#79--Learn to Crochet

Sorry it's been so long. First of all I'd like to say: we're headin' to North Carolina again! Well be leaving the week after next so please keep us in your prayers again.

And now...Trey got me a book for Valentines day to crochet cute little animals. So of course I had to tackle item # 79 so I could start making some. And...I've still got progress to make but here is what I've got so far:
Trey wanted the hedgehog. It came out WAY bigger than I planned so I might try again...


Then I made a Moxie. I actually understood the concept enough this time to modify the pattern--like, a lot--so really I take full credit for this. Haha. I'm pretty proud of here even if she does look a little wonky. And that purse is my very favorite purse ever by the way. I love it. That little tidbit was free.


Moxie just *loves* her look-a-like. Can't you tell?

Insomnia

Last night I couldn't sleep. I don't know if it was the soy chai I had at work or what but I just couldn't sleep, even though I was exhausted from my long day of work.

So I was laying in bed trying not to wake Trey and, as I often do, I started a list on my phone:

I am:

A lover
A fighter
The "cute" one
Funny
A thinker
A planner
A daydreamer
Sentimental
A minimalist
Organized
A lover of lists
A poet
Easily adaptable
Always changing
A cat owner
A Christian
Adopted
A wife (!)
A daughter
A blogger
A wannabe foodie
A creator
A child
A woman
A sister
A worrier
Responsible
Concerned with health and fitness
Soft clay
Willing to change
An ex-emotional girl
Frugal

And so many other things, but in the interest of me doing something but try to think of things I am all day, just the list I wrote last night will suffice.

Coincidentally, today in the book I'm reading, it was talking about us, as women, trying to find our identity amidst all the hats we sometimes wear. And I'm like, "Self, was I identity-searching last night?" We may never know.

Anyway, that's my tidbit for the day.

Bathroom

I am exhausted. I think I'm still recovering from our trip, but I also took on an internet project that is really taking it out of me. More on that when I finish it...like in a year. Just kidding, it will be sooner than that, haha.

Anyway, I just wanted to stop by and say that this:

Cant remember where I found this...

is the most fabulous bathroom I have ever seen. I want.

Not a-poem-a-day February

Obviously this has NOT been poem-a-day February. I had started out well but crumbled when our days got so hectic all I wanted to do in my (limited) free-time was sleep.

We just got back (and I mean JUST) from a week long trip to North Carolina this morning. In fact, Trey dropped me off at work on our way back home and I've been here since. So I haven't even been home yet.

It was a long week but a good one. We had traveled up there to meet with some people at a church in Raleigh and it was just totally a God week. Even if nothing comes of it I think it was just totally orchestrated by God to speak some things into our life. I definitely had a good time but I can hear my bed calling me from here. We drove six hours to Atlanta last night, arrived there at one a.m. and then got up at 5:30 and drove the rest of the way here. So ya, long night. I believe Trey is at home taking a nap right now and I am totally jealous. If you're looking for me after 5 tonight I will be dead to the world. Sorry.

I can't wait to share more about what God is doing in our life right now but I think it must wait a little longer. I learned my lesson before in counting my eggs before they have hatched and I don't plan on doing that now.

To all our friends and family who know our situation and have been praying for us: thank you! We have really been trusting God and trying not to take any steps before He gives the go ahead so we'll see what He says!

Love,
Lauren

February Poem, Day 2

I cannot go to school today
I cannot go to school.
My teachers are all mad at me,
I've broken all the rules.

I've broken all the sticks of chalk,
I wrote on all the desks.
I pulled all of the girls hair,
And all the cubbies, wrecked.

I didn't come in from recess time,
I started a food fight at lunch.
I hid under my desk in math,
Gave the bunny pencils to munch.

I put a frog in the teacher's desk,
I fed my homework to the dog.
I led the class in a silly song,
And ran from the principle at a jog.

So I cannot go to school today
There is a problem, you see?
'Cuz I wreaked havoc on everyone else,
Today they'll wanna wreak havoc on me!

Twitter

I'm staring to think I should have stuck with Twitter. I stopped using it a couple of months ago and haven't had the heart to pick it back up. BUT, the past few days I've had a lot of little blurbs that I have wanted to release into the world somewhere, somehow. Changing my Facebook status every time a new thought pops into my head doesn't seem polite and, like I said, I just don't want to go back to Twitter! I don't know why. Maybe I should. I probably should. O sheesh, I probably should. Anyway, until such a time as I rejoin the masses in their 140 character bursts of word vomit (or spouts of wisdom. Who are YOU following?), here are my thoughts for today:

What is it with people and cups of ice?

I think I like soy chai.

Yes I'm a fan of the soy chai.

Thank God for soy chai or this "no milk" thing would be hard in the cafe.

*Can you tell I'm at the cafe?*

All-staff meetings scare me.

I am FA-REAKING out about this interview.

What should I wear?!

What if I forget to pack something?

My ear is plugged again.

But my booty still hurts from that shot at the dr so I don't wanna go back. I DON'T WAAAANNNA!

Oooo...just found out staff meeting means I get free lunch.

Suddenly I'm n0t so scared of the staff meeting.

I spilled coffee EVERYWHERE. Shouldn't have left the spigot open while brewing a new pot. Gah!

I wonder when Trey will be here?

First years make me smile.

There are just too many good blogs out there.

Will my blog every be a good blog?

I really need to come up with some better material.

Because this? This is lame.

And yet? I feel then need to post several times a day lately.

Like I have something to SAY.

Bwahahahaha.

I hope I make it through Poem-a-Day February.

I hope I make it through this interview process.

I hope I don't choke.

I hope it still works out that I can get pregnant this year.

Wiggidy-wack is like the best word ever.

Yes, we are now at that place.

I am glad I talked to Shelia today.

I am glad I don't work there anymore.

I have got to work on my wardrobe.

I seriously love to people watch.

If Trey doesn't get paid today, well %(*@&W&(81 GAH!

O gosh! I just remembered I actually have some stuff I need to work on! Oops.

I wonder if I'll have time to work out tonight?

Because last night was awesome.

AWEsome.

It is not fair that baby clothes are so cute.

Or that every time I turn around someone is either pregnant or carrying a baby.

I'm not really an "other people's babies"-person but I can't wait to have my own.

Is that normal?

I love that I can feel my hair on the back of my arms now.

Almost to my goal!

Ok that's enough.

I need to stop now.

Stooooppp tyyypiiinnnggg.

Dooo soooommmeethhhinnngg prooodduuucttiiivvvee...

Seriously stop.

Stop.

Dangit fingers! I said stop.

STOP!


Wow that was slightly retarded and highly unnecessary. I'm going to go rejoin the real world now. And by that I mean that I am going to...ummm...type something else. And I just realized the last three sentences could have been typed just like the ones above: standing alone. And now I'm wondering if all sentences should just be written as stand alone, Twitter-esque, sentenses from now on. And while I was wondering that my brain imploded and now all I can do is sit here glassy-eyed. I'm sorry.

I'm going to sign of now.

Now.

Milk

I have a milk allergy.

I'm not lactose intolerant, I just have what they call a "milk sensitivity." And it seems to keep getting more "sensitive" with each passing year. See, I can drink milk and such but it can make me feel sick, or just gross or random other negative things like that. So this year I decided to try and stay away from milk, not avoid it entirely, but just try to choose more non-milk options.

The biggest problem I've come across so far is working in the cafe. Most of our drinks (actually, make that all the ones I love) are made with milk. So that has been hard to give up. We have soy but let me tell you, it changes the taste of the whole drink. And I don't love it. There, I said it. So...the only thing I have been drinking the past few days is soy chai. I love chai and it is strong enough to totally hide the taste of the soy. Actually, I barely put any soy in there at all--just enough to cut the spice of the chai. And it's been going well. I hope I don't get sick of it because then I'm going to have to be creative.

I just really feel like the negative effects milk was having on me were getting to be a little much. So, bye for now milk! I'm hoping that I'll see big improvements on the way I feel.

Oh and btw, I'm only 5 pounds from the lowest weight I ever was: pre-wedding haha. So I'm hoping that contunues to drop off lol.

Chao.

February Poem, Day 1

It is February! I can't believe it. January sure went by fast, which is interesting, because usually my Januaries (how DO you pluralize January?) seem to crawl. One of the goals I made for myself for February is to write a poem a day. That idea came off of my life-list-desire to write a book of poems. I thought it would be fun to write a poem every day for a month and then make it into a little book for our coffee table. Yes, I chose February because it is the shortest month haha. I may not post them all because of hectic scheduling this month but I'll try and post some. They should be pretty varied since I love different kinds of poems. I wrote this one today after I heard a bird singing on my way into work. It's a haiku. Enjoy:

I heard a bird's song
I thought to myself, "Spring time?"
My cold hands said no.

Fast Over. Alternate title: #43: Try being a vegitarian

I am a two post-a-day-er! Consider this partial make-up for my frequent bouts of disappearance. I may have mentioned before that our church has a 21 day fast. Well, it ended on January 30th. By the way, I love that it ended right at the end of the month. It warms my organized heart.

The fast was very different for me this year. The first two times I did it were when I was in 24/7 and (admittedly) I didn't do it last year when I was in Utah. The only explanation I can think for it feeling so different this year is because it is the first time I have chosen to do it on my own. Anyway, the fast was awesome. I have always enjoyed it in the past and this year was no exception. We had some awesome things happen and I just feel so content and so at peace right now. In fact, it has been so weird coming off the fast. Food hasn't been appealing to me the way it usually does. Another thing I decided to fast was secular music and I have yet to change the radio since the fast has been over. It just feels weird.

The reason for the alternate title is because, instead of doing a full fast, I did a Daniel fast. For those who don't know, a Daniel fast is (basically) fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. So that's what I've been eating for the past three weeks. Honestly, it was not too terribly different from what I normally eat since I eat so much fruit and vegetables. I'm thinkin I might have to go on a full fast next year but I'm kind of hoping that I wont be allowed to fast, if you know what I mean... From what I understand you can also eat whole grains but I just skipped bread all together. I guess what I did was more "vegan" than "vegetarian" since I wan't eating any animal products but, eh. So I'm checking that off my list. I'm almost pretty sure that I could make it as a vegetarian. I do love me some meat, but it wasn't so bad. I might have to try it for a longer period of time sometime. I heard that if you go long enough without meat your body can't handle meat anymore so I'm kind of scared to do that.

Anyway, #43 check. Let's move on to the next thing.