Sunday, September 28, 2008

A New Way of Living

Yesterday was the single best day of my life.  It surpassed my wedding day, and even the births of both my kids.  In fact, if you combined the bliss of each of those events into one bubbly day, it would be half of yesterday's experience.  Let me explain:

1.  Received free piece of furniture.  For those ladies who can relate to building a home on a limited budget, anything *free* is the best.  Especially, a practical piece that can be updated for the cost of new knobs & a quart of paint.

2.  Family loads into car and drives to Log Cabin Village on University.  "Day in the District" opened the doors of all Fort Worth museums to the public for *free* all day Saturday.  Thinking Picasso & Monet would be boring to my toddlers, we ventured to the outdoor log cabins, listened to ol' timey music, stared thankfully at 250 square foot homes that housed 8-10 people, and smelled fresh rosemary.  We then ate apple cobbler & IBC rootbeer.  The bliss of olden days.  

3.  Picked beans & peas at Gnismer Farms in Arlington.  This organic farm produces fruits and vegetables while opening its gate to the public for picking of things such as strawberries & blackberries (out of season), tomatoes, red bell peppers, swiss chard, and more.  Zoe ran up and down the rows of greens, picking random vegetables out of the dirt and ate them raw.  We walked away with the next evening's side dishes in bags, proud of accomplishing more than a trip to Wal-Mart.

4.  Lunch at Cracker Barrel.  In keeping with the day's theme, we set out for another old fashioned experience and found ourselves sitting in Cracker Barrel, eating robust meals & laughing a lot as a family.  Colby munched on baby carrots, Zoe devoured biscuits, and Brad and I just enjoyed our family.

Our phones didn't ring much, we may not have accomplished many tasks, and there might have been dirt in the veggies Zoe ate but we lived yesterday.  My daughter saw a part of creation that usually goes unnoticed and hopefully feels more thankful for her modern toys & spacious bedroom.  I reconnected with my husband through quiet and simplicity, rather than entertainment and escape.  

What a great day.     

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Email Forward!

So, here is one of those random surveys, done by blog, rather than email!  Enjoy a little insight into my life!

1.  What is your occupation right now?  Part-time patient rep at CareNow, full-time mom & "household manager."

2.  What color are your socks right now?  I'm sporting a french pedicure.

3.  What are you listening to right now?  Bailey chewing a bone, Zoe mumbling to herself, and the fan wizzing.

4.  What was the last thing you ate?  A snickers bar with Zoe & Colby.

5.  Can you drive a stick shift?  Oh YES!  Learned on my first car, a Geo Prism.  I was hot stuff.

6.  Last person you spoke to on the phone?  My husband.  My own & only.  My beloved.  B-Rad shiznit.

7.  Do you like the person who sent this to you?  Well, certainly, all three of them!  (Carmen, Jordan, and Joni)

8.  How old are you today?  28 years, and 25 days!  Whoohooo late twenties!

9.  What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?  Um, prolly America's Next Top Model.  Those girls must work up a sweat under those hot cameras.

10.  What is your favorite drink?  "Hot Mama" from Eskimo Hut, the drive-through daquiri joint off Vickery.  

11.  Have you ever dyed your hair?  Only temporary Clairol Natural Instincts.  Last time was 1.5 years ago.

12.  Favorite food?  I'm modifying this question:  Mexican?  Sour cream enchiladas.  Chinese?  Cashew Chicken from Empress.  Italian: Pasta Milano from Macaroni Grill.  

13.  What is the last movie you watched?  In the theater: Dark Knight.  Rented: Sex & the City.

14.  Favorite day of the year?  This one is SO hard.....pass.

15.  How do you vent anger?  I close my eyes and imagine the wind blowing in my face.  J/K.  I don't get angry much these days but I do enjoy slamming a door every now and then.

16.  What was your favorite toy as a child?    The mini-trampoline in our basement.

17.  What is your favorite season?  Autumn/Fall/Harvest Season.  Mmmm, I can smelled the spiced cider now...

18.  Cherries or blueberries?  Marachino cherries.  Sunk on the bottom of a glass full of cold coca cola.

19.  Do you want your friends to email you back?  Not an option for a blog.

20.  Who is the most likely to respond?  Besides those already, probably Stefanie Rohman.

21.  Who is the least likely?  Either my mom or dad.

22.  Living arrangements?  I mean, my sofa is at a 90 degree angle from my loveseat.  Currently, I have five roommates, not counting cockroaches: Brad, Zoe, Colby, Sadie, and Bailey.  

23.  When was the last time you cried?  At steffie-poo's wedding this past weekend.

24.  What is on the floor of your closet?  Um, a hanger, old pillow, old maternity clothes, and other items.

25.  Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to?  N/A.

26.  What did you do last night?  Worked until 10:30pm and then slept.

27.  What are you most afraid of?  Something happening to my kids.

28.  Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers?  First, this is an odd question.  Cheese, for sho.

29.  Favorite dog breed?  Shed-less, barkless, potty-trained mutt.

30.  Favorite day of the week?  One where I get to sleep in past 7am, spend all day with my family, and then finish it with cheesecake.

31.  How many states have you lived in?  Four: Michigan, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.

32.  Diamonds or pearls?  Diaaaamonds.

33.  What is your favorite flower?  Red roses.    

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

These are a Few of My Favorite Things

In this season of spiritual revival and renewal, I am rediscovering a few old things and making the acquaintance of some new things.  These are just a handful of my favorite things these days:

















I have been drinking *mostly* diet drinks lately (almost 20 pounds lost!) but this one tops them all!  Frosty cold, it's like going on a shopping spree in a candy store.

















Speaking of drinks, this is my favorite wine.  Wine is quite the overstatement as it's labeled "dessert wine" (aka how much sugar can dissolve in grape juice?) but for $5.99 a bottle, it's perfect!












Since we got married in 2004, we have gone through three vacuums, not including one borrowed and one mini sweeper.  We took the plunge a few weeks ago and bought a blue Oreck vacuum cleaner.  Not just any dirt-picker upper but an intense and highly effective one.  We got $200 off by promising to bring them our three old ones, which will get donated to a local women's shelter after a little bit of botox.  Helping the underprivileged and getting my carpets clean.  Woohoo.

And, finally,  














My dead-sexy husband.  Since we've had more time to focus on our family and marriage, I'm falling in love with him all over again.  Walking through the toughest decisions of our life has fused our commitment and adoration for one another.  He continues to be my hero in every way.  What a man of honor and I am truly blessed to have been chosen by him.