a list.

-diet cherry coke zero is the only soda i can drink out of a can {and pretty much the only soda i can stand at this point}.

-i love my baked potato with butter, salt & pepper, cheddar cheese, and red onion {and lots of all of it}.

-i love stocking my pantry with new toilet paper, paper towels and paper plates {it's weird, i know}.

-i love a quiet evening with my hubby on the couch with a favorite series until midnight.

-and he looks really good in a suit. really good.

-i love to hear birds chirping in the rain.

-ice cream is best enjoyed when i know i shouldn't be eating it {cause that's pretty much always in my case}.

-i have a horrible time putting clean laundry away.

-i have a strange joy in putting dirty dishes in an empty dishwasher {again, not so much fun unloading the clean dishes}.

-christmas is most definitely my favorite holiday.

-spring and fall my favorite seasons.

-i think about wallowa lake and how bad i want to be there 12.7 times a day {or something close to that}.

-i smell my europe trip {mostly england} every time i walk through our neighborhood target's parking lot {and i have no idea why}.

-it's almost impossible for me to keep my eyes closed in the shower.

-i spend way too much time thinking about things i can't control.

-i've never been concerned about my hair {except the first time i got bangs and a perm in middle school - oh my gosh - sweet nightmare - mom, why?!}.

-i feel the need to accomplish something big...and then quickly realize i already am by living my life. quite simple, really.

-i can't can't wait to go to [south] africa someday. i want to go now. or tomorrow would be good too. i just hurt to want to love on God's beautiful people.

-i'm a bit terrified to go through potty training again. not too sure why it's so intimidating. but i know she's ready, so here we go...

-and why are they still making shrek movies? just curious.

ribbit.

you know you have potty-training twins over for a weekend sleepover when...

i should be in bed, but...

-i can't even tell you how much i want to open my window and blast my voice through the courtyard about how much i love 'half price books'. you heard me...i love them! the best way i can explain it is they are the thrift store version of barnes and noble. plus {!}, they offer a clearance section of many popular books for one dollar. $1!! eek! it's my new happy place in my new town. if you can't find me, i will be in the back corner of the kid's section, sitting on the floor, coffee in hand, flipping through one adventure after another. while the girls happily play in the adorable little playhouse sitting in the middle of, what's better known as, 'half pint books'. it's too cute for words really. and it's all within reach...this could get ugly *wink.

-it was a little strange to see a "follow us on facebook and twitter" sign on the side of a gas station car wash...and why would i want to 'follow' you? that may be taking the whole internet networking a bit far, huh?

-one of the stop signs in our local target parking lot read, "STOP circumcising babies!" umm...k? weird? yeah, just a little bit.

-i just had one of the most carefree days in a long {very long} time. i adore hanging out with my girls - like, a lot. i also enjoy hanging out with...well, me. i also find a huge amount of comfort in not being sick {funny, right?}. and a girl's night is like rejuvenating my adult soul, reminding me i can have intellectual conversations with people my age. mix all of that together - no wee ones all morning for 4 hours, me time {may or may not have included shopping}, being germ free, and smartical {it's a 'me' word} convo with friends {a.k.a. girl's night; a.k.a. more me time} - you get a pretty rockin' day. oh, and in the middle of one pretty sweet day, you throw in a couple hours of family time at the zoo = complete. and though these kind of days are rare, i am thankful they are just that...rare. because truth be told, my average kind of days filled with family tend to be the happiest ones of all {and i know for a fact i don't want to hang out with just me on a regular basis - kinda boring}.

-i'm reminding myself to carry my simple blessings of today with me throughout our weekend. because our weekends? aren't so 'typical'...friday is like our monday with a one-day-sort-of-weekend thrown in the middle of a mushed together week. here's to living joyfully in the midst of this season!

sleepless night + blogging = this.

-over the last two months, at least one member of our family has been sick {i take rank with 6 of the weeks}.

-apparently, i'm allergic to the state of texas {it could be the hallow of smog over the city...or the cattle {what?}...or the fact my mom doesn't live here}.

-i miss bruchi's, tomato street, and wendy's with pepsi {among many, many other [more] important things}.

-i've been blissfully reminded that God's standard is the only one. period.

-oh, and that He's the God of the impossible.

-i am completely in love with my new flat iron. have i talked about this already? it was my christmas present and it is heaven to my uber thick hair. hello, i'm silky straight in about seven minutes flat {as opposed to twenty like my other one i fried in europe}.

-i adored the rainy/stormy afternoon today. it was just what my soul needed...fresh, cool air. clean. cozy. glistening drops on the window. a sound of peace. and a good day to continue the doom of laundry.

-my dad is in africa. this makes me nervous, but still all in one emotion. he's with a team consisting of several others serving the beautiful people in the region of mali. this isn't his first journey over there, and i'm looking forward to the wonderful stories of how God is working in the lives of His people.

-it's just really good to know that the Lord is alive and evident in my life and the life of my family. trusting in Him is the greatest thing i choose to do every day. He's active and aware of what goes on in our life - the good. the challenging. the ugly. He carries us. let's us walk. sometimes even run. we soar. all because of Him.

-so...american idol started. is this a good thing? why yes, yes it is. *wink

-i've been the most inefficient grocery shopper lately...finding myself at the store probably four times a week. ridiculous. so i've decided to completely redo our meal planning starting this monday with many new healthier options on the menu. this way, i can stick to what's written down and [hopefully] not waiver. last time i did this, i lost 14 lbs.

-i can't seem to ever feel completely organized. no matter how many tubs, bins, totes, or baskets i use, it just never seems 'enough'. i use 'enough' not in quantity, but in effectiveness to what i'm trying to organize. make sense? i need the help of candice olson.

-can i be twelve for a second and just say that i plain miss my mom. yes? thank you.

personal reminder.

i've been in this state of mundane routine that's been trolling me along like a stick in the mud. there's always something special in the mirrored reflections of our everyday, and i'm afraid i'm failing to see past the daily schedules. instead, i'm humming along. barely rolling out of bed, not even a hint of joy in my shuffled steps. there's a lingered cough that won't stay away. a stuffy head that triggers drowsiness. and an overall pitiful-pathetic-me attitude that's getting me nowhere.

complaining has never been my shade. whining, never my size. i'm afraid second semester starts tomorrow and part of me wants to curl up in the corner of my closet. "hold me", i'll call to my sweaters, "hide me away in the warmth of your knitted hoods."

it's all silly, really.

when have i ever found a time in my life to draw back my swelling heart of praise to my God? i'm surely not about to start now over a few snot-filled kleenex and unproductive night's rest. cause after all...

No one who hopes in me ever regrets it. -Isaiah 49:23 the Message

waiting.

i hate surprises. but sometimes, i think it's more uncomfortable waiting for something that's better than a surprise.

miley and i are anxiously awaiting grammy and papa's arrival from the airport. daddy and jessa when to fetch them on this very warm texas evening. thanks to denver, colorado, delays have kept them over two hours. friendly texts keep the hubby and i on close alert with email verifications down to the minute of their gate approach.

this may be worse than a surprise because i know exactly what waits on the other side of the airport security gates, the hubby and jess waiting to whisk them back to our place. the best christmas gift we could receive this year!

in the meantime, i'm dealing with a munchkin who is up way past her bedtime, a stained carpet from spilled pepsi from the same-munchkin-who-is-up-way-past-her-bedtime, continued sniffles and coughs from me, and a crusty nose from the same-munchkin-who-is-up-way-past-her-bedtime. and a living room sprawled with chritmas paper, tissue, tape, ribbons, and bows attempting to get some wrapping done with the ticking of the clock.

oh, the joy in waiting. but how sweet the waiting will seem when the waiting is no more. *wink

busybusybusy.

my several 'plates' have been full lately...a little overflowing even.

i've been...

keeping up with the playgroup {a.k.a. 'preschool' playdates *shhh*} schedule {i just love those little wee ones!}.

attending doctor appointments and various other meetings {a few too many}.

exploring the opportunity of being a 'writer' for our new church.

managing a slightly chaotic household {it's finals week[s]}.

throwing christmas parties, planning birthday parties, and organizing dinner parties.

playdates, shopping, errands, babysitting.

christmas lists, wrapping, decorating, card-making, and newsletter writing.

and the usual housework, grocery shopping, and caring for my girlie girls {which ultimately comes first on the list, yes?}.

and then there's eating, sleeping, and breathing {all very, very important}.

with the hubby totally hogging the computer for his finals and last paper assignments {i mean, what is he thinking? it's only his masters *wink}, i also have a FIVE YEAR OLD birthday to plan for next week. jessa is having her first official sleepover with three of her girl friends. we couldn't be more excited! with that said, it's been a bit busy over here and why i'm mourning a bit over my lost computer time. honestly? i don't even think i have the brain power to be poetically creative at this point - no matter how many things may be swimming around my head.

i simply need a peaceful day where i can regurgitate it all out at once. is that a lovely picture or what?

snowfall.

it's officially snowing in texas!

i hardly doubt it will last more than a few minutes and will never have a chance as it hits the ground {now watch, we'll get buried in inches by night fall just because of my false predictions}. *smile. as it falls from the sky, it can't make up its mind whether to drop flakes or soggy, squishy chunks of heavy rain {is there such a thing?}.

as i spend this dark, quiet morning typing away with christmas melodies playing in the background, a little snow is quite appropriate. i guess watching frosty with the girls last night had some type of magical christmas snow power after all. *wink.

pouring down.

i'm sitting here, really trying to justify the need i had to drive to costco in the pouring texas rain {we're not talkin' about just a casual drip and a little drop there}. i've already gone and successfully returned in one piece, thanks to the angels who knowingly departed with me, likely hovering over every square inch of our subi. to put it nicely, it was terrifying.

have you ever suffered through those driving experiences, only to be left an hour later still thanking the heavens for your very life and the mere fact you survived? umm...i've had a few too many. and i don't seem to be learning from a single one.

on this occasion, i had a friend following me. only to add to my sweaty, white knuckles was this feeling of protection for the passengers following in a big rig close behind. most likely, my puddles were splashing up in her windshield only to blind her more. nice, right? and tom, our little navigation buddy, was pretty much the devil. his little, "stay left ahead and take the second right. merge left, but stay right. take exit ahead. exit now...hold on for your dear life as you cut across four lanes of merging traffic in the pouring rain. oh, and try to keep up", monotone, tricky voice made me want to scream. thanks, tom. thanks.

but as i gaze sweetly at my neatly organized rows of toilet paper and paper towels tucked away in my pantry, i smile. i just might have to think it was worth the trip. but only this time. never again in the pouring rain. never again with tom as my guide. never again with dear friends following behind my trail of blinding puddles. never again do i want to purposefully risk my life for a few rolls of paper products and dishwasher soap. costco just isn't worth that risk, after all {as she gasps finding out the truth}.

it makes me wonder...what other areas in my life am i willing to take a risk? i might fail. i might get splashed on, or even drenched. i might get laughed at. i might get made fun of or hurt. but when is it really worth it? when am i willing to step out and see?

Lord, give me strength to trust you in all areas. from the serious to the mundane, allow me to fall on you for guidance. allow me to always be willing to risk for you...no matter what. allow me to be rained on by your grace alone. thank you for your safety today as i crazily ventured out. thank you for watching over me with a warm embrace. thank you for always being worth any risk i'll ever take for your glory.

drenched.

so, here i am again. entranced with the happenings from my perched view of the busyness down below. thankful that i'm not amidst the hustle and bustle of this soggy, drenched morning. i'm feeling content, though a little behind on things, with my warm environment.

i have quite a few things that need 'catching-up-on'. the girls need their dr. check-ups with their new pediatrician {which includes shots - bleh}. i need to find myself a new physician {always fun}. a costco run {more like a marathon, i haven't been in almost four months}, a grocery trip, a bank drive-thru, and a paper scavenger hunt. then there's always laundry, organizing, and the never-ending attempt at finding fun, new, creative things to make for dinner. am i right? or are all of you culinary artists in disguise? in that case, it's time to come clean and SHARE!

moving on.

i've also been dusting off my scrapbooking webs and giving it a go on my friend's grandbaby album. i have to say, i'm feeling my blood bubble as i delve back into this passionate hobby of mine. poor miley girl still only has about four 8x8 pages done in her honor. one of these days...one. of. these. days.

well, with a few more things on my mind that could potentially move mountains unlike grocery trips and dr. appointments, i must be going for now. praying that each of you find a sliver of the grace we receive from living under the arms of a loving King. because if you do? you'll find the strength to rise no. matter. what.

something that is really nothing.

- what time did you get up this morning? 9:41 am {i know, completely and utterly spoiled. or is it lazy? eh!}

- what was the last film you saw at the cinema? you mean theater? umm...hannah montana the movie {judge if you want, i have a four year old}

- what is your favorite TV show? american idol

- if you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? pacific northwest. or maybe england? whichever

- what did you have for breakfast? bowl of multi-grain cheerios

- what is your favorite cuisine? italian

- what foods do you dislike? i want you to know i will be gagging as i type this list - sweet potatoes, bologna & egg {who WOULD like that?!}, corn bread, pot pies of any kind {bleh!}

- favorite place to eat? at my dinner table with my family

- favorite dressing? raspberry vinaigrette

- what kind of vehicle do you drive? subaru outback

- what are your favorite clothes? right now, probably my swimsuit and cover up i got in italy {it's cute, simple & white - the cover up, not the swimsuit}

- where would you visit if you had the chance? "home"

- cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? most definitely half full...no matter what

- where would you want to retire? surrounded by family nestled in the mountains

- favorite time of day? whenever i feel most awake and energized - haven't figured that out yet

- where were you born? almost in a bathroom, then almost in an ambulance, but finally in a hospital

- what is your favorite sport to watch? FOOTBALL! go seahawks!

- bird watcher? if they fly in front of me, then i guess so

- are you a morning person or a night person? did you see what time i got up this morning? yeah

- do you have any pets? nope

- any new and exciting news you'd like to share? the Lord provided our month's rent - that's VERY exciting to us!

- what did you want to be when you were little? honestly? a pastor's wife & sahm - "funny" how things work out

- what is your best childhood memory? best? gosh, there's so many {thankfully}, but i'd have to go with watching the seahawks as a family with jack every sunday afternoon during the season - good times

- are you a cat or dog person? neither, but i'd choose a dog over a cat

- are you married? yay!

- always wear your seat belt? yes and i actually feel VERY unsafe and awkward without it {i get a bit panicky if there's one not provided}. goodie goodie? maybe, but i don't want to fly out my front windshield and have my head pop off either

- been in a car accident? yup...and thankful i was wearing my seat belt! *wink

- any pet peeves? my own clumsiness {do they make seat belts for everyday life? just curious...}

- favorite flower? tulips

- favorite ice cream? chocolate so i can make chocolate milkshakes {learned from the best - thanks mom!}

- favorite fast food restaurant? wendy's - #6 please, on the original white bun with cheese

- how many times did you fail your driver's test? thankfully none, whew! driving a mini geo metro at the time helped nicely with that

- from whom did you get your last email? my gran'ma

- which store would you choose to max out your credit card? first, i wouldn't...i honestly don't think i could find that much stuff to buy at one store. but if i MUST, then probably target...or ikea. actually, does seminary count? cause i think that would pretty much do it

- do anything spontaneous lately? funny, the hubs and i were just having this conversation - he seems to think i'm quite spontaneous

- like your job? LOVE my munchkins!

- broccoli? unfortunately too much...if you get my "drift" {tmi?}

- what was your favorite vacation? that "v" word just makes my heart beat a little faster...i'd have to choose my surprise disneyland trip with the hubby. combine vacation and surprise and it's sure to be a winner, am i right?

- last person you went out to dinner with? my fam and our friend matt

- what are you listening to right now? an airplane flying overhead. maybe they're going on vacation?

- what is your favorite color? brown

- how many tattoos do you have? zip...unless you count that one from the bubble gum wrapper?

- what time did you finish this quiz? 2:27 pm

- coffee drinker? silly question

the hubby has the day off today and is about ready to go running so i thought i'd do another silly imported facebook questionnaire. we took a walk together to the bank this morning to deal with another strange occurrence on our new account - i've decided i like our bank back home so much better. i miss them. anyway, we came back and the hubs and i shot some pool (he kicked my tush) while the girls ran around and watched with intent as the vibrant colors flew back and forth on the green felt. it was intriguing, i guess. i did end up winning the last round and proving not to be a complete loser. *wink

i managed to sleep a little bit better last night until about 4:30 am when nature decided to put on a rock show with its killer strobe lights. the lightening was so intense and continuously flashed for an hour with hardly any thunder. these storms continue to amaze me. the hubby said he woke up this morning and wondered why i was so unusually close to him.

oh...girls are beckoning. gotta go.

nothing really.

three names i go by: cakes, bood {yeah, don't ask...it's a childhood thing} & bethany


three jobs i've had in my life: waitress/hostess, daycare & scrapbook aficionado


three places i've lived: washington, washington and texas


three favorite drinks: {sweetened} ice tea, mocha frappuchinos {coffee in general} & pepsi - healthy, right?


three tv shows i watch: american idol, so you think you can dance & the office


three places i've been: just three? ok...scotland, honduras & costa rica


three people who text me regularly: the hubs, my mama & heidi


three favorite foods: tacos {can only be the family recipe, of course!}, steak {oh my gosh, yum!} & chow mein


three things i'm looking forward to: making new friends, seeing my mama in september & watching my hubby succeed in school


three favorite restaurants: tomato street, red robin & cracker barrel

not too exciting, but i wanted to post something that didn't require much thinking. i hope you all had a wonderful sunday! now i can't decide if i want sour patch kids or a milkshake during this {pretty dramatically lame} sunday night tv movie.

on a little update.

as for my camera, i {think} we're back in pixel business. with about forty-one hours and continually counting down, i just need to pick up another flash card. i hardly think the two that i have will be enough with only the volume to hold 1000 pics. i think i need a solid thousand more, yes? at least. i took my bestest lens-ed friend to best buy and asked the geeks to HELP! they just sold me a kit that would do the job to clean it myself. the same job they would do but minus the cost of labor. it seemed to do the job. after all, i haven't had it serviced in any way, shape or form for the two years that i've had it. shameful. i even finally splurged on the filters for both my lenses. yay! i feel i've taken the next step in photographic maturity.

my carry on is continuing to reach its rim. the days keep continuing to go by. i just can't believe it's here. thanks to my friend's creative idea over at keeping up with the jones', i stole a candy idea for jessa while i'm gone. i'm using my tall ikea pasta jar, wrapping a message around the outside and filling it with 21 pieces of twizzlers. each day i'm gone, i'll have my mom give her one and when she misses me, she can count how many are left until i get home. who doesn't like a sweet piece of licorice to help the pain go away? i just might have to take a few with me...

and can i just say, hannah montana the movie is super cute. we had a fun time together munchin' popcorn, sipping pop and snackin' on some sour patch kids. her intensity for the screen showed me she was totally into it. she kept commenting on hannah's beautiful dresses and even laughed with the crowd. i just love my girl to pieces.

with a quick trip to old navy and jessa accompanying me to best buy, we were headed home to meet daddy and miley...and continue our attempts at our organizational packing skills. now, i think it's time to enjoy some office episodes with the hubby. i need my brain to zone out a bit and this is just the thing to get me there.

a little bit of nothing.

but a whole lot of something.

you know those mornings you wake up and the house looks exactly the way you left it the previous morning? or two mornings ago...like in my case. pile of clean clothes on the couch. dishes in the sink. basket{s} overflowing just on the other side of the counter. stack of mail invading the corner 'drop-off zone'. it's quite intrusive on my morning to walk out and be bombarded with yesterday's stuff. it all looks a bit more stark and apparent in the morning's light. like it's belligerently taunting me, "good morning! now clean me up!!"

we've been running, running, running. and the house has been sitting, sitting, sitting. in all of its glory. even when we're not here, it still shows signs of someone being present. very present. hmm...

i vowed to make a quick pharmacy trip and {another} walley world run this morning and stay at home for the remainder of the day. it means something when you're aunt says to you, "boy! you guys sure are on the move a lot!", as we left the house for the umpteenth time.

i've managed to come down with a little something i like to call crud. i'm not sure if it's allergies or the energy/sleep i've been slightly lacking. it's tiresome running full pedal to the metal for five days straight. this is not a good sign for what my body can, or can't, handle. i could very well be more active in the coming weeks. but i guess i won't have two wee ones with me that i'm constantly caring for. which, my eyes didn't do a very good job at walmart today. jessa climbed underneath the cart on the platform part where you put your case of water or diapers. i totally remember doing this when i was little too...the view is so much more intriguing. suddenly, i heard terrifying squeals for help and that her knee was stuck. in between two of the bars, her knee slid to a tight spot that was not willing to let go. an employee came to our rescue and after several minutes of a toddler on her death bed, about ready to make her death wish in between frightening cries, i slid her leg to a higher spot and it popped right out. i almost had to fill out an accident report for the store, but i reassured them that she was mostly scared. after ten minutes of gasping sobs, we were back on our way to filling the inside of our cart. injury free.

being a tired mom is sometimes so much more exciting than being a mom that has it completely together. where's the fun in that?

*don't forget to go over to the best nesst {in my sidebar} and enter the journal giveaway! you have until sunday at noon!

update

eastery pics over at between the lens {in the sidebar}. enjoy!

*warning* the following birthday post may be a little love sappy for some. it's just how we roll, she says with a smirk.