An Afternoon to Myself

I am currently enjoying a full sunny afternoon all by lonesome and LOVING it! :-)

Jared is at another farm and I was supposed to go but decided to stay home(because said husband wasn't very nice about me going earlier this week) and I'm not even sad about it, I am loving having the day to do nothing but whatever I want to do.

This morning I woke up at 8:30a which is sort of sleeping in, my outside animals didn't really seem to pleased, hehe! But it was nice for me. I then fed everyone and took a shower then my mom and I did our normal Saturday morning routine which is getting coffee and then going to work. We then went to one of the consignment places that has sweet furniture, I'll post some photos of what I might be getting :-)

Then we went to TJMaxx and didn't really find anything, I found a really comfy skirt but it wasnt the correct size so I didn't get it! bummer! Then we went to Tuesday Morning and I got a cute new scarf! I'm currently wearing said new scarf! And I bought a really nice lighter for lighting candles. We then went to Ulta and were gonna try to find the $10 bare minerals deal on makeup but couldn't find it so I went online and bought it instead.




My New Scarf------>



After the morning of shopping I came back to our house and made some lunch of red potatoes, green beans, mushrooms and onions and it was sooooo yummy!! But now I'm seriously considering a dipped cone from Dairy Queen. After lunch  I was going to attempt cleaning up the back yard of excess winters worth of dog poop but I decided not too after going outside. The dogs did however get a tasty treat and I brought my camera outside with me and attempted a few pictures. The sun is out but its not so warm yet, I think it may have gotten to 50 today, woohoo!!

I came in from taking pictures to put them on the computer and was trying to read some photography tips but ended up taking a nap instead and am now blogging. And really really wanting an ice cream cone from DQ....

I don't know what time Jared will be home so I might get to go out to dinner with one of my friends who I haven't seen in FOREVER!! And that would be so fun!

Last week we said goodbye to a good friend who moved to Wilmington NC and I'm also super excited because I'm gonna go visit her, hopefully sooner than later!! :-) She's been putting lots of pictures on Instagram and I'm seriously ready to leave right now!

Ok, well I'll leave you with a few pictures I took today and I think I'm gonna go to Dairy Queen!

 I really love both pieces but the lighter one is what I want for next to the new bed :-)

 And this chandelier for in the kitchen. 

Happy Anniversary!

So if I was being technical, Today would be our 2nd anniversary! So happy anniversary to us!! yay!! :-)

But since I'm not really being technical, March 29th is the actual date. But still I'm pretty excited that its been 2 years! Yay!! On Tuesday Jared asked if he was supposed to get me a present for our anniversary I said No because... We got a king size bed!!! It was delivered on Tuesday and we got it all set up and it is seriously so amazing!!! Its gigantic looking in our room but thats ok with me because the space is so nice!!! yay! And for ones 2nd anniversary the gift is cotton, and I bought new cotton sheets for the bed so I'm pretty sure that counts! haha!!

I'm trying to think if there is anything new and exciting, I always want to blog and seem to run out of time and have really good ideas but now that I'm finally writing I can think of nothing! ugh!

Last night at work, I downloaded the Etsy app on my phone and I've been finding quite a few things on there that I would love to have. :-)

Have I mentioned that I'm super super super sick of winter, blah! Today has been soooo gloomy and with the snow melting it just looks so gray and gross. And its been alternating between rain/freezing rain/snow all day. Just no good!

I have been enjoying watching The Amazing Race this season. I still would really love to go on that show.

Well I suppose that is all! This weekend is looming ahead fast but I don't really have any plans maybe getting all the wall paper down in our downstairs bathroom. I hate taking down wall paper.

Now I'll leave you with a few pictures from our wedding two years ago!!

Valentines day!!

Not that I'm a super big fan of valentines day but either way it's fun! I am one who prefers not to get flowers or bombarded with lovey dovey stuff. I do however love that I always get chocolate covered strawberries and Heilmans truffles. :-) yum!! 

So I was just reading my lovely SILs blog and decided to do the day book thing:) so here goes....

Outside my window: ugh it's gray and cloudy and they said we weren't supposed to get any snow today but we did get a light dusting. Seriously spring where are you??! 

I am listening to: the heater in my room as I'm being really lazy and laying in my bed under the covers, one of the dogs did come upstairs and start barking so back downstairs they went. So for now it's just me and the little heater. Hopefully I don't fall asleep, lol.

I am thinking: that I don't really know what to get Jared as a small valentines gift. That I got a super good deal on a new hair dryer today at TJMaxx and that I would still really like a shamrock shake. *side note I tried to get one yesterday and the ice cream machine was broke!! Such a bummer*

I am thankful: that I have a really great husband on valentines day and the whole year and that in March we will celebrate 2 years of marriage! And I'm thankful today for animals that bring me a whole lot of joy! 

From the kitchen: I made Jared scotcharoos last night and tonight we are having heart shaped pizzas from papa Murphy's( well Jared, bob, and the twins are) and gluten free tasty pizzas from cottage inn. 

I am wearing: my valentine sock monkey pajama pants from Walmart and a black warm shirt with thumb holes(my fave). And I'm thinking I'm gonna wear my PJ pants for the rest of the evening since it is valentines day.

I am hoping: that my headache goes away soon!

I am praying: that spring comes sooner than later. For my sister in laws Dad as he is dealing with the end stages of life due to a brain tumor. And for Josie as she battles leukemia. 

Around the house: well one hallway is finally all painted!!! Yay!! I'm loving it! I got a super sweet headboard for my birthday that will be probably get turned into a bench. And hopefully this weekend, the front entry way will begin to get painted as well! 

I am reading: a whole number of books on my kindle, some Christian romance that I get the first books free and then have to pay to read the rest, I just started reading insurgent again. And I want to read 1000 gifts by Anne Voskamp.

I am watching:  a new treehouse masters later tonight, the Olympics when I see them. And I've been watching American idol with Jared as he is loving the judges and has a few favorite singers who I think made it through to the top 30. And I'm very excited that the amazing race starts again next weekend!!

One of my favorite things: Friday night pizza :-) 

A few plans for the rest of the week: probably going out to dinner tomorrow for valentines since there's no way I'm going tonight, hehe. youth group on Sunday is a dodge ball tournament which I won't be participating in but I'll probably watch. We really really need to go grocery shopping. And hopefully some reading time on my kindle in one of our comfy chairs. 

A picture I'm sharing:  the headboard I got for my birthday :) 

Happy Birthday to me!!

Hooray for birthdays!!!

Today I turn or turned 28! :-)
And since I love my birthday I think I should blog about it! Today I really feel blessed to have been on earth for 28 years! How cool is that? And if we were being technical it would actually be 29 since you have a whole 12 months before you're a year old. But I just think its cool. I really also love how far technology has come and that over 40 people have wished me a happy birthday today on Facebook. Pretty fun!! (clearly its the little things that get me excited, hehe!

I am looking forward to this next year, not any particular reasons just that I feel like God is going to let it be a great year! He is so good and faithful and I'm excited to see where 28 takes(besides 29 of course).

So far today has been quite fun, I went with my mom and we had coffee with 2 of our really great friends. :-) And I had coffee of a super cute birthday mug!

Then we headed off to work where we did our snow plow billing(which isn't my most favorite thing to do). But we got it done and while at work we got a delivery of some very tasty cookies and that started my gluten-filled day! So after work we went to Taco Bell to have a favorite bean and cheese burrito which I can't usually eat because of the flour tortilla, it was so tasty!! We then headed to TJMaxx and I didnt really find anything but oh well, it's always fun to look! Then we went to my favorite Dutch bakery and got a chocolate cake!! I'm soooo looking forward to eating it once I do my evening chores and after we eat some super tasty pizza! I'm still deciding where to get that from!

Hooray 28, So nice to meet you!!

Oh and I got some delightful truffles from Jared :-)

Can I please go back to Honduras??

Ugh! I'm sitting here almost exactly 2 weeks after getting home from Honduras in the middle of another snowstorm with seriously frigid temps and so much snow. I am one who seriously hates the snow and I'm so ready to be done! I'm over it!!

So I think that means I need to move or at least go on a vacation :) maybe I'll have to tell Jared.

So Honduras...

It was amazing, beautiful, warm!, and just so great! God is always present on those trips but it just felt very refreshing this time. It was so nice to get away from the stress of the hospital, the unhappiness, the mandates, etc etc. and go to the clinic where the Hondurans are so grateful and happy! They always have a smile on their face and seriously even right after having surgery they are still thanking us and saying God bless you! It's so humbling!! And such a blessing! We also had the opportunity to go with a surgeon, his PA and the PAs husband. What amazing people! Dr. Schultz is one of the nicest guys around and Maryann his physicians assistant is just amazing! 

Maryann and Steve, her husband, are fostering and caring for an amazingly beautiful Honduran girl who has now been living with them in the USA for a little over a year and half because she has some very significant health issues, like 2 different bags on her side one for pee, one for poo. But despite those things, Sulmy is one of the happiest little girls I've ever met. She just takes everything in stride and always has a smile, a hug, or an encouraging word when you see her. She was in Honduras to see her family while we were there. The original hope was to have Sulmy come to the states get surgery, hopefully have no need for any bags and go back and live with her family in Honduras. Unfortunately the surgeries didn't work out as planned, they still helped her immensely and instead of just constantly draining various body fluids as when she lived in Honduras she is so much more healthy. But as I said she was able to visit her family in their tiny village while we were in Honduras and got to show Greg, Maryann and Steve her old home, where there is no running water, a dirt floor, and everyone sleeps(dad, mom, Sulmy previously, and her 2 sisters) in the same bed! I know that in a lot of other countries they sleep in the same bed but it just seems so strange! 

But hearing Maryann and Steve tell their story about Sulmy was so cool! God has just been such a provider in the whole situation including lots of paperwork, surgeries etc. there are so many stories of his provision and it was such a good reminder to me that I need to live minute to minute not always looking ahead days, weeks, months. 

I think we did around 60 surgeries for the whole week! Greg is a vascular surgeon so he did some cool vein type cases and I was so thankful that Maryann was there to work with Greg as I don't know how to do vascular stuff. So that meant that I was able to work with Mark doing orthopedics, the only time I really enjoy those cases :-). 

While in Honduras I brought my kindle and downloaded Heaven is for real. Side note, if you haven't read it you definitely need too!!! Wow, it's so good!! It's about a 4 year old who goes to heaven and throughout the course of a year or two tells his parents what he saw. I just loved it and God really spoke to me through it. It's so cool to think about and know that I'm going to heaven but to be reminded that it's going to be so amazing and incredible was definitely encouraging! It also made me realize that I want others to experience that too! Especially my Dad as I don't know if he is even a Christian. So that is something I am praying for everyday! I know that God can change hearts so I pray that my Dad would go to church and ultimately accept Christ.

Well currently I think that is all :-) Honduras was muy bueno!! 

Off to Honduras

And we're off! 

I am currently on a plane en route to one of my most favorite places! As I sit here and think about that, the small town of gracias could even feel a little like home. It's just gorgeous and the people are amazing, just so friendly and generally happy. I wish I felt that more Americans were like that. So Honduras, hats off to you!

I already have a headache, could be due to the fact that I had to get up at 2:30 in the morning, if that's not terrible I don't know what is, gag! But we did stay at the Hilton that is connected to the airport and that was seriously one of the best decisions ever! Not being awake for 24 hours plus is amazing! I would definitely do that again :-) 

And since we were in Chicago, we definitely had to eat some deep dish pizza and man do I LOVE it!! I could probably eat there at least once a week and not be bothered at all. 

And you know the best thing about going to Honduras, besides getting to relax a little, do surgery, and serve God, I am missing some seriously frigid temperatures! Not that I couldn't handle that with my new pink carhartts but since I won't have too I'm feeling quite happy :-) 

Maybe just maybe I'll write a few times while in Honduras, just because it could be fun! Prayers would be appreciated if you think about it! Blessings! 

2014?!? What?

A very happy new year!!!!

It is so hard for me to believe that it's a new year already! How crazy is that? I was journaling the other night about things that happened in 2013 and there were a few big things, like selling my very first home, which was sad and exciting both at the same time. Buying a beautiful and quite large new home, which I am in love with! We were able to have thanksgiving at our house which was so much fun and Christmas dinner as well! 

I went to Peru and that was one of my most favorite trips that I have been on. I would love to go back! It's also strange because at first I did not want to go to Peru at all, but I know that God wanted me to go and so I did!! And I am so glad that I did as I was on an amazing team and got to spend time with one of my most dear friends from Texas, Shiane.

 I have some pretty sweet farm animals that I love, and love going out to take care of them everyday. They really bring me joy.

And what's really a bit weird to me as it's now 2014, is that this year in May it'll be 10 years since I was in high school! How in the world did it go that fast? It just seems crazy to me! Oh my word!! And since I graduated with a whopping 11 people in my class, I think I will be going to the reunion. But I'm still kind of in disbelief that it's been 10 years. 

Oh, and Jared and I celebrated one year of marriage! Which makes me so happy! God knew what he was doing when he brought us together, yes there might be days where I wonder what I was thinking as Jared can sometimes be quite hard to take but I love him anyway, and here's to many more anniversaries :-) 

I am praying now 4 days into 2014, that God will continue to draw me closer to him and that I would serve him better this year. I pray that I would be more Christ-like in my actions, words(especially), and in my overall life that others on the outside would see Christ in me. I'm excited to see where I will be next year at this time! I think there could be some fun surprises along the way! :-)