Travels

You all must be wondering why in the world I have not reported my holiday travels.

Its because I don’t leave until tomorrow. Tommow? Yes. Tomorrow. On Christmas. I am able to fly into Waterloo tomorrow for the price it would have been for me to fly to Omaha or Des Moines today.  Also, its less busy. Good plan, right? Maybe. The Midwest is experiencing some suspicious weather patterns, much like last year. All of the flights out of Minneapolis into Waterloo have been cancelled.  (I know, right? Can I get an oy vey?)

This year, if I get stranded, I have travelers insurance a friend who will come and get me in Minneapolis so I am not alone on Christmas. I guess you could say I am trying to defy Murphey’s Law of Vacations.

Let’s just see if it works.

I still have a hope since tomorrow’s forecast in Waterloo looks much better than today. There is snow, but hopefully not enough to cancel flights.

Have a Merry and safe Christmas, y’all. And remember, the birth, death,  and ultimately the resurrection, of Christ is the reason for the season.  And of course my sweetie agrees.

Pray For Us

First off, I  want to apologize for not keeping up with my bargain and making November a NaBloWriMo. Last weekend I went to Indiana for my friend Racheal’s wedding, and last week was very… eventful. I have a lot of big changes I am preparing for, and I want to let you all in on them now.

First of all, Scott has decided he is changing the seminary he attends next year. I fully support this decision. Recently, the seminary laid off five teachers, and it dawned on Scott that his education would be even more lacking due to the limited resources being stretched even leaner. His seminary is small, and he thinks if profs are teaching more classes, that the class quality will be greatly reduced. He has decided the education he is obtaining from Sioux Falls Seminary is not as biblically conservative as he likes, and would prefer something doctrinally deeper. What does this mean for us? Business as usual. Scott will not be moving from South Dakota. He has a house and has no intentions of leaving. Instead, he will pursue his Master of Divinity degree via distance education. He has narrowed down his schooling choices to the Master’s Seminary in California, and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. To our delight, both of these schools will provide a good, conservative, quality education, and both have lower tuition rates. Seminary cheaper? Yes, please!

Secondly… Scott and I are engaged. We set a wedding date of April 17th, 2010. I plan to move to South Dakota in February.  Moving across the country again will be hard, but it will be wonderful to be closer to family and friends in Iowa for a few years before Scott enters formal ministry. I still can’t believe I am going to be a pastor’s wife. It is an almost frightening prospect, yet it is exhilirating. I can’t wait to be Scott’s wife. Yet, leaving Utah will be very hard. I am having  good time with wedding planning already.  I am researching locations to have our reception,  compiling a guest list, and yesterday I chose my wedding dress! I was excited to find the gown of my dreams. Please pray for us, as we prepare for our marriage and ministry together.

 

Kidnapping Fail

I really like having Scott around, and I hate it one of us has to leave. But right now, its not possible for us to be together all the time. Long distance. That’s how we roll. So everytime I see him, we hatch plots to keep the other around. This time, I was done playing… I actually tried to keep him here. I decided to use Facebook to gather some kidnapping suggestions from friends.

One friend suggested I shave Scott’s beard. As you can see in the picture below, my man is hairy.

Scott is part werewolf

 My friend theorized that Scott could not bear the shame of a beardless chin, and would be forced to stay at least as long as it took to grow back in his beard.  This was a good plan, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. It would be too much like trying to shave Aslan’s mane… it’s pretty much against all that is fair and good.

Back to the drawing board…

I had one friend suggest to steal his clothes. I hid them, but not well enough, because he found them. When Scott went back to re-packing his clothing, a piece of Brocka’s western home decor caught my eye. A solution came to mind! In fact, why hadn’t I thought of it sooner?

That’s right. I literally lassoed my man.

But he had such a sad look on his face, I couldn’t let him stay like that…

Who can resist those blue eyes?

So now he is back in Sioux Falls. Of course.

I miss you, baby…

Just Get Me The Mixer

I love Kitchen Aid Stand Mixers. Love them. Especially in red. When Scott and I were wandering around the mall, he found out just how much I love them.

I mean, seriously, have you ever seen a kitchen appliance make anyone look so happy?

Wouldn’t you say that this would be a wonderful gift for me? My birthday is coming up on December 8th. Christmas is December 25th. Maybe you should get me one for my wedding!

 Um, hi Scott! Don’t worry, I will let you decide if there is a wedding or not. Cause seriously, after finding out what a crazy woman I am, I wouldn’t blame you if you decided against attaching yourself to me for the rest of our lives.

Scott Meets IKEA

While Scott was visiting me in Utah, I decided to take him to a store he had never been to: IKEA.  We all know I have an interesting love affair with this store, and now it was Scott’s turn to experience its wonders.

As we wandered through the store, Scott and I discussed how we wanted our home to look one day. Neither one of us are into postmodern Scandinavian design, but he did  like some of IKEA’s more classic peices. We sat on every sofa that looked comfortable and even some that did not. We both found a kitchen style, sofas, and bookshelves that didn’t want us to go screaming for the hills. Eventually, Scott and I stumbled upon an area that sold nothing but desk chairs. Scott chose one of the strangest looking ones to see how it supported his imposing frame. WordPress isn’t letting me insert photos from the computer I am on, so click here and here for a taste of how he liked it. I guess you could caption both of the pictures, “Ooh, springy!”

Not long after that, I was distracted by candles and baskets being sold at low, low prices, and Scott had to practically drag me out of the store. I managed not to buy anything other than lingonberry jam, which is practically a rule that I have to purchase it. In the checkout line, Scott mused that there was an IKEA in Minneapolis, and once he was in the market for new furniture, maybe the two of us could go shopping.

IKEA? I think you have a new convert… and Scott and I have a bright future.

 

Something to Look Forward To

So, in the last two weeks, I haven’t blogged much, have I? Again. I want to apologize for that. I do have a valid excuse though, outside of lethargy! My itteh bitteh red Lenovo, dubbed Lenny, has been acting up on me. With my vast knowledge of electronic expertise (which is basically… zero) I have determined my dear netbook needs a new adaptor. I will soon be on the hunt for one so I can be blogging more regularly again. So here is a quick rundown of whats been going on in my life to hold you over until I am able to post a few other updates.

I did manage to complete every item on my List of Seven and the basket/bookshelf concept is working fabulously for my harder-to-store clothing items. Also, with my new extra hangers, I have less clothing on the floor and more in my closet.  We did get a rental car, and it did cost us an arm and a leg, but… oh well, right? We had wheels!

Second, Scott had a good time out here in Salt Lake City. (Well, at least from what I can tell he did!) Since he was only here for two and half days which in terms of length equals exactly not long enough, we hit some of Salt Lake City’s main attractions, ate at my favorite restaurant, and I took Scott to experience IKEA for the first time. Perhaps he was not as enchanted with IKEA as I am, but I know he found certain items fascinating, if not useful. Pictures from this trip are forthcoming.

I have a new “roommate” in my apartment. Her name is Evie. If you are my facebook friend, perhaps you know a little bit about her. No, this roommate isn’t the same one who replaced Angela. This roommate is much smaller than the rest of us. And again, details will be coming soon!

Next week, I am traveling to Indiana to be in my friend Racheal’s wedding. I am excited to possibly see the Notre Dame campus and actually be in Chicago for the first time in, oh, thirteen years.  I also will be enduring the bad side of time change. Rach’s wedding is early on November 7th, so I will be waking up at 5 am Eastern Time to get my hair done.  I am currently in Mountain Time, which is two hours behind Eastern Time… yeah, you do the math. I will be waking up at my body’s equivalent of 3 AM. I might be the first non-alchohol consumption related undead bridesmaid in the history of Indiana. Oy.

Lastly, I have an exciting month for November on my blog. I have decided I will do NaBloWriMo instead of NaNoWriMo. I thought they both occurred in the same month, but suprise! They don’t. NaBloWriMo actually happens in October, but hello, I am a little late for that, aren’t I?  so I will participate in NaBloWriMo at the same time of NaNoWriMo to honor the spirit of NaNoWriMo… are you getting that? In so many words, I will try to blog every single day in November. Remember when I did that in May? Well, lets see if I can do it again.  Friends, I need some topic ideas. I will probably resurrect What in the World? and tell some some stories, but what kind of things do you want to know about my history? Lets really make me work NaBloWriMo!

Theology Bimbo

I think that most of us that make regular use of Facebook are aware that it can be a potentially volitale networking tool. One minute your posting something on your wall and then a full-on digital debate breaks out among your friends.

With that, such an occasion almost occurred yesterday when Scott posted this blog on his profile yesterday.  Rather than go over the intracacies of the issue here, I will leave you to read the article if you so choose. Anyway, back to the post. One of Scott’s “friends” commented on the post, basically saying, “You actually believe this Scott?” Being the miniature pit bull I am, I jumped out from behind Scott’s legs and started yapping defensively at the one who dared to ridicule my beloved.  First though, I read the article to make sure  I backed Scott for reasons that went beyond loyalty. I drew my conclusion on the matter and responded to his friend expressing my view. Within a few minutes, his friend brushed off my critique, saying that since I am Scott’s girlfriend, of course I agree with him!

Wait a second, did he just ASSUME that I AUTOMATICALLY parrot Scott’s thoughts? Oh, no he didn’t!!

Perhaps some of you reading this blog out there in the intertubes don’t know me very well. Perhaps some of you know me very well and are scoffing at this dude’s comments. Whichever you are, I will tell you right now… I am a very independent thinker. I very rarely follow without question. Depending on the situation, this can be a good or bad thing.

  To be fair, this gentleman (if he deserves that title?) has never met me before. If he had, I am sure he would not have made that borderline chauvinistic response.  Surely, anyone that knows me would not think that for a minute…right? I let myself grumble and grouse for a few minutes over the insult, then I replied to his comment,  elaborating on my argument in favor of Scott, while employing  a bit of mild sarcasm to respond to this person’s outright brush-off that I share a brain with Scott.

Before I go any further, I adore Scott. I think he is a great guy (obviously!), but we don’t agree on everything.  We both find this perfectly acceptable.  In fact, the good-natured debates that spring from our minor disagreements seem to make our relationship more interesting! At least, neither one of us complain….

Wait, wasn’t there a story involved here? Back to that…

Within a short time of my reply, I felt guilty.  I hadn’t consulted Scott before I jumped to his or my own defense. I called him, and not only had he found my response perfect, but he was just as indignant as I. Scott wrote his friend a private message asserting that I drew my theological conclusions on my own. Scott stated was offended by his friend’s comments and demanded a public apology.  (By the way Having a man who defends your intellect is HOT!) Before we hung up, Scott told me he wouldn’t be dating me if I was a bimbo without an original thought. Well, thanks darlin’, cause I wouldn’t be dating you if you didn’t have a mind of your own, either. I said so before we even met, way back when I wrote my “husband list.”

Well, back to Scott’s  friend.  The “friend” responded to me once more on the blog comment.. There was no apology. He didn’t really attempt to defend against my argument, and addressed his statement that ticked Scott and I off by simply saying so many of the people he knows will tailor fit their views to that of their signifcant other. I will have to admit, I did that in the past… and was not a happy person at all. I am with someone who hasn’t tried to change me beyond spiritual encouragement in my conformity to Christ. He has no desire to push me into a mold I don’t belong in… and it’s refreshing.

After his friend’s last comment, I let things go. Why bother?

Last night was my church’s midweek prayer meeting. As I relayed the story to our small gathering, everyone laughed. My dear family from Jordan Valley responded with, “This guy must not know you very well!” to sarcastic comments like, “Yeah, Scott tells you exactly what to think and you just listen.”

See why I love these people? At least they know better!

A List Of Seven

So, the last time I saw Scott was the middle of August. I was in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and was able to see Scott’s home and visit his church. I also was able see his tiny hometown of Avon, SD and meet his delightful family.  In some ways it seems like a long time ago, but in other ways it doesn’t. The “long time” is going two months without seeing someone you love.

Miss you....

Well, the time is going by, and Scott is set to visit me this time on October 12… that is just Seven More Days Away. That’s right, only! seven!! days!!!

Now, I could do a couple of things during these seven days. I could go ape-crazy for several days and then tie up all the loose ends of stuff I need to get done at the last minute, cause procrastination: that’s how I roll.  Or, I could constructively use my natural enthusiasm and energy (aka hyperactivity) by channeling into a productive mindframe. So, here friends, I will bring you a list. A List o Seven Things To Do In Seven Days.

7 Things in 7 Days

1. Buy a new crock pot so I can make potato bacon soup. (My old on bit the dust in my last move. )
2. Buy baskets for my room and hangers for my closet. So you know that shelf I bought for my books? Well, as gorgeous as it is, it is a shelving fail. Since I don’t have dresser, I decided to by large baskets to put in the shelf that I could put non-hanging clothes in and use my tubs for a different kind of storage. I also need more hangers for my closet since all my winter clothing has been taken out of storage. (I forgot I had so many sweaters…)
3. Buy lightbulbs. I swear, the lights in my apartment are going out right and left. A couple of days ago my bedroom light blew, and today it was my bathroom lights. I figure I should get a stockpile started, cause it is not fun to walk around my apartment in the dark.
4. Price rental cars. I don’t have wheels of my own, and if Scott and I decide to take a trip to Park City, this might be the only way to do it.
5. Clean, vacuum, reorganize my room. I will spare you the details… but this really, really needs to be done. Really. Also, I want to move my bed.
6. Finish grocery shopping. I don’t want him to starve to death. (By the way Scott, what do you like to eat? Irene wants to know.)
7. Pick Scott up from the airport. Cause after all that work, I deserve a reward!

There you have it, my list of seven things to do to keep me accountable with my remaining time. Now that I have a Sweet Camera I can chronicle my progress and you all can keep me accountable… because we all know the purpose of a blog is to keep other people accountable to mediocre goals.  Let the mediocrity preparation begin!

Auntie Em

So I don’thave any kids yet. Neither does my sister. I am a Christian and require that my childbearing be done in the bonds of marriage. To be honest with myself, if my relationship with Scott keeps heading in the direction it appears to be going in, having kids probably only a few short years off, but is it really soon? Not quite.

I have never been a “kid person”. I have done church ministry with kids for years and had a job working with children with autism. This wasn’t so bad… I like the interaction older kids provide. Babies? Not so much. They are so fragile, so needy. I didn’t like holding them, changing them, cleaning up after them… the job was so demanding. But after my friends started having babies, I began to feel my own personal attachment and affection growing for them. So maybe that maternal instinct people have swearing for years I have is kicking in? Maybe.

So back to the fact my sister Sarah and I are childless and I am liking kids more and more. My friends jokingkly started calling me these kiddos “aunt.” Well, hey, I don’t mind adopting this group of kiddos at all!

First off, I want to congratulate my good friend Melinda on the birth of her daughter Emma. Emma was born on Melinda’s birthday, September 22nd. Not only is she healthy, she is darling. I can’t wait to meet her!

Emma Jane

Next up is Avan, who is son to my best friend Jen S. I finally met this baby in July. When I came back in August, he remembered me! Avan is really fun because he is such a happy baby. He is almost always smiling or giggling. When he does fuss or cry, it doesn’t last very long. He is nine months old now, and the next time I see him, he will probably be walking.  Its hard to be away from this little guy. I like Utah, but I would love to watch him grow up.

Avan and Auntie Em at the Iowa State Fair

Some of my buggers are over the age of one,  though the mother of these next two kiddos is baking a bun due this spring.  We don’t know the baby’s gender yet, so I have settled on calling the baby Bradenbelle until we find out. (Its a combination of Braden or Isabelle, which are the names the mother has picked). My other best friend Jenni R is the mother two these litte rascals, Samantha and Gabrielle. If you check out Jenni’s blog, you can read about their exploits. I had the chance to sit for Sami and Gabi almost three years ago, when Gabi was only a few months old. Gabs was a tiny, sweet little baby with the cutest smile. Sami was pretty much a genius. Well, now Gabrielle is a spry, spunky three year old and Sami is a six year old first grader that is still pretty much a genius. I am pretty sure she has more common sense than your average teenager.

Left: Gabrielle. Right: Samantha

Not to be left out is my friend Racheal’s darling daughter Emma Grace (yes another Emma!) Emma is the same age as Gabi and is only a month older. I have never actually met Emma, but I look forward to seeing her in a few short weeks when I am a bridesmaid in her mommy Racheal’s wedding in Indiana November 7th. Here Emma is pictured with her future daddy Jason, who I think will be an amazing father for her.

Left: Emma, Right: Jason

So there you have it, my surrogate neices and nephews that I don’t get to cuddle often enough. Do any of you have special kiddos in your lives? They can be your kids, your friends kids, or relatives kids. Tell me about them!

Makin’ Me Proud

So, my sweetie started Seminary last week. I failed to mention that before regular classes started, he took a class called an “Intensive” for the seminary. An “intensive” is a class that where all the materials are taught within a short time frame, maybe one to two weeks.  The specific intensive Scott had was a prep class. Well, he got his grade back on the intensive.

My man got an A.

Scott, I am so proud of you! This was a great way to start seminary.

Also? One week in, a ridiculous amount of reading… and he is still attentive.

That means a lot to me.

Ladies… you all wish you’re man was as awesome as mine. But you can’t have him…

He is all mine.

Also? Not to brag or anything, but I think he likes it that way, too…

Baby, it feels good to be on the same page.