she's here!

tori mae was born wednesday, september 23 at 8:46pm. she weighed in at 7 lbs and 20 inches and completely adorable! a few pics are in order:

the beauty sleeping in daddy's arms

big sister kaylee is already a pro at taking care of her little sis (:
the babe and me!

some time on the links

this warm wednesday evening finds me waiting for my niece to be born!!! and as anyone who has given birth or been around anyone who has given birth will tell you, it takes quite some time for the little one to do his/her thing! so as i'm waiting, thought i'd share some fun webthings (: enjoy the links! do http://www.pinkofperfection.com/2009/09/30-quintessential-fall-activities/ continuing to embrace the fall season! watch http://www.nbc.com/Kings/ i watched the entire season of this short-lived show while i was sick last week. A. MAZ. ING! it's loosely based on the story of David and Saul, and in my humble opinion, the writing is fantastic. ahhh... to talk and live like royalty (: listen http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=327486223&s=143441 a friend just released a solo album on itunes. it's the perfect fall folksy album. get cozy with a warm beverage (might i recommend a chai?!) and check it out! ok, it's back to baby time! pics to come (:

just another monotonous monday

same old, same old today. wake up, take a shower, look for jobs, tweek resume, send resume, spend way too much time looking at pictures and such on facebook, hang out with family and/or friends. intersperse that with some fall shoe shopping, reading, doing devotionals and some phone calls and welcome to my day. sounds promising, relaxing, fun (would anyone like to make a trade?), but... the grass is always greener. the longer these days go on, the more i long for ones that are different. but it's at these times, when i'm feeling at wit's end, that i need to take a deep breath and remember: that breath is a gift. this day is a gift. i'm not guaranteed anything. do not sell today short for hoping and dreaming of something i have no certainty will ever come to be. these days have reason and purpose just as much as any to come. Lord Jesus, help me to live in the present.

a lock in my overflow

do you ever have one thought in your mind but a completely different one comes out of your mouth? or how about compose something in your head, but when you write (or type) it down, it doesn't come out the same way? (like this blog!) why is that? why can i have one thing in my head, and yet it's like something halts it before it's allowed to come out, reads it, edits it and funnels through something that can be quite different from my original thought. sometimes this is intentional. we edit ourselves given the complexities of the situation and the way in which we wish to be perceived. sometimes it is good that we edit ourselves save we hurt others and/or ourselves. but, really, is it not just a mask for who we really are? perhaps i have made for myself a habit of editing, which is why the rough draft can never come out. and while there is definitely good reason for proofing and revising and value in a final draft, there is something to be said for the original. for the part that comes rough and real, untouched by rules, expectations, the "right" thing to say. i censor myself to gain acceptance, yet this creates a feeling of misunderstanding. wait that's not who i really am. how do i turn off the editing, tear down the wall that blocks my head from my mouth, make the thoughts turn into words? i suppose i hope finding the answer to this will make me feel more like me, or help me to understand myself, and make connections with others that feel true. i don't really know if that's the case. i guess at best i can be fairly certain that it will bring me peace about not having regret over the thought that i didn't say what i was really thinking or that things could ever be different had i only said what i really felt. but is peace of mind what i'm really seeking? i want to be undivided. perhaps it's that my heart is unaligned with my head... "out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks"(matt12:34)

i simply remember...

so seeing as how the temperature is in the 60s today (barely!), it would appear that fall has no problems making an appearance (ahem... i'm talking to you, summer!). instead of letting the chill in the air and dampness in my feet get the best of me, i am attempting to embrace the season. 


this meant i made a banner for the blog and rewrote a little ditty. cue strings!

pumpkin spice lattes, corn mazes with cider,

hoodies, apple pickin' and cuddling by fires,

jumping in crunchy leaves fall'n from the trees,

these are a few of my fav'rite fall things.

when the temps drop,

when the trees die,

when my feet need shoes,

i simply remember my fav'rite fall things,

and then i don't feel so blue!

heck no, H2O

yesterday, on my day off, i got a call giving me a heads up that there would be no running water at work in the morning, and quite possibly into the afternoon. i came in this morning to find 6 trash cans filled with water lined up in the bathroom. a pot of coffee was brewed and is now being consumed by all who are in the office today. may God be with us all.

a day off

the ministry i was working for at home asked me to work this week, which was a nothing short of a blessing of provision from God. we are all part-timers there so i found myself with this special day free. because i'm me, i started forming a mental list of things i want to accomplish today. it's a little after 2:00pm as i'm writing this and so far i can say i have accomplished:

-sleeping in til 10:00am
-watching some gilmore girls
-showering

-making and eating this grilled cheese sandwich, topped off with chicken and honey mustard, because i'm missing john and as we head into fall, grilled cheese is becoming one of our favorite foods to make together. (by the by, we can't wait to try this version!)

otherwise known as not one of the things i'd planned to get done today. but that's just how days off go, no? the things i really hope to get done today:

-get my resume revamped and a cover letter created and apply for an HR job
-read at least another chapter in acedia and me
-complete another day's homework for the book study i'm attending
-spend time with the fam this evening (ch-ch-ch-changes: i am moving 5 hours away and my youngest sister is leaving for marine boot camp in 12 days. my middle sister is due to have her second baby in 14 days and my 2 year old niece is growing up fast! and i don't wanna miss a thiiiing!)

*don't worry i'm not at all sad i'm the only one missing in this picture :(*

only time will tell, folks. and i say it's time to get to it! (random thought: is linking other posts of my blog in a blog considered shameless plugging? plogging? i mean, if you are reading this you're already here right?)

pairs of doxes

not much to say, and yet so much to say. a little weighing on my mind, and yet a whole lot of weight on my mind. feeling like nothing has changed, and yet feeling everything is changing. hungry, and yet i do not want anything to eat. longing, and yet feeling fulfilled. wishing to be somewhere else, and yet comfortable where i am. tired, and yet wide awake.

the numero uno

God isn't just a big god. He's not just a powerful god. He's not just a loving god. God is THE God. the one and only. sometimes i think we unknowingly and unintentionally don't give God enough credit. how often do i say something like this: "well, i know God is bigger than this situation so it's all going to work out ok"? (disclaimer: i believe in the truth of that statement. i also believe it's very important that we know God, who He is, His love, His power, both both in our heads and hearts) what i'm trying to stress here is that oftentimes we don't give enough reverence to the fact that He is God. ugh, i'm finding this very hard to put into words... the reason that statement is true is because He is God! "I am the Lord, your God" (Exod20:2)