I Swear I Remember How to Blog and Other Dreams

I was debating on how to jump back on the blogging train {link-up? book review? a post pretending I've been blogging regularly for the past three weeks??}, and then Natalie posted/hosted a Quick Just Because Not So Serious Takes link-up, and it was fate. This is a perfect way to give y'all some updates and share some odds and ends without being weird...although this is me, so it may still end up weird. But you knew that when you clicked this link, so I don't feel too bad.

Item 1: I spent the first week of this month in the beautiful Bluegrass State with some of my dearest friends. AJ and I got to spend lots of quality time together, some of which involved the following:

• crack popcorn - I've never made that much crack popcorn in one sitting, but I'm proud to say there was nothing left the next morning. 
• wedding video - you know you're bosom friends when you spend a Friday night watching her wedding on the small screen. So cool.
• steak nachos with beer cheese - this is becoming a tradition for me to celebrate AJ's birthday. Saul Good's steak nachos with beer cheese is basically heaven on earth. We took a picture that night, but as good as that waiter was, photography wasn't his forte. 
•  Ale-8 - I had one for breakfast every day, and I regret nothing. 
• a surprise pregnancy announcement - AJ had her youngest son announce to me that "mommy has a baby in her tummy" and I put forth a great effort and did not scream with joy and delight.

I also got to visit my good friends Carla and Victoria, as well as attend a baseball game with my friend Rae. Rachel and I got to hang out {and eat the world's most delicious cheesecake}, and I learned two new games with some friends from church. I got to hold new babies and hug old friends. 

Basically, my trip was wonderful and I'm already planning my return trip. 

Item 2: Whilst reading the book I thought was the last on my doula list, I realized that a medical book published in 1987 wasn't going to cut it. So I emailed my director and she emailed back that I should find a different book. It just came in from the library, and much to my delight, it's only about 100 pages long {as opposed to the 400 page beast I was struggling through}. So I should be finished with this little book very, very soon!

Item 3: Speaking of doula stuff, Victoria and I started a FB group for all things birthing related. We want to be able to share articles and pictures and discussions that include words like "placenta" and "dilation" without frightening away half of our FB friends. If you'd like to join, let me know and I'll send you the link. 

this little girl is us

Item 4: My roommate moved out this weekend and my sister moved in! Words cannot describe my joy. Our home is clean and cozy and beautiful, and I'm trying to convince my sis to go with a black-and-white art theme in the living room. We'll see how that goes. 

Item 5: I'm reading The Book Thief as a part of Dahlia's book club, and we're meeting to discuss and to watch the movie next weekend. I'm a bit of a late start on this book, so here's hoping I can finish it in time!

That's it - all the Just Because Not So Serious Takes I've got. Enjoy your Tuesday, friends!

Finish This: Week Forty

Holy smokes, 2014 is almost over! 40 weeks into a 52 week year... my math brain doesn't want to work, but I'm confident that's a fraction that almost equals 1. Wow.

As is Wednesday's habit, I am linking up with the wonderful hostesses of Finish This: Nicole at Three 31, Jen at The Arizona Russums, Becky at The Java Mama, and Lisa at Coastlined.

I can change the world by glorifying Christ in my life. Jesus is the most amazing Person ever - He doesn't sweep into life dramatically {ok, the manger thing might have been a little dramatic} and turn it upside down; He moves into a heart and slowly but surely life is different.

The best career advice I ever received was dress for the job you want, not the job you have.

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I first fell in love with my bosom friend's son when I held him the morning he was born. Read about that {and my dog sitting adventure} in this post. 

That's all, folks! Leave some comment love, and see you next Wednesday. 

Finish This: Week Twenty-one

Linking up with Becky at The Java Mama, Lisa at Coastlined, Jen at The Arizona Russums, and Nicole at Three 31. Hop on over for some link-up fun!

The best mistake I ever made was not working seriously on my college application during Christmas Break, 2007. Because of my slacker habit, my application was rushed and probably sloppy and unimpressive. I did not get accepted as a freshman to our big university, so I went to the community {now full-fledged} college a couple miles from my home. It ended up being the best possible thing, because from that community college, I transferred to Berea College and I know that's exactly where God wanted me.

From this mistake, I learned that God's plans are so much better than mine, and that I can only see a teensy piece of His plans at a time. When I was working on my application in 2007, I never would have imagined myself going to a small school in the middle of Kentucky. I couldn't have foreseen the amazing relationships I'd forge with my bosom friend and my roomie and others. I wouldn't have believed you if you told me that in 2012, I'd cry many, many hot tears as I left part of my heart in Kentucky. And I would have laughed if you told me about all the crazy trips I'd take to visit friends and the trips they'd take to visit me. The moral of the story is, God's plans are WAY cooler than mine :)

When I'm anxious, I tell myself that God is sovereign and He's working everything out, and hey, remember that I don't know everything. Also, I text/chat/talk to my bestie, and then I go to Zumba class, because that makes everything better.

All I really want to do is oh boy. More details coming in the career vein. I'd love to be able to travel instantaneously, like Dorothy - click my heels, and bam! Not in Kansas, but Kentucky! Or Europe, or Mexico, or anywhere. I really want chocolate to become a calorie-burning superfood. I really want to pierce my nose, but only if I could take it out and have the hole be invisible. Sometimes nose piercings just don't fit the situation, so if I could have the advantages of both the piercing and non-piercing, that'd be bomb.
I must have interpreted this question as "what do you wish was invented?" so let me give you a few that aren't fictitious. I really want to read, all. the. time. I really want to call my friends {or better, travel to see them!} way more frequently than time commitments allow. I really want to vacuum out my car {hey, that might actually happen soon!}. I really want to hold babies {this should be happening soon, once I go through volunteer training at the hospital}.

There you have it! Join the link-up with your own post, or answer the prompts in the comments. See you next week!

Finish This: Week Twenty

Holy guacamole, Batman! We are at Week Twenty already!!

Linking up with Jen at The Arizona Russums, Becky at The Java Mama, Lisa at Coastlined, and Nicole at Three 31 to answer these fun prompts.

new image created by Becky!

My favorite recipe is crack popcorn to make myself, and my mom's enchiladas to enjoy without the work beforehand. When I'm a real live grown-up, I will attempt to make those enchiladas, but for now, I will just invite myself over when they're on the menu.

I believe in the grace of God to save me daily. I believe in long walks on the beach, wine recommended. I believe in Doctor Who. I believe in making my bed every day. I believe in dining outside whenever possible. I believe in friends and their ability to make me think more deeply about any topic of conversation. I believe in chai lattes. I believe in getting out of my comfort zone to make a difference. I believe in painted toenails. I believe in the ability of bosom friends to stay connected across 2,000 miles via a couple of phones.

I need to set boundaries when it's all work and no play. My tendency is to not turn away a job opportunity {babysitting or tutoring, etc.}, but I'm realizing that things that are important to me are actually important, and so I'm making them more of a priority.

I began living when I started watching Doctor Who. Just kidding! Life really began when I got serious about my relationship with Jesus around age 12. On a practical note, I realized I was an actual adult when I moved into my own place with my bestie.

There you have it! If you want to join this link-up fun-sesh, you can add your link on Nicole's blog or finish these prompts in the comments.  Thanks for coming!

Not Alone Series: Marriage

Welcome, friends! Today's link-up is brought to you by Jen at Jumping in Puddles and Morgan at Follow and Believe. If you want to join the fun, add your post to the link collection!

Most of us feel called to the vocation of marriage, but what exactly are you attracted to? What have you seen in others' marriages that you would embrace or would do differently {from married friends or parents}?

Continuing with the honesty theme, I'm just gonna let it all out. Marriage appeals to me the most because it means there's always someone with me. Hi, my name is Bek, and I'm a 9.5 out of 10 on the Extrovert Scale. Plain and simple, having a forever-partner sounds delightful, and I'm excited for that season of life to start.

When I first read today's prompt, what came to mind was favorite aspects of my friends' marriages. If it's not too cheesy, I'd like to share some favorites with you now.

First, the marriage that has directly affected me the most: my parents'! Mom and Dad have been married for almost 27 years, and what I love about their marriage is how they respect and honor each other. My sisters and I complain sometimes about how often we'd hear "go ask your mom" and "go ask your dad" after already speaking to the other parent. Frustrating as a kid when you want to go ride bikes, but as an adult, I realize how much my parents wanted {and still want} to prefer one another.

my cute parents

My paternal grandparents were married for 60 years and a few weeks before my grandpa passed away. I wrote about their marriage on what would have been their 61st anniversary, and I'll summarize my favorite part of their marriage was how they took care of each other. Grandpa always was looking out for Grandma, even when the Alzheimer's took away much of his understanding. And of course Grandma took care of Grandpa as his mind was further and further lost. What incredible examples!

My maternal grandparents just celebrated their 61st anniversary this year {my grandparents were all married the same year, actually only a month apart!}, and I've shared some of their hilarity from when I lived with them. What I love about their marriage is that they are always laughing with each other. After 61 years, my grandparents still flirt with each other and amuse each other. I'm looking forward to laughing with my husband someday.

My bosom friend AJ and her husband D are pretty awesome. I basically lived with them on the weekends for a couple years, and what I love about their marriage is how they really enjoy being together and doing things together. Whether it's going to Wally World or playing Skip-Bo, AJ and D really love being together; they are really good friends as well as spouses.

These are just a few things I admire about my friends' and family's marriages, and once I get married, I'll probably do a post about faves from my own marriage :)

Not Alone Series: Marrieds + Singles

Linking up with Jen at Jumping in Puddles and Morgan at Follow and Believe for today's Not Alone Series!

We've been hearing a lot that "married people and single people can't relate to one another." What is your perspective on this? In what way can we bridge the gap between marrieds and singles?

While I have heard this sentiment expressed before, I've never agreed with it. Um, hello, married people were single before they were married. Just saying! 

I'm trying to say this delicately... friendships require effort, and just because something changes in one friend's life does not mean the whole friendship has to change or end. The friendship may shift and activities may change {no more "Princess Diaries" marathons at 1am}, but hopefully the bond of friendship is strong enough to adapt to this change.

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I'm going to compare marriage to moving, since I have plenty of experience with moving but none with marriage at this point in life. When I moved from the Pacific Northwest to Kentucky for college, my friendship with Samara {my bestie} changed. We didn't see each other at church every week, we had to coordinate phone calls a bit better {three-hour time difference, how I loathe thee!}, and when we talked or chatted {gmail chat, how I love thee!}, we had to give a bit more back-story sometimes because we weren't as familiar with the ins and outs of each other's lives. Our friendship changed because our situation {ok, my situation} changed. And you know what? I think it made us value each other more. We were forced to be more intentional with connecting with each other, and I think that really grew our friendship. 

Samara and I are an example of single friends with a situation changing some of the dynamics of our friendship. On the flip side,  AJ and I have been friends since 2010, and I've only known her as a married woman. There are some things I can't relate with {having 4 kids}, and some parts of my current story are no longer parts of hers {college life, back when we first met}, but we are still bosom friends and our friendship is as close as the 2,500 miles between us will allow. 

So how do we bridge the gap? Focus on being a good friend. Friends connect with each other {hello, perks of technology!} when they can, and they are understanding when schedules or home demands require flexibility. Friends are thoughtful, considerate, and make each other feel loved. If we can be good friends no matter our marital status, our friendships will continue to be awesome :)

{I'm working on a blog swap with my friend Yvonne! Next Wednesday we are swapping blogs to share our thoughts about growing and maintaining friendship as adults - hope to see you there!}

Surprise!

Alright, here it is! The promised post of How Bek Surprised Her Bosom Friend For Her Birthday, or I Can't Believe Bek Kept Her Big Mouth Shut For Six Weeks, or Golly, Bek Travels A Long Way to Dye Her Hair. Any of those titles are appropriate, so please feel free to pick your favorite and keep that in mind as you read. Also, I'm sorry this is so text-heavy, but since it was a surprise, I didn't trust myself to take any pictures.

The general scheme was that I would go to Kentucky to surprise AJ for her {early} birthday. Her husband and I messaged on Facebook concerning dates, and then he brought Rachel into the loop as back-up. In the middle of January, I bought my ticket. Great flights, great price, and a great challenge in terms of keeping my mouth shut. As Sherlock would say, the game is on!

Right after I bought my ticket, our office saw a sprinkling of snow. Ugh. I mean, snow is pretty and everything, but not when you're at work and can't go out to enjoy it. Or when you know that nobody knows how to drive in the snow, so traffic will suuuuuuck. So I texted AJ "is your guest room ready?" Her response: "Do not do this to me. Yes it is ready anytime." I laughed like a maniac and texted her back "it's snowing here, so I thought I'd just come to visit. Or we could just meet in Mexico." Hardy har har, Bek. Cruel and unusual.

A couple weeks later, we had a phone date. Greatest challenge ever. But my maniac persona was back, and when AJ told me that they'd had snow on the ground for the past 4 weeks, I proclaimed, "And that is why I don't visit you in February!" I know, my friend-card should be revoked.

Finally, a few days before I left for the Bluegrass State, I texted AJ that "I think I know what I'm going to get you for your birthday" and "I should have it in the mail this week!" Such. A. Tease. But at least I wasn't the only one, because AJ's husband had started hinting at a surprise later in the week.

February 20th started early-early for me, but thankfully everything went smoothly. I gate-checked my bag, so I only had to worry about my backpack. Besides the bouncy guy next to me {whom I promptly told him where he could move his leg...in a really kind voice, I promise}, the flight to Detroit was uneventful. Once I landed, I had a couple hours to walk around and get lunch before my next flight. I got a phone call from an 800 number, but didn't want to deal with whatever they were selling, so I ignored it. Turned out it was the airline telling me my flight to Lexington had been cancelled. Ugh.

Long tedious story {involving several phone calls, barely containing tears of frustration, waiting in line for half my life, running back and forth across the Detroit airport, frantically texting several friends, and trying not to raise my voice} short, I ended up flying into Louisville instead of Lexington. A nice older gentleman offered to share a cab with me {and pay for it all, might I add!} to the Lexington airport, and Rachel the Superhero picked me up there.

Several hours after I had originally planned to be heading to AJ's house, Rachel and I were on our way. Just outside of town at a quarter to 10, I texted AJ: "Hey, are you still up?" Of course she was - her hubs was keeping her up so that she could be surprised! Via text, I asked her if we could have a quick phone date because there was "a situation" I wanted to talk over with her.

Rachel turned off her car's lights and parked in front of AJ's house. I jumped out of the car and tried to keep my voice calm and quiet, even though I was totally shaking with excitement. I pressed the call button. Here is our conversation, word for word, according to my adrenaline-infused memory.

AJ: "Hey, what's up, friend?"

Bek: "Hey, well, I've got this problem. I've had a really, really long day {true!} and I was wondering if you could do me a little favor..."

AJ: "Sure, I'll try." {I'm sure she was wondering what on earth she could do for me 2,500 miles away!}

Bek: "Could you come open your front door?"

briefest of pauses...

AJ: "WHAT?!?!!?" and I hear her running across the living room. Her hubs got this picture of the action.

The front door flew open and AJ was crying and laughing and asking "Why are you at my house?!?!" It was a glorious moment.

so happy to have arrived and to actually surprised my bosom friend!

{please note the furry dog head in the bottom-right corner...I don't just carry around towels for kicks}

There was much rejoicing and Ale-8 drinking and laughing, and even though we tried to wake AJ's oldest, he was just too deep in his REM cycle to be bothered with saying hello. He told me in the morning, though that "I wanted to say hello, but my body didn't want to!" So precious.

While in Kentucky, AJ and I went shopping both with and without her kids; we dyed each other's hair {it's a tradition}; we baked cookies, stayed up way too late, went to church, zumba'd in her living room, visited her sister, started a new tradition of beer cheese nachos, and generally had an awesome time being in the same state.

It was a most wonderful visit, and I'm so glad that I was able to go and that it was a real live surprise {lots of people, myself included, doubted whether or not it would be a surprise}. Happy birthday, AJ! You are the best bosom friend ever, and I love you lots!

Blog Every Day Feb: Day Twenty-one - Home

Linking up with Bailey Jean for February's blogging challenge!

The meaning of HOME. Well, once again Bailey has perfect timing, because by now the surprise is done: I'm in Kentucky, my Other Home! My bosom friend AJ's birthday is next week, so I flew out to surprise her. This really deserves its own post, but since the subject is home, I thought I'd share :)

Home is wherever you're a part of a family. I consider Seattle my home because my biological family and church family are here; I consider Kentucky my other home because my non-biological family and church family are here.

Home is where you are welcome no matter what time and no matter what situation. Home is the place of unconditional love and acceptance. Home is the anchor that keeps you grounded and in the right place.

Home is wherever the Lord has called you. Home is where there's grace. Home is where there is rest.

Blog Every Day Feb: Day One - My Story

Welcome to February and the Blog Every Day in February challenge! Here's the link from Bailey Jean so you can add your own {hint hint}.

Let's start at the beginning...waiting for the chorus of "the very best place to start" to ring out from the hills. See what I did there?

Like most children, I was born. :) And then my sister was born. And then my next sister was born. And then my next sister was born. And that is how the Fabulous Four came to be. Watch out, Washington!

My parents homeschooled us and I was also involved in a co-op for a few years. Childhood consisted of ballet lessons, bike riding, and book reading {wow, alliteration *pats self on back*}. The summer before 6th grade, my family moved to an island. This was a challenging time for me, as is common for adolescent girls. I didn't know too many other girls experiencing this, though, since after a couple of years on the island, the friends I thought I'd made turned out to not be true friends. 

Cue lifelong best friend. Enter Samara. Yes, we've been best friends since 6th grade :) 

After a couple more years of homeschooling, my parents heard the Lord that we were supposed to move back to the mainland and enroll in my church's private academy. In my teenage wisdom, I refused. And in my parents' wisdom, they ignored me. 

I entered 10th grade awkwardly. Samara was the only person I knew beyond a name-only basis, although I had grown up in Sunday School with the majority of my classmates. Also awkward: there were 2 other girls besides Samara and me, and then 8 guys. Culture shock, anyone? {For those doing the math, yes, that is a sophomore class of 12 students. Did I mention that this school is really small?}

However traumatic those first few months were, I survived. High school eventually became fun and enjoyable, and those stranger-classmates became good friends. Yes, there were ups and downs, but I think that there were more ups. 

senior ladies with just one month before graduation!

Senior year required a thesis paper {25+ pages} on "God's calling for your life." Gulp. I've always been the person who loves a schedule, a plan, the details spelled out. If God and I could sit down and He could tell me the story of my life, I would fill out my calendars in permanent marker and then go on living happily. Unfortunately for us Type As, that's not always how it works, and so I wrestled and cried and struggled and prayed and cried some more. And then God gave me an answer, and so I wrote my thesis. 

Ballet had still been a part of my life throughout this time, and I wanted to keep dancing, but in a different capacity. The answer to my thesis question and the direction of my life at the time was to go to school for physical therapy and then use ballet as therapy for children. This encompassed all my loves of dancing, children, and running a business {and it filled twenty-five pages quite nicely}.

Before I started college, though, I wanted to solidify my relationship with Jesus. My church offered the Master's Commission as a discipleship, leadership, get-to-know-Jesus 11 month school, and I filled out the application nervously. I'd seen "MCs," as students were affectionately referred to, all my life, and I was anxious about what would actually be in store for me.

MC Class of 2007-08

My year in Master's Commission was one of the hardest and best of my life {up to that point}. My 23 classmates and I grew to love Jesus in new ways, and we also grew to love each other. We toured the country in the summer of our year, and that trip is still one of my fondest memories. 

After Master's Commission, I started college. My first two years were spent at a community college {that turned into a four-year college while I was there}. Instead of taking the route of many of my friends and classmates and transferring to the University of Washington {or U-dub as it is called by locals}, I chose instead to go to Berea College in Berea, Kentucky. 

Berea was amazing. My roomie and I really hit it off, and we actually compiled a list of reasons God made us room-mates. Catherine and I chose to stay roomies for our second year, and I'm so grateful for our time together. She and I were both transfer students from out of state, had both been homeschooled, and were both older than the huge flock of freshmen with whom we went through New Student Orientation. 

old people surrounded by freshmen

While attending Berea, I went to church in a nearby town. My church back home was connected to a local church, and so there were a few families who adopted me on the weekends and let me get out of the dorms and back into a family structure for a few days, and I am so, so grateful for both the chance to get off campus and for the relationships with those wonderful people. AJ is my bosom friend from Kentucky, and her family considers me one of their own. So blessed by all of them!

some Kentucky family!

Class of 2012!!

After earning my B.S., I moved back home to Seattle. My parents wanted to hire me at their company, but wanted me to get some experience first. So after a summer at home, I flew to the Frozen Tundra to live with my grandparents and work at an internship. Laurie is my wonderful friend from that experience, and she and I have had some wonderful adventures together {including the thrill of being in the same ice skating rink room as Kristi Yamaguchi as well as the joy of seeing The Lion King on stage.}.

In March 2013, I finished my internship and moved back home again.And then in July, after travelling to Nicaragua, I moved into my own condo! Samara is my flat-mate and the past 6 months {our six month anniversary is on the 3rd!} have been awesome. 

As I type all of this up, I realize that there are so many more facets that could be included, like my passion for the preborn and my volunteering at a crisis pregnancy center, or the way I crochet like an old lady, or my obsession with British television, or that time I dyed the lower half of my hair purple-that-turned-pink, or the way that my sisters and I get together and sit around the table and just laugh the night away. But since this post is already one of the longest I've written, I guess more of this story will have to come later. Feel free to do some stalking reading of earlier posts, and do please say hello if you're here from Bailey Jean's link-up. Until tomorrow!

So Many Sticky Notes

Remember how I wrote on Friday about how busy and productive this weekend was going to be? Well, the good news is, I was productive. The bad news is, some things didn't go as planned, so the to-do list is still long.

                                                     via

Sunday was Curtain Day. Samara and I had scheduled a time to go to Target, buy curtain rods, pick out curtains for the front window, and come home to install. Unfortunately, we made a mistake that you really only make once in your lifetime before you learn: we didn't check the size of the curtain rods, so we got the wrong ones. Sigh. The worst part? We didn't realize this until the hardware was drilled and hammered and screwed into the wall. Double sigh.

Thankfully, Target is AMAZING and let me exchange the curtain rod without the hardware. Thank you, Target!!! So last night I made a quick trip out there and made the switch {sounds like a drug deal, or is that just me?} and now we have curtains for our slider! Woot!


You may have seen this via Instagram, but it's too cool not to share! Finally we have curtains!

Tonight we are exchanging and installing the other rod, so stay tuned for pictures.

Also tonight: Season 4 finale of Doctor Who. Sob. I don't know how to handle saying goodbye to David Tennant as the Doctor.

via

Let's just say that if you hear crying tonight, it's the sound of my heart{s}. Gah.

Moving on to happier times.

Yesterday I had a phone date with my friend Shaina! We have not talked in literally over a year, but we are planning on cutting that time down to 6 months next time. So good to talk with her.

Tomorrow night = phone date with AJ! So excited! We are bosom friends, in case you didn't know. There is much rejoicing whenever we are together, either on the phone or especially in person. MUCH rejoicing.

Alright, I think that just about covers life right now. Well, you know. The highs and lows.

Until we meet again... :)

Funny Friday...Not

I'm sitting here working on a mind-numbing task, searching in my brain for something funny I can share on Friday, and sometimes you just gotta give up the goat. Don't ask me where the goat comes from or where it's going once you give it up, but just give it up. Let that goat go.

and now we're into awkwardness....

In other news, I've had two phone dates with two different friends this week, and as usual, it's so great to talk to my friends! AJ and I got to chat this past weekend, and golly do I miss her! While it was good to see my Kentucky friends in Nicaragua, it made me miss her even more!!!

Last night, Laurie, my friend from the Frozen Tundra, and I had a great talk. She's going to Colorado this week, so I got to tease her about smoking weed. Payback for all those references to Washington's pot laws! But all pot aside, Laurie is a great friend, and I'm so grateful for her. Hopefully she can come out for a visit in a few months, which will be magnificent and awesome.


Didn't I promise you a review of "Warm Bodies"? I've been listening to the soundtrack for a few days {really, a great soundtrack!} and am feeling inspired both to watch it again and to write about it. So here goes, with full disclosure: it's been a while since I've seen this film.

                           source

I like that this film is pretty clean. There's maybe two gruesome scenes, and they don't last that long. And then for the *ahem* scenes, I think the previews showed the most graphic part, and it wasn't bad.

Again, the soundtrack was pretty awesome. There are a few songs that I just keep listening to over and over, because they're just fun. Oh, and did I mention that R has a record player? Totes awesome.

The sarcasm and humor in this film is so perfect. My sisters and I were cracking up basically the whole movie.

I don't do zombies, and this was not a zombie movie. They explained things pretty well for us non-fans-of-zombies {not like there was a ton to explain}.

Love story? Check. Humor? Check. Cute actors? Check {this one varies depending on which sister you ask, but hey, I'm writing this!}.

                      source
Anyway, this was a cute movie. If you're not convinced, come over after 9pm some night and watch it with my sisters and me.

Speaking of movies, November is shaping up to be pretty awesome, entertainment-wise! Let's review:

• Catching Fire 
• Ender's Game {which I promise I will read before I watch, Samara!}
• 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who
• Danny Boyle's Frankenstein {as a film, sadly} comes to my city

Pretty hopping!

I wish I had an appropriate conclusion, but I don't. Approaching drop-off zone. Ready. Go.

Happy Friday!

A Few Favorite Things

On the days that it's hard to regain consciousness wake up get out of bed, thinking of favorite things is necessary. And no more introduction is possible necessary because favorite things speaks for itself...and sings for itself. Sound of Music anyone??

moving on to this mystical list...

• Book Club tonight {we're reading Lady in Waiting and discussing it & it's FANTASTIC! a bit cheesy, but our discussions more than make up for that}
• good hair days...currently styling a ballet bun, which was surprisingly easy to put in {thanks, Mom, for those hundred years stabbing my head with bobby pins-4 is totes not a lot to this scarred scalp}
• birth stories...this is sorta weird, but I love reading or hearing birth stories, and last week I found a few good ones! Don't read if a) this weirds you out or b) you're in a quiet place like a library, because you will be LOL-ing for real on a couple of these. Camp Patton- Theo & Hysterical-Prepare to tinkle your pants
• trip planning! Dahlia and I are going to Prince Edward Island in August, and the other night we had a 2-hours-long conversation regarding this. Dahls is a champ and made an itinerary of our trip, and then we reviewed the things that needed finalizing and purchased things that needed purchasing, like tickets to these wonderful shows: Anne of Green Gables the Musical and Anne and Gilbert: the Musical. You can be jealous at any time now :)
• Introducing Sister E to Doctor Who...definitely a good thing! Gotta say, for being filmed in 2005, the first episode definitely has a 90s feel to it. Good ol' Britain! :)
• phone dates with AJ! Heck to the yeah, we're going to talk tonight! Maybe even use technology to see each other's faces...depends on how nice my technologically-advanced sisters are tonight...

And that, friends, are a few of my favorite things at this moment. Oh, add Taylor Swift to this list. She's totes adorbs, too. 

Happy Wednesday!

Funny Friday-Kentucky Children Edition

Now that my love for Kentucky is public knowledge {as in, written down. I don't think you can talk to me and not know that I love Kentucky}, I thought it only appropriate that today's Funny Friday showcase some of my favorite Blue Grass kids. So here goes.

Hello, my name is:
Last year, when AJ's daughter was 2, my name was "Bubekah" as opposed to "Rebekah." Now that this daughter is 3, I have graduated to "Ferbekah." Thanks, I'll be here all week.

Stop being cute!
AJ has twin nieces who are almost 3. They were playing outside and I was watching them, and I told them "D! L! Stop being so cute! Just stop it!" And they giggled and shrieked and said "No, you stop!"
Later I said, "D, you're being cute again!" and she responded "No, I'm not!"
Seriously, they just got cuter.

When you text your sister...
AJ's son A is pretty brilliant, and he is always coming up with future dialogues between me and my sister; he wants to make sure that I share these important phrases. Here's his most recent suggestion {quoted to the best of my memory}:
"When your sister texts you and when you're in Ohio {don't know when I'll be in Ohio, but just in case}, and your sister says 'let's go to the movies,' you should text her back and say 'okie dokie artichoke!'"


I'm sure there are more funny things that these adorable kids said, but I can't remember any more right now, so you'll just have to enjoy these stories. Happy Friday!

My Other Home

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People, I love Kentucky. Yes, there are stereotypes about the state and the people {what place doesn't have stereotypes!?}. Yes, there is humidity {I know, I'm a sissy}. Yes, there are street and city names that butcher their French origins {Louisville = "loo a vul" for example}. 

Seriously though, I would move there in a heartbeat. I love the people and the rolling hills and the cute little towns and the fun city and how close and how far everything is and the Ale-8 and the accents and even the humidity {sometimes!}. 

I guess you could say that I'm homesick.

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My friend AJ commented to me that I always get "Kentucky fever" when I visit, and it's true! My heart really is forever connected with Kentucky, and even if I never live there again, I will try and visit whenever I can. 

Guess that's all I have to say. Can't wait to go back again :)

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Funny Friday...on Tuesday

There is a method to this madness: I'm going out of town this weekend, so the odds of a Funny Friday post on Friday are basically nonexistent. But at least you get a laugh, and who doesn't need a laugh on Tuesday?!

So I'm heading to my Other Home tomorrow, partially to work and partially to play. It's going to be a fast, crazy trip.

My bosom friend AJ puts on the VBS skit each year, and this year the group needs medieval costumes. Coincidentally, my family has approximately half a million medieval costumes...ok, more like half a dozen, but try and put that bag of half a dozen costumes back into the closet and it turns into half a million. But this is a side note.

The point of this story is that I volunteered these costumes for AJ. She needs a knight, a monk, and a princess costume- check, check, and check.

It makes the most sense for me to pack these costumes and bring them with me on this trip; saves on postage, right? Right. So I'm packing my stuff last night {I know, I'm an eager beaver...ps, are beavers really that eager, or do people just say that because it rhymes? Like awesome possum? I've never met a possum that was truly awesome...but I guess they are awesome at playing dead...I've been on allergy meds for the past 48 hours- can you tell??} and even with my mad packing skills, I was apprehensive about fitting everything into my carry-on suitcase.

Suddenly, I had a BRILLIANT idea: I should wear the monk costume on the plane! So much space would be saved, both from not having this multi-layered brown frock in my suitcase, and from the clothes I wouldn't have to wear on the plane. I know. I'm a genius.

The best part of this story is telling AJ my plan.

I text her: great idea! I'm going to wear the monk's costume on the plane!
She texts back: You're going to get arrested.

Now, we are not discriminating against monks. Not at all. And I don't think TSA does either. In fact, I shared a plane with two Hindu {I think} monks on my way home from Texas. {This sparked another conversation with AJ about these monks' lunch boxes, which will be saved for another time.}

What might be odd or arrest-worthy is the fact that there are no girl monks...those are called nuns in the Catholic religion, and I don't know what they are in other faiths.

Oh. My. Word. I have a nun costume. And if I wore it, I would be a flying nun. Shut the front door.

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Too bad AJ doesn't need a nun costume. Guess I'll just stick everything in my suitcase and wear normal, non-monk or -nun clothing. Darn.

Funny Friday-Football Edition

First of all, I'm totally not into sports, but I do know that it is baseball season, not football season. Thank you. I am aware.

Alright, onto the story.

Background:
Previously in my life {Miranda reference, anyone?} my high school teacher told us stories of her Powder Puff Football games and how she was a beast at it in college. When I entered college, my knowledge of football covered these areas:

1. There is a game called football.
2. There is a version called flag football.
3. There is a version called powder puff football {does that remind anyone else of the Powerpuff Girls? No? Just me. Awesome.}

Seriously, that's it. I could identify a football and I know that the teams try to make touchdowns. They wear helmets and tights, and they play in the snow. 

Scene:

With this knowledge in my head, I went off to college. My school's football team has been undefeated since like the 1930s, mainly because we haven't had a team since then. Butforrealztho!

My lovely and kind friend texted me and said "Would you like to join our Fantasy Football team? We need one more player." 

I think to myself, well, why not? So I text her back: "I've never played before, but sure, why not?"

She responds: "Great! Just send me your email address and we'll get you set up!"

Email address? Why would she need my email address to play football? Probably to send the costume details...

Yes, friends. I thought that Fantasy Football meant that players dressed up as "fantasy" characters and played football like that. I imagined a field filled with Gandalf, Aslan, the Wicked Witch of the West, Tinkerbell, and other fantastical beings. Never in my mind did I equate "fantasy football" with "my imaginary team managed online and played against my friends' imaginary teams but the points are based on actual games by actual players." Nope. Never got that. Guess my years on stage got me hooked on costumes.

I think I'll leave you with that. You are probably correctly assuming that my friends and I burst out belly-laughing over that one. We still do, and you can laugh, too; it's ok. Have a good weekend!

Sisters, Gal Pals, and Bosom Friends, or more accurately, a sales pitch for Skype

Can we just all give a hallelujah shout out for sisters, gal pals, and bosom friends? I mean for real. They are the best.

I got to Skype with my baby sister last night...so fun. We gave each other tours of our rooms, made "the face", compared schedules, and laughed. It was good to see her face and hear her voice {another shout out is in order for Skype- can I get a witness!?}.

Then a gal-pal and I started chatting online. It's so great to be able to catch up and then go deep, or in our case, go deep and then catch up. :) We even set up another date so we can utilize Skype {helloooo, did you say hallelujah yet!?!?}.

And then my bosom friend AJ. I'm pretty sure that we laugh more than talk, but isn't that what bosom friends are for?? She showed me their new dartboard, which meant that she carried "me" up the stairs into the dart area. What a bestie. And she's learned to crochet, so holla! Oh, and we're gonna try to get her kids on Skype {if you're not praising Jesus yet, something is wrong with you!} for my birthday, so hooray!

anyway, this is a demonstration of the love i have for the above-mentioned people. let the ones you love know that you love them.....i give you permission to steal my idea and use Skype ;)

It’s Always Darkest Before the Dawn

Well, yesterday felt pretty dark, eh? True that. But you know what? God is still good, and He’s still the One in control, so why fret? {ps I think that “fret” is probably one of my favorite words to use.}

I found this lovely image yesterday and it is now my desktop.



It’s from the Kim Walker song {called I Surrender –shocking, ain’t it} off the album Here Is My Song. Check it out. It’s amazing. In fact, it’s so amazing that I’ll include a link to the youtube version. Be sure to check out the Spontaneous Song that goes with this one… more incredible, if that’s even possible.

So, in terms of life and stuff….

I’ve emailed some people at Bound4Life & JHOP-DC, and am waiting to hear back from them. Ironically, or not, the #shereadstruth for today was about Psalm 27 and waiting on the Lord. Why yes, that does seem to be a theme for me! God is so cool and funny and witty, even. Go, God!

Another happy note: I have a phone date with AJ!!!!!!!! Woot woot! I was so excited when I woke up this morning, and I get to talk to her in less than an hour! With the time difference, we had to coordinate around nap time and my work time, but we’re gonna do it and talk on the phone, but for realz!!! Ah. So excited.
Because of that phone call, I need to get dressed. No, she won’t be able to see me when we talk, but I have to leave for work right after our conversation, so I need to get ready now. Capice? Good. Peace out!

a bunch of random yumminess

idk what’s up with me sticking “yumminess” in this title. it just worked, ok?

so last post you got a glimpse of the craziness that was my life for like 2 weeks. whew! and this week….drumroll, please… I’m dog sitting. bam. stick in the mud right there. it’s actually kinda nice, though. I get to sit peacefully at home and sometimes throw a rope for a dog, sometimes take him outside to do his business, and other times just ignore him. ah, bliss.

ps for realz, I don’t ignore the dog. that would make me a bad dog sitter and that’s not me. I talk to him all the time. as in, please stop barking, or why don’t you go sit in the corner? or can you please stop barking? or want some dinner? or please please please stop barking!

you know. normal dog conversation.

um big news! my friend had her baby!!!!! he is so cute and precious and he scrunches up his face and looks like his big brother and when he’s sleeping and all you can see is his pudgy face he looks like his sister. and I have yet to see his eyes in person, but I've seen pictures, so I know they are there.

the cool thing is, my friend texted me like 30 minutes after, and I got to go to the hospital at 1am and see him and he hadn't even been cleaned off. he was just chilling like a villain, nursing away, and he was so there and so new and so perfect. it gave me chills.

yesterday {during the day time} I got to go see him again, and it was just him and mom and me for a while, and I just held him and it was amazing. I left the hospital feeling so humbled. crazy how such a little person has such power, eh?

the fam is heading home from the hospital today, so that’s awesome. the best part about him coming is that his expected due date wasn't for another week, so I get to spend an extra week with him! this makes me super happy, although I expect it will make leaving even more hard. but I’m not going to think about that- I’m just going to enjoy every second I have with this squishy-faced baby. :)

So much for THAT idea...

Well, readers, so much for writing 9 posts before tomorrow! :-p It's ok, though... I'll definitely have more than enough to write about once I make my move to school...in 20 days!!!!!

 I honestly cannot believe that in less than 3 weeks I'll be moving more than 1500 miles away to live for two years. Yes, I'll be back home for Christmas and summer, but that's still a long time! Thankfully, I'm already "in the loop" with a church family back there... thank God for facebook! The pastor and his daughter have made me feel most welcome, and I'm really excited for August 22nd, because that is the Sunday that I'll get to meet all these fabulous people that I've only seen on facebook and heard about through friends. 

Thankfully, I know 2 people already. They are Master's Commission students from this church, and I got to meet them just a couple weeks ago. I'm really excited to see them again, and to start this great adventure that God has planned for me!