebar ... but ... all the backgrounds are white. And very bright. And sometimes ... well sometimes peoples eyes want to look at softer colors.

Or maybe its just my eyes. Hence the reason mine is gray. Gray is my very favorite neutral :)

But seriously, maybe someone with a white blog can tell me. Does everyone just really like white that much, and I'm missing out on the worldwide white crush?

I got an awesome blog award!

2011-12-31T11:55:00.000-06:00

This is exciting! I got the coveted Liebster blog award from the fabulous Danielle at Taking Notes ... Coast to Coast. She is super sweet, and her blog names rhymes ... sort of. Thanks for thinking of me Danielle :)

I get to pass on the coveted Liebster award to 5 more people, and I'm picking:

Olivia at unceasing exploration, who is the only fellow blogger I know who loves Rosemary Sutcliff like I do.
Allison at Allie Dean Photographie, who is as sweet as she looks in real life, and takes pictures that are lovely.
Hollie at Mommy Daze, whom I know well, and who is supermommy to 4 crazy boys.
Rachel at The Amber Gatherer, whose blog makes me ENVIOUS. That is all.
Liz at Little did she know ..., who went to South Africa this year and did everything like a boss.

Read them all! You will be happy you did.

And, a bonus for ya, one blog I reeeeally very badly wanted to share with everyone, was Abbey at LIFE TREASURED. She has identical triplet baby girls :) I figured I could still share even though she has more than 200 followers already and I can't give her the coveted Liebster award. :P

If you have been awarded the coveted Liebster award, here’swhat’s next:

Choose five up and coming blogs with less than 200 followersto award. Make sure and notify them by comment or e-mail that you did so.
Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award bylinking back to them. If you’re not already a follower of their blog, thatmight be a great way to show appreciation for the award. :)
Post the award on your blog, and be sure to link back to the5 blogs you awarded, so that others can visit them.

(If you're wondering what the hey 'liebster' is, I googled it. Its German for 'dearest'. You're welcome.)

I wasn't a flower person.

2011-12-29T10:19:00.000-06:00

But now I have warmed up to them. You know, all the flowers that have been everywhere the last year or so? Fabric and silk flowers, on headbands, clothes, everything? I wasn't the biggest fan. I mean ... I like flowers. But I can't grow them. I don't know much about them. I like looking at them ... if they're wild ... and grow in grassy fields ... and you can stick them in mason jars to decorate with ... if you think of it. And its fun to get flowers once in a while, a corsage or bouquet. But, like I said, never was much of a flower fanatic. No flower power and daisies for me thanks.

I was looking for ways to wrap my presents nicely this year. Thats another thing you should know about me. I like to decorate and be fluffy and creative, probably as much as the next girl. But sometimes its hard for me to put a lot of effort into things that are just going to be ripped apart. Like cake decorating. Think about it. Isn't cake decorating about the most pointless thing imaginable? If you really look at it practically? ... Well gift wrapping kinda fell into the same category for me. :D

But this year I really wanted to take more effort, and not only that, but to spend no extra money. Poor college student thing ya know. So ... I had a nice book for the girls in my family, and a nice book for the guys in my family, and a house full of random items to wrap them with.

I have a bag of scrap fabric in my room, mostly ivory jersey from my bedspread project, but some other off-white fabrics too from a dress my mom made me. I dug through it, and found something perfect. The drawstring bag that the sheet set came in! It was just the right size to fit the girls present. I turned it inside out (cause there was a tag on the right side, and inside out looked awesomer anyway), wrapped the book in another piece of jersey cloth (cause it was kinda see-through), and decided to fancy it up a little.

Pinterest provided a tutorial for making fabric flowers. I made a big one and a little one, they didn't turn out perfect but they were pretty :) I used all the off white fabric I had including a little crinkly tulle. Then I fabric-glued them to the cut-off elastic from the fitted sheet (getting lots of wear out of those sheets!) and tied it around the present. The tag was a piece of cardboard that I folded and glued a piece of the tulle over.

I liked how it looked!

The guys present was wrapped in newspaper. I figured they wouldnt be nearly as appreciative of fabric and flowers and tulle. So what manlier thing to wrap with, than car ads, right? I thought about the sports section but it was a little distracting. I used some burgundy ribbon I found to make it a little more gift-ish.

I liked how it looked, too.

What do you think?

Christmas Adam!

2011-12-23T11:28:00.003-06:00

Long ago, my family was going through the daily 'how many days is it NOW till Christmas?' And someone, adding it all up, said it was Christmas Eve Eve.

Legend has forgotten which of us it was, but one of us pertly remarked, 'That means its Christmas Adam, because Adam came before Eve.' Everyone laughed at the little squirt, but, admittedly, it has a fun ring to it.

Now its usually written in by one of the kids on the calendar, every year, on the 23rd. It has become a family joke, but also an officially observed family holiday. I pass the story on so that you too can begin celebrating the special day of Christmas Adam.

Anthropologie knockoff.

2011-12-21T11:30:00.002-06:00

A very long time ago, I posted about this bedding, which I wanted very very badly.

Not QUITE so long ago, I posted about beginning my project. If you remember I was gung-ho and ready to go, but, I know myself. And I knew that I would probably stall. And I did. And it was all very typical of me. At least I can predict myself after 23 years.

Well, I pulled out the bedspread again last week and got to work. When I wanted to put it away and forget it again, I sternly told myself 'no'. If I started getting ready to stop awhile, I kept going just to spite myself. There were lots of looooong seams. There was a ton (a TON) of pinning involved. It got intense. >_> I got neckaches.

But, I finished!

I feel happy with it. It isn't just like Anthropologie's. But its enough like it to be what I was wanting, plus I like that no one else has a bedspread like mine, you know, all the original, unique and one-of-a-kind stuff and stuff. And you know, that last part made almost no sense. :D

My inspiration.

How it went was, I found a set of king size cotton jersey sheets (in ivory, my color of choice) and a plain white bedspread, both at Target. (Anyone else heart Target, majorly?) The bedspread was ideal, because it was already divided into squares (35, to be exact) so I had a kind of template in mind. Then, I made a newspaper square, the size I wanted my jersey squares to be, taking into account seams and all, and just hacked squares out of the sheets. I ended up making all the squares I needed out of just the flat sheet, so that rocked.

Then, I took all my squares, and a needle and thread, and I made a twisty knot deal in the middle of each one. Like so.

On the left is my pile of knotted/twisted squares, on the right is my pile of unfinished ones. Note my Mountain Dew pants of awesomeness.

(After I finished all the squares, is when my *cough* long break from the bedspread happened.)

The next step was to pin and then sew squares together in long strips of 5. The bedspread was 5 squares across and 7 down, so 7 rows of 5. Interestingly though I counted at least 3 times, I still ended up with 36 squares. I guess I'll make a matching pillow.

Here is the plain bedspread. Yes, my pictures are cruddy cellphone pictures, but I deal with it.

After sewing 7 strips of 5 squares, I then sewed the strips of 5 together, eventually creating a big stretchy knotty mess of squares. (Jersey is pretty forgiving for a project like this, though on the flip side, the stretch can make it a little frustrating to work with.) Then i put the knotty mess right sides together with the bedspread and sewed all the way around except for about a 12 inch space at the end. Through this space, I pulled it all through till it was right side out. Then I hand sewed the space shut. With the invisible stitch my mom taught me back when I was a nine year old starting out in 4H.

Then, I had considered stitching 'in the ditch' to hold the squares in place, and also cuz it would look more like Anthro's version, but by then I was ready to BE DONE so I just went at the corners of each square and tacked it down by hand, just to keep the jersey top from shifting around so much. That did the trick.

There it is! In all its finished gloriousness. Is it weird that the word I'm coming up with for it is 'tasty'? ... Yes I was afraid it was. But listen to this, this is the best part: I made mine for about $30, where the Anthro spread would have cost me about $250. I can live with it.

Credit where credit is due, to KojoDesigns and their tutorial. Theirs is bigger, beautifuller, and they have better pictures. :P

Oh, and please, don't ask to see it on my bed. I have a good reason for refusing. You just need to trust me.

How Jesus is better than Santa Claus.

2011-12-17T03:10:00.003-06:00

Santa lives at the North Pole.
Jesus is everywhere.

Santa rides in a sleigh.
Jesus rides on the wind and walks on water.

Santa comes but once a year.
Jesus is an ever present help.

Santa fills your stocking with goodies.
Jesus supplies all your needs.

Santa comes down your chimney uninvited.
Jesus stands at your door and knocks, and He enters when you open to Him.

You have to wait in line to see Santa.
Jesus is as close as the mention of His name.

Santa lets you sit on his lap.
Jesus lets you rest in His arms.

Santa doesn't know your name. All he says is "Hi little boy or little girl. What is your name?"
Jesus knew our names before we were born. He knows all our history and even what our future holds.He knows us completely. He even knows the number of hairs on our heads.

Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly.
Jesus has a heart full of love.

All Santa can offer is HO HO HO.
Jesus offers us hope, help, and happiness.

Santa says "You better not cry."
Jesus says "Cast all your cares upon Me, for I care for you."

Santa's little helpers make toys.
Jesus makes new lives and new beginnings, mends broken hearts, prepares showers of blessings, and builds heavenly mansions.

Santa may make you chuckle, but
Jesus gives you the joy that is your strength.

While Santa puts your gifts under the tree,
Jesus became our gift and died for our sins on a tree ... the cross.

We 3.

2011-12-10T16:08:00.001-06:00

Our friend Hollie took pictures of my younger sisters and me. This was back when there were still a couple of trees that had leaves still on them.

First we were far apart ...

Then we were close together. Improvement, no? Except that I look tired? (I WAS tired, actually.)

I look sly.

Me and my 'twin'!

She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain. - Louisa May Alcott

A little bit windblown! >_< Oh well.

We had a lot of fun! Phil, one of our very tall brothers, came along and had some senior pictures taken. He is pretty darn cute. See below.

Thats us in Phil's glasses :)

I was unsteady up there.

You guys, I'm falling, I'm FALLING ...

Taking pictures is fun :) We hadn't taken sister pictures since 2007. Now, of course, we are very old, but sometimes we still act like little girls. Thank you Hollie for working us in!

Addicting little mocha cookies!

2011-12-04T14:13:00.001-06:00

This afternoon I got a hankering for my favorite Christmas cookies. I saw them in Taste of Home 2 or 3 years ago, and I wanted to make them, so I did.

They were called Mocha Nut Balls. I think calling them Addicting Little Mocha Cookies is totes more fun. Plus I never put nuts in.

Here is the recipe! It is supes easy. Make some, now!

Addicting Little Mocha Cookies.
Makes about 4 dozen.

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1-3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1 Tbsp instant coffee granules
1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Powdered sugar

Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add in flour, cocoa, and coffee and (if applicable) nuts and mix well. Roll into 1-1/2 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 325 for 13-14 minutes (until firm). Cool on pans 1-2 min, roll warm cookies in powdered sugar and set on wire racks to finish cooling.

Sister joins in for a picture, and gets her hair in my cookies. Thank you sister!

While doing dishes.

2011-12-03T14:17:00.001-06:00

Well HI little bug! I had fun watching you wander the windowsill when I washed up. Winsome. :)

Angry Birds.

2011-12-03T14:09:00.001-06:00

I bet my father and mother could beat yours. On their first time playing, no less.

Dark & mint.

2011-11-12T20:25:00.001-06:00

They are like little squares of heaven. Ghirardelli Dark & Mint Squares. "Intense Ghirardelli dark chocolate and a silky smooth white mint center. It is perfect for a tantalizingly cool and deliciously refreshing chocolate experience." Annnnnd, perfect for celebrating my LAST WEEK OF CLASSSSSS. I am done, y'all.

We cheered.

2011-11-02T21:48:00.001-05:00

And we cheered good too, because our team won. Dominated, you might say. Check out the guy in the background ... ? Over my right shoulder ... ? What is he doing ... ???

WOOO for Nebraska games, sisters, and random men who get into pictures.

Currently.

2011-10-19T22:20:00.000-05:00

I am studying. I have to write a paper about the Japanese, and relate it to the field of physical therapy. As I study, I am listening to Irish music.

Oh and I took these. I thought the computer lighting made it look like I had seen some horror, so I made a horrified face.

Peace, yo. Back to the Japanese.

Sage, umber, plum, and smoke.

2011-10-11T11:49:00.004-05:00

Oooohhh.

I read those words and got a sudden longing for fall.

Which I know is odd, because fall is here. Time flies, man. Here it is October already. Hi October! Even though you're acting like July and not October.

But dudes. I read about umber and smoke and plum, and I get this sort of hankering for real autumn. You know, with chilly winds and awesome colored leaves all over the place, and drapy sweaters, cozy moods, and that smoke smell. I sort of bond with smells. If they're yummy ones.

Sage, umber, plum, and smoke. I love it so so much. Funny how a few well-picked words can send a person into wild whimsies. :) Those are my theme colors for this fall. And it doesn't have a THING to do with Anthropologie calling their fall collection that. No sirs.

"Umber: \um-ber\ a brown earth that is darker in color than ocher and sienna because of its content of manganese and iron oxides, and is highly valued as a permanent pigment either in the raw or burnt state."

There. Doesn't it sound like a most delicious metallic brown. Its kind of like the word ombre, that hair trend going on. And its also like the word ember, and I love the word ember. This word umber has got it going on for me.

A few of the pins from my autumn inspiration Pinterest board, just colors and textures and things that remind me of all my fall fancies. 1 is from Anthropologie, I like the high-low sweater over the cute blouse and the full skirt. 2 is an owl cuff from Fossil. I LOVE owls. 3 is a big chunky sweater and boots with bunches of buckles :) 4 is deep plum nails that I'm going to copy. 5 is a good basic fall look. 6 is a gorgeous bag, from Fossil, I really like the olive green and leather. 7 is a pair of boots that someone "upcycled" with some green plush ... genius. 8 is more fun fall fashion from Fossil. I am really liking the full skirt trend. 9 is a pair of vintage pumps with gray velvet rosettes. 10 is romantic filmy lace with just the right edge from those featherrrsss :)

Reality: I have no clothes budget.

Something important.

2011-10-10T11:50:00.003-05:00

Do you think my blog is too gray?

I have begun.

2011-09-30T21:49:00.002-05:00

In a fit of craftiness this afternoon, I got out a project I've been putting off and putting off for too many moons.

My bedspread!

See the excited post I wrote in ... April.

We found a plain bedspread and a set of king-size cotton jersey sheets at Target. Then they sat in my room, while I glanced their way every so often and made up reasons not to begin in my head. But today I just decided to. And it went very well. Which was good for my crafty side.

Now I have a lovely stack of 35 15x15' squares of ivory jersey, ready to sew a little rosette in the middle of each one. I finished rosetting 4 squares while I was still on a high from cutting them all out in one afternoon. Heres the big question. Will I keep plugging away at the stack of squares? Will my productive crafty side still be winning tomorrow? Will my bedspread get DONE??

I'm not going to set a goal date, because I fail at those. I am however going to make a "Rissolution" as Pooh would say. I resolve to complete my bedspread, and not at any time to hide it from sight, ignore it when I could work on it, or talk myself out of finishing. You all are my witnesses.

Ehh my twisted tongue.

2011-09-25T14:31:00.000-05:00

Many an anemone sees an enemy anemone.

What noise annoys a noisy oyster? A noisy noise annoys a noisy oyster.

Stupid superstition!

Betty Botter bought some butter.
"But" she said "this butter's bitter.
If I bake this bitter butter,
It will make my batter bitter.
But a bit of better butter -
That would make my batter better."
So she bought a bit of butter,
Better than her bitter butter,
And she baked it in her batter,
And her batter was not bitter.
So 'twas better Betty Botter
Bought a bit of better butter.

Black bug's blood.

Give Papa a proper cup of coffee in a proper copper coffee cup.

Chop shops stock chops.

You've no need to light a night-light
On a light night like tonight.
For a night-light's light's a slight light,
And tonight's a night that's light.
When a night's light, like tonight's light,
It is really not quite right,
To light night-lights with their slight lights
On a light night like tonight.

Whistle for the thistle sifter.

The soldiers should have shooters on their shoulders.

Some shun sunshine.

A bitter biting bittern
Bit a better brother bittern,
And the bitter better bittern
Bit the bitter biter back.
And the bitter bittern, bitten,
By the better bitten bittern,
Said "I'm a bitter biter bit, alack!"

Girl gargoyle, guy gargoyle.

A pessimistic pest exists amidst us.

What to do.

2011-09-18T20:39:00.003-05:00

Now that the 30 day thing is all the way over, I am a little bit lost. What do you think I should post about?

I thought of doing outfit posts, like style bloggers do. I thought about recipes. I thought about taking a picture a day and posting it. I thought it might be cool to do more surveys and quizzes. I thought of doing more notes to my future husband. I thought about covering the presidential election coming up. PSYCH no I didn't.

If ANYONE is reading this, comment, and tell me what you think. Thanks. Much love to all.

Day 30 - my favorite books.

2011-09-12T21:17:00.002-05:00

Its the last post of the 30 day challenge! It will be very long.

And it is quite possibly my most favorite of all. I'm a bookworm. I don't read books. I devour them, consume them. If books could be eaten, they are all I would ever have.

One of my new Pinterest boards is all about books and book-related things. Here is one of my newest pins.

I like how it looks. As if the books were being served right up, with pretty flowers as centerpieces :)

Anyways, I'm to tell my favorite books.

What I will do is, name my favorite authors instead. It's toooo hard to name alllll my favorite books. Besides I don't even think I have favorite books. I re-read just about every book I own.

-Rosemary Sutcliff. She ranks up there with the highest of high favorites. If you haven't ever read a Sutcliff book, You Need To. Because I said so. And because I betcha my life you will like it.

-Charles Dickens. The guy was a freaking genius. I'm telling you.

-Elizabeth Goudge. One of those heart stirring authors who reel me in, and have me flopping on the bank, and take me home in a bucket. Or, in other words, um, like, she writes these stories, and I like, really like them. And like, I wish I was in them, and I spend days thinking about it. I'm lame, and I'm sorry.

-Laura Ingalls Wilder. Some of the very first books I read on my own. The nostalgia is overpowering when I read about the little houses on the prairie, and in the Big Woods, and on Silver Lake ... :)

-Jane Austen. Oh my. Someday I will go to England. And it will all be her fault.

-Louis L'Amour. I like me a good stereotypical Western now and then.

-Alexandre Dumas. Ever heard of the the Three Musketeers? We have Monsieur Dumas to thank for them, and for the Count of Monte Cristo.

-Christina Rossetti. Fact: I am not a big poetry fan, but Christina R. is THE one major exception. I am crazy about her poems, simply crazy. Go find some and read them, now.

-Marguerite de Angeli. Another childhood favorite. More waves of nostalgia. I'm going to buy all her books and keep them for my own little childerns.

-Sandra Boynton. No one ever wrote kids board books like this. The Going to Bed Book is my favorite:

"The sun has set not long ago

Now everybody goes below

To take a bath in one big tub

With soap all over - SCRUB SCRUB SCRUB!

"They hang their towels on the wall

And find pajamas, big and small

With some on top and some beneath

They brush and brush and brush their teeth.

"And when the moon is on the rise

They all go up to exercise!

And down once more, but not so fast,

They're on their way to bed at last.

"The day is done, the say good night

And somebody turns off the light

The moon is high. The sea is deep.

They rock and rock and rock to sleep."

A lot of that was from memory. I want to collect hers too :)

-Elizabeth George Speare. The Witch of Blackbird Pond. The Bronze Bow. Calico Captive. Sign of the Beaver. Uh HUH.

-Lucy M. Montgomery. Anne of Green Gables ... oh how I envied you when I was 11! And I will visit Prince Edward Island someday.

-Marguerite Henry. I still get little chills and excitements (yep, excitements) when I read anything about the wild ponies on Assateague Island. I know, because I saw a random article about them the other day. Not to mention that allll her other horse books and dog books and fox books are simply super.

-Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He wrote about Sherlock Holmes.

-Elizabeth Gaskell. She wrote North and South, and Wives and Daughters. Which are both veeeery good TV mini series now.

-Jim Kjelgaard. This man wrote about dogs. Dogs were kinda his thing. After I read his books, all I wanted was an Irish Setter.

-E.B. White. Funny funny funny books about trumpeter swans and mice (Stuart Little, anyone?) and spiders.

-Scott O'Dell. When I wrote stories, back as a young thing, I tended to kinda spin off whatever I had read lately. When I had been reading O'Dell, I wrote about lonely Indian girls with keen survivor instincts and described arid but beautiful wildernesses, and giant dogs that followed them everywhere.

-A.A. Milne. Winnie the Pooh! NOT the Disneyfied version. The real charming vintage British Pooh thank you.

-Gertrude Chandler Warner. Four children. They stay by themselves in a boxcar. They find their grandfather and live with him forever. They solve mysteries. Improbable? ... Just a little. But cute.

-Carolyn Keene. I don't even know for sure if Carolyn Keene was the real name of a person. I do know that she wrote Nancy Drew books. And from Nancy, I have learned that I should always carry a clean handkerchief, because they have unlimited uses; small vials of perfume may be used as restoratives or to sterilize scissors; a police whistle is convenient to have around (in case I need to scare off any creeps); to cover my face immediately if an explosion happens nearby; that mineral oil is an effective relief for acid burns; to learn a little judo and prevent unwanted advances from men; I must not force my date to practice ballet or any activities he may not like, if he has been knocked unconscious earlier in the day; if I see anything resembling a shark in a river, not to fret, its probably only a small sub operated by thieves; and if I'm ever chasing a suspect through woods and I lose him, to put my ear to the ground and listen for his footsteps. All from Nancy Drew's Guide to Life, my friends.

-Walter Farley. He wrote about the Black Stallion. I read quite a few books about animals, didn't I.

-Louisa May Alcott. Old fashioned and sweet and sentimental :)

-Ralph Moody. My goodness. Go now and find Little Britches and read it. Then get Man of the Family, and Home Ranch, and all the others. You will a-stinking-dore them. Trust me.

-The Bible. I was wrong up there at the top ... I do have a favorite book :)

The End.

Toothless.

2011-09-10T21:39:00.000-05:00

You guys, I weally weally wanna dwagon. A cute widdle dwagon like Toothless. I weally weally want one.

Oh yes, I'm in love. It is love. Deep love.

Can somebody pleeease find me a little, pocket size, adorable dragon?

Day 29 - lessons from the past month.

2011-09-08T22:54:00.001-05:00

I have learned it is good to be on time for exams, and when you are late, it causes consequences.

I have learned it is stressful to have a future riding on the grade average of one class. The class with the missed exam.

I have learned that prayer works. Thanks so much, everyone who prayed :) And I passed the all important class.

I have learned that nursing homes can be truly enjoyable places.

I have learned, after a week of Clinical 1, that I really really like PTA work. I think I picked the right occupation. What euphoria.

I have learned that 23 feels old. My knee cracked SO LOUD the other day. Like a gunshot!!

I have learned that Interlinear Bibles are fascinating.

I have learned that late night is both the best and the worst time to blog ... zzzzzzzzzzzz.

Day 28 - old pic, new pic.

2011-09-07T22:24:00.003-05:00

First, a picture from last year. The only picture that came to light in my, of course very complete, 5 minute search :) This one was taken, like, exactly 1 year ago ... first week of September. Ah the innocence. I was barely 22 years old and had no idea of what life is. And, ha, whatever free photo site I used had some feature that made my hair blue. Love it?

I was going to take another one in the same shirt. But you know. These things never get done. SO you get another repeat! From a couple posts ago!

I think the difference is mostly in the first one, because of the vampire-ish skin and hair I edited in :) Blah. I know for certain that I had a little color last summer. The things you regret in old age, right?

Two more days of the post challenge folks! I know, you are beyooond excited!

BAM! Its a survey.

2011-08-24T20:10:00.002-05:00

What's the speed limit of the street you liveon? 55 mph.

What condiments do you like on hamburgers? Justketchup.

Have you ever taken skiing lessons? No. Myskiing lessons consisted of one shaky trip down the bunny hill and then onelong fall down the first 'real' hill.

What did you get your dad for his last birthday? Errm. Idon't remember?

How many trees are in your front yard? There aresome, somewhere in all the grass. They are very little trees. I'm guessing ...ten.

Do any of your relatives live in anothercountry? Not currently. Shucks.

Are you claustrophobic? Notterribly.

When grocery shopping, do you usually buy brandnames or store brand? Store brand. I'm a tightwad.

Around what time do you usually eat dinner? 7 pmish.

Do you have any clothing that you get drycleaned? No.

Do you like foods with coconut in it? Its allright.

Have you ever been to an Ikea store? No.

What is the last thing you accomplished? Cleaninga house for someone.

Have you ever researched your family history? I have!!It is pretty rad.

Do you think ditzy people are more annoying, ormore entertaining? Wellll ... both :) Take me. I can annoy myselfand entertain myself at the exact same time.

What color are the cabinets in your kitchen? Brown.Wood.

Have you ever had surgery that kept you in thehospital for over a day? No.

Do you like carrots more if they're raw, orcooked? Steamed.

Did you play with Legos as a kid? I surelydid.

What restaurant did you last go out to dinner atwith friends? I'm thinking it was Red Robin.

Do you keep a first aid kit in your car? No.

Does your house/apartment have a patio? Yes.

Does your refrigerator have an ice maker or doyou use ice cube trays? It has an ice maker butthat quit working. Now we are iceless.

What is your computers desktop background? Thiscomputer has tulips. Not my choice, but all right I suppose.

Ever been horseback riding on the beach? No.

Which bothers you more... spelling mistakes orbad grammar? Spelling mistakes. Gah.

What is your favorite kind of cereal? Oh whatto choose. OK, CHEERIOS!!

Have youever hit an animal while driving? Yes I have.

How long have you had your current cellphone? 3 years.It is a flip phone and I love it. I refuse to give it up!!

Do you have a BluRay player? No.

How many cousins do you have? I think12. If you're not counting spouses and kids.

Do you grow your fingernails out, or keep themcut short? I try to cut them short.

Have you ever bought anything off of eBay? No.

Is there a food that you love the taste of, but makes you feel sick? Wellchocolate can do it, but it has to be a pretty stinkin huge amount :)

Shy dog.

2011-08-20T22:57:00.000-05:00

This is Shylah. She has been living with us over a month now. What a cute sweet little dog she is.

She was a stray and FULL of ticks and fleas. Literally hundreds of them. And I called her Shy because she was so scared and timid and wouldn't look us in the eyes.

This is my youngest brother Pete and Shy dog. She is doing soooo much better!! She's actually getting a tiny bit fat, and trots round our place all day checking things out, and coming over to us for attention whenever we come home or step outside.

I love having a dog around again.

On a Saturday.

2011-08-20T22:42:00.003-05:00

... But not today Saturday. Last week. Yes it has taken me a week to finish this silly post.

So last Saturday, I showered. On Saturdays I sometimes take extra-extra-long showers. Its so pleasant. (By the way, I have showered between last Saturday and today too. I'm a clean girl.)

Heres the kicker, though. After my shower from heaven, I put makeup on.

MmmmmHM. I did I did.

Lately my morning beauty routine has consisted of 1) turn alarm off, 2) roll out of bed, 3) quick shower, 4) dress, 5) leave for school. No makeup and hair soaking wet. I call it 'au naturale' or just the sporty girl look and I charm everyone. WHAT.

This is how I looked before my shower last Saturday. Also how I look during the week, only in slightly nicer and less holey T shirts.

These are my 4 besties for when I do glam up a bit.

1. Wet 'n Wild bronzer.
2. L'Oreal True Match Naturale mineral foundation. Wonderful stuff. That is all.
3. Almay Intense I-Color eyeliner.
4. Mary Kay Satin Lips lip mask. Oh could I go on and on about it!! It is superb.

So anyways, after I put some makeup on, I took it a step further and blowdried my hair. THEN I decided my 3 months old pedicure was looking sort of sad. And I gave myself a new one.

It was glorious!! I felt smooth and I smelled sweet. Well, until I brought out the nail polish remover, but that was a necessary evil. I took pictures to document the whole thing. I couldn't get the hang of the self-portrait in the mirror, as seen below. How do other people put such amazing self-portraits on their blogs? I need tips. Actually I probably just need skills.

Bad photographer Liz ... bad angle. Bad skills.

When all else fails, pull a face.

Alien head!!

I gaze into the distance ... LIZ look at the camera in the mirror.

Oopsies FLASH and still the faraway gaze!

Better much? Except the camera there, all right. I will work on it. Now I'm looking at myself there, and it totally looks like my left eye is lined better than my right. Despair.

AND, haha, check this, while I was drying my toes I thought I would try again in the mirror, but it was on video. See for yourself.

I don't know why I was all silent. I guess I was embarrassed. My new motto is, if its embarrassing, blog about it! It will keep you humble.

Day 27 - why the 30 day challenge.

2011-08-14T14:32:00.002-05:00

I've decided I know myself pretty well. Concerning this 30-day post challenge you know. After all I DID say waaay back in February, "I doubt they'll be posted on consecutive days, but I'm going to try and complete them."

Hahaaa. Yep. Well, I'm getting oh so very close!! Its taken me 6 months, but I'm determined to finish. Slow and steady wins the race, friends, correct?

The main reason I did it was so I'd have a default subject to post on if I ran out of other ideas. Funny how it worked, 'cause as soon as I began, all manner of glorious post ideas came to me, and made the challenge seem a little, well, boring. Obviously not all the glorious posts in my head made it to the blog. Thus the challenge continued.

Sometimes I just shake my head at myself. I'm contrary.

Day 26 - what I think of my friends.

2011-08-11T11:56:00.001-05:00

Proverbs has some deep things to say about friends.

I think 18:24 is a good one. I have siblings who are my friends, and friends who seem like siblings, and those kinds of friends stick. Even if you don't see or hear them every day.

"A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Prov 18:24.

Just what I'm crushing on lately.

2011-08-08T21:12:00.000-05:00

Check em out yo. If you love me you gotta love what I love, you know?

Story of My Life. (Cute cute cute.)
Cupcakes and Cashmere. (Regular check for about a year now ...)
The Daybook. (Even more cute.)
That Wife. (She has the most adorable child.)
Ruche. (Feel free to buy me anything.)
What Kate Wore. (Is it un-American to be a fan of a 'royal'?)
Eat Pray Farm. (My moms side of the family.)
Marriage Confessions. (More delectable children.)
Newell Jones and Jones. (She's my cousin ... and they are Insanely Talented.)
Etsy. (Its brilliant. If I had money I would buy things.)
Equip. (Hank Hanegraaff is in a word the Bible Answer Man. Got a question?)
Resolved2Worship. (More droolworthy pictures ... and children ...)
Pioneer Woman. (But really, who doesnt crush just a little on PW?)

Day 25 - in my bag

2011-08-06T12:59:00.000-05:00

Mmmkay. So is it the thing now to call your purse your 'bag'? This is going to be a list of all the Stuff I carry around in my bag. Woo!!

I'm listing everything except the loose receipts and gum wrappers. :P Don't judge.

-my old green billfold. I need a new one but I really want one that fits my checkbook and all the awesome ones are too skinny.

-my keys complete with gym card and student member card

-2 tickets, to a Nebraska basketball game and a College World Series game, and a doctors appointment card

-a calculator

-my SPTA nametag

-a bell from my cousins wedding

-2 chapsticks and a lip balm

-2 band-aids

-a thing of paper clips

-2 hand cleaners

-ibuprofen

-a microfiber cleaning cloth

-2 deodorants

-a body spray

-Clorox wipes

-floss

-a few bobby pins

-a few pennies

-4 cough drops

-a pen

-mp3 player and pink headphones

Annnd that is all. 5 more days of the post challenge!! Fact: I'm ready for it to be o-VER.

Notes to a guy

2011-07-21T22:53:00.002-05:00

To a certain guy ... the one I'm supposed to spend my life with someday ... sometimes I'm going to post notes to you on my blog. More so I remember them, than as a really serious future-husband love note thing.

Possibly weird, but I saw someone else doing it and it was so cute and sweet. So whenever I think of it, and if I consider it a particularly inspired thought, I will put it in post. Think of it as a set of resolutions that will likely all be broken in the 1st few weeks of being married.

:)

Here's the first one. The title is "When Washing Your Face".

You will never find yourself blindly reaching at the nylons I've hung up on the towel bar to dry. I never wear nylons. Consider yourself doubly lucky: no ladies' washing hanging around, and no foul moods from a nylon-enduring female.

Day 24 - a craving

2011-07-19T11:52:00.000-05:00

At the moment, I crave a clear nose and an un-scratchy throat.

Oh do you think it means a food craving? Or a drink craving? A person craving? This one is quite open to interpretation.

I do crave cheddar popcorn a lot. At Hyvee they sell ginormous bags of mixed cheddar, plain and caramel popcorn, and it is fantastic. In fact, yes I am craving it now.

Crave is one of those words where I type it or say it and it gets stranger every time. Crave crave crave. Why does it make me think of that poem The Raven???

Peace, awesome friends.

Day 23 - letter to parents

2011-07-13T21:15:00.000-05:00

Preface: Its hard to write letters to people you see often and know well, but underappreciate. You stop and start and give up a lot. That's why I've started this about 7 times and its been so long. I'm sorry. Sometimes I just flop, I fail, I flounder ...

Dear Mom and Dad,

Thank you for being first-rate parents. I was blessed to have you when I was little, and when I was middle-sized, and now when I am all grown up. You have done the right thing in front of me and made examples of Godly Christian people for all of us kids.

I am imperfect, as you know ... I make lots of mistakes and have so many faults, but they are the result of Me and not a reflection of you. I feel like I won't ever repay or even thank you two enough as you deserve. Mom for making all of us her primary goal by staying home and homeschooling, and Dad for leadership and security and protection. You made, and do make, a good team :)

We don't relate the same as we used to, a little girl and two wise parents ... Now we are an unwise adult and two wise ones. Thanks for forgiving so much. I am learning (I think) and having fun being an adult (finally) but I have a lifetime of growing with God ahead and often it feels like I'm regressing not progressing :) You are very patient and encouraging, but you don't oversee and overlook every little thing I do, and that is difficult I'm sure but appreciated.

Keep up the good work Mom and Dad. Maybe in a few years you will be grandpa and grandma, and then I will come to you in horror and say "Help help, my child is acting like Me!!!" And you will get to laugh a while ... and then hopefully tell me what to do :)

I love you,
Lizzy.

Day 22 - what makes me different

2011-06-15T14:22:00.001-05:00

First I just want to be all thought-provoking and say how incredibly cool it is that people ARE different. Truly. I am the queen of people watchers ... and well, I wouldnt be unless I had some variety to observe. And do I ever.

Which makes me wonder ... do people observe me? Do they think I'm ... unusual? interesting? ordinary? flighty? problematic? ... If you're reading this and you remember the first time you saw me I'd be more than interested in your first impression. Also your second and third. :)

I might be different from other people because ...

My right foot has a higher arch than my left.

Watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, other melons. I tolerate them. We are stiff acquaintances, nothing more. Only in the summer please and well-chilled.

I have had about the same haircut for a long time. It works for me or whatever. I want to change but I'm afflicted about it.

My right and left shoulders arent symmetrical. The right arm bone sits more forward than the left. But it isn't THAT noticeable.

I'm not really that creative. I feed off other peoples genius ideas, twist them a bit, and make them mine. But ... nope, just not very original. Rock on all of you artsy-fartsy types. Or I'm sunk.

Something important: I do NOT like yogurt with fruit on the bottom.

I procrastinate often.

I like taking off better than landing when I'm riding a plane.

I think I have everythingphobia. Lots of things scare me. Its silly, so I do the things. Then I find out that I probably could have done them differently and not have been scared. :P

To me, endearing names are amusing. I might not use them in everyday conversation, but still. Sugar baby. Honey bear. Sweetie pie. Cutie patootie. I'm cracking up inside. :)

There's this chapstick I found. Its called Yes to Carrots C Me Smile Lip Butter. I got it in Berry flavor and I just put some on, it is superb.

My favorite holiday is ... I can't pick. OK yes I can. It's Christmas duh me.

When I'm in a hurry, I skip eating. When I do eat, its all junky food. Like very junky. Its very silly, really. Then I lose weight and become stick-like and sickly. Fail, right? Yes. I'm trying to correct this.

I cry occasionally. Really not much though.

I am a reasonably good secret keeper. If that doesn't inspire your confidence I don't know what else will.

My mother was 24 when I was born. So was my father. I think it would be cool if I was 24 when my first kid was born. But it probably won't happen.

The month of September is like completely perfect in all ways. Its name is beautifully and intriguingly mysterious, of course because it has the word "ember" in it and also "sept" which means nine which is a very studly and fascinating number.The weather in September is freakingly awesome, as is the scenery. I was born in September. I want to get married in September. Grrr I love September.

I drink Naked ... It's a juice. Please don't be scandalized.

I'm prone to possibly excessive enthusiasm on topics that have no importance to you. You all will just have to deal.

I really love to babysit. The younger kids the better I say.

I got a speeding ticket. And I don't want another one. I had to take a spensive class plus I felt very embarrassed and ashamed, which is why I'm now putting it on my blog ...

Why do some people drink so much pop? So I like pop, but ... too much is way too much.

In my head I plan amazing outfits. But I have no clothes with which to wear them. So. I wear T shirts. The end.

I've never dressed up for Halloween. Now I don't really like Halloween as in its scariness and spookiness, ya know? Not really into scary. BUT, big but there, I would really love to dress up. Someone plan a costume party, and I will come, dressed up. Deal? Wonderful.

I take vitamins (almost) every day. I take kelp. It tastes awful if I don't get it down right away. I can take a lot of biggish pills (not yucky illegal pills you understand, the all natural stuff. forgoodnesssakes) at one time. We're talking 8 or 10 here. My mom can't even take 1. I win.

I have a few guilty pleasures. But I'm not going to share them with you.

Do you find people of the opposite coloring to you, attractive? As in being blonde and liking to look at darker people? I do.

I shall make determined efforts to stay connected with all my friends better. I don't know why I'm so reclusive lately. It is what it is, and it is ... being busy. Now its summer break for a month. So watch out, all you friends whom I haven't contacted for a long time.

I like pink and purple equally.

Thrilling = battle movie soundtracks.

The later at night I stay up, the awaker I feel. (Yes, awaker.)

When someone in my family leaves for a longish time, I hardly notice at first. There are a lot of us, you see. Then I gradually start realizing all the stuff that they usually do and we sometimes do together, or what they would say in a certain situation, and ... and ... I miss them. Come back Tim. :(

I can be ridiculous.

My favorite new online store is Ruche. Oh man. So many pretties.

No matter what mood I'm in, peaceful music is perfect. Slow ... lyrical ... introspective ... calming ... it always fits.

If I could have any pet I wanted, I would have a Great Dane. Because they are impressive and endearing at the same time somehow.

You know the 5 love languages thing ... well, mine isn't Gifts. I'm very bad at gift-giving. And probably at gift-getting too. I think mine is Quality Time. Ya know I just realized that this highlights how selfish I am. Meh. :P

I really really like names. Yes, names. As in planning what I will name my kids when I have them. It's probably quite senseless to you, but not to me, and I'm going to keep on doing it.

I am very illogical sometimes. It comes with being blonde. You may laugh, but you just need to believe me.

I cannot draw.

Having never been a terribly adventurous eater, this is a little tough, but I am FINALLY getting braver. I order things I've never had at restaurants and I find that I like them.

It is very hard for me to tell anyone "no". Unless they are in my family. Why that makes it so much easier, I can only guess is because I've lived with them a few years and I'm used to them now.

If you have read all the way to the end of this, oh my gosh. I love you. :)

Day 21 - something that makes me happy

2011-06-10T11:24:00.000-05:00

Kittens make me happy. They sleep, they eat, they learn how to pounce. They do it all with such cuteness!! Way to be awesome, kittens.

Day 20 - haha

2011-05-21T17:06:00.000-05:00

Day 20 is to be qualities I want in a future husband.

How am I supposed to ... Umm ... Well ... Let's see, to start with ... But ... What if ... !?

Oh goodness.

I want him to love God. And I want him to love me.

That would be fine, thanks.

He doesn't have to be perfect. Just the perfect match.

Day 19 - nicknames

2011-05-17T11:50:00.000-05:00

Nicknames: I've had a lot. My name just kind of invites nicknames. It welcomes them in and encourages them to make themselves at home :)

From Elizabeth the main nickname is Liz. Its the simplest. Try one syllable instead of four. :) I like it, maybe it feels the most grown up??

After Liz, Lizzy is my favorite. Lizzy is more familiar. My family and closer friends says Lizzy the most. I like it because something about two Z's in any word tickles me. Don't laugh. Think of the work buzz. Doesn't it make you feel ticklish when you say buzz and keep saying zzzz for awhile?

After Liz and Lizzy, there is a host of other nicknames that only certain people use. There is Lizzy Bear. There is Lizard. There is Tiz. There is Bizbiz. There is Tin Lizzy. There are other nicknames unrelated to the actual name Elizabeth such as Blondie and Shorty and Toothless. Some stuck a long time ... others not so long ... some are dug up from the past (like Toothless).

I like nicknames. Nicknames for the win :)

Day 18 - plans/dreams/goals

2011-05-13T16:37:00.001-05:00

Plans. Well we all know how those go sometimes. I'm one to always be making plans, even if its just for how my next hour will go. I'm not saying my hours go how I planned them, but I do put a little brainpower into it. Perhaps contrary to popular belief. :)

Dreams. I heard somewhere that everyone dreams at least 100 minutes a night, we just rarely remember it. All I know is, I had a nightmare a few nights ago. I didn't like it. It was only about the 3rd one I've ever had and it was hardcore.

Goals. One time when I was 6 I made a goal in my soccer game. I made it on the other team's end though. Fail.

Day 17 - switching lives and why

2011-04-21T21:06:00.001-05:00

Day 17 ... who would I like to trade lives with for one day and why?

A very very good question. Took me awhile to come up with an answer. I came to the conclusion that I like my own life :)

Anyways, if I could, I would switch with a young mom with lots of little kids. It would be totally super if I could switch with my own Mom AND go back in time about 15 years. That way I would be my own mom and get to see how rough it was to raise me :) As well as all my younger siblings ... lets see, at that time there were 4 of us age 7 and under... yep I definitely think that would be a good taste of young motherhood!!

... Just had a thought ... if I switched with my mom that would mean she would be me for that day ... I would be my mom's mom and she would her daughter's daughter. Ha. Is that too weird? Yes I think it is. Moving on!!

If it couldn't be Mom, then maybe a mom with multiples :) THAT my friends would be adventurous. I also considered (soon to be) Princess Kate, or Catherine I guess ... and Elisabeth Elliot ... and Condaleezza Rice ... and Eve (as in Adam's Eve) ... and ... that is all.

Carry on with your awesomeness, my friends.

Day 16 - another picture of myself

2011-04-18T14:32:00.001-05:00

Heh. It's meee. :) If you had to caption this what would you put??

Project time??

2011-04-14T10:26:00.000-05:00

This Rosette bedding from Anthropologie has been enticing me for months now.

Of course for this excess of gloriousness, there is an excess of money required. Or it wouldn't be Anthropologie. Ha. But still for months I've been wavering between the ivory and the gray versions ... just imagining ... comparing ... ivory would show dirt ... but its gorgeous ... gray is my wall color ... i love gray ... i love ivory ... ivory is my main accent color ... or gray since its my base color ... Even though I can't buy either. Silly of me huh.

Today in desperation I googled "anthropologie knock off bedding". I must not be the only one with Anthro longing and empty pockets.

For behold, a tutorial for making your own Rosette bedding!! Oh the boundless excitement. I'm not the ultimate crafty type who can make up patterns and all that ... but I'm not above using other peoples' cleverness to my advantage. :)

The last 2 pictures are of the knockoff homemade version. This lady made hers for about $30!! Win!! Now I have all kinds of ideas ... tie-dye? different fabrics? Or just keeping it understated?

I'm inspired!!

In which I babysit

2011-04-11T12:24:00.000-05:00

Day 15 - first ten songs on shuffle

2011-04-10T22:09:00.000-05:00

Well, lookit, I'm halfway through the 30 day challenge!! ... you didn't think I would make it ...

Don't hold your breath because after all, this IS only halfway. Still. I feel accomplished. I like it.

I sit here chewing on chocolate chips. Semi sweet of course, not milk chocolate :P Ew to milk chocolate. I do know this is a dangerous thing to do and very likely to become addictive. But still I chew. With many mental pledges to resist addiction. Its lateish and quiet. I like this time of night, not toooo late but not very early either.

Putting my mp3 player on shuffle and here are the first 10:

Poem of Your Life - Michael Card
Don't - Jewel
Another Dance - Pride and Prejudice
Amazing Grace - Celtic Thunder
Gonna Get There Soon - Dierks Bentley
When You Say You Love Me - Josh Groban
Lonesome Road - Crooked Still
My Eyes Have Seen Holy - Bebo Norman
Wonderful Tonight - Michael Buble
When I Survey - Kathryn Scott

Day 14 - picture of my family

2011-04-05T15:10:00.001-05:00

This is my family. They dazzle, don't they? Yes. Well at least if you aren't dazzled, you want to have 7 kids when you grow up. Because, big families are a gift.

Up to the date

2011-03-30T12:30:00.000-05:00

Bringing you the latest in the life of Liz, since it's possible some of you don't know it all yet.

Since fall 09 I had been hoping to get into the Physical Therapist Assistant program at Southeast Comm. College in Lincoln. It's the kind of thing where one gets on a waitlist and can't begin core courses until all the prerequisites are finished. So since Jan. 2010 I had been plugging away, taking college algebra and speech and medical terminology and human anatomy, and enchanting things like that. Each January they take a new class of PTA students and each class is only 24 people. According to the waitlist I wasn't getting in till at least 2012.

So my 2011 was looking a little bit long and uncertain, since I had gotten all but one of my prereqs finished. I figured I would use the time wisely and save up for when I did get in. The savings cushion I had built up was used getting my prereqs and I planned on spending quality time with the fam and all that too.

Well that lasted about 5 days into the year, and then I got a surprise call saying due to some drops and other things, there was a spot for me in the 2011 class and would I want it? Um, is that a trick question??

First quarter we had Kinesiology and Intro to Physical Therapy, and a lab for each. I died probably 30 times. It's intense stuff, lots of memorizing.

Today we started 2nd quarter and we have Pathophysiology, Therapeutic Modalities 1 with lab, and Physical Therapy Skills and Exercise 1 with lab. It'll be pretty much a full-time job.

...

It'll ALL be SO worth it come next March :) Until then, well, you'll know why I'm being so unsocial lately.

Day 13 - a letter to someone who's hurt me

2011-03-29T12:16:00.001-05:00

Uggh. I never do this. I think the following will suffice:

Dear Satan,
You are loathsome.
Sincerely, Liz

Now we have that out of the way.

Day 12 - why Blogger and a blog?

2011-03-25T23:15:00.001-05:00

Short and sweet ... I found it, I thought it was neat, I tried it. :) I can't believe that's been 4 years ago!!

Day 11 - another picture of my friends

2011-03-21T17:07:00.001-05:00

So calling my toes my friends might be stretching it a little. But I just re-painted them today, and I love them, even if the phone pic doesn't really capture the pinky orange color very well. This is my blog, I love my toenail polish, and I'm using this picture for Day 11. Sue me. :)

Hoot

2011-03-18T22:47:00.000-05:00

To find: an owl switchplate like this one from Anthropologie. I just love it. If you could have anything on your switchplates, what would it be?

Pinching

2011-03-17T22:03:00.002-05:00

It hurts.

Maybe

2011-03-12T10:57:00.000-06:00

I might put one of these up in my room. Such a spiffy idea. Headboard wall decals ftw!!

Wrought Iron Headboard wall decal by Mina Javid for Blik

Or maybe a a tree with an owl in it. I looove ooowls.

Also ... many many other wall (or floor, or ceiling ...) decals ranging from decidedly odd to flipping adorable. Lookit:

Warehouse Pendant Light wall decals

Chandelier wall decals

Lacy Doilies

Love the write up on one of the products ... "Inspired by the same things that inspired other stuff that looks like this."

:)

Day 10 - songs I listen to when ...

2011-03-10T10:33:00.000-06:00

When I'm happy: "Feeling Good" Michael Buble

When I'm sad: "You Were Meant For Me" Jewel

When I'm hyped: Pirates of the Caribbean theme

When I'm mad: "Come to Jesus" Chris Rice

How bout you all? :)

Day 09 - something I'm proud of recently

2011-03-06T17:36:00.000-06:00

Well ...

There was this one purse. It was plaid, it had dotted lining. It was mine, we had history, this purse and I.

I think I named it once, but I hardly ever remember the names I give things like that. (My car is Stinky, that one is easier.)

So I carry a lot of Stuff around in my purse, and it started ripping. I had it fixed ... I carried more Stuff ... it ripped again. See:

Besides the usual wear and tear and dirt from all the Stuff my purse had to carry around. So I thought, with due sadness, that I would keep my eyes open for a new one.

^^That's my "Holy stinking moly, folks, I found myself a PURSE!!" face.

Excitement and love!!

Slightly obsessive, but ... lookit!! Studs!! And cinching!! And it's gray, and it's leather. And it was on sale. Win win win win win.

Day 08 - short term goals for this month & why

2011-03-04T23:13:00.000-06:00

Short term goals for this month. Let's see. It's March.

Short term goal #1: Make it to March 17th which is the last day of winter quarter.

Why #1: I heart spring break!!

Short term goal #2: Keep up my grades until March 17th (keep the averages over 75% to be exact).

Why #2: I heart the idea of making it to the end of my degree program.

Short term goal #3: Do something out of the ordinary between March 17th and March 31st.

Why #3: I heart spring break ...

Day 07 - a picture of something that had the most impact on my life

2011-03-02T19:49:00.000-06:00

Well this one is a little tough. I can't think of a good picture for what I'm going to name as my most impacting thing.

I think this pencil will do nicely. It represents my life as a homeschooler :) I suppose it could represent anyone's education, really, but just looking at that picture reminds me of all those years of Mom giving dictation assignments and spelling words. Thank you Mom!! It also reminds me of the little hoarding/hiding places I had for my pencils, so sticky-fingered siblings (ha, double meaning there ... :) didn't make off with them. A treasured commodity. We used ours down to 2-inch stubs.

Homeschooling is the best, everyone. I most certainly feel grateful for my education.

Day 06 - my favorite superhero PLUS! a confession

2011-02-27T22:34:00.002-06:00

My favorite superhero is Batman, as seen above. I like Batman best because he doesn't have any superpowers :) That sounds pretty oxymoronic.

...

I have to tell you, I think I have a crush on my blog. I like updating it. I have updated more this month than I did all of last year. It must be the new look and what does THAT tell you about the depth of my affections ...

Day 05 - a picture of somewhere I've been to

2011-02-26T13:34:00.000-06:00

Jenny Lake, Grand Teton National Park. I would really love to go there again someday. Anyone with me? :)

Day 04 - a habit I wish I didn't have

2011-02-25T21:48:00.001-06:00

I am not a neat freak. I don't let my "areas" (bedroom, car) get out of control, but I will let them go until their messiness gets to a certain point. Then I go through everything, throw trash away, do laundry, sort books, whatever. By next day it's usually back to growing piles again.

I wish I didn't have this habit. I want to try and change it. This habit is going DOWN.

Cheer me on!! :)

Day 03 - a picture of me and my friends

2011-02-23T19:48:00.000-06:00

:) Me and my friends in 1996. We look a little different now, and we're still friends. And I don't think I own a single scrunchie anymore.

Most exciting!

2011-02-19T18:51:00.000-06:00

The Huskers beat #3 Texas today, and I was there!!

Proof:

It was pretty crazy. The final score was Nebraska 70-67. I danced for joy!!

Everyone danced for joy!! :)

And all Nebraska is happy. The end.

Day 02 - How my blog got its name

2011-02-18T20:05:00.003-06:00

I named my blog Becoming (howeversomany years ago ... about four I guess) having got the idea from a sweet Christine Dente song. I liked the different "fairy tale" allusions, I liked the 2 different meanings for the word becoming -- both that I am becoming in His sight, and that I become more like Him in my Christian walk.

You can hear the song online ... just google it.

These are my sidewalks
They wound around the neighborhood
Always led me straight and safely home
But now they're uneven
'Cause roots move beneath them
And time won't leave well enough alone

And I had been trying to smooth these stones
Thought I could make my way alone

I tried the whimsical, gauzy pink dresses
That spin in the wind when you twirl
But somehow the princess gown
Never did fit this girl
So I fled the garden for the tower

And I had been hiding behind these stones
Thought I'd be well enough alone

Then You came nearer
You held the mirror
I saw myself there in Your eyes

And I had been running
Still You pursued
I watched You move each heavy stone
The thorns around me tore Your skin
But You kept coming through
'Cause You won't leave well enough alone

I am becoming what I once was
The girl in the mirror of Your love
I am becoming
Your love becomes me

Day 01 - recent picture and 15 things

2011-02-16T22:54:00.001-06:00

First day of the 30 day challenge requires a recent picture and 15 interesting things about myself.

1. I was born in Norfolk, NE. (Correctly pronounced NORfork.)
2. I've never broken a bone.
3. The outside handle of my left rear car door mysteriously quit working last week.
4. I'm afraid of heights, but I enjoy riding on planes.
5. I own lots of plaid flannel shirts.
6. I alternate between liking pink or purple better. Right now purple is winning.
7. There are 9 people living in my house, and only 1 bathroom.
8. I can sort of use chopsticks.
9. I really like to throw things away.
10. I still have all my wisdom teeth.
11. My typing speed is 55 words per minute.
12. I've had braces and glasses (at the same time!)
13. One website I visit a lot is Huskerpedia
14. I love babies!!
15. My favorite number is 9.

And a picture. I think July would count as recent? This picture makes me kinda smile. My face is all sunburnt, my hands are in a funny awkward position, my hair looks like I've been camping. Not to mention the waders and the fire. :) But I like it. It brings back fine memories.

Sparkly bright freshness

2011-02-15T15:20:00.000-06:00

You see before you a revamped blog. New life. New look. Bask in it!

And tell me if you like it.

Also if you like the idea of Liz blogging again. I like both ideas, so even if y'all don't, I might just keep on anyway.

To jump-start my shiny "new" blog I think I'll do the "30 days of me" deal that seems to be making the rounds. (Credit where credit is due ... I'm officially copycatting Arlene.) 30 days of me @ first glance sounds a little egotistical. Hopefully it won't come across that way. Hopefully your first thought isn't, 30 days of Liz, yikes let's run away.

The schedule:

Day 01- A recent picture of me and 15 interesting facts about myself
Day 02- The meaning behind my blog name
Day 03- A picture of me and my friends
Day 04- A habit that I wish I didn’t have
Day 05- A picture of somewhere I've been to
Day 06- My favorite super hero and why
Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on me
Day 08- My short term goals for this month and why
Day 09- Something I'm proud of in the past few days
Day 10- Songs I listen to when I'm happy, sad, bored, hyped, mad
Day 11- Another picture of me and my friends
Day 12- How I found out about Blogger and why I made a blog
Day 13- A letter to someone who has hurt me recently
Day 14- A picture of me and my family
Day 15- Put my iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play
Day 16- Another picture of myself
Day 17- Someone I would want to switch lives with for one day and why
Day 18- Long-term plans/dreams/goals I have
Day 19- Nicknames I have and why I have them
Day 20- Qualities in someone I might marry/or spouse.
Day 21- A picture of something that makes me happy
Day 22- What makes me different from everyone else
Day 23- Something I crave a lot
Day 24- A letter to my parents
Day 25- What you might find in my bag
Day 26- What I think about my friends
Day 27- Why I am doing this 30 day challenge
Day 28- A picture of me last year and now, how have I changed since then?
Day 29- In this past month, what I have learned
Day 30- My favorite books.

I doubt they'll be posted on consecutive days, but I do want to try and complete them. A little silly? Yes. But it'll get me back in the swing of things. Win!!

liz colors

2010-11-15T11:05:00.001-06:00

liz colors by lizkbrown featuring leather boots

Just dreamin ...

2010-11-13T14:24:00.013-06:00

The guys are hard @work finishing our basement which means (hopefully) soon I will have my own room. Here's Josh with a saw.

See? Working hard.This means that I've been considering how I want my room to look once I have rights to it. So today I'm looking on expensive store sites (Anthropologie) for expensive beds and curtains and rugs ... then looking on cheapo sites for look-alikes.

Here's what I'm thinking: I love gray, black and ivory right now. Mostly gray and ivory with some black, some purple, some mustardy yellow, some silver/gold, some diamonds/pearls, some feathers/beads, some ruffles/lace, some plaid, some paisley, some houndstooth, lots of old-fashioned, a little newfangled, some tough, more girly, some of everything. But mostly gray and ivory :)

The walls are already gray. There's a hardwood floor and two big windows facing north and west. A fair size closet with ugly doors.

Like these rugs from Anthro:

Like this bedspread from Anthro:

I'd get an off-white bedskirt and sheets and pillows, some contrasting textures going on.

Not sure what I'd like for curtains yet. There is a lot of natural light so probably off-white sheers (lace?) and then beads or something. Whatever I do with the windows I hope to play off for the closet, instead of the doors.

I have a dresser, bedframe and nightstand that are just plain, kinda beat up wood ... maybe paint these off-white and sand a little. Other than these, all I'd like for furniture is a comfy chair, like the one below only in gray and ivory stripes :) and a hat tree.

For hats and scarves and such :)

The Polyvore set I put together up there is a pretty good idea of my colors. You're supposed to squinch your eyes and see all those colors/styles in a room, not just as clothes. :) I stuck in a few representative items for things I like that may make their way into the decor.

Any ideas?

Guess what day it is?

2010-09-04T13:28:00.004-05:00

If you looked at the picture and thought, oh it must be the first Nebraska football game, then you were quite right! It's so exciting!!! And how do you like my blue hair?

New

2010-06-26T11:28:00.000-05:00

Post on blog.

Meet Hollie!

2010-02-10T21:10:00.005-06:00

Trying to break the non-posting trend here ... :) Do I have any readers left?? If you're out there, there's someone I want you to meet!!

This is Hollie, busy mom of four boys under 10, and her husband Bob. (I stole this picture from her blog, but I took it for them, so I feel OK doing that ...)

Head over to Hollie's new blog and warmly welcome her to the blogging world! There are a whole lot of things ... good things ... I could say to introduce her, but you'd get to know her better on her own blog :) So I'll just say, the past few months I've had a great deal of benefit and enjoyment getting to know her as a friend. After I finish teaching her two older boys piano every week, we have conversations that range over all sorts of topics ... I can't begin to remember all we've discussed. I've gotten to babysit the boys for them on date nights, and even spent a couple nights at their place ... Busy-ness is kinda getting in the way of spending real girlfriend time, but it's refreshing to have her mature and Godly example in front of me. Just another of the ladies I want to be 'just like' when I grow up. :)

A teaser picture I stole from her blog, just so you'd want to check it out and maybe add it to your feed reader:

Yes that is a lamp shade on his head. Hollie's life is the kind that you love to hear about, but you have ever-growing admiration for her, because you think you might possibly maybe go crazy if it was you. ;) She's great about it though.

Anyway, don't be shy. Comment, befriend, follow, link to, subscribe, whatever you do to let someone know you like their blog. Because I'm sure you will.

And she didn't ask me to do this. I thought of it myself. :) Just realized that it looks like some kind of paid ad. But no, she's cool enough to deserve it.

So ...

2010-01-07T17:07:00.006-06:00

Did you all have a nice Christmas?

How about New Year's?

I can tell you one thing about my Christmas and New Year's. They were cold. Downright frigid, in fact. In early December a big blizzard ushered us into winter with, oh, about a foot or two of snow; everyone had just gotten dug out and dried off from that, when Christmas Eve brought howling wind and another 18 inches or something. It snowed for 2 straight days over Christmas with the wind blowing the whole time ... roads were closed ... people were stuck ... we were snowbound. It reminded me of The Day After Tomorrow. Ever since then, we've been happy to get over 20 degrees. We had another little snowstorm of about 4 inches just after the new year, and then yesterday we got about 5 inches, but with such high winds that it drifts high some places and blows the ground bare in others. Right now it is 3 degrees, with a wind from the northwest blowing at 26 mph gusting to 38 mph, making the wind chill a nippy -21 degrees. Tonight it'll get down to 10 below with wind chill of around 30 below.

The cold didn't dampen our spirits much. One of our uncles came down Christmas Eve and was snowbound with us 2 more nights. We had our family Christmas as usual. I was made joyful by Elizabeth Goudge books, a new camera, and the Sue Thomas FBEye dvds ... and all the fun things that somehow fit inside stockings. Mom and Dad bought a foosball table for the kids, so there have been some competitive times 'round here.

There are a few pictures, somewhere, and although they're fun for us to look at, I don't know if anyone else would really like seeing at the fam in our pajama pants, old sweatshirts and bedheads, sitting around in a half-finished house with wrapped and unwrapped presents everywhere. So just go with the picture in your head, it's probably pretty close to the truth. :)

On the 30th, of course, we watched Nebraska steamroll Arizona in the Holiday Bowl. That was awesome. On the 31st I worked and went to a New Year's Eve party for a couple hours, then was in bed by 11:30. I'm getting boring in my old age. Well, I did have to work at 6:30 the next morning. On the 3rd my good friend Hannah turned 21 and had some friends meet for supper at a super-delish restaurant in town. I had this really good salmon ... also tried someone else's duck, and someone else's squid, and someone else's teramisu, and had three kinds of creme brulee for dessert. Oo la la. Try to tell me I'm not cultured. On the 6th my brother Josh turned 12. I bought him a BB gun because of all my brothers, I think he has the least potential of harming something he's not supposed to harm, with it. Oh, and because Mom and Dad said that I could. Josh is really cute, by the way.

In other news ... classes at Southeast started yesterday. I have psychology (potentially interesting, but one to be wary of) and intermediate algebra (shouldn't be too bad, but math isn't my strong suit). It's funny to be doing school again. Today I was looking for PTA job openings, just to see what they were like. I could really get excited about being a PTA if I was sure God wanted that for me. I guess it'll come clear eventually.

In the meantime, think of me as I relive my sophomore year, factoring polynomials and trying to remember all I once knew about prime numbers.

Did you know?

2009-11-19T14:10:00.003-06:00

I've been living in a camper for 10 weeks. With my whole family. Yes, all nine of us in a camper.

It's been a long time.

BUT -- there is light at the end of the tunnel! Today I turned the faucet on, over at the new house, and hot water came out.

Hot water!

Hot water.

It was an awesome feeling. But hot water, though amazing and wonderful, is surpassed at this point by a desire for hot air as well.

By the end of today, the heating should be finished too. That will be the crowning moment and the signal for us to MOVE IN!

After that ... well, there's only the house wrap to finish, then the windows, the siding, the doors. Oh, and the basement, all 1600 square feet of it. And painting. And lighting. And floors.

This makes the third house we've lived in that required major changes. This third time has been the crowning climax, no doubt about it. We moved the house 25 miles down the road and set it on 5 acres outside the town we've lived in for 4 years. The process began in May (I think) when Mom and Dad bid on the house. Now it's a lot farther along. But there's still a lot to do.

It's fun. But it's sort of exhausting.

This picture wins.

2009-10-25T13:09:00.004-05:00

I had an unofficial contest among the few pictures I got my hands on of my summer. This one brings back the funniest memories. A warm stormy night, 2 foot deep puddles, sliding down gravelly embankments (my legs became a network of scratches), getting hit on the head with a falling pipe. All those things that great memories are made of.

Raise your hand if you don't want summer to end.

2009-08-17T10:57:00.003-05:00

My hand is high in the air.

Technically there are still over 30 days of summer left, I know. But as soon as I got back from SD, my 'outside time' went from all day, every day, down to evening walks if I'm on the ball. Now school is starting and work is picking up for the fall busy season and piano lessons are just about back to full school-year speed ... and I'm mentally protesting every other minute!

Just call me lazy. That's really what it is.

(... This is real life, Lizzy! For the rest of your life you'll be working when you don't want to ... For heaven's sakes get sort of used to it now, because in a few years you probably won't be able to contain your bitter laughter whenever someone mentions 'free time' or a 'relaxing summer' or 'vacation' ...)

Feels like home

2009-07-07T20:38:00.007-05:00

This post is really messed up. Blogger doesn't have cut and paste, so all the text I wrote for the post is down at the bottom. The pictures are in no kind of order, and don't give a good idea of our time there, but I really wanted to show a few of the faces ... so hopefully you'll enjoy them as they are. :)

We had been doing really well at getting pictures of everything while were on the rez, but then the camera got stolen. So these are all from one of the church groups that was there. :)

If you have questions, ask them in a comment -- if there are a lot I will just make another post :)

This is Rod Vaughn - head honcho at Diamond Willow Ministries.

Jerica, building a pink castle

Chauncey, an older guy who comes out to the church a lot, watching a storm come in

Heading back from the river one afternoon (this is what pretty much all the afternoons looked like ...)

Joanna and Jusdene eating lunch

Ikce Oyate Christian Center

(pronounced Ik-chay Oy-ah-tay)

Some of the 'band of brothers' ... l to r, Big Aaron, Weston, back of Hunter's head, Theron

Winter is in white and Lauren's in red ... waiting to pray before lunch

Fatman, aka Roland :) Sunning himself by the river.

Big Tongue. She loves to swim and has long toenails which scratch deep when you wrestle with her in the water.

West side of the church -- you can see the river in the distance.

Goodness sakes. Do I ever miss my kids. There's a host of brown little faces running through my thoughts right now, and pretty much always, these days. Little Dena, my 'baby' and shadow, always on my lap or riding piggyback. ("Let me get on your back" ... when my whole back and neck are aching from chicken fights that day.) Her big sister Winter who is eight going on eighteen. Lauren and Jade, sisters, and best buddies with Winter and Dena, always happy and smiling. Roland, 'fatman' (who is anything but fat), never sitting still, always in trouble somehow, but adorable. Pearl with her gap-toothed grin. Cute little Mary and hopeful Shania and love-hungry Cubby and demanding Samantha and headstrong Taylor Jo. Joanna, who fell asleep on my lap one afternoon and gave me a peaceful half-hour looking at her long eyelashes. How to even start describing the 'band of brothers' -- Theron and Hunter and Malcolm and Little Aaron and Tim and Big Aaron -- so much like younger brothers that I'm pretty much homesick for them. We decided that boys around 13 have an additional love language (beside the usual 'Quality Time', 'Gifts', 'Words of Affirmation' etc.) and it is 'Ridicule and Torment' :) ("Shut up Liz, you're being so loud" (when I haven't said a word the past 5 minutes) ... "Here Liz, hold this snake for me (or this toad, or this beetle, or this bee) ... Gosh Liz you're such a girly-girl" ...) Max and Isaac, the 8 year old inseparable brothers, with their big grins and mohawks. Shane and Robert and Wyatt and Weston, always teasing and joking around, but starting to show evidence of Christ's work in their lives. Beautiful sweet Jericha who now has my pink Huskers T-shirt and who gave me a pink plastic heart mirror to remember her by ("Do you have to leave?")

And of course, Cricket and Joe, the other two youth workers. Laura and I lived in a camper with Cricket and we called ourselves CL2. There are just too many inside jokes and fun memories to write down. How we bought 2 goldfish on our first day off together, and then they both died within a week. ("Sad day!") Big Aaron dancing while we blew bubbles for special effect. ("Starts in my toes, makes me crinkle my nose ...") Our trip down to the river on a comparatively quiet Sunday afternoon, deciding 'to lay out', only to have our peace and quiet spoiled by the 'band of brothers' splashing and Big Tongue the dog shaking sand all over us. SpongeBob Squarepants and Ice Age. Camping in Mitchell on our next day off, and roughing it so, with WiFi at the KOA and a deluxe shower house and Walmart 5 minutes away. Sliding in the mud and foot-deep rain puddles on a stormy evening, and getting hit on the head by a falling pipe.

And working. So many different jobs and projects. Making personalized mailboxes for all the phone messages for different Diamond Willow personnel. Cleaning, peeling, and braiding wild turnips. Sorting donations for the clothes rummage. Helping in the food pantry. Cleaning. Loading boxes into trailers. Doing dishes. Pulling out fence. Playing piano Sunday morning. Teaching preschoolers Sunday School. Organizing 'girl's night'. Grocery shopping. Endless picking up and taking home of kids. Endless pushing kids on swings and playing house ("You be the mom. --- Hey, Mom, let's pretend it's my birthday and you're giving me a party ... Hey Mom, what was my name again?") Making meals. Planning meals. Cleaning up yet again after all the kids have gone home.

Always watching and waiting for opportunities to talk deeper with the kids. Praying that they won't just see you as a fun person whom they can get piggyback rides from and plans fun activities and gives out free stuff. Listening while Wyatt vents about his mom's drug selling, his lonely abused childhood, his anger problems, and praying for him with a whole heart. Bearing with the ones who act up endlessly to get attention ... the ones who run off, hide, won't eat, won't participate, lie and sometimes steal. Trying to be patient while playing a never ending game of UNO or liar, or coloring ("Color with me. What picture should I color? What color should I use? Why can't I use markers? I want you to help me.") Praying for the kids as you drop them off and see the homes they are going into, the people around them. ("Oh Lord God, please protect them ... I think their grandma is drunk.") Dreading to leave as the halfway point is reached and departure day comes faster and faster. ("Why do you have to go away? Why don't you just live here?")

Thank you, Lord, for this last month. It was a blessing and a learning experience.

(And last but not least, we visited my friend Lavonne, who had the unusual experience of becoming engaged while we were there! So the last 2 days were distinctly tinged with wedding planning ... :)

'Tea' by the river ... Dena and Winter

My baby Dena with wet hair after swimming. Odds are, right after I took this, she said 'Let me get on your back'. ;)

Shane with one of the many little toads hopping around. Right after a water fight, apparently.

A sweet smile from Mary.

My next 3 weeks

2009-06-11T11:49:00.004-05:00

I'm going back to the reservation!

I can hardly wait. If you're the longsuffering type, you might want to read about last year's adventures there. It's in last summers archives somewhere and I don't have the time to find it and link to it :)

So, this Sunday the 14th I'm driving up to Atkinson to pick up Laura at CYIA and then we'll go on to the rez from there. It'll be different this time around, I'm sure. There will be new people and things aren't going to be 'just the same' as last time -- which is hard because in the back of my mind I'm wanting it to be 'just the same' as last summer's awesomeness. But I need to remember now, as always, that it's not me I should be focusing on.

If I am reminded I may remember to put up a picture post. How long has it been since I've done one of those ... I have no idea. It must be about time.

The last couple days before leaving are full of laundry, tying up loose ends, buying last-minute necessities and frantically making lists and notes so I don't forget anything that I will regret later. Pray for me. I need to not focus on myself.

Hey pretty baby

2009-05-01T20:47:00.009-05:00

Look who's here.

You see me above, doing one of my favorite things. :) She'd been asleep about 10 seconds before her mama took the picture. Look at her sleepy eyes and pink cheeks. :)

I really think I should post

2009-04-22T18:09:00.003-05:00

I have been waiting and waiting for summer. My longing has only intensified through several false springs. Today I really and truly believe that I can safely put away my fuzzies and blue sleeper (don't laugh, please, I really do have a sleeper -- with feet), never to be used again till at least December.

I need to have a project. Not a huge one, but big enough that I have to work at it for a while. I think I'm going to finally get back going on those Bible based short stories I talked about a long time ago. I can't decide which one to do first. I've made several starts on Paul's nephew, but I just can't make headway.

I am trying to reconstruct my throwing motion when I play around with my brother. He says I try to throw a curveball every time and my elbow is pinned to my ribs. All I know is that the ball goes curving high in the air but doesn't go very far. You know, I love watching baseball and everything, but the mechanics and science of sports always kind of slip past me. So I'll let you know how it goes.

My dad had emergency retinal surgery early this month. It was kind of scary/surprising but it has been a testimony of the Lord's working for my family. Thanks to all of you who knew about it and prayed. The surgeon said he could tell all the prayers had worked. And as of yesterday Dad is back at work, so that's just awesome.

One of the more enjoyable things that came out of the whole surgery/recovery process was that I got to read aloud to Dad a little. I love reading aloud. Especially Louis L'Amour, Dickens and James Herriot. :)

I can't decide whether I like butterscotch chips, or love them. Semi-sweet chocolate chips are the best, of course, but I really like butterscotch too. I really love chocolate; I can't decide if I love butterscotch, or just really like it. (In descending order, my scale of approval goes: adore, really love, love, really like, like, tolerate, dislike, really dislike, abhor.)

How do you feel about butterscotch?

California isn't paradise

2009-03-08T22:03:00.009-05:00

... And I wouldn't want to live there. But it is altogether delightful, when you get to escape there from Nebraska in late February, and spend six days with people like Emily and Ashley and the Stevens (and lots of other people whose blogs I am too lazy to find and link to). We all had a common cause: to get Kevin and Darleen safely married without mishap.

Laura and I flew out on Wednesday and were immediately and eagerly put into high wedding gear. Between Thursday and Saturday I think I got my fingers into every wedding-planning pie imaginable. Helped with the cake; cleaned; cut fruit for rehearsal dinner and reception; steamed bridal attire (including the wedding dress - yikes!!); gave decorating opinions; fixed hair (my favorite!); pinned on corsages and boutonnieres; served punch; worked behind-scenes in the kitchen; took out trash; helped clean up afterward (the girls' room looked like some mischievous imp had scattered hairpins to the four winds and deliberately tangled every curling iron cord and put everyone's property into everyone else's bags). I didn't wear heels. I think that was one of the wisest decisions I've ever made.

I am currently cameraless (thank the mysterious person who dropped it and dented the lens) and I have zero access to what few pictures my sister got. Here's one of me and Laura right before the wedding, which I mooched off of Emily. :)

And after it was over, and the loving pair had buzzed away to who-knows-where shedding balloons from their masterfully decorated car, it was time for tradition. :) Sundays are always spent at church (or very near it, as the case may be). I absconded with Sarah (love you Sarah) from choir practice and we had a lovely talk at a coffee shop. It was a nice restful day except for lacerating a couple of toes while playing frisbee barefoot (in the winter - think of it!).

On Monday, we went again to the beach at Corona del Mar (just like December 07 - see archives). It almost rained but God answers prayers -- even little hurried ones while running through sprinkles -- and it never got too bad. More frisbee and the usual volleyball and walks by the water and finding huge knives in the dark and hot dogs over a fire and some very illuminating entertainment ... a fun blessed day. Then back at the house Laura and I introduced 3 on a Couch and Signs. I think we taught them too well actually. My last time in the middle I thought I would never find the sign.

And then early on Tuesday we were searching for our scattered property and yawning and halfheartedly packing and leaving for the airport. Why did the Lord make the earth so huge?? Or couldn't He provide us with capabilities for beaming ourselves places like in Star Trek? :( Don't take me literally because I know His ways are perfect ... but I dread those goodbyes and then going thousands of miles away.

And then we arrived home late and it had snowed while we were gone and it was cold. Thank you Lord for Mom and Dad and all the kids to come home to, and a dog who won't stop barking at cats, and a closet and bathroom cabinets so I don't have to live out of a suitcase, and transmissions that go out in cars while I'm driving, and variable Nebraska weather, and a job that is sometimes a lot of fun. It's all in my life for a reason. :)

Missing Alaina

2009-02-03T20:58:00.004-06:00

God gives and God takes away. Early Sunday morning, He took away a sweet sweet friend, a new wife, a faithful daughter.

Praise God.

This is home

2009-01-26T09:08:00.004-06:00

On Thursday it was 60 degrees.

On Friday it was maybe 15.

I love Nebraska.

A day

2008-12-30T20:30:00.003-06:00

Today I woke up, made my bed, and read in Ezekiel, Acts, and Ephesians; also Tozer's The Knowledge of the Holy.

Then I accomplished the following:

(Not in chronological order.)

Ate four slices of toast and jam. Gulped down some awful tasting supplements and stuff.

Admired Lego creations of younger brothers!

Practiced piano. Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Chopin. I enjoy practicing piano ...

Cleaned the bathrooms.

Played Settlers of Catan with two of my brothers. I lost. But I played respectably.

Wrote two letters, and flexed hand for a good half hour afterward! I'm flexing now thinking about it. It took a good 3 hours to finish those.

Ate supper. Thanks Mom! :)

Baked peanut butter star cookies. On a Pampered Chef baking stone. I love!

Observed a fierce cold wind blowing outside, and stayed inside-of-doors. Considered walking out and doing battle with the elements, but did not. Even though Kira the collie was beseeching me for a walk with her big brown moochy eyes.

Chatted online with a good friend. After telling her what sort of day I had had, I realized how nice it had been. I decided to blog about it. Thusly you read a new post today. In all probability the last one I will write in 2008. :)

Six by three meme

2008-12-01T15:01:00.003-06:00

Six things I value

1- Saving grace
2 - Freedom (of faith, of speech, from fear, from sin ...)
3 - My parents and siblings
4 - Homeschooling
5 - Honest friends
6 - Cars and pickups

Six things I don't support

1. Abortion
2. The 'redefinition' of marriage
3. Affirmative action
4. Government 'controlling' the economy
5. Evolution
6. The UN

Six people I tag

Sigh ... if you're reading this and you want to fill it out, feel free ...

1863=2008

2008-11-26T12:33:00.002-06:00

The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict, while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well as the iron and coal as of our precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the imposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the divine purpose, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity, and union.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this 3d day of October, A.D. 1863, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.

Abraham Lincoln

By the President:
William H. Seward,
Secretary of State.

Joe Big Red

2008-11-26T12:06:00.004-06:00

Who else has been having a great time as a Nebraska fan this year?

I won't go into all of the "Hey, it hasn't been the perfect season, but we're moving up, gaining confidence, adore our coach and are just feeling good about everything" cliche-ness of the sportswriters. There's a lot more (a lot more) to life than football, even Nebraska football.

Before the last game of the season this weekend, though, I thought a quick post on Joe Ganz and the senior class and the crazy last few seasons is in order. Many of the seniors leaving now were recruited by the Solich staff, and have gone through a lot of change before finally coming 'full circle', as it were, back to traditions and (hopefully) toughness in Bo Pelini. It is neat to send them out on a winning note and a bowl game and (hopefully) a satisfying win over Colorado. And you can't say enough good things about Joe the quarterback -- who waited 3 years and at least 4 hot shot recruits for a chance to start -- and is now topping all the records after only a season and about a quarter-season.

Thanks for an awesome season, guys! And ... please beat the stuffing out of Colorado ... ??

Me, Hannah, and Maya

2008-11-17T21:19:00.005-06:00

See the third person in the picture? I'm excited and I can't wait for January! (I'm going to be an Adoptive Aunt, you see ... :)

My goal is God Himself

2008-11-05T20:59:00.006-06:00

My goal is God Himself, not joy, nor peace,
Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God;'
Tis His to lead me there—not mine, but His—
At any cost, dear Lord, by any road.

So faith bounds forward to its goal in God,
And love can trust her Lord to lead her there;
Upheld by Him, my soul is following hard
Till God hath full fulfilled my deepest prayer.

No matter if the way be sometimes dark,
No matter though the cost be oft-times great,
He knoweth how I best shall reach the mark,
The way that leads to Him must needs be strait.

One thing I know, I cannot say Him nay;
One thing I do, I press towards my Lord;
My God my glory here, from day to day,
And in the glory there my great Reward.

Seeds of victory

2008-10-06T12:13:00.004-05:00

I have been very blessed by Michael Card's e-mail devotions the last couple of months. While reading today's, Christ's example and the term 'radical obedience' got my attention -- obedience is something that I struggle with, on several fronts, and it is such a strange but freeing thing to think that doing the exact opposite of my own will, that which my flesh desires so much, may bring freedom and victory along with pain.

Jesus…offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one
who could save him from death, and he was heard
because of his reverent submission.
Hebrews 5:7-8 NLT

Long ago, in a garden, a great battle was lost when Adam responded to the call of God with the notion, “Not thy will, but mine be done.” In another, darker garden called Gethsemane, we see Jesus struggling with his own will over against the will of the Father. Jesus comes into the battle saying “If there is any way this cup can pass, if there is any way you can get me out of this, do it!” Knowing everything that lurks in the darkness before him, Jesus in his humanity says, “This is not what I want.” What else does “nevertheless not my will but thine be done” mean if there was not a genuine conflict between two wills, Jesus’ will and the Father’s will, there in the garden?
The first seed of the victory won on the cross of Christ was sown in the garden. That seed was the radical obedience of the Son. The term radical obedience implies not doing what you want to do but doing the last thing in the world you want to do!
-Michael Card

Currentlies and recentlies

2008-10-03T20:22:00.005-05:00

Current time: 8:23 pm

Currently wearing: Blue jeans and blue t-shirt

Currently listening: "Here With Us", Joy Williams. Not just a Christmas song!

Recently enjoyed: Homemade pizza (Friday nights and homemade pizza are a fine combination.)

Recently enjoyed II: Soccer with dad and sibs

Recently enjoyed III: The new movie Fireproof. Highly recommended.

Currently anticipating: Huskers vs. Missouri tomorrow.

Currently drinking: Water

Recent acquisition: New PT job

Recently read: Warrior Scarlet and Eagle of the Ninth, both by Rosemary Sutcliff. I really liked both of these. Not that this is unusual with Sutcliff books. Thanks, Mom and Dad ... for taking my birthday-present hint :)

Currently eating: Popcorn and cashews

Lesson (I should've learned) today: How to give in

Ecclesiastes and unEcclesiastes

2008-09-23T20:33:00.006-05:00

From my Strunk and White "Elements of Style":

"To show what happens when strong writing is deprived of its vigor, George Orwell once took a passage from the Bible and drained it of its blood ... the verse from Ecclesiastes (King James Version).

"I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

[Orwell's version] "Objective consideration of contemporary phenomena compels the conclusion that success or failure in competitive activities exhibits no tendency to be commensurate with innate capacity, but that a considerable element of the unpredictable must inevitably be taken into account."

I'm reading through Ecclesiastes for devotions these days. Also Mark and Revelation ... I think I'm enjoying Ecclesiastes best. Isn't Ecclesiastes a neat word?

Apology

2008-09-08T21:22:00.004-05:00

I'm tired of messing with it ... and my pictures and captions won't space correctly. :(

Hopefully this doesn't bother anyone else as badly as it does me. :)

A picture post.

2008-09-08T17:15:00.012-05:00

Well I decided to try and catch up a little on picture posting. This isn't an exhaustive collection, but it will hopefully serve to give a better idea of how my August went. I have a CD of pictures from New Tribes that I have barely looked at, so there may be a few more forthcoming ... but for now, these will hopefully suffice.

Oh, and thank you so much to everyone who wished me a happy birthday, one way or another! ;) I am most blessed, and still not sure how I feel about being 20.

Aug. 30th, three of us drove out to Harrison for the second time in a month for a special wedding :) Naomi Gray, whose family we've known for years, got married to Jeff Pelster.

It was so sweet ... here they are praying together after lighting their unity candle.

Wow. I have officially decided that my camera takes much better pictures outside than inside! Bekah Parkerand Laura at the reception ... which was at Ft. Robinson (one of my favorite places!)

I was able to see my friend Lavonne again, which made us both very happy.

Everyone stood around for about an hour while the food situation was straightened out and the bride and groom had pictures taken.

Our friend Kate, with Bekah. Hey Kate.

Lavonne and I, finally in line for food ...

The cute, cute couple addressing their guests.

Also cutting their cake.

The next morning early, we made a "quick trip" down to Pueblo, CO for my great-grandma's 97th birthday. Ha ... after 20 years, I'm finally realizing that in this family there simply is no such thing as a quick trip.

The second week of August, we went on vacation in western Nebraska and southwestern SD. One of our first stops was in Elsmere to visit the Hill family ... good friends of ours.

Unfortunately, the rest of these trip pictures are in reverse order. Now we've moved to the tail end of our vacation, when we spent several days camping in Custer, SD with our very good friends, the Updike family :) A little wet camping never hurt anyone ... but it took us almost the whole time to get everything kind-of dry after the first two days of on and off rain.

Hanging out.

My kindred spirit, Dawna, with my little sister Gracie.

Me.

Dawna.

We stayed at Fort Robinson again this year. Our family loves Ft Robinson!! :) It has so much history -- it was in the middle of the Indian wars (Crazy Horse died there), a Remount depot, a K9 training post, a German POW camp. We stayed in one of the old officer's adobes again. Someday I want a house just like one, with high, high ceilings and tall windows and those amazing original wood floors. And a porch all the way around.

And of course the scenery in this part of NE looks like something out of a Roy Rogers movie.

Camping in Long Pine with our friends the Parkers. It's always a lot of fun (and a lot of kids) to get together with them :) Here Bekah and Laura and I lie on tubes after lunch, with the rest of the campsite behind us.

The Parker family: l to r, Graham, Philip, Bekah, Joel, Sam, Suzanna, Mrs Parker, Emily, Mr Parker. We go waaay back.

We took tubes down Long Pine Creek. It was pretty cold, but not too bad ... pretty shallow in places ... kind of rocky ... but we (kids) decided it was a blast.

Away down the river ...

I love how our legs are all sticking out the same.

Me, Bekah, Laura ... we had fun. With all other options closed, we slept in the van and decided it wasn't too bad. We talked for a long time and I hear that Laura and Bekah kept talking for a long time after I had fallen asleep. I wonder what they talked about.

Here's a representative picture of the week I spent in PA at New Tribes' college missions course. It was a learning experience, and a lot of fun as well ... among other things, I lamed myself, helped butcher a hog, slept in a South American-style hammock during 45-degree nights, nearly sleepwalked into the forest, and (not least) had my interest in missions considerably strengthened. Anyone interested can receive my long e-mail version of the week ... but I'll spare you that here.

Laura, Grace and I ... in between watching our brothers' rockets.

I really liked this picture that I found on my camera of our friends' porch. My siblings like to ask me to use it in a moment when I'm busy and just say yes in a hurry ... sometimes I end up with 20 pictures of the same thing, and sometimes I find pretty pictures.

This year I helped again with 5-Day Clubs in the Nebraska City area. The next few pictures are of Meghann (on my team) and me playing around while we were waiting for some kids to come one afternoon.

This is Darin. These blurry pictures don't capture how sweet and serious his expressions are. Ashley and I had fun watching him at our daycare club.

In which I am reunited with my guy. :)

The group of girls that taught clubs this year. L to R: Ashley, Grace, Miranda, Lesley, me, and Laura, with Meghann in front. We had fun :) This was the third year that we've done these clubs.

So much for this picture post. After this happened last time when I titled a picture post rather extravagantly, I have adopted a more commonsense approach. :)

John 17 - Jesus prays.

2008-09-04T21:46:00.005-05:00

Jesus Prays for Himself

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said:

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.

"I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.

"I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

Jesus Prays for All Believers

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

"Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

A-Z

2008-08-27T12:08:00.005-05:00

A is for age. 19 ... turning 20 on Sept. 5 :)

B is for burger of choice. Probably just the cheeseburger from Runza. I love Runza, but they only have them in NE, KS, IA and CO.

C is for what car you drive. A '95 Buick Regal, usually.

D is for Dog's name. Kira. She's a 3 year old rough collie.

E is for essential item you use every day. Desert Essence tea tree oil facial pads.

F is for favorite tv show at the moment. None ... I did enjoy the first couple seasons of NUMB3RS though.

G is for Favorite game. Hmm. Signs is pretty fun to play with a big group. My favorite card game is probably pitch. Dutch blitz is a blast with my siblings. My favorite board game would have to be Cranium.
H is for Hometown. Nehawka, NE - pop. 200

I is for instruments you play. Piano (14 years) flute (10 years) cello (5 years)
J is for favorite juice. Pineapple juice.

K is for who you'd like to kiss. Nobody that I know of right now. :)

L is for last restaurant you ate at. Taco Bell.

M is for your favorite Muppet. My favorite what?

N is for number of piercings. Well, let's see here, there's the one in my nose, and the one on my left eyebrow, and the one in my belly button, and of course all the different ones in my ears ... ;) Um, actually, just one in each ear.

O is for overnight hospital stays. 0

P is for people you were with today. My family

Q is for what you do with your quiet time. Read the Bible and My Utmost for His Highest. Right now I'm in Proverbs, Matthew and 2 Peter.

R is for biggest regret. How quickly and how far I can wander from fellowship with Christ.

S is for status. Single.

T is for time you woke up today. 7:30 am.

U is for what you consider unique. People! :) Have you ever considered how totally wild and weird people really are?

V is for vegetable you love. Sweet corn.
W is for worst habit. My very worst? Hmm ... acting selfishly.
X is for number of x-rays you've had. I really couldn't say. Probably once a year or so at the dentist's -- I do remember having a lot done when I was in braces. :)
Y is for yummy food you ate today. Pancakes for breakfast.

Z is for zodiac sign. Virgo, I think. Not that I keep track of it at all.

Brilliante award

2008-08-27T11:33:00.004-05:00

I received this blogging award from Meredith at Striving to Serve at Home.

Thanks so much! :)

Now for 7 friends to pass it on to ... I'm going with Erica from The Life of Cowgirl E, Merrill from Bright as the Sea, Emily and I Would Rather Have Jesus, Kayla from The Song of My Soul, Alissa and Hmm Well Here I Am ;), Arlene from Ever Joyful, and Alisha from Stories of Seven.

These are some of the blogs that usually leave me smiling inside (and out) ... Thanks so much for your sweet, encouraging, enjoyable posting!

Ideas anyone?

2008-07-30T10:50:00.005-05:00

I've had a project percolating in the back of my brain for a while. I think it's about time to start making it happen. :)

A while ago I wrote two Bible-based short stories. I have been supremely disgusted with the majority of Bible-based novels available -- my two main objections being that they are too farfetched and too sensual. The sparsity of details in the actual accounts requires an author to take certain liberties, but, in my opinion, you can only go so far before you lose the credibility and real core of the story.

So, since I like to consider myself an aspiring author, I wondered how hard it would be to take one of those bare-bones stories from the Bible (fascinating in their lack of detail -- but you can so tell that men wrote the Bible!) and make it into a faithful, but rather more particular, story. I started with the story of Naaman ... the Syrian general whom Elisha healed. The account was a good one to start on, I think. It's not quite as sketchy as some others. Looking at it now, I wrote it pretty choppily and used a lot of full sentences and almost all dialogue straight from the text ... so it's not perfect.

Then, conversely, I wrote a much longer story based on a much shorter account. :) I've always liked 'discovering' interesting Bible characters that aren't as well known as, say, David and Goliath. So I wrote this one about the servant girl in 2 Samuel 17 who hid the spies. I think this part of 2 Samuel has the potential for a truly fascinating full-length historical novel, with all the different issues going on then (Absalom, etc.) Sometime I want to do that too.

So, now I have this idea of writing a collection of short stories. I would like it if they were all about the less well-known people in the Bible -- the ones you try to fill in the blanks about; who appear for a verse or two and do something heroic or say something enigmatic and then disappear again. (Or sometimes re-appear in a different book or in a genealogy, if you're in the OT!) The next story I want to write is about Paul's nephew in Acts 23, who warned him of the Jews' plot. It's really interesting to try and fit together all the details I can about him.

Who has a good obscure Bible story, or character, in mind? I need ideas!

Identity

2008-07-26T13:04:00.004-05:00

The search for recognition hinders faith. We cannot believe so long as we are concerned with the "image" we present to others. When we think in terms of "roles" for ourselves and others, instead of simply doing the task given us to do, we are thinking as the world thinks, not as God thinks. The thought of Jesus was always and only for the Father. He did what He saw the Father do. He spoke what He heard the Father say. His will was submitted to the Father's will.

"You have no love for God in you," He said to the Pharisees. "I have come accredited by my Father, and you have no welcome for me....How can you have faith so long as you receive honor from one another, and care nothing for the honor that comes from him who alone is God?" (Jn 5:42-44 NEB).

-Elisabeth Elliot

August will be ...

2008-07-25T22:12:00.003-05:00

... pretty crazy!

It's 10 pm ... a Friday night ... I'm eating pepperoni and cashews and pickles ... Mom and Dad are on their Friday night date and we kids have eaten our homemade pizza, cleaned up, put half of us to bed and are now relaxing ... today Laura and I finished up a week of teaching 5-Day Clubs (4 every day) and we are really tired.

:)

One more week of July, and then it'll be August. For the first week of August, I'll be in Pennsylvania at the NTM Wayumi course. I'll leave on the 1st and get back the 9th, barely in time to catch the tail end of our county fair (at least one ride on the tilt-a-whirl ... !) -- and then late that night we're leaving for a vacation to the Black Hills area. We moved vacation up a week because we have a wedding to get back for on the 23rd ... then we'll turn around and come right back west for a wedding in northwest Nebraska on the 30th :) And then it'll be September, my favorite month of the year ... my birthday on the 5th, the only month that's both summer and fall, the weather so nice ... Someday I want to get married in September ...

When you see so many 3-periods (...) you know I'm feeling either sleepy or random/rambling. :)

... Yep.

About a million words' worth of pictures (more or less)

2008-07-10T11:14:00.011-05:00

All right! The pictures are posted from newest to oldest, so these first few are pretty recent, while at the end they're from back in May. :) And they got rather badly mixed up in the process ... hopefully you get the big picture at least. :)

Laura and our uncle Kevin ... he was away for her graduation, so he took her out for supper last week.

This is tournament week for Phil ... Laura and I have been working concessions almost every day. Here's a candid shot of some of his teammates ...

... and of me, waiting for the game to start ...

Laura, Tim, Phil and I like exploring one of the state parks near here. Tim took this picture while we were hiking ... It's the strangest thing, but lately Laura and I have started wearing the same clothes. We don't talk about it or anything, we just get up in the morning and put on the same t-shirt :)

Tim's into these staring, unsmiling self-photos right now.

OK -- now for what few pictures I have of our SD trip!

Here's me with 3 of our little girls ... l to r, Kiley, me, Dena and Rhiannon. Less than glamorous of me, but you can't help falling in love with the girls, can you? :)

Blurry, but all I have: the DMW/Ikce Oyate building, and tepee.

Hannah Vaughn, one hot afternoon, hanging out in our camper with a puppy we had found that day. During the mornings we usually worked somewhere on the Diamond Willow property (in the kitchen, etc.) and then the afternoons we spent with the Native kids, one way or the other. We had been in swimming this particular day :)

A candid shot of Cubby playing Uno. We had Cubby with us a lot -- she has kind of a mild form of fetal alchohol syndrome, but is a special little girl.

The girls eating all our food. :)

One of the football games we played with the Vaughns and a couple of other DMW people. This picture shows how pretty it is there, near the lake with the hills and everything looking green from all the rain :)

Some of our girls hanging out at the church.

This is Taylor. She was a live wire and a quite a handful, but too cute to get mad at. :) Taylor and her friend Winyan were my little ping-pong partners.

This is Rhiannon ... one of the girls that we spent a lot of time with. She was so sweet.

Yes, that's a baby deer! Someone found it by the road and somehow we were delegated deer-sitters for a night. It was so cute ... and all it wanted to do was climb things ... couches, chairs, beds. I never knew that about deer :)

Hannah and I looking like ringwraiths. It's really fun to turn off all the lights and take pictures with the flash ... you never know what you're going to get! I have a lot of really crazy pictures from those flash-in-the-dark sessions ... but nothing would induce me to put them online ... they would make good blackmail pictures. :)

Laura and I laughing about something. :) We had a couple of fun crazy nights with Hannah in our camper. One night was very stormy and the only radio station we could find was playing kind of a spooky jazz. It made us jumpy and squeaky. At least, it made me jumpy and squeaky.

I really regret not remembering to take more pictures while were at Diamond Willow. Of course, my forgetting to bring the charger didn't help, but still ... I could have gotten a lot more pictures than I did. :) Next time, I will really have to make up for it.

A bea-u-tiful sunrise. One nice thing about all the cloudy rainy days we've had -- sunsets and sunrises are prettier with clouds!

Phil and I after seeing Prince Caspian for the first time. I really enjoyed it! It was fun seeing it with my brother ... we set the camera on a door handle for this picture :)

Here are some pictures from Laura's senior trip to Michigan and Mackinac Island. I didn't take them ... somehow she talked me into letting her take my camera :)

Laura and our friend Beth Stockman ... I think they had a lot of fun. Beth and Laura and I have had some pretty fun times together.

From here on down are pictures from Laura's graduation party in mid-May. I didn't get any pictures of the ceremony, although I would've liked to (it was really nice!)

My grandparents look cute even when they're eating! ;)

A new Vera Bradley!

All kinds of pink and brown ...

Me and Miranda. I assume we're looking at Laura's accumulated cards and gifts here.

A picture of me holding my little cousin Claire at my cousin's graduation. :) Yes, it's out of order.

A collage of pictures of Laura and friends. Top 3: Laura and Marie, Laura and Catherine, Laura and Lakota. Middle 3: Katie, Laura, and Elizabeth, Miranda and Laura, and Elizabeth M. and Laura. Bottom 3: cousin Megan and Laura (graduated the same year!), Laura and Holly, Marie and Laura.

Big sisto and little sisto :) Laura called me 'sisto' back when she couldn't say her 'r's properly.

I thought her cake turned out very sweet-looking. ('Sweet' has more than one meaning, you know.)

And ... so ends a most messed-up picture post :) I didn't get any pictures of our fun weekend on my friend's ranch ... and the pictures that I do have are so out-of-order that I debated whether to put them up or not, but oh well. I'm really sorry if I confused you ... but hey, at least they're on here!

If anyone has more questions about Diamond Willow, etc. I'm all ready to answer -- it's one of my new favorite topics. ;)