"that envelope thingy"

this clip from the big bang theory has a special place in my heart:

fireside moment

i downloaded a new app today. i now have a cozy, crackling fire at my fingertips. and YOU are cordially invited to enjoy a 25 second fireside moment with me:

...the only down side is that we can't have any s'mores. =(

falling up

last night after work, i made my way to my sister’s house, as my routine has been for the last, oh... year and a HALF. it’s funny; i pay rent on a house that has lately become my personal (and very large) storage unit. i don’t mind. i enjoy every minute with my sisters, franklin, and eva. =)

natalie and i spent the entire evening reading shel silverstein's book "falling up" to eva. the WHOLE book. if you've never heard of mr. silverstein before you are certainly missing out on some very hilarious and very witty poems. his books are for EVERYONE to enjoy. and that’s just what we did.

one of my favorite poems from his book falling up:

Long-Leg Lou and Short-Leg Sue
Went for a walk down the avenue,
Laughin’ and jokin’ like good friends do,
Long-Leg Lou and Short-Leg Sue

Says Long-Leg Lou to Short-Leg Sue,
“Can’t you walk faster than you do?
It really drives me out of my mind
That I’m always in front, and you’re always behind.”

Says Short-Leg Sue to Long-Leg Lou,
“I walk as fast as I’m meant to do.”
“Then I’ll go walkin’ with someone new,”
Says Long-Leg Lou to Short-Leg Sue.

Now Long-Leg Lou, he walks alone,
Looking for someone with legs like his own,
And sometimes he thinks of those warm afternoons
Back when he went walkin’ with Short-Leg Sue.

And Short-Leg Sue strolls down the street
Hand in hand with Slow-Foot Pete,
And they take small steps and they do just fine,
And no one’s in front and no one’s behind.

never too young for chipotle

dear mr. chipotle,

i think i found my youngest best friend today. i took my three month old niece to chipotle and she LOVED it. well... she didn't exactly say those words but i knew how she felt. (whispering: i have unagi.) unfortunately, she wasn't able to eat or drink anything while there (pause for a moment of silence) BUT! once those teefers of hers start growing in, it'll be the FIRST thing she gets to eat.

love,

your biggest fan

its really simple

i think we've found ourselves a future subscriber to real simple magazine. she couldn't take her eyes off it!

give me an "A!"

every wednesday evening since last october, i have found myself in the middle of about 40 kids, screaming my head off in complete and total excitement as our high commander (our one and only, mike eisenman) calls for order to begin our AWANA club meeting. for those who are unfamiliar with the club like i was, AWANA is an acronym that stands for "approved workmen are not ashamed" which is taken from second timothy 2:15. the main emphasis of the program is to encourage, teach, and inspire our young people to memorize God's Word. our AWANA night is an outreach for kids from 1st through 5th grade and each night contains a few basic essentials: opening prayer/announcements, song time, bible time, handbook time (where the kids work on memorizing verses), and GAME TIME. that’s where julie and i come in.

game time and the AWANA game circle is my domain. i was BORN for it. sure when i first started i was TOTALLY nervous about getting in front of kids (yes kids) and directing the games but THANKFULLY julie and cobie were there to make everything go smoothly. we play lots of games; beanbag games, balloon games, and even the classic AWANA relay games. i try to put emphasis on competing hard, while keeping a good attitude. and i encourage good sportsmanship and the importance of both winning and losing with graciousness. these are not easy lessons for those who are competitive (like myself), but slowly some of these character traits are sinking in. i thoroughly enjoy the perks of being the game director: wearing and using a whistle, utilizing the "5 count" to keep the kids on point, pretending to view an instant replay of controversial calls, and being entertained by the kids as they compete along with their leaders.

i have truly been blessed to be part of the AWANA mission and i can’t wait for tomorrow night when julie gets to unleash her relentless whistle blowing skills on the unsuspecting saplings. okay, okay, she’s not that bad.

i am. muahahaha...!

happy birthday papa bear!

he can fix anything with just a rubber band and paperclip.
he doesn’t give high fives; only high sixes.
when people pay attention to him, he keeps the change.
the contents of his taco never fall out.
a bird in his hand is worth three in the bush.
mosquitoes don’t bite him.

who is he, you ask? he's the most amazingly wonderful papa

in the whole wide world. =)

happy birthday papa bear.

pennies & dimes

my very FIRST itunes purchase on my NEW MACBOOK (merry christmas to me!) is the album "pennies & dimes" by my bestest friend in the whole wide world, stacy lantz!

check her out! ...but don't be gross about it.

eva's first christmas

even though my whole family wasn't together for christmas this year, it was still pretty special because it was eva's FIRST! and while we all weren't in one room, we were all "together" on skype. i loved it. so many faces on so many screens. simply glorious.

eva certainly enjoyed herself too:

i love making her laugh and smile.
it's literally SUNSHINE for the soul.

politically correct carols

10. O Holiday Tree
9. Have Yourself a Merry Little Day of Winter
8. Frosty the Snowperson
7. Chestnuts Roasting on a Safely Contained, Continuously Monitored, Eco-friendly, Non-toxic Outdoor Fire

(for Which I Do Have a Permit)

6. Higher Power Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
5. Grandma Allegedly Got Run Over By an Unidentified

Non-Human Perpetrator
4. Deck the Halls with Boughs of Unendangered Foliage

(If Office Policy Permits)
3. Hark! The Herald Mythical Winged Creature Sings
2. I Saw Mommy Greeting Santa Claus with a Purely
Platonic Expression of Inoffensive Mutual Affection
1. I’ll Be Home for a Short Period of Time in December

shark bait

i get "the itch" every once in a while to change things up. tonight i scratched that itch and i couldn't be happier. i traded in my plain, boring white walls for a fabulous "shark" gray. i blared my mcr and 3 hours later... i was done! its amazing what you can get done when you stay FOCUSED.

before.after!

(ish)

i still have a few things left to do before my "reading/tv/art room" is completed. but don't worry, i'll keep you posted. =)

quick fix

i live in a home that needs some serious updating but i like to decorate on a dime, so i decided to add a curtain instead of requesting to remove the sliding doors, patching, painting, etc.

and since its no secret that i'm a HUGE fan of urban outfitters, when i happened upon a FABULOUS shower curtain COVERED in owls, it was no surprise that my will hadn't a chance of resisting. i immediately clicked on "add to cart" and a week later i was singing soprano vibrato as i opened my package from uo.

before:

after:

...a little definitely goes a LONG way. =)

scribble your heart out

i found a really cool site that lets you DOODLE. how cool is that!

here are a few of my cave doodles:

thanksgiving = nesting?

what is it about the thanksgiving holiday that makes my nesting instinct kick in to overdrive? i think it’s my procrastination, that’s what. i’m not a fan of being in the kitchen, so when i needed a serving platter, i all of a sudden had an overwhelming urge to haul everything out of the cabinet and reorganize it. i’m SUPPOSED to be making stuffing, but instead, i now have an organized cupboard to gaze upon. not to worry, i’ll leave the cupboard door open and perhaps that will distract everyone from the fact that THERE IS NO STUFFING! i really don't think that's gonna work though.

alright, back to the kitchen i go to ACTUALLY make some food, like my fabulous mashed potatoes. but not without first saying "happy thanksgiving to everyone!"

a $300 secret

i have a secret. an amazingly, wonderful secret that is sure to make someone i hold near and dear to my heart squeal with delight and perhaps squeeze out a tear or two. psh! who am i kidding. this person's eyes are going to be swimming for days! (giddy with de!ight)