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Monday, March 25, 2013

More Than Good To Me


God has been more than good to me, He has been God to me, and I’m grateful for it.
 My heart sings for that one, singular, uncomplicated reason. 
Ibukun Akinnawo

Friday, March 22, 2013

We've Made it.

The other day, I came home and realized it was still light out at 5:30....6pm....then 7pm.

Hallelujah.  Spring. We've made it.

This is the sunshine, and my "We've made it!" face.




And then it preceded to snow.

Love and it's gotta warm up sometime,

or

Love & I'm not complaining,
H.





Thursday, March 21, 2013

Every Fragment of Us #481

     I bought some photo paper at The Dollar Tree (it's amazing)! As I was looking for some photos to print of us, I dug up this one.

     I think this is quite possible my favorite picture of us.  September of 2011, Southwest Airlines had an anniversary sale, and we were able to score super cheap tickets to Norfolk, VA.

A quick, somewhat last-minute trip to Virginia Beach was just what we needed.

It was cloudy.  The water was cold, but it will go down in history as one of my favorite vacations.

Pumpkin Spice Lattes.  Trading in and checking out Redbox movies like it was our job.  Breakfast, breakfast, breakfast.  You get the idea.

And in The Museum it goes.  

Love,
H.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Sabbath

I was reading this post from The Polished Pickle the other day, and I was so impressed and proud of Megan and her family's desire to not shop for food on a Sunday.  It just struck a chord in me.  

And I realized...how much I use Sunday as an "Extra Saturday."  After church...I grocery shop.  I clean.  I catch up on laundry.  And by around 8pm, I am in the middle of a full-on-panic attack as I can feel the last few minutes of my weekend slipping away.  It is not pretty.  

And it is not Holy.  Quite the opposite, actually.  

So, last Sunday, I was bound & determined to Keep it Holy.  We grocery shopped on Friday night after a Mexican Food Feast.  Tim noted that it is such a good idea to go shopping on a full stomach.  I think it is the FIRST time I have ever shopped with him that HE hasn't added about 10 extra things to the cart. 

I'm really good about not doing that, you guys.  Seriously.  There's a trophy on the mantle.  

So.  There you have it.  I did finish up some extra lesson plans and switched one load of laundry (before church).  

But that's it.  Truth be told, the house is kind of a wreck.  Truth be told, the house is often a wreck.  There's a bike in our living room, for Pete's Sake.  More on that later.  

It just... is what it is, I guess.  But I didn't touch any of it, and I trust in The Lord to Bless it.  

If you haven't tried REALLY resting on The Sabbath, you should.  I'm hoping it's a habit that sticks.  

In other news.  Downton Abbey?  I can't stop.  

Love & Edith is kind of a jerk, 
H.  






Sunday, March 17, 2013

From Google Reader to Blog Lovin'

Eee Gads.  Still panicking over the thought of losing my Google Reader.  

No extra recess for you, Google!

In the middle of said panic, I messaged one of the only other bloggers I personally know (Yay for Katie)!

She suggested Blog Lovin', and I must say, I am a fan.

So.  Come find me!  As of July 1st, Google Reader is outta' here!

Or, because we believe in Choosing Your Own Adventure over here, you can click THIS guy who is sitting right underneath my header.  He looks like this.


If you can't get to Blog Lovin' from there, I'm sorry- but I can be of no help to you.

But, seriously.  Come.  Tim and I were talking in the car last night about how we just feel like we are on the edge of something great.  Blogs included.

Then we did this.  


All joking aside, we'd love to have you along for the ride.

In other news, I bought a dress on super sale the other weekend.  I always just get excited when things fit.  This is kind of a problem for a trying-to-be-frugal-girl like me.




I am thinking...Easter?

It is either lacy and Taylor Swifty*...

or...

It's the frumpiest thing I own.  For some reason, I can't get Fraulein Maria out of my head.

Also, did you see that bathroom floor?  Look away, Mother, look away!

Love and climb every mountain,
H.

*Please use "Taylor Swifty" as an adjective this week.  You won't regret it.

Also, I kind of hate posting about fashion.  Part of me is dying right now, but I think it will be okay.

Friday, March 15, 2013

Latch Hook, Babies, and Other Oddities

So...literally, by the grace of God, I found this post from exactly one year ago.  I had completely forgotten about the timing until I found an email which lead to the blog which led to the date of the blog, etc.

You get the idea.

So, if you're new to the joint, here it is.

Macrame, Babies, and Other Oddities

Love, and I am at peace,
H.


P.S. Last year, I (jokingly) contemplated Macrame.  If only I had followed through, I could be proudly sporting this masterpiece (see below).  Rats!



Also, it must be noted...last year?  Macrame.  This year?  Latch Hook. Jealous?

Monday, March 4, 2013

Juice, Crackers, and My Jam: A Story about Weight Loss & Communion 

Two things you should probably know about me.

My faith is sometimes driven by rituals.  Whether that's a good thing or not, who can tell?

But give me a good baby dedication, and I will get misty-eyed all over it.

Ash Wednesday?  Yes. Please.

Now... Communion?  That is my jam.

No matter how stale the wafer, I will sink my teeth right into it.

     And the second thing you should probably know about me is that I have weird things going on with my weight.  Not so much the physical aspect of it...like most Important Things in life, my weight is more about my head than it is about my body.

     You see, we all want to pretend we are Easygoing.  Flexible.  At Peace.  We believe this about ourselves in the same way everyone thinks they can make a good grilled cheese sandwich or that they have one pair of shoes that "absolutely matches everything."  Well, guess what.  You can't.  And they don't.

Ok. I'm kidding.

 But...for real.

With that being said, I like to check all the boxes.  Laid back- down to earth- spontaneous.

But the truth is...give me an agenda, and I will plan and organize the heck out of it.

Eating and Calories included.

So.  Sometimes, I live in the extremes.  I'm either a calorie-counting maniac or I'm a Cadbury Egg Eating Hippie.

Laissez-faire.

For fear of getting too maniacal...I wave my hand and think, "what harm will it do?"

So.  There's that.

     I think that's why the idea of daughters makes me so nervous.  I feel as if there are so many untamed rivers in my own heart these days.  I don't know how I will manage to help a baby navigate her own.  In time.  Maybe.

     I was in the middle of a something (?) with a boy I knew from church.  His presence made me incredibly anxious, and thinking back, that should have been (you know), one of those red flags everyone always talks about.

     But I remember watching him on the sidewalk in his fancy red car and his shirt and tie and he just seemed like The Kind of Boy You Come Home To, and that was all I could see after that.

Sigh.

I was in the middle of a weight loss competition at work and it all seemed So Important at the time.

I can remember being at work, on the same day as our date- and not really having any interest in eating.

Nerves.*

And I knew Things Were Getting Ugly when I quit taking Communion.

Because, you know.  A Girl can't just go around drinking her calories.

And then shortly after this boy, I met another one who kind of fixed everything... as unhealthy as that may have been at the time.

So. Now you know.  That is (partly) why I love Communion.

Because to me, it represents healing and All Those Things I Am Probably Over or Will be Over Someday. **

And I have to remember that -in the long run- we're all just waiting to be rescued anyway.

Thank you, Jesus.

And now.

Photographs.







* I don't ever want it to come across as if I'm blaming this particular person on my own disordered eating.  I want, so badly, to believe that he is a sweet person with good intentions.  I think we were just both in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Surely.  You know what I mean.

** Mothers of the world (particularly mine). Do not be alarmed.  I am not Wasting Away.  While the scale is not always my friend, I'm happy to say, this is the most regular exercise regime I've had in years (starting last April).  I feel...okay.  Which is not as good as "great" but is certainly better than "crummy" and Lord knows I've been there before.

Progress.

So...cartwheels down the hallway.

And yes.  Our favorite Chinese Buffet has a chocolate fountain.  Thanks for asking.

Love and do I sign here?
H.

And also...how much do you love that dog?