Kevin and I were at Wendy's the other night when a semi-scruffy-looking young man walked in. On his back, he had a backpack, and sticking out of the backpack was a similarly-scruffy-looking white puppy. It was a cute sight. The dog was just chillin', and the man seemed pleasant enough. He walked up to the counter, and was informed that he couldn't be a patron, even at just the counter, with a puppy in tow. Understanding, he turned and headed out the side door.
At the table behind us were seated a young man looking to be around 13 or 14 with his dad, having dinner. As we watched, the boy jumped up and ran out the door after the guy who had so recently exited. It was all we could do not to stare in appreciative amazement as the boy offered to buy anything the guy wanted for him. His request was simple: two cheeseburgers. They threw in a drink, too. When the guy popped his head in the door to thank the boy's father for the food, the dad offered up the change from the $10 that had been used to buy the meal.
At the table on our opposite side that evening at Wendy's sat a young lady, probably 10 or 11, with her dad, out for a Friday night date night. We again marveled as we listened to them chatting, about nothing in particular, laughing and enjoying one another's company.
Today, at church, half way through the song set, I watched as a son of one of the larger families in the church, arrived, and scooted in to fill his seat on his family's allotted row. He's the fifth child of a family of nine, near 19 or 20. As he shuffled on a chair behind his mom, she turned to greet him, and he greeted her with a kiss on the cheek.
All are examples of children, willing to go against what is popular, "cool," or trendy to both honor their parents and honor and serve those around them. They have each been wonderful reminders that not every child is a texting addict, unable to have a real conversation with a living, breathing, person in front of them. And, personally, I think that's cool.
So, the other day, we were sitting in the living room, and up flew a hummingbird. He flew to our porch, hovered for a few seconds, and off he went to conquer another day. Not one to let a great opportunity like that get away, I immediately (well, almost immediately) skittered out and purchased a hummingbird feeder. My hopes were slim that we'd actually attract something, but, boy, have we ever!
Needless to say, the nectar I mix more often than not attracts more than just hummingbirds... And, as yet, I have not gotten a picture of the guys at the actual feeder--they're just too fast! But I did get a picture of this one. He seems to rule the roost. They're very territorial animals, and so we're constantly watching as no less than four of them war over our one feeder. I'm thinking it's time to invest in another one, huh?
Isn't he cute? And, well, we've still got our own bird to contend with. He seems to be getting over his adolescent stage, as he's developed a habit of sitting on the back of the couch and nibbling at our hair, fluttering from perch to perch, or helping Kevin with his work. :) Last, we're still on track to run our 5k. Though a weekend getaway a couple weekends ago put us off schedule a bit in our training, we did run 25 minutes straight on Cedar Bluff this morning. It's quite the humbling experience knowing that the people in their cars are probably laughing at me as I scuttle along down the street. Kevin is much more impressive in his running. :) We're scheduled for an October 2nd 5k run through downtown Knoxville. Should be fun! :)
It's definitely been one of those months. After we got back from Europe, it took roughly two solid weeks for me to even feel like my body, mind, and soul had all landed on the same continent. For the weekends of those two weeks, we had company. Briley Hooper once again travailed the mountains of East Tennessee to visit us with Eva--always good times there! And, second, my very own father drove down our new car! But that's kind of a fun story...
When my parents moved to PA, they soon realized that a car without four-wheel drive would not bode well for its driver during the snow-covered winters of New England. They began shopping around for just such a car. In the meantime, Kevin and I had fully planned to drive both our cars (his a '93, mine a '99) until their wheels fall off. My parents then approached us with a proposition--sell our Nissan and buy their '06 Toyota Corolla. In a wonderful turn of events, we sold our Nissan to a dear friend of ours whose sister (who was her ride) just got married. We then purchased my parents car, and Dad drove it down just a few weeks ago.
Drives like a dream! We haven't, however, found a good name for it yet. Any suggestions? :) In other news, our porch garden is just trucking right along. I must admit, I was a bit surprised that if I left what I thought were green peppers on the pepper plant long enough, they turned red. Is that normal? In any case, the tomatoes have been absolutely scrumptious! Inject random comic relief here: So, as stated in previous blog post, I returned from Europe with a renewed commitment to keeping our lives simple and clutter-free. It's quite the process--have you ever noticed how stuff just seems to develop a life of its own and multiply? Yeah, I know, that's a lame excuse. In reality, we bring stuff in and it only controls us to the level that we allow it.
In all seriousness, I'm learning a lot about appropriate levels of sentimentality. What is it that is truly irreplaceable and should not be given away and what can I take a minute and realize that if it was out of my house, I'd probably never even remember that I once owned it? It's a very fine line, and it takes diligence, structure, resolve, and most of all, the realization that, at the end of the day, it is just stuff.
Where is this mini-rant going? Well, we've got a fabulous guest room/study/piano room that I love having. The problem is that the closet therein had become a bit of a junk closet, something I told Kevin upon moving in that I wanted to avoid at all costs. It wasn't purposeful; it just happened bit by bit, box by box, file by file.
So, last night, around 9:30 at night, we did it. Together, Kevin and I cleared out the entirety of said closet's contents. We have a big bag of trash, two boxes ready for Goodwill, several items ready to be donated or sold on Craigslist, and lots of wonderful, beautiful space of nothingness!
Ladies and Gentlemen, I present our closet! I love it! Now, that that's done, we're moving on to the desk....
Lest you be concerned that all we've been doing is buying, gardening, and cleaning, we're also training for a 5k! I know, for those of you who run and exercise regularly out there, that's not that impressive (what's a wimpy 3 miles!?). But for us this is big news! We're two weeks into our training, and it's just starting to get to the point where I'm sorta kinda looking forward to it. :) The run is sometime this fall, probably October, and we have several others who have said they'd come out and run with us. Should be fun!
So, that's life in a nutshell. The highs, the lows, the plateaus. :)
When I was little, my mother converted a giant tire filled with sand that had worn out its welcome as a sandbox into a circular garden in San Antonio. The only thing I actually remember being grown there was banana peppers, but I'm sure I'm missing something. There were probably tomatoes and other varieties of vegetation. It was fun.
Well, folks, we don't have a tire. We don't have any dirt. Heck, we don't even have a yard!
But we do have a porch, some pots, and I did invest in a bit o' soil.
Aaaaannnddddd.....
Voila! It started with just one little Tomato plant, but he seemed lonely. So, we added.
This is Cilantro (left) and Sweet Bell Pepper (right).
And, imagine my surprise when I was watering the other day, and actually noticed this little guy just hanging around. I guess I underestimated my ability to actually grow plants that produced something!Stuffed peppers, anyone!?
Admittedly the rhyme needs work. However, while Kevin was in Gettysburg last week (I guess the prompt posting needs some work, too), I set to work. Along with our newly-acquired piano (which has already given me hours of enjoyment), I've decided to take up painting. For my first project, I tried a paint-by-gray-scale (instead of paint-by-number). It wasn't super impressive, so it will probably eventually go to meet its maker in a landfill of some sort (shh! Don't tell Al Gore--who will incidentally be at UT next week for an honorary degree...).
What I did learn, though, is that I'm pretty good at the abstract. Forget still life; abstract is where it's at! So, after several laborious hours that produced a thoroughly disappointing attempt at a masterpiece (the packaging lied!), I set my mind free and this is what I came up with:
(the one on the top) You like? I do, too. :)
Then, I proceeded to my second attempt at abstract, which I like, but I'm not crazy about. It does make a nice, whimsical entry-way piece (complete with monogrammed letters spray painted by yours truly).
Last, I took my liking for the colors black and khaki, my talent of spray painting, and combined them on a third, larger canvas and came up with this: And speaking of dreaming, I've got some to do pretty soon! :)
G'night!
P.S. If you're wondering where the produce of my rhyme is, I'll get around to it eventually. The pictures aren't loading properly and I don't have the patience to wait for them to.
Only because I'm so incredibly excited am I blogging about this now. (and because Kevin is currently experimenting with said new toy :). But what could it be? Well, recently, I started really, really, REALLY missing my piano. See, when we moved into our apartment, we agreed that both the weight of the piano and the noise it would cause for the neighbors meant it was probably best left at Mom and Dad Fowler's. :( And, though I appreciated the times when I was able to play it when we visited there, it just wasn't satisfying my music craving.
When I brought up the idea to Kevin, he agreed that I should look into digital piano options. They have weighted keys, so they feel much more like a real piano, but they also have volume control (which I'm sure the neighbors would be grateful for).
I shopped online, shopped in-store, and after trying out a couple, I found one I liked that was within our price range. And though I will admit, if felt a little strange to be assembling a piano, it went off relatively without a hitch.A mere one hour later, we are able to present to you our Piano. And, here's to many more evenings that look like this: :)
We have a porch. It's tiny, and it's one floor up, but it's ours and recently, I've taken a great liking to decorating it. Last spring, my flower experiment was a failure (completely!), but I'm not letting that get me down. We're trying again--this time with some easier flowers.
Aren't they pretty? We've also got a white annual, but it doesn't have as many buds yet. Here's hoping a little water and lots of sunshine is sufficient to sustain these little guy, because my thumb is as far from green as can get.And.....
I've got a tomato plant! Yay! Again lack of green-thumbness may mean we get no maters, but we're giving it a shot. Everything I've read says that tomatoes are fairly foolproof gardening. :) AND...
Since the weather's been absolutely lovely, we've been frequenting our newly-flowered porch. And what better way to frequent it than to take along a game we both loved when we were younger? We played late into the night, as you can see from the lack of sunlight behind me. We did have to decipher, change, and compromise with some of the house rules that we're used to. :) Hope you're enjoying the spring weather in ways that are special to you! :)
While we're in fierce disagreement that owning a pet (dog, cat, bird, lizard...) is good "practice" for raising a child one day, I will admit that it is fun to have a little life around that we care for. His name is Optimus, and we brought to our home in the midst of a harrowing hail/thunder/lightning storm (and he consequently didn't move from his perch for 3 days afterward).
As we fast approach his one-year anniversary of being with us, I thought I'd give some glimpses into a day in the life of Optimus J. Prime. For starters, this is the face that greets me every morning, as I remove the towel covering his cage. Though he isn't really a morning bird, sometimes I can still get one or two chirps out of him before I leave for work.
Upon returning from work, we always try to greet him and ask how his day has been. For the most part, his days consist of water, play toys, and oatmeal (never knew this, but parakeets can eat a wide variety of human food, and this one can suck down plain, uncooked oatmeal like there's no tomorrow!). In the evenings, we try to spend quality time with him. He's developing quite a love for technology. As his wings have grown back, and he's been able to fly around and explore the apartment, he's made quite a few "friends" out of his reflections in various fixtures around our house. His favorite we've named Charlie, who resides in the ceiling fan of our dining room. He also took quite a liking to his shadow recently as the sun streamed in. It's not uncommon that we catch Optimus stretching his wings (pun intended) and attempting to add new skills to his already well-rounded set of skills like biting the hand that feeds him and playing with the food on his plate--er, dish. Today, we caught him perched (another pun intended) precariously. While I don't think he appreciated our laughter at his expense, I must give him props--I couldn't stand successfully with one foot on a ladder and another on a swing! And while he can't talk, he does sing quite well. We've found the best way to encourage this singing is to play music he's fond of. Caedmon's Call and Casting Crowns are among his favorite bands to sing to.
And, finally, we've learned that though he can't vocalize his contentment, he can show us in other ways that he's happy. For example, when he puffs up and stands on one leg, he's showing us that he's happy right where he's at. :) See that little pink dot beneath his wing? That's one claw that he's curled under. So, here's to another year with our little budgie! :)
Growing up, I had bangs that started at the base of my skull and ran all the way to my eyelashes. I don't begrudge my mother this--after all, it was the 80's, and, well, mile-high hair was in (as were Vanilla Ice and Jammers, but let's just not go there).
When I hit middle school, I decided that bangs were for little girls, and I would grow mine out! I held onto that bangs-are-for-little-girls mentality until recently, when I noticed they were starting to make a come-back (along with pink eye shadow and fluorescent tights, but we'll leave those to another day). For a while, my mom's been telling me for a while that I need to cover up my forehead because nobody should be subjected to that much white, which are not her exact words, but I'm good at deducing.
So, while down at the Fowler's today, I petitioned a hair cut out of my mother-in-law, bangs and all! As she's never cut my hair before, I think she was a bit nervous (probably because Kevin told her I'd never speak to her again if she messed up, which is not true--it would only be a week at most).
But we needn't have worried--she did a marvelous job!
So, here's my new do! What do you think? Ahem, well, while my photography skills definitely need honing, here's a better picture with some light attached to it. Now, I'm afraid to go take a shower for fear I'll never get it to look this good again!
So, while the rule in the previous post about knowing where something is until the exact moment you need it still applies, the second part of that rule reads as follows:
"Once final and thorough means to locate _______ have been exhausted and means to replace _______ have been enacted, ________ will be found." [once again fill in the blank with lost item of your choice.]
We knew it was going to happen. All members of my immediate family that I consulted regarding replacing said document affirmed that it would be found...eventually. So, the semi-rational part of me was thinking, "If that's the case, let's just go file for the darn thing and I'll find the old one all the sooner!" Never mind that it's not cheap to replace them--I was just wanting it found.
And, alas, I wish I could tell you I saw a vision in the heavens on my drive home from that infamous Post Office (anyone for the miraculous gifts of the Spirit?). Or even that I was holding it in my hands all along, just like happens with my keys, oh, every other day! Or even that when I got home, it was right underneath the desk that I've searched within an inch of its life over the last month and a half of looking.
But it's not that exciting. I was cleaning out a shelf at work (AT WORK, I tell you!), and there it was--inside an old day planner (a DAY PLANNER, for goodness sake!). Why did I put it there? I don't know. When did I put it there? Haven't the foggiest. Would I ever, in a million years, have though to look there? No on your life!
So, as Kevin says, it was meant to be. I must trust that since my old passport was due to expire next year anyway, there's a reason the Lord wants me to have a valid one for the next ten years. (which, I'll admit, kind of excites me :).
The new one is joining me for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between (short of maybe a bath). I'm stapling this baby to my backside and not letting go.
It’s got to be somebody’s law: You will always know where ________ is until the very moment you need it (fill in the blank).Over the last couple of months, my blank has been filled in with “passport.”I got my passport almost 10 years ago, and it’s got all sorts of fun stamps from places like Prague, Copenhagen, and Krakow in it.It’s been floating around our apartment since we moved in, and I’ve known where it was (roughly) until Kevin and I actually decided to put them (he’s gotten one recently) to good use.And that’s when it went missing.
I’ve searched as many places as I could think of—boxes, books, shelves, cupboards, closets, you name it.No passport.
My decision to bite the bullet and replace it was two fold:
1)We’re traveling the end of May, and should there be any complications within the 5-week window you’re to allow for processing, we’ll at least have some time, and
2)It expires next year anyway, so why not?
With that in mind, I set out this morning, paperwork in hand, to file for a replacement.The plan was to leave at 8, arrive at post office, file, and be home by 8:45, 9 if we’re being generous.
Well, I didn’t drag my lazy self out of bed until 9:45.The morning is not my friend, and I was doubtful of my own self-discipline to leave at 8 to begin with.
First stop: Post Office near home.I walk in to find a sign reading, “Sorry for the inconvenience.Today [only] we are not accepting passport applications.”Other USPS offices are listed, but, being the rebel that I am, I head to my second choice—the County Clerk’s Office.The time is roughly 10:06.
I drive the few miles in between, and my heart sinks as I catch a glimpse of the Clerk’s parking lot—it’s empty.Oh, wait!There’s one car.I must be the only interested party today.Lucky me!
Lucky indeed—their office is only open Monday—Friday (something I would have known had I taken the time to check).
“No matter!” I think.I grab my trusty GPS and type in “Post Office.”Perfect there’s one just down the road.According to GPS (or Gepus, as we affectionately call him), my arrival time will be 10:27.
I arrive at USPS location #2 and though my heart drops at both its size and the volume of cars in the parking lot, I assuage myself with the thought that they’re not there for passports (how common could the need for them be, anyway?).The though is short-lived, as I enter to find a line no shorter than 20 people—all waiting for passports. And they're having a great time, too. Alas, I cannot partake of such frivolity at a time like this.
I text my husband to tell him of my travails and ask his opinion.He suggests just waiting until Monday.I consider this, but my impatience gets the best of me, and I search for another Post Office location.It’s only 4.2 miles away.Not bothering to check the arrival time, I head out, hopeful that this location is smaller, less crowded, and I can make it home by 11:30.
Well, I got my wish.This Post Office was indeed smaller, and there was only one patron in line before me.However, taking in the outside, inside, and manner of the single employee behind the counter, I’m not so sure I would entrust a postcard for their delivery, nonetheless a document that requires everything short of a blood sample to obtain.After a brief internal struggle, I retire once again to my car, not caring whether they actually do file for passports or not.
At this point, I was starting to feel like I do when eating from a bag of potato chips—“Just one more; just one more.”I also shortly entertain the thought that maybe the Lord just does not want me to go to Europe.That thought is short lived, as I decide that He’s going to have to be slightly more forceful if that’s the case.
The clock reads 11:02, and Gepus told me I could be to the next nearest Post Office location at 11:24.Can’t pass up a deal like that!
Beginning to feel only slightly anxious, I wonder what the penalty for forgery of an official document of this nature would be.Forgery can’t be too hard, can it?
At 11:23 (gotta love speeding!), I arrived at the next Post Office that the all-wise Gepus advised.Large, yes, but not overly crowded.I think we’ll be okay.The end is in sight.
But a sign out front changes all that.
“This office does not accept passport applications.”Of course it doesn’t.
“Those can be handled at our main office at [fill in said address].”Of course they can.
I began taking note as my gas tank began slipping from ¾ full to half on my way to Post Office #4, Stop Number 6.Having not eaten breakfast before leaving home (because morning is not my friend, remember?), I stopped briefly at a gas station and purchased a drink.
Upon arriving at the maze of arrows and gravel that is Post Office #4, I let out my only cry of frustration of the entire morning, as I’m routed every way but the right way to get into a parking spot.
There are only three customer-labeled parking spots, all vacant, and I snag one.As I enter the large building with a small office, I exult at the sign that reads, “This office is for passports only.All commercial post office business is taken at [fill in said address].”Now we’re talking!
The lady behind the counter seems pleasant, and I hand her my documents (everything but some blood), and begin to remove my checkbook from my purse (checks only; no debit).
“You’re going to have to take another picture.”Of course I am.
“They’ve changed the laws, and you can’t be smiling in passport photos any more.See how it distorts you face?”Hm.I’ll have to remember that the next time I’m smiling.Thanks for the complex.
“And, since you’ve gotten married since your last passport was issued, we’ll need a copy of your marriage license.”In all the fine print that I did read, obviously that was one part that I didn’t.
So, I leave the fourth Post Office of the day, still with no passport, beginning to hunger, and done attempting to plan anything else for the remainder of my Saturday waking hours.It’s 12:10, and it only takes me thirty minutes to drive from that Post Office to home, and then back to where I took my passport pictures the first time to have them redone.It’s during this trip that I wonder if Kevin can just carry me in his suitcase.He’s strong, and though I’m far over the 50-pound weight limit, the extra fee might actually be worth it.
At 12:45 the lady at the photo lab tells me I can walk around the store for ten minutes until the (unsmiling) pics are ready.At 1:01, she’s standing with two co-workers at the printer, shaking her head slowly from side to side.
“There’s a really big order in front of you, and it’s not uploading your picture.”Naturally.After pacing a few times in front of the photo counter, I break down and buy a bag of Doritos.After all, it’s going to do nobody any good if I finally make it to the passport office and pass out before the dang thing can finally be filed.
At 1:10, the photo lab manager, hands me my new photos.It’s then that I realize that smiling may distort my face, but not smiling proves that my eyes are indeed two different sizes.(Distorted picture or Igor-lookalike?Hm.Tough call.)
All documents in hand, it only takes me a few minutes in the parking lot to fill out the final paperwork once back at the Post Office.I run through the documents in my head—application, form admitting I did in fact lose my passport, marriage license, birth certificate, and driver’s license.(For only a brief second, I ponder the irony if I didn’t actually have my driver’s license, but, alas, it was present.)
As I hand it to the lengthy-haired gentleman behind the counter, I sigh.After all this work, a few staples and two checks from the checkbook that I so rarely “happen” to have on me, seal the deal.
I sign my name (in black ink only), and leave the office.
It’s slightly anticlimactic.So much work.For a little book of paper.
It only took a couple months (maybe even weeks) of marriage for Kevin to realize that I love to rearrange furniture. I wasn't really all that worried, though, because when we were in college, I took note that Kevin made a point to rearrange his dorm room at least once a year--and he only had one room to play with!
I'm a very visual person, and it only takes the twinkling of an idea of rearrangement to get my cylinders firing. I even remember one night when we were living in Maryville. It was 10 pm, and the idea had been forming all day. Finally, I got the mental redecorating right, and, well, I just couldn't wait until the next morning to bring it to fruition. It had to happen right then!
Whatever this may say about my lack of patience (and there is plenty lack, let me tell you!), I do have an incredibly understanding husband who, to the best of his ability, humors my whims.
But, this time, it was all on him. Well...mostly.
See, Kevin's been hinting toward a new TV recently. I resisted for whatever excuses I could put up: it won't our current entertainment center (which was true), we don't watch it that much anyway (but we love our movies!), and we don't have the money (yet).
Well, Kevin's accepted the entertainment center as his new dresser (doing well so far), we still don't watch too much (but American Idol has been fun), and the debt is PIF. So, we bit the bullet, and bought a wholesale, brand new, flat-screen TV. And it's been fun. Even Optimus has been getting in on it (I think he thought it was real yesterday and was trying to fly into the screen :).
So, Welcome to our New Living Room.... P.S. Since you'd probably not be aware of this on your own--that's Kevin's old dresser in the corner. It's a surprisingly functional game/remote control/VHS holder. :)
Global Warming? Ha! Not in Tennessee. Kevin's very insightful comment yesterday was that when it's hot out, we think the world is clearly coming to an end; when it's cold out--it's just winter. Hm.
Needless to say, the snow/ice has proven some extra time at home, no church this morning, and a chance for me to walk to my old job (which I still freelance at) in 17 degree weather at 6:45 this morning. Yay for extra money! :)
And some pictures....
This was the scene Friday night: And then much of the evening and yesterday, it was a slushy, rainy, snowy mess.Kevin couldn't pass up the opportunity to make a snow angel. On the ground. Of the parking lot. I mean, seriously, what guy could pass up that opportunity? So, from our warm, cozy winter home to yours, we wish you a safe, restful day of praising our Lord and celebrating his goodness! :)
What's the best way to spend a day celebrating a man who loved peace, fought for justice, and celebrated the American right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?
We went down to Vonore and shot some guns.
For those of you a little shocked that this is how I wanted to spend one of my rare days off, you're not alone--Kevin was shocked, too. Guns are not something I grew up with, nor are they something that I'm completely comfortable with, which I blame more on my nurture than my nature.
Needless to say, I do enjoy pretending to be Annie Oakley and seeing how good my aim is. Beside that, the silhouettes will make great guest-room wall paper. :)
I came across this picture the other day from our old apartment, and I thought I'd share it with you. It reminded me of the freshness of this season of a new year. It's never too late (or too early) to make changes that need changing; however, I'm reminded all the more at the beginning of a new year that our Lord is merciful, gracious, and ever-willing to help us on our way as we try to put bad habits behind us and trust and rely upon His leading. Some areas I wish to grow in this year:
~Reading my Bible. Period.
~Eating healthier. (This will require lots of planning for days I'm gone from 8am-9pm!)
~The two-second rule--put away my shoes; hang up my clothes; rinse out my dish...
~More time with Kevin. Though we anxiously await a time when our family will expand, I want to cherish and pour into this time that is ours.
And that's all. That's all? I think that's enough for now, don't you!? :)
"Gift-giving guide? Christmas was just two weeks ago--I've got eleven more months before I have to being thinking about gift-buying, and then I've got another month beyond that before the actual buying begins!"
And you're right...sort of.
You see, I've known for a long time that my love language was gifts. I love receiving gifts. I love looking at a gift received and thinking of the giver every time. I love being surprised by someone thinking enough of me to present me something. But even more than that, I love giving gifts.
I grew up with a mother who is an expert in the gift giving field, namely because she loves giving gifts, too. It gave me a great example to watch, and I thought, instead of waiting until right before Christmas when everyone is scrambling around trying to find that last-minute purchase, why not share what I've learned and observed along the way now?
Maybe next Christmas, you, too, can enjoy giving more than receiving! :)
1) Always be on the lookout. I've bought wedding gifts from Kroger and Christmas gifts at Cracker Barrell. No store is off limits.
2) Think practical. Most people don't need another snow globe lying around. That's why, with such a large family on Kevin's side, we've opted for some food options the past two years--everybody loves food!
3) Budget. I confess--this one is hard for me. I like shopping; I like spending money; I like buying things for other people. But if you decide on a dollar amount or even set aside a specific amount all year leading up to Christmas, you won't be in post-Christmas debt.
4) Keep a list. I tend to do this about two weeks before Christmas. I gather all the items I've been collecting throughout the year, and I write down who's getting what. That way, I won't chance that we forgot nephew number one when gifts are being exchanged (and, yes, before he saw his gift under the tree this year, he did come up and ask if we'd even brought one for him :).
And last...
5) Begin shopping now! I learned this one from my mom, and I must confess, it's my favorite. The day after Christmas was always when she would get a head start on next year's gift buying--fabulous sales and markdowns on items that won't be out of season when next Christmas rolls around. It also creates great stories to share with those you love about how when you saw their gift in the middle of June at a Lavender Festival in the hills of Tennessee, it just spoke their name to you.
Now, I realize that the true meaning of Christmas isn't gifts and stocking up on piles of loot. I do, however, relish the opportunity we have to bless our family (and sometimes friends) and share with them through gift-giving some of the bounty the Lord has allowed us.
Well, for most of the year, maybe it is. But, let me tell you, come Christmas time, Kevin sure cleans up (ahem, see above image)! And the best part is I get much of the benefit of the gifts, seeing as how many of them are girly note pads and post-it notes that he has little interest in. :)
And then, of course, there are other benefits of this time of year, like the encouragement to keep going.
My favorite one (currently lighting up the coffee table he's sleeping next to so that its luminescence can softly pull him from his slumber).
Teaching (whether personally or professionally) is no easy task. I'm very proud of my husband, who is a qualified, hard-working, dedicated, passionate, gifted man. At times, though, it's nice to know that I'm not the only one who feels this way. :)
It's been quite the time in the Fowler household. We're very grateful for those of you who have hung with us through this sparseness of posts. :( Lord willing, time will return for blogging, but for right now, I'm having to rely on "catch-up" posts.
First off, the Lord is returning health to our household! Amazingly, Kevin, though a public school teacher, is sick very rarely. This past week, however, it hit him hard--no voice, sinus pressure, the works! He's healing, though, and it's great to have him back to normal--whatever that may mean. ;)
Also, as some of you know, I've been sick with chronic tonsillitis since roughly August. I was given the option to continue a barrage of antibiotics, but when I thought about that, coupled with the multiple times I've had strep and tonsillitis in the past year or so, Kevin and I decided that surgery was the best option. Last Thursday, I underwent my first real surgery since having my wisdom, teeth removed in 10th grade. I wasn't nervous about the surgery; it's routine enough. I was nervous about the recovery. Tonsillectomies in adults bring with them incredibly difficult recovery processes. But, friends, the Lord has been merciful! A mere four days post-op, I was eating spaghetti with a little ground beef, and the next day I was eating chicken stir fry! There have been some rough spots, but it's humbling to think that the Lord would protect me from having to go through weeks of pain before healing.
Along with that, my parents drove down and spent 9 days with us to serve, care for, and manage our household while Kevin was at work and I was recovering. I think we were all a little anxious to see what would come of it, since that amount of time with anybody can be a bit of a strain under a tiny roof. But, again, the Lord was gracious, and we had one of the best visits with them. Funny enough, they're turning around and coming back in just 2 short weeks for Christmas.
And now we're busily set about getting things ready for Christmas. We've got our tree up.
Do you like the tree topper?
And I'm wrapping presents like mad trying to get it all done before I go back to work on Monday.
But in all things, friends, may we never forget who this season is truly about.
May you have a wonderful, safe, happy time of celebrating all that Christmas is truly about!
Well, for most of the year, maybe it is. But, let me tell you, come Christmas time, Kevin sure cleans up (ahem, see above image)! And the best part is I get much of the benefit of the gifts, seeing as how many of them are girly note pads and post-it notes that he has little interest in. :)
