I am a freak. A super freak. Super freaky.

A freak is someone who wakes up at 4:15 am.  

On a Saturday.

A freak is someone who runs 22 miles.

On a Saturday. 

I am a freak.

How do you like that for a blog intro? 

*****

I love my family.

I love my dad,

I love my mom,

I love my sister.

I love my puppy-dogs.  

*****

I love traveling.

I love new places,

I love new people,

I love new sounds.

I love airports.

*****

I love fashion,

I love color,

I love texture,

I love vibrancy.

I love uniqueness.

*****

I love spring,

I love green,

I love buds on trees,

I love birds singing.

I love warmer weather.

*****

I love future plans,

I love having dreams,

I love setting goals,

I love the excitement.  

I love to see how it will unfold.

I am so blessed.

L.s.R

To Walk in His Footsteps

My first purchase for my Spring trek

I Feel like a Flying Tomato Sometimes

I love the Olympics...especially the Winter Olympics. Out of the family, I am usually the one that stays up until the opening ceremony is over. I like the hype and countries competing against each other. So much for world unity. Everyone knows that is a joke. I mean, look at Israel having to walk in behind Iran every two years.

I am dying to learn how to snowboard. Shaun White did me in. I even forgive his hair.

Anyway....I have been working through a lot of things with Jesus. The main thing? Dealing with the mundane. I believe that God calls every one to glorify Him with their lives. But we can't choose how to glorify Him. Jesus does the choosing. Right now, for me, this means working 9am-5pm (queue that Dolly Parton song) 5 days out of the week, volunteering once a week for my church, working my other job, and trying to prepare for the marathon and other races. I am usually okay with all of this, until it hits me at 7:45am on a work day. As I am driving into work, I grip the steering wheel, and spit out, "What am I doing?" I sometimes feel like I am a jumbled mess. I am at a place in life that I didn't think I would be at 10 months ago. I am working a job that I never imagined I would be working.

But that is the beauty of it.

I didn't think or imagine these things. But God did. Even with my 15 minutes of disappointment, anxiety, and confusion as I drive into work, it is after I sit down in my chair, turn on my computer monitor, and look around my cubicle I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is where I belong. No, I am not planning on staying in this job or situation for another 10 years, but God has given me this season of my life for a reason. And He wants to use me where He placed me. He wants me to reach the people he has placed in my life right now. He wants me to learn from the people he has placed in my life right now.

I am so thankful that I worship a God that not only gives me dreams and desires, but also sees the big picture. I want every season of my life to matter. Whether I am a dishwasher, secretary, wife/mother, or working in the corporate world I want to give my all for Him.

But, I am still hoping for a Shaun White moment somewhere down the road (even a little one will do)…..maybe Moscow 2014??

More than a Bag of Bones

I love reading stories like this one.

It reminds me of Israel and all the beautiful, historical artifacts and places I will see.
A little more than 2 months.

L.s.R

Sugar-Plum Fairies

It started on Thursday morning. I got up at 6 am to get ready for work. The weather 'people' had been reporting (spastically) the storm for the past week. But honestly, with it being 60 degrees on Wednesday night and wearing my Capri’s for church, I really thought the weather 'people' were at it again. But I was wrong (please forgive me weather ‘people’. I mistrusted you.). Ten minutes before I left for work,  Hannah got a phone call that all the State offices were closed and they were shutting down the airport. It started to rain, ice was coming within the hour, and I got the text that work was canceled. It is one of those moments that you want to live over again, a wonderful feeling.

On Friday the freezing rain turned into snow. Bee-uuutiful snow! We didn't lose power once, but we had the bathtubs full, water bottles, and Dura logs (they keep going, and going :) ready if we had.

We got out today in the snow and ice. It took us about an hour and half to de-ice our cars. It was quite the ordeal. My windshield has a small crack in it, but nothing too bad. The snow and ice is lovely to look at. Don't I have such a conqueror's stance in the bottom picture? 'Ice, this day I beat you.' Literally I did. I broke the scraper part off of my ice-scraper so I started wacking the ice off the car (controllably of course) with the padded ice-scrapper handle and it worked very, very well. And if you think this is why my windshield is cracked, you are wrong. I did not crack my windshield, and my car has no bruises.

This 4-day weekend was truly a God-send. And I am so thankful for it. I was able to catch up on a few things, and spend some time thinking. I also rearranged furniture, baked and cooked, did my accounts, blogged, watched Julie&Julia (wonderful movie), croqueted, napped, fell in love with Mr. Knightly again, did a much needed pedicure/manicure, and cleaned the apartment.
So, thank you, Lord. Thank you for sending the storm.

L.s.R

Blizzard Survival 101....Okie Style

In 2009 I was taught how to sneeze correctly (thank you Kathleen Sebelius)....and then I learned how to drive, dress and freak out for a blizzard.
Thank you JC for making Okies look even more....Okie.

.Texas Town.

Texas doesn't seem the place to have a fabulous weekend get away, but it is.

Flying with Instyle. Coffee. Omelets. Peach Margaritas. Old Navy cashier giving you the $40.00 Capri’s' for $14.00 (because he is nice like that :). Eating at cafes. Room service. WNTW episodes. Valet parking. Chocolate Bar. Seeing Leap Year again. Shopping. Mimosas. Flip-flop, wearing weather. My burnt-orange sweater. Great company with two of my best friends on this earth.

Extra cash we found in our rental car.

L.s.R