Saturday Six

1. You know what's even better than a normal Saturday? The first Saturday of Spring Break! We are staying close to home this week with a few outings planned but that's it. I'm excited about a laid-back week at home with my people. I'm so grateful for a break from homework and driving and activities for one whole week.

2. Yesterday was the first day of spring and the arrival of some gorgeous weather. My friend and I hiked the Incline and it was the perfect day for it. I was so happy to be outside. This was one photo from our descent down Barr Trail. The sky was so blue and the fresh snow on the mountains was such a perfect contrast.

 And this was the view of Pikes Peak while we were driving to Manitou Springs. I never ever tire of this view.

3. Earlier this week, John and I snuck away for a dinner date. I stopped by the restroom before leaving and was mesmerized by this Make A Wish board on the wall by the sink. I stood there and read some of the wishes people had written and placed on the board and my tears fell. There are such deep hurts and needs in this world.

4. Our friend, Kara, is very much on my heart and mind these days. A few days ago I was grumbling about a task I had to do this week that was mundane and irksome.  As my thoughts/prayers turned to Kara, my attitude shifted. Just thinking about her life and the way she loves her family despite the hardship of cancer made me realize what a privilege it is to be healthy and able to serve my own family even in those mundane ways. I think the gift that Kara gives to all of us is simply the reminder to stop and take in the beauty of this life we've been given and to be fully present with gratitude. Her life is a blessing to all of us. I feel so very honored to know her. 

5. We have two birthdays to celebrate this weekend--John and Abbey! I took some giggly girls out last evening for some birthday fun and loved every minute of it. We have more celebrating to do today and tomorrow and I wouldn't be one bit surprised if Abbey finds a way to extend the fun beyond the weekend. Smile.

6. It's going to be another gorgeous Colorado spring day today and you better believe I'm going to soak up some warmth and sunshine and celebrate my people. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

SMP 3.11.15

SMP = Seven Minute Post (About the Beagle)

Every weekday morning after my husband and kids leave for the day, our beagle goes absolutely nuts. It's like "Hey, wait!!! Why are you all leaving me? What am I supposed to do now? {Panic} Oh, I know! I'll try to pull any remaining food off the countertop or the table or find something in the trashcan that I can eat. And oh, while I'm at it, I'll run all over the house. Running is my favorite."

Seriously, y'all. He goes NUTS. First he runs to the front window and whines while watching them drive away. Then he races to the kitchen and tries like mad to get things off the counter (and sometimes succeeds) and then he races from room to room and turns the trash bins over and strews trash all over the place.

Every. Single. Weekday. Morning.

I do not understand. After five to ten minutes of this, he finally calms down and is like a slug the rest of the day. It's the strangest thing. And it drives me crazy.

That dog.

I'm really not a dog person. But my family adores the dog and the dog adores his people. He even adores me though I pay him the least attention of anyone. He's a loyal creature and I could probably learn a thing or two from him.

March Currents

Current Read: I bought All The Light We Cannot See this week and am a few chapters in and already hooked. I've not had much time to read this week but I'm hoping to make some headway on that book this weekend! I'm also reading through Bread and Wine, my favorite Lenten devotional. John brought the other book home from work this week, I Tried Until I Almost Died, and am reading a bit of that here and there too. Since my last post, I've read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and I tried to read Ruby but had to put it down. I wanted to like it but it just felt too dark and oppressive for me.

Current Playlist: I wasn't kidding when I told you guys that I'm addicted to podcasts. That's mostly what I listen to, but I do find myself listening to this playlist a lot...

Current Color(s): I think red is my current favorite.

Current Food: I ran in Trader Joe's last week to pick up my staple items and ran into a friend while there. She turned me on to their brown rice/quinoa gluten free pasta. It's been my lunch every single day this week. Once drained, I stir in a spoonful of pesto and a spoonful of sun-dried tomatoes and top with some feta or parmesan and a sprinkle of pine nuts. SO good and so filling.

Current Favorite Favorite: I can't choose one! I'm smitten with Amazon Prime and my heated blanket from Costco. I'm equally smitten with my BEM portable speaker that John gave me for Christmas.

Current Addiction: Sugar. Two straight weeks of snow and cold made me want to hibernate and BAKE. Once I start eating sugar I really can't stop. It makes me feel terrible but it's so addictive. I have two sugar-free days under my belt and am hoping I'm back on track soon. Once you know how good you feel when it's not in your system, it's hard to not want to feel that good again.

Current Wish List: I really want a new bible. I have really nice NIV and NASB leather bibles but dug out my hardcover NLT (New Living Translation) last week and was RE-amazed at how easy it is to read and understand. The hardcover isn't my favorite plus it's starting to show it's age and wear so a leather-one is now on my wish list.

Current Need: It's a blessing to be able to say that I really don't need a thing. Except maybe a laundry fairy? Or a grocery-shopping fairy? I could use one of those.

Current Randomness: My friend and I came upon this yesterday on our hike. It's a carcass of some sort. I'm guessing a fox or a dog or a coyote, something with a tail because that's what the long part is at the top of the photo that her dog is sniffing. There was a lot of snow on our hike yesterday (drifts up to my knee) so something drug those bones there recently bc it was sitting on top of a lot of snow. We didn't see any tracks but we didn't linger long. I'm never afraid when I hike but that was a good reminder that humans share space with predators!

Current Triumph: I consider it a triumph that I haven't had a diet soda in eight months. Even better news is that I don't crave it anymore.

Current Annoyance: Oh y'all. My list is long but not sure sharing it is life-giving for me or you.

Current Blessing: I say this often but I am grateful for a strong marriage. It's not that we don't have ups and downs or hard times. We do. In fact, John and I have felt pretty disconnected from each other for the past couple of weeks. We made some time this week to talk it out and get things back on track. I am grateful for that. I'm grateful that at the end of every day he is still my closest friend and the one I want to spend the rest of my days with.

Current Mood: Content. Grateful. Happy.

Current Excitement: "Springing forward" this weekend. I'm excited about it staying light longer!

Current Project: I'm repeating my Great Closet Experiment that I did last spring. Basically, I'm trying to wear something different every single day and eventually wear every single item in my closet. From there, I'll either keep things or pass them on. I've finished one week and I've already gotten rid of a pair of jeans. It's a fun and different way to clean out a closet and to make sure that I'm being a good steward of my resources when it comes to buying clothes. To help me remember if I've worn something I started taking pics of my outfits. Here is week one, which doesn't include today because I am still in my pjs in my bed. I'm so proud of myself for getting dressed every single day this week in REAL clothes. Ha ha ha.

Current Link: I made this dairy-free version of Zuppa Toscana the other night and it was AMAZING! So delicious! I love it when I find healthier versions of my favorite recipes. This will go into regular rotation at my house.

Current Plans For The Day: Well, a couple of my kiddos have several places to be today so I foresee a lot of time in the car. I also need to do some grocery shopping and some laundry and I'm going to try like crazy to squeeze a nap and some reading time in there too. Happy Weekend, y'all!

Friday Five

1. I think this goes withouts saying but I am thrilled that today is Friday. Lately I've been trying to front-load my work week (borrowed that idea from a friend) so that I can enjoy a longer stretch of down time around the weekend. Down-time is a beautiful thing. Especially when you guard it fiercely and use it for things that fill your "cup" with life and joy and peace and happiness.

2. I went to see The Drop Box film a few nights ago. It was a limited engagement and I'm not entirely sure it's still playing in theaters but if you have a chance to see it, GO! It was a beautiful portrayal of the value of human life. You'll need tissues for sure.

3. I had a lengthy text conversation with my forty-something friends last week about the best anti-aging skin care products. We all have our opinions but I swear the secret to anti-aging--or at least to fewer wrinkles--is HUMIDITY. All of my friends and family in the south look so young and unwrinkled. I may live in the "land of perfect hair" (ha ha ha) but lack of humidity wreaks havoc on your skin, ladies!

4. I'm several weeks into this bible study with some ladies from my church. This is the third time I've started this particular study yet I've never finished the entire thing. I intend to finally complete it this time around. It's SO good and it lines up perfectly with some of the things I took away from the IF Gathering.

5. I just realized that every sentence in this list begins with "I". Ugh. Honestly, I get sick of hearing myself talk sometimes and it's a big reason I avoid social media and even blogging. It's just too much. Super tempted to go back and change this whole post right now! Have a great weekend, friends!

SMP 3.3.15

SMP = Seven Minute Post

I'm giving myself seven minutes to sit down and just write. I don't have anything earth-shattering to share or anything on my mind really. So prepare yourself for random rambling...

Can you believe it's already March? I still haven't flipped my wall calendar to this new month which was brought to my attention yesterday by my youngest child--the one who has birthday this month. I kinda think she likes seeing her name written in that little numbered square. Did I mention that this youngest child of mine will be a teenager in a few weeks? Crazy!

It has been so cold and snowy here lately, but the sun is shining this morning and that makes me happy. I need the sun! I also need laughter. I was out with friends last night and I laughed so much. I think I forget sometimes how vital that is for me. For all of us really.

On that note, may your day be filled with light and laughter! If I was really clever I'd throw a joke in here but I've got nothin'. Peace out, peeps.