Friday, December 31, 2010

Walk Like a (sore) Egyptian...

There is a reason there will be no pictures or video added to this post.  We bought the Wii Just Dance 2 game with Christmas money from Craig's grandpa and grandma.  Let's just say we have been bustin' moves that really shouldn't be busted.  Therefore, no pictures or video. Ever. Are you reading this Honey?

It really is hilariously fun and a good workout to boot.  Marissa and I have an on-going dance off with a forever stuck in my head Bollywood dance tune.  She is in the lead right now, but today is my day.  I can feel it in my gluteus maximus bones.  I could do a pretty mean "running man" back in the day. Turns out, the Captain does a pretty mean James Brown himself.  And should I be worried that Marissa used her Christmas itunes card to purchase "Walk Like an Egyptian"?  It's a revival, let me tell you. OK, so I can't resist, here's the original version.  You know you like it.


With a blizzard knocking on the door (2 inches and counting), the Captain most likely stuck on the east coast, and Maren recovering from the stomach flu, looks like our New Year's Eve celebration will be minimal.  But we can still dance the night away....sorta.

Here's hoping your New Year will be happy!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Bad Harry Days

Harry's hair has much to be desired these days. His momma Someone forgot his last haircut, and because of the holidays we had to wait until January 7th to reschedule.  He looks pathetic.  Just this little ball of fur running around with no eyes and a really bad straight down the middle 80's part. 


Yes, there really is a dog under all that hair.  Poor thing, sometimes when he is eating his food he jumps like he has been electrocuted or something, but I actually think his hair scares him when it's all hanging in his eyes like that.  Reminds me a little bit of this dude.


I could laugh at these two all day.  I have to chuckle at Harry and all his hair too.  I chuckled right up to the point where he ate Marissa's ipod earbuds that she had just gotten for Christmas.  Bad Harry, uh, hairy - oh never mind.


Thursday, December 23, 2010

A Baby Changes Everything


Sometime before the holiday season really started ramping up, I remember asking God to let me feel His presence in a meaningful way this year.  I didn't want to get so caught up (as I am apt to do) in the doing, the buying and the overall busyness that seems to accompany this season.  There have been moments of craziness, and maybe I am speaking too soon, but it feels like we are settling in for a nice peaceful Christmas time. I have to say I've felt God's hand in many ways this holiday season;  in a book, (Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand - whole 'nother blog post entirely and a must read) in a sermon (go figure) and strangely, even in the trials of various friends and family (their incredible faith comes shining through).

As things come back around, in a way that I feel only God can orchestrate, we had the privilege of hearing a former pastor from the small country church I grew up in, speak at the church we are attending now.  I was curious to hear him speak simply because of that connection to Newkirk church. Even though I was rather young and not too interested in the whole sermon thing back then, I do remember him being an excellent speaker. He is a former football coach, so his delivery is a bit different than most preachers.  He - no let me rephrase that - God, did not disappoint.  He read from John 1 and spoke about darkness and how it is more something that is felt rather than actually seen. Our eyes may perceive darkness, but our souls feel it.  He talked about conflict and power and reconciliation.  He and his wife give tours of the Holy Land.  They have had a first hand look at a seemingly endless conflict and what it can do - or undo.  He made the point that in order for reconciliation to take place, two parties have to be on equal terms, or the one with the "power" needs to empty themselves in order to bring about peace.

Having heard the Christmas story any number of times in my life and even in the course of a Christmas season, it starts to just tinkle around in your head and sometimes never makes it to your heart.  Yes, Jesus was born in a manger, there were shepherds, wisemen and angels.  It all becomes a bit too rote. Why a baby?

Earlier in the same service a lovely woman in our church who has walked through the darkness of breast cancer, spoke about a time when her baby fell down the steps to their basement which they happened to be remodeling at the time.  All she could do was scream for her husband, and watch her child tumble down each and every hard, un-carpeted step, head first, and land with a thud on the hard pavement below.  He was okay, but what parent hasn't been there?  Stood there helpless with the possibility or the reality of their child being harmed.

She went on to wonder if that was how God felt.  Did his stomach and his heart lurch as He watched His beloved Son fall down the stairs of heaven to this dark earth to be hurt and even die?  By His choice, God emptied himself in the form of a helpless babe, to be on equal footing with us, with whom He wishes to be reconciled. Not ridiculous or improbable. Of course, it had to be a baby.

God gave us the most incredible gift.  It was not us seeking him. Crazy as it seems, He must have really taken a shine to those early morning walks in the garden with Adam and Eve and He wants us back.  He loves us, He really does.  I hope you feel that in a very real way this Christmas.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

beginning to look a lot like....

well, you know,  CHRISTMAS!!


We have made GINGERBREAD HOUSES....


had a Christmas party, (where both SANTA and the police showed up).


We've had our CHRISTMAS PROGRAM,


(GREAT job girls.)



and FLOCKING the way nature intended.


 We watched Lizzie while momma finished her Christmas shopping. 
(We introduced her to the whole "SILLY FACES" shot Michelle - sorry. Word.


and finally, you know, the real mark of Christmas, PACKING PEANUTS...


on your stove top, because there was no room in the Inn on the table, or the bar or any flat sort of surface that did not contain some sort of Christmas frou-frou, besides the stove top in which to pack and ship gifts to our beloved but distant FAMILY member whose name we had drawn. PHEW!


Sing it with me now,  "packing peanuts roasting on the smooth top stove....".  Please tell me it gets a little hectic and crazy around your house this time of year.  I am ready to sit back and enjoy.  How about you? Come on over, I'll serve you up a nice cup of hot cocoa and a roasted packing peanut to go with it.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

my favorite thing...

Forgive me for being shallow.  We had a knock-down, drag-out, how in the world did Laura Ingalls ever survive one good old Iowa blizzard here this past weekend.  Granted, I can't complain too much.  It has been relatively mild here all things considered.  To have our first major snow in the middle of December is really a pretty good thing.  We are that much closer to spring. 

But along with the snow came lots of cold and since it has been fairly decent - this cold seems a little jarring to the system. I just haven't gotten used to it yet.  And you do get used to it.  We are talking single digits and below right now, but come early March, mid- thirties and forties will feel like a veritable heat wave. 


This fall we got a new (read slighly used) car - a Chevy HHR.  It's pretty fun to drive, better than the old mini-van, gets 31 miles to the gallon on road trips to OK, but the very best feature which I love more than I ever thought I could love a selling feature on a car is the REMOTE START.  I can stand at the back door of the hospital, lock the doors, push the little start thingy on the key fob and ta-da! I chit-chat with the girls in RT for a couple minutes then walk out to my nice warm car.  It's a beautiful thing.  Now, if I can only buy a house with a remote cleaning option.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Perfect Pairings Proverbs 22:6


 Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.


Baby Bennet was baptized today - and what a wonderful day it was.  We have been blessed!

Thursday, December 2, 2010

On My Mind...

I have lots of things on my mind lately.  Lots.  Like why is most nearly everything baked at 350 degrees.  There must be some explanation for this.  Why don't they give you a free broiler pan when you buy a new stove anymore.  Or is this just some figment of my imagination? I could have sworn we got a nice big broiler pan with the second to last oven we bought.  Not so this time.  Had to spring for the Walmart version, but have to say those broiled pork chops we had for dinner the other night were worth every red cent.

I'm thinking about winter.  It is cold here. Lots of cold.  We had such a nice fall that this seems to be an abrupt change. For the worse.  Winter means Christmas.  I am totally unprepared for Christmas.  We had a Christmas party at work today and it felt so odd.  I could be in trouble.

I'm thinking about books.  I read Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers" this past week on our trip down to Oklahoma and Kansas over Thanksgiving.  He never fails to provide a thought provoking read.  He writes about airplane crashes and mitigated speech.  An interesting chapter for the pilot wife.  He writes about the Beatles and Bill Gates and their 10,000 hours.  He writes about success in terms of alot more hard work and less raw talent. Add in a good measure of opportunity, timing and perhaps the year and maybe even the day you were born and by jove, you might have it. That elusive recipe for success.  The ingredients will surprise you.

Also, my MIL slipped me a copy of  "The Hunger Games".  Not so much interested in apocalyptic sci-fi reads, or so I thought, but it has me hooked.  I started reading it with Marissa, but think that better wait a couple years.  Some graphic violent details come to light amidst a burgeoning love story.  This is the first book in a trilogy.  Glad to have a good read or two, but feel like this may be a highly distracted and sleep deprived Christmas season.

I'm thinking about diabetes.  I have decided to add another hat to the ever-growing tower and have taken a position as a diabetic educator at the hospital where I work.  A large percentage of the cardiac patients I work with also have diabetes, so it is not entirely foreign territory for me.  Definitely need to buff up on my type I and gestational dibetes, along with some of the new meds and insulins they have going on.  Hmmm, Diabetic Educator Journal or The Hunger Games?

I'm thinking about Bennet.  Both of them.  The little one is getting baptized this Sunday.  The elder one firmly kicked my behind in three rounds of Bingo this Tuesday.  He always was the lucky one. And how.  He had blood work done the other day and his liver enzymes are the best they have been in years.  His weight is back up. His color is good.  I like having two Bennets in my world.

I'm also thinking I should go to bed.  Have to teach ACLS tomorrow.  Sell some dishcloths. Pack for a slumber party.  Hope the snow stays north.  And be very thakful for all the above.