The almost-gallon of tea I enjoyed at dinner turned me into an insomniac…after watching Dirk Domination 2011, I’ve been to Dick’s Sporting Goods, cleaned the kitchen, started on the living room, and decided it was time to catch up on blog reading. I bought Warren a Mavs championship shirt & hope to send it off tomorrow. Maybe he’ll be the only guy in Afghanistan with one, that way he can rub it in. Although he & Kayla only live 40 minutes away, we don’t hang out as often as I’d like – now that he’s in the desert it seems silly not to have made the trip to each other’s houses more often. Come to think of it, I don’t think they’ve been over here at all…not many people have. Guess I need to fix that!
Reading my friends’ blogs always inspires me to do something creative, crafty, or culinary. I’d like to rule the kitchen, but at my most inspired I’m still heads & shoulders below those of you who grow your own herbs and harness the ability to whip up something that would put Martha Stewart to shame…I’d like to sew something unique, but I’d run out of patience and lack the all-important sewing machine…I’d like to be a green earth muffin, but I’m not as savvy as some of you granola girls. My success in that area goes as far as recycled, reusable shopping bags and trying to eat more organically. Rather than attempt emulation, I’m more than willing to give credit where credit is due: Carly Wells is an amazing chef and crafty entrepreneur – so I will happily ask for her recipes and buy her beautiful creations. Jennifer “Suzy” Parr is an innovative thinker and unique photographer – so I will gratefully ask her advice and let her take my pictures.
In my quest to find something significant to do this summer, I’ve settled on reading books, cooking healthy dinners for my husband, focusing more on prayer and bible study – oh, and paying off debt. While those may sound simple, I hate doing things half-way so I tend to go overboard; one week I’ll have everything cooked to perfection, but I won’t have read a page; another week, I’ll have finished an entire book, but the pantry is bare; and I’m horrible about prayer and bible reading in spurts…so I guess consistency is my goal. My reading list includes Brain Rules for Baby, Heaven is for Real, Redeeming Love, plus a few books about healthy eating and cooking.
To dispel possible rumors concerning the first book: No, I am not pregnant. Those who know me well know I’m an extremely thorough planner; my vacations are always a little too well researched and planned. Since I am a planner by nature, the fact that I will one day have a baby (God-willing) means I’ll start researching and planning every possible aspect long before I get pregnant. Brain Rules is one of the most interesting books I’ve ever read. Even though it focuses on birth to age five, its insights have helped me better understand my teenage students…it’s scary how much can be done in the first few months and years that dictate the success of a child’s future. Heaven is for Real and Redeeming Love come highly recommended by one of the women in our life-group – neither of those is something I’d normally read of my own volition, so I’m excited to branch out. I do have one creative project in the works, but I don’t want to share until it’s all finished and I have something to show for it. My goal is to have it as completed as possible before the end of August. Details to follow at a later date…
Mark is an amazing mathematician and has calculated that our debt will be gone around the time July rolls around. As long as I can stay away from amazon.com we should be fine! Our goal will then be paying off the house and putting my paycheck into savings. In all my years of having a credit card, I never allowed any balance to roll over to the next month…until early 2008, that is. Mark has never once complained about my debt; on the contrary, he eagerly uses his commission checks to turn my mountain into a molehill. It is a truly humbling experience to have him willingly take care of me in this manner. Saving money is hot! Hopefully by the time I go back to school in August we’ll be sitting on a nice little nest-egg. We love driving around looking at beautiful homes, imagining what our life will be like in 15 years, but for now we are beyond content to live in our lovely town-home and one day be able to pay for a mini-mansion in ca$h! I’d be happy to live with him in the most humble of dwellings; as long as we’re together there will be a smile on my face. I’m so blessed to be his wife – “If ever two were one, then surely we…” With each passing day it becomes more obvious that we were specifically designed for each other. God sure knew what He was doing!
Waiting Passionately 