December

I was looking back over my calendar for the month of December and noticed something. So far, every day of December, I have had something written in on my calendar that I had to do. Today is the 13th, so that is 13 days in a row that I have had something going on. I'm tired. :)
As Christmas approaches, I'm reminded just how blessed I am. Eric and I are still waiting to hear on a job, but God has not failed us at all. He has provided for us in many ways, ways I cannot count. And I'm going to be a Mom! What more blessing could I ask for????? I have a wonderful family - both sides - and will get to spend the holidays with both.
Most years I am anxiously waiting for Christmas to get here, only to regret wishing the time away once it's gone. This year, I'm trying to just take each day and enjoy it - enjoy the season and why we even celebrate this holiday.
Merry Christmas!

Me in All My Weird Glory

I've been tagged by Julie to list six weird things about myself. I'm not sure she knew what she was getting into when she asked that. :)

1. Even though I love sleep and hate getting up in the morning, I still wake up almost a half hour before I have to so that I don't have to rush at all in the morning. I'm usually ready and sitting around waiting til it's time to leave. Dumb, I know.

2. When I eat Cap'n Crunch w/ Berries cereal, I always eat all the berries first. I don't really like them, so I save the rest for last.

3. I have a bad habit of never folding laundry. I will get it washed and dried, and then leave it set in baskets for weeks, until I run out of baskets.

4. Rarely does a day go by that I don't talk to someone on the phone on my way home from work. I get bored while driving and have to talk to someone. I guess it's the big mouth factor. :)

5. I really can't stand for my food to mix on my plate. I don't like mixed flavors, and as much as people tell me that it all mixes in my stomach anyway, my taste buds are not in my stomach!!!

6. I will not eat most vegetables. I don't like the texture of most, and the taste of others. Including lettuce. And I'm not a big fan of condiments. Give me barbecue sauce, and that's about it. No mayo, no ketchup, no mustard.

Now you know how truly weird I am. I'm tagging Meri, Meggie Poo, and Roommate!

Rivalries

Today is the one day of the year we get to wear unprofessional clothes to work. I'm in tennis shoes y'all! :) The rivalry is rampant here in our office. I am thoroughly shocked at how mean people are getting over a slight disagreement in loyalties over a GAME. The front office is a war zone, and I think it's going a little too far. I mean, come on. We're picking sides over watching 20 year olds go ram into each other, hop up, and do it again. They are still kids!! Life will go on whether "my team" wins or loses. The world will not end, and those kids will go back to class. Heaven forbid someone not like the same team. That's like getting offended and bent out of shape if someone doesn't like the same kind of pizza!! I will never speak to them again if they don't like sausage and hate green peppers. Sounds ridiculous doesn't it! That's because IT IS!
On that note, Go Bucks! :)

God's Timing

Rejoice in the Lord always! I will say it again, rejoice! I can't even tell you how hard that is at times. This past two months have been really difficult, and I can honestly say that there have been times I have not been rejoicing. Eric and I have really struggled with wanting to understand and to have answers while trying to be patient and to know that God is in complete control of this whole situation. God has a plan for us, and His timing is perfect. As much as I am ready for results, I have to keep believing that I can rejoice because God's best for us is yet to come.
We want to be open for anything He has for us, whether that be here or somewhere else. We don't know what will come, but it sure will be great!

Fair Time!

If you happen to frequent the Williams County Fair, come see me. I will be working in a booth in the merchants building, and would love to have you stop by! :) I'll be there quite a bit this week, so it will either be a quick week or a very long week!

The Town Park

Our yard is now the town park, I think. The last few nights when we get home from work, there have been at least 10 kids playing in our big yard. It's crazy. I really don't mind, as long as they are respectful of us and don't leave trash, etc. For now, it's going well. :)
Ever since Eric got to know some of the boys from town, this one kid has a radar that senses the minute we get home. Every day within 15 minutes of us arriving home, he's outside on his bike wanting to hang with Eric. I don't mind much, but it would be ok if it didn't happen every night. Last night they were yelling at our open windows for Eric to come out and play. :) We eat outside on our porch frequently, and our neighbor girl has decided she can just come on the porch when we're out there. :) She's a cutie, but I felt a little like a fish in an aquarium with all the kids watching us eat.
I'm amazed at how kids behave these days. Eric and I are pretty sure that someone climbed his parents' fence to get into the pool area. The beach ball they have was outside the fence, and none of us know how it got there. I think Max and Karen are a little frustrated that when they allow the kids to use their yard for basketball, they suddenly think it's a free-for-all. Countless bottles and balls and shirts are just left in the driveway. One little girl was walking around town last night and stopped at their house and asked to use the rest room. She left quite a stinker! I don't think I could have ever done that as a kid!

A Camping We Will Go

This weekend is the third annual camping trip for Eric and I. Each year we go tent camping with three other couples (this year it will only be two) and rough it for the weekend. We're crossing our fingers for sunshine, since both previous years it has rained all weekend. We've changed the location from Pokagon to Mohican State Park, so maybe that will be good luck. We plan on canoeing and bike riding, that is, if we can figure out how to get our bikes strapped to the top of the Trailblazer. :)
It will be a bit bittersweet however. Mom and Dad planned a reception for my sister Julie and Mike for this weekend here in Ohio since quite a few people couldn't get out to San Diego. They will fly in on Friday and leave on Sunday, so Eric and I will miss them completely! What bad timing! It will be a little hard knowing that my whole family is together not a mile from my house and I won't get to be there with them.

Summer Weekends

What a great weekend! Friday Eric subbed on a softball team, so the faithful wife went along to watch. It was a fun game, even if they did lose. Saturday I got to go to Lima to see a college friend and spent most of the day with her. I hadn't seen Rachael in a long time, and it was good to catch up! Saturday evening we had friends over to play sand volleyball.
Sunday. Wow, I'm sleepy after Sunday. :) After church, we headed up to some friends' lake for a church small group get-together. It was a full afternoon of boating, skiing, tubing, water volleyball, and getting baked in the sun. We got home a little before 10. We had such a blast getting to know some people better and making memories with all our friends. I think the funniest thing I've witnessed in a long time is Lydia Sattler playing volleyball in waders! Hilarious. :)
Makes it kind of hard to want to go to work on Monday.......

They Finally Got Hitched!

My sister Julie got married last Friday. It was a beautiful wedding, in the perfect location. We flew out to San Diego on Wednesday. After inheriting the nickname Smoky, Megan getting the nickname Crash, and several other mishaps, the wedding went smoothly. The singing went smoothly even though the mikes didn't really do much, and I think most couldn't hear very well.
Eric golfed very well. I'm really glad he got to go on that outing. He says the next time we go out, he and Mike will go to two different courses a day. Which is fine with me if Julie and I get to shop while they are golfing! :)
Saturday we got to spend relaxing on the beach. My parents had gotten a hotel room with a balcony overlooking the ocean. It was absolutely breathtaking! We spent most of Saturday in the ocean or laying on the beach. Saturday evening we walked to a Padres game (which is only 13 blocks from Julie's place). Eric and I had a lot of fun at that! We walked back home from downtown eating ice cream from Ghirardelli's.
I would go back in a heartbeat. I have many more stories to tell about homeless people, flights, and other things, so if you're curious, feel free to ask! :)

June's Half Over????

Life has become incredibly busy lately. I haven't mentioned it, but I started my own home-based business in March. I go to several trainings, attempt to make some money (I'm not a very good salesperson just yet), and the months pass very quickly. This week has been crazy. Eric umpired on Monday, Tuesday was church league softball, last night was a double header for industrial league, and there is another game tomorrow night. He's umpiring again on Saturday as well. I'll be very ready for the trip to San Diego. Less than two weeks to go!

I Survived

Chicago is quite the city. Add six women, a James, and you've got yourself one crazy bachelorette party! My sister Julie decided to have her par-tay in Chicago, so on Friday, Stefani and I made the LONG commute to Chicago. Wouldn't have been nearly as bad if we didn't hit construction, rush hour, and two accidents all at the same time.
I really enjoyed the trip, seeing my sister and hanging with her friends, however, I'm realizing very much that I'm NOT a city girl. I was ready to be home. Chicago for a day is great, but there's nothing like coming back home to my wonderful husband!
If you'd like more details, just ask me some time! I have lots of great stories, and some good pictures too.

Play Ball!

Softball season has begun again. Eric's first church league game was this past Tuesday, and it must be said that the other team didn't have a chance. Take that Wesley! :) I hadn't realized how much I missed watching Eric play and hanging out with the other "Softball Wives." I'm looking forward to the summer and evenings filled with games, good conversation, and fun. Let the season begin!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Wow, it's almost May already. This year is flying by! May is going to be a busy month for us. My sister graduates in Missouri on the 14th, so we're going out that weekend. The next weekend is Julie's bachelorette party in Chicago, which will be crazy! I have to come back Saturday night to spend Sunday with my wonderful husband for our second anniversary. And the next weekend there is a good possibility that I will be going back to Chillicothe, Ohio for another Arbonne event. I'm really excited about Arbonne, and my business is starting to actually take off! Being busy every weekend though might get a little draining. Oh well. Two of those will be with family, so I'm really looking forward to it.

I spent this past weekend visiting two college friends. It sure was good to see them again and meet the one's little six month old son. What a cutie! I fully realized just how much I don't do well at keeping in contact with people from college. All my closest friends are very spread out, so it's a little harder to see them. But it sure is good when I do!

What a gift!

Birthday money sure is nice. :)
I have not been shopping in a very long time, and was in desperate need of some new clothes, since I have gone all winter without a pair of kakhi pants. And in an relaxed office setting like mine, they are a must. So this year, I got money for clothes for my birthday. This past Saturday, my sister and I headed to the outlet malls in Fremont. I think I hit the jackpot. I scored kakhis, a pair of brown dress pants and a pair of jeans, a mock tweed skirt, and eight shirts for not very much money at all. Maurices was having a buy one get one free sale. I've been wearing new clothes all week, and it sure does feel good! :)

Hurray for Spring!

Today is a beautiful day! Yesterday was great, not too cool, and the sun shining. Today is another one. Praise the Lord for the promise of Spring! It is a day like today that gets me excited about being outdoors and actually makes me want to work out. Funny, I rarely get the urge to work out, but when I do, look out! If you drive through Kunkle this evening and see some poor schmuck attempting to run, pick me up. Even though I'm not a runner, I sometimes fool myself into thinking that I could be.

This is Why Mugsy is Not Allowed in my Bed!

I despise colds. I have had a nasty sinus cold since Sunday. Coughing, sneezing, runny, stuffy nose, it's miserable. I've slept on the couch for the last two nights to try to help me breath better. Last night, Mugsy decided to sleep with me. Ugh. He snuggled down between my side and the couch. Midway through the night, he decided that wasn't comfortable anymore and started digging at the couch to try to push himself out of the crack onto my stomach. It didn't work. It only succeeded in waking me up. Finally, I was ready for him not to be beside me, so I picked him up and laid him on my stomach. He stretched out until his bottom was still on my stomach, the rest stretched down my legs. It was pretty funny. By morning, he was curled up at my feet. He's the cutest thing! Even if it did keep me awake. :)

Success!

I tell you what, I don't know when the last time I was around that much estrogen. The lock-in was quite the success, in my opinion. We had 24 girls show up, plus 7 adults. I really feel like there we at least a few who took our sessions to heart and plan on making some changes in their lives. We didn't have a single girl fight, no crying, and only one girl got lost. Ask me more later. :) We even bonded over TPing our youth pastor's house. God really provided patient hearts in the leaders and willing spirits in the girls. Keep praying for all that attended. And if you would like to see a few pictures, feel free to look at Julie's blog. I really need to get myself a digital camera, or at least remember to take my "old-fashioned" one! :)

Another Lock-in????

Let's see. What's going on with me? Not much. :) I will be helping with the overnight thing for the junior/senior high girls next weekend. We hope that it goes well! Two lock-ins in a little over a month could drive me over the edge. :) I'm excited about it though. I really hope the girls take away something from this besides just good memories of fun times. I hope they walk away with a new perspective on the woman that God wants them to be. Pray for open hearts and open minds of these young women.

Show, Not Tell

I am really into the study our small group is doing right now. It's a study of the Song of Solomon by Tommy Nelson. If you haven't seen this video series, I highly recommend it. Our group met last night, and although we had limited numbers, I thought it was a very great study. I find that I am severely lacking when it comes to showing my husband how much I love him. I take a lot of the things that he does for me for granted, and I need to work very hard to change that. How many times has he done the dishes and swept the floor for me, and I just expect it now? That's not the way it should be. He is my best friend, yet sometimes I think he gets the worst of me. I don't do that to my other friends. This is my challenge to myself: start being a better wife and show instead of assume that he knows that I love him.

Weekend

This is going to be one big weekend. Eric and I are having a lock-in for the Junior high on Friday night. I've been baking my head off for this. We have two other chaperones, however I am the only female adult. That means that I will basically be the only one that can help out if there are any female problems. So no sleep for me. :)
Parents are to pick up their kids on Saturday morning at 8:00. We'll see if that happens. After that, I will be going home to sleep for a couple hours, then going to Toledo to try on bridesmaid dresses. That's right, Julie finally decided on a designer, a color, and all that. After about fifteen different ideas, each seemed like the final one, she has decided on something completely different. I'm looking at these two in Tahitian, which is a very pretty color.
This one
and this one.
Hopefully I won't fall asleep on the way to Toledo. :)
Sunday will finally be my day of REST!!!

Praise the Lord!

Eric got a job! He will be starting work on Monday the 6th for Penrod & George. Yes, that might sound familiar. This is the accounting firm he started out of college with. They have taken him back as an employee, however, he will be working out of the Napoleon office. That will be quite the drive for him, but I think we are both just happy that he has a job. He knows the work and doesn't mind the work. Praise the Lord for answering prayer!
Today, however, he is home sick. All night long he kept waking up sick to his stomach. Pray that he heals quickly and that it is not passed on in the house. :)

Pause

I feel like all I talk about right now is Eric's job situation, so I'm sorry if you're tired of hearing about it. Eric has had a couple of things come up that have given us a lot of hope. However every time we start to feel like God is going to answer our prayers, something else happens that leaves him still unemployed. It feels like our lives are on pause right now and we have to just sit and wait for God to hit the play button so we can continue. That's really hard. Life just seems to go on around us. I think the hardest part is knowing just how miserable Eric is. He is very much a doer. He doesn't like to sit around doing nothing. He works hard, and likes to work. This sitting at home crap is killing him. But what can we do? Nothing. I want to shake someone and point out just what they are missing by not hiring Eric. What does he not have that others do that make them so much more desireable as an employee? Why doesn't anyone else see him for the great person that I do? I know I'm a little biased, but I don't think I'm that far off.

HELP!!

I get to pick out my own style of dress for my sister's wedding. Yay! However, that means I have to decide, which I don't do well. So I'm taking a poll. Help me pick a dress! :)

Choice 1
This one

Choice 2
Or this one

Choice 3
This one in cocktail length (just below the knee)

Choice 4
This one

Or any other from the alfred angelo website. Her color is going to be burnt orange, and she says she doesn't want us to look like we're wearing bridesmaid dresses. The reception is on the beach, so she wants the shorter length. Any advice you have is great! Thanks!