So yesterday ( and the day before...and for pretty much a week) I went back and forth between burping ( ew! that's for boys!) and fighting off the need to throw up and so I was delighted when I woke up this morning with neither, unfortunately the feeling was soon replaced by a loverly headache that threated migrane potential-thus leaving me bedecked in a eyemask for MOST of the afternoon and evening...
luckily I can talk rather well with an eyemask on which is how I settled the all-important issue of a place to live in Kansas!
YAY!
That's right friends God is faithful to provide! Yes,God is very very good, and I feel really good about the upcoming situation....sooo, looks like I'll be living with a fellow army-wife-husband-on-a-MiTT team named Christina. She is renting me her basement which includes a bedroom, bathroom, living room ( with cable! Abigail's gonna have TV! What out!) -with windows and a door to the outside and the use of her kitchen ( if necessary)...and on top of that I talked to her on the phone today and she sounds absolutely lovely. In fact, she's a high school teacher and already offered to help me set up getting a substituting job if I so desired. So yes, I think its going to work out.
Anyway, this is an incredible load off of my mind. And while the future is looking incredibly close and gloomy, I know that God is going to continue to help me through it.....whether I'll be getting through it with an eyemask on or not remains to be seen...
July 29, 2008
July 26, 2008
the calm
So, Its starting to sink in just a little bit....not in a bad way, I think, but sink in nonetheless, that Brett is leaving and that in very much less than I month I will only get to see him for a few scattered moments here and there.
It makes me incredibly sad. But also grateful for these weeks here in Texas...
It makes me incredibly sad. But also grateful for these weeks here in Texas...
July 23, 2008
eating. and other activities.
So, my stomach ( and Brett's) made it across the country just fine-thanks to everyone who prayed! And we're now officially soaking up the Texas sun-from inside a well air-conditioned house, of course. ;-)
Anyway, its been really surreal so far, I think its strange being here-because Nacogdoches will always have that TOTALLY familiar hometown-you-never-left air about it, but also because I don't think I've mentally prepared ( and we ALL know how much I like to mentally prepare) myself for this trip like I normally would. In fact, I quite literally obsessed and worried about moving all the way up until I walked out the door to drive to the airport to come here....and here, well, there is NO WAY I can do any packing or any other move related activities. I'm at a loss!
Of course, I say that there is nothing I can do about the move right now, but that would be wrong....oh don't you worry! I've already made a list of productive and important things that Brett and I need to get done in the next three weeks....that's right, with the invention of the cell phone one can never be too far away from ones responsibilities. unfortunately.
Oh, and can I just say, that I'm SO glad that I am friends with Amy ( who you can now see in my newly updated blog links) who is not only a blogger, but she's a newly married army wife, and not just an army wife, but an infantry officer's wife. Heck YEAH! Somebody ELSE to rant about the military in finely crafted sentence form. Makes me feel better about my own plights already. ;-)
Anyway, its been really surreal so far, I think its strange being here-because Nacogdoches will always have that TOTALLY familiar hometown-you-never-left air about it, but also because I don't think I've mentally prepared ( and we ALL know how much I like to mentally prepare) myself for this trip like I normally would. In fact, I quite literally obsessed and worried about moving all the way up until I walked out the door to drive to the airport to come here....and here, well, there is NO WAY I can do any packing or any other move related activities. I'm at a loss!
Of course, I say that there is nothing I can do about the move right now, but that would be wrong....oh don't you worry! I've already made a list of productive and important things that Brett and I need to get done in the next three weeks....that's right, with the invention of the cell phone one can never be too far away from ones responsibilities. unfortunately.
Oh, and can I just say, that I'm SO glad that I am friends with Amy ( who you can now see in my newly updated blog links) who is not only a blogger, but she's a newly married army wife, and not just an army wife, but an infantry officer's wife. Heck YEAH! Somebody ELSE to rant about the military in finely crafted sentence form. Makes me feel better about my own plights already. ;-)
July 22, 2008
you can....
...totally pray for me...
I am traveling for the better part of today ( one 45 minute drive, one 1 hour flight, one 4 hour flight, one 2 hour drive) and my stomach is NOT happy.
Its either the excitment about leaving for Texas
...the sadness about leaving Washington
...the stress of moving to Kansas
....or its flat out something bad going on in my stomach.
Whatever the case I've been queasy (and more...ugg) since last night, and the LAST time I flew with a stomach bug was my honeymoon, and I reeeeally don't want to relive that experience.
I am traveling for the better part of today ( one 45 minute drive, one 1 hour flight, one 4 hour flight, one 2 hour drive) and my stomach is NOT happy.
Its either the excitment about leaving for Texas
...the sadness about leaving Washington
...the stress of moving to Kansas
....or its flat out something bad going on in my stomach.
Whatever the case I've been queasy (and more...ugg) since last night, and the LAST time I flew with a stomach bug was my honeymoon, and I reeeeally don't want to relive that experience.
July 20, 2008
sleepless in seattle
How have I not used this title before?!
How horrible that I've lived here for a year ( and probably been sleepless more than once) and yet have not taken advantage of the great connection?! pitiful, just pitiful...
Anyway, I've been sleeping pretty much awfully ( awesome grammar, abigail!) for the past week or so, which probably adds to my grumpiness....but that's beside the point. The point is that its not surprising that I've been so sleep deprived since what better time to wonder about the minute details of ones life than at 2:30am?! That's right! It's the best time to think about all the things you didn't have time to ponder during the day ( or you were smart enough not to )....in fact, it was such the best time to wonder about all the details that I hadn't worried about yet that I almost woke Brett up so he could 'brainstorm' right along with me...( unfortunately, Brett was sleeping like the dead and even if I'd tried I don't think he was up for thinking about shower curtains and extra towels and where they should be packed at 2:30...not everyone is hardcore like me.)
Yet, I'd like to say as much of a grump as I've been the last week, it is obvious that I have low tolerance for packing, and that I can handle very little without cracking, let's take a look at the evidence:
Packing Day #1: horrible...
yet...it was followed by an all day concert outside of Seattle and then followed by Sunday and then followed by a two day trip to Victory ( that equals a FOUR DAY break from my ONE DAY packing!!!!)
Packing Days #2-4: really, really horrible ....
yet followed by yesterday when once again we got to do something really cool * more in a second*
And today I've only worked HALF the day because the other half is being taken up by church, bible study preparation and bible study.....and then I've only got tomorrow and then I've got THREE WEEKS in Texas!!!
So, as you can see....apparently, my life is not so bad after all, and yet it seems to take me only one cardboard box and many small items to put within, before I'm back in my mighty funk. Pitiful. Just Pitiful
* Back to why yesterday was cool*
Yesterday, Brett and I went to Snoqualmie Falls with Chuck and Bethany. For one thing this was good in itself because, Chuck and Bethany are two of our favorite people and definitely high up at the top of our list of "The Hardest People to Leave" and so getting to spend a day with just them was a very good thing...but then, go ahead an add the falls, which were totally amazing and fun, add in perfect weather, and car trip that included the following in no particular order: a bear sighting, watching an air show from up close, slurpies from 7 Eleven and good conversation, AS WELL AS a free lunch at a fancy, fancy restaurant ( you see, Anna and Ryan were amazingly thoughtful and gave Brett and I a gift certificate to the Salish Lodge for our anniversary, and we used it to its maximum potential!)....and you've got yourself an almost perfect day!
Also, The Dark Knight, totally lived up to its hype. Go see it!
How horrible that I've lived here for a year ( and probably been sleepless more than once) and yet have not taken advantage of the great connection?! pitiful, just pitiful...
Anyway, I've been sleeping pretty much awfully ( awesome grammar, abigail!) for the past week or so, which probably adds to my grumpiness....but that's beside the point. The point is that its not surprising that I've been so sleep deprived since what better time to wonder about the minute details of ones life than at 2:30am?! That's right! It's the best time to think about all the things you didn't have time to ponder during the day ( or you were smart enough not to )....in fact, it was such the best time to wonder about all the details that I hadn't worried about yet that I almost woke Brett up so he could 'brainstorm' right along with me...( unfortunately, Brett was sleeping like the dead and even if I'd tried I don't think he was up for thinking about shower curtains and extra towels and where they should be packed at 2:30...not everyone is hardcore like me.)
Yet, I'd like to say as much of a grump as I've been the last week, it is obvious that I have low tolerance for packing, and that I can handle very little without cracking, let's take a look at the evidence:
Packing Day #1: horrible...
yet...it was followed by an all day concert outside of Seattle and then followed by Sunday and then followed by a two day trip to Victory ( that equals a FOUR DAY break from my ONE DAY packing!!!!)
Packing Days #2-4: really, really horrible ....
yet followed by yesterday when once again we got to do something really cool * more in a second*
And today I've only worked HALF the day because the other half is being taken up by church, bible study preparation and bible study.....and then I've only got tomorrow and then I've got THREE WEEKS in Texas!!!
So, as you can see....apparently, my life is not so bad after all, and yet it seems to take me only one cardboard box and many small items to put within, before I'm back in my mighty funk. Pitiful. Just Pitiful
* Back to why yesterday was cool*
Yesterday, Brett and I went to Snoqualmie Falls with Chuck and Bethany. For one thing this was good in itself because, Chuck and Bethany are two of our favorite people and definitely high up at the top of our list of "The Hardest People to Leave" and so getting to spend a day with just them was a very good thing...but then, go ahead an add the falls, which were totally amazing and fun, add in perfect weather, and car trip that included the following in no particular order: a bear sighting, watching an air show from up close, slurpies from 7 Eleven and good conversation, AS WELL AS a free lunch at a fancy, fancy restaurant ( you see, Anna and Ryan were amazingly thoughtful and gave Brett and I a gift certificate to the Salish Lodge for our anniversary, and we used it to its maximum potential!)....and you've got yourself an almost perfect day!
Also, The Dark Knight, totally lived up to its hype. Go see it!
July 18, 2008
Special K
Well, it seems we need to move soon or I'm going to go officially crazy. It is only fair after making fun of poor Brett and his five year old receipts, to say that yesterday I spent ALL DAY going through my clothes ( Brett's clothes and shoes too me about an hour and a half out of all that...) and shoes....yup. That's right. All. Day. I'm a total clothes horse. ( I just accidently wrote house, which might actually be more accurate..), and I think the thing which should really make the audience gasp in horror is that in the past year I've bought maybe three pairs of shoes ( its becoming harder and harder to find tiny shoes for these tiny feet of mine)...which MEANS that the dozens and dozens ( and dozens) of shoes that I have, yeah, totally had those a while....I blame all the high heels on my years as a 'real person' and I blame all those flats on being a barrista...so there you go, the price one pays to change 'careers'...
Anyway, today I must start the dreaded task of packing up my kitchen. Which is why I just ate cereal out of Brett's cereal bowl, why dirty up TWO bowls when I've got to immediately wash and pack them all?! Yup, I'm all about efficiency. Or laziness.
But, I will mention that yesterday two really cool things happened:
1. Amy and I got our swimsuits in the mail ( woo!) and therefore we were able to go swimming...you know LAP swimming....It was soOOoooo fabulous to be back in the water, why did I give up swimming in the first place?! I have no idea. I think it was because I always had to do it at ungodly hours in the morning...but now that the army has taught me to embrace 4:30 in the morning like it was my own ( sort of)....maybe I'll get back into it. Afterall, I also went for a run yesterday and today I'm not even that sore! I must be a triathlete in the making ( too bad I can't ride a bike).
2. Last night we had Thursday night Bible Study at Main Post Chapel instead of North Fort Chapel ( where we've had it for the past four months or so...maybe longer I can't remember)...anyway, Wes Wood brought up how cool it was that we had to be back at main post chapel for just one week and it just so happened to be Brett and my last week at bible study! We got to end where we started! And it really DID give a clearer picture of just how MUCH God has done in my year here in washington! We started our bible study with a handful of people and now we were literally splitting the room at its seams. Praise God! He has definitely been faithful to us!
Ok, so I suppose I've put off my work long enough...I'll leave you with this link which totally made me laugh this morning:
One of the many reasons why I made a really great English Major.
Anyway, today I must start the dreaded task of packing up my kitchen. Which is why I just ate cereal out of Brett's cereal bowl, why dirty up TWO bowls when I've got to immediately wash and pack them all?! Yup, I'm all about efficiency. Or laziness.
But, I will mention that yesterday two really cool things happened:
1. Amy and I got our swimsuits in the mail ( woo!) and therefore we were able to go swimming...you know LAP swimming....It was soOOoooo fabulous to be back in the water, why did I give up swimming in the first place?! I have no idea. I think it was because I always had to do it at ungodly hours in the morning...but now that the army has taught me to embrace 4:30 in the morning like it was my own ( sort of)....maybe I'll get back into it. Afterall, I also went for a run yesterday and today I'm not even that sore! I must be a triathlete in the making ( too bad I can't ride a bike).
2. Last night we had Thursday night Bible Study at Main Post Chapel instead of North Fort Chapel ( where we've had it for the past four months or so...maybe longer I can't remember)...anyway, Wes Wood brought up how cool it was that we had to be back at main post chapel for just one week and it just so happened to be Brett and my last week at bible study! We got to end where we started! And it really DID give a clearer picture of just how MUCH God has done in my year here in washington! We started our bible study with a handful of people and now we were literally splitting the room at its seams. Praise God! He has definitely been faithful to us!
Ok, so I suppose I've put off my work long enough...I'll leave you with this link which totally made me laugh this morning:
One of the many reasons why I made a really great English Major.
July 17, 2008
attitude adjustment hour
So, even though Brett was going off in the early morning hours to do "important things" and I even knew deep down that he really was doing things that needed to be done ( i.e. turn in equipment, follow paper trails down rabbit holes etc. etc.) so that we could leave Washington....I was left for 12 hours alone in our messy apartment, packing and lets just say things didn't bode well for Brett in this scenario. Not only did I start hating all of our possessions, I started taking things really personally:
Abigail comes upon three years worth of incredibly oversized TCU year books, each one weighs about fifty tons, inside our entertainment center. Abigail's first thought is, "Who needs yearbooks anyway?! Brett NEVER looks at these, ever! Look!!! They've got dust all over them..."
Then Abigail thinks better of the original idea of throwing the books away but she starts to feel that Brett went to TCU on purpose just to receive these gianormous yearbooks so that one day his little teeny tiny ( I gained like five pounds over last weeks "celebration time" so I'm trying to make myself feel better) wife would have to find a way to pack them!
This general idea that Brett is somehow trying to sabotage my packing process is solidified with three over-stuffed accordion folders full of miscellaneous papers that actually included not only papers that he wrote in college ( worth keeping) but also very, very, old junk mail ( you have been pre-approved to have your very own American Express Card!!!!!) and scraps of paper with the game score of some game that Brett and his roommates played in college ( oh yes. you heard me.)...so by the time Brett gets home at 6pm I've totally forgotten why he left the house in the first place and I cannot recall for the LIFE of me why it was so important for him to be gone 12 hours....so yes, being married to me for a year and two days....poor brett, indeed.
Annnnyway, why think about yesterday? When today I've got a closet and two sets of drawers to go through, pack and organize into three distinct piles: Texas for three weeks, Kansas for three months and Abigail's clothes for a year waiting for Brett to come back from Afghanistan....
But, today is going to be much better...for one thing I've started with a quiet time ( and let's not lie, this is the only way to start the day....on any day...but especially days that include packing. ) and I'm going to go for a run -which I havent done in a week ( eee!)...and I'm POSSIBLY going to finally give into all of Amy's comments and stop by the coffee shop ( especially if it means I get a muffin!) ....So here's to a better day.
Abigail comes upon three years worth of incredibly oversized TCU year books, each one weighs about fifty tons, inside our entertainment center. Abigail's first thought is, "Who needs yearbooks anyway?! Brett NEVER looks at these, ever! Look!!! They've got dust all over them..."
Then Abigail thinks better of the original idea of throwing the books away but she starts to feel that Brett went to TCU on purpose just to receive these gianormous yearbooks so that one day his little teeny tiny ( I gained like five pounds over last weeks "celebration time" so I'm trying to make myself feel better) wife would have to find a way to pack them!
This general idea that Brett is somehow trying to sabotage my packing process is solidified with three over-stuffed accordion folders full of miscellaneous papers that actually included not only papers that he wrote in college ( worth keeping) but also very, very, old junk mail ( you have been pre-approved to have your very own American Express Card!!!!!) and scraps of paper with the game score of some game that Brett and his roommates played in college ( oh yes. you heard me.)...so by the time Brett gets home at 6pm I've totally forgotten why he left the house in the first place and I cannot recall for the LIFE of me why it was so important for him to be gone 12 hours....so yes, being married to me for a year and two days....poor brett, indeed.
Annnnyway, why think about yesterday? When today I've got a closet and two sets of drawers to go through, pack and organize into three distinct piles: Texas for three weeks, Kansas for three months and Abigail's clothes for a year waiting for Brett to come back from Afghanistan....
But, today is going to be much better...for one thing I've started with a quiet time ( and let's not lie, this is the only way to start the day....on any day...but especially days that include packing. ) and I'm going to go for a run -which I havent done in a week ( eee!)...and I'm POSSIBLY going to finally give into all of Amy's comments and stop by the coffee shop ( especially if it means I get a muffin!) ....So here's to a better day.
booked
It is not cool to just buy more books or movies just because you think you might watch/read them again....or at some point will want to have said movie/book around! Because seriously, after you pack up 264 DVDS ( that's right...of course a lot of those are TV shows, which means more disks...but STILL!) and TWENTY boxes of books you start to think that MAYBE you've gone a tad over the top...
Of course, it was telling that Brett and my favorite places to go on any vacation, weekend afternoon or evening that we had free...where bookstores. Well, that should have been my clue.
We've got a problem. And the fact that I put Brett on a book buying fast about a month ago makes me think now that I was wrong...I should have done it a lot lot earlier.
In other news, I just realized that pretty much every second until we leave for Texas needs to be filled with me hardcore packing, so if this means that I neglect you in any way shape or form in the next five days, don't take it personally....blame the books.
Of course, it was telling that Brett and my favorite places to go on any vacation, weekend afternoon or evening that we had free...where bookstores. Well, that should have been my clue.
We've got a problem. And the fact that I put Brett on a book buying fast about a month ago makes me think now that I was wrong...I should have done it a lot lot earlier.
In other news, I just realized that pretty much every second until we leave for Texas needs to be filled with me hardcore packing, so if this means that I neglect you in any way shape or form in the next five days, don't take it personally....blame the books.
July 16, 2008
In sickness and in health
Happy Anniversary to Brett and I!! Today I can now say that we've been married over a year!
Yay!!
I have pretty much already listed off many of the ways in which I have been overwhelmed by how God has taken care of Brett and I during our first year of marriage- and if you missed it, go read my post here...
But, since it's been a few days since that was written-here are some of the things that have happened in the last few days to commemorate the end of our first year together...
-An entire day in the sun, listening to totally awesome music at the Subterranean Pop ( record label...) festival...the best of the day? Answer: totally The Fleet Foxes, obviously Iron and Wine...and DEFINITELY Flight of the Conchords ( although, I'd have to say I was disappointed that Flight of the Conchords didn't sell any shirts...boo!!!)
-Brett's final ( oh, wait...just kidding....he's got one more this week) "good bye, and good luck" party from his Company...he was super excited about his engraved battle club that the Cheyenne dog soldiers supposedly used. I was much less enthusiastic because all I could think was A) that's totally going to poke someone's eye out. and B) where/how am I going to pack that?! ( I have a pretty one track mind of late...)
-And our Anniversary trip to Canada:
So, the trip to Victoria ( which is on Vancouver Island) on the "Victoria Clipper" was a tiny piece of hell....pretty much everyone got sea sick...picturing the scene which included the staff going up and down the aisle handing out more sick baggies, and the sound of people throwing up was pretty much comedic ( after the fact)... Yeah. It was that bad. It was a far cry from the idealic "cruise" we'd imagined Luckily, we'd booked ourselves pretty much the most awesome hotel ever and therefore didn't feel so bad that we spent a good portion of the day recovering in bed. The other part of the day we walked all around Victoria trying to figure out what makes Canada so darn different from the USA...and finishing up the day eating awesome food at an ultra romantic italian restaurant ( incidentally, it seemed that after throwing up, Brett felt he had to eat his way through the rest of the day to make up for the "lack of food in his stomach"....this included a piece of cheese cake dipped in chocolate and stuck on a stick.....that's right, on a stick, why I hadn't thought of this genius idea sooner is beyond me..)...the next day we slept in, did our quiet time in a charming coffee shop and hopped on a bus to the Butchart Gardens , where we spent the rest of the day wandering around in beautiful gardens. My favorite quote from Brett: "So money can't buy you happiness, but it CAN buy you a rock quarry that you turn into a paradise with hundreds of gardeners and thousands of plants..."
Our return trip to Seattle was a lot less "eventful" -which was a blessing since we've got one week till we go to Texas and we've got a lot on our plate....
Yay!!
I have pretty much already listed off many of the ways in which I have been overwhelmed by how God has taken care of Brett and I during our first year of marriage- and if you missed it, go read my post here...
But, since it's been a few days since that was written-here are some of the things that have happened in the last few days to commemorate the end of our first year together...
-An entire day in the sun, listening to totally awesome music at the Subterranean Pop ( record label...) festival...the best of the day? Answer: totally The Fleet Foxes, obviously Iron and Wine...and DEFINITELY Flight of the Conchords ( although, I'd have to say I was disappointed that Flight of the Conchords didn't sell any shirts...boo!!!)
-Brett's final ( oh, wait...just kidding....he's got one more this week) "good bye, and good luck" party from his Company...he was super excited about his engraved battle club that the Cheyenne dog soldiers supposedly used. I was much less enthusiastic because all I could think was A) that's totally going to poke someone's eye out. and B) where/how am I going to pack that?! ( I have a pretty one track mind of late...)
-And our Anniversary trip to Canada:
So, the trip to Victoria ( which is on Vancouver Island) on the "Victoria Clipper" was a tiny piece of hell....pretty much everyone got sea sick...picturing the scene which included the staff going up and down the aisle handing out more sick baggies, and the sound of people throwing up was pretty much comedic ( after the fact)... Yeah. It was that bad. It was a far cry from the idealic "cruise" we'd imagined Luckily, we'd booked ourselves pretty much the most awesome hotel ever and therefore didn't feel so bad that we spent a good portion of the day recovering in bed. The other part of the day we walked all around Victoria trying to figure out what makes Canada so darn different from the USA...and finishing up the day eating awesome food at an ultra romantic italian restaurant ( incidentally, it seemed that after throwing up, Brett felt he had to eat his way through the rest of the day to make up for the "lack of food in his stomach"....this included a piece of cheese cake dipped in chocolate and stuck on a stick.....that's right, on a stick, why I hadn't thought of this genius idea sooner is beyond me..)...the next day we slept in, did our quiet time in a charming coffee shop and hopped on a bus to the Butchart Gardens , where we spent the rest of the day wandering around in beautiful gardens. My favorite quote from Brett: "So money can't buy you happiness, but it CAN buy you a rock quarry that you turn into a paradise with hundreds of gardeners and thousands of plants..."
Our return trip to Seattle was a lot less "eventful" -which was a blessing since we've got one week till we go to Texas and we've got a lot on our plate....
July 11, 2008
Abigail Reviews Herself:
I've officially packed 7 boxes....my house is a mess and I'm feeling like, yeah, maybe I don't have enough boxes...meeeeh!
Anyway, stopped to eat pretzels and peanut butter and drink diet coke ( because that's how I roll). And after checking my email this is what I was told:
I am, like number 500 and something on their list of ( thousands...but still) blogs. I am HURT!! Are you kidding?!
Here are their criteria ( who are they anyway?! )
Frequency of Updates, Relevance of Content, Site Design, and Writing Style.
OK, so Frequency of updates...I feel like I'm at least a 9 on that!
Relevance of Content....since the blog is called "Abigail's Day"...that pretty much means whatever Abigail writes is Abigail relevant that's a 10 for sure!
Site Design....ok....yeah....I pretty much just changed the colors on one of the blogger templates, but I'm not a template genius! I'm just a little ol' girl with no html skillz! And at least its easy to read, right?! riiiiight?? ( I give myself a 7 on this one. boo)
Writing Style.....mmm.....yeah, that's hard. I don't really use punctuation in the "tranditional" since, but I would say MOST of the time I make sense...eeeeh. I give myself an 8.
Now, lets see, let me pull out my old highschool mathbook and remember how to average numbers....
oh.
I just gave myself and 8.5
Well....I guess those people at blogged weren't too far of....
Anyway, stopped to eat pretzels and peanut butter and drink diet coke ( because that's how I roll). And after checking my email this is what I was told:
I am, like number 500 and something on their list of ( thousands...but still) blogs. I am HURT!! Are you kidding?!
Here are their criteria ( who are they anyway?! )
Frequency of Updates, Relevance of Content, Site Design, and Writing Style.
OK, so Frequency of updates...I feel like I'm at least a 9 on that!
Relevance of Content....since the blog is called "Abigail's Day"...that pretty much means whatever Abigail writes is Abigail relevant that's a 10 for sure!
Site Design....ok....yeah....I pretty much just changed the colors on one of the blogger templates, but I'm not a template genius! I'm just a little ol' girl with no html skillz! And at least its easy to read, right?! riiiiight?? ( I give myself a 7 on this one. boo)
Writing Style.....mmm.....yeah, that's hard. I don't really use punctuation in the "tranditional" since, but I would say MOST of the time I make sense...eeeeh. I give myself an 8.
Now, lets see, let me pull out my old highschool mathbook and remember how to average numbers....
oh.
I just gave myself and 8.5
Well....I guess those people at blogged weren't too far of....
*What to Do with Daylight
Daylight starts early around here these days-and with a bedroom facing the morning sun its hard not to get up early. And when you realize you have ten days ( minus four that you'll be doing fun travel-y things) to pack up your whole house you start getting up earlier....
As a Christian I feel like sometimes the Son shines brighter and I cannot help but "get up early" and do what I can in the daylight that I have. Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord....I think my migraine not only forced me to bed, but it forced me to pray more than I have in weeks...to sit and be forced to think about all the things I'd pushed aside. I pray for those that are on my heart. It was a pleasure. ( And with that, I'd like to go ahead and request that the headache I have this morning STAY just a "little" headache and not turn into something more...I've had enough "quiet time").... I did quite a bit of praying for my Coffee House People during my "bedded down time".
...those that I had the privilege to become friends with during my 11 months at Lacoste Coffee. Beautiful people with hearts that Shone with the Light of Christ.
I think one of the biggest lessons I learned this year was the lesson of loving. Loving people through actions...loving through time. I watched it through my little group of elderly ladies who came and talked over their cups of coffees for hours as they went through all their own heartaches, their burdens for the people they went to church with, their desires for the lost ones that God has placed in their lives and finished by holding hands in a circle and giving those things to the Lord. I saw it in the retired pastor who came and sat with widowers who'd nursed their wives through last sicknesses and now were at a loss at what to do with themselves. I saw it in the lady who worked at Albertsons across the street, who spent countless hours finding more suitable living situations for a few elderly people that lived in the dilapidated apartments across from the coffee house. I saw it in "M", ( I'm not sure if she'd want her name advertised) a pharmaceutical rep who came every Tuesday to do her work talking to doctors as they came in for coffee, but ended up spending most of her time befriending a nurse who worked nights and came in needing someone to talk to...
Yes, coffee is choice. You can get it to go, running to your car...putting it in your large thermos cup so that it'll stay warm while you're doing all the things that keep you so very, very busy. Or you can stop, you can sit and drink it with someone, someone who is absolutely in need of someone to talk to, someone to listen to them, to hear their story, to care. There is a greater ministry there than I think people realize. I talked to M for a few precious moments on my last day and I saw in her the frustration and discouragement that I have felt many times, the idea that "this just isn't enough"...but seeing it in her made it easier for me to see the lie in that...for I have seen the importance of all the time given by these people-the difference it has made in the lives they have given themselves to...so often we are worried about what we're going to say...what we're going to do...but today just try to listen....
Listen, and I promise you'll get past all the walls that people put up to hide their pain, their shame, their fears...you'll get past it to where they keep their hopes, their dreams and their desires for something More.
So, I am sad to leave my Coffee House. The job that I prayed for in Texas, the job that God got for me, a place that I thought was just to pass the time till Brett got home-but turned into a place where I learned so much about....Coffee.
How will I choose to drink it in the future, with I take it to go and "run"...or will I sit a while?
* The title of this post is dedicated to Emily who left me a message on my cell phone ( some time during my migraine coma) that Brooke Fraser is finally being played on American Radio... terribly exciting news!
As a Christian I feel like sometimes the Son shines brighter and I cannot help but "get up early" and do what I can in the daylight that I have. Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord....I think my migraine not only forced me to bed, but it forced me to pray more than I have in weeks...to sit and be forced to think about all the things I'd pushed aside. I pray for those that are on my heart. It was a pleasure. ( And with that, I'd like to go ahead and request that the headache I have this morning STAY just a "little" headache and not turn into something more...I've had enough "quiet time").... I did quite a bit of praying for my Coffee House People during my "bedded down time".
...those that I had the privilege to become friends with during my 11 months at Lacoste Coffee. Beautiful people with hearts that Shone with the Light of Christ.
I think one of the biggest lessons I learned this year was the lesson of loving. Loving people through actions...loving through time. I watched it through my little group of elderly ladies who came and talked over their cups of coffees for hours as they went through all their own heartaches, their burdens for the people they went to church with, their desires for the lost ones that God has placed in their lives and finished by holding hands in a circle and giving those things to the Lord. I saw it in the retired pastor who came and sat with widowers who'd nursed their wives through last sicknesses and now were at a loss at what to do with themselves. I saw it in the lady who worked at Albertsons across the street, who spent countless hours finding more suitable living situations for a few elderly people that lived in the dilapidated apartments across from the coffee house. I saw it in "M", ( I'm not sure if she'd want her name advertised) a pharmaceutical rep who came every Tuesday to do her work talking to doctors as they came in for coffee, but ended up spending most of her time befriending a nurse who worked nights and came in needing someone to talk to...
Yes, coffee is choice. You can get it to go, running to your car...putting it in your large thermos cup so that it'll stay warm while you're doing all the things that keep you so very, very busy. Or you can stop, you can sit and drink it with someone, someone who is absolutely in need of someone to talk to, someone to listen to them, to hear their story, to care. There is a greater ministry there than I think people realize. I talked to M for a few precious moments on my last day and I saw in her the frustration and discouragement that I have felt many times, the idea that "this just isn't enough"...but seeing it in her made it easier for me to see the lie in that...for I have seen the importance of all the time given by these people-the difference it has made in the lives they have given themselves to...so often we are worried about what we're going to say...what we're going to do...but today just try to listen....
Listen, and I promise you'll get past all the walls that people put up to hide their pain, their shame, their fears...you'll get past it to where they keep their hopes, their dreams and their desires for something More.
So, I am sad to leave my Coffee House. The job that I prayed for in Texas, the job that God got for me, a place that I thought was just to pass the time till Brett got home-but turned into a place where I learned so much about....Coffee.
How will I choose to drink it in the future, with I take it to go and "run"...or will I sit a while?
* The title of this post is dedicated to Emily who left me a message on my cell phone ( some time during my migraine coma) that Brooke Fraser is finally being played on American Radio... terribly exciting news!
July 10, 2008
shaky start...
So, I think I'm back in the land of the living....one can only hope, especially since the list of things I must accomplish today is rather longish. In fact, if Will alone can stop a headache I think I may have achieved it. ( probably more like the prayers).
First thing on the list is a shower because lets face it, even though I was lying in bed for one and a half days...one can still smell a little funky ...
Second thing on the list is a visit to Wal-Mart. Somehow I've made it a WHOLE YEAR ( that's right!) without going to Wal-Mart...for one thing its pretty far away, for another thing the PX and Target have treated me rather well....but apparently Wal-Mart has the cheapest storage bins around ( I've been researching) so off I go....and I must admit I'm kinda excited...Wal-Mart is the heart of America in a lot of ways ( my father will disagree, I'm sure...Wal-mart is up there on his "hate" list) and I've totally been missing out!
I would also like to get started going through our storage closet...but considering how shaky I am today....I don't know if that's going to happen...besides I've also got a coffee with Cindy and some cupcake baking to do this afternoon as well... I've got a lot to fit in!!! But, then I do enjoy that last sentence with the "coffee" and the "cindy" and the "cupcakes"....all those "c" words! YAAAY! Nothing like a little alliteration to make a girl truly feel better...
First thing on the list is a shower because lets face it, even though I was lying in bed for one and a half days...one can still smell a little funky ...
Second thing on the list is a visit to Wal-Mart. Somehow I've made it a WHOLE YEAR ( that's right!) without going to Wal-Mart...for one thing its pretty far away, for another thing the PX and Target have treated me rather well....but apparently Wal-Mart has the cheapest storage bins around ( I've been researching) so off I go....and I must admit I'm kinda excited...Wal-Mart is the heart of America in a lot of ways ( my father will disagree, I'm sure...Wal-mart is up there on his "hate" list) and I've totally been missing out!
I would also like to get started going through our storage closet...but considering how shaky I am today....I don't know if that's going to happen...besides I've also got a coffee with Cindy and some cupcake baking to do this afternoon as well... I've got a lot to fit in!!! But, then I do enjoy that last sentence with the "coffee" and the "cindy" and the "cupcakes"....all those "c" words! YAAAY! Nothing like a little alliteration to make a girl truly feel better...
July 09, 2008
uh-oh ( again)
So, yesterday was my last day of work...and I had a WHOLE blog post planned out to commemorate the event...but nooOoooo..around 3pm I started to realize that headache I've had for four days off and on....well, it decided that it didn't want to be ignored anymore-which is how I ended up in bed with an eye-mask on, only to move to throw up or adjust said eye mask. It is now a good 23 hours later and while I still have a pretty awful headache I was tired of lying down thinking thoughts.
Sometimes thinking thoughts can be exhausting. Especially when you're thinking thoughts to distract you from throwing up.
Anyway, I am frustrated because today was going to be me taking care of Danielle after her eye surgery. Today was going to be me starting the awful task of packing ( which I've apparently put off to a dangerous point) and today was going to be about me making my friend Amy feel better after the "Welcome to the Army: This is your life" that she got after coming back from her honeymoon...but nooOOoooo. Instead its just me in my bed. I don't like being sick, not even a little bit, and while there is never a good time....this is DEFINIELY not a good time! I have the next two weeks planned down to the hour!!!
*sigh*
I do want to go ahead and say that my time at Lacoste Coffee will not go on documented in blog post...it's coming, as SOON as I can sit up for longer than five minutes without my head spinning like a top.
Sometimes thinking thoughts can be exhausting. Especially when you're thinking thoughts to distract you from throwing up.
Anyway, I am frustrated because today was going to be me taking care of Danielle after her eye surgery. Today was going to be me starting the awful task of packing ( which I've apparently put off to a dangerous point) and today was going to be about me making my friend Amy feel better after the "Welcome to the Army: This is your life" that she got after coming back from her honeymoon...but nooOOoooo. Instead its just me in my bed. I don't like being sick, not even a little bit, and while there is never a good time....this is DEFINIELY not a good time! I have the next two weeks planned down to the hour!!!
*sigh*
I do want to go ahead and say that my time at Lacoste Coffee will not go on documented in blog post...it's coming, as SOON as I can sit up for longer than five minutes without my head spinning like a top.
July 05, 2008
glorious and majesty
So, my first "camping" experience was a lot like my past "camping" experiences ( which basically just proves that Abigail was not meant to rough it), meaning that we were in close proximity to nice clean bathrooms, we ate lots of yummy campfire foods ( super important), sat around chatting with great friends, and finally retired in the back of a truck bed on top of a futon mattress!!! hahah! that's right, I didnt even have to sleep on the ground! awesome! And then we woke up and went to a nearby lodge and ate a breakfast buffet followed by a lovely lounge by Crescent Lake ( if you are ever in need of a vacation spot....that is reasonably priced and has a KNOCK OUT view, I've got some places for you!) and then a nice walk to a totally cool waterfall ( just so that I could feel relatively close to nature)-we then came back to the lake and had a prayer time with Mike and Katie before heading home. In so many ways it was a great way to spend some good quality time with our dearest friends here at Fort Lewis, we're going to miss their friendship SO much! But, I'm pretty sure I deserve any kind of making fun of that people want to do regarding this idea of "camping" ( with air quotes included).
Anyway, after "camping" Brett and I headed home to find Chuck and Bethany in the exact same location on our couch that we'd left them the day before, watching the exact same movie ( granted it was Lord of the Rings Extended Edition... which is long)...but it turns out they had actually moved around a little bit, they had gotten ALL the groceries we needed for our Fourth of July celebration (which was soooo great of them, I can't tell you how much I hate going to the grocery store sometimes!) and so with Bethany's help with all the side dishes and Brett and Chuck doing all the grilling our Fourth of July food was pretty much on par with Thanksgiving dinner ( i.e. I felt incredibly over full after)....and waaaay low key and relaxing. Oh! And now to my favorite part, we watched fire works in Steilacoom ( I've decided this is what Stars Hallow would be like on the west coast), at a small park overlooking Puget Sound-with dear friends ( I know I've mentioned that I'm glad Daniel and Tim are back, but seriously, I am so grateful!) ...we could see small towns all along the edge of Puget Sound having their various fireworks shows as the sun slowly began to set...and then at 10:30pm (finally!) we saw one of the closest most intense firework shows I've ever seen! It was truly incredible.
Of course, during this truly amazing few days my heart has been incredibly heavy and prayerful for the Hiebert Family and all of Kathy's friends and family who truly lost a dear one on Thursday. I know that God has a plan for those left behind and He was truly gracious for taking her Home and yet I know she would appreciate it if everyone would continue to pray for her five children and her husband Todd, I know my heart is with them right now....I cannot imagine their loss...
Anyway, after "camping" Brett and I headed home to find Chuck and Bethany in the exact same location on our couch that we'd left them the day before, watching the exact same movie ( granted it was Lord of the Rings Extended Edition... which is long)...but it turns out they had actually moved around a little bit, they had gotten ALL the groceries we needed for our Fourth of July celebration (which was soooo great of them, I can't tell you how much I hate going to the grocery store sometimes!) and so with Bethany's help with all the side dishes and Brett and Chuck doing all the grilling our Fourth of July food was pretty much on par with Thanksgiving dinner ( i.e. I felt incredibly over full after)....and waaaay low key and relaxing. Oh! And now to my favorite part, we watched fire works in Steilacoom ( I've decided this is what Stars Hallow would be like on the west coast), at a small park overlooking Puget Sound-with dear friends ( I know I've mentioned that I'm glad Daniel and Tim are back, but seriously, I am so grateful!) ...we could see small towns all along the edge of Puget Sound having their various fireworks shows as the sun slowly began to set...and then at 10:30pm (finally!) we saw one of the closest most intense firework shows I've ever seen! It was truly incredible.
Of course, during this truly amazing few days my heart has been incredibly heavy and prayerful for the Hiebert Family and all of Kathy's friends and family who truly lost a dear one on Thursday. I know that God has a plan for those left behind and He was truly gracious for taking her Home and yet I know she would appreciate it if everyone would continue to pray for her five children and her husband Todd, I know my heart is with them right now....I cannot imagine their loss...
July 03, 2008
parades and rain ( isnt there a saying...?)
Exciting goodness happened yesterday when both Daniel and Tim returned safe and sound from Iraq! Yaaaaay! This was doubly good because this means that Brett gets to hang out with them before we leave. I was so sad about the thought that he'd leave without getting to say goodbye to them!
Also, last night I watched Brett, Tim, Daniel and Chuck put together a hardcore grill for Luke ( Amy is giving it to him for his birthday present and its been sitting in our living room waiting for them to go on their honeymoon for weeks now so that we could set it up for her)...it was great to see them all together again, awwww! Reminds me of those days not too long ago when I was always the only girl in the midst of a sea of boys. hehe.
Today I'm meeting with one of the new girls that's started coming to bible study...and can I just say, that while I absolutely know that its a good thing that I'm leaving for Kansas...I am so sad that I have to leave right now when it seems lots of exciting stuff is starting to happen with the Nav girls. I'm missing a great big God party! Anyway, I've been trying to hang out with all the new girls as much as possible anyway...and listen to THIS:
So, I got a text from one of them saying she wanted to have lunch and also that she wouldnt be abe to make it to Bible Study on Thursday, which I replied that I'd love to have lunch, and that I was missing bible study this week too ( get to that in a minute)...and THEN she said, "well, we can just do bible study together at lunch today, then!"
I know! It was sooo exciting to have someone get excited about doing their bible study, someone really desiring to dig deeper and grow. I think I've really gotten so use to being the cheerleader and trying desperately to set a fire to a wet blanket ( or that's how I feel) that to have one ELSE actually initiate is awesome! God is good!
So, in case you're wondering why I'm missing Bible Study tonight: I'm going camping. That's right. For real. As in, over night. At a camp site. Anyway, I'm sorta nervous at the moment since its currently raining and I looked at the forecast for where we're going and its worse there. BOO! But, we're going with Mike and Katie ( they're actually staying for two more nights!!!) and so that'll make it fun-and worse comes to worse it'll be a good " girlie girl goes camping: havoc ensues" story for later....
Other news that's happened lately: Brett was promoted to Captain. I nearly cried when I watched all the guys from his old platoon pass by and salute him one by one....I got lost running again yesterday, I'm going to have to start mapquesting my routes before I go......
Also, last night I watched Brett, Tim, Daniel and Chuck put together a hardcore grill for Luke ( Amy is giving it to him for his birthday present and its been sitting in our living room waiting for them to go on their honeymoon for weeks now so that we could set it up for her)...it was great to see them all together again, awwww! Reminds me of those days not too long ago when I was always the only girl in the midst of a sea of boys. hehe.
Today I'm meeting with one of the new girls that's started coming to bible study...and can I just say, that while I absolutely know that its a good thing that I'm leaving for Kansas...I am so sad that I have to leave right now when it seems lots of exciting stuff is starting to happen with the Nav girls. I'm missing a great big God party! Anyway, I've been trying to hang out with all the new girls as much as possible anyway...and listen to THIS:
So, I got a text from one of them saying she wanted to have lunch and also that she wouldnt be abe to make it to Bible Study on Thursday, which I replied that I'd love to have lunch, and that I was missing bible study this week too ( get to that in a minute)...and THEN she said, "well, we can just do bible study together at lunch today, then!"
I know! It was sooo exciting to have someone get excited about doing their bible study, someone really desiring to dig deeper and grow. I think I've really gotten so use to being the cheerleader and trying desperately to set a fire to a wet blanket ( or that's how I feel) that to have one ELSE actually initiate is awesome! God is good!
So, in case you're wondering why I'm missing Bible Study tonight: I'm going camping. That's right. For real. As in, over night. At a camp site. Anyway, I'm sorta nervous at the moment since its currently raining and I looked at the forecast for where we're going and its worse there. BOO! But, we're going with Mike and Katie ( they're actually staying for two more nights!!!) and so that'll make it fun-and worse comes to worse it'll be a good " girlie girl goes camping: havoc ensues" story for later....
Other news that's happened lately: Brett was promoted to Captain. I nearly cried when I watched all the guys from his old platoon pass by and salute him one by one....I got lost running again yesterday, I'm going to have to start mapquesting my routes before I go......
numero uno
Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said:
"Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this.
I read this during my bible reading this morning and I definitely feel David's sentiment. I can't believe its already July! And while Brett and I will soon be leaving washington and our first year of marriage behind, in a lot of ways I am incredibly grateful that God has given us an entire year of marriage without him being deployed! It could have been a lot lot worse...so yes, we have been held in His hands.
This year among many small things has included the following:
-An amazing wedding that went without a hitch.
-A honeymoon that was great- in fact, I didnt get a terrible stomach bug until we were on the plan headed home! Amazing!
-We were blessed with a lovely two bedroom apartment and a guest bedroom so we could have guests anytime we wanted.
-We were given Mike and Katie as neighbors-who, I mean, how often do you get a couple for friends-where everyone likes to hang out with each other equally?! ( apparently its rare, although we were blessed with it right out of the gate!)
-I was able to get a job at Lacoste Coffee, which turned out to be a joy pretty much every single day.
-Brett was assigned to A Company as a platoon leader, not his first choice of company, but it turned out to be exactly where God wanted him.
-Brett was able to develop many important relationships at his job.
-I was able to develop relationships with those that I served at the coffee shop as well as those i worked with.
-We were able to be a part of the very beginnings of the Navigator Thurs night bible study and watch it grow from just a handful to doubling and tripling in size.
-We have been able to meet with amazing believers every Sunday night for indepth bible study, and we've learned so much from every one of them.
-We found a church that we have gotten a lot from, and been able to invite others and watch them grow from the teachings, as well. ( last count about 10 people are not attending this church because we invited them to come!)
-I was given many special girl friends when I was feeling particularly lonely.
-Brett was able to develop several close friendships and watch how God has worked in those guys lives in a big way.
-We got to have visits from family members over the Thanksgiving break.
-We were able to go back to Texas for an extended trip over the christmas holidays.
-We got to take multiple weekend trips to the beach, seattle, northern washington, portland and several islands nearby and Mount Rainer and Mount St Helen's ( with the Kinnairds! yay!) .
-I made it through many illnesses with lots of love and support...and lets not forget, free medical care!
-We bought our first brand new car and paid it off in less than 8 months ( God is good!).
And above all God has continued to answer our prayer for our marriage that He would give us one heart and one way, that we would learn to fear the Lord always ( Jer 32:39)
"Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this.
I read this during my bible reading this morning and I definitely feel David's sentiment. I can't believe its already July! And while Brett and I will soon be leaving washington and our first year of marriage behind, in a lot of ways I am incredibly grateful that God has given us an entire year of marriage without him being deployed! It could have been a lot lot worse...so yes, we have been held in His hands.
This year among many small things has included the following:
-An amazing wedding that went without a hitch.
-A honeymoon that was great- in fact, I didnt get a terrible stomach bug until we were on the plan headed home! Amazing!
-We were blessed with a lovely two bedroom apartment and a guest bedroom so we could have guests anytime we wanted.
-We were given Mike and Katie as neighbors-who, I mean, how often do you get a couple for friends-where everyone likes to hang out with each other equally?! ( apparently its rare, although we were blessed with it right out of the gate!)
-I was able to get a job at Lacoste Coffee, which turned out to be a joy pretty much every single day.
-Brett was assigned to A Company as a platoon leader, not his first choice of company, but it turned out to be exactly where God wanted him.
-Brett was able to develop many important relationships at his job.
-I was able to develop relationships with those that I served at the coffee shop as well as those i worked with.
-We were able to be a part of the very beginnings of the Navigator Thurs night bible study and watch it grow from just a handful to doubling and tripling in size.
-We have been able to meet with amazing believers every Sunday night for indepth bible study, and we've learned so much from every one of them.
-We found a church that we have gotten a lot from, and been able to invite others and watch them grow from the teachings, as well. ( last count about 10 people are not attending this church because we invited them to come!)
-I was given many special girl friends when I was feeling particularly lonely.
-Brett was able to develop several close friendships and watch how God has worked in those guys lives in a big way.
-We got to have visits from family members over the Thanksgiving break.
-We were able to go back to Texas for an extended trip over the christmas holidays.
-We got to take multiple weekend trips to the beach, seattle, northern washington, portland and several islands nearby and Mount Rainer and Mount St Helen's ( with the Kinnairds! yay!) .
-I made it through many illnesses with lots of love and support...and lets not forget, free medical care!
-We bought our first brand new car and paid it off in less than 8 months ( God is good!).
And above all God has continued to answer our prayer for our marriage that He would give us one heart and one way, that we would learn to fear the Lord always ( Jer 32:39)
July 02, 2008
I wrote a post...
But, I'll probably post it later, what I dowant to write about is more of a prayer request.... A dear family friend, Kathy Hiebert, is in very critical condition in Houston at the moment. In fact, it seems as if her sweet family is facing some difficult decisions at the moment regarding her future and so I covet your prayers for all of them.... especially her husband Todd and their five children. This family has faced many difficulties over the years and with each step they have rested in Christ's Peace and love and He has been glorified through it all. please stop and pray for this family.
If you would like to know more about Kathy's current condition, you can check up on her here.
If you would like to know more about Kathy's current condition, you can check up on her here.
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