Calling All Men!

I have started the process of counting my lasts again. This was something that I did when it was getting closer and closer to our wedding day. It was kind of fun to reflect on all of the memories and to think about the future "firsts". Then we went through the stage of counting the "Firsts." Which are still happening and will for a while.

This time, however, the lasts are due to Graduation. DECEMBER 17th, not that I am counting or anything. (Friends and family mark your calendars, my hubby is planning a PAR-TAY!)

For the last four years I have been a part of an awesome organization on SVSU's campus called Peer Health Education. If this doesn't ring a bell read here and you should be up to speed. Tomorrow is the day of one of the best events that we do. However, it is the last one that I will ever help with or be a part of.

It is called Walk a Mile in Her Shoes. This event is not only fun, it also has a great purpose. This is a Men's March to Stop Sexual Assault. Men from all over the area come together to walk a mile to show that they are taking a stand against sexual assault and that they care about the women in their life.

The catch to this walk is these:

That's right, these men walk a mile in HIGH HEELS! The title of the event is Walk a Mile in HER SHOES. For the past four years my husband has been a champ and has been amongst the crowd of men that end up limping for days. (Thank you, babe. and thank you in advance for tomorrow)

The event takes place tomorrow March 31, 2010 from 5-7pm. Registration starts at 5 and the walk begins at 6. There is free hot dogs, chips and drinks for all who attend and each walking participant receives a shirt. Oh, and we have HUGE shoes. We special order sizes 9-17 shoes.

If you are in the Saginaw area tomorrow and would like to be a part of this special event stop by the Ryder center at 5pm. There will be a sexual assault survivor speaking and many camera worthy moments.

I'll leave you with some snapshots from past events.

Life is a Highway

My mind has been occupied by deep thoughts lately. Thoughts so deep I find ,y eyes welling with tears at random moments throughout the day. These tears are not for myself or for anything that I have been hurt by, but instead for others. We have all heard that life is fragile and to live each moment as if it were your last, but how many of us can actually say that we do? I am included in that, as you know, I started this blog to train myself to look at all the positives in life and allow the negative to pass like water under a bridge. I will say it has helped, but it takes a lot of training to get your mind to think in a different way.

Over the past week I have become aware of some very sad stories that have caused me to really stop and think. This week a Freshman at the high school I attended took his own life behind the school. A friend's grandma passed away. I have recently read the blog of a woman whose husband passed away. Yet another high school student committed suicide in front of his girlfriend.

And some good..... A family adopted a little boy. A friend is entering a new beginning with Christ and is being baptized this coming Sunday.

And some in between...Kyle and I are at an unknown part of life, wondering what next school year will bring. G-pa N undergoes surgery next Friday. My nephew is crawling like a champ. New life is evident all over in nature, buds are forming, birds are chirping, tulips are peeking and daffodils are pushing through the soil.

Life, in all phases and stages.

My heart is torn. It breaks for the world, but yet it leaps for joy. I am torn. It seems as if each good thing is followed by a bad and each bad is followed by a good. I guess this is God's little way of reminding us we can't do this on our own and we need to keep our hearts in check.

I do not have a great connection to any of the people that I wrote about in the sad moments, but somehow I still feel affected. I wonder about them. I wonder about their life, their family, their dreams and goals. I wonder about girlfriends, friends and acquaintances. I wonder about teachers, principals, counselors, nurses and doctors that have all had some type of contact with them. My heart goes out to all of them. Sometimes people are forgotten when grief hits.

Then I look out my window and I see the sun shining. I listen as Kyle flips through the pages of his recently arrived ESPN the magazine. I can hear him breathing and can watch as his chest falls up and down with every breath. And then I thank God. I thank God for life, for love and for compassion. I thank God for death, new life and comfort. I thank God for blessings, forgiveness and second chances.

Life is fragile. Life is beautiful. Life is uncertain. Life has a plan. My life is God's.

I have always been drawn to a group of verses in Ecclesiastes. I have watched many people roll their eyes as it is read out of familiarity, overuse or being hardened. But today as you read it I ask that you really take each part to heart and let the words stick with you throughout your weekend.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

¹ There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

² a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

³ a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

My thoughts are kind of jumbled at the moment, so I apologize for the random organization of this blog.

Sharing a little beauty from life with you.

D-U-N DONE!!!

That's right folks I am a senior in college and I just spelled done incorrectly. (It's a Kyle-ism)

In other news I am DONE!! Done with writing lesson plans (for a few months), done with writing lesson reflections (for a few months), done with the nervousness that comes with having every single move and decision evaluated while teaching (for a few months). Yep, I finished my final three lessons for this semester in the last two days and now you would think I am smooth sailing, but there are many more papers to write. I can handle a few papers.

Little moment of the day: Today one of my classes was online instead of on campus, so I had a little extra time after my field this morning. Every Tuesday and Thursday Jaime and I ride together and today we both taught. There is always some nerves on teaching days so as we were driving back I decided to see if she wanted to go to lunch. It was nice to have a relaxing lunch with a great friend and to enjoy a little spur-of-the-moment girl time.

Short post for today, but not much happening in the T household today! Still waiting on God's plan for the upcoming semester, I'll keep you all posted.

Thought of the day: It is almost APRIL. That means that I am almost done with my normal college career and almost on Summer VACAY!!!! (It also might be a certain someone's birthday and a certain someone's hubby's birthday. It almost might be a certain someone's nephews FIRST birthday! Oh, how I love April. )

Downtime

Right at this very moment I am sitting in an empty lecture hall at SVSU simply waiting..... waiting for the bowling team to arrive. As I sit here, part of me is thinking about all of the homework I have yet to finish tonight, how much my stomach is begging for food and how all I really want to do is take some cold medicine and head to bed. But there is another part of me that is so absolutely thankful for this breather. :)

Today has been an extremely busy day, filled with project after project and paper after paper and this moment is simply wonderful. I can hear the buzzing of the projector, the clicking of the keys and nothing else. The lights are dim and this moment is simply peaceful. This was a moment that I needed and I did not even know it. Truly a moment to thank God for.

If you are wondering why I am on campus on a Sunday evening, sitting in a lecture hall all by myself and waiting for bowling team I will fill you in. I am a Peer Health Educator. My job position basically consists of presenting programs to SVSU students about different health topics including; sexual health, sexual assault, wellness and alcohol and other drugs. Every SVSU athletic team is required to go through a presentation on each of those four things. We do two a semester and their coaches sign them up for a sunday night that they are available. Tonight was my night to present. I love my job, most of the time. It has really given me a new outlook on life and a brand new passion for this field of work, who knows maybe teaching is my destiny, but maybe not preschoolers.

Well, here come my bowlers. I will leave you with a picture from one of my favorite events... I will explain it at a later date.

Craft Shows, Little Children and Roasted Almonds

Yes, it is snowing again! This I am okay with. I knew this Spring weather was way to good to be true and that there would be one more snowfall before we were through with it. I was simply waiting for it to hit. Despite the cold, white stuff today has been a good day and has incredible potential to be an even better day.

There was a craft show at SVSU today and Tami and I attended. Two women on a mission, with two kiddos in tow. I am not really sure why, but craft shows are totally my thing. It might be because of the talent that I see there and the inspiration it gives me to create my own creations with the ideas that are in my head. If I had all the time in the world and a little extra money, I definitely think I would be a crafty person. As soon as we walked into the doors I could smell the famous roasted almonds, that seem to find their way to any fair, craft show, or town event around. I am not a huge fan of the taste, but mmmhmmm do they ever smell yummy. :)

This visit was a definite success and left me with $40 or so dollars less than what I went in with. Some of my purchases included Easter decorations, two presents for a certain bride and a few other gifts. I am very satisfied with all my purchases.

The moment of the day happened a couple of times today. You see, Tami and I were taking turns carrying Kylie through the crowds of people. She is definitely a walker, but she would get lost in the midst of the "big people" While carrying her around as I weaved in and out of the crowd I couldn't help, but over hear some conversations about how cute she is. This is completely true, however the other comments were not very true and were ones that I don't plan on hearing for a while....."Mommy's little helper today" "She's cute, mommy." "I think she wants to run, mom." What's the word that is common in all of these comments? DING! DING DING! MOM One day I will look forward to hearing this word, but NO! I am not ready for that, yet. However, this moment did make me smile and then start dreaming. Dreaming about the future. I look forward to the day that Kyle and I have a child of our own and we become a little family of three. However, for now I am 100% content with where I am and simply enjoy hanging out with my super cute nephew, little cousins, god-daughter or Kyle's god-son. Our day will come soon enough. For now I will squeeze these cuties. :)

Bottoms Up!

The topic of this blog is from a while ago, but I was reminded about it yesterday on my way home from roller blading with a friend on campus. The warm weather brings out many things; yellowed grass poking through the snow, little flowers peeping from the ground, birds migrating back to MI, construction (which is a rant for another time), beautiful sunrises and sunsets, the smell of grilling in the air (YUM!), butts in the air, and lots of people enjoying the outdoors.

You read that correctly I said butts in the air. Let me explain. Due to the lovely construction on my normal route, I have been venturing out a back way to mi casa. This has actually been a blessing because it is old country roads and brings back memories of home. However, I have seen more butts then I can count. Does anyone remember these?

I have not had the privelege of seeing one of these in a while, butt instead I have had the privelege of seeing way too many of these.


On the way home from GR last weekend, Kyle and I spotted about six of those in about two minutes. We were laughing so hard. I'm not really sure why this is so amusing to me, but it definitely tickled my fancy and made me laugh. Since then I continue to add to that tally. I have simply decided that this is a new indicator of Spring. Watch out for your bottom's up spotting. :)

Blogs from Last Night

Top of the morning to ya! (Sorry, I simply had to)

The title from today's post is a play on words from the very entertaining website www.textsfromlastnight.com I do not condone this website, nor do I reccommend each of you should visit it, however, some of the comments are quite hilarious. Check it out if you wish, but keep in mind my disclaimer (cough, mom, cough :)) The title of this website simply inspired this post because of my lack of blogging last night. Instead I decided to curl up on the couch with Kyle and "watch" a movie..... I attempted that for about 30 minutes then I was off to dream land. Which was A-ok with me. I am fighting my second cold in the last 2 weeks. UGH!!

However, yesterday was filled with blog worthy events that I missed out on.

It all started around 5:43 am. To many this would not be a blessing, however, my alarm was set to go off at 5:45 am. Waking up two minutes early wide awake, spared me the annoying alarm sound and enticed me to get out of bed and start a new day.

Fast forward about an hour later as I am driving to my field work placemat and I lay my eyes on the most beautiful sunrise ever. It was bursting with orange, red, yellow AND purple and blue! It was simply breathtaking.

Fast forward yet another hour or so as I finish teaching my reading lesson to the three year olds that I was placed with. Whew! Another success. (maybe, just maybe this teaching thing is what I am meant to do) The best part was when we were out at the playground with the little chipmunks almost 2 hours later and I mentioned the word "middle." One wide-eyed little toehead looked up at me and simply said, "In the middle, just like our trains, Miss. Jill." Right at the moment I felt like all this schooling was worth it and this passion that I have followed since First Grade might really be what I am supposed to do. (The lesson that we talked about was the beggining, middle and end of a story.We used trains that I cut out on my Cricut. In each part of the train they glued a picture from the beginning of the story, the middle and the end) Along the same lines.... later as the students were getting ready to go home a brown haired little girl pulled out her train and was explaining the whole lesson to her mom. WOW! They actually got it, they grasped it, they remembered it... these are the moments that teachers live for. You are a teacher you would understand.

It was an absolutely beautiful day out and there were many moments that I thanked God for. The rest of the week brings lots of homework my way, but I feel like I can tackle anything after an uplifting day like yesterday.

Happy St. Patty's Day!!! Are you feelin Irish today?

B-E-A-UTIFUL

Hello there, friends. This post will be rather short and to the point, no fluff tonight. This is due to lack of sleep, a 5:45 am alarm and a lesson to prep for that I am teaching to 3 year olds tomorrow and being observed for class.

Being back in the swing of things today was not all that bad. I was actually released from all three classes today in record time. (an hour to an hour and a half early in each one) This allowed me to enjoy God's little blessing for me in a greater capacity. Today's blessing was the sunshine and the warmth. If the sun can't brighten your day (no pun intended) then I don't know what can. With a little extra time between classes and a friend not being home, I simply sat in my car for over and hour, basking in the sun and reading some new children's books purchases. If you don't understand the children's books simply refer back to here.

Monday's are always whirlwind days for me, but that hour gave me some time to breathe and take in the fresh air and soak up the sun's rays. Ahhh.... one of the best feelings ever. This time could have been used to catch up on some homework on in a more productive manner, but ironically I did not have any extra homework with me, coincidence? I think not, God's planning! He knew I would need to ease back into the swing of things. What a great day of easing it was!

I am off to prep for this lesson. How bad can 3 year olds be, right? Unfortunately, it is not them that I am worried about, but instead the lady in the back of the room with cramped legs as she tries to fit in a 3 year old seat, taking notes after notes on every single, stinkin' word I say; good or bad. Oh well, that's life! I'm learning that there is always someone watching. :)

Good night, blogosphere. Until we meet again... aka.. tomorrow! :)

So Long, Spring Break

Tomorrow morning marks the official end of Spring Break. It was a well spent Spring Break and I am okay with heading back, that means I am that much closer to summer break. :) To start off this post I thought I would give a quick run down of the weekend festivities.

Friday: I headed to work with Kyle. I had to do some homework for an assessment class and I needed a child to work with. :) So, he hooked me up and I was able to complete it in about a half an hour. It was kind of fun being able to drive together, even if I was dead tired after my sleep in routine. He only worked a half a day and we headed back to pack and then jumped in the car and programmed the GPS for Grand Rapids.

We went to visit my brother and sister-in-law. They made reservations for a "dress-code required" restaurant. Which was definitely a first for me. Let's just the experience was lots of fun, but the food was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! If you are ever in the downtown GR area and are looking for a great steak house check out Louis Benton. DELICIOUS!!

After we stuffed ourselves and the valet brought us our car (another first experience) Brent showed us around town a little and where his school is.

After some time to allow our dinner to settle we ventured over to Coldstone and inhaled some ever so tasty ice cream.

Needless to say we were STUFFED!!! But it was totally worth it.

The night was finished off with some Mario Kart and Wii Sports Resort.
P.S. I am not good at virtual frisbee golf, in case you wondered. Three holes was almost the death of me.

Saturday: After a little bit of sleeping in we ventured out on the road again, can't wait to get on the road again... sorry, got caught up in a little tune there. :) this time we were headed East to D-town. Detroit that is. It was Papa T's birthday and Kristi had fun surprises planned out for all of us to partake in. First on the list was Rhapsody. This was a Hungarian restaurant in honor of the Talicska's. Which means little wheelbarrow in Hungarian. I was a little nervous heading into this venture because I grew up very sheltered when it comes to cuisine. My taste buds were pleasantly surprised. It was DELICIOUS!

After stuffing ourselves yet again we headed back to Kristi and Joe's for some yummy ice cream cake, homemade by Chef Joe. :) Yet again, simply DELICIOUS!!

After a short nap and some Super Mario Bros Wii we headed out yet again on a little adventure. This time the destination was in Royal Oak and was The Comedy Castle. HILARIOUS! There's nothing like a stomach ache from laughing.

The end of the show meant more driving as we headed home to our own beds.

It was a great weekend and tons of fun, but lots of driving. The weekend was finished with church this morning and lots of homework all afternoon. :) You would have never known that I had all week to work on it. :)

Moment of the day:

Louisville, KY was mentioned in three completely different situations today. It was quite ironic and made me smile. Once in church during the sermon... weird, I know. Then on tv and then later during one of our favorite shows Undercover Boss. The location this time was Churchill Downs. Kyle and I both looked at each other and simply smiled. This could be interpreted two ways; pure coincidence or a sign. For now, I will stick with pure coincidence, but lots of prayers and God might tell us differently. It was still a God moment, because it sent me right back into that state of "care-free, little girl again, dreaming," which is always a warm and fuzzy feeling. :)

After a whirlwind of a weekend and a great spring break I am headed to bed and setting the alarm for the first time in a long time. So long, sun alarm, so long, spring break. You will be greatly missed. See you on April 26th. :)

Cook Out in March

Today was a very productive day for me. I was up before my alarm (not the sun though :) ). I set right in on tackling our messy house. From one room to the next it was almost as if I had a magic wand and with a bibbity, boppity, boo it was CLEAN! and smelling fresh! Ahhh!!! Nothing better than a fresh smelling house. I can't wait until the windows can be wide open and I can air out my house. It's amazing how a clean and fresh smelling house can brighten a mood and an entire day.

Yesterday I purchased some yellow and white daisies for myself. That's right, for myself. I love daisies and wanted something to Spring-a-fy my dining room table. I put down a spring place mat, placed a rectangle mirror on top and plopped the vase of blooms right in the middle. Wahlah! Spring-a-fied! This was a major great-day booster today. Each time I caught a glimpse of those bright daisies smiling back at me I smiled.

We said good-bye to our turtle friend today. It was actually kind of sad. We grew kind of fond of him. But it was a great time to catch up with a friend. She recently returned from her mission trip and had lots to share. It was a blessing hearing how God worked in her and her group during this trip.

The evening ended with a smashing dinner party for 7. Complete with Chicken on the grill, corn, mashed potatoes, rolls, salad, fruit salad and was finished off with a scrumptious peanut butter chocolate chip bar with cookies and cream ice cream. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but this dinner party was planned to the tee and was a smashing success. What a fun night catching up with friends. We played a hilarious game of What's Yours Like?and simply enjoyed each others company. Am I old? I had a dinner party. :) Oh well, if this is part of getting old, bring it on.

Blessing after blessing today.

Oh, I almost forgot. I made a wonderful purchase today at the local dollar store. Eight blue glass dessert plates with white daisies on them for $8.00! That's right, friends, $1.00 a piece. I love great deals and spring and daisies.

Great day today! Blessings galore and lots of love.

Enjoy the weekend! I will probably be taking a break from blogging until Sunday! Good night, world!

Kentucky Dreamin'

Today was very uneventful and unfortunately very unproductive. But this evening has been filled with dreaming, wishing, wondering and more dreaming.

Kyle went to a job fair today and brought home some interesting information. There were some MI schools there and there were a couple that seemed "kind of promising" (in his words); Kalamazoo Public, Carman-Ainsworth and a few others. However, tonight has been filled with Kentucky Dreamin'! Go ahead make your hicks from the sticks jokes, I know we have all thought about it before. :) Before you judge just take a few minutes to check this out. One of the school districts around Louisville is looking to hire 500 teachers.... that's right, 5-0-0. Who knows, my hubby might be 1 of those 500.

We spent about an hour tonight just researching and dreaming about what life would be like in another area, another state, another weather pattern (apparently a long spring and fall and really, really hot July and August) and another dialect. :) We dreamed about houses, jobs, activities and life in general.

Don't get me wrong, if there is a job in MI for Kyle we will be staying in the good 'ol mitten. But if that is not the path that God has for us, KY looks like a great opportunity. Just the thought of something completely new is kind of exhilarating, kind of thrilling and of course, a tad bit scary.

Negative #1: 6 hours from both sets of parents (5 from 2 sets of siblings and HOURS away from the other set)

Negative #2: No one there that we know

Negative #3: Starting completely anew- new house, new church, new friends, new set of directions, new grocery store (I am starting to learn where things are :))

Negative #4: 4 months of a long distance marriage

That's right, friends you read that correctly.... I would have to stay in the mitten and finish up my student teaching. August-December. I am not saying it would be easy, but if it meant my hubby had a job that he enjoyed, it would be totally worth it. After all 6 hours isn't forever away. :)

Definitely something to think about.

If you hadn't noticed my "moment" today was my time spent dreaming. Dreaming about all of the possibilities that God just might have in store for us. I like to dream.

Disclaimer: This is definitely just thoughts, there would be a lot of praying, thinking and planning involved in a move like this. Hey, a girl can dream, can't she?

Mom, don't freak out just yet. :)

"Say Hey, It's a Good Day"

The lyrics of that song have been playing through my head this evening. And it is so true. The song is called It's a Good Day by FFH and it talks about it being a great day no matter what happens. I think that is kind of the motto of this blog, wouldn't you say? Today definitely fit into the category of a GREAT day.

Yet again, the sun was my amazing alarm clock. This time it was a little later than it has been, I will blame that on the reading of children's books last night. :) However, this morning I was rip-raring and ready to go. I jumped right into my homework and finished what I needed to for the day in record time. After finishing up a scrumptious lunch from last nights VIOLA! leftovers, my phone began to ring. It just so happened to be my sister-in-law.

After a couple of attempts at getting reception in the good 'ol thumb country of Michigan, she asked a great question. Are you home? Of course, I am home. Where else would I be on Spring Break? I mean who would go to someplace warm for spring break... well.... ok, but I WAS home. :) Brent and Alicia were making their way back from visiting her g-ma and were going to stop and see Kyle and I. And what a great visit it was. Now, I'll admit the house was a little messy, but it didn't matter. We went on a gorgeous walk in which we were actually sweating while wearing simply sweatshirts. After Popsicles on the front porch and some Mario Kart we headed out for dinner at Harvey's. It you have never heard of Harvey's you must visit the website now, find the closest one to you and GO!

As we pulled into the parking lot Momma T called and invited us to dinner with her and Grandpa. We declined because of our other dinner guests. However, as we were parking a bright red truck pulled in next to us and out jumped, none other than Momma T and Gramps. Table for 6, please!

Dinner was finished off with Deep Fried Twinkies (two twinkies deep fried in waffle batter drizzled with raspberry and chocolate sauce and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream) and a Dessert Waffle (A warm, freshly made waffle topped with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and caramel).. Have I convinced you to go yet? Sooo good.

This was definitely a great day. We had a great time at dinner laughing with Grandpa and the server trying to communicate with him. (You see G-pa has some trouble with his hearing aids.:))

Definitely a blessing filled day. Many little moments made this one absolutely amazing.

"Say Hey! It's a Good Day! Even if things aren't going my way.

Jesus is Lord and I am save, so, say hey, It's a good Day! "

Sneaky, Sneaky

Today was another one of those GORGEOUS days outside. Waking up to my favorite alarm clock, the sun, this morning was again great, however, climbing out of bed was not as nice. A pounding headache seemed to linger with me through most of the day. The worst part was that this said headache was made worse by light. Which meant shutting the curtains and shutting out the gorgeous day outside. Sad moment. :(

Next I spent countless hours in front of my laptop searching for ideas to write my lesson on that is due tomorrow to my professor. No luck! :( Yet another sad moment. I think I finally have an idea, so that will be my day tomorrow.

My day finally got better when my cellular device started ringing and hubby was on his way home. YAY! He was starving so I pulled out some dinner and 7 minutes later... VIOLA! It was finished. And mmmhmmm.. it was scrumptious. You may be wondering what this awesome dinner was that tasted awesome and was so extremely quick to prepare, Viola! (that is the name of the product :) ) This certain kind was Three Cheese Chicken. Oh, so good!

The dishes were left right on the table and the bike tires were promptly pumped up. Off we went on a little bike adventure. When I say little, I definitely mean little. Why in the world do bike seats have to be so stinkin' hard? I honestly didn't think I was going to make it the short 2 miles that we rode. OUCH!!!! I think I might have bruises. It was still fun and refreshing. The sun was filling up my sun-tank and I was loving the fresh scent of Spring in the air. (I know it probably isn't going to last, but please don't ruin my fun)

The evening was finished off with a whirlwind trip to the library, and what a gorgeous library it was. Let me take a moment to share my love for books, children's books with you. If I had a million dollars I would create my very own children's library complete with floor to ceiling shelves of books, cute, comfy seating, dim (but bright enough to read) lighting and the smell of books spritzed through the air every few minutes. I know you know the smell that I am talking about. Mmmmhmmm.... I can almost smell it now, well, maybe I really can. (A pile of Children's books is sitting next to me). This love came to life as I grabbed books off of the shelves to add to my pile "for my lesson" (just to read). Tomorrow is going to be a fun day. :)

Another great day overall, even though it might not have started that way. The sun, quick, yummy dinners, bike rides and children's books can really make this chicky happy. :)

Good night, Blogosphere, my bed will be a great end to this wonderful day. (story for another day; my love for my mattress)

PS: I learned today that I have some secret readers (hence the title of this post). After some thought I realized that I was a little flattered, however, if any of you secret readers would like to identify yourselves feel free to comment or become a follower. :) I know you are out there.

Rolling, Grilling, Sunshine and Muncher

A good friend was asking me about my blog today and asked if I posted everyday, well so far I've had a good run of 3 out of 3. :) We will see how long that lasts, I mean it is Spring Break, you know. :)

Today was such a beautiful day, there was definitely many things to be be thankful for, but I will focus on a few. After sleeping in this morning, hubby and I decided to go on a quick bike ride to his grandpa's. He lives about 10 blocks away and we simply wanted to get out and enjoy the fresh air. After a quick examination of the condition of the bikes from over the winter, we noticed my tires were flat. Darn it! Without an air compressor we made the horrible decision to pop on our roller blades and make the trek that way. This would normally be lots of fun, in any normal city where sidewalks are used often. Well, apparently that is not our city and apparently our city is not handicap friendly. The cement slabs at curbs that made it easier for wheel chairs are simply non-existent. The trip took longer than expected, but it was something that turned into a blessing and something to be thankful for. My hubby and I spent much of the time laughing at each other and soaking up the sun. It was a beautiful day.

The end of the day was filled with dinner with a great friend. This certain friend transferred schools and isn't around as much as he used to be. Spring Break not only means no classes, but also catching up with friends. For dinner we pulled out the grill, a little squeaky and forgotten since the fall. Mmmhmmmm.. the smell of burgers grilling cannot be beat. This made me say a little prayer of thankfulness for the beautiful weather that we have been having. Even if it is short lived- those burgers were awesome.

The last of my post today finishes out the explanation of my title for this post. That's right, Muncher. Muncher? As I was sitting down to type this post, I watched as my hubby and friend, Jonathan, started to play Mario Kart on the Wii. They decided to connect to the internet and play with others from around the world. One of the people they were playing against was named Muncher. This started a 10 minute conversation about the dog down the road and the name that it was given. After many names being thrown around... Biter, Killer, Muncher, Chomper, Scraper, basically anything ending in -er... they finally came to the conclusion of Chomper. Poor Dog. However, this conversation tickled my funny and brought a great fit of giggler to our living room which made me smile. Thanks for the laugh.

Good night blogosphere friends it is time for more family fun. We are headed back to G-pas, this time by car to take part in some yummy key lime pie. Well, I think yummy, I've never had it before. I'll let you know what I think.

Riesen's to Praise

In the few short days of this journey I have really enjoyed looking for moments; moments that make me smile, make me giggle, make me think or make me downright laugh out loud. I find that these moments happen more often than I had let myself believe. Today consisted of many little moments that I feel are blog worthy. Each comes with its own story, so lets begin this journey together today and look at some of my little moments.

Day 2: As the clock rolled 1:00am this morning my awesome husband and I pulled into our driveway with heavy eyelids and feeling slightly cranky which was lack o' sleep induced. We were returning home after a whirlwind 4 hour round trip to watch a friend in her high school performance of Footloose. Throughout the entire production I couldn't help but remember the good ol' days, the days when I was the one that stood in the spotlight after all the lines were memorized, the scenes were blocked and the curtains were drawn. Drama Club was one of my high school passions and something that I absolutely loved being a part of a production in which I could be someone else for two hours and explore a new world inside of me. Dress rehearsal week was always the worst. The show never seemed to come together until the last minute and each time our director would give her usual "I'm going to pull this show" speech. Each time we would pull it off and each night we would have a packed house. I loved the feeling as I stood behind the closed curtain going completely blank on my first line and just as the curtains were drawn and the heat of the lights heat my face the words bolted out of me like nothing had ever done before. Oh, Drama Club, I miss you. It was a great trip down memory lane.

Day 2: Moment 2: Hubby and I are turtle sitting this week. Yes, you read that correctly turtle sitting. One of our friends is going on a Missions Trip this week for her Spring Break and asked if we would keep her turtle alive while she was gone. Of course, I agreed, how hard can it be to watch a turtle, right? She stopped by today to set up his tank and his heat lamp and just as I had expected watching a turtle is going to be a piece of cake. However, this moment tickled my funny. As our friend backed out of our driveway I watched as the turtle hid his head in his shell as if to say, "I do not like you." I caught myself saying right out loud, "Well, you are a cranky turtle, aren't you?" Did I really just talk to a turtle? This made me laugh right out loud. Turtle Sitting... should I put an ad in the paper? Experienced Turtle Sitting willing to help you. :) :) :)

Day 2: Moment 3: Tonight was finished with a moment of all moments. Rocking my sweet, sweet little God-daughter to sleep tonight, was the joy of my day and the moment that tops all others. She just recently turned one and is a complete bundle of joy. Her little personality is budding and her giggles can make any day better. She is a precious gift from God and I am so blessed to have her and her amazing family as a part of my life.

Today was filled with many wonderful moments that helped me to put my life into perspective, that helped me to thank God for all of my blessings and that helped me realize just how blessed I really am. Yesterday my hubby gave me some Reisen's (I love those amazing pieces of candy and love the memories of going to my grandmas house that they bring). While eating the Reisen's I smiled and told him that todays post must be titled exactly that: Reisen's.... Reisen's to Praise. Today was definitely filled with many Reisen's to praise.

New Year's Resolution

New Year's resolutions are not really my thing. I watch each year as friends, family and strangers proclaim unattainable goals for the next year and watch as they are quickly broken and then forgotten. I never understood the point, why shouldn't we try to better ourselves at all times, instead the first month of each new year (if they last that long). As I sat home today, on another Friday without classes, my mind would not allow me to zone out and watch hours upon hours of old favorites on TBS. Saved by the Bell, Just Shoot Me, Home Improvement, Yes, Dear and so on...

No, not today, today it decided it was time to ponder life, to dwell in every drawer that had been filed away and put to rest...or so I thought. As I lounge in yoga pants and mismatched tank top, on my fading hand-me-down couch (I love free things) my mind takes me on a journey. A journey around my world: to Morley, to Saginaw, to Bay City, to Bridgeport, to Grand Haven, to Italy, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and back again.

Why these places you may ask? Good question. My best guess would be that I have a connection in some way to these places. Some great and some small, but none the less there is a connection. As my mind forced me to open the drawers one by one, I started to realize my lesson for today. A lesson that had been a long time coming, one that should have been realized and learned long ago, one that if realized; much of the hurt I have experienced would not have taken place.

Pausing to gaze out the front window of my cute, little rented home, the lesson finally sinks in. Across the street I watch as a brown squirrel playfully scampers across the glittering snow that is slowly melting under the warm, golden sun to reveal brown blades of grass that are gently turning green. Sitting here today, pre-shower and mismatched, I realize that my lesson for today is...............(insert drum roll here)

Little Moments!

I know you are probably thinking, Little Moments? That is what I just wasted my time reading about. Hear me out. Each day is filled with plans, routines, and stress. If you are anything like me, we schedule our lives to the minute and find interruptions to our plans annoying. How often has an "interruption" caused you to jump to anger (road rage anyone?) or utter negative comments under your breath (expletives, anyone?). Often, this is our reaction to those moments that change our scheduled-to-the-tee-lives.

Today I vow to try something new. I vow to be thankful for these little moments. I vow to record these little moments and reflect on them. I vow to acknowledge the One who sent these little moments my way to simply brighten my day. God is so much more than my Lord and Saviour, but also my Little-Moments-Provider. I have let these moments pass without much thought for too many years and it is time for a change.

Like I said, New Year's Resolutions are not my friend, today I begin my daily resolution. Today, I resolve to look for the Little Moments.

Day 1: The golden sun was my alarm this morning. I opened my eyes to find a golden hue filling my room and a beautiful day awaiting me outside my blinds.

Today's drawer will remain open and each moment will be cherished.

(This blog inspired by an amazing, red-headed friend of mine. Thank, J!)