Maggie!

We have visitors this weekend - my parents are here in DC (they live in Omaha), and of course they brought their pup, Maggie! Here she is playing with her "bunny," who has been put to the test. Mom has stitched bunny up quite a few times... but the squeaker still works. Mags loves her bunny!

She was busy today - we took down the fence in the backyard, had a few visitors, and of course played throughout the day - so she didn't get her regularly scheduled naps.
She crashed on the floor - she was so cute, I wanted to snap a picture of her, but she kept looking at me saying,
"Quit taking my picture, I'm trying to rest!" =)
Look at her - isn't she pretty?

~XOXO~

Babies... not yet!

I'd like to take a few minutes to say:

CONGRATS to all the new babies that have joined us lately!

Lil Erin in Wichita is almost a week and a half old, Quincy (who was born in another place) finally knows the meaning of, "There's no place like home..." as she's an official Kansan now. Former Air Force friends' baby was a week old yesterday, and the local boy from DC, Kristopher, joined us just within the past week. SO MANY BABIES! And they're all SO cute, so cuddly, and they smell so good! But when I'm thinking about them, and praying for them - because I know the struggles that some went through to get to this point, and I know it's such a responsibility, and must feel overwhelming at times - I can't help but think... I am SO glad it's not us right now! Not that I don't want kids (I do!), but I want to wait another year first. We've been married barely over a year. So give us one more and then, bring it on!! (Especially since I'll have all these wonderful gals to go to for help and advice, heehee...)

Oh - and to my friend who's on the other end of this story... Maybe the grand plan is for you to wait another year so we can do it together. HA, not really funny, but I knew you'd see the humor in the pathetic attempt to bring out a little smile! You're in my thoughts and prayers, and I'm SO glad you're keeping positive in this and not falling to negativity toward everyone/everything like we've seen in so many other situations. Hang in there, it will ALL be worth it in the end!

~XOXO~

Wide Awake

Our small group is getting back on a regular schedule after the summer being more relaxed. We're (re-)starting a book called "Wide Awake - The Future is Waiting Within You," by Erwin Raphael McManus. In the book he, "...encourages readers to dream wide awake — in other words, to live their dreams."

I'm looking forward to doing this book/study, maybe partly because I am a dreamer, but also to have something specific to do with the small group - to have to report back, to be held accountable for it. It's nice to get deeper in the heads of fellow small group members, to see what they'd like to see happen. It's comforting to know that other people have doubts and fears - I'm not the only one. But it's also a great feeling to know that I might be able to help them reach their dreams! You aren't so good at editing a resume? Guess what, I AM! You have a cool house that just needs a little bit of work? Guess what, James does that stuff!

Back to the dreams thing - I have a tendency to come up with big, cool ideas... and most of the time just let them go, because they're too big, too much, too crazy, too far out of reach, etc. And most of them are. But right now, I'm thinking - why not us? Someone is gonna do it... why does it always have to be someone else? Why not us?

Hrm...

~XOXO~

How many pounds do you think I lost?

OK, it's not much, but it's something - and I promised Holly "something" over the weekend. =)

So recently I chopped my hair off - 10 inches of it - but it probably didn't seem like that much to everyone else, b/c I was lazy w/ my hair and usually wore it pulled up. So here ya go - Holly you've already seen these pics, but it's SOMETHING!

Before:

After:


YIPPEE!!!!!!

~XOXO~