Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Thankful...to finally be posting about Thanksgiving!

Way back in 2011...back in November, Jack and I were visited by my parents! It was their first time out to see where we were living in NM and we sure had a great time. It was fun picking them up from the airport, driving the scenic way back to Los Alamos (we had only been living up here about 2 weeks before they came...still a bit in transition but they were gracious with our ramshackled, unorganized place), stopping to see the Soda Dams along the way and spending time sight seeing around our new town. We enjoyed visiting Bandelier National Monument and touring the Bradbury Science Museum watching movies and reading all about the history of our fascinating home. Mom loved it, of course, and even snagged a few pictures for her students back home who thought it was amazing that she was getting to visit the place where the atomic bomb was created! We also took them to check out the views at Overlook Park in White Rock and one day drove up to the Santa Fe Ski hill to check things out. We were snowed on there and had a fun little trek in the snow and threw some snow balls. It was great!

While they were in town we also got to celebrate Thanksgiving with them and some friends from church. It was a fun time of cooking, talking, laughing and game playing and also remembering things for which we were thankful. It was relaxing and enjoyable and we were so thankful they took the time to come out visit us. We were sad they had to leave so soon but we sure were happy to have the time we had with them.

Checking out the Soda Dams

Mom and Dad

Bandelier

Dad headed up to check things out.
Dad enjoyed reading all the historical stuff.
aww aren't they cute?
The fam having fun at the national monument :)

Watch out DAD! At the ski hill :)

Enjoying the snow.








Raspberry pie I made

Ready to eat!

Buddy and Amelia helped with clean up. That was great!

Mike and Jacqueline. What a fun thanksgiving together!


Who's up for coming out to visit us next?! :)

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

With age brings...

more blog post updating! There will be a few posts coming soon. They are in the works. Things dating back to Thanksgiving, Christmas and even my birthday! 30 now! That's exciting. A whole new decade in which to do exciting things!

30 things that struck me as I turned 30 (in no particular order and with no particular cohesiveness/theme):

1. I'm thankful I've taken up a new sport (snowboarding) in my "older" age. What an exhilarating new thing to enjoy!
2. I always thought 30 year olds were so grown-up and mature and had their life all planned out and figured out...and had like 2.5 kids already or something. :)
3. I'm thankful for my 20s and the things I walked through and learned from and I'm also thankful to look forward to what the 30s have in store and to move forward.
4. I'm happy that at 30 I can still work out extremely with Insanity and that I've been relatively health issue/injury free throughout my life (poor Jack, can't say the same for him...)
5. I'm looking forward to growing even more in my faith as I mature and gleaning more and more truth from God's word.
6. I still haven't mastered the art of controlling my tongue...gosh darn it...but I'm working on memorizing scripture in order to bridle the angry words that like to spew forth at times.
7. I'm so, so very thankful for the loving husband I have and for the 6 years of marriage we've celebrated together. Striving to be an even more godly wife throughout my thirties.
8. I love that we are living in Los Alamos, NM...what a cool place to visit! We've had more visitors here (it seems) in the year and a half we've been here than in all the years we were living in Cincinnati and Knoxville combined!
9. It's fun being a nurse...working in the ICU. But at times, I truly do long to be a mom!
10. No grey hair yet!!
11. Starting to get some wrinkles but thankfully I notice they are from where I smile so much...not too shabby I think. But I have started using "age-defying" cream at night...for kicks and giggles.
12. In my thirty years on earth God has allowed me to visit some really cool places...looking forward to seeing more new and neat places in this next decade!
13. Friends! SO thankful for the friends the Lord has brought into my life over these 30 years, some have come and gone but the ones that He has kept in my life so truly are amazing and I'm thankful to have them!
14. It's fun to have a twin sister to age with :) and to spend time with and to grow with as we age. Say, when's our next 1/2 marathon?!
15. I remember being younger and thinking tapes and cds were the coolest things ever...now I'm amazed as where technology has brought us and it's been kind of cool to get to grow up with that. It's interesting working with youth who have never known the world without the internet or smartphones or Wikipedia...
16. As I age I look forward to aging...is that weird? To growing a family, to being wiser, to being a role model.
17. I enjoy yoga...and I'm pretty good at it. Goal: to keep doing yoga as I get older to maintain shape and balance.
18. Jack does way more of the cooking in our household..maybe that will change in my 30s...as life changes. We shall see!
19. I love with getting older the self-confidence increases. Remember how you'd get so embarrassed by what your parents would do/wear/say and you thought how could they ever do that? Yeah...I do, too. Haha...and now...that's where I'm heading. You just don't care as much!
20. I WILL figure out a way to get rid of fruit flies...grr
21. I like a good cold coke. Yes, I know it's not good for me, but everything in moderation, right?
22. Thankful that I've learned Spanish, thankful that I still get to use it and practice it because we live in New Mexico.
23. Thankful for all the wise women who have poured into my life over these years and thankful for the girls in my life that the Lord has allowed me to pour into as well! Praying for wisdom with that!
24. I really need to go see an eye doctor...with age comes tired eyes that don't see so far away anymore! :)
25. Proud to say I can still hold a handstand with the best of them, throw a back hand spring and even do flips off a cliff into a lake below :)
26. Wonder where the Lord is going to lead Jack and me in this next decade.
27. I struggle with pride...but hopefully this next decade will be a step in conquering that sin :)
28. I wonder if/hope I will continue my trend of running a 1/2 marathon every year...and maybe, just maybe doing that full marathon one day!
29. Being 29 one day and 30 the next really didn't faze me that much. Shew!
30. Jesus started his ministry when he was 30...Lord use me in a grand way in my 30's!! Desiring the be a blessing to those around me!!