Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Road Tripin' - 2009 Blizzard
As most of you know, I went down to SC for Christmas. I was going to blog about the whole adventure but my sister Amy already did, so I'll let you read her recap of our dangerously memorable Road Trip! Unfortunately, the cameras were smashed in the back and as you'll read we couldn't stop to get them out and snap a few pics of the madness! Enjoy!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Happy Birthday Mom!!!
You didn't think I'd let the day go by without telling the whole blogging world that it's your special day today did you?! 
To the biggest Husker fan I know,
We may not have always been the tidiest kids on the block,
but we sure did have a lot of fun.....
.... who is that young lady, looking oh so cute below?!
....yep you guessed it...
The BIRTHDAY GIRL!!!!
Happy Birthday, Mom!!! I Love you! :D
Monday, December 14, 2009
1000 gifts - A heart of gratitude
Gratitude - a positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive.
"Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them." -- Psalms 107:15
Today my heart is full of gratitude because.....
0037 - .... You have given me amazing family and friends with tremendous wisdom
0038 - .... You have given me so so so much. Way more than I will ever deserve
0039 - .... Megan will be here at this time next week!!!!!!!!!!!
0040 - .... I live close family (some) and get to love on my little nephew whenever I want to!
0041 - .... You are the redeemer and reconciler of all types of relationships
0042 - .... I know You don't need me, Lord. But even more humbling than that, You amazingly, choose me. again. and again. and again!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
1000 Gifts - God's handy work :D
(I know the plan is to do this every Monday but for some reason, I always have too much to do to sit down and put pen to paper, or fingers to keys.... so I'm doing it on Sunday night to start my week off giving gratitude and praise to our God, who is oh so worthy!)
"We give thanks to you, O God,
we give thanks, for your Name is near;
men tell of your wonderful deeds." -- Pslam 75:1
This week I am full of thankfulness - Here's why:
0027 - Spending Thanksgiving on a most beautiful day.....
0028 - ...With some of my favorite people (and missing some too)
0029 - Being on the road for work but getting to see the Candetos and the encouragement they bring JUST at the right moment.
0030 - Community inspiring worship through the season and Christmas Carols being played in every Mall across our country!! (When else does that happen other than CHRISTmas time?!?)
0031 - A fearful, nervous heart made calm when God used the littlest and most peculiar of things, like a Nebraska sweatshirt, to move someone to reach out and give me the words God knew I needed to hear.
0032 - Traveling mercies and LITTLE turbulence!
0033 - The beauty and peacefulness of a first snow as the earth rests and underneath it all is preparing to bring new life....
0034 - Reconnecting with my friends in northern va after traveling for 6 out of the last 8 weeks.... SO FUN (Have you ever played ROCK BAND? I think I know what I want for Christmas!) ;)
0035 - Getting to help Mom with one of her favorite things, decorating for Christmas.
0036 - Being reminded of God's goodness and faithfulness with the sweet, captivating smile of a newborn.... my new nephew of course!
Monday, November 2, 2009
1000 Gifts - Provision
0021 - A job that God uses to provide for me... over and over.
0022 - Getting to see the fruits of my labor in the end and enjoy some nature in the process.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Seasons - A Fall Breeze
I know I missed blogging last week's 1000 gifts, but I couldn't get to a computer to do it. I thought about it though. I love this time of year. After being in Iraq for six months and seeing more brown than I'll ever care to see again in my life, I have noticed this fall especially, how I have been amazed at the beauty God displays throughout his creation. There are days like this weekend that a group of trees will literally take my breath away for a second. Fall seems to be a season, for me, that I can not escape God's presence no matter where I go. It's like He's showing off all over the place! Everywhere I turn I see His handiwork and I can't help but thank Him for being present in this broken world we live in.
0009 - God's revealing His presence through nature....
"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there." - Psalm 139:7-8
0010 - A call from my sister saying she's coming home from China for the holidays! :D
0011 - Witnessing a blind double amputee competing in the Marine Corps Marathon with the help of four friends (self sacrifice and service).... "uncommon valor is a common virtue" stood to be the resounding theme that day.
0012 - A day off to catch up on "house stuff," relax, workout, and see some loved ones before I leave on a work trip!
0013 - Pumpkin Seeds... Yummo!
0014 - A stroll through the city on the perfect day to enjoy the history and crisp fall weather
0015 - An unexpected reunion with friends made in Iraq.... in my old neighborhood!
0016 - Baby's first night out with little to no crying! Success!!! :D
0017 - Dad healing well and getting back to his old self slowly but surely.
0018 - The comfort of knowing Mom is willing and able to give Dad the TLC he needs and be his outstanding nurse!
0019 - Friends who are willing to come rescue me when my car breaks down (or I run out of gas...eh hem)!!
0020 - A chance to take the said friends out to dinner to thank them for their superhero-ness!!!
"Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say REJOICE!" -- Phil 4:4
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Did you see her?
....Did you see the girl that ran out of gas and got stuck in the MIDDLE of the road because there were cement barricades on both sides of the road and no shoulder to pull over to safety?... at rush hour no less. What an idiot. Who pushes their car to the limit, thinking they can make it home when the gas light is CLEARLY on BEFORE they start their drive home for work because judging on how far the last tank of gas, they should have another 50 miles before needing to fill up?
Oops. That idiot was me. I was on my way home last night and I as pulled out of my work parking lot I thought to myself... "My gas light is on. But on my last tank of gas I got at least 50 more miles so I should make it home easy... hope I don't run into traffic." And so the story begins. Traffic was actually great until I hit 495 after the exit for 66. It was backed up all the way from the toll road. I did what every normal person would do and since I knew somebody flying into Dulles (one of my marathoners for the weekend), I decided I had a completely justifiable reason to get on the access road, right? right. I'm feeling good about this decision because I am flying (obeying the laws of the road, mom) past all the cars sitting on 267 because of an accident up about 4 miles towards my house. As I'm talking through my blutooth stereo to Melissa I all of the sudden feel my car do this weird kind of gentle jolt. I thought it was kind of strange but kept talking... my other line rings. It was my marathoner saying he had arrived. My car jolts again. I click back over to Melissa.
"Melissa, I think I just ran out of gas."
"What?!"
In an octave higher than my previous statement..."OMGosh, Melissa, I can't make it to the shoulder... I'm gonna get hit I'm in the middle of the road!!! I gotta call you ba....." click.
I hang up the phone and think about who can I call to bring me gas so I'm not stuck in the middle of the road. Did I mention it was rush hour?! Wait, forget the gas... I realize I need to call 911 to get a cop car behind me and keep me from getting rear ended... do I get out and THEN call the police or do I call them from in the car?!! Oh Lord Help me!!!!
911.... "Hi... um, I ran out of gas and I'm on the toll road where there's no shoulder to pull over to. If I stay here much longer I'm sure I will get hit."
Apparently my voice reaches extreme octaves when I get a little (or a lot) nervous because the dispatcher was having a little trouble understanding me "Ma'am....Ma'am!! I cannot hear you... Do NOT get out of your car and please tell me again, where you are and what's going on."
I took a breath and repeated what I had just said. As I was doing this a cop with his lights on pulled up behind me. Never have I ever felt relieved when looking those flashing blue and red lights in my rear view mirror. Oh but I was. He got out of his car, came up to my window as I was telling the dispatcher that there was a cop there now. I told him I ran out of gas and that I was such an idiot and how sorry I was. The dispatcher heard me and tried to comfort me "You're not an idiot. That just happened to me yesterday."
"You ran out of gas and your a cop?"
"I'm not a cop, Ma'am."
"oh. right." Ok, yes I realize that dispatchers are NOT cops but all of the adrenalin must had gone to my brain and for a second I forgot.
The DISPATCHER got off the phone with me as the, now 4 cops were pushing my little blue car up the hill to get past the barricades and onto the shoulder. Ok, so I know at this moment as these older, a little overweight (being gracious in that statement) cops is not most appropriate time to find humor in a situation but again all of the adrenalin in my body had to go somewhere now that I wasn't scared for my life. I looked again in my rear view mirror only to see these sweet cops giving everything they had to push my car to safety. and. it. was. funny. I put my hand over my mouth to cover my massively uncalled for smile. But I could not control the giggles. They finally got me to the shoulder after about 50 meters of pushing up hill and I put the car in park (but didn't turn it off) and got out to thank them... I must say they looked like they had just gotten done with a preseason work out. Bent over, hands on knees or over their head, breathing heavy, face red, and foreheads sweating.... and of course they couldn't even mutter the words your welcome as they gasped for air intermittently......
More to come....
Oops. That idiot was me. I was on my way home last night and I as pulled out of my work parking lot I thought to myself... "My gas light is on. But on my last tank of gas I got at least 50 more miles so I should make it home easy... hope I don't run into traffic." And so the story begins. Traffic was actually great until I hit 495 after the exit for 66. It was backed up all the way from the toll road. I did what every normal person would do and since I knew somebody flying into Dulles (one of my marathoners for the weekend), I decided I had a completely justifiable reason to get on the access road, right? right. I'm feeling good about this decision because I am flying (obeying the laws of the road, mom) past all the cars sitting on 267 because of an accident up about 4 miles towards my house. As I'm talking through my blutooth stereo to Melissa I all of the sudden feel my car do this weird kind of gentle jolt. I thought it was kind of strange but kept talking... my other line rings. It was my marathoner saying he had arrived. My car jolts again. I click back over to Melissa.
"Melissa, I think I just ran out of gas."
"What?!"
In an octave higher than my previous statement..."OMGosh, Melissa, I can't make it to the shoulder... I'm gonna get hit I'm in the middle of the road!!! I gotta call you ba....." click.
I hang up the phone and think about who can I call to bring me gas so I'm not stuck in the middle of the road. Did I mention it was rush hour?! Wait, forget the gas... I realize I need to call 911 to get a cop car behind me and keep me from getting rear ended... do I get out and THEN call the police or do I call them from in the car?!! Oh Lord Help me!!!!
911.... "Hi... um, I ran out of gas and I'm on the toll road where there's no shoulder to pull over to. If I stay here much longer I'm sure I will get hit."
Apparently my voice reaches extreme octaves when I get a little (or a lot) nervous because the dispatcher was having a little trouble understanding me "Ma'am....Ma'am!! I cannot hear you... Do NOT get out of your car and please tell me again, where you are and what's going on."
I took a breath and repeated what I had just said. As I was doing this a cop with his lights on pulled up behind me. Never have I ever felt relieved when looking those flashing blue and red lights in my rear view mirror. Oh but I was. He got out of his car, came up to my window as I was telling the dispatcher that there was a cop there now. I told him I ran out of gas and that I was such an idiot and how sorry I was. The dispatcher heard me and tried to comfort me "You're not an idiot. That just happened to me yesterday."
"You ran out of gas and your a cop?"
"I'm not a cop, Ma'am."
"oh. right." Ok, yes I realize that dispatchers are NOT cops but all of the adrenalin must had gone to my brain and for a second I forgot.
The DISPATCHER got off the phone with me as the, now 4 cops were pushing my little blue car up the hill to get past the barricades and onto the shoulder. Ok, so I know at this moment as these older, a little overweight (being gracious in that statement) cops is not most appropriate time to find humor in a situation but again all of the adrenalin in my body had to go somewhere now that I wasn't scared for my life. I looked again in my rear view mirror only to see these sweet cops giving everything they had to push my car to safety. and. it. was. funny. I put my hand over my mouth to cover my massively uncalled for smile. But I could not control the giggles. They finally got me to the shoulder after about 50 meters of pushing up hill and I put the car in park (but didn't turn it off) and got out to thank them... I must say they looked like they had just gotten done with a preseason work out. Bent over, hands on knees or over their head, breathing heavy, face red, and foreheads sweating.... and of course they couldn't even mutter the words your welcome as they gasped for air intermittently......
More to come....
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