Growth Spurts

I love watching things grow.  It's amazing to me how quickly a tiny little sprout can soon turn into a fruit-producing plant.  Anyone know what to do with a ton of basil? My plant is out of control!

 

Be Still

This morning as I was getting ready to turn the ignition off and walk into the office, Steven Curtis Chapman's Be Still came on the radio.  I took my hand away from the key, sat back, and just closed my eyes while I listened to these powerful words reminding me of a much bigger purpose than punching a time clock.


Be still and know that He is God

Be still and know that He is holy
Be still, O restless soul of mine
Bow before the Prince of peace
Let the noise and clamor cease
Be still

Be still and know that He is God
Be still and know that He is faithful
Consider all that he has done
Stand in awe and be amazed
And know that He will never change
Be still

Be still and know that he is God
Be still and know he is our Father
Come rest your head upon his breast
Listen to the rhythm of his unfailing heart of love
Beating for His little ones
Calling each of us to come

Be still

A Much Needed Break

Would you believe that after this whole weekend, I have nary a photo to post? Well believe it!
I listened to my body for maybe the second time in my life and did exactly what it needed--I rested.  Sure, we got outside and went for a bike ride, laid by the pool, picked up the house, finished up laundry.  BUT, all of it was done restfully, and nothing was done out of obligation or as a check off item on a list.

This morning, I feel more recharged than I have in quite some time.  Goodness, I feel like I could throw on some shorts and a tank top and hit the track for a couple miles (now that's sayin' something since I HATE running).

Happy Tuesday!

Casino Night

The Casino Night is by far my favorite event to plan and host.  This year was just about perfect--delicious food, swanky ambiance, courteous staff, and fun games.  All around, it was a hit.

Happy Birthday Jesse!!!!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Ever get that feeling somebody's watching you?

I'm Alive, I Promise!

I was flying amidst puffy cotton clouds and spoonfulls of whip cream when my phone rang last night.  My sister.  I always miss her calls, and as I listened to her voicemail this morning I heard her say, "I think you're dead."

So, Holly, here is proof that I am, indeed alive...though I may look more tired than I have in a very long while.

It's been a busy, busy weekend. My body has finally drawn the line and said, "no more," and made me lie in bed all day yesterday.  The aches and chills are gone for the most part, but I think I learned my lesson about Go-Go-Going.  At some point, I must STOP.  Here are just some quick phone snapshots from this weekend. Once I get the "professional" photos back, I'll post them.

Hutch enjoying his chicken dinner at Pat Troys in Old Town Alexandria.



Centerpieces for Casino Night



It's difficult to tell, but that's the Washington Monument off to the left and the Air Force Memorial on the right.  This was our view from our suite.



A little photo booth action



Weekend Recap

I had some fun photos to share this morning of our adventure last night, but I can't upload them from my iPad. You'll just have to wait to see Hutch eating his chicken dinner at Pat Troys, one of our favorite Irish pubs that happens to also have a Dog Menu. This morning is the calm before the storm...a fun storm. Casino Night here we come!

Anything For a Cookie

Mornings in Apartment 409 are fairly standard.  Two bathrooms mean Jesse and I can get ready for the morning without having to spit toothpaste into the sink over the other's shoulder.  Hutch knows the routine as well, though sometimes he gets a little confused about when it's a good time to wake up.  Now that he stays at home all day without a lunch potty break, he gets the whole kitchen to himself.  So far, it's worked pretty well...I'm dreading the day when we return home and find a kitchen cabinet chewed to bits...but until then, we're good to go!  At around 6:50am, ten minutes before we leave, Hutch disappears.  There's no question about where he goes, but it's beyond me why he wants to be in there longer than he has to.  It's all about the TREATS.  Hutch knows that he gets a big cookie when we leave, so he thinks the sooner he's in there, sitting on the rug like a good boy, the sooner he'll get his teeth on a yummy apple-yogurt bar.  Fat chance, buddy.  We appreciate your good-boy attitude, but now you must learn patience. :)

Thank You, Moms

 "My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her." -George Washington

Mom's are encouragers, comforters, guidance counselors, nurses, professional cooks, and the best source of a hug there is. 

There are several women in my life who helped raise me.  Sue Bastiani kept me in line, not afraid to point me in the right direction when I was a tad bit distracted at school and youth group.  Becky Nagle encouraged me to maintain a joyful heart amidst trials.  Darlene White looked out for me when my best friend moved away in seventh grade.  Nancy Fernandez welcomed me into her home during holidays when I couldn't afford to fly home from college.  Renee Walker adopted me into her family and made me her own.  Bobbie Burke provided mom hugs when my mom lived thousands of miles away. I am forever grateful to each of these women for blessing me with their love.  The most difficult part about living away from family is their absence, but the biggest blessing is getting to share love with others.

And then there are our real moms.  Judy Nelson and Donna Field.  These two women, in their own separate ways, reflect Christ's love.  Donna's ability to trudge forward after the loss of her husband and her desire to share that hope with her children is a trait I'm not sure most have.  She knows how to make any sort of situation a better one, and boy does she have a knack for making people smile.  If you spent just one day shadowing her, you would soon realize that her heart is with Jesus and everything else revolves around Him.  She is my role model for being a woman of God.  I'm thankful to have her as my mother-in-law.  Judy West Nelson...the one and only (she'll hate me for saying that) is by far my biggest encourager.  No matter the dilemma, she always has advice and wisdom.  Her heart is captivating, and the joy that comes from her is contagious.  Put her in a room full of people, and you'll soon have a party.  From before I can remember, she's had the best hugs, most comforting touch, and she has always tried her best to be the best mom she could be to us.  Jesus' love runs deep through her actions. 

Thank you to our moms for your faithfulness and unconditional love!

Mission Impossible...I Think Not!

I'm happy to say, Mission...COMPLETE

Adventure

For some, adventure means setting out into the great unknown, conquering towering mountain peaks and forging mighty streams.  But for me, adventure comes in much smaller doses. Though I would not turn away from a crazy adventure that requires clouds of bug spray and globs of sunscreen, I do like to find fun in the little things.

Like almost losing a bike on Arlington Blvd...

My boss is gone this week, so I have the perfect opportunity to get all of his personal tasks out of the way.  One of those tasks was to install a hitch on his vehicle, purchase a bike rack, and get it all put together by the time he returns.  Simple?  Ideally, yes--but whoever said we lived in an ideal world? (Believe it or not...I Googled "Ideal World," and sure enough...it's a song title...a Christian song none the less. Oh boy).
Anyways, I digress.  The catch is that the bike is no ordinary bike. It's about three and a half feet longer--it's a tandem.  The bike pros at the shop looked at me like I was nuts, but I insisted there HAD to be a solution. In Andy's world, there is always a solution.

On the journey to finding this so-called solution, I almost fell out the back of the Escape along with the bike, we almost got rear-ended by some foolish man not paying attention to the yellow light in front of us, and I somehow managed to gain about ten bruises from the whole excursion.  THAT is what I call ADVENTURE!

I'm proud to say, we have lift off! Installing the bike rack today!!!

Raise Your Hand and Ask

Do you ever question God?  I think so often the modern church pushes its body to be perfect; to be blameless.  But Scripture makes it very clear that we are fallen creatures saved by God's grace alone.  Nothing we do or say will give us eternal life, and even after we've accepted Christ's forgiveness, we'll still stumble and fall.  So let me ask that again...do you ever question God?

The writers of Psalms had such an honest, raw relationship with their Heavenly Father.  They praised Him, they sought His guidance, they cried out to Him in trials, and they questioned Him amidst the darkness.  I guess what I'm trying to get at is questioning is not doubting.  If a child asks his father why he ties his shoes a particular way does that mean the boy doubts his father's form? I would argue that God wants us to question Him.  He wants us to seek truth, to seek beauty, to seek Him. 

I find myself questioning God on things both big and small.  I wonder why He took Jesse's dad home so early.  I ask why life looks so different from what I'd hoped it would.  I question His silence.  But through all the unknowns and discomforts, I know deep down that He will always answer.  Just like a father will tell his son why he ties his shoes one way, God will answer.  This world would be a lonely place if we could not communicate to the Maker.  Life would be pointless if we could not come to him honest and raw.

A Green Sliver

I can't recall a spring that didn't involve planting flowers, fertilizing the grass, building new bird houses, and dusting off the stored away lawn furniture. We may have lived in one of the wettest places on the Oregon coast, but my parents knew how to embrace outdoor living. My dad has always been a Gardener, and he has a knack for making things grow. Though the persnickety orchids on my kitchen counter may disagree, I have inherited a sliver of green from my father's thumb.

                                        

This past weekend, I was bound and determined to transform our slab of concrete called the balcony into an oasis of refuge. Okay, so maybe it's not quite that grand, but for a 6x8 plot of sky, it's not too shabby.

Mint, basil, & thyme

The "window boxes" are my favorite because as the box fills up, the flowers begin to drape over the edge so you can see it from the street...not that I'm bragging or anything. :)

In honor of 5th Ave, I have planted a hydrangea

Peppers and Sunflowers are on their way

Even Hutch enjoys his new garden

As a side note: To those Virginians looking to plant soon, please disregard the Home Depot attendant who insists that pansies are a fall flower. It's merely an excuse as to why the big HD doesn't have any in stock. You'll be proud to know that I bit my tongue and swallowed back the urge to say, "Sir, my father, A GARDENER, didn't raise a dumb child. I know pansies, and they ARE in season!"

Instead, I walked away, and consequently noticed every pansy planted on each block I passed as I drove home.

The Mean, Clean, Fighting Machine

We recently acquired a Dyson vacuum cleaner, something I never deemed possible.  I'm not one to spend $800 on a cleaning device, so when the opportunity arose to receive one for free, I took it!

May I just say that we've been living in a dirtier world than I thought?  After vacuuming with our normal vacuum, we ran over the floors a second time with this beast, and oh my...dust bunny and hairball heaven.

I do believe I will be vacuuming much more often now...

Photos of Fun

Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

Surprises, Sunrises, & Splashing

On Saturday evening, my dad and mom were eating dinner with their friend, Karen, at an IHOP off A1A in Daytona Beach, FL.  After an unexpected turn in their road trip plans, they found themselves by the beach a few days sooner than expected (very long story of which I won't share because I still have bags to unpack).  Little did my mom know that she would soon be greeted by a visitor...

After the happy tears were wiped away, we proceeded to have ourselves a very good time.
Blogger is refusing to allow me to load photos at this time, so I will post them later...more to come!