It's official!

I'm an Aunt! The little man made his entrance last night at 10:41. He's 7lbs 7oz; 20inches. His name is Jordan Peter Andries.
No pictures yet! (they say he looks like my brother Jared though...)
Praise the Lord for a safe and healthy delivery!!
Baby, Mom (and Dad too) are doing well.

So much to say--to many yawns to say it

Christmas is coming. We have our tree. It's decorated, very pretty. Mom's leaving this weekend for Canada. My sister is probably having a baby tomorrow!! I'm going to be an Auntie--officially.
I'm tired now, and going to bed. There was much more I had planned to say, but that last yawn has driven all rational thought from my head. I shall leave you now.

Happy Thankgiving!

...a day late... :-)


"We thank Thee Lord for this our food, for life and health and every good."

I hope everyone had a wonderful day of Thankgiving and rejoicing in Christ's Blessings!

Weddingness

Well, my dear, dear friend's wedding is over. *sigh* I'm pooped!! It was a beautiful wedding and a super fun party!! I'm so happy for her and her new husband, but I have to admit it feels kind of weird and I know it will take some getting used to. :-) I pray that God blesses them with many wonderful years together and that they grow faithfully together in Christ as one.
Congratulations Leah and Ryan!!!




BTW- I just thought I would mention; for ALL of you who were wondering ;-) I got my passport. yipee! Now I can run away to a foreign country. jk :-)

Thanks---I think?

What do you say when the super-bleached-blonde, Hollister-wearing boy, still in high-school, and obviously lacking a certain masculine attitude, stops in the middle of explaining his banking/transaction needs and says:
"By the way, I just have to tell you that I really like the outfit you've got going on. It's really nice!"

I wasn't sure whether to laugh or puke.

A dream is wish

I'm so glad that song is not really true. If it were I would be running for the hinterlands!!
I've been having some really weird dreams lately. Like the one where I was the only one that knew that something was wrong and how to fix it. Everybody else was running around in strange garb of ancient Greece or the 15th Century peasant look. Or the one where I married somebody that I've never seen before in my life.
Or the one where started having children and they all looked like me.
Hopefully these things aren't prophetic....or maybe I should just ease off the spicy chips right before I hit the sack.

Mindless Yet Amusing

I wonder what would happen if Jeeves was in the same cartoon as Calvin and Hobbes

C: "Did you ever wonder if the person in the puddle is real, and you're just a reflection of him?"

J: "From time to time, sir, in my leisure moments."

C: "I love the culture of victimhood."

J: "I endeavour to give satisfaction sir."

C: "Life's disappointments are harder to take when you don't know any swear words."

J: "I'm sure that your cool head and undoubted thespian powers will see you through the day, Sir."

C: "Our top secret club-- G.R.O.S.S.!! Get-Rid-Of-Slimy-girlS!"
J: "Under rule eleven, all members are required to provide the secretary with full information about their employer, sir. This not only provides entertaining reading, but also provides a warning to those seeking employment with those gentlemen who fall short of the ideal."

C: "In my opinion, we don't devote nearly enough scientific research to finding a cure for jerks."

J:"It's an interesting theory, Sir. Would you care to expatiate upon it?"

C: "What's the point of wearing your favorite rocketship underpants if nobody ever asks to see 'em?"

J: "I prefer not to dwell on it if it's convenient to you, sir."

C: "Is it a right to remain ignorant?

J: "I fear so, sir."

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

OK, so maybe that's a little premature, but with all the ads on TV and radio how can you not be thinking about it? It also seems that November 1st is that magic day to start thinking about Christmas shopping. Why the 1st? Is it because there are only 55 days left until Christmas? (Yes, I did say 55, only that would make it 53 days now.)
I've been doing Christmas shopping since July or August. I'm almost done too. I think I only have about 4 gifts left to buy. Maybe I'm a little premature. Oh well. In this case it's good for me. As I have a tendency to procrastinate on certain things, being ahead of the game in this situation makes me feel much more prepared.
Not to mention I can focus more on getting ready for Thanksgiving!!
Which is only 19 days from now, by the way. :-)

In other news:

I need to turn in my passport application on Wednesday. The passport application that has been sitting in my room for about 5 weeks. It could have probably been processed by now. But, because, as I stated in the above, I have a tendency to procrastinate, I have to pay extra to have it expedited. What joy is mine. Just goes to show that procrastination doesn't pay. Well, it does, I suppose; just has to pay extra.

I decided that I wanted to change my blog's look..

so I did. The only thing is: I'm kind of HTML illiterate and I can't get the "Links" font to match the "Recent Posts" and "Archives" font. Hmm...I suppose it will take a little more searching, but I'll get it eventually. :-)

Ok, I'll do it too

"Tagged" from my sister

Bethany

.

Rules for the tag…

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.

2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).

4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

Here are the "Facts".

1. I have in the course of my life hurt both of my big toes by more than just stubbing them--first time when I was 8 years old or so, I ripped of the toenail of the left with a three-pronged garden hoe. The second time, I broke the right when I was running up the stairs in the dark--I was on crutches for a week and a half.

2. Since I was about 9 or 10 years old, I haven't worn pink- as in clothes. (makeup doesn't count) I think I only have one shirt of the color and I've only worn it maybe twice. It just sits in my closet.

3. I think Jeeves from PG Wodehouse's books is an absolute genius. I wish he was my valet. Or personal attendant or whatever you call it.

4. When walking through the mall and I get accosted by those people that work at the little booths in between stores and want to talk to you about this or that product or want your signature on some form or are taking a survey or what have you, I like to pretend that: A) I'm deaf or B) I don't speak English. The no English kind of works because I can say "I don't speak English" in German.

5. I'm a morning person--once I'm up. Don't ask me to explain this. It takes me about 10 minutes to be completely awake, but once I am, I'm usually good to go, at least until about 10ish- then, if I haven't had coffee already, I definitely need a cup!

6. When I go shopping, I pull something off of the rack and ask myself "would one of my sisters (the ones closest to me in age that is...) wear this?" If the answer is favorable- I try it on. If it fits and I'm in a mood that likes it, I buy it. This has resulted in some garments in my closet, that every once in a while, I look at and ask myself what induced me to make that purchase. The answer is usually along the lines of "because your sisters tend to have better fashion sense than you do." They are probably the reasons I don't go everywhere (excepting church of course) in jeans and a t-shirt" Although there are days when I JUST DON'T CARE! :-)

7. I like talking in accents. British accents particularly.

There you have it; seven facts about me; totally random. I'll let you decide which ones are weird. :-) And because my sister only tagged three people, that's all I'm going to do to. Besides, almost all of the people whose blogs I read, have already been tagged.

kathryn erland

ellen walker

amber myers

A thin blanket of fog covers the sleepy looking valley. The sun was shining through the grove of trees turning the ground and fog to gold light and silhouetting the almost leafless trees. Mt Hood stood in the background, stately and covered in what looked like pink and gold snow.
One of my favorite songs comes on the radio and perfectly embodies the moment for me: "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles. I tap my steering wheel to the mellow beat, it feels like a perfect day.

Recipe notes

I made this Fudge Tart for a bridal shower tonight.
I will mention, I haven't tasted the finished product yet :-) but it was pretty easy and the batter was yummy (if that is any indication). =)
I'll post a follow up probably tomorrow about how well it went over! I hope you enjoy it!

Happy Baking! :-)

Fudge Tart

Tart:

4 oz bittersweet baking chocolate chopped
1/3 c butter
1 c granulated sugar
3/4 c all purpose flour
3 eggs beaten

Glaze:

1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
1 tsp butter
1 c powdered sugar
2-3 Tbls boiling water

White Drizzle:

1 oz white baking chocolate
1/2 tsp veggie oil


1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9x1-inch tart pan with removable bottom with shortening. Wrap outside bottom and side of pan with foil to prevent leaking. In 1-quart saucepan, heat bittersweet chocolate and 1/3 cup butter over low heat, stirring frequently, until melted; cool slightly.
2. In large bowl, mix granulated sugar, flour and eggs with spoon until well blended. Stir in chocolate mixture. Pour into pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until edges are set. Cool completely on wire rack, about 1 hour.
3. In 1-quart saucepan, heat unsweetened chocolate and 1 teaspoon butter over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons water until smooth. Stir in additional boiling water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until spreadable. Spread warm glaze over tart.
4. In small microwavable bowl, microwave white chocolate and oil on Medium (50%) 20 to 30 seconds; stir. Drizzle over warm glaze. Let stand until glaze is set. Remove foil and side of pan before serving.

*Note: the glaze doesn't take that much water for it to be 'spreadable' and it sets up pretty fast.

It's amazing how little things can act a as small "pick me up" even if you aren't really feeling down. Things like a cup of hot coffee or chocolate; a recognition or compliment from someone in upper management at my job; even just seeing my family for a few brief minutes before I go to work. Small reminders of God's goodness that keep me moving through my day, reminding me that little things DO matter.

Yesterday we had monthly fellowship after church at a host family's house. The Deacon leader suggested a time of sharing our favorite Bible verse and tell why we liked it or what it meant to us. I had mine: 1 John 4:19. Many of the verses that were shared were meaningful to me as well and it was very encouraging to hear the other verses people shared and why they liked them, etc. We also had a time of singing, during which I came to the realization that I really need to be learning and practicing the hymns from our liturgy more regularly!! :^D

Reading

I have, after quite a few years, finally picked up one of the books that I have long been said to not enjoy. I first read Jane Eyre years ago and singularly disliked it. And as I think back, I don't know why I didn't like it. Maybe I was too young to understand and appreciate the style of writing or the type of story that it was.
I'm only to chapter 9 right now, but I have to admit that after 9 or 10 years my tastes have changed on this particular subject. (not that they haven't changed or matured on many subjects) =) I am liking Jane Eyre after all.

it still breathes

ok, so I admit it.
I am probably THE most delinquent blogger in the world. Or at least the state of Washington. And don't let this post fool you or get your hopes up. There's no telling when I might post again.

What's been happening since June 08, 2007? I hope I can give a quick rundown.

June:
~Family Camp: one week of awesome fellowship and fun and good sound teaching
~Came home from camp and two days later brought home our new baby - she's so cute! Tons of gold blonde hair, shiny eyes, and she' s growing so fast. Her name is Maggie and we all love her to death, especially Olivia- oh, I guess I should mention- Maggie is a Golden Retriever.... ;-)
~Felt depressed after camp and spent about 3 weeks recovering.
~Did other stuff- but can't remember now---I worked alot

July:
~Did more stuff at home
~Worked
~We started getting a new gas fireplace in our family room which set of the domino effect in the house- the piano had to get moved which moved the telephone shelf which made us move the microwave which then made us get a new range microwave. The microwave took over Mom's cupboard space for her cookbooks so we now have a really lovely black hutch/cabinet in the kitchen and a little extra counter space; always nice.
The fireplace is "in" but still have the finishing work to be done.
~I drove to Moscow the last week of July to visit a good friend: Ammy Becker. Spent four days there and had a great time! (visited Bucer's a lot- love that place!)

August - current:
~Our family went camping, this time it was far more successful and a lot of fun! Drove 5 hours to beautiful Sunset Bay State Park in Oregon (near Coos Bay, OR) I was only there for two days due to work but it was great. Went hiking, took pictures, laid on the beach, got sunburned, went boogie boarding, and did some fishing too! Now you might ask the question: Did you bait your own hook? Well what do you think? =)

So that about covers it. You can fill in the gaps with work, running errands, being at home, reading, and getting on Facebook. =)

Hope you all feel very informed by this most meaningful post and I hope it is sufficient for all of you avid readers of this blog (not really) that have been wondering if I am indeed alive or if I was taken captive by aliens, or had run away to join the circus, or had simply felt devoid of any imagination at all to write something remotely interesting. Not that this in interesting in anycase, but I felt my blog needed some attention. They can be so tempermental at times- you don't want to neglect them for too long.
But then, look who's talking.

I Believe

I know this isn't really anything new and I do think about this but, for some reason it struck me today in a new way.
I was driving to work listening to the Christian radio station and one of my favorite songs came on: Rich Mullin's 'Creed'. It's the a version of the Nicene Creed. I know the Creed by heart and we often recite corporately in worship at church. But for some reason as I was parking my car and walking into the building, singing the song in my head and slightly under my breath. I was suddenly struck by the words of the song: "I beleive in God the Father, Almighty Maker of Heaven and Maker of earth, and in Jesus Christ His only Begotton Son, our Lord." and then again "I did not make it, no it is making me, it is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man." I've been a Christian all my life and sometimes it feels like my Christian life has reached a certain point and plataued from there. The words suddenly reminded me that my life as a Christian DOES matter. The very fact that I believe in Jesus Christ as the Only Begotton Son of the Father God affects my every day life. It does have an effect on my work, my leisure time, how and what I think about, everything! "I did not make it, no it is making me." I have often heard on the TV or on the radio about how people have come to Christ and how the Love of Jesus has drastically changed their lives and I think "that's great!" And then I selfishly wish that that same thing could happen to me. This Spirit-filled reminder this morning reminded me that the Love of Jesus HAS and IS changing my life every day and every moment. Praise Him!

Spring Cleaning and Home Improvements

This time of year, I like to go through my closet, drawers, boxes and STUFF and clear out all the uncessaries that they hold. Cleaning out and getting rid of garbage makes me feel so much better.
Lately I've been thinking about how much other garbage I have in my life. Not just physical, but emotional and pyschological garbage. I think about all the trivial and mindless dribble I take in everyday, in whatever comes up on the internet, or the magazines in the grocery check out, (not that I'm reading those mind you, but once you learn to read you cant' just turn it off when you see words.) I'm reminded of the verses in Phillippians 4 "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."
I've been convicted lately on how I've been slacking in my Bible memorization. Sure, I'm reading it and I've been reading some heavier theology books (Rushdoony, North, Bansen, etc.), but my memorizing? Somehow it's ended up on the bottom of my priorities. Not where it should be.
I made up my mind that this was going to stop. (It was on the top of my New Years resolutions too...) So the other day, while I was washing the dishes (our dishwasher is broken) and folding the laundry, I memorized Phillipians 2:1-18. I can't tell you how refreshed I felt afterwards. And I spend the day meditating on that and other passages that I have memorized in the past. I felt like I had done some spiritual spring cleaning. I realize that it takes more than memorization of one passage to get me back on track, but it does mark a start. It doesn't take me long to memorize stuff. Good grief, I watch a movie once and I can quote lengthy passages from it. I figure, if I can manage to be memorizing movies and quoting them, I can be memorizing my Bible and quoting it.

I like to think of it as home improvements for the mind.

Family Camp

20 days and counting!!!

I must go get my packing list together.
Every year I pack way to much stuff all in the name of "What if I need it??" and every year I get to camp and don't use it! I'm determined to pare down. I will only bring two books (instead of the normal 3.) I will bring my small Bible - instead of my rather large one with the cover/carrier thingy. I will only bring one crocheting project this year instead of two. I will only bring one hat, I probably won't wear it but at least it's only one. I will bring only 1 jacket and 1 hoodie (well, maybe 2 depending on the weather report). I will bring cash, my baseball glove and two pairs of sunglasses. Last year I only brought one pair and they got lost. =(
I will not bring 50 million pairs of earrings...only 20 million.

And I will bring only 4 pairs of shoes this year... I promise!! =)

AAAGGHH!
I realized that there is only 39 days until Family Camp!! I've got to get a move on! There is a ton of stuff I have to do!
My craft prototype still isn't done, and I have quite a few kinks to work out with that and I have to work on the list of songs for campfire.
I've been thinking about doing the campdown...still not sure.
I just didn't realize it was so close! It fills me with that excited, dreaded, anticipating and pressured kind of feeling. (It's a complicated emotion...)
Now I've got to trot off! Tootles!

The mood has struck me to write a new post. However I don't think it will last long.
So yesterday was my birthday.
That was fun. And I'm having a partay today. That will be fun.
Bring on the Karaoke!

Well, that mood was short.

Maybe next time it will last longer.

Infallibility and Meaning

I've decided to make a post that is somewhat weightier than my previous posts. I've been reading through a book by R. J. Rushdoony called "Infallibility: An Inescapable Concept" and I'm really enjoying it. I found this excerpt particularly edifying.

"Because God is the absolute creator of all things, and because nothing exists outside of His creating decree, all things have their existence and their meaning from their sovereign creator, God. God, having no unconscious aspect in His being, is totally self-conscious and purposive in all His ways, so that all creation is a universe of total meaning. There is not a meaningless fact or atom in all creation, nor an event, nor any facet or aspect of anything that is not marked by total meaning. The meaning of most things eludes us. We do not understand the meaning of mosquitoes, for example, or the hairs that fall from our head, nor of the often unhappy events of our lives, because we tend to look for their meaning in terms of ourselves. The meaning of all this is theocentric-God-centered, not man-centered--which means that of necessity things are meaningless if we try to read them in terms of man, in terms of ourselves. We do not create them, govern them, nor more than slightly in a limited area and manner, influence them; they are of God's ordination. Attempts to read the meaning of things humanistically are thus erroneous, futile, and blasphemous."

Because I felt like it

I’ve thought about this for about a day now and I decided to create my own “fill-in-the-blank”. I refrain from calling it a survey because a survey usually implies that you’re going to do something with the results that you receive. I have no intention of doing anything with the results (other than maybe laughing at you and honing my campdown writing skills). I don’t want to do it to get to know people better. I think I know people pretty well. I’m just a curious person, not to mention I get to get a few good laughs out of it. I’m also not calling it a survey because there are some people who say they will never fill out a survey and because this is a non-survey, those people can fill it out without any guilt or feel that they’ve broken any record.

Humor me here. It’s one of things that comes to your head while you’re sitting around waiting for the iron to heat up so you can iron your shirt for Sunday and while you’re waiting for the Biore strip on your nose to harden into a mold that feels like a paper-mache mask that someone forgot to remove in time. But alas, I digress.

Here are my ten thoughts from Saturday evening.

1. Favorite word to use this week: impertinent. (kind of how I’m feeling now) =)
2. Least favorite color: that purple that’s not really purple but kind of a nauseating pink tone- especially bad on cars
3. If you could look like a celebrity who would it be: if Julia Roberts and George Clooney had children I would want to be one of them. Maybe a little of myself right now in there- I figure it would either look like a train wreck or turn out good
4. Favorite chore: vacuuming – I also don’t mind doing dishes or folding laundry.
5. Least favorite chore: cleaning the toilets – a grim job that has to be done
6. If you had the choice to be either 2 inches taller or 2 inches shorter would you take it: I still haven’t decided my answer to that one- I feel pretty good about myself
7. What do you think is the smelliest animal: roadkill skunks and chickens I think are pretty nasty too. =)
8. Best movie quote (not necessarily your favorite but what you think is one of the best lines): “I know this Man. He gave me water, and a will to live.” ~ BEN HUR
9. Do you prefer – mail order catalogs/online shopping or actually going to the store: kind of depends on what I’m shopping for and my mood.
10. If you could go back in time and change some invention what would it be: I've noticed that I seem to enjoy trying to re-invent the wheel.

P.S. If you recognize this, that's OK, you're not imagining things.

The New Math

“In this new approach, the goal is to understand what you’re doing rather than get the right answer.”

~Tom Leher from "An Evening Wasted with Tom Leher"

thoughts...

My latest contemplation lately has been pets. I want a dog. I know it's going to be a while before we get a dog again but I still want one. *sigh* Hopefully someday soon.

"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man." -Mark Twain

*love*

Happy Valentine's Day Friends!! I love you all and am so thankful for you!

Last night my dad asked Jared if he knew who St. Valentine was.
Jared's answer: "Wasn't he some guy that got put in jail for his, umm, Christian- um, thing?" :^D

Happy 26th Anniversary to my parents too!! I love you very much and your love and faithfulness are wonderful examples. Thank you!

Quote of the week:

"Listen, strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony."

I heartily agree.

somewhat... =)

A Key Ingredient

"Be anxious for nothing, in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made know to God." Philippians 4:6

This has been our family's memory verse this week and I'm reminding myself of it more and more. There is one thing though, that stand out to me in this verse and reminds me of another similar to it and that is "Thanksgiving". Being thankful to God in all our circumstances seems to be essential even when we are very anxious and worried about what we have to do or what life has in store for us. Too often I find myself worrying about things I have no control over and I find it hard to "give it up" to the Lord. I think part of it is I need to be more thankful for what He has given or done for me in that situation and tell Him of my worries and turst Him to take care of it. That's His job after all! =)

"Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

What's all that white stuff?

Last night we had snow. And it's still here this morning. About 4 inches of pretty snow on top of some nasty ice. Seems like the phrase "Looks aren't everything" applies to more than just people. =)
The kids were out in the backyard last night playing, making snowmen (or attempting) and having a generally good time getting cold and wet. I should have liked to make a snow angel but alas, the good ol' algebra was calling. =)


Thought for the day:
Everyone has a someday, and someday, I'll get to mine.

Happy New Year!

I can hardly believe it's 2007! The past year has gone by so quickly it seems. Last night we were at the Wilson's house and as we sat around talking, I couldn't help but feel a little sad and excited at the same time. The sadness stems from thinking back on the things that happened this past year and knowing that those days are gone and just memories now. I'm glad to have those memories. The excitement comes from having a whole new year ahead and wondering what kinds of things are going to happen. I'm looking forward to ways of growing in the Lord and growing in my relationships with my friends and I'm excited about whatever other adventures are around the corner!
We sang this song on Sunday as our closing hymn. I'd forgotten how much I love this song and I couldn't help but think that this song was so encouraging and fitting for me as I enter this new year. May God grant you grace, peace, and strength to do His will this coming year!

"Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
In working or in waiting, another year with Thee.
Another year of progress, another year of praise,
Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.

Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace,
Another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face;
Another year of leaning upon Thy loving breast;
Another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest.

Another year of service, of witness for Thy love,
Another year of training for holier work above.
Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
On earth, or else in Heaven, another year for Thee."