Well, well, well. Do I have some stories to tell about Christmas 2005! It was a wild and crazy time. :) Actually, it WILL go down for the record books. Here's how it went...

Thursday, December 22nd...

I left Tulsa and rolled into KC around 3:30 PM, met up with my friend, Mike, and spent the afternoon with him (and a couple of friends who dropped in and out). Then, that evening we met up with a group of his friends for dinner and drinks at the Country Club Plaza. The food and company was all excellent (as to be expected). Mike was kind enough to give me a cheese serving tray for Christmas... most people have to be getting married to get such a gift! (Btw... Mike's in a great deal of trouble, too, because we had agreed NOT to get each other gifts... so I thought. Actually... that probably just means that I'M the one in trouble!!!)

I arrived home at my parents somewhere after midnight. Mom & Dad were in bed, but I let them know I was home.

Friday, December 23rd...

I got up somewhere around 8:30 AM and was informed by my Mom that if I wanted to go shopping with her and my sister (I did), I needed to be ready by 9 AM. So, I hurried and got ready and spent the vast majority of the day shopping. I bought very little, because I already had my Christmas shopping done (save the gift for Mike!). But, I had a very enjoyable day with Mom, Chelle and baby Natalie. (Yes, I got to tend to the baby!)

We arrived home fairly late in the afternoon and made preparations to head to Michelle & John's house for the evening's festivities. (The entire family was to congregate there for "Christmas dinner," spending the night and then opening gifts the next morning.) Said festivities took place and we eventually all settled in for the night. I slept in a twin bed in the spare bedroom with my niece, Erin, on a pallet on the floor.

Christmas Eve - Saturday, December 24th...

Baby Natalie started fussing about 5:45 AM, at which time Erin decided to crawl in bed with me. I was feeling a bit funny... sort of nauseous. I laid there a few moments but then got up to check on Chelle and the baby. I saw with her in the living room as she fed the baby. My nausea continued until the point I broke my fifteen year non-vomitting streak. I spent some quality time hugging the toilet that day. In fact, we had to open Christmas presents in between hugging sessions. So, the day was passed by 1) hugging said toilet, 2) sleeping, 3) opening gifts and 4) lamenting the fact I couldn't share in the holiday treats being enjoyed by my family.

That night, circa 8:30 or 9 PM, we made the decision to try and make the treck back to my parents' house. (I could continue my recovery from a full-sized bed that way.) I was feeling much improved and had even attempted some crackers and 7-UP... even a bit of chicken noodle soup. My Mom was kind enough to drive me. Half way through the 15-minute drive, I asked her to stop the car. I started thinking the trip wasn't a very good idea. Not only had the vibrations made me a bit queasy, but I was getting very light-headed. Mom pulled the car over, I fumbled around to get the door opened and I imagined piling out of the car and laying spread-eagle on the cold ground, in the cold night air. Instead, I laid out across the seat... and leaned back onto my Mom's shoulder. She later said I was sweating profusely. I'm not sure I really remembered everything that happened there, other than I leaned out of the car to cool down in the night air. I guess it's what I needed, because I was eventually recovered enough to finish the trip.

Christmas Day - Sunday, December 25th...

First of all, I should back up and explain that my parents had both had this strange "stomach virus" earlier in the week before I came home. So, there were certainly questions as to the contagiousness of the illness. I opted not to go to church, but since I felt better, I got ready to go over to my Aunt's house for the "big family" Christmas get-together. Our family convened after church at Mom & Dad's and we debated as to sanity of attending the big group function given our history of and potential future illness. We finally called and gave them a warning, but our presence was nevertheless requested. So, we all piled into two cars and headed for my Aunt Linda's house. By "all," I mean all of us except for my brother-in-law, John. He was already feeling a big uneasy, so he headed home. Good for him he did... he did a fair amount of toilet-hugging at home. My sister was not as fortunate. She did her toilet-hugging at my Aunt Linda's house. I figured we'd be the first of the family to leave, but we actually ended up being the last of the crew to leave. We toted my sister home, and she nearly made it; however, instead of running into the house to do her duty, she ran to the back of the driveway and delivered the last of her Christmas lunch.

At that point, we had two down - Chelle at Mom & Dad's house and John at his. Since we wanted to be one big happy, puking family. Dad went to fetch John so we could tend to them and the baby (who fortunately did not get sick) all in one location.

From Linda's house, David, Sarah and Erin all headed back to their house to meet Sarah's sister, Desiree. She arrived in town about 6 PM and had a plane flight early the next morning out of KCI. (They were making preparations to leave for the airport around 3:45 AM.) Mom assured them to call us if they were sick and needed any assistance with those plans.

Early, early Monday morning, December 26th...

Baby Natalie started fussing around about 2:45 AM. Since her crib was right next to my bed, I got up and tried to lull her back to sleep. No luck. Mom was sleeping on the couch (displaced by the sick couple), so I woke her to prepare a bottle (as I had been instructed before going to bed). Mom warmed up the bottle and was simultaneously startled by a ringing phone. Yup... you guessed it. David, Sarah and Erin were all sick. My Dad was shortly out of bed and out the door to go pick up Desiree and get her to the airport (afterwards returning to the other infected home to care for the suffering inhabitants). By that time, everyone was roused. Chelle, John, Mom, me and the baby all sat around the living room... agreeing it was an odd time for "family time." But, it was a rather humorous time marveling at the turn of events.

After catching a few more winks (until nearly 11 AM), we visited a bit more... talking of how memorable this Christmas would be, though maybe not for the reasons we had hoped. :)

I left for Tulsa a couple of short hours later.

What I learned...

If I'm going to be sick like that, I'd rather be sick around my family than anyone else. They love me and accept me... REGARDLESS. They even clean up after me (thanks, Chelle)! Though I'm sure we'd all have preferred NOT to be sick, it was neat that we could all take turns taking care of each other... moral support, making chicken noodle soup, holding someone's hair back, rides to the airport, etc. I have a very special family. And that was the best gift of all this Christmas!!

First of all....

I'd like to welcome my friend, Mike, to the world of blogging. It's a grand adventure, and I know you'll love it!

Christmas Parties, etc.

Well... 'tis the season. :)

Last Thursday was our small group's Christmas party. We had a lovely time - I think 17 people. We did what we normally do... visit and eat. We had a lot of good holiday snacks, and everyone seemed to enjoy standing around and chatting. But, we took some time to gather around and read through the Christmas story (Luke 2:1-20) and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas - the gift our Heavenly Father gave us in Jesus Christ his son! Then we sang some Christmas carols and shared in a special time of prayer. Other activities included an ornament exchange and more visiting/eating. Later in the evening, some of us gathered around the guitar and piano to sing some of our favorite hymns and praise songs. It was a very enjoyable evening. Those folks are so good for me.

Last night was our company Christmas party - quite a far cry from the small group party. :) A friend of mine was gracious enough to accompany me, and we had a good time. There were lots of food/beverages, interesting conversation and gifts exchanged. We had a "dirty Santa" gift exchange, where we were supposed to bring a "round" gift. I received the best number - #1. But, I was plenty happy with my original gift - ROUND Tortilla chips and salsa. Fortunately it was never stolen. All-in-all, it was an enjoyable evening as well. Though I don't have much in common with my co-workers, they're an entertaining lot.

So, that brings you somewhat up to date. I have nearly all of my Christmas shopping. What's ironic is that the gift I have left to get is the person's name who I was assigned for our family gift exchange. (Yes, that's YOU, Dad!) He can be somewhat challenging to buy for. I have part of his gift, but I need to get it finished up and wrapped. I think everything else is covered. So, my Christmas tree is looking perfectly happy with a small multitude of gifts under it.

Can't wait to see everyone up in KC! I'll be up there shortly!

Upon request... 

Sole Survivor

Well... she did it! Danielle "Dani" Boatright... Sole Survivor (Survivor Guatemala), winner of $1,000,000. I can't believe it really. I know I'm silly, but I had to dig out a picture to show my Tulsa friends - It's a picture of me and Danielle from my 13th birthday party. Very funny... and I'd post it here, but it's a rather humiliating picture of myself. :)

But... congratulations, Danielle! We've enjoyed watching and rooting for you!

You're Beautiful

I've found a new song I like - James Blunt's "You're Beautiful." It's kind of a depressing sort of song, but I'm somehow attracted to it. I was playing it here on the computer, but for some reason, I guess I can't blog and listen to it at the same time. Maybe I'll try it again now that I have this window up...

Ah, here we go. I have it playing now. I'm disappointed to see that it's been approximately six weeks since my last blog. No... I didn't forget my blog site, though I haven't thought much about blogging lately. I'd like to say that's because my life has been full of excitement lately. Unfortunately, I don't think that's the case. However, we are deep into the holiday season now, so I'll blame some of it on that. I have my Christmas shopping started... most of the "little things" bought, though I still have some of the bigger gifts left to buy.

I dunno... I think I'm getting kind of lazy lately. I can't seem to get myself in bed at a decent time, which means I'm not getting up very early in the mornings, which means I'm not working out. I have plans in my head to change that, but so far it hasn't happened. The Survivor Guatemala finale is tomorrow night. I think after that I may shut my TV down for awhile. In fact, it almost sounds good to me to take down the entire entertainment center... force myself to be more creative with my time. But, speaking of the Survivor finale - my classmate from high school has made it to the final four, so that should make the finale very interesting. Only sad part is that it airs during church tomorrow night. I think I'll just miss the first hour but high-tail it home to catch the 2nd hour of the finale. Maybe I can drag a couple of people over for an impromptu watch party.

Well, it's nearly 2 AM. I suppose I should force myself to crawl in bed. I suppose the two cups of coffee I had after 9 PM didn't help. Ah... caffeine... gotta love it!

Have a good night, world.

Don't Wait...

I was just reminded of this verse…

Ecclesiastes 11:4 (NIV) - "Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap."

In other words… "If you wait until the wind and the weather are just right, you will never plant anything and never harvest anything."

It's a nice reminder… we can sit around and wait until conditions are just perfect before we do anything… or we can step out, make plans, take risks and watch God produce the results.

That's pretty cool.

~Krista

Principles

"I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man. I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane, and not mad - as I am now. Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour; stringent are they; inviolate they shall be. If at my individual convenience I might break them, what would be their worth? They have a worth - so I have always believed; and if I cannot believe it now, it is because I am insane - quite insane: with my veins running fire, and my heart beating faster than I can count its throbs. Preconceived opinions, foregone determinations, are all I have at this hour to stand by: there I plant my foot."

Charlotte Bronte, in "Jane Eyre"

Reason

"I can live alone, if self respect and circumstances require me so to do. I need not sell my soul to buy bliss. I have an inward treausre, born with me, which can keep me alive if all extraneous delights shoud be withheld; or offered only at a price I cannot afford to give. Reason sits firm and holds the reins, and she will not let the feelings burst away and hurry her to wild chasms. The passons may rage furiously, like true heathens, as they are; and the desires may imagine all sorts of vain things: but judgment shall still have the last word in every argument, and the casting vote in every decision. Strong wind, earthquake-shock, and fire may pass by: but I shall follow the guiding of that still small voice which interprets the dictates of conscience.'"

Charlotte Bronte, in "Jane Eyre"

The necklace

I received this forward today and thought it was worth archiving. :)

The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.
"Oh mommy please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?"
Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face. "A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.
Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere, Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, daddy. You know that I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh, daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess, the white horse from my collection, the one with the pink tail. Remember, daddy? The one you gave me. She's my very favorite."

"That's okay, Honey, daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"

"Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."
"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you."
And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.

"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"

Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, daddy; this is for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny.

He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure.

So it is, with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasures. Isn't God good? Are you holding onto things that God wants you to let go of? Are you holding on to harmful or unnecessary partners, relationships, habits and activities that you have come so attached to that it seems impossible to let go?

Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other hand but do believe this one thing
God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place.

Tranquility is Overrated

"It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquillity: they must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it."

-Charlotte Bronte, from "Jane Eyre"

Well... at least I know I'm not in a coma!

I completely smashed my finger on Wednesday night. Somehow I got it caught under the edge of my chair at dinner. The padded portion of the seat had come loose from the metal chair frame at the right front corner. So, as I was sitting down, and scooting my chair in, somehow my finger got in between the "padded" portion and the frame. It probably wouldn't have been near as bad if I hadn't been in the process of sitting down. I wasn't expecting it, so I think I wasn't sure what had happened... just that my finger was in incredible pain. It happened so fast, and yet it seemed it took forever for me to realize I had to stand up to get my finger out. Talk about pain! I honestly don’t remember the last time I was in pain like that. Surely I’ve been in more pain than that, but honestly… that could be about the worst (physical) pain I’ve ever had. I was just sitting there a few minutes not talking, because I didn’t think I could talk… particularly without crying. Then finally I tried to squeeze out a few words. I was slowly regaining my composure until someone asked how I was. Then I just pretty much lost it. Tears started streaming down my face. That continued for several minutes. Finally the throbbing dulled enough for me to continue on fairly normally.

I have a nice little bruise spot showing through my fingernail. A friend of mine has kindly suggested that the nail will probably fall off. :( I'm hoping that's not the case, as I don't think the squishing had any direct impact on the nail bed. But, I suppose only time will tell.

I did talk with a doctor-friend of mine today. She said that one of the tests to determine whether a patient is in a coma is to take a pin (pen?) and add a good deal of pressure to the fingernail (due to the fact it's such an intense pain). So... at least I'm thankful to know I'm not in a coma.

Frozen Grapes

They are my new favorite delicacy. :) I hadn't really ever thought about it, but a lady in the grocery line recently noticed that I was buying grapes and asked if I ever freeze them. So, I now bring them home, wash them and throw them into an old plastic ice cream container. It seems to meet a need... good healthy snack, refreshing, etc.

They come with my highest recommendation.

Blog Spam

I've been annoyed lately with the spam comments I've had on my blog. It's somewhat a challenge keeping up with them. But, I just discovered an option under my settings that turns on a "word verification." It asks someone leaving a comment to verify a word. This stops the spam and annoys any friend who wishes to leave a good-hearted comment.

So... friends.... please let me know if the word verification is so burdensome as to cause you to stop making comments. I would rather delete a thousand useless spam comments than miss one sarcastic comment from you. :)

Thanks!

My first time

Well... I ran my first 5K this past Saturday. I knew I could run the distance, but I was still a bit nervous about it. A friend of mine had talked about running but decided not to. So, I was half relieved and half nervous that no one would be running with me. I was a bit disappointed in that I stopped and walked part of the race. I attribute that to two things...

1) The course was very, very flat. Without the variation of inclinations, my left shin was experiencing a good deal of pain.

2) There was a 10K race as well, so I kept seeing the 10K markers... thinking I was much further along in the race than I really was. So, when I thought I was nearly done and saw the 2K marker, I was fairly overwhelmed.

But, I did finish the race, and I finished under the time I expected (barely). I won't post that here, though. Maybe when I improve my time significantly I'll start publicizing that information. I should mention... it will do you no good to look for the results. I actually paid for someone else's registration. So, I ran under a pseudonym. And if that's not enough, for some reason, even the pseudonym didn't make it into the race results. :)

True Love

I think the sign of true love will be when someone spends his hard-earned cash to play ridiculous games at the fair in order to win an unusually oversized stuffed animal for me.

A New Direction

Ah... at last... Fall is upon us!! The wind slowly stopped blowing from the south and started blowing from the north. It's brought some long-awaited cooler weather. It's supposed to get down to 49-degrees tonight, with only a high of 70-degrees tomorrow. Whoo-hoo!! I arrived home this evening after work and opened up several windows so as to have a nice breeze blowing through the house. It provided a nice change. I've also turned my A/C off... The electric company probably won't be happy, but I'm ecstatic!

So, welcome to Fall... another good reason to write a poem. I may have to do that later, though. It's past my bedtime.

G'night, y'all.

Weekend w/ Nat, et al.

I had a pretty busy weekend - went up to KC to spend a bit of time with my family. We had a family baby shower for Natalie on Saturday and her baby dedication at church on Sunday. The trip was way too short, but I was happy to be there. I would typically stay with my parents, but they had other company (namely my Grandma, Aunt Janelle and Uncle Eddie). So, instead, I stayed at Michelle's and John's AND NATALIE'S!!! So, I got some great quality time with the baby. I didn't even mind the occasional burping (Nat seems to love spitting up on her Aunt Krista!) and diaper changing. She's a real cutie, so somehow the rest doesn't bother me.

But, hats off to Michelle and John... and all parents for that fact. Parenting is not even comparable to a full-time job. It never ends...

Anyway, I've included a pic below so that you can get a small glimpse at Natalie's cuteness.

Nat 

Poems about Pancakes... Banana Pancakes

The following poems are dedicated to all of the banana pancakes in La Jolla, California...

Cove Cakes

Come to me, my darling pancakes -

Onto my fork and into my mouth!

Verify your status among all

Edible delights.

Cause my tastebuds to explode in jubilation,

And sing your praises in all restaurants, so everyone may

Know of your succulence and

Elevate your name on menus everywhere, thus

Securing your place on breakfast plates, both now and forever.

Banana Pancakes

As the first morning light pours into the room,

I feel a faint breeze across my cheek

as it makes its way in from the salty sea.

A seagull, acting as my own personal rooster,

wakes me from a peaceful slumber.

Oh what a day! A perfect day, I'd say!

After pulling on my faded jeans and getting dressed,

my feet take me instinctively to a quaint cottage -

the quintessential place for a leisure-filled day like today.

The menu begs for my attention, overwhelming me with possibilities -

a million varieties of eggs alone!

But, there's really only one choice for me - banana pancakes!

I KNOW I just had them yesterday,

but I'm helpless to resist their sweet and powerful invitation.

The pancakes swim through my senses - not just my tastebuds.

I know understand the woman behind me taking pictures of her breakfast.

How long can this last, you ask? Not long enough.

Before I know it, my bare plate stares me in the face,

asking me where my beloved pancakes have gone.

But, never fear! There's always tomorrow morning!

La Jolla

Well, well, well... I've finally experienced the worst of La Jolla's weather. It's been lightening most of the night. (This after the most amazing sunset tonight.) The lightening has been pretty spectacular, but has still stayed a fairly good distance from us. And the thunder has been plentiful... mostly the low-rumbly variety.

I'm reminded of a time I was in Ensenada, Baja California (not too far south of here), and some locals were trying to apologize for the 75-degree and sunny weather... the kind of day we midwesterners wait for all year long and then cherish for days and years to come.

I kept expecting it to pour down rain, because it seems that thunder and lightening of this kind are almost always companions of a wonderful thunderstorm. However, after what seems like hours of thunder and lightening, it only rained lightly, sprinkled really. It was enough for me, however, to get up out of bed and close the door to the veranda. And that was really more for the benefit of the homeowners than for my protection. In fact, I may open it again now, as it doesn't seem to be raining any more.

My trip has been delightful so far, if you were wondering. It's so nice not to be constrained by a daily planner. We get up when we will, eat at our leisure and do whatever we want, whenever we want. We've pretty much lounged around here - have done some reading by the pool, napping (for certain) and have taken some leisurely strolls down to the beach, occasionally stopping to play near the water's edge. I've more than once come home with the bottom of my pantlegs soaked with ocean water and coated with sand. We've also eaten at some nice restaurants... mostly choosing local flavor over any chain. Our only "deviations" were Wahoo (known for their fish tacos) and In-n-Out Burgers; however, even these are found only in California (or at least in this region of the country). My favorite have been some of our breakfast selections - Harry's and The Cottage. We made a trip in to the Gas Lamp District last night for dinner. Our selection was a place called "Johnnie Love's." It had a live jazz band and the best pork chop I've ever had.

I'll probably have more stories to add later, but really we've just kicked back to relax, so that limits some of the stories. I'll tell you about the books I'm reading later, too, as they have nothing to do with La Jolla itself.

Nat

I've included the best pic I have so far of my 4-week old niece, Natalie Renee. She's a cutie, no? :) I haven't seen her since her third day of live, but she'll be coming to visit me on Friday!!!! I'm very excited to hold her. I've had much more face time with the Tulsa babies, so I'm anxious to catch up on holding my niece. My 3-year old niece, Erin, will also be in town this weekend, and her birthday was last week. So, we may need to have a bit of a celebration when she gets here, since I wasn't able to make the party last weekend.

Well, I've been feeling kind of sickly today... nothing real particular... just not quite right. I stayed home as to make a quick recovery. So, I s'pose I should be in bed.

Have a good night, all!

Natalie 

Das bebes

Well, I had the babies (and parents) over tonight for dinner. I made my Grandpa Looney's "saucy chicken and rice." Mmmmmm. I haven't had it in ages, and it wasn't as good as I remember Grandpa's being. But, it was pretty good. I was hoping to make his hard rolls, too, but my lawn needed some serious attention, and it won out.

Luke & Seth are both pretty cute. I was hoping they would be a bit more lively, though. They just slept most of the time. It was good to get everyone together.

I'm anxious for my fam to come next weekend for Labor Day. I'm looking forward to seeing them all. But, I'm particularly looking forward to seeing my new niece, Natalie. :) I'm sure she's changed a ton in these past few weeks since she was born!

Claim to Fame

I just found out that one of my high school classmates is one of the cast members on the next Survivor - Survivor Guatemala. I guess I'll be watching. It looks like she's an early pick to win, too (based on the casino odds)! Good luck, Danielle!

Birthdays

Well, I turned another year older this week. Thirty-one seems quite a bit older than even thirty did. Oh well. I had fun celebrating with friends. Wednesday evening, my friend Matthew gathered several of my friends for dinner. We went to P.F. Chang's. It was the first outting with Tim & Laurel and baby Seth. So... I chuckled to myself during the dinner... as we struggled to find a place to put the baby. (I think he finally ended up under the table!) I just sat there and thought... "welcome to a new of life of friends with kids." But, we had a great time. Matthew paid for everyone's dinner, so that was a special treat! After dinner we went back to his house for cake and ice cream. It was a Chocolate Ganache cake that said, "Happy Birthday" in red lettering. It was yummy.

Thursday night (my actual birthday) was small group night, and I wasn't sure whether or not they were even aware of my birthday. I later discovered that they were WELL aware. We had Bible study at the regular time, but about 8:30 ten to fifteen more people came over to join the party! We had some good eats and fun games - including "Pin the Tail on the Donkey."

My notable gifts included... a bracelet, three tiered glass candle holders, a SNL video (best of Christopher Walken), Tuti-Fruity candles, soap from the Red Dirt Soap Company, the Beatles 1 CD and a small picture frame.

At some point this week, I tried to remember how I celebrated my Tulsa birthdays...

1999 - Went to Eskimo Joe's in Stillwater with the Mag 7
2000 - Ate with nine of my friends at Cardigan's
2001 - Moving Day (moved into a new apartment)
2002 - Celebrated August Birthdays over at Andra's house
2003 - Ate dinner at P.F. Chang's (with Matthew and Erin)
2004 - Semi-surprise party thrown by Matthew, and nearly slept through dinner with some friends on the day of my birthday (this one deserves a whole separate blog)!
2005 - Described above. :)

Coffee Cups, etc.

Hello good people of the blogging world! I haven't posted for nearly a week, and I've been missing it. I visited some friends the other night, and they were threatening to hunt down my blog. So... let me know J&B when you find it... :)

I had to get over to Pier 1 tonight, because I had a gift card that I thought would soon expire. (I realized after getting there that I have another year before it expires.) It's not that I don't like Pier 1 or can't find things there I like. The opposite is more the case. I like so many things that I can't decide on one thing to use the gift card on. I'll think... "oh, that's neat," but "I guess I really don't need that." So, I vascillate between liking things and vetoing them because of their impractical nature. But, I finally decided on something tonight - two somethings actually - twelve somethings, really. I bought a set of heavy ceramic mixing bowls (4 total) and eight coffee cups that look to be hand-painted - with brilliant colored vertical stripes on them. So, I ended up going over my gift card amount by $25. Figures. But, I think I'm happy with my selections.

So... I'm debating something recently... maybe you can help! I'm wondering if it's a terrible waste of money to hire someone to clean my house. Here lately I'm doing good just to get it picked up. It would make me feel much better to know it's getting a good thorough cleaning (dusting, moping, etc.) at least once a month. But, obviously it will cost me... probably between $30 and $50/month. I dunno. In some ways it seems like something I should be doing myself. But, I'm NOT doing it. And, I have a hard time truly relaxing when I there's cleaning yet to be done. So, I'd love for you to weigh in on the matter. Seriously, I want your opinion!

~Krista

Retrospect

We seem to be shaped and formed by so many things... some things we choose, others we do not. And often we do not know which things cause the most dramatic impact on our lives until we look back, many years later and see the path we left behind.

Curiosity

Why am I so afraid to know what would happen
If I stepped out of the boat?
In many ways I long to know
What it might be like
To feel the water beneath my feet -
For there to be a firm support
In the place I least expect it -
To step out, with my eyes firmly fixed

On He who can calm the storm
And bring unexpected change in every situation.
Why must I live so safely,
Surrounded by unwritten rules,
Which tell me that to step out is to risk my own life?
But then I'm reminded...
"Whoever wants to save his life will lose it,
But whoever loses his life for me will save it."

Baby-mania

Sorry for my delay in posting, but it's been a busy week. Here's the score...

Michelle & John - had Natalie Renee (my 2nd niece) on Monday (8/1)
Jim & Babs - had Luke Everett on Tuesday (8/2)
Tim & Laurel - had Seth Timothy on Friday (8/5)

How crazy is that?!?! My sister and my two dearest sets of married friends all had babies this week. I've seen all the babies, and they're all pretty adorable. I know each of these couples (as first time parents) are in for quite a radical change in their lives. But, I can't help but believe these radical changes may also affect MY life.

Ah, I feel a season of change coming on...

Anemia

I was scheduled to give blood today, but fortunately my iron-levels were too low. I say "unfortunately," because I had such a bad experience the first and only time I gave blood. No... the phlebotemist didn't poke around in my arm too many times. The actual giving wasn't too bad. But, I was worthless the rest of the day... and I ended being sick all week long. I realize these things may not have been directly related to giving blood. So, I keep telling myself I'll give it another try, because I really do think it's a good thing to do. But, I always leave a bit happy when I find out my iron levels are just low enough that I can't give. :)

Have a happy night. We're still in the countdown...

Social Butterfly

I was kind of hoping Baby Natalie would make an appearance this weekend. I've been waiting for the call. Odd thing is... I've received phone calls during the night the past TWO nights! Craziness. I rarely get calls after I've gone to bed, so it's been very odd. My first thought is.. "what's happening?"... then "who could be calling me at this hour?"... then... "oh my goodness... Michelle's gone into labor!!!!" However, that's not been the case. Two nights ago, I had a call about 3:45 AM. There was no one there. So - wrong number or something. Then last night, I got a call at 1:15 AM, but it was my friend, Mike, trying to convince me that Michelle had gone to the hospital. I didn't fall for it, though. I felt pretty certain I would have gotten a call before Mike! :) I better anyway!!!

So, it's actually worked out well that there hasn't been a baby yet. I had no less than five different offers for fun activities today - 1) go to the lake with my friend Melody and her family, 2) have dinner over at my friend, JW's house, 3) drive-in movie with a large group of friends, 4) dinner/cards and Tim & Laurels and 5) dinner/etc. at Jim & Babs'. Obviously it wasn't humanly possible to do all of those. So, I ended up doing #1 and #2. They all sounded fun, though. The lake was particularly fun! I was a bit hesitant for several reasons... 1) the baby watch, 2) needed to mow my lawn, 3) a bit of a 3rd-wheel arrangement, 4-10) swimming suit. :) But, in the end, I thought it sounded like a lot of fun... and I was right!! We water skiied and tubed. I wasn't planning to water ski, because last time I tried, it was a miserable failure. But, I went ahead and tried it anyway. It wasn't great, but I did at least get up... if only for a few BRIEF moments. I have a nice bruise on my inner thigh, though. I though I had enough padding there, but apparently not. :) So... it was tons of fun, and I got some sun. But... now I'm fairly exhausted. So, I'll say goodnight now.

"Goodnight!"

"Diary of an Old Soul" by George MacDonald

How many helps thou giv'st to those who would learn!
To some sore pain, to others a sinking heart;
To some a weariness worse than any smart;
To some a haunting, fearing, blind concern;
Madness to some; to some the shaking dart
Of hideous death still following as they turn;
To some a hunger that will not depart.

To some thou giv'st a deep unrest - a scorn
Of all they are or see upon the earth;
A gaze, at dusky night and clearing morn,
As on a land of emptiness and dearth;
To some a bitter sorrow; to some the sting
Of love misprized - of sick abandoning;
To some a frozen heart, oh, worse than anything!

The messengers of Satan think to mar,
But make - driving the soul from false to feal -
To thee, the reconciler, the one real,
In whom alone the would be and the is are met.

It's raining babies!

You've no doubt heard of the song, "It's Raining Men." Well, very soon, it's going to be raining babies. Here are the official due dates...

Aug 8 Michelle (my sister)
Aug 10 Laurel
Aug 18 Babs

So, as you can see... it's going to be a crazy month of babies. We're really expecting Michelle's and Laurel's any time. Since Chelle is in KC, I've let her know that Friday afternoon (7/29) would be a good time to go into labor, as that will allow me to make it up there for the whole experience. I saw Laurel tonight. She's waddling quite a bit more than normal and seems to be very uncomfortable. I think Tim's expecting it sometime in during the coming week.

Anyway... I continue to pray for these ladies and these families. Not only are they dear friends of mine, but I have at least a vague idea as to how dramatically their lives are about to change! I'm anxious to bear witness to all these little miracles! :)

By the way, folks...

... I made it to 3.0 miles last week. Some people can make it in 30 minutes. I made it in a month. :)

An Attempt at Nose-Piercing

This past weekend, I pulled a wire hanger from my closet and noticed a moth (not a moth, really, but a piece of fuzz) floating near my face. With my cat-like reflexes, and forgetting what I held in my hand, I attempted to swat at it. As I did, the hook of the hanger caught my right nostril. Ouch! I thought I may have pierced my own nose, it hurt so bad. I expected there to be blood pouring out of my nose, but I apparently didn't injure it too badly. It just hurt like the dickens.

So, beware, my friends, of the nefarious wire hanger.

Some big shoes to fill! 

Erin 

Erin & Aunt Krista 

Fathers and Daughters

It was brought to my attention today that boys/men can be intimated about dating a girl who has a strong relationship with her father. I hadn't ever thought of that before, and I wouldn't have guessed that to be true. But, I checked with a guy friend of mine tonight, and he seemed to agree. (The original statement was made by a girl-friend of mine.)

I guess the theory is that if a girl has a good relationship with her father, that usually means he's very involved in her life. It also implies that he'll be attentive to who she's dating and will go to great lengths to make sure she's only getting the very best. So... obviously the bar will be set very high for any potential suitors.

That makes perfect sense to me. It just makes me wonder if I'm a little bit too verbal about how wonderful my father is. :)

Love you, Pops!

Sacrifice

I'm not exactly sure what I want to tell you tonight. I have a variety of thoughts running through my head. First, I'll tell you about the softball games last night. We had the early games (6:30 and 7:30), which is unfortunate given the heat advisory. My best guess is that it was somewhere between 101 and 105-degrees when the first game started, with the sun blazing down on us. The first game was pretty miserable... measured both in sweat and score. :) But, I did catch a nice line drive. (I was playing 2nd base.) It was hit pretty hard and stung a bit when it hit. The umpire standing behind me asked me later, "did that scare you?" I'm not sure if expected that a ball hit like that would be scary for a girl or if HE was just scared of it. Either way, I responded, "no." I mean, it was hit right to me. I didn't have to do anything... except sacrifice a blood vessel in my finger. It's nice and purple today. :)

We were trailing pretty bad in the second game, but in the very last half of the last inning, we scored five runs and tied it up. Surprisingly, we held them for two or three more innings! Finally we up at bat again (bottom of the 8th inning, I think). First two batters (including myself) got out, but then one of the guys on our team got a home run... not out of the park, but far enough out that he could fly around the bases! It was an exciting end to a soggy evening.

Go Team!!

There IS such a thing as a stupid question

“There’s no such thing as a stupid question.” I’m sure you, like me, have heard this phrase a countless number of times – usually it’s coming from the mouth of a teacher or supervisor of some sort. Well, I was put here on this earth to prove those people wrong! Now, I could give you a multitude of examples of truly stupid questions I’ve asked, but I’ve reserved this place to tell you about the quintessential stupid question.

I used to be an auditor in a public accounting firm, and I traveled around to various client offices to perform financial statement audits. In the course of my work, I got to know personnel at each of my clients; however, some clients were fairly sizeable, so I didn't know all of the personnel. I’ve got pretty good at calling up someone from a client’s phone list, introducing myself and then going to meet with them in person. Okay, I think that’s enough background. One fine day I needed to call someone in the credit department at my client’s office. The room I was sitting in was practically in the middle of the credit department, so I knew when I phoned “Amy” that she was, most likely, sitting right outside my door. In fact, as I was talking to her on the phone, I noticed a girl right outside my door who was also on the phone. Her back was toward me, though, so I couldn’t verify it was her. So, in all my brilliance and professional training, what was it I asked so as to verify it was her?

“Are you on the phone right now?”

I Can't Hear You!!

Well, I don't know what it is. Maybe I'm developing allergies. Many people say, "I never had allergies until I moved to Tulsa!" So... maybe they're just now hitting me. No, my nose isn't running, and my eyes aren't watering. However, my ears are plugged up. It's not extreme, just annoying. It almost feels like I'm at a high altitude and my ears need to pop. Or, it kind of feels like I have a head cold... with none of the other symptoms. Physically I feel fine.

So, I've had some friends and co-workers suggest that a decongestant might help... or maybe an antihistamine. I haven't made it to the store yet to get anything. It's been going on for two to three weeks now... about the same amount of time I've been running. Hrmmm...

I have definitely been outside more this year than other years, so maybe there's some truth to that. Of course, maybe I'm just losing my hearing. :) Several of my friends may agree with that... "what?"

Speaking of running... I'll be doing that again in the morning. So, I best crawl in bed. Zzzzzzz....

Countries

Here's a list of other countries I've been to...

Mexico (Juarez and Ensenada through Tijuana)
Spain (Madrid, Burgos, Segovia and San Sebastian)
France (Paris)
Germany (Kiel, Berlin, Lubeck, Frankfurt airport)
Bahamas

I think that's it. Here I felt like a world traveler. I guess I had better get busy traveling!!!

States

Here's a list of all the US States I've been in...

Kansas
Oklahoma
Colorado
Missouri
Nebraska
Texas
Arkansas
New Mexico
Arizona
California
Utah
Illinois
Michigan
Florida
Georgia (Atlanta airport only)
New York
Washington D.C.
Maryland (Airport to D.C. only)

I think that may be it. I don't have a map sitting here with me. I'll have to verify later. It also seems like maybe our family went to Wisconsin?? I'll have to do some investigative reporting to figure that out. :)

Progress

I've been running fairly consistently the past few weeks. I'm back up to 2.25 miles. (The most I've ever run at one time is 3.0 miles.)

It's strange that I would be running at all, given my history with running. My Senior year of high school marked the final year of physical education, and one of the "tests" we had to take was running the mile. Our goal: run it under 8 minutes. I guarantee you, I've never run an 8 minute mile. Supposedly we would have three attempts to master this 8-minute mile. I had P.E. the last hour of the school day, and it just so happened that our softball team had a game right after school. Most of the girls on the team decided to walk/jog the mile slowly... figuring they'd have other chances to run the mile. I, on the other hand, was determined to NEVER RUN THE MILE AGAIN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!!!!!!! So, I ran, and I ran hard. You'll be happy to know that I finished the mile in 7:59!!!!! Yes... it was a modern-day miracle. However, I didn't make the softball game. I was so exhausted from running that I finally told the girls to leave without me and tell the coach I wouldn't be at the game. It took me quite awhile to make my way to the office (upstairs and on the opposite side of the school)... in fact, I had to stop and sit down in the hall to rest up for the remainder of the journey. When my mom came to pick me up (probably 20-30 minutes later), apparently my face was still beet red. But on a happy note... I made an "A" in P.E. that quarter. All of my softball girlfriends never had another chance to run it and so got "B"s.

You probably wonder how I ever even thought to start running again. Well, my last year of college, I had a crazy group of friends who made a pact. Among other things, this pact called for each of us to get at least three cardiovascular workouts a week. They were easy to get if we were all doing something together... raquetball, tennis, etc. But, I didn't have a good activity to do by myself. (There were harsh punishments for not getting the activities in. Mostly the punishments consisted of taking someone - the person who called you out on not getting them done - to dinner. Obviously to "call someone out" first, this meant frequent midnight calls at the designated end-of-the-week. I even got a call near midnight in a hotel room in NYC. Fortunate for me, I had run stairs in the hotel... my sister, however, was not so dedicated and suffered the consequences when she returned home.) Anyway, I decided to go running one day... see what it must be like. I remember being impressed that I could run one whole mile without stopping (after five years or so of NO running). I made the mistake of mentioning that to one of my friends. He suggested we should run together, which I quickly shot down. One day at work, though, he left me a note that said, "Would you be interested in either running or playing raquetball after work?" I responded, "RAQUETBALL would be fine." However, somehow he overruled me, and we started running together. As they say, "the rest is history."

I haven't run all the time since then, but I have found a few people here and there who run and keep me consistent for a period of time. So... hopefully this current trend will continue. :)

Another SYDM Uncertainty Quote...

"There is only One who is certain; everything else exists in the realm of uncertainty. To place our trust in anything other than God is nothing less than superstition."

SYDM Quote on "Uncertainty" - by Erwin McManus

"Don't wait for Him [God] to remove all the uncertainty. Realize He may actually increase the uncertainty and leverage all the odds against you, just so that you will know in the end that it wasn't your gifts but His power through your gifts that fulfilled His purpose in your life."

100 lb. Weight Around My Ankles

This past weekend was extremely busy and didn't allow for much R&R. So, naturally, I headed into the week feeling very stressed and overwhelmed. It just seems that I have so much to do and I'm falling further and further behind. My house is a wreck, and every night seems filled with responsibilities. Though I should have attacked some of those last night, I came home, did a bit of reading, napped for about an hour and just took it easy. It's amazing... I can't really fully relax, though, with a messy house. I was supposed to go to St. Louis this weekend with a group from church for a mini-mission trip. However, I've made the command decision to stay home and catch up on things. I was going to need Friday off for the trip, so I think I'll go ahead and take that day off anyway. I CAN'T WAIT!!!

I'm feeling unsettled about a few things right now, and I'm looking forward to jumping a couple of years into the future. I'm reading "Seizing Your Divine Moment" right now, and the chapter I just finished, Chapter 3, is on "Uncertainty." So, I suppose it was very timely. The one certainty (and really ONLY certainty) we have is God. That should be enough... right?

Reflections on days past

Well... it's official. I'm old. I actually used the phrase "when I was in my twenties" today. I caught myself as I was saying it and realized it's the first time (probably of many times) I've used that phrase. Golly.

It's been an enjoyable but busy weekend. I had two softball games last night. I started out being fairly disappointed in my play, but I ended up hitting pretty well and making a few good plays. (I also made a few bad plays to balance it out!) We ended up losing the first one (barely) and winning the second (barely). But, all in all, it was a fun night... good weather... it helped that we played the later games (8:30 and 9:30). After the games, a couple of friends came over and watched a movie. So, it made for a really late... I mean... early night. (3 AM to be exact.)

I ran around most of the day today... met some girlfriends for lunch. We've been reading the book "Wild at Heart" and trying to learn a bit more about the men in our life. (I know... you're asking "What men?!?!") Anyway. All I've gleaned from the book so far is that I do not understand men in the slightest. And, I'm starting to rethink my need for one. After that, I ran about town to get a shower gift for a co-ed cookout/wedding shower for this evening. Bought some stuff for them... bought some stuff for myself, too. I got home just in time to get ready for the shower. The shower was fine. I was stressed out on the way over there... I've just had way too much going on lately. And... the cake I had ordered looked absolutely terrible. Matt and I took a picture of the cake to serve as proof to take back to the store where it was purchased. However, unbeknownst to me, Matt erased the pictoral proof and was about to re-take a picture of the cake when he dropped his camera into the cake. No kidding, folks. He wiped out a nice chunk of the icing.... it figures of course that the crappy writing remained unharmed. So he spent the next half hour trying to remove icing from his digital camera. But, I think the shower was a success. It was nice to see Joe & Allisha (who will wed two weeks from today). I think we helped them get a bit more prepared for their new life together.

I'm home now and ready to crawl in bed. Tomorrow's going to be a booger of a day.

Krista

Great Expectations

A friend pointed out to me today that I've lagged a bit behind in posting to my blog. :) So... here goes. I won't attempt to catch you up, because way too much has happened this past week. However, most of it isn't that notable.

I spent this past (4th of July) weekend in Kansas City visiting my family, attending weddings, host(ess)ing baby showers, painting trim and playing with my niece. It was an enjoyable, but incredibly busy weekend. While I was home, I took time to visit my Grandma. I hadn't been there long... just barely sat down when Grandma maneuvered around to look at my hands. She said, "I was just checking to see if there was a ring on your finger yet." Ha! I responded, "Did you think there MIGHT be?" I haven't given her (or the family) any reason to hope that might happen in even the distant future, so I was a bit surprised and actually thought she might be confusing me with someone else. :) She said, "you never know." Well, Grandma... I pretty much know. Then she went on to tell me about how her sister, Esther, never got married... never seemed interested in it. I think she meant it to be somehow encouraging... Um.... thanks, Grandma. :)

Well, I've started running again and will do so tomorrow morning. So... I'm going to hop in bed. But first... MY highlight from the weekend was seeing my niece... she gets very excited when Aunt Krista comes to town! And I can (obviously) use the confidence builder!!!

Brownies

My last blog reminded me of a great story about my daddy. It's important for this story to understand that he has had cancer - Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Praise God, he's in remission now, and has been for several years now.

One time when I was still in high school, my sister and I had made some brownies for a function up at school. When my dad realized there were fresh-baked brownies in the house, he desperately wanted one. When he asked, we explained that we baked them to take up to the school so he couldn't have any. Then my dad, with a sad look upon his face and a quivering chin, said, "pleeeeaaaaase, one brownie for your poor, cancer-ridden father." :)

To that, my sister and I replied, "But, Dad, if we give you one, EVERYONE, will want cancer." I'm sure we ended up giving him a brownie, just because he seemed so pathetic. Actually, it was very entertaining. I'm certainly not minimizing the seriousness of cancer, but it's such a blessing to know that it has no effect on the joy we have in Christ Jesus! My Dad was a great example of that... still is!!!

Love you, Pops!!

Krista

Manipulation

I have a new friend. Her name is Ashley. She is ten years old, and I first met her the other night when she knocked on my door and asked if I had "anything she could do for money." She's apparently my neighbor from down the street, and she was raising her own funds in order to be able to travel with her older sister to Joplin. I had her lay mulch in my flower beds and paid her a bit of money for it. Only problem is that now she visits me nearly every day to see if I'll pay her to do something or buy something from her. I have to applaud her ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit; however, I'm not growing money trees in the back yard. (Though I'm checking into the possibility of doing that...)

Anyway, whenever I've said "no" the past several days, she makes these big puppy dog eyes and sticks out her bottom lip... almost kind of quivers... just like Dad does when he's begging for brownies. I was just thinking about how that's a form of manipulation, and I'd rather NOT know I'm being manipulated. :) But, it really made me wonder if I use guilt as a manipulative tool. I truly have never intentionally done that, but I definitely let people know what the "desired" response is. Maybe it's just a way of trying to control the situation? I dunno. It's really sickening even to think about. I had a friend once accuse me of being passive-agressive. I don't believe I am (though I could see how he could think that in the given situation), but even if I were... isn't that better than being outright agressive? :) Just kidding. There's certainly a benefit to just being honest. I guess that's what I prefer to be... just plain honest. I'll let people know what I think, and what I'd like for them to do, but ultimately, it's their decision. Maybe I'm a bit too honest in letting them know how it disappoints me when they DON'T do what I was hoping they would do. Ugh. There's no hope, is there?

This seems to be one of the more vulnerable blogs I've written. I pray my family and friends will forgive me any times I may have used guilt or other manipulative tools to control a situation. It's very unbecoming, and I'll do what I can to be more aware of it in the future.

The (Blessed) Sound of Silence

I got home shortly after 5 PM this evening. I pulled into my driveway as normal and hit the garage door opener, only to realize that either 1) my batteries were dead, or (more likely) 2) my electricity was off. Suddenly, I was wondering if my neighbor (who had the generator running last night) knew something I didn't. I let myself into the house and confirmed that the electricity was indeed off. I also realized a few moments later that PSO (Public Service of OK) had been out to trim the trees in my utility easement. They butchered the heck out of one of my trees and kindly left the multitude of branches littered around my yard. (I've been told that they are responsible for coming back to clear them, but I'm honestly wondering how much effort it will take on MY part to see that that's done.) I made the short jaunt over to my neighbor's house to see what he might know about the electricidad. He suggested that the utility company cut the lines in order to trim the trees and maybe run some new lines. He also stated that THEY had been without power since very early Thursday morning. Ah, ha!! Krista asked, "so, I suppose when your electricity comes back on, there will be no further need for the generator?" He agreed and must have understood me completely, because he kind of apologized for the noise pollution. I was much more understanding at that point. And, I'm happy to note that tonight, the only noise I have is coming from my own air conditioning. And... the only thing I have to upset me now is a giganamous mountain of limbs in my back yard. But, that shant keep me from sleeping like a baby. :)

Convenience

I've started in on SYDM ("Seizing Your Divine Moment" by Erwin McManus). Here's tonight's challenging thought...

"The most important moments rarely come at a convenient time. Sometimes you wish that God would check your calendar first. The ironic part is that our schedules get packed with the mundane and ordinary, and we become irritated with God when He interrupts us with the miraculous and extraordinary."

I think this is going to be an exciting and challenging read! You may rest assured that I'll share some of my thoughts along the way!

Krista

P.S. - On a completely separate note... my neighbors must have invested in some kind of generator. I can understand that to some extent, given that it's been a week chock full of thunderstorms and our neighborhood is notorious for losing power. In fact, just last night (circa 2 AM), I was watching the storms out my back door and noted at least twice some sort of electrical sparks flying from a transformer (or similar electrical pole) in their back yard. All that to say... I can imagine why they might need/like to have a generator. HOWEVER... it makes an incredible amount of noise. At first this evening, I thought my neighbor was out mowing. But, after several hours, I realized that was not the case. Unfortunately, it's now 11:14 PM, and the noise continues on. The worst part is that it must be located somewhere not far from my bedroom window, because that's where it's the absolute loudest. Ugh. I was hoping maybe it was not a generator and that it might go off around 10 PM. Oh well, maybe I'll wait it out a day or two. And, I'll try to sleep (in my bedroom) with it tonight. But, should I suffer a night or two with no relief, I may need to speak with them about it. My eyelids are heavy now, though. So, that's a good sign! WISH ME LUCK!!

Tired and Burned Out

I'd like to be in bed, so I'll be heading there shortly. But, I thought I'd write for a moment first. I am tired, but the "burned out" comment in the title isn't really accurate. I am burned, though. I went floating on the Illinois River this past weekend, and I got a bit crispy. I've been lathering on the aloe vera. It's been particularly painful wearing clothes today, and I can't imagine it will be much fun trying to get comfy in bed. But, I suppose I'll manage.

I'm playing softball this summer, and we had our first games on Friday night. We lost both... the first one by one point (though we had been significantly behind earlier in the game, so the one point game ends up being fairly impressive) and the second by twelve points. :( I only played in the first game. Unlike the weeks to follow (I'm sure), we had so many people come out that we had a nearly full relief team. I was pretty pleased with my performance. I played first base, but there wasn't much action there. However, I hit really well. I'm typically very inconsistent... some good, some bad, some really bad. So, I was happy to have a solid performance in that area. I got up to bat three times, and all three times I made a solid hit outfield to a nice open area. So, I don't expect future games to go as well in that sense... though I hope they would.

Well, that's enough rambling for one evening. Seinfeld's on. :)

Books, books and more books...

I never really get caught up on my reading. I'm in the middle or ready to start several books... (I'm not including the ones I'm part of the way through but leaving behind.)

"The Volunteer Revolution" by Bill Hybels
"Seizing your Diving Moment" by Erwin Raphael McManus

Here are several I've recently picked up or been given...

"The Treasure Principle" by Randy Alcorn
"Herding Cats" by Rusty George & Jeff Krajewski
"Your Money Counts" by Howard Dayton
"Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper

A couple books I've "borrowed" from friends and need (deperately) to finish and return...

"A Reasonable Faith" by Tony Campolo
"The Gift of The Blessing" by Gary Smalley & John Trent
"Angels & Demons" by Dan Brown (yes, I'm still not done with this one!)

I've noticed I'm reading more non-fiction than ever before. I've always really preferred fiction... particularly classics. But, more and more, I'm discovering the usefulness of certain non-fiction. I also find it very motivating.

I'd write more, but I really need to get to reading. :)

The Mindless Destruction of a Slug's Day Spa

Boy, boy, boy. Was I out of sorts this weekend! It all started yesterday morning, when I bounded out of bed to mow my lawn. I started by picking up the branches/sticks from my yard, while waiting for another neighbor to start mowing. (I hate to be the first one in the surrounding area to start a lawnmower.) Soon enough, while it was still cool, I heard the familiar hum of another mower. So, I pulled out the old Lawn Boy and started it up after adding a bit of gas to the tank. I was gleeful when I started in on my first try! (That NEVER happens!) However, my glee turned to frustration when the motor sputtered and died. So, I attempted to start it again... fearful that I would flood the engine with gasoline. Time and time again I had the same problem. Finally, the definition of insanity came to mind... "repeating the same action, expecting a different result." So, I called my dad and asked for some fatherly advice, which included 1) priming the engine a couple of extra times after it starts and 2) blowing into the gas tank to dislodge anything that might be disrupting the flow of gasoline. After neither of those things worked, I tried to call a couple of friends, but no one had any other advice. So, I decided to just suck it up and buy a new lawn mower.

The trip to Lowe's was pretty uneventful. I picked out a new Troy Bilt mower, with the help of my friend, Matthew, who also assisted me in getting it back to my house and properly assembled. That was all fine and dandy, but by the time all was said and done, it was too late to mow. I was pretty much depressed for the rest of the day. I just feel like I have a hard enough time keeping the lawn mowed, but there are so many other things that need to be done... planting grass seed, killing weeds, trimming bushes, planting things, etc. Plus, I'd like to get some mulch for my flower beds. Ugh. There's just no keeping up, and definitely no getting ahead! How depressing... to have a house and not be able to do with it what I'd like. :(

Anyway, a nap would have been a good idea, but for some reason I didn't get that done. Oh, right... I had to get to the store and make some shortbread (for strawberry shortcake) to take over to my friends' (Jim and Babs') house. So, by the time I did that and showered and got ready, it was approaching time to go. And then it was past time to go. I couldn't figure out what to wear, and I took the shortcake out of the oven too early, and I was generally depressed from the day as a whole. Point is, I was running really late, but I didn't even really care (which is completely and totally uncharacteristic of me... especially given the fact that I had been looking forward to this cookout all week long). When I finally got in the car and headed on my way, I just felt on the verge of tears. Then I WAS crying. I was debating my options.... 1) call and tell them I wasn't coming, 2) drop off the food and go back home, or 3) walk in puffy-eyed, apologize profusely and get over it. The first two seemed the most logical, but they'd just raise (valid) questions about my sanity and emotional stability. So, I decided on option #3... suck it up and just hope my friends could overlook my shortcomings. That they did. Jim answered the door and asked if I was okay and made a comment about me being "bleary-eyed." I simply explained that I had been out of sorts all day. Matt made a nice excuse for me, "yeah, she's had a rough day" and told about the lawnmower bit. Point is, I was just out of sorts... lawn, clothing, shortbread and any and everything else that bubbled to the surface as a result. But, friends are a wonderful gift. It didn't take long for my eyes to dry and for the laughter to flow freely. They're all so enjoyable to be around, so it's difficult to be sad around them. The evening was grand... other than the storms that rolled in. My electricity was out when I got home and didn't come back on until about 4 AM.

Today was a better day for the most part. Church was fine. It took us three tries to find a restaurant after church, because the first two we tried had been without electricity all morning. I got back home and had no choice but to mow my lawn. (It was getting incredibly shaggy!) So, no problems starting the mower. Yeah!!!!! But, it was very warm, and I grew tired very rapidly. And... my new mower mulches and bags the clippings... which is great, but it I got so much dirtier that unusual. Granted, that could be because half or more of my yard is dirt! But, I was choking and hacking throughout the process. (I guess I need those little face cover things that look ridiculous.) Anyway... it was difficult work... and the new mower is much heavier than my old mower... and I had to stop and empty the clippings (which was also a very dirty business). I have really decided that I was not made to mow lawns. I think I also may have overestimated my ability to take care of a house and yard all by myself. I can't help but think of the previous owner, Martha. Just after closing, she made some comment to me about how overwhelming it was to have a house. She only made it 16 months. I'm at 12...

Anyway, I did take Matt's advice and trimmed up the lower extremities of my crepe myrtle. (I'm just realizing now that I got the three in front but didn't trim the one on the side of my house... figures.) Well, see... I was wondering recently where slugs go during the day. The answer to my question was waiting at the base of my crepe myrtle! Fortunately, I didn't find a whole herd (pack, school, clump... whatever) of them... just one lonely slug. I'm sure he thought he had a good thing going, though.

A Memorable Memorial Day

Ah, the most lovely thing about the day was that I didn't have to go to work. :) But, in addition to that, The Gathering had a picnic at Heller Park. We had about 45 people there, so it was a great turnout! Some folks played croquet and ultimate frisbee... I watched those but joined in when we started up the softball game. I'm a bit rusty, but I need to get back on my game, because I'm on a team and our first game is a week from Friday! Mainly I just enjoyed visiting with everyone who came out for the event.

Good grief... there's a song in my head, only I can't figure out the name of it, and I can't even begin to know who sings/performs it. It's a "pop" song... from either the late 90's or early 00's. It has violins in it... they define the melody of the song. I know that's not a lot to go on, but it would really help me if you could tell me the name of the song... and artist. :)

Well, I don't have much else to write about. I made dinner w/ two friends on Friday night... steaks, potatoes, asparagus, Caesar salad and strawberry shortcake. Mmmmmmm. Then we watched the move version of "The Phantom of the Opera." It was pretty good. It made me want to go back and see the stage version. It also made me want to go back and find the made-for-television movie starring Teri Polo. It was somewhat different in the story line and the fact that it wasn't a musical. I remember it being pretty good, though... especially at the end. It was very touching.

Well, I have a bit to do before going to bed. I hope you've enjoyed YOUR Memorial Day as well.

Krista

Camping II: More Fun, Different Cast

Well, this weekend was our "Family (and Friends) Usually Annual Camping Trip." We went up to John Redmond Reservoir, near Emporia, KS. I beat everyone up there (only by about 15 minutes), so I had a bit of time to kick back and relax with a new book (which I accidentally left laying out in the grass all night). That's the only reading I got done all weekend. :) The family started trickling in a short time later.

I don't have any super-exciting stories to tell... I got to play with my 2.5 yr old niece. She's absolutely adorable. It's widely accepted that I am her FAVORITE. :) "Favorite what?" you ask. Favorite everything!!! (I know several others in the family would try and refute this fact. It's true that they would occasionally try and confuse her by having them repeat things like, "Michelle's my favorite." But, believe you me, Aunt Krista quickly worked to correct such malicious attempts.)

A couple of friends - Matt H. ("Teo") and Dunley (sp?) joined us for portions of the weekend. Several other "friends" were invited, too, but were unable to come in the end. We had a good laugh w/ Mom & Dad about how everyone in our family (primarily the kids this time) is notorious for inviting others along on such trips. But, we determined that it's because we're following the example set by Mom & Dad. In fact, now that I'm writing about it, I think every unit of the family invited someone. That's pretty funny when you think about it. Oh well... that always makes it interesting.

Most of our days were spent eating, playing with Erin (several times at the playground), taking walks, playing in Chelle & John's hammock and watching the snakes in the water near our campsite (yikes)! We got in a good amount of visiting, though I could have used some more.

Well, that pretty much brings the blog up to speed. But, how in the world did blogs come up this weekend? Apparently I'll have another new visitor soon... Welcome, Teo.

Spelunking in Devil's Den 

Long time, no blog.

My blog consistency is getting a bit ridiculous. I'll try to do better. Things have really picked up around here. Seems like I went from not having much to do to being very nearly overwhelmed. My weekends have started to get filled up, too... a variety of different people planning activities for me. :)

Here are the highlights...

I went camping several weeks ago with several friends of mine from church. The highlight was doing a bit of spelunking (cave exploring). I was actually pretty proud of myself. I tend to be a bit claustrophobic, so it stretched me. But, we had a great time and made it out of the cave alive. (I'll post a pic around here of me in the cave!)

My friends Jim & Babs just moved back to Tulsa. They've been in Dallas and KC the past few years, so it will be nice to have them around... though they're expecting a baby on Aug 18th (my birthday, coincidentally). So, I'm sure that will bring some new and exciting changes as well.

Speaking of camping... our family is going this weekend. Should be a lot of fun. I'm taking Friday off of work, and I'm really looking forward to getting out of town for the weekend!!! It's been an okay week, but a break from the routine will be nice.

Well... I know this isn't a super-exciting blog, but hey... it's a blog. I'll try to do a better job of keeping you up to date!

G'night! ~Krista

A long time coming...

... but I finally uploaded the Blue Man pic I spoke of months ago.

The Kiss! 

Found Out

Well, we've had another leak in the information super-highway. Matt happened across my blog. It's all my fault, too. I forwarded him the link of Chelle and John's house... not noticing the link to John's blog, which of course links to mine. Oh well. Sometimes the best part of a blog is being able to laugh about it with others. :) So... welcome, Matt, and whoever else may be reading!

I'm sorry I've been so pathetic at writing lately. I've been keeping pretty busy these days. If it isn't work, it's church stuff. And if it isn't church stuff, it's social activities. Seems strange to me that I can sometimes go through long draughts of social activity, then suddenly... almost overnight, people come out of the woodwork and plan activities for every minute of the weekends. It's crazy, but I like it, too. I'm kind of a glutton for punishment, though, because I know there are times I should really just stay home and get things done. But, I can't seem to pass up something fun.

Let's see... I can't think of much to tell right now. Maybe it's because it's getting late, and I need to get in bed! I've got small group tomorrow night and am going camping with some friends this weekend. So, I can't imagine I'll write much before next week. But, I'll try to have a nice synopsis for you of the camping trip! :)

I Love Disco

Well, it appears I'm the last blogger standing. I was disappointed to realize it's been so long since my last blog; however, I've noticed that no one in my entire family has blogged more recently that me. :) Oh well, I shall press on, afterall tomorrow is another day.

The subject title is strangely true. I guess you could say I was a child of the seventies, but that only means I WAS child during (a portion of) the seventies. But... I still have an odd fascination with disco and seventies music. In fact right now (at a time I should be in bed) I'm blogging to the disco version of Beethoven's Fifth (the one used in the movie "Saturday Night Fever").

Since I last blogged I've been sick. I originally thought it was a throat infection, because I seem to get those at least once a year. However, after all is said and done I think it must have been the flu. In fact... all is not said and done. I'm still not 100%. I'm feeling much better (nearly three weeks later), but I still don't have a full voice, and I'm still coughing and hacking a bit. I hate being sick.

Today I went with some friends to see the Azaleas in Muskogee, OK. They were very pretty, though many of the azalea bushes hadn't bloomed. They looked on the very verge of blooming - like they were ready to pop open at any moment. So, unfortunately we didn't catch them at their prime. But... the azaleas here at Tulsa's very own Woodpark are also lovely. So, hopefully I can catch them in the next week or so. They're really breathtaking.

Well, I suppose I should hit the sack. G'night... whoever might happen to be reading. :)

David has left the building

I was disappointed to read a moment ago that my brother has taken a hiatus from blogging. :( I really enjoyed his blog. Maybe he'll pick it up again sometime in the future. In the meantime, I'll press on with writing. Well, Mom & Dad are officially off to Guatemala for the week and will not return home until early Easter morning. So, I've opted to stay in Tulsa for Easter, and the entire fam (to my knowledge) will come down the Tulsa to visit the following weekend. It will make for an unusual Easter weekend, as I don't know that I've ever spent an Easter without my family. But, I already have three offers for Easter morning, which consists of the following: 1) the Means family, 2) Jim & Babs (and family) and 3) Missy (a lady from work). I've determined if the weather is nice that I will spend a good portion of it in my yard - raking leaves, trimming bushes and admiring my blooming flowers.

In other news, last week was a thoroughly chaotic week. Long story short - we're losing a very large client, which causes much strain and concern on a variety of levels. So - I'm in desperate need of a massage and a vacation (though neither are in sight). I can't really go into all the details at this point, but I've got plenty to tell if you're interested. I'm just anxious to get through the next couple of weeks so that things will calm down a bit.

Well, I'm going to go catch my new favorite show - Malcolm in the Middle. :) Oh, but I'll try to blog again real soon. In fact, I need to tell you about the awesome service we had last night at The Gathering! So stay tuned!!

The Drunkard

Well... I'm realizing it's been a whole week since I've blogged! So, let me catch you up on my weekend (as nothing significant really happened last week).

Friday night was completely non-eventful, but Saturday night I went to a play with a few friends. It was "The Drunkard" and "The Olio" at the Spotlight Theatre here in Tulsa. It's the longest running play in American history, AND it's apparently quite a Tulsa tradition. That being said, it's taken me over six years to get to it! It made for an entertaining evening. Me and my friends were about the youngest folks there, and they started off the evening with a sing-a-long including a bunch of songs we had never even heard of. A few I do remember from years ago - "School Days," "I Don't know Why" and "Bicycle Built for Two." There was a "Red Hat Society" group there. Though they were AT LEAST the age of my parents, they were extremely rowdy and disruptive (in my own opinion). I was fairly annoyed with them. But, all-in-all, I had a nice time. It was definitely a unique activity.

Not much else to tell that I can think of... or at least that I feel comfortable including in such a public forum. :) Now I've got you wondering, don't I?

Seinfeld Junkie

I don't have much to write about tonight, but I'm going to write a short spot anyway so that Mom will have something new to read. (Sarah, David, Chelle, John... where are you guys? Hello?!?!) Just kidding. It's funny to think I may have more time to spare than the rest of you. (What's happened to me?)

Anyway... I won't write long because Seinfeld's coming on. I try not to stay up for the 11 o'clock episode, because I usually catch the one at 10 o'clock and should be in bed by the time the 11 o'clock rolls around. But, here I am, typing away... since I'm up anyway.... :)

Only interesting news today is that I closed a big deal at work today. I've been working to find a Controller for one of my clients. It's been a 4 or 5 month process, so I'm so excited it's finally wrapped up!! AND... it'll be nice on the commission check, too. :) Thank you, Papa!

You all have a good evening. I'm missing some laughs as we speak...

Least-Interest Factor

I was just talking to a friend of mine who is a big believer in the theory of the "least-interest factor." The theory is that the person in a relationship who has the least amount of interest is the person who holds all of the power in the relationship. Then, as the theory implies, the best relationship is one of "zero least-interest." I think there's a lot to be said for that theory, though, it seems to me that relationships are fluid in nature. The least-interest is sometimes exchanged back and forth between two individuals over a period of time. I'm not sure how one goes about using this information in a useful way. Maybe it's possible to work to a zero-least-interest point? I'll have to think a bit more on that...

Stopping to Admire a Snail

How fascinating a creature he was.

Here myself sufficiently aged, I realized I had never seen,

or at least, never stopped to observe a snail.

He paid no attention to me; however, another did.

Two individuals now stopped to admire a snail. Coincidence?

All I can say is this - at the end of the mutual on-looking,

I had rather wished to be the snail-

able to ignore the unsolicited attention of a stranger.

Ecclesiastes 7:10

"Do not say, 'Why were the old days better than these?' For it is not wise to ask such questions."

Ramblings

Speaking of school... I have a new friend who happens to be working on his MBA. Well, he had to prepare a 3-year set of financial statements for a class assignment. He was having difficulty formatting the Excel spreadsheets just right, so I offered my expertise. :) My expertise really just consists of my five years living in Excel, er, I mean... five years working in public accounting and using Excel. Anyway, I was bolding, copying & pasting, changing column widths, adjusting print areas and getting rid of decimal places. It was a glorious time. He was happy with the changes and ran along to class. I received a message from him last night that said the professor actually used his financials as a demonstration to the class! So... even now... years after school... I'm still making the grade!!! (Ha!)

Grades: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

I was inspired by my brother's blog to write of a few school grade experiences of mine. Enjoy...

THE GOOD

Well, if you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a bit anal retentive. I took a World Music class in college and had to write a one page report. I don't recall what the report was about, but I remember getting a 98% on it. That would have been fine and all, but there was not a single comment on the paper... just a random "98%," which I figured could have only been pulled out of the professor's ____. So, I went and questioned said teacher about the score. I simply wanted to know how I could improve my score the next time. (I know, I know... ) Anyway, the professor made some comment like, "this report sounds like something from an Encyclopedia," to which my response was something like... "thank you?" All I can gather is that he was curious as to whether I had plagarized it. (Funny that something copied from an Encyclopedia would only garnish a 98% OR that a plagarized paper would get a 98%!!) Anyway... I think he finally bumped it up to 100%. But... you'll be happy to note that the next paper I wrote had red pen marks ALL OVER IT!!

THE BAD AND THE UGLY

I received a case study back in one of my Business Law classes. I asked the guy next to me... "was this out of 50?" I turned and noticed that he had a 51... :( Needless to say, I spent the rest of the semester trying to recover. In fact, I think I would have received a B in the class had the guy next to me (a co-worker, coincidentally) not gone in and protested our grades. The professor ended up bumping it up. (Thanks, Mark, wherever you are!!!)

I'm sure I have more, but I think that'll do for now.

Ciao!

Socks

A friend of mine once told me that every night before he goes to bed, his father takes off his socks and lays them on the recliner in the living room. I usually slip mine off after my feet have warmed and drop them just to the left of my bed. There are some weeks I have quite a pile of socks collected there!

Drip..... drip..... drip.

Well, hello there, Blog-fans! The Bloggin' family blogs have slown quite a bit. I guess sometimes life just gets busy and other things take priority (as they often should). There hasn't been too much to relay here. Actually, I probably have a few stories. But, instead, I'll tell you about the books I'm reading right now. (Maybe that's inspired by Dave's recent blog.)

Angel's & Demons, by Dan Brown (author of the Da Vinci Code) - I don't know that I was extremely excited about reading this, but I had two people recommend it (Randy, who I work with, and Melody, a dear friend of mine from church). And, I had read the Da Vinci Code, so I was curious as to the contents of this book. I'm probably 1/3 of the way through it, so I can't make a call yet.

Too Busy Not to Pray, by Bill Hybels - a far, far, far cry from the first book. :) Actually, this will be the third time I've read this book, which is highly unusual for me. I don't know that I've ever even read a book twice. The funny thing is, I didn't really set out to read it three times. I read it once and learned a lot from it. Then, I lead our Sunday School class through it. Now, our church as a whole (and thus our SS class) is studying it. Fortunately there's been a bit of a lapse since the last reading, but not quite enough (maybe 2 yrs). I'm four chapters in this go 'round.

Creating Community: 5 Keys to Building a Small Group Culture, by Andy Stanley and Bill Willits - this is actually assigned reading. On Wednesday night, I was up at the church, and our young adult minister stuck it in my hands and said, "I'd like for you to read this in the next 3 or 4 weeks and give me a report." So... I guess that makes this one "homework."

The Secret Lives of Bees, by Sue Kidd - This is what I'm SUPPOSED to be reading. This is the current book being read by my Book Club group. Fortunately it's a short read, so hopefully I can fly through it. Main problem right now is... I haven't even bought the book yet. Knowing me, I'll buy it when I get the email setting the date for the next Book Club meeting!! :)

So... I'd like to write more, but I REALLY MUST GET READING!!!!

Blog Lag

Blog Lag

Hello good neighbors! Sorry for my tardiness in blogging. I've been low on news lately... maybe. Valentine's Day came and went without much commotion. I got flowers (as usual) from Mom & Dad. (THANKS!!!!) They were very nice - daisies, tulips, etc. Very spring-like. I'm sure you'll also be happy to know that the daffodils in my flower beds are blooming. I know, it's early. But it's this strange Oklahoma weather. It's been a bit cooler this week, though, so I hope they don't go into shock.

Well, I suppose the biggest news is last weekend's movie romp with a guy-friend of mine. Nothing to tell really other than it was extremely nice to get out with someone new. It's been quite awhile. I was hoping for a similar romp this weekend, but it's not looking good. My friends, Jim & Babs, are in town this weekend, so I'm sure we'll do something at some point.

On a scarier note, my neighbor "Duke" is in the hospital. Apparently he had a stroke last week and has been in a coma ever since. Please be praying for him. He was the one neighbor I could actually borrow tools from. Obviously that's a selfish reason to be praying for him. But, I am concerned about him. He doesn't really have any family around, other than his "house-mate" Judy.

Well, that's about it for now. I've got some blog reading to do. I've dedicated this weekend to accomplishing some overdue tasks - cleaning my house, washing my car, etc. (I assure you, the list is MUCH longer than that.)

Oh... I also made Eggplant Parmagian for dinner tonight. That's a first!

~Krista

Snow Bunny Returns from the Slopes

I believe I said I would update you on my most recent trip. Well, here goes...

We left last Friday (2/5/05) for Colorful Colorado. I piled in a green Subaru with several friends (Tim, Laurel and Corey) from church and made it to Salina circa 10 PM. We had arranged to stay with relatives of one of the guys, and I had the fortune of "sleeping" on a couch downstairs with no fewer than three chiming clocks. But, the french toast we had for breakfast more than made up for that! Yummy! The drive was pretty uneventful, and when we arrived in Denver we picked up Tim's brother, Aaron, from the Denver International Airport. (He had flown in from sunny California.)

We eventually arrived in Dillon, CO and got settled into our condo. The condo faced Dillon Lake. (Portions of our family remember this area, because Chelle and I received quite a lecture from Dad approximately 8-9 years ago, as we took a stroll along side the lake. Due to the pain we experienced at that time, I've decided not to include the details of the conversation herein. I'll just say this - though I did not appreciate the tactic used, I sincerely appreciated my Dad's concern for the well-being and moral fortitude of his two college-age daughters!) The condo stay was also pretty uneventful, except for the night I left the condo for a walk and then walked back into the WRONG condo!! The guys inside saw me and said, "hello?" I quickly apologized for being such an idiot and retreated back out of their condo. :)

The skiing was great, particularly at Arapahoe Basin. (We also skied Keystone and Breckenridge.) The powder at A-Basin was the best I've ever experienced. As well, the runs were great! Some of them went right down through the trees. I didn't fall much of any the first two days, but I made up for it the third day. Of course, I think I had good reason - several black mogul runs! I was happy to have survived them, but I did do a lot of falling and a lot of sliding. Fortunately, I avoided all trees on my decent. A college friend of mine, also "Aaron," lives in Keystone and joined us a couple days for skiing. We had a heck of a time keeping up with him!

In the evenings we hung out at the condo, watched TV/movies and played cards. We all took turns making dinner - chili, spaghetti, quesadillas, etc. There are many other details I could write about, but I think I've already taken up enough of your time.

I can't wait for next year! :)