Despite what the heading of this post says, I am happy in general - just physically very uncomfortable right now. Last winter, our office was added on to and we were moved into the new part. Our landlord decided to see if he could get away with not putting in another blower or AC unit for the addition. Well, that didn't fly very well. We FINALLY got a new blower and AC unit last week and it was blessedly cool here in here last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday! Wonderful! But today, our new unit has taken a nose dive. It is HOT in here!!! And our landlord is trying to tell us it's not broken and it's cool enough!
Have I mentioned how incredibly awesome it is to have Chris here all the time??? I LOVE it! It's just so great being able to see him every day. He is loving his new job too which makes everything even better. We've had a lot of fun lately just spending time together. We are trying to get in the habit of walking at least a mile each day and so far, so good. On Saturday we headed down to Council Bluffs for a late lunch and to return some things to the mall. We ended up finding the router and computer stuff that Chris was needing. We found a little store that had everything marked off 50% due to a moving sale and we found an adorable, super soft little lamb for our soon-to-be-born new nephew, Marshall. We also found little Beanie Baby bride and groom bears that we plan on using for the wedding. I read an idea that instead of having the children participate in the bouquet and garter toss you toss a little bride and groom stuffed animal and these Beanie Babies will work great! We also wandered over to Target and registered for some things. It's been really hard for us to decide what to register for as we basically have everything we need for our home. So we registered for a lot of fun stuff and a few functional things. I definitely wanted to register for towels - can never have enough of them! We actually had a lot of fun winding through the store. And I didn't say "no" too often to Chris' requests. I think we're still trying to decide if we want to register at Home Depot or just hope for gift cards from there. We really just want our friends and family to come enjoy themselves at the wedding but we're already being asked what we want and we're not allowed to say nothing. We have such awesome friends and family!
We spent Saturday evening having dinner and watching movies with my friend Cherie. I finally saw Pirates of the Carribbean and loved it! On Sunday we headed to church and Sunday school and then back to Cherie's to work on my computer. (Chris is actually renting out Cherie's basement until he can move in with me when we get married.) Chris worked on it while Cherie and Dan worked on planting trees and I made Sunday dinner. We all sat down to and ate together and relaxed. Chris and I went for our walk and came back to relax. He watched a movie while I took a little nap and then we headed to small group at Arlin and Nancy's. We're discussing 1 Timothy right now and we're all struggling with the way our leadership board is set up at church - definitely not Biblically based - and we're trying to figure out what to do. We've also spent a lot of time talking about women's roles in leadership in the church and how we all feel about them. I've always advocated women's rights and equality but when it comes to church issues and my future marriage, I have to say I am incredibly conservative. I am so thankful for a strong Christian future husband in Christopher. He continues to amaze me with his depth and insight and love for God. I am so blessed!
I pray you are all having a great week!
5.23.2005
5.16.2005
Happiness is...
YEAH!!! There are just so many good things happening in my life!
On May 2nd I headed up to Michigan for Chris and Mike's graduations. I rode up with a guy from my church who drives truck. Dean and I had a great time talking and I really enjoyed the bunk in the back. I think I slept all the way from the Mississippi River to the place we met Chris in Michigan. We arrived around 5:00 in the morning and then Chris and I headed back to Mt. Pleasant so he could finish up his finals. After he got done, we had a great lunch with his roommate Songhil (who is getting married on May 24th in Korea) and then spent the rest of the day packing up Chris' room and packing the majority of it in his car. After realizing we weren't going to get it all in, we shoved in what we could and headed to his parent's house in Brighton. We got to relax with his parents and watch the Pistons beat the 76er's to advance in the playoffs. Guess I now have to root for the Michigan based teams! On Wednesday and Thursday we were able to get a ton of last minute errands done, spend time with friends, eat lots of chocolate, enjoy the fantastic weather, and hang out with Chris' family. We had a fantastic time with his family - lots of eating, walking and game playing! On Friday, we headed back up to Mt. Pleasant to finish up some last minute tasks. We got Chris' apartment cleaned out and all packed in the car, had a great lunch with his friend Heather, visited with his work friends and picked up his cap and gown. The we headed back down to Lansing for dinner with his family followed by Mike's graduation from Michigan State University in Lansing with his PhD in School Psychology. We followed that up with dessert and fun with Mike and Carrie and other friends at Applebee's. Chris and I took off for our hotel and crashed. The next morning we headed back to Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant for Chris' graduation. There were so many graduates and the lighting was so bad that it took me forever to find him! Chris was highly amused that I couldn't spot him. :) After graduation, we met his family for lunch and celebrated. Chris and I spent the rest of the afternoon at our friend's Chris and Jean's. We got to see their new little guy, 3-month old Ethan, and his big sister, 6 year old Elise. We had a great time catching up with them and making plans. We left Chris and Jean's and to top off the day, we met some other friends at a pub in Brighton to celebrate. Sunday, Mother's Day, was spent with Chris' family. We worked on packing up the car (I cannot believe how much we fit into his little car! We are AWESOME packers!) and then played games with his family. On Monday we threw a few more things in the car, hugged his parent's goodbye and headed to Ann Arbor to see Mike and Carrie quick and then on to Iowa. We got in late Monday night and have been settling in since.
It has been so awesome to have Chris here. I think I'm still not fully aware that he's here to stay! We've had a great week - we've been able to relax and just be with each other and not worry about one of us having to go home 10 hours away. It's so nice that he's just 15-20 minutes away now. I love it!
Last night Chris was offered a job and he accepted. So he started earlier today and is already enjoying himself. He is very relieved to have a job and I am so proud of him.
So at this moment, from things that happened this week, happiness is (regarding the title of this post):
*Driving 10 hours with the love of my life at my side.
*Dancing to Frank Sinatra in Cherie's basement.
*Hearing Chris talk back to the TV when I'm in the other room.
*Dinner at Joe's and a movie at the Harlan 4 Theater on Friday night.
*Shopping at Walmart together.
*Hearing him speak up at small group and knowing he is working so hard to be the spiritual leader God wants him to be.
*Chris sneaking my chocolate chip cookie while I was talking to my sister and the look of glee and surprise on his face when he got caught.
*Hearing him answer my phone and talk to my friends and family.
*Praying with him.
*Just him.
Praying you all have a fantastic week!
On May 2nd I headed up to Michigan for Chris and Mike's graduations. I rode up with a guy from my church who drives truck. Dean and I had a great time talking and I really enjoyed the bunk in the back. I think I slept all the way from the Mississippi River to the place we met Chris in Michigan. We arrived around 5:00 in the morning and then Chris and I headed back to Mt. Pleasant so he could finish up his finals. After he got done, we had a great lunch with his roommate Songhil (who is getting married on May 24th in Korea) and then spent the rest of the day packing up Chris' room and packing the majority of it in his car. After realizing we weren't going to get it all in, we shoved in what we could and headed to his parent's house in Brighton. We got to relax with his parents and watch the Pistons beat the 76er's to advance in the playoffs. Guess I now have to root for the Michigan based teams! On Wednesday and Thursday we were able to get a ton of last minute errands done, spend time with friends, eat lots of chocolate, enjoy the fantastic weather, and hang out with Chris' family. We had a fantastic time with his family - lots of eating, walking and game playing! On Friday, we headed back up to Mt. Pleasant to finish up some last minute tasks. We got Chris' apartment cleaned out and all packed in the car, had a great lunch with his friend Heather, visited with his work friends and picked up his cap and gown. The we headed back down to Lansing for dinner with his family followed by Mike's graduation from Michigan State University in Lansing with his PhD in School Psychology. We followed that up with dessert and fun with Mike and Carrie and other friends at Applebee's. Chris and I took off for our hotel and crashed. The next morning we headed back to Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant for Chris' graduation. There were so many graduates and the lighting was so bad that it took me forever to find him! Chris was highly amused that I couldn't spot him. :) After graduation, we met his family for lunch and celebrated. Chris and I spent the rest of the afternoon at our friend's Chris and Jean's. We got to see their new little guy, 3-month old Ethan, and his big sister, 6 year old Elise. We had a great time catching up with them and making plans. We left Chris and Jean's and to top off the day, we met some other friends at a pub in Brighton to celebrate. Sunday, Mother's Day, was spent with Chris' family. We worked on packing up the car (I cannot believe how much we fit into his little car! We are AWESOME packers!) and then played games with his family. On Monday we threw a few more things in the car, hugged his parent's goodbye and headed to Ann Arbor to see Mike and Carrie quick and then on to Iowa. We got in late Monday night and have been settling in since.
It has been so awesome to have Chris here. I think I'm still not fully aware that he's here to stay! We've had a great week - we've been able to relax and just be with each other and not worry about one of us having to go home 10 hours away. It's so nice that he's just 15-20 minutes away now. I love it!
Last night Chris was offered a job and he accepted. So he started earlier today and is already enjoying himself. He is very relieved to have a job and I am so proud of him.
So at this moment, from things that happened this week, happiness is (regarding the title of this post):
*Driving 10 hours with the love of my life at my side.
*Dancing to Frank Sinatra in Cherie's basement.
*Hearing Chris talk back to the TV when I'm in the other room.
*Dinner at Joe's and a movie at the Harlan 4 Theater on Friday night.
*Shopping at Walmart together.
*Hearing him speak up at small group and knowing he is working so hard to be the spiritual leader God wants him to be.
*Chris sneaking my chocolate chip cookie while I was talking to my sister and the look of glee and surprise on his face when he got caught.
*Hearing him answer my phone and talk to my friends and family.
*Praying with him.
*Just him.
Praying you all have a fantastic week!
4.19.2005
Home again...
It's so good to be home again. After spending a week sleeping at my friend Cherie's house, I am home again and actually sleeping OK. It's been taking me a little while to get to sleep each night but once I'm out, I'm out. My friend Nancy reminded me of Psalm 4:8, "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." What a load of comfort there is in that verse! I have been repeating it to myself over and over as I head to bed and try to get to sleep each night. God is good all the time!
Yeah! We're down to less than 3 weeks until Chris graduates! I head up to Michigan two weeks from today for his and Mike's (his brother) graduations. I am so happy and so relieved that these past few months have flown by so quickly.
I was looking back over the past 12 months and it is absolutely stunning to me how significantly things have changed in my life in such a very short time. At this time last year, I had no idea that Chris even existed. And now I'm going to marry him in just seven months! I feel like God has really blessed my decisions and all that I'm doing in my life.
A huge CONGRATULATIONS to my friends Tony and Kathi Beach on the birth of their twins, Trever and Jennika. They were born at 30 weeks and are both a little small. They're still over in the NICU at Methodist in Omaha. Would you all join me in praying for them as they fight to grow and overcome complications so they can join Mommy and Daddy and Big Brother Cameron at home? Thanks!
Hope you all have a Blessed week!
Yeah! We're down to less than 3 weeks until Chris graduates! I head up to Michigan two weeks from today for his and Mike's (his brother) graduations. I am so happy and so relieved that these past few months have flown by so quickly.
I was looking back over the past 12 months and it is absolutely stunning to me how significantly things have changed in my life in such a very short time. At this time last year, I had no idea that Chris even existed. And now I'm going to marry him in just seven months! I feel like God has really blessed my decisions and all that I'm doing in my life.
A huge CONGRATULATIONS to my friends Tony and Kathi Beach on the birth of their twins, Trever and Jennika. They were born at 30 weeks and are both a little small. They're still over in the NICU at Methodist in Omaha. Would you all join me in praying for them as they fight to grow and overcome complications so they can join Mommy and Daddy and Big Brother Cameron at home? Thanks!
Hope you all have a Blessed week!
4.11.2005
Nothing like a little excitement...
So at work I've been spending a ton of time writing my big grant. And I really didn't think it was going great. But on Friday, I sent what I had done off to one of the reviewers. He gave me a call in the afternoon and told me the grant looked FANTASTIC!!! YEAH! I was so excited! And that took a major load off too knowing that I've been doing a good job. I also had a great chat with my boss about some things and left work feeling better than I have in months about work stuff.
After picking up a few videos and a bridal magazine at the library, I headed home to spend what I thought was going to be a relaxing weekend. I spent most of Friday evening sorting through paperwork and getting my office all cleaned up. I was feeling pretty productive by the time I headed to bed!
Got up Saturday and started in on the cleaning again. Headed to town around noon to run a few errands and then headed down the road to the Lucas' door. Melanie and I spent some time visiting and talking about wedding details and church things. Mel showed me her pie for the pie auction which reminded me I had two pans of brownies I needed to get baked for the spaghetti feed which would happen prior to the pie auction on Sunday. So I headed back to town, grabbed groceries and went home. I spent the rest of the day baking brownies, doing laundry and cleaning up more of my house.
Chris called before he headed out with friends and we got to talk for a bit. I have to say, he is a great conversationalist on the phone. And I love to get to hear his voice so often. So he arrived at his destination and said he'd talk to me tomorrow unless I wanted him to call at 2:00 in the morning. For some reason I told him to go ahead and call at 2:00 on his way home.
I headed to bed around midnight and was enjoying a nice slumber. I had left a few windows open to let in the fresh air. Chris called around 1:30 to let me know he was almost back to his parent's house. We talked for a few minutes and hung up. And then all the excitement started!
After hanging up the phone, I thought I heard footsteps and weird creaking in my dining room. Thinking it was just the wind, I snuggled back into bed and closed my eyes. About a second later I heard the sound of a drawer being opened in my kitchen! And I knew that wasn't the wind! I grabbed the phone and called Chris back.
OK, just for your information - if you think someone is in your house, do not call your fiance' and assume that he is going to understand a cryptic phone call! I tried to get Chris to understand what was going on without saying it, considering my bedroom door was wide open and I didn't want this intruder to know that I knew he was in the house. After about 20 seconds of trying to get Chris to understand, our connection was severed. And I, finally thinking straight, dialled 911 as I jumped out of bed and shut and locked my bedroom door. The female dispatcher was AWESOME! She had a deputy on the way to my house in just seconds. She (you know, I never did catch her name!) kept me talking and semi-calm as the deputy drove like mad to get to my house. The deputy finally got to my place and came on in (silly me forgot to lock the front door when I came in with groceries earlier in the day!) and did a sweep of the house. I was beginning to think it has all just been my imagination but he sure thought someone had been in there too. The sheriff arrived a few minutes later and both of them continued to search the house and then one headed outside to take another look around. They never found anyone, but knowing I was not going to sleep (at least not in my house) the rest of the night, they did a quick sweep of the house with me and then let me go change and pack a bag. Just before we left the house, the deputy asked me about an inside door that was standing wide open - one I always keep shut. So they are sure that someone was in my house with me but whoever it was left without getting caught. I called my friends Edie and Ken and headed to their house for the rest of the night.
I'm not a total scaredy cat but I think it's going to be a few days before I can sleep in my house alone. The sheriff's office (and most of the rest of us) thinks it was some guy who was drunk or disoriented and just wandered into the wrong house. I really feel like whoever it was that they did not intend me any harm. I will definitely be double checking to make sure my doors are locked from now on! I sincerely hope that none of you has to go through such a terrifying experience.
At this moment I am so thankful for quite a few things!
I am thankful for a great dispatcher who kept me calm and did a great job!
I am thankful for a great law enforcement agency who answered quickly and didn't try to make light of my fears.
I am thankful for friends I can call at 3:00 in the morning.
I am thankful for all those who keep me in their prayers.
I am thankful for a supportive fiance' who loves me and wants to keep me safe.
And I am so very thankful for the protecting arms of my Father, holding me safely in the palm of his hand.
I thank God for all of you! Have a great week!
After picking up a few videos and a bridal magazine at the library, I headed home to spend what I thought was going to be a relaxing weekend. I spent most of Friday evening sorting through paperwork and getting my office all cleaned up. I was feeling pretty productive by the time I headed to bed!
Got up Saturday and started in on the cleaning again. Headed to town around noon to run a few errands and then headed down the road to the Lucas' door. Melanie and I spent some time visiting and talking about wedding details and church things. Mel showed me her pie for the pie auction which reminded me I had two pans of brownies I needed to get baked for the spaghetti feed which would happen prior to the pie auction on Sunday. So I headed back to town, grabbed groceries and went home. I spent the rest of the day baking brownies, doing laundry and cleaning up more of my house.
Chris called before he headed out with friends and we got to talk for a bit. I have to say, he is a great conversationalist on the phone. And I love to get to hear his voice so often. So he arrived at his destination and said he'd talk to me tomorrow unless I wanted him to call at 2:00 in the morning. For some reason I told him to go ahead and call at 2:00 on his way home.
I headed to bed around midnight and was enjoying a nice slumber. I had left a few windows open to let in the fresh air. Chris called around 1:30 to let me know he was almost back to his parent's house. We talked for a few minutes and hung up. And then all the excitement started!
After hanging up the phone, I thought I heard footsteps and weird creaking in my dining room. Thinking it was just the wind, I snuggled back into bed and closed my eyes. About a second later I heard the sound of a drawer being opened in my kitchen! And I knew that wasn't the wind! I grabbed the phone and called Chris back.
OK, just for your information - if you think someone is in your house, do not call your fiance' and assume that he is going to understand a cryptic phone call! I tried to get Chris to understand what was going on without saying it, considering my bedroom door was wide open and I didn't want this intruder to know that I knew he was in the house. After about 20 seconds of trying to get Chris to understand, our connection was severed. And I, finally thinking straight, dialled 911 as I jumped out of bed and shut and locked my bedroom door. The female dispatcher was AWESOME! She had a deputy on the way to my house in just seconds. She (you know, I never did catch her name!) kept me talking and semi-calm as the deputy drove like mad to get to my house. The deputy finally got to my place and came on in (silly me forgot to lock the front door when I came in with groceries earlier in the day!) and did a sweep of the house. I was beginning to think it has all just been my imagination but he sure thought someone had been in there too. The sheriff arrived a few minutes later and both of them continued to search the house and then one headed outside to take another look around. They never found anyone, but knowing I was not going to sleep (at least not in my house) the rest of the night, they did a quick sweep of the house with me and then let me go change and pack a bag. Just before we left the house, the deputy asked me about an inside door that was standing wide open - one I always keep shut. So they are sure that someone was in my house with me but whoever it was left without getting caught. I called my friends Edie and Ken and headed to their house for the rest of the night.
I'm not a total scaredy cat but I think it's going to be a few days before I can sleep in my house alone. The sheriff's office (and most of the rest of us) thinks it was some guy who was drunk or disoriented and just wandered into the wrong house. I really feel like whoever it was that they did not intend me any harm. I will definitely be double checking to make sure my doors are locked from now on! I sincerely hope that none of you has to go through such a terrifying experience.
At this moment I am so thankful for quite a few things!
I am thankful for a great dispatcher who kept me calm and did a great job!
I am thankful for a great law enforcement agency who answered quickly and didn't try to make light of my fears.
I am thankful for friends I can call at 3:00 in the morning.
I am thankful for all those who keep me in their prayers.
I am thankful for a supportive fiance' who loves me and wants to keep me safe.
And I am so very thankful for the protecting arms of my Father, holding me safely in the palm of his hand.
I thank God for all of you! Have a great week!
3.31.2005
Home again...
My trip to Michigan was great! It was so nice just to be there with him and his family. We spent a lot of time outside, hiking, walking and playing bocce ball. We also caught a movie with his dad and brother and sister-in-law. I really wasn't excited to see Hostage but it ended up being better than I thought with the exception of one nasty, gory scene and one very dumb play on the whole Virgin Mary thing. BAD! But the rest of the movie was actually good. We also got to celebrate Chris' birthday with his family. He was pretty excited to get The Incredibles (from me) and a great jump drive (from his parents). We met Kenny and Edie and the boys on Sunday morning and the five of us headed back to Iowa while Chris drove back to CMU.
The week at work has been good. I'm working on a grant proposal for the Mosquito Creek Watershed in Shelby, Harrison and West Pottawattamie counties. It's not officially due until April 15th but I'd like to get a good draft done tomorrow and get some comments from people higher up on the food chain and then have a chance to rewrite a time or two. So far, so good, but I might not have a full draft done tomorrow. And honestly, I am just not going to push myself too hard on this. It will get done. It will get done on time. And hopefully, it will be good enough to get funded.
So wedding plans are going well. Chris and I found 3 matching, adorable, white satin baskets for the flower girls over the weekend - and they had been clearanced so we didn't have to spend a ton! YEAH!!! It really feels like we have a lot of stuff planned. The next big thing to tackle is my dress and then the bridesmaid dresses. I can't believe it's less than 8 months until our wedding! I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with this man! Chris is the best gift God has ever given me.
The week at work has been good. I'm working on a grant proposal for the Mosquito Creek Watershed in Shelby, Harrison and West Pottawattamie counties. It's not officially due until April 15th but I'd like to get a good draft done tomorrow and get some comments from people higher up on the food chain and then have a chance to rewrite a time or two. So far, so good, but I might not have a full draft done tomorrow. And honestly, I am just not going to push myself too hard on this. It will get done. It will get done on time. And hopefully, it will be good enough to get funded.
So wedding plans are going well. Chris and I found 3 matching, adorable, white satin baskets for the flower girls over the weekend - and they had been clearanced so we didn't have to spend a ton! YEAH!!! It really feels like we have a lot of stuff planned. The next big thing to tackle is my dress and then the bridesmaid dresses. I can't believe it's less than 8 months until our wedding! I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with this man! Chris is the best gift God has ever given me.
3.23.2005
On the road again....
Yeah! I'm leaving for Michigan today!
My friend's Ken and Edie are heading up to the northeast part of the LP to visit Ken's family for Easter and they're taking me along! So we head out later today, Kenny and Edie and their two teenage boys, and me. So by late tonight, I get to see Christopher! YEAH!!!!
I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend with Chris and his family. We'll be staying at his parent's house for the long weekend. It'll be nice to have a chance to get to know my soon-to-be in-laws a little better. Chris and I are planning on having dinner with a few friends of his that I haven't got to meet yet. We're also going to be celebrating Chris' birthday with his family. I'm so excited to get to see him!
Ken and Edie have been so awesome! They really didn't have room for me to go along but traded vehicles with another of our friends so they would have room for me. How awesome is that?! I am so incredibly blessed to have such amazing friends!
So I'm off to get an allergy shot (Chris' parents have a cat), have a quick lunch with my friend Melanie and her little girl, Rebekah, and then I'll be heading out to Ken and Edie's so we can get on the road.
Hope you all have a wonderful Easter celebrating the resurrection of our Savior!
My friend's Ken and Edie are heading up to the northeast part of the LP to visit Ken's family for Easter and they're taking me along! So we head out later today, Kenny and Edie and their two teenage boys, and me. So by late tonight, I get to see Christopher! YEAH!!!!
I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend with Chris and his family. We'll be staying at his parent's house for the long weekend. It'll be nice to have a chance to get to know my soon-to-be in-laws a little better. Chris and I are planning on having dinner with a few friends of his that I haven't got to meet yet. We're also going to be celebrating Chris' birthday with his family. I'm so excited to get to see him!
Ken and Edie have been so awesome! They really didn't have room for me to go along but traded vehicles with another of our friends so they would have room for me. How awesome is that?! I am so incredibly blessed to have such amazing friends!
So I'm off to get an allergy shot (Chris' parents have a cat), have a quick lunch with my friend Melanie and her little girl, Rebekah, and then I'll be heading out to Ken and Edie's so we can get on the road.
Hope you all have a wonderful Easter celebrating the resurrection of our Savior!
3.15.2005
Double Oops!
Ok, so if I was bad about not posting before, now I'm terrible! But alas, I have found my way back to my blog! YEAH!
So if there's anyone out there who actually reads this, you may have thought that I'd fallen off the face of the earth. And while that is definitely not true, I have kind of fallen in a way. :) Back in November I met Chris, an amazing, wonderful, funny, kind man. After a bit of a whirlwind, albeit long distance, courtship, Chris proposed on February 11th and I (of course!) said yes!
So the last month has been a jumble of traveling, lots of overtime at work, studying for Spanish - and trying to plan a wedding! I had no idea that you could get so overwhelmed with wedding planning! Chris and I have decided that we want to keep it simple but fun. The wedding will in Harlan with the reception following at the Irwin Community Center. Oh, yeah, and the date is set for Friday, November 25th, 2005 at 6:00 p.m.
More good news is that soon things will no longer be long distance! Chris graduates from Central Michigan University (www.cmich.edu) on May 7th and will be moving down here that week. YEAH!!!! Can we say Happy Fiance'?!
Check out the ticker at the top of my blog that counts down the days until our wedding. Very fun!
Hope you are all doing well, my friends! I may not be in touch as often as you or I would like, but you are all on my heart!
So if there's anyone out there who actually reads this, you may have thought that I'd fallen off the face of the earth. And while that is definitely not true, I have kind of fallen in a way. :) Back in November I met Chris, an amazing, wonderful, funny, kind man. After a bit of a whirlwind, albeit long distance, courtship, Chris proposed on February 11th and I (of course!) said yes!
So the last month has been a jumble of traveling, lots of overtime at work, studying for Spanish - and trying to plan a wedding! I had no idea that you could get so overwhelmed with wedding planning! Chris and I have decided that we want to keep it simple but fun. The wedding will in Harlan with the reception following at the Irwin Community Center. Oh, yeah, and the date is set for Friday, November 25th, 2005 at 6:00 p.m.
More good news is that soon things will no longer be long distance! Chris graduates from Central Michigan University (www.cmich.edu) on May 7th and will be moving down here that week. YEAH!!!! Can we say Happy Fiance'?!
Check out the ticker at the top of my blog that counts down the days until our wedding. Very fun!
Hope you are all doing well, my friends! I may not be in touch as often as you or I would like, but you are all on my heart!
1.06.2005
12.27.2004
Oops
OK, so I've been very bad about posting the last 2 months. I think things have just been busier than ever and, unfortunately, my dedication to blogging has fallen by the wayside.
So here's an update.
Life in Renae Land is wonderful! Not only did I pass Spanish with flying colors but I've been working on my thesis and am feeling hopeful that it will get done this semester. Now I just have to get a piece written for the SW/Texas Popular Culture Association Conference in February and I will be caught up on must-dos for the moment.
Another happy tidbit of news it the addition of the most amazing man to my life. Kudos to E-harmony for their great profiling and matching system. Chris is a shining light of happiness in my life. If you're reading this, consider yourself priveleged to know about him. Part of me wants to keep him and all news of him tucked in close, safe and secure. Another part of me wants to shout from the rooftops what an amazing guy he is. God is so good! He has just been waiting to bring Chris into my life and now seems to be the perfect time. In the next few days, I will post a couple of photos we were able to take while he was here. On Thursday, I fly out to his place and meet his parents and family and friend. Oh, yeah, did I mention he lives in Michigan? I've never been a fan of the long distance relationship, but so far, so good. And it's not like it will be forever. :)
I hope that this finds all of you happy and healthy! Thanks to so many of you for your Christmas greetings and wishes that found their way to me. I hope your Christmas, your celebration of our Savior's birth, was wonderful and blessed.
So here's an update.
Life in Renae Land is wonderful! Not only did I pass Spanish with flying colors but I've been working on my thesis and am feeling hopeful that it will get done this semester. Now I just have to get a piece written for the SW/Texas Popular Culture Association Conference in February and I will be caught up on must-dos for the moment.
Another happy tidbit of news it the addition of the most amazing man to my life. Kudos to E-harmony for their great profiling and matching system. Chris is a shining light of happiness in my life. If you're reading this, consider yourself priveleged to know about him. Part of me wants to keep him and all news of him tucked in close, safe and secure. Another part of me wants to shout from the rooftops what an amazing guy he is. God is so good! He has just been waiting to bring Chris into my life and now seems to be the perfect time. In the next few days, I will post a couple of photos we were able to take while he was here. On Thursday, I fly out to his place and meet his parents and family and friend. Oh, yeah, did I mention he lives in Michigan? I've never been a fan of the long distance relationship, but so far, so good. And it's not like it will be forever. :)
I hope that this finds all of you happy and healthy! Thanks to so many of you for your Christmas greetings and wishes that found their way to me. I hope your Christmas, your celebration of our Savior's birth, was wonderful and blessed.
11.01.2004
Rainy day and Mondays - Take 2
OK, so today is both rainy and a Monday. But contrary to the song, the combination of the two has definitely not gotten me down. In fact, I'm feeling pretty darn good. It's a brand-new month, a brand-new week, a brand-new day. How could I possibly feel down knowing this?
But of course, the song reference got me thinking about other songs, and that (of course) gets me dancing. The following isn't really a top ten list so much as a track listing of the current soundtrack of my head. Enjoy!
1. Goodbye Says it All (Nothing like a little Blackhawk to wake one up)
2. Kiss the Girl (Love the Little Mermaid)
3. Manic Mondays (Monday theme song)
4. You're So Vain (Gotta have a little Carly Simon)
5. Closer to Fine (Who wouldn't love the Indigo Girls)
6. And We Danced (love the Hooters)
7. Jessie's Girl (perfect 80s song)
8. MBop (I have NO idea how this got in my head but it's stuck there!)
9. If You Leave (great older song)
10. Slow Dance More (a little Kenny Rogers)
11. You & I (and Jason Mraz to spice things up)
12. Fly Me to the Moon (absolutely necessary to have Frank in the mix)
13. Here Comes the Sun (my hopeful song for the day)
So that's it. The soundtrack of my life at the moment. Wishing sunny Mondays for all of you.
But of course, the song reference got me thinking about other songs, and that (of course) gets me dancing. The following isn't really a top ten list so much as a track listing of the current soundtrack of my head. Enjoy!
1. Goodbye Says it All (Nothing like a little Blackhawk to wake one up)
2. Kiss the Girl (Love the Little Mermaid)
3. Manic Mondays (Monday theme song)
4. You're So Vain (Gotta have a little Carly Simon)
5. Closer to Fine (Who wouldn't love the Indigo Girls)
6. And We Danced (love the Hooters)
7. Jessie's Girl (perfect 80s song)
8. MBop (I have NO idea how this got in my head but it's stuck there!)
9. If You Leave (great older song)
10. Slow Dance More (a little Kenny Rogers)
11. You & I (and Jason Mraz to spice things up)
12. Fly Me to the Moon (absolutely necessary to have Frank in the mix)
13. Here Comes the Sun (my hopeful song for the day)
So that's it. The soundtrack of my life at the moment. Wishing sunny Mondays for all of you.
10.28.2004
So I saw a variation of the following list on someone else's blog and thought I would modify it for my use. Kind of made me think and, I have to say, I enjoyed the process. So after completing it, I was thinking about how interesting (well, at least for me, maybe) it would be to come up with a Top 10 List every now and then. Top 10 things I'm thankful for, Top 10 best books I've read, Top 10 moments in my life, Top 10 Dancing Songs - sort of a world according to me. Be sure to check back for one in the near future. I'll also try to get some more fun photos posted. In the meantime, enjoy my list.
Ten movies you'd watch over and over:
1. Top Gun
2. Finding Nemo
3. Grease
4. Sixteen Candles
5. Casablanca
6. The Usual Suspects
7. Stealing Home
8. Sense and Sensibility
9. The Mummy
10. The Mummy Returns
Nine people you enjoy the company of:
1. Amy
2. Katia
3. Victoria
4. Fred
5. Edie & Kenny
6. Mindy
7. Roma & Rob
8. Sharon & Brian
9. Judy
Eight things you are wearing:
1. Jeans
2. My Irish T-shirt
3. Silver Earrings
4. Big comfy UNI sweatshirt
5. Tennies
6. Warm vanilla sugar scent
7. Contacts
8. Watch
Seven things on your mind:
1. The sun is about to come out!
2. My friend’s coming to visit tonight!
3. Micah & Jamie’s new baby – Isaiah Walker
4. Brian & Sharon’s new baby – Noah Keith
5. Spanish class – have to study vocabulary!
6. Yeah! It’s Thursday!
7. God is so good – ALL the time!
Six objects you touch every day:
1. My Bible
2. My toothbrush
3. My laptop
4. My CD player
5. Whatever book I’m currently reading
6. My cell phone
Five things you do every day:
1. Pray
2. Laugh
3. Love
4. Sing
5. Dance
Four bands/groups/musical acts you love:
1. Selah
2. Switchfoot
3. Neil Diamond
4. Mary Chapin Carpenter
Three of your favorite songs at this moment:
1. One Thing I Know - Selah
2. Dare You to Move - Switchfoot
3. Loving Arms – Darden Smith
Two people who have influenced your life the most:
1. My Dad
2. Jesus Christ
One person who you love more than anyone in the world:
1. Amy -my lifelong friend
Ten movies you'd watch over and over:
1. Top Gun
2. Finding Nemo
3. Grease
4. Sixteen Candles
5. Casablanca
6. The Usual Suspects
7. Stealing Home
8. Sense and Sensibility
9. The Mummy
10. The Mummy Returns
Nine people you enjoy the company of:
1. Amy
2. Katia
3. Victoria
4. Fred
5. Edie & Kenny
6. Mindy
7. Roma & Rob
8. Sharon & Brian
9. Judy
Eight things you are wearing:
1. Jeans
2. My Irish T-shirt
3. Silver Earrings
4. Big comfy UNI sweatshirt
5. Tennies
6. Warm vanilla sugar scent
7. Contacts
8. Watch
Seven things on your mind:
1. The sun is about to come out!
2. My friend’s coming to visit tonight!
3. Micah & Jamie’s new baby – Isaiah Walker
4. Brian & Sharon’s new baby – Noah Keith
5. Spanish class – have to study vocabulary!
6. Yeah! It’s Thursday!
7. God is so good – ALL the time!
Six objects you touch every day:
1. My Bible
2. My toothbrush
3. My laptop
4. My CD player
5. Whatever book I’m currently reading
6. My cell phone
Five things you do every day:
1. Pray
2. Laugh
3. Love
4. Sing
5. Dance
Four bands/groups/musical acts you love:
1. Selah
2. Switchfoot
3. Neil Diamond
4. Mary Chapin Carpenter
Three of your favorite songs at this moment:
1. One Thing I Know - Selah
2. Dare You to Move - Switchfoot
3. Loving Arms – Darden Smith
Two people who have influenced your life the most:
1. My Dad
2. Jesus Christ
One person who you love more than anyone in the world:
1. Amy -my lifelong friend
10.20.2004
Once again
Good evening, my friends. Once again it has been some time since I've posted. Chalk it up to a crazy life. All good, but definitely crazy. Here are the highlights of the past few weeks:
*My friends Brian and Sharon welcomed Baby Noah into their lives on 10/16. What an amazing blessing this little guy is! They are home now and doing very well!
*I passed my Spanish midterm - yes this is a huge thing!
*Spent a great weekend with my Mom, and got to spend time with a few cousins as we helped Mom clean and sort and get ready to put her house on the market.
*Saw Selah in concert - phenomenal!
*And the biggest highlight was flying out to Philadelphia on October 13th to be with my best friend Amy as she was installed as the new Cantor of KI Reform Congregation. Not only did I get to spend some amazing time with Amy but I also got to spend time with another of my best friends, Victoria. And I got to meet Victoria's friend Kevin. Also got to see my friend Jonathan. It was an amazing weekend. To top it off, I got to see my friend Fred, who lives in Omaha but is originally from near Philly, in Philadelphia! Pretty cool trip.
Life is good...no, life is great, wonderful, blessed.
Love you all....
*My friends Brian and Sharon welcomed Baby Noah into their lives on 10/16. What an amazing blessing this little guy is! They are home now and doing very well!
*I passed my Spanish midterm - yes this is a huge thing!
*Spent a great weekend with my Mom, and got to spend time with a few cousins as we helped Mom clean and sort and get ready to put her house on the market.
*Saw Selah in concert - phenomenal!
*And the biggest highlight was flying out to Philadelphia on October 13th to be with my best friend Amy as she was installed as the new Cantor of KI Reform Congregation. Not only did I get to spend some amazing time with Amy but I also got to spend time with another of my best friends, Victoria. And I got to meet Victoria's friend Kevin. Also got to see my friend Jonathan. It was an amazing weekend. To top it off, I got to see my friend Fred, who lives in Omaha but is originally from near Philly, in Philadelphia! Pretty cool trip.
Life is good...no, life is great, wonderful, blessed.
Love you all....
9.20.2004
For all you dedicated readers...
I just checked when the last time I posted was and realized it's been over a month. So sorry for all of you dedicated readers out there.
Does it make sense if I say that this is one of the sanest and happiest times of my life, yet also the craziest? Because honestly, that's how it feels. I am so happy to live where I live and have the friends I do, and the job I work at. I don't think things could be any better. And then I look at my crazy schedule and wonder when I'm supposed to sleep! Between Spanish class, a class through church, helping with BYF, doing homework and spending time with friends, I am never home! But you know, it's a good thing. Crazy doesn't necessarily equate to unhappy. In fact, in my case, I think crazy shows how well-adjusted I am to this new phase in my life and how very happy and loved I feel.
So to any of you dear, wonderful, loved friends or family out there who might read this, thank you! Thank you for keeping me sane while keeping me insanely busy! Thank you for helping me make wonderful memories - just the moments of laughter from this week are enough to keep me smiling for the next year. You all are the reason I've made this far. You all are the ones who prayed when I didn't think I'd make it. You were God in the flesh for me. Thank you. I love you.
Because my life is centered around my Father, I wanted to take a few sentences and ask you to say a quick prayer for all those things on both of our hearts. I have some amazing friends who need some prayer and need the touch of God in their lives. If you could stop for a moment and just ask God's will, I would appreciate it. In church last week, Pastor talked about being a blessing. In Genesis 12:2, God tells Abraham that he is blessed to be a blessing. Thank you for being a blessing in my life!
I pray peaceful days for all of you...
Does it make sense if I say that this is one of the sanest and happiest times of my life, yet also the craziest? Because honestly, that's how it feels. I am so happy to live where I live and have the friends I do, and the job I work at. I don't think things could be any better. And then I look at my crazy schedule and wonder when I'm supposed to sleep! Between Spanish class, a class through church, helping with BYF, doing homework and spending time with friends, I am never home! But you know, it's a good thing. Crazy doesn't necessarily equate to unhappy. In fact, in my case, I think crazy shows how well-adjusted I am to this new phase in my life and how very happy and loved I feel.
So to any of you dear, wonderful, loved friends or family out there who might read this, thank you! Thank you for keeping me sane while keeping me insanely busy! Thank you for helping me make wonderful memories - just the moments of laughter from this week are enough to keep me smiling for the next year. You all are the reason I've made this far. You all are the ones who prayed when I didn't think I'd make it. You were God in the flesh for me. Thank you. I love you.
Because my life is centered around my Father, I wanted to take a few sentences and ask you to say a quick prayer for all those things on both of our hearts. I have some amazing friends who need some prayer and need the touch of God in their lives. If you could stop for a moment and just ask God's will, I would appreciate it. In church last week, Pastor talked about being a blessing. In Genesis 12:2, God tells Abraham that he is blessed to be a blessing. Thank you for being a blessing in my life!
I pray peaceful days for all of you...
8.09.2004
Rainy days and Mondays...
Ah, rainy days and Mondays... Funny thing is it's not raining, not even close. In fact, the weather is gorgeous. At this very moment, it is 64 degrees with a light breeze and a few clouds drifting across the sky. People talk about Rocky Mountain sunsets and watching the sun rise over the ocean. I think I'll take my little piece of heaven , out here on the top of a hill in rural, Western Iowa. Watching the sun rise over rows and rows of Iowa field corn, now that's something worth watching. Stepping outside tonight, I noticed the lights of town 15 miles southwest of here. The only other lights were those of the fireflies as they danced in my yard, and of course, the light of the stars millions of miles above us. It's amazing how many more stars I can see out here versus being in town.
So it's not rainy, and although it's Monday, somehow it just doesn't feel like it. The day was full of little moments of wonderful...laughing with co-workers, dancing to my own beat as I tried to clean off my desk, special e-mails from dear friends, a brownie-batter blizzard treat from Luke, having things work out - just so. So very many reasons to count my blessings. Wishing you wonderful rainy days and Mondays.
So it's not rainy, and although it's Monday, somehow it just doesn't feel like it. The day was full of little moments of wonderful...laughing with co-workers, dancing to my own beat as I tried to clean off my desk, special e-mails from dear friends, a brownie-batter blizzard treat from Luke, having things work out - just so. So very many reasons to count my blessings. Wishing you wonderful rainy days and Mondays.
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