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Showing posts from 2009

Oooh... Aaah...

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I'm inspired. Thanks, KojoDesigns !

My favorites

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These are some of my favorite gifts I received this Christmas... Clockwise: 1. Sonicare toothbrush. 2. Clinique perfume pencils. They are seasonal and come in packs on three. My sisters and I each got one. So genius! No spills or messes. Just fresh smelling! 3. All You magazine subscription. Always filled with tons of thrifty things, which we all know I love! 4. Cold Tangerines. I heard this was a good book. Sounded intriguing! 5. Starbucks gift cards. These make me so happy! 6. Food processor. You know you're an adult when an electric toothbrush and a food processor are on your list of favorite gifts!

Four Christmases

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We have tons of family. Between my husband and I we have FIVE families. I think when people hear our story, they feel sorry for us. And most people don't get, which I don't expect them to. For example, I mentioned how we have all five of our families in Houston, so even when we go in town for a weekend, we are constantly trying to see everyone - just to make time for at least one meal with each parent. To this, my friend responded that she understood because when they visit her husband's family, they have to split time between his parents (still married) and his brother... People don't get it. But that's okay. I've accepted that. And I know my friend meant well. Maybe it's better that people don't quite get it. I don't want people to feel sorry for us. This is just how life is. I've never known differently. In college, I came home for a weekend and tried to divide my time between three parents. So yes, Christmas is crazy... and sometimes a bi

Done!

I am done! I am finished with school for the semester! And I am completely finished with Bible and theology classes! Yea!! I love both of those classes, but they are a ton of work. So it's nice to have those out of the way. Only counseling classes left. And now I am actually on to my internship at Grace Community Church, Plano, where I will actually be counseling clients! So exciting, yet so scary, right?! I'm excited to finally be using my degree.

Sammy and Her Squeaky Toy

I got this squeaky toy free in the mail. I was going to put it in Sammy's stocking, but it appears she's afraid of it.

Sophie Annabelle Lungwitz

Read about Baby Sophie (mentioned in the previous post) at the site her parents set up:  http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/sophielungwitz . Your prayers are appreciated! It's one of those seasons... prayers are needed left and right... for grieving, for healing, for comfort, for good prognoses. None of it directly affects us. But many of those we love are affected by the hardships of life now and in need of prayer now... therefore it does affect us. We hurt with them. A friend sent me this verse. Much appreciated. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27

Sometime's life is hard.

I just sent an email to friends for prayer. Rather than retyping, I'm copying and pasting. I'm drained. Hi friends, I just wanted to send you a quick update on Ian, Tarryn's dad. He's not doing well at all and is back in the hospital. They are looking into hospice care, if he gets to come home. It's all just really sad. I know they aren't expecting it to be much longer before he dies. So I would just ask for your prayers over the next few days for the Macpherson family. Pray for comfort and for God to use this to bring them all closer to Him. And on another note, I also wanted to ask you to pray for my friend Holly. She was pregnant and due in March but went into labor this week and had the baby at 25 weeks, which is the (I believe) the week that doctors say if the baby is born, it actually has a chance of living. While that's a praise, 25 weeks is incredibly early, and there is a ton of developing that still needs to be done. So please keep Holly, Ryan,

Birthday Pics

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My birthday was almost a month ago, but I just wanted to share some pics!

An End in Itself

It's been forever since I have posted on this blog I know, I know. Bad blogger! Halloween, then birthday (pics to come), then school, the holidays, and now finals... I've been busy.  But I wanted to share what's been on my heart lately. As graduation is drawing near (May, yea!), I feel like people are constantly asking me what I am going to do next. The truth is I have no idea. I am not even sure if I will counsel. Maybe I'll work at a church or parachurch in a ministry position. Maybe I'll teach. I have options but no clear direction. And I am completely okay with that. DTS has been amazing for me (hence, the many other posts on the topic). It is up there with the best decisions I have made so far in life - becoming an HP YL leader in college and marrying my best friend. I have been blessed to go to DTS and to sit under biblical teaching with other committed Christians. And counseling is a bonus. Whether I counsel or not, people-skills are valuable skills to have

I'm grateful.

I am sitting in the cafe at DTS trying to work on my paper. I'm completely overwhelmed because I have a ridiculous amount of assignments due next week. But I can't help thinking how much I love being here. As I sit here trying to get motivated to write, I can't help but overhear people praying, talking about Jesus, and sharing their testimonies - ALL AROUND ME! Where else in our country does that happen? It's moments like this that make me grateful for these years at DTS. And sometimes it makes me sad that I'm graduating.

My Baby Sis

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My baby sister is stuck under the table. SO funny. She's so precious!

Real Simple Giveaway!

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Real Simple is letting me give away 15 of their magazines! Check out my giveaway over at Thankfully Thrifty ! Please tell your friends about it! More entries for you when you spread the word! Image courtesy of Real Simple

My Little Cone Head

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Just thought you all might want to see this. Sammy has a sore on her nose that she keeps messing with so the vet put her in a cone... it's one thing after another these past few months! But really this is hilarious. I couldn't stop laughing my whole way home with her in the car yesterday. She tried to jump in the car and fell back because her cone hit the seat... sad but funny. It's taking some getting used to... she keeps bumping into things. We're only making her wear it when we aren't around to supervise her though. Just thought I'd share!

Oh yeah

Oh and by the way, our battle fleas... it's not over... Ugh. But we just got Comfortis - the latest oral flea medication that kills the fleas, as opposed to just being a flea birth control. We saw at least 40 dead fleas on her blanket after giving it to her. I haven't seen more fleas on her since we gave it to her Friday - a good sign. And luckily, there are still no signs of them being in our carpet. Come on, Comfortis!

MDPC Retreat

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We helped with a middle school youth retreat with our church from Houston this past weekend. It was so fun to see our old friends! We hadn't seen them in so long! Brendon's dad was there also. And Tommy led worship! Julie and I also had 6th grade girls - precious! It was so fun to see sweet friends that we rarely ever see. It almost made me want to move back...

Best New Show

The best new show on TV this fall is FlashForward. The first two episodes have already aired, but watch them free on Hulu or ABC.com . The third episode will air this Thursday at 7 PM on ABC. Check it out!

Fleas.

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Ugh. I hate fleas, and I never want to see another one again. Earlier this month we spotted a couple on Sammy, so we bathed her in flea soap and then reapplied Frontline. Only we didn't realize that you don't get rid of fleas that quickly... it's a process. So a couple weeks later we realize she still had them. I have washed tons of blankets, slip covers, etc. and vacuumed (with flea killing dust) about 10 times in the last 2 weeks. We also treated our yard and kept her secluded from her best dog friend. Finally the vet gave us some medicine that kills every flea on her for 24 hours. Then you start anew with the Frontline, or whatever you use. Why did the vet not give us this product sooner??? Seriously! Luckily, I think the battle is over, and we have come out victorious! But for your enjoyment, here is a picture of Sammy being defiant after one of her flea baths. She was tired of flea baths, so she went and sat in the flower bed (minus the flowers). She showed us!

Watermelon-Mint Cooler

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Picture courtesy of Real Simple Most of you all know that I LOVE Real Simple. Absolutely love it. Earlier this summer they posted a recipe for a watermelon-mint cooler. Essentially it's lemonade, mixed with pureed watermelon. I do half of each. Then you top it with mint. Simply delightful! It's really become one of my favorite things to make. It makes me feel like summer's not quite over. I don't go exactly by the recipe, but if you would like to, their recipe is here . Enjoy!

Angel Chicken

This has become one of my favorite recipes. I am actually making it tonight! Angel Chicken 6 skinless/boneless chicken breasts 1/2 cup butter 2 (0.7 ounce) packages Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing Mix 2 cans Golden mushroom soup 1 cup dry white wine 8 oz tub Cream Cheese Chives and onions, optional In a medium saucepan melt butter. Stir in salad dressing mix, soup, wine, and cream cheese until combined well. Pour over chicken in a crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. I actually cook it less because I think my crock pot is too hot. Serve chicken and sauce over angel hair pasta or rice.

More of Our Colorado Trip

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We truly had the best time in Colorado. The weather was fabulous. It was wonderful to escape the heat. It was also wonderful to be surrounded by such beauty - rivers, lakes, mountains, thick grass... Speaking of which, I should say that I LOVE the grass they have there. I have been to Colorado (and north of Texas, for that matter) tons of times, but I had just never noticed how amazing and thick the grass is elsewhere. So green, soft, plush... like carpet! Love it. We stayed with Brendon's grandparents, and yes, as you saw, we brought our dog. Sammy and his grandparent's dog, Daisy, played the whole time. It was wonderful! And it was so fun to see his grandparents. They took us into Aspen and Red Stone. We played cards, went on walks, picked crab apples and strawberries, and even made apple sauce! Beautiful skies. A bear was stuck in a tree outside the Aspen courthouse. We picked crab apples from his grandparents' backyard to make apple sauce! Ice cream with grandparents. P

Our Colorado Trip so far

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Since we drove, we stopped in New Mexico for the night. Sammy had her first hotel stay and received so many compliments on her behavior! There were big dinosaurs across from our hotel. Strange. I needed a pic. You can see kind-of see them in the background. Brendon and I in front of the river! Brendon with his grandparents! I was trying to get a scenic shot, but Sammy was standing there. There are some horses to the left (not in photo) that I think she wanted to herd.

Whole Foods BUY-cott

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Picture courtesy of GatewayPundit.blogspot.com I just got this forward and thought I would share. Many of you have probably already heard about the BUYCOTT @ Whole Foods tonight, but just in case you haven't, here's the details: (I asked if we were shopping from 7 PM to 9 PM or carrying signs in support of them. Ken from the Dallas Tea Party said, "both"). Begins: Tuesday, September 1 2009 at 7:00 PM Ends: Tuesday, September 1 2009 at 9:00 PM Location: Whole Foods Market Address: 11700 Preston Rd., Dallas, Texas 75230 or for those of you in Collin County: Time: Same as above Location: Whole Foods Market Address: 2201 Preston Rd., Suite C, Plano, TX 75093 As you may know, Texas-based *Whole Foods Market* is being subjected to a nationwide BOYCOTT by SEIU and other left-wing groups after its CEO John Mackey had the courage to speak up against the Administrations health care reform plan. They're trying to kill Whole Foods sales and oust John Mackey as CEO. [This

My Last School Year

School has started back up again, and I have mixed feelings about it. I have loved summer and the freedom that came with it. And honestly, I am not so much looking forward to all the reading and papers that accompany my classes. That said, I am excited to graduate, so excited, in fact, that I signed up for 6 classes! Crazy, right? The good news is that the beginning of the school year means I am at the beginning of my last year! So this week I have just been reminding myself, as I look at my syllabi - One more year . But as I sit in class each day, I am just in awe that I get to experience being in such a wonderful environment, sitting next to and being taught by fellow believers. Why am I so anxious to get out? Never again will I have this opportunity. I get to learn about God's Word from those who treasure it. As ready as I am to get out of school, the truth is I love my classes. So instead of thinking One more year , I should be absorbing as much as I can and enjoying every minu

My Babies

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This is what I get to come home to. And I love it.

SMU Small Group Reunion 2009

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This past weekend, my small group from college reunited at a friend's ranch in East Texas. It was such a wonderful time together, especially since now only 4 of us are living in Dallas. I forget how much I miss that sweet fellowship with such Godly women. Love you girls. Thanks for such a fun weekend.

Moving Meredith into Baylor

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Today Brendon and I drove down to help his family move his youngest sister, Meredith, into her dorm at Baylor! I was amazed at the hospitality there! Baylor had a team of 1500 students there to help move freshmen in. His parents pulled up their cars, and the students unloaded it. All Meredith had to do was walk up to her room, and all of her stuff was there. We didn't have to carry a single box! Amazing. Love that service! We did get to help her arrange all of her things though, go on a Target run, and eat a wonderful lunch. It was a fun day in Waco!

Dogs need exercise.

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I walk the dog every morning. That, or she has a play date with a neighbor dog. Though she doesn't always show it, Sammy has a ton of energy, as most Aussies do. While I was in NYC, she sat in the backyard alone for three days straight, and I am pretty sure she was only walked one of those evenings, leaving her with bounds of energy each day. This is what I came home to: We learned our lesson. She must be walked at the beginning of every day.

Gap 1969

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This week I attended a party sponsored by Gap, thrown by moderneve , and received a free pair of Gap's new 1969 line of always skinny jeans! I have never had a pair of skinny jeans before. They've always intimidated me. Extremely trendy. Really tight. But I tried some on, and they're great! I can't wait until it's actually cool enough to wear them! Picture courtesy of Gap Click on the picture to order your own. I'm still not sure I'm confident enough for these heels though. For now, I'll stick with Rainbows.

NYC Girls Trip

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This past week I went to NYC with SMom, Anabelle, and Meg. We met up with some good friends. We shopped, ate, saw some shows, and had a blast. We saw Phantom of the Opera and crammed into a bicycle taxi to get there! And we went to the underground Apple store. Very cool looking. And it's open 24 hours a day! We celebrated SMom and Taylor's birthdays at Tao . (Their food is amazing, especially dessert!) And of course, we road the subway! Gotta love public transportation. Brendon's cousin Amy came and met up with us! This is outside the church by the WTC. Then we went to China Town, lunch, and Soho! And somewhere along the way we saw "Reade St." and had to stop for a picture. In Soho, there was a cute mini cupcake stand called " Baked by Melissa ." So cute and tasty. Homemade. Much better than Sprinkles! Plus they are snack size. Yes, we saw The Little Mermaid. I must say, I had doubts. But this show was actually really great. The costumes were amazing! An