Archive for February 2011
The Day a Mouse Drove Me Crazy
Posted on: February 28, 2011
- In: Life
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When I was a child, my mom introduced me to Angelina Ballerina. The first book is Angelina and Alice; a precious story about two mice who are dancers and best friends. I remember loving it. A few weeks back, while at the library, I thought Julia might like Angelina and Alice, so we borrowed the book. Oh was I right.
She seems harmless, but she's not...*
From their first introduction, all Julia talks about is Angelina. All she wants to listen to is ballet music and dance “like Angelina”. All she wants to read is Angelina. All she wants to watch is Angelina {thanks PBS!}. Angelina. Angelina. Angelina.
One day last week we read through our 9 Angelina books 4 different times. Doesn’t seem too bad, right? But these aren’t small books. And typically Julia asks questions about each page {“Why is Angelina wearing a purple dress?” “Why is Angelina sad?” “Why is Angelina’s bike red?”}. So each session lasted about 30 minutes. Times four. That’s a lot of Angelina. Even for an avid reader like me. By the last reading session I had to put my foot down. Angelina was literally driving my crazy. I would read no more. Poor Julia was a bit heartbroken, but I made it up to her by letting her watch an episode of Angelina while I made dinner {told you she was obsessed}.
Since then, I’ve made an effort to set some reading rules. We can read all the books twice – once in the morning and once on the afternoon. Any other time, Julia can choose one or two, no more. Angelina is still driving me a bit crazy {mostly because it’d be nice to read any other book} but at least I’m not reading for two hours.
Maybe it’s time to look into audiobooks.
Wanna Bag ‘O Grace?
Posted on: February 24, 2011
- In: Life
- 17 Comments
If you drive through any major intersection in Austin you will notice one thing: homeless people. Standing along the road with signs, begging for food or money. Rain or shine, they are always there. In fact, one of the best know Austinites is homeless – his name is Leslie. He’s even run for mayor. The homeless roam the streets, and the ones near the University have earned less-than-kind nicknames. I remember in college buying bags of candy to hand out while I walked down “The Drag“.
Six years later and I’m still handing out bags to the homeless. Only these have more purpose.
Our missional community {i.e. small group} banded together to make Bags ‘O Grace – large bags filled with water, crackers, canned goods, etc., to hand out when we pass by the homeless. In each bag there is a small note that simply says: Christ Loves You. No tracks. No come-to-our-service invites. Just simply a bag full of grace.
I, personally, haven’t seen any homeless come to Christ because of the bags. But I’ve seen some incredible changes – in my life. And in my kids’ lives. At every intersection, Julia says “Mom, does that man/woman need a bag? Mom give them a bag.” It isn’t always possible – the light changes too soon, or we are too far away. But each time, it opens up conversation. Each time it allows my kids to see a glimpse of grace – giving love when love isn’t earned. It forces me out of my comfort zone to acknowledge the hurting world around me and too find ways {even small} to reach out to them.
What is your bag ‘o grace?
Visit Alicia at Alicia’s Homemaking for more Try New Adventures Thursday.
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While I originally only planned for my series to be three parts, I thought you’d all like to know how my half marathon went last weekend. In a nut shell it was awesome.
Before arriving, I was so incredibly nervous I thought for sure I was going to loose my breakfast. I was snapping at Jonathan while he was driving and was just getting overly annoyed and anxious. Everything was going completely opposite of how I’d planned {and specifically how we’d prayed the night before}. However, as soon as I stepped out of the car {with plenty of time to spare thanks to my wonderful husband} I felt a flood of relief. Just like a switch, my nervousness was gone and I felt total peace {thanks God!}.
Half Marathon Training {The Finish}
1. Prepare to be overwhelmed – The most amount of people I’ve ever run with was 30. Sunday I ran with 20,000. Yeah, that’s a lot of folks. And at times it was a bit overwhelming to keep my eye out for people passing me and me passing people. Not to mention the bum rush to water stations and bathrooms.
2. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate – When I ran my half last spring I didn’t hydrate well enough. And I paid dearly for it by the end. This time around, I’ve trained with hydration breaks and made sure to stop at every water station I came to. At one point I was tempted to pass the last few by {because of the crowd} but then I remembered “HYDRATE!”.
3. Don’t give up – Somewhere around the 8 mile marker, I was done. My feet were hurting, my time was off and I was ready to lay in the grass and wait for the “dropped runner” cart to pick me up. I started using every metal trick in my book. I made up games. I gave myself a pep talk. I counted how many people I saw in certain colored shirts. Whatever it took to keep me focused {and running} I did it. Running a half marathon is tough, but don’t give up. You can do this. You can do this.
4. Enjoy your victory – My time was off what I expected and half way through I was really beating myself up for it. But once I crossed that finish line I thought “I don’t want time to steal my victory”. And so I didn’t. And I won’t. I ran my race, I did it well, and I succeeded.
Standing outside P.Terry's waiting for my burger and chocolate shake
5. Reward yourself – As a little extra motivation, promise yourself a reward once you complete your run. Maybe a nice night out. Maybe a massage. Or maybe those running shoes you’ve been eyeing for the last year:
*happy sigh*
For Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of this series, click here {Part 1 – The Physical and Part 2 – The Mental and Part 3 – The Emotional}.
*Disclaimer: All tactics/tips are my own personal opinions and not medically backed. Please seek medical advice before starting any running program.
Fun Facts about Sarah
Posted on: February 22, 2011
- In: Life
- 12 Comments
This weekend, Jonathan and I were discussing fun facts about ourselves. You know, those completely random aspects of your life that people probably don’t know about. I thought today, for a laugh, I’d share some of mine.
1. I went by Liz when I first moved to Texas in 2000. {Elizabeth is my middle name.}
2. As a child, I was convinced I wanted to be the female James Bond.
3. I’ve had my cartilage pierced 3 times. The third time being yesterday.
4. I can eat a whole batch of brownies in one sitting. I have the extra 5 pounds to prove it.
5. I’ve had my car break down two times in Arizona. I’ve only been to Arizona twice {Arizona and I aren’t on good terms}.
6. I’ve read Scarlet Pimpernel numerous times and have the end of Chapter 16 practically memorized.
7. I sliced my fingernail off with an apple peeler this morning. It hurt. A lot.
8. I snuck into a taping of Conan O’Brien.
9. I’ve met Woody Harrelson and Jack Johnson. Both of them were shorter than I expected.
10. Pizza, hot or cold, is perhaps my favorite food.
What are some fun random facts about you?
Visit Amanda at Oh Amanda for more Top Ten Tuesday.
To Whom Would We Go But Christ?
Posted on: February 21, 2011
- In: Life
- 7 Comments
Last week I was reading through the book of John, when these verses jumped out at me:
At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go?* You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:66-69
To whom do I go? My heart tends to stray away far too often from my Father. I get distracted by life, by hardships and saddest, by entertainment. I cheaply go to those things rather than God. I think the internet will provide me with knowledge. I think television will provide me with rest. I think shopping will provide me with fulfilment. But none of it does. In the end, I find myself even worse off than I started.
Jesus has the words that give eternal life.
Do I think that daily? Do my actions, schedule, speech reflect that? Honestly, I don’t think that daily. Honestly, my life doesn’t always reflect His eternal giving.
It seems overwhelming to see an area of your life that needs change. Changing a thought process. Changing a habit. Changing a lifetime of wrong. A daunting task when you go it alone. But the beauty is, I’m not alone. You’re not alone. Jesus is right here with us, feeding us words of eternal life, showing us the path. We can start this day plodding forward, knowing there will be mistakes, but pushing through it, pushing toward Christ. After all, to whom else would we go?
*Emphasis added
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Jonathan and I went on our first real “grown up” date Tuesday night. By “grown up” I mean, our sitters {lifelong friend Melinda and her husband Preston} were in control over evening activities and bedtime. Aside from our anniversary trip, we’ve never had someone else put the girls down for bed {read: we’ve never had anyone put super-clinging-Mama’s-girl Hannah to bed}. They did splendid and woke up talking about how much fun they had {Thanks Mel and Preston!}.
Now on to the real adventure. For our date, Jonathan took me to Alamo Drafthouse – a super fun restaurant/theatre.
You have a waiter that serves you food/drinks before and during the show. You write down what you want on a slip of paper and they pick it up as they come by. Despite living in Austin before, I had never been to the Alamo Drafthouse and was super excited. In fact, I was so excited, I wore this:
{Finally, after a year, I post a picture of me in “the dress”.}
We watched The King’s Speech, which was really quite good. But what made the date so much fun {besides just being with Jon} was all the excitement leading up to it. In fact, I blushed just a little when Jon emailed me this: “I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t wait to be with you…. ALONE!!!!! OMG!!!!! I feel like a teenager!!!!!” Shameless flirting may, or may not, have taken place through the course of the day via email and text. 😉
When we came home, we received great reports on the girls {Hannah cried for a bit right in the beginning but then calmed straight down} that it was the cherry on top of a fabulous night.
Here’s to more “grown up” dates!
Visit Alicia at Alicia’s Homemaking for more Try New Adventures Thursday.
Visit Jill at Diaper Diaries for more Things I Love Thursday.
- In: Life
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I cried when I finished my half marathon last April. Well, I suppose I didn’t technically cry, since I was borderline dehydrated. But I did cry out. The last mile of my run was overwhelmingly emotional. A mixture of victory and defeat {I walked mile 11 when I wanted to run the entire race}. A relief at being done. A sense of accomplishment, mingled with a desire to do more.
Running is every bit emotional as it is physical and mental. Yet we tend to gloss of the emotions. But I’m here to tell you: It’s your party, cry if you want to.
Half Marathon Training {The Emotional}
1. Finding your center – Wow, if that didn’t sound New Age-y, I don’t know what will. But honestly, running can really help you focus, sort through your emotions, and recenter yourself. Just channeling your efforts into exercise can help clear your mind of “emotional baggage”. I attribute it to all the time alone – yet another reason I don’t listen to music while I run.
2. It’s a BIG deal – Whether you’re completing your goal of a 5K or a marathon, finishing is a big deal. You’ve likely spent weeks training – time away from your family, friends, work {and truthfully favorite t.v. shows}. And coming from a former non-runner, crossing that finish line means so much more than time and speed. It means accomplishing something great. Sometimes accomplishing something great is celebrated with tears.
3. You’re a BIG deal – Once you’ve transformed from non-runner to runner, something about you changes. You understand you can rise to the occasion. You can conquer. You can do something you never thought possible. Whispering in the mirror, “Sarah, you’re a runner” in the wee hours of the morning before I go running gives me the emotional {and mental} confidence to succeed. Despite the stretch marks. Despite the abs that will just never be the same. Despite whatever I’m feeling, I know I can do this. And you can to.
How do you feel after a run? Have you ever cried?
My half marathon is this Sunday. I’m going a little crazy this week with “Am I ready, am I not?”. But come Monday, it will all be done. And it will have so been worth it to wake up and say “I am a runner.”
For Part 1 and Part 2 of this three part series, click here {Part 1 – The Physical and Part 2 – The Mental}.
*Disclaimer: All tactics/tips are my own personal opinions and not medically backed. Please seek medical advice before starting any running program.
Valentine Surprises
Posted on: February 15, 2011
- In: Life
- 10 Comments
Usually Jonathan and I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, since neither of us are big fan on the holiday. However, this year we decided to “celebrate”. I say celebrate loosely, because we didn’t go out last night, we didn’t even really acknowledge the day beyond a nice family dinner. But, there were some unexpected surprises that happened:
1. Flowers – Can I brag a minute? Jonathan does a wonderful job of bringing me flowers on a regular basis. However, typically speaking, he doesn’t bring me flowers on days that you’d expect – such as Valentine’s. So it was a complete surprise when he walked in with these:
2. Cupcakes – There is a fun little cupcake shop here in Austin – Hey Cupcake! Yesterday I splurged on their Luvcake for dessert. I’m fairly certain is fulfilled my caloric intake for a week, but it was worth every bite.
3. Balloons – In addition to my flowers, Jonathan brought home pink and white balloons for the girls. They loved them.
4. Dinner – I experimented with a rice and chicken dish for Valentine’s Day. We were all impressed with how great it tasted. Looks like we found a new favorite recipe {score!}.
5. Date – While we didn’t go out last night, we are going out tonight. Which means….
6. Dressing up – I get to wear this:
7. Clean house – Let’s face it, once kids are involved Valentine’s Day changes {along with everything else}. To have a clean house made my Valentine’s.
8. Spurs Game – Our family are big Spurs fans. They played the Nets last night and won. Needless to say, my husband was quite excited. Happy Valentine’s Jonathan!
9. Valentine’s Hater No More – As I mentioned, I’m not a big fan of Valentine’s Day. But as the girls are getting older, I’m starting to enjoy it. Aside from the balloons and cupcakes, the girls didn’t really celebrate – but I’m kind of looking forward to next year {and the years after} when we can really do something fun with them.
10. My Valentine – Jonathan is an amazing husband and father. He makes my life brighter, filled with laughter and joy. I can’t express just how grateful I am to be his wife {Love you babe!}.
Visit Amanda at Oh Amanda for more Top Ten Tuesday.
My Heart Flutters
Posted on: February 11, 2011
- In: Life
- 8 Comments
Here’s this week’s Friday joy:
{You might not notice, but H has cover up all over her lips – she really like putting on make up with me 😉 }
What’s your Friday joy? I’d love to hear it!
- In: Life
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Since I can remember, I have been convinced I was born in the wrong decade. The signs were all there: I’d rather listen to Nat King Cole than Nirvana. At fourteen. I’d rather watch An Affair to Remember than Titanic. {I mean, who passes up Cary Grant for Leo?}. I was completely different than most every girl I knew. There was just something about the post-war years that seemed romantic in my young heart.
Not much has changed, other than my age. And despite being an iPad toting, internet dependent, Generation Y’er, I secretly yearn for days of old. So naturally, when my friend let me use her “family” cookbook, I fell in love.
Just flipping the pages of Betty Crocker’s Picture Cookbook makes me feel like June Cleaver. I want to promptly put on my apron, turn on the radio {aka, Pandora app on my iPad} and begin baking. Perhaps even invest in nice serving ware and a dinner bell.
It took over a year of not so subtle hints before I out right forced Jonathan bought the book for me. After reading him the recipes {along with their humorous, but actually helpful tips} Jonathan announced “I don’t know why we didn’t buy this sooner. We are 1950’s people”. Indeed we are.
Yesterday I used Betty’s recipe for yeast rolls and loaf bread. Then for dinner I made sausage and asparagus that I smothered in a cheese cream from the cookbook’s sauce section. And per the cookbook’s suggestions, I topped the night off with banana cake and white butter frosting. I was a bona fide housewife and I loved it! Well, except for the constantly-cleaning part. I need to look into maid service if I’m gonna keep this up.
Bon appetite, June Cleaver!
Visit Jill at Diaper Diaries for more Things I Love Thursday.
A Wife Loved Like The Church 
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