Thankful List

Thankful List 2012

 

1. My new kitty, Tsunami
2. All the great memories of Walter kitty
3. All the important things Walter taught me
4. My camera, which provides hours of entertainment, a creative outlet, and helps me share my life with people
5. Facebook, for all the keeping in touch and amusement (I can overlook the annoyances it can bring since I’m not on it 24/7)
6. Printable calendars and
7. Google calendar, so I know what the heck I’m up to with busy and ever-changing work and life schedules
8. My Grandparents.  At 88 and 90 years old, they inspire a lot of respect for each moment we live
9. My Vibe.  Such a versatile vehicle!
10. New tires to help keep me and the Vibe out of ditches this winter
11. Unscented cat litter.  It is getting harder to find, but my perfume allergies really appreciate it
12. Check-out workers who actually take the time to bag my items logically and carefully.  They are a rare and dying breed…
13. Texting - now that I have it on my plan I can communicate better with my friends (if I remember to use it, feel free to text me and remind me)
14. My lack of a smart-phone, because I can’t be trusted with that much addictive technology
15. Those rare quiet moments when I actually have time to do guilt-free recreational reading
16. The inexplicable way I feel soothed by seeing and hearing waves crashing on a beach
17. Online accounts that actually allow you to have simple, easy-to-remember logins and passwords
18. Not having to change said passwords every few months
19. One year of being melanoma-free
20. The right to vote
21. Exciting new ideas for future pursuits
22. Good neighbors
23. That no experience, good or bad, is wasted.  I can learn and grow through all of it.
24. A corporate entity to pay all my professional licensing and membership and CE fees.  Those are some big dollars!
25. Attention to detail.  It is a treasure in a society that can be lazy and sloppy regardless of the repercussions
26. Good service
27. Proper use of the English language
28. Community theatre.  They bring great shows into our price range and never fail to entertain!
29. Lunch breaks.  It is good to step away and breathe for an hour.
30. Changes for the better.  They may be scary at first, but they are so welcome and worth it in the end.
31. Duck tape.  It is very useful (currently employed in cat counter-surfing deterrence at our house) and comes in such fun colors and designs now!
32. Days off from work spent with family and friends
33. wishcentral.com for simplifying gift shopping
34. The joy felt when you give someone something they really want/need
35. The joy felt when you are part of a pleasant surprise
36. Online coupon codes
37. Old family traditions, like Monkey Brain Bowling
38. Old friend traditions like Game Night and Heidner Halloween Party
39. Inside jokes, like “potluck” and “WE” and “Buford”
40. Modern medicine, which so many in this world lack access to.
41. That my dear friend Kim has access to the above for her thyroid cancer treatment
42. That Kim’s faith will get her through this season
43. Creativity.  It can be used to inspire, delight, amuse, reward, and so many other uplifting things.
44. Good, healthy advice
45. Discernment to avoid bad, unhealthy advice
46. The ability to multi-task
47. Recycling
48. The beauty of nature
49. Modern heating and air conditioning
50. Being spared from disasters
51. My Dyson Animal vacuum’s efficacy against fur
52. Kids ‘N Pets brand cleanser
53. Incredible brand cleanser
54. All of my sweaters and jackets that I layer almost daily to stay comfortable in a “Ryan-cool” home
55. My heat fan at work, which keeps me from shivering as the cold winds blow through the old walls into our office space
56. That my mess in the study at home has not yet buried me alive
57. Ebay, which will hopefully help me get rid of some of that mess in 2013
58. The Bears’ defense and special teams, who win us games
59. A wide variety of music to fit all moods, needs, occasions
60. Halloween – my version of this holiday has nothing to do with gore or demons, just fun decorations and costumes and parties and delicious goodies
61. Blacklights
62. The new X-Flight ride at Great America
63. Suzy’s Swirl, my favorite place for self-serve FroYo
64. Sentimental places, things, and feelings
65. Genuine appreciation (instead of the entitlement attitude so many are prone to)
66. Encounters with good work ethics (also becoming rare)
67. Honesty
68. Wisdom (give me more!!)
69. Those who take responsibility for their decisions and actions
70. Those who forgive the shortcomings of others
71. My wonderful co-workers, past and present
72. That my bite injury in October was not more serious
73. That the above bite prevented an elderly woman from adopting a dog that could have injured her
74. Sounds or smells that trigger happy memories
75. My Game Night gang
76. Girl Time at Game Night
77. The addition of Emma to Game Night
78. Nik and Emma’s upcoming wedding
79. My Bible study ladies
80. All that we have learned together in our Small Group studies this year
81. Fresh, healthier perspectives
82. My wonderful husband, who goes to great lengths to keep our finances in order, provide us romantic opportunities, celebrate the big and small occasions, and keep our focus on God.
83. Harvest Bible Chapel
84. My parents, who are supportive and encouraging when life takes unexpected turns
85. My in-laws, who are always ready to help or lend us things (van, arm strength, carpet shampooer, etc.) we need
86. My brother and sister-in-law Mandy, for being a step ahead us to serve as a good example
87. My sister-in-law Karen, for being a step behind us to remind us to be good examples
88. For Karen’s upcoming wedding
89. For the privilege of being a bridesmaid in the above wedding
90. That we get to welcome Trevor to the family
91. Christian Veterinary Mission and other groups that serve the needy and bring glory to God
92. That I am a redeemed child of God
93. That Jesus died to bring salvation from sin to the world
94. That salvation is a gift, not something we earn
95. Sufferings that bring us into a closer relationship with Christ
96. That the Bible truly is God’s trustworthy message to help us navigate this crazy life
97. That the Holy Spirit guides us in the way we should go
98. God’s sovereignty over everything we go through.  What a comfort to know that nothing is an accident and there is a plan for our ultimate good behind it all.  I don’t have to know what comes next, because God already knows
99. Strength for today
100. Hope for tomorrow

2011 Thankful List

So it took me awhile to get it blogged, but it was completed before Thanksgiving.

1. My wonderful husband
2. My Walter kitty
3. My Family
4. My In-laws
5. That Grandpa is still with us through God’s amazing healing despite the odds
6. The scar on my arm where melanoma no longer lives
7. Good medical care that helped 5&6 be possible
8. Decent health insurance
9. Our home
10. Our utilities (power outages, service shut-offs, disasters all over the world, etc have taught me to never take this stuff for granted anymore!)
11. My friends, both far and near
12. Game Night!  It’s been such a nice thing to count on each week.
13. Nice neighbors
14. Harvest Bible Chapel
15. My Harvest Bible study group (especially the ladies!) who help keep me accountable and encourage me
16. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
17. Christian Veterinary Mission
18. KLOVE radio
19. Good music in general
20. Friends’ weddings this year
21. wishcentral.com
22. A comfortable bed
23. Those rare times I get to sleep in
24. Gainful employment
25. Automated student loan payments (so I don’t have to think about how big they are every month…)
26. Adequan, which has really helped Walter stay mobile
27. Internet access at home.  It is amazing what it can help with from communication to directions to shopping deals…
28. Plenty local emergency vets, so I don’t have to be on-call all the time
29. Our garage freezer.  Now I can stock up and save and be prepared for getting snowed in or having large gatherings.
30. Hand-me-down furniture.  Our place would be really empty without it!
31. IKEA.  Without this and #30 there would be almost NOTHING in the furniture category in our home.
32. Nutella.  It is soooo good.  I can’t be trusted around it.
33. The Twisted Cow.  I <333 local ice cream places!
34. Ibuprofen.  Sometimes you really need it!
35. Warm, cozy fleece.  It makes me smile.
36. Halloween.  I really enjoy this holiday. The decorations and costumes are so much fun for me.
37. Hulu, because otherwise I’d get lost in trying to keep up with the few shows I try to watch but don’t really have time for, and because fox.com is excessively glitchy and overly advertisement-packed
38. Coupons.  I enjoy a good deal on things I’d be buying anyway!
39. Cuddling on the couch with my boys (Ryan and Walter)
40. Fun mail (like nice notes, invitations, cards, etc.)
41. Facebook photos of friends and family
42. Consumer Reports and other online reviews, so we can make informed decisions on big purchases
43. Free Samples
44. Promotional pens – I haven’t had to buy my own in years
45. VIN.com for all the helpful information for my career as well as entertaining vet-related (and sometimes not) stories
46. Reliable transportation
47. Reliable computer
48. Opportunities to give to good causes and ministries
49. Good financial advice
50. Glow-in-the-dark things
51. Blacklights for #50
52. Seeing friends after long separations (like Mimi and Ken this year)
53. Milestone achievements (like graduations and grad school acceptances and such)
54. Potlucks.  It’s so nice to try others’ yummy recipes!
55. Antihistamines
56. Antibiotics
57. Cute kittens
58. Cute puppies
59. Ducks. They amuse me. (And when cooked right, they are tasty.)
60. Mini donkeys. ADORABLE!!
61. Platelets, because clotting is important.
62. Silly songs (those with Larry as well as others) to lighten the mood
63. Those worship songs that I can’t help but sing along with no matter what has been going on
64. The upholstery attachment for my vacuum, which helps with all the Walter hair
65. The unsubscribe button in all those advertisement e-mails that keep flooding my inbox
66. Heartfelt laughter
67. Improv comedy
68. Military families that sacrifice so much for the rest of us
69. Nice new roads (once construction projects are finally done)
70. Free meals at  work or CE events
71. Clear, starry nights
72. Beautiful sunsets
73. Shopping on days when stores aren’t overly crowded
74. Being able-bodied to walk from whatever parking spot into a building
75. How helpful my husband tries to be when he gets days off that I don’t
76. Exercise videos, because when weather doesn’t allow biking I lack motivation without someone or something to watch.
77. Those nice clients who are compliant and appreciative
78. My co-workers who make up such a helpful team
79. Traditional foods for comfort
80. International foods to add variety
81. Never lacking in food in general (I take this for granted too much)
82. Seemingly endless fresh, clean water (it boggles the mind to think of all those in the world who still don’t have this!)
83. Time to bake things.  I really enjoy baking!
84. Crock pot meals.  They are easy and make the house smell yummy.
85. Songs that are forever linked to happy memories
86. Those nice, rare things in life that have no fine print to worry about
87. Checkout staff who are cheerful
88. Checkout staff who bag groceries in a logical manner
89. All those funny animal (and human) antics pictures and videos online
90. Balance between taking things seriously and being able to laugh about predicaments in life
91. The 20-20 hindsight that helps us learn from past situations that we couldn’t see clearly enough when we were in the moment
92. Forgiveness
93. The steadfast love of the Lord
94. Undeserved faithfulness
95. Amazing promises that will be kept
96. Hope for the future
97. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for the salvation of all who accept it
98. The guidance of the Holy Spirit
99. The Bible to help grow our relationship with God
100. Prayer, to communicate with our Maker

Thankful List 2010

Here is the annual list of things I am grateful for (you will note that the copy/paste issues that resulted in some of the formatting goof-ups are NOT on the list). Some are silly, some are very serious. Consider writing your own list - it might just make you smile!

1. Friends, new and old
2. Safe travels, which I can never again take for granted - even on short trips - with all the crazy driving that goes on in Waukegan
3. Decent health
4. Apartment fitness room, to help me work on #4

5. Nice apartment with good landlords and maintenance staff
6. Limpio cleaning service, who keep the complex looking great and also extracted all the water from our place during the fire sprinkler flood
7. Game night! It’s good to have something fun to look forward to each week.
8. Halloween decorations – they make me smile
9. My kitty – Walter is such a great little buddy
10. My ’05 Vibe, which has been a most welcome vehicle change. Haven’t regretted the switch even once since we got it in January!
11. The walking paths near our apartments
12. The water fowl that frequent the ponds along the walking paths
13. The crazy and oh-so-interesting black squirrels I see around home and work on occasion
14. The silly chipmunks that entertain around our complex
15. Harvest Bible Chapel, our home for great serving, worshipping, and teaching
16. Our Harvest small group Bible study, which takes a huge church and makes it a family
17. Ice Cream. It does a body good (in at least some ways)…
18. My fabric steamer, because I hate ironing but don’t want to look like a hobo
19. Our washer and dryer. It is SOOOO nice not having to pay to do laundry anymore! 20. Great memories to cheer and encourage me in the tough times
21. Plans, hopes, and dreams to give me something to work toward
22. A buyer’s market for our ongoing first home search
23. The MLS listing search engine with many criteria to make the house hunting easier
24. Our nice realtor, who has been very helpful and honest
25. Robbie Gould, who is a great kicker for the Bears as well as an animal lover
26. The lower gas prices near my job
27. A good full-time job
28. Great co-workers
29. PTO (paid time off)
30. Finally getting to ride Giant Drop on the 4th or 5th attempt (it broke down every time we got in line prior to that)
31. That Ryan’s horrible cell phone is finally eligible for a free upgrade, because his current one doesn’t ring when I call him half the time
32. The efforts of Dr. Kelly Crowdis and Christian Veterinary Mission in Haiti
33. The efforts of thousands in Intervarsity Christian Fellowship
34. Cuddle time with my husband
35. The Harry Potter books and movies, which provided me with lots of entertainment this year
36. The Waukegan Public Library, for lending me some of #35
37. The beautiful (or at least impressive) view I get of Lake Michigan on my way to work each morning
38. Coupons. I use them to justify buying #17 and other fun things.
39. My spacious kitchen, which is very fun to bake in
40. Inside jokes like “licking knives” and “Buford”
41. Funny real-life stories that you can’t help but re-tell over and over
42. Camping trips
43. Warren Dunes
44. Family – somehow you never realize just how special and helpful they are when you’re with them
45. My adorable niece and nephew and their sibling on the way
46. My wonderful, loving husband, who tries very hard to make my life easier
47. Our Heavenly Father
48. The Holy Spirit
49. Jesus Christ, who sacrificed himself so we could be saved from our sins and prayed that we would have peace
50. The hope of Heaven

Anniversary Memories

Ryan and I both agree that our first year of marriage seemed to go by very fast. Perhaps that's because it was such a busy year! Nobody is perfect, life is hard, and we've had our tough moments, but God has really been faithful to us this year, as always. I am very fortunate to have such a patient and loving husband.

We celebrated by going to a wedding. (Guess that's the risk you take when you get married on a Friday to save money and therefore be able to invite more people. We wouldn't change that for anything, though.) I guess Chris Orme and Beth Randa decided our wedding day was so great that they picked the same date for theirs. The weather was gorgeous! I missed the ceremony because I had to work, but I presume it was lovely. It almost felt like cheating to be treated to a free wedding meal for our anniversary. The food was GREAT! And red velvet cake is one of my favorites!! The bride was glowing and gorgeous and the groom was grinning and dapper. IV memories were recounted with friends. The dancing was varied in styles and quite fun. Twas a great time.

On Sunday, we headed up to Lake Geneva and took in a Dancing Horses and exotic bird show. (Ryan surprised me with tickets.) I've been to Lippizan shows before, but this was totally different. Can we say, "horse and exhibitor person in glow-in the dark flame costumes"?!! And that was just one scene. A scene in which we got dirt kicked all over us by the horse. It was pretty cool. Another highlight was a mini horse named Harley who performed to "Bad to the Bone". They put a spikey costume on him and teased his mane all crazy. Half of it was him stubbornly refusing to do stuff, it was funny. We also stalked their many farm and exotic animals/babies with my camera for quite some time (see my FB pics). We dined on wonderful German fare (a tradition from the honeymoon) at a tiny local place. We got nice comments all day on our "I love my husband/wife" coordinated shirts. Wisconsin people are so friendly. Then we hung out at our resort and enjoyed the pool and hot tub.

Monday started with a delicious meal. A man at the table next to us (his voice sounded like a toned-down "Mater" from Cars) saw us holding hands and said "Did y'all just get married, or are you divorced?" I responded "We got married a year ago!" and he said "And you still LIKE each other??!...... That's cool!" At which a lady at his table said, "Leave them alone! They're normal people!" Not so sure I'd go that far, but... After breakfast and a walk along the lake, it was time to pack up and head home. Now our wedding cake top is thawing (yay for it finally not taking up space in my freezer!!) and I'm looking forward to eating some of it!!

New Routine

So we moved into our new apartment in Waukegan a month ago. Not completely unpacked yet, but I'm not going to worry about it, as the remainder is mostly photos and other decor that can be gradually placed and hung. There are some distinct advantages to our new place. For example:
- extra room allows us to keep Walter's litter box OUT of our bedroom
- washer/dryer in unit allows for any day to be laundry day with no lines, no on-machine payment, and no "guess I have to live with this damp load of laundry because I don't want to pay for another drying cycle"
- fitness area has not one, but TWO functional elliptical machines WITH TVs ON THEM! (Work out AND watch hockey??! Yes, please!)
- only a 15 minute commute to work for me, and it shaved 10 minutes off Ryan's drive to work as well
- kitchen is amazing AND open to the rest of the place, so I can be in there and still interact with others
- Lake County taxes are lower than Cook's by far
There are also some disadvantages:
- we are farther from our Game Night buddies
- the most convenient location for basic household/grocery shopping is the Super WalMart for all of Waukegan and North Chicago. Not only is it part of the evil corporation, it is even more packed with LOUD people than I am used to, and with EXTREMELY terrible drivers trying to create high-speed accidents in the parking lot, and with all the WORST carts in the world even though they don't look very old (so far my best cart had a wheel problem that made it go wobble-clunk with every step and my worst one had my arms aching from fighting it as it constantly turned a hard left for no apparent reason. Ryan can attest to this.)
- it floods. Not the "it rained outside and the waters rose and came in" kind of flood. The "sprinkler system two floors up went on the fritz and we got the trickle-down" kind of flood. It was quite the Sunday evening, but nothing was damaged and the carpet seems to have survived after a couple steam cleanings. (It was brand new.)

So I'm trying to get into a new routine with sleeping, cooking, grocery shopping, laundry, and exercising. I'm sure I'll get into a rhythm about the time Ryan goes back to school for his master's at the end of the month. Routines don't last long, it seems! Regardless, I haven't allowed much time for blogging in there. Nor facebooking. If you really want to know what I'm up to, call me or something!

Working out in the nice facilities here needs to pay off fast. I'm hoping to be somewhat less flabby by the time we go camping in July so the dunes don't kick my butt when we climb them like they did 2 years ago. And I don't scare everyone in my bathing suit. The scale is a cruel thing...

I have tons more to chat about and no time to organize my thoughts and put them here. Contact me if you need our new addy.

GO HAWKS!!

Quote

Since its been ages since I posted, (working full-time and communting 1.5 hours a day does that) but I don't have time for much, I offer you a profound "Ryan-ism" quote from this afternoon:
"I was very much not awake when you were waking me up."
He's a keeper!

Thankful List

It's that time of year again. I intended to get this done before Thanksgiving, but I was only aboout 2/3 through it when we had to get on the road. Better late than never, I suppose. I am thankful for:

1. New nephew Zachariah
2. Niece Makenzie
3. A new little sis-in-law
4. Cozy apartment
5. Friendly staff in the rental office who actually remember who I am
6. The treasured but all-too-brief time after the snow plow destroyed the speed bump in our parking lot and before management replaced with one twice as big and then adding several more… Two re-alignments later, I truly miss those days!
7. Walter kitty, and all his entertaining antics!
8. Game nights
9. Bananagrams
10. That the Pandemic game isn’t real, because we’d all be very dead!!
11. That I wasn’t repeatedly out-voted and forced to play Settlers (and rob myself over and over as a result…)
12. Bubble Tea
13. Horse show for Valentine’s Day
14. First live Blackhawks game with Ryan – and they won!!
15. Great new queen bed
16. Delightfully soft and fuzzy new blanket for said bed (thanks, Andy!)
17. My car surviving another year (even though it took more $ than it is worth)
18. A good mechanic for my car
19. Great service department for Ryan’s car
20. Funds to provide for said car repairs
21. God’s provision of said funds
22. Unemployment benefits
23. The crummy economy, for forcing me to seek a better fit for employment
24. Various recipe websites to satisfy my culinary curiosities
25. My camera. We love stalking nature and Walter and such together.
26. Facebook. Because let’s face it – I’m terrible at keeping in touch and up-to-date without it.
27. Bargain milk prices at Costco and Aldi, because Ryan drinks a lot of it.
28. A new fan for the rabbit cage. Things were VERY stinky when the old fan died…
29. Harvest Bible Chapel’s great worship and challenging sermons
30. Our HBC small group. Their insights, accountability, and prayers mean so much!
31. InterVarsity Deep Retreat – so great to get involved in their ministry again.
32. The students and staff of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
33. Dr. Crowdis in Haiti and other amazing missionaries who give of themselves, to the glory of God, every single day
34. My Mom, for helping me re-arrange my apartment so there was actually room for Ryan and his stuff to move in
35. Jolie Images, for great engagement photos and wedding pictures
36. All the generous family and friends who traveled and/or sent well-wishes for our wedding
37. Our talented wedding musicians
38. Our bridesmaids and groomsmen
39. Our guestbook attendant and pseudo-usher
40. Fun pre-wedding celebrations (showers, bachelor/-ette parties)
41. Pastor Dave Learned, for his wonderful ceremony officiating
42. Joe, for taking on the role of videographer
43. Our fabulous DJ from An Enchanted Evening
44. Our dedicated parents, for their help and support through everything, but especially in helping our wedding be the perfect day
45. Everyone else who helped out with the wedding behind the scenes
46. That my grandparents were both healthy enough to come to the wedding
47. A delightful Cubs game victory with Mimi and Ken and Ryan in the bleachers
48. A wonderful Door County Honeymoon
49. Fun camping trip to Warren Dunes with the Matzes and Feuchts
50. Hawker-Heidner family Illinois State Fair adventures
51. Another evening at the Fire game (it was fun even though they lost).
52. The complete repaving of Wolf Road near us. SOOO much nicer than before.
53. Beautiful area parks for walks and photo opportunities
54. Having Ruthi in the area so I can occasionally hang out with and chat with another vet-nerd about the nuances of the suburbs and our profession
55. Fun trip to Shedd Aquarium with Ruthi
56. All my friends in both near and distant lands who haven’t written me off even though I never call them. Yes, you – don’t take it personally, I don’t call my other friends either… (I plan to work on that, though.)
57. Those special few who still chat with me on AIM. It’s a dying art now that texting is fashionable, but I refuse to pay to talk to people I could otherwise converse with in a very similar manner for free (as I’d pay for the internet anyway).
58. My printer surviving the monumental workout it got in preparing wedding invitations, the most detailed driving directions ever, programs, etc. (R.I.P. to my nice monitor, though… Not sure why it decided to die.)
59. Great vet techs to help keep me at least semi-sane at work
60. Having most of the Christmas shopping done and therefore feeling NO need to go get trampled in a Black Friday crowd
61. Decent insurance, even if it can be a hassle to get it to work…
62. Scoop Away. They stepped in when Tidy Cat abandoned their good formula. I should probably buy stock, as we go through so much of it!
63. My wonderful, high-tech, Rejuvenite foam pillow that really helps me sleep better and have less back and neck pain!
64. Coldstone Creamery, even though they keep going out of business near me
65. Krispy Kreme, even though they also keep going out of business near me
66. Dunkin’ Donuts/Baskin Robbins. I almost never go there, and if I do it’s for ice cream, but America must truly run on them because they are about 3-4 blocks apart around here and growing!
67. High-speed internet. Not sure how I would have done all the job searching and unemployment filing without it!
68. Once again this year, not having to turn our heat on until just a few days ago because our neighbors in the building all seem to want it to be toasty like India. (Too bad the gas billing isn’t by apartment, though…)
69. Modern plumbing. You know you’re thankful too, if you have it!
70. Parents who don’t constantly call or worry too much.
71. Good potential job prospects.
72. The quirky and random things in life, like how my nose runs when I wear makeup. (Does anyone else have that issue?!) Yet another reason not to! :-D
73. Not burning anything beyond the edible point so far when cooking this year (because my fingers and hands weren’t edible to begin with, so they don’t count).
74. Inside jokes like the Mexican Hat Dance, crying Eskimos, and countless Homestar references.
75. Being able to run around in PJ/lounge pants and fuzzy slippers like I live in the dorms again, even if I do get some odd looks from neighbors as I go down the hall to and from the laundry room.
76. Amusing elderly people, especially couples. Watching them shop together at the grocery store makes for good entertainment. (“Do we need more ____?” “No, it gives you gas!”)
77. Amusing toddlers in public places, especially the strange things they say/ask. You know - the ones who are probably embarrassing their moms, but aren’t really doing anything wrong.
78. People who properly use their turn signals. A dying breed!
79. The precious few who are smiling and not in a hurry when you’re out and about. They really help your mood!
80. A great Halloween party!
81. Ryan’s co-workers, who are an excellent way of getting rid of leftover treats that we should not eat
82. World Market. It’s like Pier One with way more food and other useful items!
83. UP! It’s rare for an animated movie to make me both laugh a ton and cry and even inspire me a bit.
84. Once again, wishcentral.com for how easy it has made gift giving/receiving
85. Softened Lake Michigan water – it may eventually leave orange stains in the bathtub, but it beats well water any day!
86. Good water pressure
87. Good health with no big medical problems for Ryan and I
88. A workout video that I can sometimes motivate myself to do, even if the instructor sometimes can’t count or properly tell right from left
89. Beautiful snowfalls, like the one outside as I type today
90. Real, honest conversations. They’re not necessarily easy or fun, but they MEAN something and can bring about better things.
91. The many, many prayers and offerings of encouragement during my job search
92. A new last name
93. My beloved husband, Ryan, for giving me his name and his solemn vow (even after 6.5 years with me to see all my bad sides)!
94. Instant access to warmth in my husband’s arms when I need it
95. The Lord’s patience with me as I struggle and often fail to learn what He’s trying to teach me
96. Jesus Christ, for his sacrifice that we all might have victory over sin and death
97. The Holy Spirit, for pointing me in the right direction (when I let it)
98. Freedom from fear when I am able to fully trust in Christ
99. The ability to change for the better when anyone dies to sin with Jesus
100. Hope for tomorrow

A Survey: Definition of a fight (and other silly things)

A fight. An argument. When we hear these terms, different images and situations are brought to each person's mind. This was brought to my attention recently, when I found out my definition of a fight (any time two people disagree on something, or there are hurt feelings, in a way that causes distress to one or more involved parties) is a much broader one than Ryan's (all involved parties must be yelling, or it's merely classified as a "discussion"). I appreciated this difference and found it intriguing. To further explore the topic, I decided to poll my friends on what makes a fight a fight in their minds. Is it heated conversation or can it be silent hurt feelings? Does your definition require physical blows? Can it be one-sided? In short, what do you think of when you hear "they had a fight"?

In other news, I have decided my bathroom scale hates me and likes to toy with your emotions. It keeps telling Ryan he's losing weight, even though he swears his belly is growing, not shrinking. Meanwhile, I work out 4-5 times per week and try to eat little to no junk food and it tells me I have lost nothing. I suppose there was the one time it told me I lost 2 pounds, but it added back a pound each of the next 2 times I checked (which was all within about 8 days, I think). If I step off and back on to ensure that the reading was accurate, it INCREASES the number. If I pick up a big pile of stuff and step back on, it doesn't change. Does anyone else (besides Garfield) have such a cruel scale? And yes, I do try to weight at the same time of day and all that... Perhaps I should just forget I even own a scale.

I think the most common things I say to the other living creatures in the apartment would probably seem wierd to "outsiders". For example, the rabbit most commonly is addressed with: "Bunny-Boo, are you still alive?" When directed at Walter, it is frequently "Stop being a TURD/PEST!" (Second only to "Hello, little buddy!") The most common comment he gets from others is invariably something about his large girth... I'll spare you the sappy things I typically say to Ryan. We frequently ask each other "Howsa your day?" Do you have anything wierd you say that seems normal only to members of your household?

The big interview in McHenry is on Thursday the 5th, so I hope you can all be in prayer for me and Ryan about that! Thanks! Okay, that's it for me today.

Time to Re-Focus

So I know I haven’t blogged in a long time. I can’t claim being too busy as my reason, as I’ve had more free time than I know what to do with on most days recently. Of course, there are always many things a person SHOULD do with their free time (clean, re-organize things, find ways to improve themselves, help out others, etc.) but I, as I think most people would, have to confess that much of the time was spent watching TV and manically sucking up every morsel of information on Facebook. It was fun, to some degree, but at the peak of my really lazy days I was pretty depressed. I’m trying, however, to be wiser with my time lately. That is partly because our small group is studying “I Really Want to Change, So Help Me God” and partly because it was becoming plain that things needed to change in me anyway.

I guess a real update is in order, so here’s what’s been up with me lately. I’ve been doing a lot of job searching. It has been an emotional roller-coaster process, as there is so much to dread (crappy job market with few openings and fewer interviews, my own inexperience, not wanting to take a job for the wrong reasons, not wanting to forget everything I’ve learned, the USPS failing to deliver my resumes…). I have gotten my hopes up and had them crushed, felt like I let others down, and questioned every step. However, I can be grateful for my time of unemployment for several reasons. First, it has allowed me to get back to working out on a regular basis, which has been a healthy move I previously allowed time restrictions to crowd out. Second, I have time to search for and try new recipes, which is something I generally enjoy a lot. Third, it has given me more time to focus on starting my marriage to Ryan off on the right foot. Finally, it has allowed for a lot of self-examination and re-focusing. That has been very important, as I saw far too much me and not nearly enough Christ in my assessment. Not that this will ever NOT be the case, as life is (at best) a slow and steady growing in Christ-likeness, but I wasn’t really STRUCK with it for some time and finally owned up to being in quite a spiritual rut. God is pulling me out of it now that I can see I’m in it and care to ask for His help.

Some brief highlights of the last few months: Late August found the Hawkers and Heidners having a ball at the State Fair. September brought the Drake-Giordano wedding and a nostalgic trip to Champaign. In other news, my nephew (Zachariah Scott) was born on October 5th! I tried to put up his photo, but that kept crashing IE... He's such a cutie. We’re looking forward to meeting him soon, when we’re near Bloomington for the IV Deep retreat. October also brought a fun trip to Shedd Aquarium with Ruthi (see my pics and video on FB). The month will finish up with a Halloween party (if I didn’t already invite you, feel free to come, just let me know to expect you!), which I’m very excited for.

Ryan had a decent first session of the year at school (with the expected ups and downs) and just started teaching the second session today. He’s playing volleyball on Saturday mornings at church while I volunteer to help the building services staff. Walter continues to be a pest and best little furry buddy. The incredibly ancient rabbit, Gwennie, is finally starting to show some weaknesses, especially in his left hind leg. I hope to find a job soon for many reasons, but especially because I don’t want him to suffer, and it looks like he’s headed that way soon.

On the job front, I have finally have another potentially promising lead, so prayers for God’s will in my hopes for an interview and offer are appreciated. Hope you are all well!

Everywhere You Want To Be

Please take this post as light-hearted. I'm genuinely a bit amused by these predicaments.

No, it's not Visa. In fact, Visa is not even accepted at the Cook County Vital Records office. Found that out the hard way when picking up copies of our marriage license. Although they accept checks through the mail for these documents, they also won't take checks in person in the office. Talk about arbitrarily random. And I even tried to look this payment info up online and couldn't find it. Sad. They'd rather you got unpleasantly surprised at the desk and were then forced to get cash from their ATM and pay the $2 fees. They probably get a decent cut of that fee, eh?

I propose instead that what REALLY is everywhere I want to be of late is ROAD CONSTRUCTION. Now, I'm completely understanding of the vast majority of these projects, especially Wolf Road. When the "Rough Grooved Surface" signs went up on Wolf, we actually noticed a vast IMPROVEMENT in the smoothness of the trip in many spots. (Yes, the pot-holes and bumps were so bad that having the top layer "road-gobbled" off actually did a lot to smooth things out.) This is going to be a good thing when it's done. However, I'm literally surrounded right now. Palatine, 21, Wolf, River, 294... I have no path I can take that isn't rapidly blocked or slowed by construction. Is this all related to something I heard on the radio about the trust funds to repair our roads likely running out soon? Who knows, all I know is I'm seeing a TON of construction. And yes, I know "construction" is a season in IL. I'm used to that, but this is way closer to home than usual. And on all sides!

In other news, Ryan has his first day with students tomorrow. Poor guy is already stressed. I continue to send out resumes. No promising responses yet. Oh well, it gives me time to run all over the place getting my name changed. So far it's not a terribly painful process, just time-consuming. Also, the exact order in which to do all the different parts of it is unclear. I think the painful part will be paying for the new car title. That old thing keeps finding new ways to cost me money!! We repaired Ryan's car 3 times in various ways over the last few weeks. Mine still needs more repairs, too. Guess they'll wait awhile. Luckily, I haven't gotten an emissions letter since moving to the suburbs, so I can put it off. Silly oxygen sensor. And I couldn't even take my car in to cash for clunkers if I wanted to - it doesn't qualify by ONE whole MPG (according to the gov't website, not MY calculations). Not that I want to take on a new car payment right now anyway.

In closing, I think talking about swine flu / H1N1 in the non-medical media should be outlawed for at least 2 weeks. For goodness sakes, it's just like the regular flu except for the strain typing! Nothing special with virulence here, folks!! It's only devastating in those with other issues, so if you have other medical conditions, be extra careful. If you don't, use good hygiene. If you're sick, don't share it - stay home. END OF STORY. I'm tired of the hype. And articles freaking out about the vaccine that can't even spell "adjuvant" correctly... Yes, this issue needs a rest.

Okay, time for bed. Hope you are all well!