Maybe I need to change my tactics...

Yesterday in Sunday School class (I teach the 2-3 year olds) we practiced our 10 Commandments song. I've been trying to get them to remember what song we're learning by holding up all ten of my fingers and saying "The Ten Commandments!" (very enthusiastically mind you...) Well, I decided to try and get them to think about the song a little more by asking them (like I didn't know) "How many Commandments are there?"
One of my three-year-olds (K.S.) promptly replied in a very confident voice, "THREE!"

Snowboarding

This past weekend I went snowboarding for the first time. Maybe I should call it "butt-boarding" becuase I think I spent more time on the ground than standing up. It was fun though. :-) I also spent a lot of time laughing laughing at myself-I know I looked a sight!! I can't wait to go do it again.

(PS Thanks to Amy Shearer for helping figure out how to post pics!!)

New Year's Resolutions

This morning, my sister asked me if I had made any resolutions for the new year. I thought about it on my way to work and realized this:
Last year, I had made a whole list of goals/resolutions and looking back, I don't think hardly any of them were accomplished. I realized this is because I had set goals or resolutions while telling God that I wanted to do these things instead of asking Him for His plan for me and for guidance in my paths. Sure, I got a lot done this past year, and there were a lot of changes in my life, but those had nothing to do with myself or my strengths.
This year I hope will be different. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." ~Phil 4:13. My goal or resolution for this year is kind of summed up in the words of this poem. I know it says "A Regular Man" but I think it applies to me as a Christian. I want to be able to look back on the year and be able to see ways in which I grew and give glory to God for it.

Lord, Make a Regular Man Out Of Me
~By Edgar A. Guest

This I would like to be – braver and bolder,
Just a bit wiser because I am older,
Just a bit kinder to those I may meet,
Just a bit manlier taking defeat;
This for the New Year my wish and my plea-
Lord, make a regular man out of me.

This I would like to be – just a bit finer,
More of a smiler and less of a whiner,
Just a bit quicker to stretch out my hand
Helping another who’s struggling to stand,
This is my prayer for the New Year to be,
Lord, make a regular man out of me.

This I would like to be – just a bit fairer,
Just a bit better, and just a bit squarer,
Not quite so ready to censure and blame,
Quicker to help every man in the game,
Not quite so eager men’s failings to see,
Lord, make a regular man out of me.

This I would like to be – just a bit truer,
Less of the wisher and more of the doer,
Broader and bigger, more willing to give,
Living and helping my neighbor to live!
This for the New Year my prayer and my plea –
Lord, make a regular man out of me.

Happy New 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."

~Frances Ridley Havergal

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!