Just Catching Up

So, I decided that I was going to update this sucker, mostly because it kind of bothers me thinking that I have this blog out there that is highly out-dated. I just read my cousin Amy's blog and she stated she would not comment on how long it has been since she has blogged, she is a better person than me. The reason why I have not blogged since September 2010...

I did not feel like it.


Things happened, so its not like my life has been so boring that there is nothing to write about, I just have not really been in the mood. And blogger kind of freaked out on me and my background went all whack... and I am not an expert at this stuff, but my friend Jacque just told me the other day that she updated her blog, and I thought...

Good idea!

So here we go. In November of 2010 I quit my job at Devereux on the 19th, which was one of the hardest things I have done in my life, not that I loved the job too terribly, but I loved my co-workers and many of the families that I was working with. But Tim and I really felt that God was calling me to leave the work force, and so I did. On Nov. 20th, Tim and I left for a Holiday extravaganza as we spent Thanksgiving with the Fam in New Hampshire. In 9 days we happened to visit three states (New Hampshire, New Jersey, and New York)We got to see the inside of Tim's sister's new home, which is gorgeous and she even cooked us a small feast while we were there to visit. We also visited with Tim's grandparents in New Jersey as we were able to assist in helping them with a mammoth yard sale as they prepare to move from their residence they have lived in for 30 years. We did take pic's but they are on Tim's phone, I am so awful at this! Thinking that we put the coldest weather behind us after leaving New Hampshire, we then sojourned to GA this year for Christmas (no surprises like the awesome one we did last year) It was in GA, that for the first time in like forever, that we had a White Christmas. And I don't mean like snow that falls then melts on the ground, no, it looked beautiful blanketing the ground, the trees, and houses. As beautiful as snow is, it does not fool me. It is cold and wet, so I did not play in it, but Tim and the boys did. I think we have pic's but once again, on Tim's phone:( I also found out that we would be adding another beautiful baby girl to our family as my brother and sister (in-law) announced that they were going to be having a girl in May.... YEAH!!!!! I can't wait so see that little thing wrap my big bro around her little finger. It was good seeing family and I surely enjoyed being with them on Christmas.

New Years was amazing as my friends Jacque and Noelle came to visit with their husbands, so much fun when your friends literally marry your husbands friends. So the madness of the New Years weekend ensued. Basically, we went to a Japanese steakhouse then came home and danced in the street as our neighbors shot off fireworks over the lake we live near... So surreal and fun.




This first pic is just a good one of me and Tim:)



This second one would be of me and my girls;)


Sadly all my friends had to leave shortly after New Years to resume their normal lives, as did Tim and I... But wait, I don't work! What do I do now???

There is no way to simply answer that question, because the point of me quitting was not to fill in those 40 hours a week with more work. That would get us right back to where we started. When I am not horribly under the weather like I am right now, I try to exercise at least three times a week. I plan meals and grocery shop, clean my house, hang out with Tim and do fun things that I am hoping enrich our marriage... I read a lot, so if you have any good book suggestions (preferably a book I could get at the library or borrow from you!) I'm up for it, for now I have been raiding my friend Emily's books collection which is quite expansive and I am happy that she is willing to put books out on loan for me! I clean a lot, having a dog that sheds like there is no tomorrow. And out house is always open for guests and so far we've had a pretty good flux of visitors and that makes me super happy cause I love to host down here in O-town... Oh yeah, and I volunteer at the church, which is super exciting as I have been longing to do that for quite some time, but did not have the actual time to do so.

This blog was long and no very funny or whitty like I normally have with not many pic's. So I apologize it it not quite up to snuff, but I can promise that I will update more and have more fun or insightful things to read.


Love you all!!

Twisted Bliss!

So... it all began a little over a month ago when my wonderful sister, Jennifer, came down to help me decorate my wonderful house (see previous blog to see my beautiful house:)) And as we were getting out of the car to go to one of my favorite antique shops she goes, "Do you know of any good Italian ice places around here?"...


Who would have thought that one sentence would change my summer snack experience!


It was only a week later, I was back at my same stomping ground, and I turn around and there is this place called Twisted Bliss .


It is this amazing Italian ice place that instead of just having shaved ice and then they pour flavored juice over it, ice that has all natural juice in it. They have flavors like pomegranate, black raspberry, mango all made with real fruit. They also have flavors like Avatar, which is colored just like an avatar creature, and when I commented about how it tasted sweet like cotton candy, the Italian ice lady said, "it has cotton candy flavored in the mix." AMAZING!! So, needless to say, its healthy ice, guilt-free amazing (and refreshing) summer dessert right down from our new home.


When you visit we will go.


Pictures posted below of our shaved ices!







Just so you know, mine was the smaller on in a "momma" size called Avatar, and Tim's is the one in the "poppa" size called cream sickle! (Yes, they both taste amazing:))

so, that is what is new in our life right now, shaved ice!

It's been awhile...

Since I have blogged, I realize this. I guess, I kind of went into a slump after my last post, I guess you can read I wasn't really at the top of my game. But honestly, what does the top of "the game" really look like. I guess, all this to say, I took a break because I didn't want to use the internet as a place to dump my feelings about life, yes, I want to share, but sharing and dumping are different...

So, to catch you up, at the end of May, Tim's sister, Katie Harper, married her high school sweetheart at a beautiful ceremony in Maine. I had an amazing time, this was Tim and I's (Jenn is that proper English???) second wedding where we were both honored to be in the wedding parties, me as a bridesmaid and Tim as a groomsman, too much fun. Do I have good pic's? Nope, I don't, but I will order some, and when I do, I will post.

Almost immediately after coming back, Tim and I then went on a cruise. It was beautiful and I took SO MANY PICTURES!! So many, that it is too much to put on a blog, if you would like to see them, I will put an album on Snapfish and send to you, no prob, just let me know...

And then, on my birthday (June 23rd:)) God gave me one of the coolest birthday gifts ever, he blessed Tim and I by showing us our new house! That is right, we are no longer apartment dwellers!! Now, we have not purchased the house, mostly because renting does offer you that freedom to move in a year if you want/need to. So right now we are keeping our options open. So, the pic's are below of the house and if you would like to come and stay with you so you can see our wonderful house in person, please come down! We love to have guests!!





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The Present: Part 2

So, I'm not going to lie, that last post I did was literally inspired. I came home from my ladies Wed. night Bible study, and God had just blessed me so much, I really feel as if He pulled me to the computer and typed the last one. If you enjoyed it, I take no credit, you can thank Jesus for his love, really...

So what do you do when you cranked out a masterpiece that so many love and yo want to ride the success wave? You make a sequel.

Just kidding, I am not trying to do that, I just thought I would try to not be so vague and tell you where I am presently. So I'll be honest.

Presently, I am not doing so well as a person. I failed today at my job, by fail I mean: I fought with a 16 year old, and I forgot an appointment that I said I would cover for a co-worker... I'm not proud about this, and its not really funny, but its true. Tomorrow work does not look much more promising, but I cannot focus on that it is not the present.

Presently, I have not had my quiet time yet, I will do so tonight, and I wish I could wake-up in the morning and get a really good one in, but every time I wake-up at 7:00 (again) I feel like a failure, because to be honest I chose to sleep instead of hang out with Jesus (again).

Presently, I don't know how I'm doing as a wife, a friend, or a follower of Christ. I can't really honestly say I tried to do well at any of those.

My prayer is that I will make an honest attempt at being better at D. all of the above. Presently. And not wait for tomorrow, but to actively trust God and draw close to Him better presently.

The Present

There is a saying that I have heard for a long time that goes something like, "Today is a gift, that is why it is called the present." It is a very cute saying, just something to remember and reinforce what God wants us to practice in our life, to just live and breathe Him, presently and today. To depend on Him moment by moment to make it through the day. Jesus spoke in the Bible about letting tomorrow worry about itself as tomorrow has its own troubles. We learn "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path." Prov. 3:5-6. This is one of the first verses I learned after John 3:16. These lessons, to constantly lean on the Lord and live in the present have been taught to me since I was a young girl...




But what if the present is painful to live in?




What if the job we get up to go to everyday drains our every energy? What if you are taking care of someone who you love who is dying? What if you have lost your job and are continually looking for one? What if the person you gave your life to walked away from you? What if you have children that are making choices you do not agree with? What if you want something to happen so bad, (meeting "that person", marriage, baby, job promotion, healing, etc...) and you cry and beg for God to work in that area, and it does not happen?


I am constantly confronted with the truth as I am doing my devotional every morning. God's desire is for us to literally draw close to Him. To run to His arms, and hide in his shadow. How many psalms are of David crying out to God and stating that he will rest in the shadow of God's wings as He is running for his life from king Saul? I'm sure David was wondering what was going on, God had told David he would be the future king of Israel, and here David was hiding in caves. I'm sure he was mighty frustrated...

But here is the deal, if I look to the future and live in the future, what happens to my present? What happens to my gift of life? I only am living in a state of "If only..." The present can be painful. We all go through tough times. Some people's "presents" seem tougher than others, but pain feels the same to all. So I choose to live in the present, even if the future seems so tempting to dream about. Miracles happen in the present, God works right now. Just like the cross. Jesus died on the cross, but the story does not stop there. He is alive today, and redeems us, even in this moment.

Even though my life may not be where I want it right now, it is my present. I have been given the gift of learning to draw close to God in my present. If I try to weather my condition by myself, the pain is too much of a burden to bear.

Lord, I beg of you to draw me close and keep me in Your company. My present is the opportunity to choose to draw close to you, even when I do not understand why things should not just go how I want them to. Keep me company in my present, Your presence is true Peace.

Spring N Things

Cute title right?? So, just to let you know, I did get a new dress for Easter. I just got it back in the fall last year, and my mom did by it for me, it was on clearance... But it still counts as new cause I didn't wear it until Easter!


Tim's birthday was on April 11th. Tim is an amazing husband and words do not express how grateful I am for Tim's life. So what did we do to celebrate? We went to a place that served a lot of meat. Seriously. It's a restaurant named Texas De Brazil. Behold to photo documentation of the Event.





So my blogger is being weird and I can't see the pictures I am trying to post. But needless to say it was a fun night. Followed by a day at the beach, no pictures were taken because we were pale, and I was wearing a bathing suite for the first time. Yep, no pictures were taken of us (me) at this time. Maybe next beach visit!

Meditation on Easter: Day 4

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?

² O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, and am not silent.

³ Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the praise of Israel. ^a]">[a]

⁴ In you our fathers put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.

⁵ They cried to you and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

⁶ But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by men and despised by the people.

⁷ All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads:

⁸ "He trusts in the LORD;
let the LORD rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him."

⁹ Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you
even at my mother's breast.

¹⁰ From birth I was cast upon you;
from my mother's womb you have been my God.

¹¹ Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.

¹² Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

¹³ Roaring lions tearing their prey
open their mouths wide against me.

¹⁴ I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted away within me.

¹⁵ My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me ^b]">[b] in the dust of death.

¹⁶ Dogs have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced ^c]">[c] my hands and my feet.

¹⁷ I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.

¹⁸ They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.

¹⁹ But you, O LORD, be not far off;
O my Strength, come quickly to help me.

²⁰ Deliver my life from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.

²¹ Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save ^d]">[d] me from the horns of the wild oxen.

²² I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the congregation I will praise you.

²³ You who fear the LORD, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

²⁴ For he has not despised or disdained
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.

²⁵ From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you ^e]">[e] will I fulfill my vows.

²⁶ The poor will eat and be satisfied;
they who seek the LORD will praise him—
may your hearts live forever!

²⁷ All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,

²⁸ for dominion belongs to the LORD
and he rules over the nations.

²⁹ All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.

³⁰ Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.

³¹ They will proclaim his righteousness
to a people yet unborn—
for he has done it.

I will never forget, when I was in middle school and I was starting my journey of studying the bible through quiet times in the morning, and I read this chapter in Psalms. Immediately, I recognized this as a narative of Christ on the cross. How could it not? Christ recited the first line as he hung on the cross. His heart literally melted inside of him, he could count his bones, all of his joints were out of place (that is how you die on the cross), men were gambling for his garments... So many details in this Psalm make up the Passion of Christ... Funny though, this Psalm was written more than 500 years before Christ was even born. Hmm... I wonder what the likelihood of just one of these details to match Christ's death, but several of them? I will not deny God his glory and omnipotence, the rocks will not have to cry out for me.

As a lasting thought, as you read the psalm or the passion story, I personally watched the Passion of Christ (yes, the one directed by Mel Gibson, let's just say God did not let Mr. Gibson get in the way of HIS story, thankfully!) and it is brutal, it is not accurate in the fact that you could still recognize Jesus even after his beating. This death was not an easy or painless death, Jesus did not get to take a Valium and sleep walk through it, He even denied himself alcohol on the cross because he wanted to experience ALL of the pain. I don't want to preach, or make recommendations for your spiritual life. I watched the movie once, and that reminder, that picture of the true death Christ experienced, it made me not want to take advantage of Grace and cheapen it. What God went through in order for Salvation to come to the world, and ultimately let His Glory be made known to the world is horrifyingly incredible.

Thank you Jesus for Your Salvation, thank you for the suffering and tribulation that you went through, so that we may experience priceless, wondering Amazing Grace. May we never cheapen your gift by living how we want and not relying on You for all things.