Happy Halloween!

My day started out kind of rushed. I woke up at 6:40 which I normally am leaving my house at that point to get to work. I made it out quickly, got to work, and settled in. Work has had a pretty depressing vibe lately due to the combo of a crappy economy and the industry we're in, we've just gone through 3 rounds of layoffs. The third happened just this past Thursday. Everytime it has happened it gets more and more sad. I'm not too sure what lies ahead for my company but I am thankful to still have a job.

Moving on to a more positive note, our company has a Halloween contest which a good amount of people dress up and it makes for a fun day. Since we just had layoffs the other day, I assumed that the moral would still be pretty low and people wouldn't be feeling it. But, I was pleasantly suprised that people still got dressed up and made it fun.  It was even more nice to see that even through unhappy times in life people always press on and still can make good unfortunate situatons.

: :

We've been married for 2 1/2 years now and this was our first year home, passing out candy in our neighborhood on Halloween. Because I have such young siblings, we normally go with them trick-or-treating. But this year we decided we just wanted to experience a Halloween at home. I didn't grow up in an ideal area for trick-or-treating so we always had to drive to housing plans around the area. As much as I wanted to live in a neighborhood for the convenience on Halloween, I wanted to even more because I thought it looked like so much fun to be able to pass out candy. It looked so cozy to me when people would be bundled up with the hot drinks and cheerful smiles. So now that I have my own house in a neighborhood, I got myself all set buying lots of candy,setting up my chair in the front door, and flipping the front porch light on. The weather was pretty bad (it rained the whole time and was pretty cold) but there were still little troopers out there going from house to house collecting their treats. We got a good amount of kids and most of the candy is gone which was good for the weather we had. Everytime I would see the little ones I would get flips of excitement in my stomach thinking about how one day I will be out there with my umbrella trudging along in the cold with my kiddos. I can't wait for that day.

It's funny how I went from imagining one day having my own house and being able pass out candy to little ones. Now, that is my reality and I'm seeing the little ones come to my house and I'm imaging the day I'll be out there walking along with my own children. I suppose that how life goes. I like when the things I dream of become reality :-)

Alright that's all for now, I'm off to bed! I'm changing my alarm clock ring tonight to prevent any further sleeping in. (This isn't the first late start that's happened in the passed few weeks so hopefully this will do the trick. If not, I'm in trouble. I blame it the sun not rising early enough to wake me up.)

Happy Halloween!

~S.

Accountability!

Yes I'm posting twice in one day but this second one is gonna be short and sweet. I started doing the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred and am on my 5th day today. I wanted to post this so that I will stay motivated and accountable. So far, although the soreness I experienced the first couple of days was brutal,  I am really excited about it and enjoying it. I feel like I'm in a really good mind frame for it and feel really motivated. So yeah, I just wanted to post this to keep me going! Here's to day 5, only 25 more to go!

~S.

Procrastinate Much?

It's been a while since my last post. I knew once I started this blogging thing I would go through times where there would be large gaps in between. I tend to do that with a lot of things. Whether it's starting a new art project, a new goal, beginning a new excerise routine, or whatever the case may be I wind up doing that. I never know if it's that's just me or just me being human? Either way, here's to a new post and hopefully more consistent ones!

Right now, I'm sitting in a Panera, with a cup of coffee and my school books sitting next to my laptop as though them sitting there is somehow getting my much needed school work done. As I keep finding different things to google or search or look up someone's status on Facebook to put off my work, it dawned on me that it would be a perfect time to write a new entry on my blog. I mean, obviously this takes precidence over my getting caught up on my work, duh!

It's 8:15am on this sunshiny Sunday morning, my husband is practicing right now at the Washington City Misson for the morning services our church holds there. As much as I try to convince myself that I'm a night person, the enjoyment I get out of being up early in the calm relaxing morning makes me think otherwise.


I've been to this Panera multiple times when Kyle is practicing at the WCM and every time I come, there's this group of men that are here, in the same spot, at the same time. Sometimes there wives come, sometimes other people join them, but there is always the same core group of 3-4 older men. They talk about life, their grandchildren, the news, politics, their farms, teaching, you name it. As much I try to not listen in, I can't help but get caught up in their conversations.

I have a confession to make. I am a hard core people watcher. I could totally sit on a bench in a mall and just people watch, probably for a long time. Not in a creepy way (I swear) but in a fascinated way. I thought I was alone until I was talking with a friend the other day and we both confessed to each other about our people watching-ness. We talked about how we think about who those people are, where they live, what they do for a living, are they married, are they single, the list goes on and on. Once we talked about the fact that we do that and think the same things, we knew we most likely weren't the only people that do this. And if you look at what the media is, it's certainly focused on people watching  but on a much grander and often twisted scale. And do I even need to mention Facebook?  We wondered why exactly do people do it. Is it just people being nosey? Or is it just that people are just really fascinated with each other's lives. I think it's a little mix of both. I also thinks it's just part of human nature. I don't think we ever stop watching, mimicking, competing with, learning from, inspiring each other from the time we are babies until the time we are old.

It's easy not to think that someone's paying attention to you or listening to what you stand for and how you live your life, but the fact is people are. Knowing this makes me want to evaluate exactly how I represent myself and how people view me, because it's important. I'm looking forward to challenging myself more in this and making a point be present to the fact that my life affects another. Each and every one of our lives do. I enjoy challenges like this because it makes me have to think outside of myself more, which is always a good thing. So whether it's holding the door for someone, smiling at the cashier on the next grocery trip, or being aware of your conversation when you're in public, make it count. Because it will matter to somebody.

Alright, I've procrastinated on my school work enough and my morning Panera fella's are headed off to church, tend to their farms, or grade some school papers. I'm looking forward to going to church and making sure to smile a few more smiles at and shake the hands of a few more people.

Happy Sunday!

P.S. Spreaking on procrastinating, I wrote this blog on 10-10 and am now posting on 10-30 :)


~S.

Keeping Focus

I am very thankful that today is Friday. This week has been one of those weeks that has seemed to last forever and I am very happy to be laying on my couch under blankets zoning out into my computer screen with just my thoughts.

This past weekend we went camping with my brother and sister-in-law and though it was a fun trip we didn't get the best nights sleep both nights. One of the many contributing factors to our sleep deprivation was a train that came screeching through every couple of hours and rumbled so loud it felt like my brain was rattling.This of course continued through the night. Needless to say the trains, a neighboring couples domestic dispute in the middle of the night, and a powerful thunderstorm pretty much left me in a zombie-like state for my entire work week.

While we were dashing to pack up our sopping wet gear after the thunderstorm had passedm, a man who was camping near us came over to ask us if we were okay and if we needed anything. After we'd chatted with him a bit about the storm and thanked him for checking on us he turned to walk away and threw in one last "Hey, it's these kinds of trips that make the best stories to tell later!" I liked his optimistic attitude. I'll stick with saying even though there were a few mishaps, for the most part, it was a good trip.

Aside from being a bit on the exhausted side this week I was also in a bit of a funk. I had about every little thing I could possibly think of on my mind and those thoughts seemed to be holding my mind captive for the majority of the time. I'll confess I am a worry wart. And I realize that I worry for others even more than anything especially ones I care about. Whether it's someone I know who is sick or going through a rough time, I can't stop thinking about it until I feel like it's better.

So today I was sitting at my desk feeling overwhelmed with all these thoughts that were bouncing around in my mind. I stopped and took a minute to pray for some clarity on what exactly was bothering me and what/who exactly did I need to be praying for. A little bit later I went on my Facebook page (which is a normal part of everyone's workdays now it seems) and my pastor had posted a status that said "We need to stop worrying about where others are on the journey, and make sure our steps are being guided by the Lord." He had a link attached to his blog explaining this more. Wow was it exactly what I needed to hear. There's nothing I can do to solve any problem and of course in the back of my mind I know that. But human nature comes in and we like to think we can fix problems on our own or at least feel like we have some sort of control over them. But the truth is God is in control and we can't sit around worrying about everthing and everyone else, we need to focus on our own journey and pray for the others. So, it was clear that yes I can continue to prayer for others but I also need to focus on praying for myself and keeping my attention on Him and His calling in My life.

Okay on a less heavy note, after work Kyle and I went to dinner and stopped by my favorite local coffee shop. And to make it cooler, it's Christian run and tonight they just so happened to have a live band playing worship music. It was a nice relaxing ending to a long week.

(Their frozen Hot Chocolates are so GOOD)

I'm off to another busy weekend celebrating my sister-in-law's birthday and helping my aunt move. Now it's time to catch up on some much needed sleep!

S.

Running

(Not my feet just a random running picture :0)

When I was a little girl I always loved to run. Whether it was running around chasing my brother or having races in our yard to see who was faster, I really enjoyed doing it. I felt confident when I would run and in my head I thought I was the fastest girl in the world. But, of course, the older I got I quickly realized I was not the fastest girl in the world (I know, I was suprised as well) and there were other kids who were faster than me.  Once little 9 year old me didn't see it as being as much of a fun actvity and more of a competitive one, I stopped enjoying it as much. But I've never lost my interest for it.

Looking back, I realize a big part of where my interest for running came from was watching my father. All throughout my childhood he would always go for runs around our neighborhood and seemed to really enjoy doing it. He enjoyed it so much that one day he just decided he was going to run the Pittsburgh marathon. Without training or any sort of preparation he did it, all 26 miles of it. Needless to say I was pretty impressed.

Now that I am in my 20's and I am far beyond caring if little Suzie is faster than me in a gym class relay race, I've come back to the enjoyment running is to me. I love the fact that it's something that I am fully capable of doing it on my own, being my own coach, challenging myself mentally and physically. One of my goals has been to finish some sort of race whether it be a 5k or a marathon (definitely starting out with a 5k unlike my dad who went straight for the 26 mile marathon). I want to know the feeling of accomplishing a race and knowing that it was all me that did it.

(One day I want to get a pair of these running shoes)

So last week I began my first of 9 weeks of training to prepare myself for a 5k and I just finished my second week of training this evening (woohoo!).  It's never too late to start something we enjoy doing. There is a reason those things are important to us. It's time to lace up those running shoes and get your legs going!

I'm off to camping with my brother and sister-in-law tomorrow. Posts on our weekend adventures to come!

Have a fun and safe weekend!

S.

**I do not recommend doing a marathon without training like my story of my dad, although he finished it he was sick as a dog when it was over. Just a warning :)**

Week End.

This weekend felt like a really good, long, recharging one. Usually our weekends begin with hopes of relaxation but then are over in a flash and before we know it we're dealing with the Sunday having to go back to work the next day depression. But this weekend felt like an actual end of the work week break. Friday Kyle took the day off work and when I got home from my job we headed out pretty soon there after.

Kyle's been begging me for weeks (more like months) to go to one of his favorite restaurants The Church Brew Works. It's a pretty cool restaurant with very tasty food but there's something that just feels a little wierd with a church being turned into a brewery. We left there and headed to our first and certainly not last trip to Trader Joes. Love that place. They are going to be opening one near us and I can't friggin wait! After that we headed to my brother and his wife's house to hang out and play a game they just bought called Quelf. It's a game that pretty much is geared toward the players making complete idiot's of themselves which was very amusing to say the least! It was a good time.

Our Saturday was pretty much a lay on the couch and watch movies kind of day. And thats what I did. In between a nap.

My husband plays bass on the worship team at out church so our Sundays are usually planned around that. Today he was scheduled to play at one our church's new branches at the Washington City Mission. What a blessing it was to be there. I love situations that force you out of your comfort zone in a good way. It was a great service.

We then stopped at a childhood spot of mine of the way home for lunch. It's called the Springhouse and it's a farm run restaurant/store with tasty food and even tastier sweet treats. It still has the same sweet smoky wood smell I remember it having when I was a little girl. Brings back so many cozy memories.

Lastly we stopped at a farm down the road from our house who was having a sale on all their plants. And this is what I came home with and planted.

(hello cute little sunflower, you got a few compliments on how beautiful you were by some ladies that saw you in our cart)

(Don't mind the bent mini blind. That was done by the culprit below who HAD to see what the birdies were doing outside)

(Note the blind pulled UP behind him to prevent any futher mini blind bending)

Normally this time on a Sunday evening would have me feeling a little down knowing that I have to get to bed in a few hours to get up for work. But the night is still young and I have plenty of time for some more relaxtion. I'm looking forward to a busy but fun week ahead filled with lots of hanging out with loved ones.

Happy Sunday!

S.

DIY: Rolled Magazine Art

I had seen the idea of using rolled magazine pages and making frames out of them during a recent TJ Maxx venture. Tonight I was in a crafty mood and decided that I wanted to try and make a little rolled magazine art of my own.

What you need:
*Colorful pages from an old magazine
*Exacto knife
*Decoupage (I mixed together a little water and Elmer's glue)
*Brush for applying decoupage
*Tool to use to roll paper (I used an crochet hook)

Cut your pages into about 3 inch strips. I cut each strip into 3's but you can cut them however you want depending on your project.

Roll your strips (it's easier to use something to roll with then just rolling the strips by themselves) and then decoupage each one. It's tedious yes but if you're anything like me you find this sort of monotony to be therapeutic.

You can use these rolls to create anything you want. Searching through my art supplies, I came across some wire and my hot glue gun so I decided to make these for a bare bathroom wall:

Voila! I love making pretty art without having to spend a dime!

S.

Camping Trip

I've been pretty busy the last couple of weeks and have finally gotten a chance to sit down and post. This past weekend I went camping with my husband, sister-in-law, and her husband. This was a pretty new experience for me because the closest I'd ever been to camping was my family renting a cabin in the woods. But this was real deal sleeping in a tent camping. And I loved it!

Our cute little tent!

It was a nice break to just take a time out on life and take in nature. To be able to hear sounds and breathe in the smells of the beautiful world around us that we easily take for granted.

Falling asleep to the glow of campfires and the low croaks of bullfrogs. Waking in the morning to the loud squaking of seagulls and black birds. Amazed at how much the shade under trees takes the edge off the heat of a July sun. The incomparable refreshment of taking a shower after a hot summer day. And the relief of the cool night air that turns into a perfect temperature for sitting around a campfire and roasting marshmallows. I think it's safe to say I'm hooked on this camping thing.

(I was able to capture a candid of Kyle, this is a rarety so I had to post)

I'm very much looking forward to going camping again. In fact, we're going again in August with my brother and his wife. Did I mentioned I was hooked?

Happy Camping!

S.



Sleep Over!!

When I was 14 and my older brother was 16 my mom suprised us with the news that she was having a baby. I still remember the moment she told us like it was yesterday. I was at my friends house and my mom came to pick me up. We hadn't even pulled out of my friends neighborhood when she pulled over and handed me an envelope and told me to look inside. When I saw what was inside I was kind of confused at first because a.) I'd never seen a pregnancy test before and b.) Being that I'd never seen a pregnancy test before, I sure as heck didn't know what a positive pregnancy test looked like. My mom obviously saw the confused look on my face and quickly told me that she was having a baby. And I screamed. I screamed at the top of my lungs with the happiest excitement. I'd BEGGED my mom for years and years to have a baby. I always dreamed of having a younger sibling and would be envious of kids I'd see my age with younger brothers and sisters. And so on March 31st 2000, we welcomed Gavin Daniel into the world. I guess my parents loved having another little one around so much that they wanted to have another one, and so they did. On December 30th 2002 Tessa Rose was born. Having 2 younger siblings has been awesome. I've got to experience a lot of things about babies and children that I would've only learned with my own. So it's been a really cool mix of having a younger brother and sister as well as sort of knowing what it's like to have a child.

Yesterday we had a sleep over and it was so much fun! I love to have one on one time with them because I get to see how much their little personalities and interests have changed. And man, they are funny!

They packed as though they would be gone for a week.

Tessa always been a sassy-witty little thing and it's hilarious. She's really quick on picking up concepts and you can't trick her with anything. There's no doubt she knows who she is and I think that's awesome. I don't want her to ever lose that. I love her a whole lot and I am so happy I get to have her as my sister.

Gavin is a funny kid. He's always been extremely aware of the world around him and absorbs things like a sponge. He gets on these kicks on certain topics that he has to know everything about. Right now it's height. I don't know how many times he asked me how tall something was or how high. I love every quirky piece of him. 

Gavin and Clyde were chattin' about life and what not. I'm sure there were probably a few height questions in there.

Later that night we made smores and caught lightening bugs.

We had a tasty breakfast of chocolate chip and blueberry pancakes and turkey bacon. Tessa loved her some turkey bacon.

They're really cool people that I absolutely love to hang out with.

I'm very much looking forward to our next sleep over!

Introduction: Twenty Five

I've been contemplating creating a blog of my own for some time now.  I'm very much a lover of reading other's blogs. It's a lot like 'people watching' you do sitting on a mall bench wondering who these people are and what their lives are like. Except, it takes it one step further because you get to actually see for yourself what goes on in a strangers day to day life. PLUS, it's a whole lot less awkward not having to deal with that quick-look-away when you make eye contact with someone, and then you have to pretend like you've been intently studying the employee behind the Auntie Anne's Pretzel's dough twisting techniques. I know I'm not the only one who's pulled that move or one like it. My point isn't that we are interested in watching others just because,(unless you're in Walmart. JK! but seriously.....) I believe we are intrigued in watching others and/or learning about each other because as humans we all desire to feel connected. Like when you find out someone does something that only you thought you did, feels pretty awesome and makes you feel happy that you're not alone.

I wanted to point out the reason of my reservatons in starting a blog as I'd mentioned above. The reason I was hesitant was because I didn't want to ever somehow come across as narcissistic in any way because I'm writing about my life. But I realize I can't worry about that because that's not at all the place I will be coming from. Some of the greatest sources of inspiritation and knowledge that I've gained have come from blogs that I've read. And because of that, I'm bloggin'.

Twenty-Five. Getting to the title of my post. It is titled that because that is how old I just turned. One month ago today to be exact. I was watching a show the other day and a women who's in her late 50's said she's been writing in journals since she was in her twenties. The woman she was talking to asked her what's made her journal all these years to which she replied, "Well, how else am I going to remember my life?" So that got me to thinking, 25 seems like a perfect time to start my blog. I want to remember my life as much as I can . The good and the bad. The times where I'm so happy I think I might explode. The times I feel like I'll never see the light at the end of the tunnel. And I want to remember all the people I meet whether I know them my entire lifetime or just a short period. I want to remember all of it. I believe each one of our lives is a novel and when we get to the last page and read that last sentence we'll say to ourselves "HA! Now, it all makes sense!" So today I start with the Introduction. I'm looking forward to filling up the chapters.