Most of the blogs I follow and read are those of people that I know from real life (by that I mean, I've actually met them). I don't really go looking for blogs too often, because lets be honest, there are sooooo many of them out there. It's way too overwhelming. There are a few blogs I readb y people I have never met, that I found in one way or another.
One is Talk2TheTrees by Rachael. I found her blog through a dress tutorial I saw on pinterest, and I couldn't stop reading! She is so cute and talented, and I just love reading everything she writes! This blog is full of beautiful photographs and positive thoughts. She shares the wonderful art available in her etsy shops, and the paintings, jewelry, and hats (I told you she was talented) are all lovely! She shares about her life and animals as well.
Another blog I enjoy is a punk, a pumpkin, and a peanut by Carina. I think I found her on someone else's blog. She is a lovely mother of 3 and a Christian. She shares her spiritual insights, and stories and thoughts about their past and future adoptions. She also talks about her kids, fashion, food, crafting, decorating, this blog has it all. And she has great taste! I have found a lot of her posts very encouraging at times.
Check out these two blogs if you are looking for some great ones.
What blogs do you like to read?
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Feeling Good.
I have a lot of emotional ups and downs. I don't know why, but I have always been this way. Maybe everybody is. But today I am feeling good. Today is an up day for sure. Yesterday...was not. I woke up feeling miserable. I was supposed to go fill in for the person who took over my cleaning job. I really didn't want to. But I went, which felt like a pretty big victory. I ran to the store to grab some stuff for lunch, but the rest of the day I was at home, pretty much alone for the whole time. I felt terrible. I didn't want to do anything, really. And I couldn't really think of anything to do. It was a long, lonely day.
This morning I woke up knowing I needed to go do laundry. I didn't much want to, but this was the only chance I was going to get for a little while, and we really needed clothes. So I went. Another victory! Anyway, it wasn't too bad. I had decided I would go to goodwill and walmart afterward. I ended up visiting a friend at work, too. I was out of the house for around 3 hours. I realized that was the longest time I'd been out for that long other than for work in probably a couple of weeks. That is really not good for me. Of course it's hard in winter, and when there is nothing to do or no money to do anything (since we have to drive 30 minutes away for most entertainment options). And my friends are generally pretty busy in this season of their lives.
Well anyway, being out this morning gave me a real boost. Of course it helped that I found some great treasures at goodwill. I love the thrill from thrifting.
Want to see what I found?
This cool western shirt. It's a man's shirt and fits a little awkwardly, but I think I can alter it.
This pretty scarf.
This neat vintage tin.
And this really cool alphabet...thing. I got it for my friends etsy shop. So if you like it check her shop for it.
This morning I woke up knowing I needed to go do laundry. I didn't much want to, but this was the only chance I was going to get for a little while, and we really needed clothes. So I went. Another victory! Anyway, it wasn't too bad. I had decided I would go to goodwill and walmart afterward. I ended up visiting a friend at work, too. I was out of the house for around 3 hours. I realized that was the longest time I'd been out for that long other than for work in probably a couple of weeks. That is really not good for me. Of course it's hard in winter, and when there is nothing to do or no money to do anything (since we have to drive 30 minutes away for most entertainment options). And my friends are generally pretty busy in this season of their lives.
Well anyway, being out this morning gave me a real boost. Of course it helped that I found some great treasures at goodwill. I love the thrill from thrifting.
Want to see what I found?
This cool western shirt. It's a man's shirt and fits a little awkwardly, but I think I can alter it.
This pretty scarf.
This neat vintage tin.
And this really cool alphabet...thing. I got it for my friends etsy shop. So if you like it check her shop for it.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Favorites!
My friend Amanda did a post about her favorite things, and I thought it sounded like fun to list out some of my favorite things. So here they are!
Starbucks
Sushi
Chocolate with raspberry
tea with cream and sugar
rainy days
sweatpants
the northwest coast
snuggling with Ben
cats
roadtrips with snacks
Reef flipflops
American Eagle jeans
Daphne DuMaurier novels
period piece movies
homemade soup on a cold day
sunflowers
champagne
large glasses (eye glasses)
my grandma
sewing by hand
mystery stories (books or movies)
Dr. Pepper
sandalwood
having red hair
Jeep Wagoneers
yellow cake with chocolate frosting
cilantro
gray and yellow together
llamas
Starbucks
Sushi
Chocolate with raspberry
tea with cream and sugar
rainy days
sweatpants
the northwest coast
snuggling with Ben
cats
roadtrips with snacks
Reef flipflops
American Eagle jeans
Daphne DuMaurier novels
period piece movies
homemade soup on a cold day
sunflowers
champagne
large glasses (eye glasses)
my grandma
sewing by hand
mystery stories (books or movies)
Dr. Pepper
sandalwood
having red hair
Jeep Wagoneers
yellow cake with chocolate frosting
cilantro
gray and yellow together
llamas
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Is it really that exciting?
Maybe I'm alone here. But does anybody else know those people who are super enthusiastic? About EVERYTHING? I feel like I know a disproportional amount of them. Maybe it's a Bible college thing. These are the people that everything is exciting and everyone is the greatest, and they must express this often. And then there is the word "epic." The whole "epic" trend is a personal pet peeve. I'm pretty sure there are not many things in my life I would describe as epic. Maybe nothing. My life is pretty quiet.
Anyway, maybe I'm just getting older. I'm kind of okay with being boring sometimes. And I just don't have the enthusiasm I notice amongst the facebook world. I wish I could come up with a good example, but it's more of a general wave of the same type of posts.
Anyway, maybe I'm just getting older. I'm kind of okay with being boring sometimes. And I just don't have the enthusiasm I notice amongst the facebook world. I wish I could come up with a good example, but it's more of a general wave of the same type of posts.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Plans.
With the end of Ben's school career in sight, we began to think about our next step. We prayed about it, and we think we have been shown our path for the next season in our life. It's a bit on the strange, bizarre, crazy side.
We, and our three cats, will be living in a motorhome in Ben's parents driveway.
Why would we do this, you ask. Let me tell you some reasons.
1. We want to. It's an adventure, it sounds fun and challenging.
2. This is probably the only time in our life that it is realistic to attempt something like this. We are young, no kids, etc.
3. To pay off debt. We have student loans that we want to pay off as quickly as possible, so that I will be able to stay home with kids, at least while they are not in school. Living this way will cut down our expenses SO much, that we think we will be able to pay down a good chunk of those loans fairly quickly.
I am not going into this idealistically, I definitely know it will be difficult and probably frustrating and painful in some ways. But I think it will be good for us, and will help us accomplish our goals. So I am pretty excited about it.
We, and our three cats, will be living in a motorhome in Ben's parents driveway.
Why would we do this, you ask. Let me tell you some reasons.
1. We want to. It's an adventure, it sounds fun and challenging.
2. This is probably the only time in our life that it is realistic to attempt something like this. We are young, no kids, etc.
3. To pay off debt. We have student loans that we want to pay off as quickly as possible, so that I will be able to stay home with kids, at least while they are not in school. Living this way will cut down our expenses SO much, that we think we will be able to pay down a good chunk of those loans fairly quickly.
I am not going into this idealistically, I definitely know it will be difficult and probably frustrating and painful in some ways. But I think it will be good for us, and will help us accomplish our goals. So I am pretty excited about it.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Stress/Terror.
It certainly does seem that bad news likes to multiply. You get one bit of bad news, and then more bits pop up. For example, few days after my mom called to tell me my grandpa has passed away (still can't write that without crying), Ben's mom called to tell us his grandma wasn't doing so well. And then she died within the same week.
Well...today we got some very vague news that may mean Ben didn't pass one of his classes, which would mean paying to $300 to retake it next semester, essentially just to turn in a paper he has already done. This is after he is already going to lose part of his scholarship for reasons I won't go into here. I think everything will be covered still with loans, but we had other plans and it stresses me out. Plus, he didn't do great grade-wise this semester, and if his GPA drops low enough he could get academic suspension, or probation and have to spend even more time and money on school.
Then, I went on to the website for my student loans to pay my monthly bill. As soon as it opened to my loan summary page, my stomach flipped and my heart dropped. I am on a "stair-step" plan with my loan. Which means I pay one amount for a while, and then after a certain amount of time, they increase the payment amount. I guess the length of time is two years. Guess how long I've been paying on my loans? Instead of paying my bill and having about $120 left in our account, we don't have enough in our checking account to cover it. We have some other money that will take care of it, and Ben just got paid $125 for preaching over the weekend. I suppose the fact that the those numbers are almost exactly the same should awe and encourage me, but I have to be honest, it doesn't. I am scared.
Now, I know we are a lot better off than so many people, but I am still scared. You know that annoying, hhhhmmpph, encouraging person who says, "God will take care of it," and seems to have ooodles of faith for these situations? I am not that person. Instead, I married that person. Ben has so much more faith in money matters than I do, and I really am thankful for that. I know I should do what he tells me, which is to trust and pray. It is so hard, but I am trying. I am praying.
Well...today we got some very vague news that may mean Ben didn't pass one of his classes, which would mean paying to $300 to retake it next semester, essentially just to turn in a paper he has already done. This is after he is already going to lose part of his scholarship for reasons I won't go into here. I think everything will be covered still with loans, but we had other plans and it stresses me out. Plus, he didn't do great grade-wise this semester, and if his GPA drops low enough he could get academic suspension, or probation and have to spend even more time and money on school.
Then, I went on to the website for my student loans to pay my monthly bill. As soon as it opened to my loan summary page, my stomach flipped and my heart dropped. I am on a "stair-step" plan with my loan. Which means I pay one amount for a while, and then after a certain amount of time, they increase the payment amount. I guess the length of time is two years. Guess how long I've been paying on my loans? Instead of paying my bill and having about $120 left in our account, we don't have enough in our checking account to cover it. We have some other money that will take care of it, and Ben just got paid $125 for preaching over the weekend. I suppose the fact that the those numbers are almost exactly the same should awe and encourage me, but I have to be honest, it doesn't. I am scared.
Now, I know we are a lot better off than so many people, but I am still scared. You know that annoying, hhhhmmpph, encouraging person who says, "God will take care of it," and seems to have ooodles of faith for these situations? I am not that person. Instead, I married that person. Ben has so much more faith in money matters than I do, and I really am thankful for that. I know I should do what he tells me, which is to trust and pray. It is so hard, but I am trying. I am praying.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
It's definitely been a while...
And what's been happening you ask? Death, birth, and life.
My grandpa died. Ben's grandma died.
I attended two births. One I was at for 50 hours, one I was at for one hour (technically I was there longer, but I was only there an hour before the baby was born).
Ben and I are struggling to get him through this semester. He is very burnt out. I just want him to pass everything, with what doesn't matter at this point. Next semester is his last semester if all goes well, and I am SO ready. What comes next? We don't really know. Perhaps Colorado and Ben being an electrician, perhaps staying here. But I am looking forward to a new chapter.
I'm going to work more hours at my office job and I get to quit my cleaning job (hooray!).
Christmas will be in Moberly again, but we will be in Colorado for a week over New Years.
Ben is supposed to start supply preaching over Christmas break, which should be interesting. I think it will be an adventure.
Spiritually, emotionally, mentally...I don't know. In some ways I'm growing I think, but I often find myself in ruts.
Ben and I certainly have never been closer than we are now. Everything we've gone through the past six months or so have knit us much tighter. We've been lonely, we've had to grieve, we've been stressed and overwhelmed. But we have supported and loved each other through all of it. We've spent a lot of time together and have had a lot of fun with each other. He is a huge blessing in my life.
My grandpa died. Ben's grandma died.
I attended two births. One I was at for 50 hours, one I was at for one hour (technically I was there longer, but I was only there an hour before the baby was born).
Ben and I are struggling to get him through this semester. He is very burnt out. I just want him to pass everything, with what doesn't matter at this point. Next semester is his last semester if all goes well, and I am SO ready. What comes next? We don't really know. Perhaps Colorado and Ben being an electrician, perhaps staying here. But I am looking forward to a new chapter.
I'm going to work more hours at my office job and I get to quit my cleaning job (hooray!).
Christmas will be in Moberly again, but we will be in Colorado for a week over New Years.
Ben is supposed to start supply preaching over Christmas break, which should be interesting. I think it will be an adventure.
Spiritually, emotionally, mentally...I don't know. In some ways I'm growing I think, but I often find myself in ruts.
Ben and I certainly have never been closer than we are now. Everything we've gone through the past six months or so have knit us much tighter. We've been lonely, we've had to grieve, we've been stressed and overwhelmed. But we have supported and loved each other through all of it. We've spent a lot of time together and have had a lot of fun with each other. He is a huge blessing in my life.
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