a little bit of -

- well, 

not procrastination, persay...

but I'd just like to do a little ode to Real Simple magazine. 

 

I know, there are a million more things out there significantly more important than this magazine,

but it's what's producing my procrastination (alright, I'll admit it)...

that and Parenthood! 

Anyways,

we're moving, as you've probably read/heard/been told,

and honestly, there's one thing I need to do that I just can't - yet. 

I need to get rid of a bunch of my magazines.  

They are heavy,

they take up space,

and they are lots of fun...!!!

So, the best thing for me to do is to tear out the parts I like and 

put them in a binder or something.  It's really a good idea that 

other people have done.  

But why ruin a perfectly good magazine??

Actually, this is something I've done before - 

many,

many times before (Teen Magazine and Seventeen ring a bell), 

and I just need to get over it.  

But...maybe I'll just wait until we move into John's parent's to dissect this stuff.

Yes, I'll admit this is a little lame,

and yes, John, feel free to roll your eyes.  

...I can at least pull apart the Better Home and Garden ones for now!  

That's a start!!!.....

                             ....right?

                                                                     ....right?

meh. 

hey, H...

not exactly 100%...

                        not exactly the same...

                                                    but yeah, 

                                                                   basically, 

                                                                              

                                                                                  mostly,

                                                                                            me, too.

We'll get through.

Talk to Me Tuesday - yo.

No intro tonight - I'm too tired!

TtMT #5

What were you like as a student?

kind

smart

respectful

inquisitive

distractible

sort of quiet when i was younger

sort of shy, too

very insecure when i was in middle school

very uncertain during that time, too

after i became a christian, i wasn't as insecure or as uncertain,

and i spoke up a lot more, too.

so...i guess you could say i was likable, worked hard, intelligent (although i wasn't always that sure of it),

stubborn, distractible (again), and sometimes forgetful,

a little nervous, a little more creative, a procrastinator, and nice.

oh, and way too busy...

                                     ...per today. 

note: all those good things were because of God, who created me (and you).  all those bad things God has been working on in me, and me with Him...

                                                                ...and sometimes me against Him - unfortunately.

cue Bob Dylan

well...

if that picture of the deer in a field (from my last post) was any kind of hint and/or

a clever allusion for you all who know this news already,

John and I be moving this coming new years.

Yep,

      We're moving

                     - again -

                            to Deerfield, IL.

What's in Deerfield, IL, you may ask?

Well, aside from ridiculously high taxes and Michael Jordan

                                                                                   (next door in Highland Park),

Trinity International University -

home to my husband's future Master's of Divinity degree and

home to the next stop on our journey as husband and wife and followers of Christ.

Let's just say this move was a 

mega answer to prayer in a way 

that I have never seen before.

If my man says "ok" to me documenting this answer and

the progression toward it on the blog,

then I'll write it all on here for the world to see.

If not, feel free to e-mail me,

and I'll lay it out there for you fine ladies and gents.

So, in the spirit of this transition in our

lives as well as the subject line of this blog entry,

I leave you the following song.

Note that the contents of it are mostly relative to

the times we live in and the chorus is the only thing that realistically

applies to John and I at this time.

Also note the fact that the original version, as recorded, is apparently not on YouTube.

talk to me tuesday, linked up, and a preview.

Hi.

I'm wiped out,

but it's good for me to write, despite not having cleaned the kitchen yet.

it shall get done soon...i hope...tonight.

So here's what's on the docket:

a preview of news I'll document* this week. 

*I almost said "share," but i used "document" because most of you know about this news.

a link so i can win a dress (but probably won't!),

and TtMT,

Preview of news about the big news i've sort of mentioned previously:

 Link: I like these dresses in this giveaway , and I don't have anywhere to wear them yet, but maybe someday! :)

Talk to Me Tuesday #3

What would you say to your teenage self?

Laura, you're 13.

You do have friends, and they will be better friends later in life.

Don't worry about being popular - it doesn't make a difference.

And stop, turn around, and walk back into that church and ask about how to get to Heaven.

They said they had the answer, so go ahead and listen.  

You don't need to be afraid of finding out; you'll never regret it.  Just go. 

that's all.

"Talk To Me" Tuesday #2

Hi all!

I guess this TtMT Heidi's got going can guarantee a post from me once a week.  

How lucky you all are! ;)

The question is: 

If you could relive one day of your life, what would it be and why?

Welp, there are a lot of days I would relive -

Some I would relive as a do-over,

some I would relive exactly the same. 

So, really...I will just pick one of the many!

Near Silver City, New Mexico.

Well, this picture was taken on a day full of craziness and beauty at the same time.  John and I visited a small town called Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, in the summer of 2009 for our 1st anniversary.  We had a TON of fun - I'd suggest that place to anyone.  On this day we went west to check out a national park: Gila National Forest. It was gorgeous, fascinating, and a lot of fun hiking and catching the views!  

It was also a little crazy: a map (and the hostess) from a T or C travel office made this place look like a 1.5 hour straight-ish shot to the forest.  

What it ended up being was a beautiful but incredibly lengthy 3+ hour, twisty-turny trek through deserts, hills, mountains, and - of course - one thick forest.

The views were gorgeous, so we had no problem on the way there. 

What ended up being our problem on the way back was the fact that a tank with enough gas for a easy 3-hour road trip did not amount to the necessary fuel needed for a mountainous 6-hour voyage.  Also, tiny little villages in a mountain surrounded by big trees, desert, and the nearby Mexican border doesn't equate to ample gas supplies (or any gas supplies at the end of the day).  

So we stopped at a restaurant in this village 

(where those migrating humming birds were hanging out),

and we decided that we'd coast (in neutral most of the time) down the mountains and into Silver City for gas.  

There was no way we'd make it back the way we came, especially with the sun about to set and mule deer bounding everywhere.

This trip resulted in lots of great conversation, and unforgettable time in the hiking the cliff dwellings at the forest, and lots of little details that made me wish I had a better camera.  

Aside from the gas situation, I would do this day the same way...

                                        

  ...especially because we came back to this. :)

favorites

Flowers
Colors
Celebrities.

Theme song
Food and 
Matte/Glossy.


Magazine and
fall is great.

Favorites, favorites,
List all eight! 



1. My favorite flower is...no, my favorite flowers are:
Dahlias and roses for sure.  Ranunculus (the orange flowers) is also a flower I really like, which were in some of the decorations at my wedding.

Green pic photo credit here, the other two are mine. 

2. Favorite color combo.

gray, spring green-yellow,  and black accents... 
                                                    for now.  
My favorite color is green, so often i come back to a semi-saturated, bright green, bright and somewhat warm-toned pink, and soft orange...aka, wedding colors and the answers to question #1 

3. Favorite Celebrity Couple.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith!  
Definitely one of the most loving, grounded couples in the business. 

[photo credit]

4. My Theme Song.

this:  

Sure it was our first dance song, 
but it's been the theme for since well before day one. 

oh, and another theme song for us, which I HIGHLY recommend you listen to: 

see, it was worth it, huh?

5. Favorite "terrible day" food

  CHOCOLATE

     CHIP

        COOKIES 

Story time: 

When I didn't get the lead role in my senior-year musical (Wizard of Oz), I ate almost an entire row of Chips Ahoy once I got home.  When I looked down at the four cookies left in the row, I had a thought similar to "well, the damage is already done" and ate the rest.  Not my most shining hour...  

         maybe it was my most shining 20 minutes. ;) 
 Thankfully I got over it and got to be in "Dorothy's" wedding about 8 years later!

6. Favorite lipstick or lip gloss

Burt's Bee's pomegranate lip balm and my Mary Kay pink lip gloss, which I cannot find at the moment...  

7. Favorite Magazine 

Real Simple.  Saying it's my favorite is a gross understatement. 

8. Favorite thing about fall.

Apple Cider!!!!  

[credit]

I could drink a gallon a day of this stuff.



Ok, I now tag Kate (Brian, too, if he wants), Kaitlyn, Jen G., Heidi H., Heather, and Kristen (again, Heath, too if he would like)!

"Talk To Me" Tuesdays!

Well, my friend H.-the-hottie called me out in her blog to reply to her 

quest to let us bare our souls for all the interwebs to see.  

(Hey, I just discovered my "stats" page for this blog, and by golly, 

I've got people in Lebanon who have stopped by...

well, 2 people... meh, not bad...)

But realistically, this is going to be fun.  I have trouble deciding what 

to write on here sometimes, and even more difficulty with putting down words

in a simple, concise (ha!) way.  

H. will post a question, then we (her readers/family/friends/all of the above)*

will answer it in our own blog or in a comment on her blog. 

*Holy parentheses, Batman!

Easy enough, right?  

Oh, and all my readers -

yes, you faithful 12 followers

and some other behind-the-scene followers 

and visitors from Lebanon -

can partake in this lil' adventure, too! 

And if you don't?  

Well, I'm going to have to tag you in next week's post to call YOU out!  

                                                                                             Maybe...

                                                                                                      probably...

So here's my answer to the following question: 

Talk To Me Tuesdays #1:

What's your spouse's best quality?

Well, let's make this short and sweet.  

John loves me! 

Yes, there's more to it than that.  But the long and short of it is that 

there are simply sides of John that I only get to see.  He's definitely loving 

toward his family and friends, 

but there are more "little things" than I can describe in a non-novel format.  

The best way to say it is that John loves me,

and only I really get to see it, which I like! 

Oh, and I never know what he's going to say next.  That's fun!   

Ok, your turn.  Go for it.  Do it.  Go.  Now. Type!  Enjoy! :) *  

p.s. Allie - I'm still working on my 8 favorites post.  I know, I know...soon!

fall in sherman hill...

Fall in Sherman Hill, where I currently live,

has been quite the ride. 

More later, although I'd rather tell you all on the phone 

(and no, I'm not pregnant), 

but here is a semi-pretty picture of what 

is so pretty about being here.  

i'll write more later. 

welp.

we had a great vacation last week.

2 state parks in iowa, a few days way up north in mn. 

fall was gorgeous in mn.  

it's hard to understand why the trees are on fire with color now up there, and it's not the same down here.  

of course northern areas change first, 

but sometimes it just doesn't seem like we're far enough away for such a dramatic difference.

don't get me wrong - i'm not complaining at all. 

it was awesome to see all those colors on the trees in MN,

and i'm very happy that fall has yet to completely hit down here.

hopefully the tree varieties will pack as much of a punch in IA. 

oh, and our vacation pictures will be up someday soon. 

we used disposable black and white cameras for most of the picks, and 

they just aren't developed yet!