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Thawing out

26 Dec

Travis and I have been in Minnesota for Christmas since last Saturday (a week, tomorrow). I am sitting in my childhood home right now, filling with the scents and sights of everything I love about growing up. *Sigh* it doesn’t get much better than this.

After working Friday, Travis and I pulled an all-nighter to Minnesota from Colorado. It wasn’t as hairy as it could have been, although we did get into a bad enough fight about my inability to sleep while Travis is driving that I thought to myself “This is the road trip from hell.”

I jumped in the backseat though and that helped me sleep better. So after I had a little sleep (the equivalent of an hour over the course of 3 or 4) and had gotten over the fact that I would be tired all day Saturday, the road trip really wasn’t that bad.

At 8:30 AM, we rolled into Minneapolis. I met my 2 good friends, Brittany and Holly, for breakfast at Bruegger’s (oh, how I love their hazelnut coffee!!) while Travis went to have breakfast with 2 of his friends, Nick and Ben. As we first stepped out of the car and felt the brisk air whipping around, we both said “Ah, Minnesota.”

Even though I have been waxing poetic about cold temperatures and snow for many weeks now, it took me only 2 days to realize that I don’t miss those things as much as I think I do. As we walked to church at Bethlehem Baptist’s downtown campus Saturday evening, the wind was bone-chilling, whipping my hair around my face, making it stick to my lips. I could barely breath due to the cold and I instantly felt annoyed that Travis didn’t walk faster to catch up with me. I was definitely NOT waiting around for him in that cold. (Just for a point of reference, I’m pretty sure the temp was near zero without the wind…with the wind, probably somewhere around 20 below zero. Brrrrr…)

The weather didn’t get any warmer on Sunday–walking to the Vikings game (against the Atlanta Falcons, which we got to go to for FREE thanks to a salesman that Travis’ dad works with), the wind was gusting even harder…so hard that it literally takes the air out of you. I can’t even find words to describe it. Frigid comes the closest. As we got in line to get into the Metrodome, I told myself “THIS is why I love Colorado.” It makes me realize how much I love–but don’t nearly appreciate enough–how the weather in Colorado allows you to enjoy being outside during the winter, instead of cursing under your breath at everything and everyone who walks across your path.

Atrocious weather aside, I love Minnesota. I love the snow. I love seeing my old college campus, my old friends, my family. I love seeing roads that I know and passing landmarks that hold memories. And as much as I hate the way the freezing wind can chill you so thoroughly that you can’t seem to get warm no matter what, I do love the way Minnesota makes me feel tough. Not everyone can endure weather like this.

After the Vikings game on Sunday (which the Vikings lost 😦 ), we drove up to Grand Rapids, MN, where Travis’ parents now live. Travis’ dad, Al, got a new job and so he, Beth (Travis’ mom), and Matthew (Travis’ bro) moved to Grand Rapids from a tiny town called Nevis (about 2.5 hours apart). They still own their house in Nevis and are renting it out to the Nevis superintendent and his wife, who still own a house down in Minneota, MN. They go to their old house for holidays so Al, Beth, and Matthew can go back to Nevis for holidays too.

We spent a day and a half in Grand Rapids. Whether it’s the aftermath of our all-nighter or just the subconscious knowledge that we’re on vacation, it has been a struggle for Travis and me to peel ourselves off the mattress each morning. Today was the first day all week that we’ve gotten up earlier than 9:00. Travis and Matthew shoveled the foot of snow off the driveway and deck while I read the Bible and Beth watched a made-for-TV movie. We took a tour of Grand Rapids and bought Travis’ dad an ice fishing rod at a store called something like Dave’s Army and Navy. Then we ate dinner with Al (who had been at work) and went to see Yes Man. I thought it was a pretty good movie…not a classic slapstick comedy, but humorous and light-hearted nonetheless.

Tuesday, we headed over to Nevis. The men chopped a Christmas tree down on their property, while Beth and I went to Park Rapids to get groceries. When we got home, she cooked, I read Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella (which I finished in 2 days–it was a good book), and the menfolk rode snowmobiles and worked on the 4-wheeler. That night, we decorated the Christmas tree and then Travis and I went to Park Rapids (again) to visit one of Travis’ good friends from high school, Jesse, and his wife, Emily. We looked at pictures from their trip out to Estes Park, Colorado, in August (we had tried to meet up with them then but it just didn’t work out)–they attempted to hike Longs Peak again (their 2nd time) and made it to the last 800 ft ascent but decided to turn back due to the altitude. Jesse told us that that was the last time he’ll ever attempt that mountain…Emily, however, is keeping the dream alive.

Wednesday, we just bummed around the house…I finished my book while Travis and Matthew went snowmobiling and played Madden 06 on the Playstation.

Thursday (yesterday) was Christmas Day! We went to mass at the Nevis Catholic Church and then Travis’ aunt, Cheryl, came up. We opened presents, played some Apples to Apples, Travis and I went snowshoeing, and then we had our Christmas dinner, complete with apple AND pumpkin pie.

Today, we got up early (6 AM!) and left Nevis around 7:45. We stopped by Travis’ aunt’s and uncle’s house in Blaine and then continued down to Rochester, where my parents live. We go to my parents’ house around 2:45 and have been just hanging out and talking (and I’ve been blogging), waiting for my brothers, Chris and Brian, and Meg (Chris’ wife) and Lindsay (Brian’s girlfriend) to show up.

I have been excited to blog this whole week and only now have I had access to the computer!! But now I am going to stop being antisocial and hang out with my wonderful family.

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You win, Christmas cookies

19 Dec

I had been doing SO WELL! I made cookies for a charity poker event…and didn’t eat any. I made another batch for the 1st Annual Dare 2 Share Cookie Exchange…and didn’t eat any. We exchanged our cookies and I had a whole platter of delicious cookies sitting behind me at work…only had one small piece of peppermint bark (which was delicious). The cookies sat on my kitchen counter the whole week…I only ate one little measly cookie.

But then yesterday, I had the bright idea to make more cookies (2 batches of 48 cookies is just not enough I guess). I should have just gone to take a nap because let me tell you, me tired + delicious cookies = me stuffing my face. But no, I decided to push through my tiredness…as I simultaneously pushed 700 calories of cookie dough into my mouth before the cookies had even set (they’re the no-bake kind).

You know when you’ve eaten about 3 lbs of a certain food because you thought it was so delicious and then 10 seconds later, just looking at that same food makes you want to puke? Yeah, that was me. I definitely paid for it too because last night, around 3 or 4 in the morning, I woke up with the *worst* cramps. That’s my stomach’s way of telling me, “Don’t you EVER do that again!! Do you hear me? Huh? Never!”

But I will say that these are some of the best cookies EVER. I just absolutely love them. And they’re not horrible for you…they’re just not that great. Let me delight you with the recipe (that I pathetically have memorized now):

I call them Grandma Dee’s Special Cookies but you could just use Unbaked Almond Bark Cookies

1 lb. Almond Bark

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 cups Captain Crunch’s Peanut Butter Crunch

1 cup Rice Krispies

1 cup dry roasted peanuts

1 cup small marshmallows

1. Melt almond bark in the microwave according to package directions.

2. Stir in peanut butter.

3. Pour mixture over rest of ingredients.

4. Quickly (it’s a race against time!) drop mixture by spoonfuls onto tinfoil.

5. Let cool/harden.

These are so easy to make and so delicious. Too delicious.

By the way, watch out for the jumping spoons. They just jump right into your mouth without notice. It’s a dangerous job, making these cookies.

But it’s oh so worth it.

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Feeling somewhat like The Grinch…

18 Dec

I am a member of The Nest and on days like today when there’s not much happening at work, I hang out on the boards when I am *ahem* on my 15 minute break. Today, I posted a poll about Christmas presents, asking the ladies on the board 4 questions:

1. Who do you buy presents for?

2. Who buys you presents?

3. Do you buy presents because you want to or because you feel it’s expected of you?

4. If you could only have one Christmas present, what would it be?

Most of the ladies who responded had long lists of people they buy presents for…but they said that they like buying all those presents and that they would buy more if they could.

Am I the only one who doesn’t like buying Christmas presents, who finds it more of a chore and annoyance than an actual joy? It’s not that I don’t like getting people presents. I just don’t like that presents at Christmas are expected. I don’t like getting lists from people of the things they want for Christmas. I don’t like wandering the mall for hours searching for something to get [insert name here] when nothing seems to fit their personality or needs.

I LOVE giving gifts when I am walking around and randomly see something that makes me think of that person, something I know they’ll love and use. I LOVE giving gifts when they aren’t expected, when they have more thought in them than just “I thought you might like this…(and it was the only thing I could think of to get you).”

Travis and I don’t even really buy Christmas presents for each other. Last year, we had planned on our “Christmas present to each other” being a romantic weekend at a B&B in the mountains. Due to financial constraint, it didn’t happen…and it was never rescheduled. This year, Travis wanted to buy new $180 hunting boots, but he didn’t want to spend all of his Blow (personal spending $) on them. So the deal was I got $180 to spend on myself. So we kind of did Christmas presents but not really, because we both picked out and bought what we wanted without the other person (although I was with Travis when he bought his boots).

I would rather donate all the money we would spend on Christmas presents for other people to a non-profit organization that could really use it–and use it for people who really NEED it. But I don’t want to disappoint anyone and I also stop myself because I wonder if my desire for doing so is more a selfish desire to not have to go shopping for Christmas presents, rather than a desire to be generous. I think about all the things I put on my (obligatory) Christmas list and would really be ok with not getting any presents if it meant I didn’t have to give any.

Look at me, being such a Scrooge. But I’m being honest! The best part about Christmas for me is being with family, eating great food, going to church, listening to Christmas songs, drinking hot chocolate and eating Christmas cookies. Presents are really the lowest thing on the list for me. I really don’t think I would miss them at all.

But maybe I’m just being selfish. Maybe I’m forgetting the joy of thinking for other people and supplying them with things they (I hope) enjoy and (I pray) they use.

Or maybe, buying presents for the affluent is like buying cookies for an obese man. He may eat them and he may enjoy them…but does he NEED them?

Next year, I’m going to make my Christmas presents. At least then they’ll have the thought and effort behind them…even if they don’t have beauty or practicality. 🙂

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Winter in Colorado. Grrr…

15 Dec

Today, when we left for work, the temperature was actually 0 degrees. It  has gotten cold here over the weekend. But I LOVE it!! Finally, it feels like winter. And the snow that fell over the weekend is actually sticking to the ground.

Speaking of that darned snow, you’d think that the snowplows would be out scraping the white stuff off the roads and highways since the sun is not really doing its usual job of melting it all before noon. But oh no. They are not. They are still on vacation. We have seen a grand total of TWO snowplows out since Saturday. The roads are like one big skating rink and the city of Denver and its suburbs are doing NOTHING.

Nothing.

That’s why I am typing this at 5:19 PM, sitting at work, waiting for my dear, sweet husband to come pick me up. He was supposed to be 40 minutes ago. He was supposed to be at a doctor’s appointment (for his cat allergy) 10 minutes ago.

Doesn’t look good.

Living in Minnesota for 24 years of my life, I grew accustomed to the wonderful service of snowplowing. Sure, sometimes it was frustrating to have to move your car to a different side of the street so it didn’t get towed. Or to have to shovel the giant pile of snow at the end of your driveway that the snowplow oh-so-conveniently created. Or to get plowed in to your garage if it happened to be on an alleyway.

What I wouldn’t do for those snowplows now. Or at least some salt! They use this environmentally friendly liquid stuff. News flash gooper scoopers: It doesn’t hurt the environment AND it doesn’t hurt the snow! It doesn’t have ANY effect on the snow.

Ok, rant over.

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The Writing of the Christmas Letter

8 Dec

When I was in high school, my parents wrote a Christmas letter every year.

But they never mailed it.

They always started arguing over what it should say and how they should jump the hurdle of the “I” and “We” pronouns when just my dad was writing it.

So the letter never left our house.

I love receiving Christmas cards so I was excited last year when I was finally married (finally an adult!) and could write a Christmas letter. We are doing the same thing this year. I am designing it at work (“on my break”) so that I can use Adobe InDesign. I heart that program.

Tonight, Travis and I were going to edit the letter that I had written. He didn’t like the way I had described our skiing adventures (couldn’t stand having me make mention of using my parents’ old ski equipment) so I changed it. But I added the detail that we had gone skiing 3 times in April (which is very strange to me coming from MN) and Travis promptly said “No, that’s too much detail.”

I immediately took offense because Travis is always making fun of the way I tell stories–I give names of all the people I mention as well as the lifelong history I have with them; I set the scene; I narrate. I tell stories in about 10 times the amount of time it takes Travis. (But do I get on him for leaving those details out?)

I know Travis pokes fun at me out of love (I like to think it’s one of my cute little quirks) but tonight, it just made me mad. I just about broke our keyboard. Travis left the room and only came back after much persuading by me.

We continued on, me still very angry, and Travis replying with those sarcastic comments that push my buttons in all the wrong places. I called him a mean name under my breath and that just took the wind out of his sails.

He went and watched TV. I felt bad so I went to apologize. I turned the TV off. He turned it back on. I turned it off. He turned it on. I turned it off and threatened to unplug it, which would make him have to reprogram it after we plugged it back in. He agreed to leave the TV off. 

I apologized for the namecalling. He told me that the Christmas letter was fine as it was (though a few days ago, he said that he wanted to reword the part about him). I asked him if he was sure. He said yes. I repeated the question a few more times and he answered the same.

“It’s fine. You did a good job.”

A comment that appears to be a compliment but is really just a cop-out so that he doesn’t have to deal with me anymore.

I retreated into the office and shut the door. I could hear that he had turned the TV back on. “Ouch. He didn’t even feel the need to apologize? He could just get on with his night like nothing happened? WHY are guys like that? WHY doesn’t my husband understand that I need to be loved right now? I know God is the only One who loves me perfectly…so I should just be content. But it hurts when he does that!”

After about 20 minutes, Travis came in to the office and apologized. He said that when I call him names, he feels completely defeated. I told him that I understood. After all, isn’t that what I’ve learned through reading all those marriage books–that men need respect above all?

I’ve often wondered how married couples make it through all of this “Ness” without the hope and forgiveness found in Christ. If I didn’t have the Holy Spirit and didn’t have the example of Christ to follow, I would…well, I don’t even want to know what I would do. It’s hard to be a sinful person married to another sinful person. But it’s worth it. And it’s possible. God’s grace is amazing.

So the Christmas letter will be edited, printed, and mailed after all. Hooray!

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Christmas fun

7 Dec

Last night, Travis and I braved downtown Denver for the 9News Parade of Lights (the Colorado version of the Holidazzle parade). The traffic getting down there was crazy, parking was almost impossible to find, and there were people everywhere.

I remarked to Travis that it seemed like there were more people at this parade than the one back in Minnesota. He replied, “That’s because it’s 50 degrees outside instead of 15.”

Good point.

The parade had a few cool floats and several high school marching bands that were completely decked out in lights and tinsel. But in the middle of the parade, there was a 20 minute pause. Nobody moved. The marching band in front of us played the same 2 songs over and over while the tuba players spinned in circles.

Overall, the parade was fun but eh. Only Christmas spirit could make me want to go again (but isn’t that why these things are fun in the first place? I LOVE doing Christmas activities like that).

Today was Dare 2 Share’s Christmas party at Dave and Buster’s. It was a lot of fun. We watched clips of A Charlie Brown Christmas (which I have never seen…), listened to the leaders of each department talk about their staff members (something you can do with only 42 employees!), and ate dinner.

After the party was over, Travis and I stuck around to use the Power Card we got from the party as well as a few we had left over from my brother and sister-in-law’s rehearsal dinner. Travis is in love with the hunting games. He could literally play them non-stop. My favorite game is usually Skeeball but tonight, I found a new fave: trivia. I’m not very good at it (especially the sports questions) but it’s fun as all heck!

We also went in this wacky photo booth and found out what our future daughter will look like:

The composite of our faces for our future child

The composite of our faces for our future child

Matted hair aside, I think our “little girl” is very cute!

I also found out what I would look like as a Southern showgirl and a butch news anchor.

And these were the GOOD pictures!

And these were the GOOD pictures!

We had so much fun that I have to go to bed now.

But not before I say that I got my new Sketchers boots in the mail today and LOVE them. They’re a little tight around my ankles so I’m going to “test drive” them inside before wearing them anywhere but the cuteness factor is through the roof!! (I have been looking for boots for the past 2 years and have not been able to find ANY that I actually like…except for these! YAY!)

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Happy Birthday to my sweetie!

2 Dec

It’s Travis’ 24th birthday today. I have a hard time believing that all this time, he was just 23. That seems so…young. He said this morning that he felt old…like he’s halfway between highschool and 30 (that’s what he would always tell me to make me feel bad about being older than him…by a year and a half).

I already gave him his birthday present (he wanted to open it on Sunday). I bought him a polo for work, a Avalanche t-shirt, and new headphones for his iPod. He was pumped.

To celebrate, we are going to have some people over tonight. We invited our whole care group, plus a few other friends from church. How many will actually show up, I have no idea. But hopefully people do or else, I know Travis would be sad. I even made his favorite cake–strawberry shortcake. And this year, I made real shortcake from scratch, not angel food cake from a box. 🙂 The strawberries are still frozen though and we’re using Cool Whip. Ah, well. Good enough.

I am very thankful for this day, the day my amazing husband was born. I love him and appreciate him so much. There are so many different things I love about him… he is thoughtful, sweet, handsome, funny, smart, handy, wise, athletic, loving, playful and more. But most of all, I am so blessed by the way he loves me. He will do things differently just because he knows I like them done that way. I can echo Faith Hill’s song… “It’s not right, it’s not fair, what you’re doing over there. Someday I’ll find a way to show you just how lucky I am to know you. Ooo, I love the way you love the way you love me. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be. Ooo, to feel the way I feel with your arms around me. I only wish that you could see the way you love me.”

Reading a book the other day, the author said that the way you know a certain person is The One is that they make you want to be a better person. I pondered that for a moment, trying to think of the ways Travis makes we want to be a better person. I realized that the way Travis makes me want to be a better person is not through his hobbies and activities (sorry, no desire to go ice fishing or drink beer with the guys like he does) but through the way he loves me. The way he is understanding and forgiving when I really don’t deserve it. The way he chooses to do things for my benefit and happiness instead of his own. The way he takes care of me when I’m sick, hurt, or sad. The way he tells me that I’m beautiful and a good wife when I’m struggling to believe that’s true. The way he reflects the love and grace of Christ, who is the Ultimate Husband.

My husband isn’t perfect. But he is an amazing man, a wonderful husband, and my very bestest friend.

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The holiday weekend

30 Nov

This holiday weekend felt blissfully long and disappointingly short. Long because Friday I woke up and felt like it should be Sunday–but there were 2 more glorious days to go until then. Short because it’s now over.

Yesterday, Travis and I went to Barnes and Noble to look at books. I bought “The Rhythm of Life: Living Every Day with Passion & Purpose” by Matthew Kelly. I’m excited to read it, but won’t let myself start it until I finish “Knowing God” (which I find very hard to read when I’m sick because when my head hurts and my ears are ringing, I can’t concentrate on anything very deep).

Then we went to the Rec. I had to exercise. I can’t stand sitting around all day “resting.” I feel worse when I do that. So I walked on the treadmill at an incline and then did situps. Today I did one of my Pilates videos. It feels good to be active again (I didn’t exercise at all last week due to being sick).

Last night, we went to the Nutcracker with Paul and Carrie. It was so fun to watch! It made me really want to dance again. The school that put it on (the Boulder Ballet) has a drop-in Beginner’s Ballet class for adults on Monday nights. It’s up in Boulder so I may not do it…but I have definitely been motivated to search more earnestly for an adult class that I can take.

Today I decided to not go to church. I can’t sing (my voice has been coming and going due to coughing a lot) and we were supposed to be working the Toddler room (which I couldn’t because of being sick…though the Lord was very faithful in finding someone to cover for me). I listened to last week’s sermon by John Piper instead. It was good–and it reminds me of how much I miss his preaching. Travis and I continue to try to keep open minds for our main pastor…but more often than not, we walk away from his sermons feeling a little disappointed.

I just love Piper’s enthusiasm, his child-like wonder at the Word of God that inspires me to see it through a new lense. I love how he quotes other Bible verses to show how the whole Bible ties together. I love how he digs deeper and doesn’t just tell us what the verse means but analyzes why the verse means what it does and what that meaning means our relationship with God. I love being challenged to see the Bible in new ways and being convicted that I do not understand the gospel enough nor am I sufficiently riveted by it.

One benefit of this whole being-sick thing is that it has motivated me to take my health more seriously. I have known that I need to drink more water (especially living in CO–I get headaches from being dehydrated frequently), exercise more (I’ve been averaging 2-3 times a week), and cutting back on the sweets (at home I do pretty well but at work…) I have been inspired to drink more water, exercise at least 5 times a week, and to really limit my sweets to at most one a day and to make them things that really count (no more Tootsie Rolls and peanut butter cups at work!)

We’ll see how long it lasts…but I’m really going to try!!

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Photo Update

28 Nov

Despite my getting sicker (I now have an ear infection!), we had a very good Thanksgiving. As I mentioned before, we went over to my old boss, Carol Ann’s, sister-in-law’s house. Yes, it was a big group but it was a lot of fun. The food was great and we played cards and watched football afterwards. But then I discovered that I was getting an ear infection–and a bad one at that. My ear was throbbing all night (hence my doctor’s visit today for some antibiotics).

But that didn’t stop me from getting up at 5:20 AM to go shopping on Black Friday! I went with my friend Carrie and her almost-2-year-old daughter, Ruby. The first stop we made was Walmart, where I picked up a new DVD player for $35 (because ours has been on the fritz for a long time) and a dustbuster/swiffer/vacuum thingy for cleaning our kitchen floors.

Then we went to the Flatirons Crossing Mall, where I bought these 2 cute things from American Eagle.

A puffy vest--the fabric is so smooth.

A puffy vest--the fabric is so smooth.

 

Long sleeve tee with embroidered detail

Long sleeve tee with embroidered detail

I told Carrie as we were walking in to the store that I love shopping when I actually have money to spend! They were having a Buy One, Get one 50% on all Tops. I asked one of the employees if the vest was included in that sale and he said yes. When I finally checked out (with a different employee), the girl said that the vest was technically outerwear so that it shouldn’t be in on the deal but since I was “braving shopping on Black Friday,” she gave it to me. 🙂

After looking at some tall dressy boots with no luck, we headed over to Panera so Carrie could work a little (she has an internet job that she does 3 days a week from home). I had a chocolate chip bagel and a hot chocolate. Delicious… I heart Panera.

Then we went to the Westminster Mall to go to JCPenney, since they had some really cute boots in their newspaper ad. Carrie bought some white, moccasin-type boots that were super cute but I didn’t find anything that I liked (or thought my feet could fit in–I have very wide toes so the pointy boots are outlawed for me).

After that store, Ruby had had enough so we left. We had been shopping for about 4 hours though so we thought she did very well for having to get up at 6:30 to go shopping.

When I got home, I did some Christmas decorating. Travis helped by putting little screw hooks into the wall. This is what I put up:

Christmas wreath

Christmas wreath

Santa I got from Travis' aunt last year for Christmas

Santa I got from Travis' aunt Terri last year for Christmas

Our little Christmas tree that we bought last year when we lived in an apartment.

Our little Christmas tree that we bought last year when we lived in an apartment. We'll eventually get a bigger one but right now, this will do. 🙂

Our stockings that I decorated.

Our stockings that I decorated. The little santa stocking holders were a Christmas present from Travis' aunt, Cheryl.

The poinsettia plant Travis bought me for our 1 1/2 year anniversary.

The poinsettia plant Travis bought me for our 1 1/2 year anniversary. He knows how much I love Christmas!

Ornaments in the window. I still have to replace the middle one...a couple of the gems fell out (that's what you get from Walmart!)

Ornaments in the window. I still have to replace the middle one...a couple of the gems fell out (that's what you get with Walmart!)

Wreath on the outside door--I'm in love with it.

Wreath on the outside door--I'm in love with it.

Snowman was a Christmas present from Travis' mom

Snowman was a Christmas present from Travis' mom

Nativity set was a wedding present. It's sitting on our kitchen windowsill.

Nativity set was a wedding present. It's sitting on our kitchen windowsill.

Our house decorated with lights

Our house decorated with lights, thanks to my hubby (and YES, it is snowing!!!)

Our garage with the extra lights that we planned to put on the tree in our backyard but couldn't (the back door closes too tightly to run an extension cord through it).

Our garage with the extra lights that we planned to put on the tree in our backyard but couldn't (the back door closes too tightly to run an extension cord through it).

One last thing: I had looked through the Victoria’s Secret catalog and found some boots I liked. I waited until today because I would prefer to buy them in a store, if I could. But after finding nothing I liked, I decided to spring for the boots in VS. They are Skechers so I tried to find them on their website, but couldn’t. I’m thinking that because they aren’t pointy-toed boots, my feet will fit…hopefully!! I bought them today on the VS website. This is what they look like:

I bought the brown ones. I'm excited!! They should get here by Dec. 12th--just in time for our vacation to MN.
I bought the brown ones. I’m so excited!! They should get here by Dec. 12th–just in time for our vacation to Minnesota!

Anyway, I’m glad that even though I’m sick, I’m not just laying on the couch and doing nothing. That is the biggest frustration about being sick: being out of commission for everything. I haven’t exercised all week (though I had dreams that I did and in them, I ended up passing out!)

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!!

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Holiday musings

26 Nov

I’m so glad that I have the next 2 days off from work. Not only do I still feel under the weather, there’s not much work to do (can you tell how my job is a rollercoaster–nothing to do one minute, overwhelming the next…don’t even get me started)?

Tonight, Travis and I are getting together with some friends from church for dinner and game night. It is the night we usually have our care group but with a lot of people out of town, we decided to just do an informal get-together. We are having stirfry with (I hope) couscous. Two things I have been craving lately: butternut squash and couscous. I know, it’s weird. And no, I’m not pregnant.

Tomorrow, I plan on sleeping in. Then I will have to cut vegetables for our Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. We are going to my old boss Carol Ann’s sister-in-law’s house. 2 of my other co-workers (who are married) are coming as well. But we’re not the only ones…there will be 47 of us there. It’s good I grew up with a big, loud family I guess or that might be overwhelming! 

But I still always get a little nervous before meeting a lot of new people at one time. Luckily, I relax after about 10 minutes or so. And if they’re all as friendly and welcoming as Carol Ann, then we’ll have no problem fitting right in!

The day I’m really excited for is Friday though. Travis and I are going to get up early and go shopping for a new DVD player. We saw one at Big Lots for $35 and it’s a VCR/DVD combo, which would be great (we currently have to switch the wires back and forth from the DVD and VCR…yes, I still have VHS tapes. Thanks.) I wish we had everyone’s Christmas list now so that we could do our Christmas shopping when all the deals are going on. But we don’t.

After shopping, we’re going to decorate for Christmas. I already started a little (I love Christmas way too much to have it last for only a month!) but we still need to put up our tree and hang the lights outside. We’re going to decorate our lone tree in our backyard because we look out at the backyard a lot. It’s my family’s tradition that we listen to Manheim Steamroller while decorating for Christmas and opening presents. I told Travis that we must carry on the tradition. Maybe we should start our own tradition as well…something like hot chocolate with a little Peppermint Schnapps? 🙂

Saturday we’re going to The Nutcracker with our friends Paul and Carrie. Our other friend Amy is performing in the ballet, which is the main reason why we’re going. I’m really excited (I love doing Christmas-y things! And I love the ballet!) but Travis wishes we were going to see The Nutcracker on ice. Maybe next year…

Sunday we work in the Toddler classroom again (we did last Sunday too) and then the day is pretty much wide open. I will be baking a cake though because it is Travis’ 24th birthday on December 2nd.

I am very thankful for Thanksgiving and the break that it brings from the daily grind. I am thankful that we decided to say here instead of doing the weekend marathon, driving to MN and trying to see both families. Whew! I get tired just thinking about that. I am thankful most of all for my husband, who makes life just that much sweeter. I am so blessed by him.

Another great thing about Thanksgiving is that it means Christmas is almost here. Yay! It is seriously one of my favorite times of year (and now that I live in Colorado, it may just be my #1 favorite, since the previous #1 was fall and well…they don’t really have fall out here–at least, not MN fall). I love the excitement, the coziness, the family, the cheer, the generosity, the colors, the snow, the cold, the songs, the services. I love that Christmas is the celebration of Jesus’ birth because the atmosphere of the season is so fitting. It breaks my heart to know that not every one in the world can celebrate Christmas like we do–and I’m not talking about the presents. I’m talking about the family, the food, the togetherness, the warmth.

Travis and I donated 2 shoeboxes full of toys and school supplies to Operation Christmas Child this year again (though we were a little more prepared than we were last year, when we ran around buying our stuff before church the day it was due). Last year, we got to go volunteer at one of their processing centers in Denver. We missed the boat on that this year, which is a bummer, but hopefully next year, we’ll do it again. 

The Lord miraculously worked it out that Travis and I get to go back to Minnesota for 10 days over Christmas. We’re leaving on the 19th (driving) and coming back on the 29th. Because we want to go to Mexico with my family in March, we were planning on taking a shorter Christmas vacation (I have only 10 days of vacation a year…and I have to accumulate them). But I have 3 holidays (Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the day after). So yay for us!

After hearing tragic stories of people losing their jobs, being foreclosed on, and the other sad things that are happening, I am reminded of all the little things that I have to be thankful for: a roof over my head, food on the table, friends and family who care about me, a loving husband, a job that pays the bills (and is rewarding too!), and most of all, a Savior in heaven and a Father who loves me more than I can fathom.

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