How emotional are you? I know most of you who have read my blog for any length of time will laugh at me when I say I feel like I'm somewhere in the middle of emotionalism...I say this because I've got friends who are WAY dramatic and who-no matter what-are always going through huge emotional issues:
LIFE IS SO UNCERTAIN!! LIFE IS WONDERFUL AND IS EVERYTHING I COULD EVER HOPE FOR! LIFE IS HARD AND UNBELIEVABLY DIFFICULT TO FIGURE OUT!!!

I love these friends because they are so dang honest about how they are feeling at all times. I'm pretty sure they COULDN'T lie about it even if they tried....

Then I've got the other side of the coin. They always sound about like this. Everythingsfine. Everythingsfine. Everythingsfine. Itwasagoodday. Itwasabadday. Everythingsfine. Everythingsfine.

Its a little bit harder to distinguish what is going on deep in side of this type of a person, but you better believe that just because they don't talk or live their lives in All-Caps, it doesn't mean that their emotions don't swing. That some days they don't have a better grasp on their goals, a better feeling about where they fit in the grand scheme of things. And if they are followers of Christ then I bet we can ALL relate ( whether we're ALLCAPS people or if we're runonsentence people) to how some days we feel closer to God and have a greater understanding of Who He is and What He wants for our lives, and some days we're doubting just about EVERYTHING we've ever heard Him say to us. Ever.

This morning while Brett and I were praying together on the phone ( I highly recommend this....if there is anything I regret about this deployment its how little we have prayed together on the phone, considering how much we need prayer.), I was struck with a better understanding of the verse;

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." Heb 13:8 ....

I was encouraged that this means He is the same no matter how I may be "feeling". People, whether you've been a Christian two days of twenty year there are Truths that do not change depending on how you are. I think sometimes we get this feeling that Christ's love is dependent on what we do or don't do. That Christ's grasp on our situation is dependent on Just how bad it is ( if its a little problem, YOU can take care of it...if its a BIG problem, maybe you'll hand it over to God and cross your fingers and hope for the best..), That Christ's Understanding and Help is directly connected to whether we feel like we deserve it or feel it.
False, False, False.

His love and acceptance , His knowledge of our lives, His complete control over situations and circumstances, His ability to save us from ourselves, all of these things are absolute and complete ALL THE TIME.

Today you might not be feeling it, you're emotions might be high, they might be low...or they might be smack dab in the middle ( like always! haha!), you might be not particularly interested in God or you might be wishing that you COULD some how get and Him through all the mess stacked up around you....no matter what, I promise you He is the Same. He is with us and For us.
He is at the Right Hand of the Father (Acts 2:33 ) right now...making our Case for us, Fighting for us. (Heb 7:25)

Playing with icing

Fun! And thanks again Katie!

Christmas in June

This week has been quite the week for surprises! I wonder if my mail woman is wondering what's going on...
On Monday, Brett sent me roses and chocolates ( awwwww!)
And then today I opened my mail box to find the little key that means that there is a package for you in one of the bigger boxes underneath and low and behold there was not one and not two, but THREE packages!

A fun little cupcake decorating kit from Katie that she got from Bakeitpretty.com, which couldn't have COME at a better time, since I just so HAPPEN to have a party on Saturday that I need to bring something, I'm thinking cupcakes are now in order!

I also received books from Amy K.-one of which is on my list that is on my sidebar, of books I plan on reading. ( as well as a book for Brett, that I'm pretty sure, from the cover alone, he's gonna love) This also came at a the perfect moment since I just came to the end of a book and I was at a quandary of what to read next!

And THEN I got a package from my parents... presents from Russia from my Papa*, for Brett and I as well as a T-shirt and CD that I had requested my Mom pick up for me from a band that I knew was playing in my home town a few weekends ago and I've been wanting their CD for a while now....( incidentally, Darcy is just quirky enough and clever enough for me to tell you all it'll be a treat if you ever get the chance to hear them play or get your hands on a CD. )...this ALSO came a just the right moment, because I was having trouble deciding what to wear today since the tempature can't seem to decide if its Spring or Summer-meaning you need a jacket, scarf, tanktop and a pull over shirt.....just so that you can be ready for any weather changes....so the beautiful scarf he sent was PERFECT*

So, anyway! Today was lovely...I had Thai Food with Tina where we talked about Tithing ( among other things, but that alliteration is hard to pass up!) and then walked around Olympia WA-which is quickly becoming my favorite day trip...with all its boutiques and waterfront views and cafes and teashops, you can't go wrong!
And now I'm sitting on my balcony in a perfect sliver of afternoon sun, waiting on Katie so that we can go see the newest Pixar movie UP ( I know, I'm a bit behind, but better late than never!)

I will now leave you with the self-portrait that I tried to take of myself in my new scarf! hahaha! Very artsy don't you think?!

Abigail, don't forget about Time.

Sweet is the feeling of renewed ( or should I say "renewing") Hope that the past few days have brought along with the sunrise. Seriously, I'm writing this now because I'm sure one of these days ( hopefully not soon?!?) I'll feel this down and hopeless again and I'll need to be reminded of the time that it takes to climb up out of such a place. But, that's the thing! I think we wish it didn't take time, that instead we could say a prayer, snap our fingers and get back up. We wish those prayers for help would be answered with a reassuring hug from Jesus, and maybe a card with a printed list( maybe written in something fancy like calligraphy) of just HOW things are going to be get back to being awesome. But instead we have to wait. Such desperate prayers are usually just answered by silence. But is it? Is it really silent?
I think not...

If everything comes down to love
Then just what am I afraid of
When I call out Your name
Something inside awakes in my soul
How quickly I forget I'm Yours

I'm not my own
I've been carried by You
All my life


Everything rides on hope now
Everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down
This love sets me free

When my life is like a storm
Rising waters all I want is the shore
You say I'll be ok and
Make it through the rain
You are my shelter from the storm


And everything rides on hope now
And everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down
This love sets me free

You've become my hearts desire
I will sing Your praises higher
Cause Your love sets me free
Your love sets me free
Your love sets me free


I'm not my own
I've been carried by You
All my life

Everything rides on hope now
Everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down
This love sets me free

This love sets me free
Your love sets me free

Books I'm reading...

This is the list of books that I'm currently working through reading. If it has a line through it, then it most likely also has a review attached to it as well! You can click on the book and it'll take you to my review ( for what it's worth!)

I am also always in the market for new books to sink my teeth in to, so please, share the love...leave me a comment with books you think I should read! I'm always game!

1. Courage
2. The Billionaire’s Vinegar
3. Galileo’s Daughter
4. Longitude
5. The Sands of Tamanrasset
6. Three Cups of Tea
7. The Professor and the Madman
8. When I lay my Isaac Down
9. The Return of the Prodigal Son
10.Reading the OED ( Oxford English Dictionary)
11.Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure
12.Look Me in the Eye
13. Julius Caesar
14. The Friendship: Wordsworth and Coleridge
15. The Bookseller of Kabul
16. Behind the Blue Star Banner: Memoir from the home front
17. Miles Gone By: A Literary Autobiography
18. J.M. Barrie and the Lost Boys
19. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
20. Absolutely American: Four Years at West Point

This is the list of books that I'm currently working through reading. If it has a line through it, then it most likely also has a review attached to it as well! You can click on the book and it'll take you to my review ( for what it's worth!)

I am also always in the market for new books to sink my teeth in to, so please, share the love...leave me a comment with books you think I should read! I'm always game!

1. Courage
2. The Billionaire’s Vinegar
3. Galileo’s Daughter
4. Longitude
5. The Sands of Tamanrasset
6. Three Cups of Tea
7. The Professor and the Madman
8. When I lay my Isaac Down
9. The Return of the Prodigal Son
10.Reading the OED ( Oxford English Dictionary)
11.Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure
12.Look Me in the Eye
13. Julius Caesar
14. The Friendship: Wordsworth and Coleridge
15. The Bookseller of Kabul
16. Behind the Blue Star Banner: Memoir from the home front
17. Miles Gone By: A Literary Autobiography
18. J.M. Barrie and the Lost Boys
19. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
20. Absolutely American: Four Years at West Point

Eating up my time...

Today I woke up, did my personal quiet time, talked to Brett on the phone for a little while, then did a bible study with Lindsay, headed to the Stroud's house where I babysat for all four of their children ( summer has a whole new meaning for me now: more work! hehe!)....where I played basketball, calmed several crying fits, watched a movie and put a three year old to sleep with the sound of my voice ( I was talking on the phone) and a backrub ( thank goodness! I support napping for ALL ages!)

I then headed to the library to pick up season 2 of West Wing ( I love how you can just request a movie or a show and they just send it to your nearest branch. like magic!) and then straight home for a shower ( umm...all that basketball made me a bit sticky! heh) and then off to eat Korean BBQ with a bunch of friends and now I'm home again!

It wasn't until right before the Korean BBQ that I realized I'd totally forgotten to eat! All day! This just about never happens...hahaha! But considering the oil and fat involved in my dinner I'd say I barely came out even....

I gotta tell you though, this busy day was an answer to prayer! I needed a day full of constant distraction...sometimes its really good for the soul! ;-)

Opening the Vault: June 5, 2004

Well, when I was doing a little reminiscing on my 100,000th view the other day, it got me thinking about how SAD it is that the year of 2004 version of my blog is no longer available on the internets (sic). Soooo, I've decided to periodically give you a little slice of the 2004 pie, so to speak, and let you take a journey back in time to when I was a silly university student who seemed to think life was complicated, when in actuality I had NO CLUE what complicated really meant ( hahah! how time would tell!) But, every so often that 20 year-old version of myself would say semi-funny things....like this post I bring you tonight, a post that I wrote in jest at all the books I was reading for my Rom Lit class...
Enjoy!

Well, my dear friend, it is with no small joy that I write to you today. At brunch this morning, I was infinitely pleased to discover that cream cheese and croissants were on the menu. I have not the language to describe the delight and trepidations that this caused in my heart and it was well into the second course before I was able to truly recover my emotions.
I had the good fortune of attending church this morning, though the weather was far from favorable. I had feared that the cold rain and wind would severally dampen my spirits as well as my attire but, I had the honor, however, to be received into Rueben’s car halfway through my journey, thus I arrived at church without any alterations to my appearance, being saved from a very dreary walk. Providence has truly looked upon me with Mercy this day!
I also had the great joy in having an interview with my dear mother this afternoon. We were in no way brief in our discourse and it was not less than two hours before I was unengaged again. My mother always offers great relief and no small diversion when I am studying and I was, as always, most grateful for her intercourse.
I was, this afternoon, inclined to study, even for a short time, however my mind was most diverted by various thoughts and the dreariness of the weather and I was in risk of being quiet melancholy. I did collect my countenance, however and thus I found myself happily entertained in making lists of useless professions that I could acquire in the coming year when my studies have ceased. A few days previous I had written a small note to my dear friend, Sam stating my desire to become the sound technician for a local group of deaf musicians who are planning to go on tour. I found no small amusements in this jest, and therefore I was determined to continue the game.
Even before tea was being served I found myself, once again nervous and out of spirits. I was ashamed at my lack of restraint and have thus resolved myself to this letter in hopes that your love and acceptance will again remind me of my Duty to you and to those far less fortunate than myself. It is with this that I will end this letter as your most faithful humble servant, Abigail Kathryn Abt of Nacogdoches Abt family

Posted by: Abigail / 10:55 PM

Regular Scheduled Programming

I'm going to go ahead and cling to this until my fingernails give out:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Rom 15:13

I must admit I've got really much zero joy today. And I'll also admit its kinda hard to find peace at this moment in time too, but after all the crying and the praying ( please don't ask!), it is encouraging to know that he is the "God of Hope" as in, that's His NAME! And how can I get said "hope" for myself?! Apparently by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Well, this I know must be true...since I'm not going to get it by any other way but by something that is Powerful.
He is powerful in these circumstances...the ones here today! It seems that Jesus would have it His way...not by taking away pain, but somehow giving us the ability to live through it.

I'm now incredibly dehydrated and need some sort of refreshing beverage to refill my tear ducts for another day....

one hundred thousand

Today something super exciting happened. Today I had my 100,000 view on this blog! Yay! That's exciting, isn't it? Especially since I've been blogging on a pretty regular ( sometimes obsessive) basis since May of 2003. With over 1,800 posts and over one million words I have regaled you ( or tried to) of the stories of my life....at first it was your typical life of a college student, how much sleep I wasn't getting, how many papers I had to write, what random fun I'd had with my friends, all as a way to connect my family back in the States with my life in NZ...and then we hit 2004-2005 where I went from a pretty happy go lucky girl in New Zealand to a pretty mixed up girl in Texas....looking for jobs, trying to figure out my identity, dealing with some pretty heavy emotional stuff in my every day life, all the while missing my best friends in NZ, my blog became the missing friend that I most desperately needed....then 2006 happened. You'll notice that my posts nearly doubled if you look at my archives. There is a very specific reason for this and his name is Brett.
That's right, at the end of 2005 I ran into my now-husband, Brett who I'd been "sorta" friends with in high school and we reconnected and after a few emails back and forth I started to notice that I was getting hits from an internet browser at Fort Benning, Georgia. Weeeelllll, since I didn't know anyone else at Fort Benning, GA, I put two and two together and realized that even though this guy was playing it cool in the real world, he was stalking me hot and heavy via my blog....thus the year of the subtle courtship, where I blogged just about constantly, mostly amid directly at a certain 2nd Lt. in the United States Army. So, while I give God all the credit for bringing Brett and I together, I give my blog secondary credit for giving Brett the long distance nudges that he needed. hehe.
In the years following, I have found that my blog continues to play these rolls in my life, connection to loved ones across the globe ( as well as with new friends that I've made THRU this blog!), a much needed ( have you SEEN my life?!) form of therapy when things get hard, and it continues to be a source of information for my husband, who still drops by every so often when he has time to check the internet during his deployment in Afghanistan, about my day to day life. I can honestly say, that when I started this blog in 2003, I never thought once about how long it would last or what forms it would take in my life, but from the beginning I decided I would only blog as long as it was "worth it", as long as I could and WOULD be perfectly honest about my day to day Walk in this world, most importantly my day to day struggle to follow Christ as best as I can. I have always found it very important to share when I'm feeling weak, and when I'm doubting, as well as the times that I feel blessed and encouraged. So far it has been an honor to share this part of my life with my readers ( whoever you are!), and if I could be so bold, I'd love it if you left a comment every once in a while ( on this post would be perfect), since comments are pretty much the crack of the blogging world...but, anyway, thanks again for reading my blog, whether this is your first time visiting, or you've been around from the beginning....here's to the next 100,000!

Courage, By J.M. Barrie

I picked up this little copy of the "Rector's Address" that Barrie made at St. Andrews College in 1922, this past weekend and I'm very glad I did! It was a quick read, took me about 35 minutes to read from cover to cover, but definitely something that was meaty enough to read several times through. I wished that I'd taken a pen with me while I was reading it, but alas I read it while on the stationary bike in the gym and I can just imagine me trying to juggle book, paper and pen AND spin my legs at the same time...and honestly I doubt it would have been possible!
However, I did remember a few passages that I thought would be worth sharing with you so here goes...


" Go though life without ever ascribing to an opponent motives meaner than your own. Nothing so lowers the moral currency; give it up, and be great."

" Doubtless also ( the Almighty) could have provided us with better fun than hard work, but I don't know what it is. To be born poor is probably the next best thing. The greatest glory that has ever come to me was to be swallowed up in London, not knowing a soul, with no means of subsistence, and the fun of working till the stars went out. To have known anyone would have spoilt it."

"Where an old student given an hour in which to revisit the St. Andrews of his day, would he spend more than half of it at lectures? He is more likely to be heard clattering up bare stairs in search of old companions..."

~~~

These are just a few of the many gems in this little book...I think most of all is the striking comments on war to a people who were just barely coming out of WWI at the time...its amazing how true some of his thoughts are still today.

*Note: You may note that right now all the books in my list of books I plan to read are linked to where you can buy them. Once I actually read the book I hope to write up a little something to tell you what I thought of the book and thus change the link to my thoughts....of course, I'll still give you a little link to where you can find the book so you can decide if I'm right or not...hehehe!
Here is where you can find "Courage" by James Barrie

Waiting Game

There are some things that I hold to be self evident...one of them being that when your husband says he'll call at a certain time and then doesn't that you find yourself "waiting" even though you know the call is probably not going to come....you also find yourself not working out and not taking a shower in the hopes that you won't get interrupted doing either but instead you'll get a phone call while sitting quietly on the couch.

Of course now we're here at 11pm and I really should have worked out ( because its been days) and I really NEED a shower ( "ew" already!) and that phone call never came...so I'm just going to chalk this day up as a loss and hope that everythings OK on the other side of the world.

Sometimes this Life is hard.

And now I will take a shower in the hopes that irony will strike and my phone will ring.....

Why you should read...

So, I've added two new features to my blog. One of them is a category called "Books I recommend..." which is made up of a few of the books I've read in the past year. And let me tell you, it was hard deciding which ones to recommend! I mean, I didn't want to recommend ALL of the books I've read ( for one thing, they weren't all good...) because I didn't want to overwhelm you with titles but instead give you a list of books that, if I may say so, I think EVERYONE should read....ok, not everyone....but MOST of you...and you'll find that each book is magically linked so that you can go and check out to see if by "everyone" I mean YOU.
Obviously, this section will be changing ( if I remember!) as I think of books I've already read that need some recognition and as I read more books that need some props, so keep on the look out folks!

Which brings me to my next new category. This was brought to you by my friend Tabitha, who is currently in the process of "The Great Read" where she is reading a whole bunch of classics with a friend of hers and she's showing her list on the side of her blog, where she crosses off the books she's read....

Ok, so a while back I had a Great Enlightenment and decided that I need not read all the "classics" or the books that the New York Times Best Sellers LIst deems worthy ( or, heaven forbid, books that OPRAH thinks are good!), but instead I would read all the books that *I* wanted to read, and if I finished with that list then, maybe I'd think about reading those so called "Literary Masterpieces" ( and yes, some of them ARE..), anyway, ever since I got an iPhone, I've been keeping a running tab on all the books that I come across that I feel like I really MUST get around to reading...and today, I decided to go ahead and share that list with you! This list will most likely get longer and longer, but I will keep the names up there for at least a full year ( maybe longer depending on how I do) and just cross them off when I've read them ( some of them may even make it into the "Books I recommend" category, but either way I feel like they're all super interesting and worth a look...and, as you can see I left a little "joke" on my list so you could see what a crossed off book looks like....

So there you have it....the books that are on Abigail's Mind...

Project(ion)

There is something I've been meaning to do for ages now, and thanks to a few nudges from friends plus an inspiring visit to the largest used bookstore in the world, I am currently working on a totally fabulous list ( only if you like books, that is...)

Stay tuned....

Gelato

Dusk

Its about 87 degrees in my living room right now. I say this because I started SWEATING while laying on the couch. not. moving.
So I'm going to go ahead and take a guess that it was 87 degrees. Very scientific.

Now, in contrast my balcony at 9:33pm was a lovely 72 degrees ( the perfect temperature, according to my iphone)...Thus the reason why I'm sitting on my balcony right now, listening to Coldplay and having a little Dark N' Stormy ( the beverage, not the weather) before bed....

It would only be better if you were here to enjoy it with me...

God's answer!

So, yesterday I prayed that God would help make Katie's Baby Shower Awesome....and low and behold today He sent me an afternoon of making lists with Cindy followed by whirlwind shopping where we checked off a MILLION things on our to-do lists for shower preparations AND we came up with what I think is the cutest summer baby shower theme!! YAY!!!

I'm totally excited now!

Of course, that was only PART of today's to do list...so really no time to stop and chat, I just wanted to share the answered-prayer-joy with all of you!

Things you can't ignore...

So, today, I woke up with a horrible headache....this was not exactly a surprise considering my neck has been bothering me off and on since this weekend, but then it decided to not be so subtle any longer and thus a day of me pondering various ways of impaling my own head ( for whatever reason, my brain seems to think that would make the pain LESS...) .
At any case, I think the worst part is that I have so much to do...for instance, I'm throwing a baby shower next Saturday. Yes. As in NEXT Saturday.....Honestly, I've resorted to prayer that it will turn out great, considering that between now and then I have a pretty packed out schedule that included my mommy visiting me at the end of this week and into next week....*sigh*
Ultimately, it MUST turn out swimmingly, because its the last thing I get to do for my friend Katie before she leaves Washington at the end of June...so, see? there is no other option. It must turn out great. The end.


But, back to my headache. After several hours of trying to do things and ignore it, I just gave in and told my headache that it could have today, it could take it and make it into something utterly helpful to all my current to do lists, as long as my headache PROMISED to go away sometime between now and 9am tomorrow morning which is when Obligations kick back into full gear and I refuse to have a screwdriver wedged between my skull and brain for another day.....

Helping Hands

One thing I had the chance to do this past week, was help a friend of mine write up some descriptions for some of her art work that she is hoping to have published in a printmaking book....it was great fun to try and take what she'd written as well as just her ideas on a particular piece and turn it into something that might be a little bit more reader friendly. I have to admit it was some of the most fun I've had in a while! Mirka is a lot of fun, and her art work is pretty impressive! I recently gave one of her prints of a little birdie as a gift and everyone who saw it was jealous and wanted it for their own....I just replied with I know the artist, aren't I lucky to be around such talent?! hehehe! But in all seriousness, it IS really refreshing to be around someone who is not only creative in their own ( talented!) right, but is kind and gracious enough to spur the people they are around in their own creative juices!

Yes, one of my favorite things about Mirka is that she is as far from pretentious and snobby about her talents as an artist, as you could get and she loves to get other people excited about "working with their hands" too! Luckily, along with her artistic ability she loves to do crafts too ( which translate a little better over to us "non-talented" folk!) and as an example, I absolutely love some of the things she makes and sells on her craft page!

But, as I was leaving her house on Friday she handed me this little Friend to take home with me, she said she just 'threw it together' when she was bored at her in-laws a little while ago and didn't know what to do with it....my thoughts were, if anything I EVER made turned out like that I'd probably sell tickets and shout it from the mountain tops, but then again, my artist genes translated only into words... So thank goodness I can reap the benefits of her hands and take home such little treats that make me happy just to look at them!

Let this be summer...

Basically this is my favorite spot at the moment. For one thing it is officially warm enough to have both of my windows open and since they span the side of my bed, there is always a crisp, cool feeling on that side of the bed. Its so great in fact, ( especially when you turn the box fan on at night...*sigh* the only thing that could make it better is if Brett was here to enjoy it, the box fan reminds me of him more than most things since he loves them so much....) this morning after I got up early, went and ran a 5k that was being held literally a quarter of a mile from my house, I came home and got right back in bed. And that's where I've pretty much been ever since.

I mean, sure, I'll have to get out bed eventually, Bethany is on her way as I write this and I'm sure she'll want to do something other than lie here...but for the time being I'm basking.

This is in stark contrast with yesterday, yesterday I was go, go, go all day. You can ask Linds for proof, since she pretty much spent all day yesterday lying on the livingroom floor. And every couple of hours I'd rush into the apartment, pick up something or drop something off, or quickly throw some brownies into the oven, and the rush back out again. It was kinda nice, though, having her lying in that same spot everytime I came back in-it made me feel like I hadn't been gone long at all....

Under the Sun

I have walked under this awning and into the sunny park next to my home for the past two days so that I can read for hours and get a tan on only the top part of my legs ( super sexy, let me tell you, its like having two pairs of legs...one is tan, one is white)...and let me tell you, these flowers smell divine.

The first time I walked under them, I was walking fast because I was carrying a lawn chair, my phone, and my books ( bible, journal, recreational reading)...but the smell was enough to make me stop and back track, standing still under the blooms taking deep breathes. The last few days I have honestly felt like I was living in some sort of vacation resort. The weather has been THAT beautiful.

A Need to Breathe

Today was my day off....I have honestly not had a day when I went leisurely about activities without anyone to see or anything to do at a specific time in a month. And I realized yesterday that I have not been in my own home on a weekend in over a month. A month.

So, yes things have been a bit hectic and I needed a deep breath. Thus today. I had a longer quiet time then normal, I had some time to say longer prayers for people who deserve longer prayers more often, I cleaned and I listened to More Time by Needtobreathe ( For some reason I keep thinking of my friends Amy and Luke all the other military couples having to say goodbye here at Fort Lewis over the next month or two every time I listen to it and it makes me cry...so this one's for you, Amy), I threw together a little greek salad and ate it on my balcony and then I took a walk with a Diet Coke to the library and ordered several books on interlibrary loan ( I've got exotic book tastes apparently), I walked home and then dragged two camping chairs ( one to sit in, one to prop my feet on) over to the park across the street and sat reading "Travelling Mercies", by Annie Lamott, until my legs started to look a little dangerously reddish and I needed a drink of water....

All in all I'm feeling decompressed.

Pink is the new Purple

So, I took Tabitha's comment into consideration and made another color change....

colors

For those of you who read my blog in google reader or in some other RSS feed you should take the time to visit my actual blog today since I changed the design... what can I say, I started out wanting to change it to more "summer" colors...but then I got distracted by the purple...I'm not sure if I FULLY like it just yet, may need to tweak it a bit more, but I bet I can trust all of you to tell me just what you think without sparing my itty bitty feelings. ha!

Today, I had a few meetings in the morning and then I headed over for my friend Amy's husband's deployment ceremony. It was quite moving and I most DEFINITELY had the feeling of tears. I'm actually kind of glad that Brett did not HAVE a deployment ceremony, saying goodbye is hard enough without having to hear stirring speeches and singing the national anthem ( which ALWAYS makes me cry!). But, I'm really glad I could go and support Amy and Luke. I honestly, find it much harder to have OTHER people go through deployments now, I suppose its because I know what they are about to experience, and while the past six months have pasted, by the grace of God, without too much difficulty I would rather not have ANYONE experience the No Husband Scenario.

What I think...

I'm sitting on my balcony, trying to decide which color on my toes looks better ( each foot has a different polish on it)....

Across the street the neighbor kids are trying decide whether they want to play Freeze Tag or What Time Is it Mr. Fox, a game I have not thought about since grade school....

I can smell numerous cookouts from all up and down the block as Memorial Day is memorialized in barbecue form...

And just below me I watched a soldier in his uniform get in his car to drive into work...probably on staff duty or something...

I know its hard to take these few moments and time and equate it to some soldier fighting in a war in either some far off time or far off place, and yet...I know that in very incomprehensible ways all of this was made possible by men and women who have sacrificed much.

I'm Thankful.

Sunny Seattle

Cannon Beach,OR

Promises!

So, I promised I'd blog more when we got internet...so here I am!

Of course, irony strikes since two hours after getting internet in the home, Linds and I are headed off for a girls weekend with Cindy down at Seaside/Cannon Beach OR....I suppose its just nice knowing it'll be waiting for us when we get back! hehehe!

This will be especially fun since this is Cindy's FIRST night away without her four kids in four or so years!!! While I cannot even imagine what that must be like, I plan to live it up large just for her sake!

Hopefully I'll take pictures and have a more interactive post to come!

Pinkie swear

I know I've been a terrible blogger of late, but I have a feeling that next week when I have Internet ( the paid for kind!!) in the apartment again, you'll hear more from me....

Last few days I've been getting back into the swing of Washington, enjoying having L move in with me, preparing for a new bible study for my Tuesday girls ( I've never prepared an entire study from the beginning before and it's a challenge!) , loving washingon's nice weather ( for the most part), doing favors for friends, and trying hard not to look forward to July too much.

Me in a nut shell... And hopefully, I'll be giving you more versions of me soon!

Oh, I read the book "Losing Mum and Pup" by Christopher Buckley on the plane ride back to WA, and it was the most enjoyable four hour read I've had in ages... Put this little memoir on your summer reading list, you won't regret it!

Any excuse for cake

little girls

Today I went to my oldest, dearest friend Amy's little sister's wedding.. Honestly, I did not expect to be so emotional, but I seriously grew up with Amy and Emily ( the bride) and to see Emily between her parents looking all beautiful and walking down the aisle, I could not help but cry.

It is also wonderful to see a groom who is obviously so in love that he cries at the sight of his bride. EVERY girl should experience that, and it is the biggest, most horrible waste when you see girls settling for guys that do not show their absolute adoration for them. As Christians we often hear of the church being referred to as the Bride of Christ, this is a wonderful illustration because so often I have learned more of Christ's love through watching weddings ( and being a part of my own!) than anything else...the adoration of the Groom as he looks upon his bride, he thinks she's perfect...and the things that he knows AREN'T perfect, he overlooks. And the Bride, basking in that love, basking in the security of a life filled with expectance and support that is laid before her. I bet you could ask such a bride and she would say that she feels as though she could do just about ANYTHING on her wedding day, because of that sense of security that her Love brings...

And yet....

How often do we settle for a lesser love, a love of this world, lusts of the flesh...things that do not truly bring the True and Lasting love of the Father!?!

Today I am struck once again and the beauty of the Love of Christ and His love for His Bride. I am also struck by the joy of seeing a couple devoted to Him and now seeking Him hand in hand...they are a reflection of Him today!

To the little girl, Emily, I say job well done! And many prayers for her future life of happiness!


And, dear readers, may all your relationships be a reflection of His Love.

You ever did see...

Sorry I've been away from the computer for a week or so...but that's what happens when you make the decision to NOT lug your computer to Texas with you....while I can check my emails on my phone, responding is a whole another story...but in the spirit of visiting my family, here's a little present. My sister and I...circa the 80s.

A truly iPhone family...

A day for praise

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup. You hold my lot...
I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.
I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken...
You make known to me the path of life in the presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore...
Ps 16:5-8,9

I found myself without anything planned to do today since the babysitting I was suppose to do for a friend fell through because of a sick kid ( swine flu?! Probably not! hahaha!). And I great part of me is relieved. I have a headache ( hellooooo neck tension!) and I slept poorly... probably not the optimal 3 year-old Entertainer at this point.....so instead, here I am at Starbucks ( I lifted the coffee ban....*sigh*), listening to Hillsong....

On Friday night I went to a minor league baseball game with some friends ( as you can see from my picture post from the game) and I got a ride from a friend who lives in the same apartment complex that I do ( at least for the moment! He's deploying soon...) anyway, he was jammin to Hillsong and Hillsong United in his car and I was struck by how LONG it has been since I listened to these praise songs! It brought back days past in great detail and force....

I was reminded of times when hope and optimism reined ( ahhhh Dunedin Days!) when I first sang these songs in church and I was also reminded of times when those praise songs where about the only praising going on in my life, times when the darkness seemed to have no end ( ahhh! 2005). I pretty much retired Hillsong after that, and yet this week as I revisit some of these great songs of truth, I am glad that I can say with certainty that there is never a time when Praise to the Lord most high is not due Him....and as we all continue on in whatever the Day brings...remember that: There is fullness of joy in His Presence...

Looking up from the bottom

So, there are times when your actual height becomes very clear....I'm currently about 3 inches tall. At least that's what I'm going to say, approximately, considering the past month has cut me down a couple of feet per week....

First I came face to face with all sorts of fears and all sorts of realities that I've been chillin in denial about for, OOOOH, six months or so. Then to add to that I've seemed to hit a brick wall ministry wise. At every turn it seems to get HARDER. Dealing with people is SO COMPLICATED and, P.S. They never ever react or do things they way you WANT them to. ;-)
So, to say the least, I have been humbled my inabilities to deal and my great and undying need for Christ...So, right when I'm sitting on the bottom rung of all this, looking up at what I slipped down from-I am granted yet another great big surprise:

That husband of mine delivered a shocker about what he wants to do....or should I say HOW he wants to do what he's always wanted to do ( which is reach the military for Christ)....yeah. HUGE CHANGE.

So, because I just got this information last night, and I'm still in relative shock about it-I'm going to leave you to ponder my vague hints...so you can suffer like I did all night. ;-)

Let's just say, I don't think life is EVER going to be comfortable!!! ( and somehow, realizing that is surprisingly comforting!)

Baseball on a clear night...

What Sunshine Looks Like

Ch-ch-changes

So, all of a sudden things got crazy busy. Mostly because I found myself "working" the past few days, thus giving me MUCH less time to do the usual tiny amount of things I do in a day...which, lets be honest, if pressed I can fit it ALL into about two hours....BUT, then on top of that I had to do some "rearranging" in the fancy pants apartment since, come a week from now there will be another person living in it!! Crazy! I know!

Yes, friends, I am getting a roommate of sorts. In Navigator terms she'll be moving in to be "discipled" by me, but more likely than not she'll find out I watch a lot of Friends on DVD and become sorely disappointed with her new living arrangments....however, on a good day, hopefully, we will be living life along side each other for a little while and I'm sure we'll teach each other a lot-when she's not off saving lives as an Army nurse ( turns out EVERYONE in the army have horrible work hours, not just Brett...hehehe!)

Anywho, she was suppose to move in at the END of May ( which gave me plenty of time to move all the boxes that are in the spare bedroom into the garage AFTER I got back from Texas) but things came up and she'll be moving in while I'm in Texas ( awesome! I won't even have to PRETEND to help the guys move boxes! ) and thus when I return I'll have another person living in the house with me...something I haven't had since December ( and that doesn't count because I was just visiting my parents then...)

Definitely a lot to adjust to, and also a lot to do before she arrives....things like buy a totally great color-coded calendar so that we can keep up with each others schedules ( these are the things that I find HIGHLY important...possibly more important than whether there is toilet paper in that spare bathroom...hmmmm)....

Yes, there are have been a lot of changes going on in the past few days, and I think May is going to look decidedly different from April. I also made the extremely hard decision to leave my church in the view of returning to the chapel service on Fort Lewis. This was a very hard call, since I loved my church here, and enjoyed the teachings a lot. However, after several months of praying about it, it seemed that for the good of the girls in my bible study, and the hopes of maybe reaching more of the women of fort lewis and creating a better since of fellowship and camaraderie with the rest of the Nav ministry and the girls the ministry already...it was time to stop being selfish and do the harder thing.

Of course, right when all sorts of things are going on here in Washington, what BETTER time to just check out and head off to Texas where swine flu is apparently knocking everyone out?! Yes, I was always one for good timing....

Rich people eat string cheese...

I love string cheese. I just ate two sticks of it just now when I got home from bible study. Because one wasn't enough.

When I was little we never got string cheese, or if we did it was always for something REALLY special like field day or a field trip for school where you got a special lunch. Anyway, for a long time I thought it was because string cheese was really bad for you, but now that I'm older I'd have to say its one of the best snacks around-so maybe it was because it was the priciest form of cheese ( they charge you a lot for that packaging!)?! Anyway, who knows...I suppose we could ask my parents why string cheese was taboo...but whatever the case, they've made a fan out of both me and my sister...so that says something....


Today, I "worked"...but basically I only worked a total of 24 minutes because every fifteen minutes I would check the next "patient" in to do their health screening and that took all of 60 seconds...thus I worked a total of four minutes and hour. Yeah. Awesome.

But, I was bored. Hopefully, tomorrow will be busier, or at least I'll be getting lots of bible study work done while on the clock! Sweet! It'll be like I'm actually getting paid to do ministry stuff!!

The highlight of my day was totally holding baby David. Babies pretty much are the cutest things ever. And seeing him all tiny and in his little pea pod ( swaddled) while he was sleeping took all my self control in the world not to just pick him up and cuddle him.

Getting up at 5:50am this morning makes me not nearly has happy about waking up to talk to Brett! I'm SLEEPY!

work without the quotes

So tomorrow I'll be back in the land of the "employed" or at least I will be for a few days here in there....
I'm not exactly sure what I'll be doing-but basically a glorified "check people off the list" girl. Buuuut, it pays rather nicely and takes up time, so I'm pretty excited about the gig. ( I was referred by a friend of a friend...so once again my beautiful resume does nothing for me.) Its not a particularly "steady" job, but hopefully if things work out it'll be a couple of days a month! Hey! I might even pay off my iPhone after all! YAY! No more starbucks fast....*sigh*

Today was pretty good, only a few lonely, boring hours...before things picked up and I ended up with a long phone chat with a dear friend and impromptu dinner plans with some of the ministry people to say goodbye to a soldier in arms. Luckily I was able to fit in a short workout before dinner so I didn't feel bad AT ALL for eating all that pizza....

Wake up Call

*Brief Editors Note: You may have noticed my picture posts the last few blog posts.....yes, Baby David does not fit under the usual category of "Abigail's Day"...but my friend Amy has been stuck in the hospital and thus not able to post all the pictures that her family and friends have been clamoring for. So she took over my blog for a few days...But, I'm sure you all enjoyed the pictures anyway...he's a cutie!****


So, I'd forgotten about the Washington Spring/Summer...when not only do you have joys of sun in the late evening ( if you're lucky that the sun is shining)...but you are also have the "joys" of early morning sun. Thus I've been waking up super early lately.
This is not cool.

I stay up late so that I can talk to Brett, and now I'm getting up early too?!

Luckily I'm still getting 8 or 9 hours of sleep a night.

HAHAHAHAHA!!!

You thought it was going to be something bad didn't you?!

In other news its finally Friday. This week has gone by surprisingly fast considering, but at the same time you may have noticed that I haven't had the easiest week in the whole world. I often wonder when I'll be finished having "growing pains" of life and can just coast for a while....*sigh* But then again, coasting has never been my cup of tea so I suppose I've asked for it. But STILL.

I could use a vacation.


Luckily, I'll be getting one super soon! I'm SO EXCITED but I've planned a "vacation" of sorts in just a few weeks...Texas here I come! Although, now when I look at my calendar and see how much I must cram into the 10 or so days I'll be in my home town...I'm starting to think I should have scheduled it for longer! Ah well! It'll just be nice to have different scenery for a while.

But, next week looks to be busy because..... *drumroooollllll*...... I have a JOB!!! For two whole days I'll be working for a community health company, helping them with registration and such while people come in to get your basic blood pressure/insulin check/weight check up. I think it'll be fun and a little extra cash to make me feel "busy and accomplished".
I guess when you whine enough you eventually get what you want! But, I'll be working with a girl that I know from around town so I'm sure it'll be pretty fun! And I guess if I do a good job I might get more day jobs in the future! Woo hoo! Pocket moneys for Abigail ;-) You think I'll justify coffee then?!

No. I'm still keeping my Starbucks fast, just in case you're wondering...but Brett and I had a super serious conversation a few nights ago when he told me that he felt like it was important for me to take a "break" from my fast while I'm in Texas so that I can indulge in Java Jacks coffee. I mean, giving up The Evil Corporation is all well and good, but giving up the Home Town Goodness that is Java Jacks?! Never! ( he's such a sweet husband!)

For Amy's fans...

Other thoughts for the day...

So other than hold an ADORABLE BABY today...here are the other thoughts running around in my mind.....

.....Baseball should not be played in freezing cold weather. I took one of my friend's first grader to his baseball game tonight, since her other son had a game at the same time at a totally different ballpark...and BOY HOWDY was it the longest two hours ever! It was SO COLD. But, her oldest daughter and I hung out under a ( seemingly paper thin) blanket and made fun of the super hardcore coach of the other team, so it was not a lost cause...but let's just say, that if I have kids who play baseball we had better commit to living in warmer states when we do....

....I had to workout late this evening ( because of all the baseballing) and on my walk home I was startled by a large raccoon standing in the middle of the driveway. We saw each other at the same time and had a moment of horror before we both hightailed it in opposite directions. You wouldn't THINK I'd be afraid of raccoons...but until you've listened to the "This American LIfe: And the Call was coming from the Basement" Halloween segment ( go look it up!) that describes the HORROR tale of a women's escape from a rabid raccoon...well....it'll change your mind about nature FOREVER....

....Tomorrow I'm cleaning house....now that its no longer sunny outside and I don't spend hours reading on my balcony ( I've figured out how to move my chair a foot every half hour to stay in direct sunlight for up to four hours in the afternoon)....I have no more excuses....that kitchen floor MUST be cleaned!


....Life has been a bit over my head lately. And I appreciate those who've sent me loving and supportive comments. But, I think the thing to remember in times like these, times when you're faced with your own failings and inabilities, that instead of leaning on all those wonderful friends that tell you how great you are ( thanks you guys, seriously!) but instead look to Him...for THIS is TRUE:

"...but God has chosen the foolish things of the wolrd to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong. And the base things and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that NO MAN may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption so that as it is written "Let Him who boasts, boast in the Lord." 1 Cor 1:27-31

Abigail loves David, it's biblical!

Baby David!!!

good and bad

What would you like to hear first the good news first or the bad?

The bad?

Ok, I totally had the WORST day...I was a jerk and cried twice over totally different things. Pretty much was faced with ALL my faults in one day... Now my eyes are puffy.

The good news is that I just found two bars of free wireless in my bedroom. So now you get to hear about it sooner. awesome

mustering of the mind

So, today I met up with Andrew and Cindy-something I haven't done in a month...and we discussed the past four weeks and the conclusion was actually a relief: its been rough. And that's not even on a PERSONAL level...thats just ministry-wise! Yet somehow just acknowledging that things were tough was really great. It reminded me that the Lord KNOWS all this! He knows how I've been discouraged and a little hopeless and that on top of all that its been the hardest month to date as far as this silly deployment goes. I heard someone talking about running a marathon recently and how the middle part always brought about a horrible hump that had to be gotten over to continue and I think that's what I'm feeling...I feel misunderstood and yet at the same time I feel zero inclination to try and explain what's really going on with me. I'm basically in the 'keep your head down and try to get through it' mindset...Its much easier to say things are fine then to have to find words and energy to explain this feeling...and yet, is that really the best response to a few tough times?


This morning I read this in my quiet time:

"Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. Therefore you too have grief now, but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice and no one will take your joy away from you." John 16: 21-22

I was really stuck by this, because of what that promises in the greater sense...the disciples were about to give the rest of their lives to all sorts of hardships for christ's sake. They would eventually even give their lives for Him...yet, the promise is that it would ALL be worth it! That seeing Christ will be WORTH IT!

( This section also has special significants today since my friend Amy is currently at the hospital getting ready to give birth! hahaha! for her sake i hope these verses are true!)

Anyway, I'm going to rest in the Truth that all of this will be worth it in the end, and I will pray for myself that i do not give up hope, and that I do not give up on this life...no matter how tough it might get....this ministry that i feel called to do, my marriage...these things may not be easy, but they are ever worth it.

A return to outdoors

The past few days, where actually occupied doing actual things like attending the Spring Fair and almost dying on a rollercoaster put together by Carnies on crack, or attending a wedding where I was seated at the grooms family table, this making me the only non-Indian there....so when not doing highly interesting things that probably SHOULD be blogged about in full- instead I've been on a constant search for sun ( it's been out!)... Thus you'll all just have to wait for a rainy day for a real post....

Not today...but close

So, this picture is from two weeks ago ( approx the last time it was
this pretty) and I would share the picture I took to document today,
but sadly, it was blurry... But I think you get the point that the
people of western Washington saw the round bright thing in the sky.

I'm actually really enjoying the weather lately. I mean, it's not nice
EVERY day... Or even ALL day... But it's having those moments of happy
to look forward to, those moments when you consider exposing your bare
arms to the elements- they make this month of April good.

In fact yesterday it was so pretty and my pandora radio was busting
out all the good songs, that I flat out ignored my bodies cries for
mercy and added an extra mile to my run. Let's just say I couldn't
ignore the cries QUITE so easily today. Eeeeee! Sore!

In less happy news, I'm currently facing scheduled silence from the
husband. Sometimes I'm not as "patriotic" and "strong" as others...
This week... Still hard.

Ugly

My new cell phone case has been officially proclaimed as "ugly" by the
masses

Pouty Face

I know I have no real right to complain...but I'm feeling this awful feeling in the pit of my stomach and it won't go away...
Sometimes this deployment gets to me, I feel so out of control, so helpless...

I got an email from Brett after PWOC bible study this morning...basically he'd been trying to call me all morning but couldn't get through...WHY? Because my silly bible study classroom is in the BASEMENT of the chapel!!!
And I say "silly" because honestly at that moment I had NO LOVE for Bible Study or fellowship or anything....especially since Brett's email also said that he might be able to call me for a few seconds this evening but if not I wouldn't get to talk to him for at least a week..

a week.


I'm spoiled. I use to more talking time than that.


Also. Yeah. The "awesome" financial officers STOLE from us this month ( ok, not really)...but basically we've been putting most of Brett's paychecks into this high interest account that the army offers to deployed soldiers up to a certain amount for the year they are deployed. Well, we decided to just put in as much as possible for two months until we reached that "certain" amount...but this month things were suppose to go back to normal, but NoOOooOOo....the silly financial people are continuing to take money and put it into the account...even though at this point that money will just sit there not accruing any interest at all ( because, like I said, its only up to a certain amount) ...this wouldn't be too worrisome if it was easy to move the money BACK into another account but NO....things are never easy. And now I don't know how to take care of it because Brett is going to be gone and I don't have any way of fixing this myself. I'm beyond annoyed.

*End Rant*

I could use a coffee right now.

Jesus you are, Jesus you were, Jesus you will always be...
A perfect servant to us, a perfect servant to death, even death on a cross
give us a picture of your faith, show us the measure of your grace, reveal the love of the Father
put with in us tenderness, release from us our selfishness, we will consider them better
we are Yours
give us hearts of servants....

No matter how far I think I've come, no matter how much I think I've grown I am ever in need of more Love and more Selflessness...I'm ENDLESSLY selfish.

" But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, et us also walk by the Spirit" Gal 5:22-24

My Shrinky Dink Success...

There is nothing as fun as watching something shrink down to a teeny tiny size...I promise no matter how many times you do it, it is exciting!




The girls working hard on their shrinky dinks!



My teeny tiny house earrings...I should have given you a perspective, but they are about the size of stamps...




My "victorian brooch" of Brett...can you tell?! hehehe! Mirka was kind enough to put it together into a cute necklace for me!

My Apps.

Since, I'm bored and waiting for a reply from a certain annoying online source, I'll now regale you with a list of the applications that I'm currently using on my phone ( I know you're all dying to know).

The Daily Ones:

Pandora Radio ( Free): This baby is AWESOME! Especially if you connect your phone into your carjack-thingy ( look at me using technical terms!) and listen to your phone through your car speakers...its like having satellite radio without paying for it.

Dictionary (xyster.com-$2.99): Its a huge dictionary that also gives you the capabilities of listening to how the word is pronounced plus the origins ( things I care about) as well as the definition.

Acro Bible NASB ( $14.99): I like this bible and more importantly I don't have to be online to use it...there are other free applications with more versions of the bible in one place, but I find this one handy for quick lookups when I'm doing Bible study ( cuts back on all the flipping back and forth) and I enjoy the easy to see reading...

TwitterFon ( Free): I can easily update my Twitter/Facebook status plus keep track of all the people I follow on twitter. Love it.

reMovem free ( Free): This is one of those "pop the little bubbles" games that is completely mindless but that is also hard to win, I play this game when I'm watching movies all the time...for whatever reason I sometimes HAVE to be multitasking and this is the game for that...uses zero brain power.


The Once a Weekers:

Wordle (Free): This game is SO addictive and is great for people who like word games ( this is basically a boggle type word scramble game).

Whiteboard ( free): a paint feature which is fun, but even MORE fun if you have wi-fi and someone else with a iphone in the room...you can write on each others phones! Play tic-tac-toe or hangman without anyone knowing!

myLite (free): the phone flashlight...but the best part is the flickering cigarette lighter application that you can turn on and hold up at concerts. hahaha! geeky!


The Once every blue moon:

Scramble ( Free): Another word game that is fun to play...

BClassicLite ( free): I should probably go ahead and buy the full version of this game, I use to play it all the time until I pretty much mastered it and now I'm in need of more levels to play it more. ;-)

Hangman ( Free): There are lots of Hangmans out there...but this one is especially great because it has a version where you can play with two people, one person gets to make up the word the other gets to play...Brett and I played it all the time when waiting for tables at restaurants and waiting in lines and doctors offices. Brett always won.

Snoozle ( free): Another pop the bubbles game that I've found hard to play because it can often not be super accurate with your touch-aim, therefore making it frustrating.


The Waste of Space Ones

Facebook ( free): It is constantly crashing and I would just rather bookmark facebook on my safari and get to it that way...


~~~

I have a lot more applications that I don't use super often but I'm sure others might find use for them..
.the Light Saber ( always good when I'm baby sitting to amuse little boys...and big boys),
the Recipe.com application, I find that I usually do my recipe research before I head to the grocery store, but for emergencies this one is handy to have....
Restaurant Nutrition (free): good for the counting calorie girl, so obviously NOT for me....
There are a lot of Lonely Planet applications for traveling...which are great...IF you're traveling...sadly that's not me these days ;-)

Tradition.

So, this Easter I was struck by how transitory Brett and my living arrangements are, at least for the near future of Army living ....and that one thing that really suffers as we live this army lifestyle are Holiday traditions. Depending on the year we could be any number of places for all those important holidays ( namely Christmas and Easter...) and I find it really important to have some sort of tradition to keep my mind focused where its suppose to be ( heavenward, but also something that will bring the Joy and Delight that I remember as a child...enter:

Hot Cross Buns. These little bits of baked goodness were something that I was not introduced to until I moved to New Zealand, since they are a primarily European tradition ( correct me if I'm wrong), they've fadded away as a Good Friday food from most American families...however, they still have their place in New Zealand I remember fondly being a part of making them one Good Friday in the Royal Tce. flat as we lounged around as poor university students trying to get by on Easter without our families....and when I came across a recipe for a dried cherry ( as opposed to the annoying raisin version. ew.) version in my recent Martha Stewart Living ( which I scored a free subscription to a few months back from one of the Mommy Blogs I read...sweet.) I decided to give it a go...and...they were a success...now I have all sorts of romantic notions about making them every year and one day telling my children the significance of the cross of icing on the top....*sigh* I'm SO sure it'll be JUST like that in real life ;-)





Dried Cherrie Hot Cross Buns
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons whole milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 ounce (4 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for bowl and baking sheet
Salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
51/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
4 ounces (3/4 cup) dried cherries, coarsely chopped
4 ounces (3/4 cup) golden raisins, coarsely chopped
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon water
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions

-Heat 1 cup milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it registers 110 degrees on a candy thermometer.

OR do what I did, not have milk and so run down to starbucks...order a 8oz whole milk and ask for it to be around 120 degrees so that it'll be the right temp when you get home...hahaha!

-Pour milk into a mixer bowl, and fit mixer with a dough hook. With mixer on low speed, add granulated sugar, yeast, butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, the nutmeg, cinnamon, and eggs. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, and knead until mixture comes together in a soft, sticky dough. Continue kneading, scraping down hook as needed, until dough is smooth, about 4 minutes.

-Add cherries and raisins, and knead to incorporate. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead to distribute dried fruit. Coat a large bowl with butter. Shape dough into a ball, and place in prepared bowl. Cover with a piece of plastic, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

-Generously butter a rimmed baking sheet. Turn dough onto a surface, knead briefly, then divide into 3 pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time, divide each third into 10 pieces, and shape each into a tight ball. (Keep dough covered with plastic.) Place on prepared sheet, spacing 1/2 inch apart. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover with plastic, and let rise in a warm spot until buns have doubled in size and are touching, about 1 hour.

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together egg white and water in a small bowl. Brush tops of buns with egg-white wash. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool on sheet on wire rack for 30 minutes.
Whisk together remaining 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons milk, confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Spoon icing into a pastry bag fitted with a plain 1/4-inch round tip, and pipe icing on buns in the shape of a cross. (Alternatively, spoon glaze on buns.) Serve immediately.


*These buns are best eaten the day they are made; if you make them the day before, don't pipe the icing across on the tops. Instead, warm the buns the next day in a 300-degree oven, or if you're lazy like me stick them in the microwave for 15 seconds and then pip them with your icing...

English Breakfast Tea

*sigh* I have a certain friend who loves black tea, and she drinks it with steamed milk and an equal. I know this because I'm a good friend...but today, since I gave up espresso drinks, I figured I'd follow suit and buy myself a cheap ( $1.50) cup of tea to justify my using the internet at this particular location...and let me just go ahead and say it is NOT THE SAME.
I'm missing my double tall soy latte like crazy right now....

Anyway, kids, lots has happened in the past few days...there was the Shrinky Dink party on Saturday night-which was a roaring success ( I PROMISE I'll post pictures soon!). So much so that the boys threw their own Shrinky Dink party near by and crashed our party with a very large Easter Bunny Costume in tow....not quite what I expected, but I always suspected that hardened army soldiers secretly wanted to do craft nights and now my suspicions are true.

On Sunday I celebrated Easter in low key fashion with church and then Pad Thai with Amy and Luke followed by a rainy afternoon of reading and napping and then off to Bible Study where we finished off 2 Peter and I tased to of the guys with my pink taser. ( tased is a word, Amy B. I promise! hehehe!). They begged and pleaded and finally we went outside and two of the guys were tasered ( also a word). Boys. They are weird. Who begs and pleads to be subjected to pain?

I do think it bought me some semblance of popularity or at LEAST notoriety for a few days at least so thats something I guess...

And for those of you who are wondering, yes, I now have two guns AND a pink taser. I refuse to touch the guns ( they are most definitely Brett's and NOT mine!) but Brett is so set upon my "safety" that I backed down and let him buy me the pink taser ( pink, because its for girls...) and now I'm ultra protected. Although, I did learn, after my tasing ( also a word) experience on Sunday, that you really have to HOLD the taser on the person if you want to do significant damage to them...not really something I quite imagined I'd do to an assailant ...but SURE, WHY NOT!?! I suppose it could happen.

In other news, I've recently added a "Twitter" Application to my blog-now you can keep track of me minute by minute ( or hour by hour as the case may be) by following me on Twitter ( which is now updating on my facebook status and here on my blog simultaneously)...so now I'm SUPER STREAMLINE and you can know all the details of my life UP TO DATE and BY THE MINUTE so that you too can stalk me. But, be careful, if you get too close I'll totally taser you.

The Good

So I was awaked today by my dear friend Carmi, who-through the years- no matter what has been going on in our various lives, we have been brought together through lovely prayers over the phone, computer and every so often in person! They always seem to come at just the right moment and today was no exception...

I was thinking though, how strikingly different our lives look at the moment- Her's is busy, ever moving, ever changing...mine is quiet and slow and often very much monotonous, where most of my "work" is done internally...yet, how lovely to feel so strongly that we are both exactly where we are suppose to be! Friends, there is no life that cannot be useful for His good work! No matter how little or insignificant or how shiny and overwhelming your current days are; there is a battle to be faught and won in the livingrooms of America, the streets of Europe, the marketplaces of Asia...will you take it up? Ignoring the excuses and discouragments of the day?


he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men;
A man of sorrows, and aquainted with grief,
And as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised and we esteemed him not.

Surely he was borne of griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
He as wounded for our transgresions;
He was crushed for our iniquities;
Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
And with his strips we are healed.

We all like sheep have gone astray, each of us to our own way, but the Lord lay on him the iniquity of us all.
Is. 53:2-6

A Good Friday to us all! For by His strips we are healed!!! May our lives be worthy of such sacrifice.

slooooooow

Honestly peoples. This month is a slow one. I'm desparate to fill up my time, so much so that I quite literally am putting off cleaning my house until tomorrow, not because I don't want to do it, but because I've already done "something" today...and I've got Nothing to do tomorrow and so cleaning house will be my "accomplishment"

I realize that I'm annoying the most of you who find your lives TOO busy...and I also know that one day I will look back on this particular season of life and smile and wish I could go back and experience such "problems" again...but for now I'll just try hard to enjoy it and make it as productive as possible. I've been praying hard that I wouldn't let it just slip away...

Currently reading this month's Vanity Fair...although I was annoyed it had a half nakky model on the front. ugg! What's WRONG with the world!?!

I'm also just started the book "The Man Who Made Lists: Love, Death, Madness and the Creation of Roget's Thesaurus" by Joshua Kendall. , the word geek in me is pretty much in heaven...hehehe! So fascinating and I've already come across several great quotes and I'm not even into chapter two!