Tribute Tuesday ~ CHUCK

A mini-tribute to Chuck... the series finale was last Friday, and I was sad to see it end. 

I understand that it would be really hard to keep "The Intersect" idea going for more than 5 seasons.  But I love the entire cast of this show... Ellie and "Awesome," Jeffster, Big Mike, Morgan, Alex, Casey, Sarah, and of course, Chuck, aka Charles Carmichael!  So hooray for DVDs!

This clip is when Morgan (his best friend since childhood) finally finds out that Chuck is a spy.  I love that moment, and I LOVE Morgan's awkward little karate sound and poking the guy with the stick, saying, "Yeah, he's down."  (around the 7-minute mark, if anyone aside from me cares to watch this.) =)
http://youtu.be/7q3S5xqqook

This clip is part of Elle's beach wedding, one of my favorite episodes... and part of what makes me want a beach wedding!!  Love the song, love Chuck and Sarah and Bryce and Elle and Awesome and Chuck's dad.  Even love Chevy Chase, who was the main villain of that season, finally getting shot. lol  Good show! =)
http://youtu.be/US5jYr905rg

That's it for now. :)

12 in 2012 ~ January

Just a quick end-of-the-month update...

My goals for the month of January:  Start training for the marathon and don't stop or let myself give up.  And read a new fiction book.  Done!! =) 

I used the training schedule from the Run Your Butt Off book by Runner's World.  I'm doing intervals of walk/jogging four days a week... 30-40 minutes on three week days, then 7 miles on Saturdays!  I took it easy through the week I had a cold, but even then, I made myself at least walk to stay in the habit.  My total for this month is 40 miles, so I'm off to a good start. =)  I know I've lost at least 10 pounds, but I'm not over-focusing on diet because that makes me crazy.  I'm feeling good about all this, and I'm going to work in more cross training in February!  I also set a mini-goal to only take the stairs at work... so far, so good - I haven't taken the elevator once in 2012... but it's definitely a challenge sometimes, like when I forget something and I'm already downstairs, or when I'm carrying something heavy, or just generally feeling lazy. lol

*In exciting marathon-related news, I found out there is a Rock n' Roll Marathon in Las Vegas in December (they actually close the strip for 7 hours and the last half of the race is up and down the strip!)  It would be flat and fun music and my favorite city... so that's slowly beginning to trump the idea of the hills of San Francisco in my mind.  Vegas, baby!  Either way, I'm excited about the 26.2!  Reading The Help was great, and I'm also happy about the idea of reading at least 12 new fiction books this year!

Of course, my main "triumph" for January was the decision to go back to school and change my career path.  This will probably sound strange, but it reminded me of Pam's beach games moment on The Office...  it may not have seemed like a big deal on the outside, and everyone was wrapped up in their own stuff and didn't really notice the quiet receptionist doing the coal walk... but that was the episode where something in her changed and she decided to fight for herself, to speak up... you might call it something slightly resembling gumption!  ;-)

So for the most part, January has been GOOD.  I'm so thankful for that, and for all God is doing!  Having said that, I'm thrilled that Jace will probably be a February baby! :)  For several reasons, it has always been my favorite month, and this goal is one of my favorites as well...

February Goal ~ Focus on LOVE... do one "random act of kindness" for a different person every day.

Do something to encourage or bless someone else or brighten their day... I'm also going to be focusing on budgeting this month, so I know this will be a challenge, but a good one.  It will force me to get myself off my mind, and I think it'll be a lot of FUN!!
Random addition, but here's my song of the week:  Ours by T-Swift =)

MM ~ Baby Showers!

Every time Triston comes over to my parents' house, he wants to look at pictures on the computer with me.  (He loves trying to work the mouse, but still doesn't get the difference in the right-click and left-click.)  Anyway, this past weekend, I showed him this picture and told him it was Jace.  He looked at me with the sly you-can't-fool-me face and said, "Huh-uh!" lol  I explained that it really was, and showed him that the face was turned sideways and you could see his little eyes and mouth and cheeks and hands.  I could tell his mind was trying hard to process this as he looked confused and was silent longer than normal.  Finally, he asked, "So.... is he gonna be black??"  Hahaha, I fought myself not to laugh - he's so precious and was totally sincere - and I told him, "No, the picture's just dark because he's still in Rachael's stomach." 

Anyway, this picture... and now that story... makes me quite happy. =)

Today's Memory Monday is the two recent baby showers for Jace! 

The first was hosted by Mom, Ariel, and me.  It was a co-ed shower at Rach's house.  We got the nursery room all ready, and we did a rubber ducky theme for the shower, complete with awesome blue sherbet punch!  And the Oreo balls in cute little cupcake liners made by Mom and I. :)  She got lots of great baby gifts and notes of advice (Emily's "When in doubt, call Grandad" was my favorite.)  And Lindsay even brought her the "Rachael sandwich" that she gets from her sub shop every day.  I think it's been her main pregnancy craving. :)  Anyway, I love the pic of Grandad sitting in the comfy glider chair.  He's so excited and emotional about meeting his great-grandson, and I love that!!

The second shower was this Sunday at the Myricks' house... hosted by our aunts on Dad's side, Nancy, Charlene, and Georgia (see pic of them with Rach)!  The boys were there this time, which made it more eventful... Georgia bought them both recorders and Koosh balls, which was entertaining!  The pic of Rach and Kristin back-to-back makes me happy.  (Kristin's shower will be this weekend!)  And the blue bear... Nancy made that from part of Grandad Doc's old blue robe, and the center of the bow is two of Grandma Doris' earrings.  I love that!  Nancy always throws in some really personal touches like that in her craft projects.  Everyone went to Rach's house to see the nursery, then back to Georgia's to eat more sugar cookies and cupcakes! =)

This last pic is of the finished nursery room.  All ready for Jace, and he's coming soon!  They're inducing Rach on Friday if her fluid level is low... or on Monday if not.  So either way, within a week, I'll have a new nephew!  Very exciting!! =)

Photo Friday

I took this with my phone a couple weeks ago. =)

It's fairly self-explanatory, but I feel like writing, so here I go...

It was a Friday and I left work early, as per usual. :)  I had a meeting with SNU-Tulsa that afternoon to go over their program, so that was exciting!  The cost had been a bit surprising, but I spent most of my drive listening to Joyce speak on faith, and convincing myself that this was absolutely worth the money and that it was a very doable goal.  Then I got to OKC around 4:15.

I was meeting Malori for dinner at Bravo at 6:00 (yum!) ...she's been so encouraging on everything with me going back to school, and we spent a lot of time going over all that and both being excited!

Anyway, before dinner, I had an hour-and-a-half that I could either spend aimlessly shopping through Quail Springs... or spend reading.  Not a tough call at all. lol  I went to Starbucks, which always makes me feel super cute and I don't care if that sounds ridiculous, and got a hot chocolate.  At the last minute, I decided to try the salted caramel one again -- it was much too salty for me the first time I tried it, but everyone raves about it, so I thought maybe I'd just gotten a bad one -- I asked if they had the caramel hot chocolate.  He misunderstood and said, "Yeah, we can add caramel to it." OMG, SO GOOD. 

So now that's my new favorite Starbucks drink.  My usual hot chocolate, plus caramel.  No salt needed!  (Pretty much pure sugar... luckily, I don't go there too often.)

Anyway, I sat there sipping my awesome caramel hot chocolate, looking outside and doing a little people watching, and reading a book that I really loved!  I really do enjoy reading.  I got the KindleTouch a couple days ago and am already over halfway through my "February" book!  (It has to be a book that has an overall uplifting message, is not dirty, and is not too mentally taxing... but there are plenty of those!)  And I enjoy being a reader... being someone who can go to Starbucks or Panera or whatever other cute little place my introvert heart desires and sit there for hours just reading and people watching. :)  I don't plan to be single forever, and I dearly love all my friends and need that connection and support, but I'm actually really happy that I am comfortable enough with myself to just sit and read at Starbucks or eat alone at Panera or go to the movies by myself or go to the Taylor Swift concert by myself on a random whim!  =)  (That has not always been the case.)

This is really not about the photo anymore, but I am also happy that I'm feeling cute again lately.

I still have a lot of weight to lose, but I am doing something about it and feeling good about that.

I'm not cringing when I look in the mirror or feeling excessive guilt when I eat something chocolate.

I am not what our culture would define as hot, but I am pretty.  I read a post about the difference between the two and how "innocent and pretty" is no longer what women strive for, because they trick themselves into believing that men only value "hot."  Their point was that "pretty" is at least partially about character and heart, while "hot" is as vapid as it sounds.  I understood exactly what they were talking about, and it made me happy to know that I and many of my friends would proudly fall in the "pretty" category.  You know, wholesome and pure, but not scared or unsure. ;)

Last random thought on feeling cute... yesterday, I wore my sky blue shirt (three-quarter sleeves, ruffles around the V-neck line) and my orangy-brown "Infinity scarf" from Anthropologie.  I was in my own little world and got out of my car feeling cute and thinking to myself, "Aww, this is just the perfect outfit for fall."  It seriously took me a couple minutes to remember that it's January... hmm. lol  That's all for today.  Yay, God!  Yay for self-esteem boosts and great books and cute clothes and my awesome new Starbucks drink!  Yay for the ability to breathe... I'm finally beginning to feel better and less congested today. =)  And yay that Laura is coming over tonight and we're watching The Help, which she hasn't seen yet!  It's always more fun to watch a movie with someone who hasn't already seen it.  And it'll be interesting to see it now, having just read the book.  Oh, look, now we're finally back to the photo. =)

Wrapped Up in His Love

So John Eldredge mentioned in his last letter to be praying about seeking a "theme" for this year, asking God to speak something unique to your heart that you could go back to throughout the year.  I am getting back into prayer journaling this week... I've prayed through Psalm 86 a couple times lately... I ❤ the Psalms!  Life has been so good and I've felt so happy and full of purpose lately, but I am aware that emotions and friendships and even life itself can be fragile, so I need to cling to God, especially when His grace and favor is so clear in my heart!

Anyway, last night, Jesus gave me a theme.  =)  I get so excited when I hear something personal from Him!  I had written something about being enveloped by God's love, about Him surrounding me with a shield of love (another phrase I always love from Psalms).  And the phrase "covered and wrapped up in His love" came to my mind, as I pictured myself in my cozy heart blanket completely wrapped up.  I've been sick with a bad cold lately, so the mental picture came pretty naturally.

I just think the blanket image is so perfect!!  Because I need the love of Jesus to surround and protect me, but I also desperately need Him to be CLOSE.  I need to feel safe and peaceful and at rest in Him.  I need to know that, apart from any other relationship, His love is constant.  It is not fragile or fleeting or dependent on my choices.  When I feel alone, Jesus will be close.  When I feel insecure, He is my security.  When I am sad, Jesus will be my comfort.  When I am cold and confused, His love will be the warmth I need.  When life is changing and I'm afraid that I'm not enough, I can remember that I am covered in Him, and He is always enough!  And when I am happy and feeling His light and life inside me, well, then I can snuggle up and rest in His arms, and feel the peace that only comes from trusting Him.  

So that is what I needed to know, and what I will probably need to come back to throughout the year:  that I am covered in the hope and love of Jesus, clothed with strength and dignity, wrapped in the light of His presence, and trusting that my future is in His hands!

MM~Ice Storm 2007

Toward the end of 2007, we had a crazy ridiculous ice storm!!  It was intense. 

From what I remember, Cassie's house lost power, so she and Duke went to stay with Bobbi.  Not long after that, Bobbi's power was gone too, so they both came over to my place for the night!  I remember that we made some kind of veggie pizza and it set off my smoke alarm for the first time! lol  Mark's power was also out (and I believe he thought Natalie was going to be at my place) so he came and joined us for a while.  :)

We discovered that Cassie had never seen the Bourne movies, so we all explained to her the awesomeness that is the hot assassin hero, Jason Bourne! =)  We risked our lives to drive down to Blockbuster and rent all three movies, then we watched all three that same night!  But... we got down to the last 15 minutes of the final movie, and the DVD cut out!!!  Noooooo! lol  So we went back to Blockbuster and I bought the last movie - yay! - then we finally got to see the ending. lolol

I watched part of that movie (Ultimatum) today during lunch, which is what made me think about all this...  I love, love, love the ending with Julia Stiles watching the news and smiling as they say, "It's been reported that Webb was shot and fell from a Manhattan rooftop into the East River ten stories below. However, after a three day search, Webb's body has yet to be found."  LOVE it!!

At my request, we took a cheesy group pic that night with the camera on self-timer... we're all dressed in our cozy warm sweaters/hoodies... even Duke! lol  

Over four years later, the Bourne trilogy ice storm night is still one of my favorite memories. :)

January Book Review ~ The Help

One of my goals for 2012 is to read one new fiction book each month.  The Help was my first pick.

I loved the movie, and not surprisingly, I loved the book as well!

There are several differences in the storyline of the book that surprised me, and obviously, the book goes into greater detail than the movie.  It takes place in the 1960s in Jackson, Mississippi, and  the story switches back and forth between three narrators:  Aibileen, Minnie, and "Miss Skeeter."  I loved seeing the events from three distinctly different personalities and points of view.   I love the heart of the friendships between the three main women in this book, how they go out of their way to protect and pray for and encourage each other.

With Miss Skeeter, the book went into detail on what it feels like to suddenly become the outcast among the group that was formerly your closest friends.  To have people look the other way and refuse to acknowledge you, to know they are whispering about you, to know they all think you have lost your mind.  And to find the inner strength to keep going and recognize that those friendships were fake and toxic from the start.  Loved that.

Miss Skeeter wants to be a writer, and is told: "Write about something that disturbs you, particularly if it bothers no one else."  I love that advice.

The author goes into much more detail than the movie did on the long process and hard work and determination required to get a book published. It made me laugh to think that Katheryn Stockett probably felt a bit vindicated getting to write about that.

In one of my favorite sections, Minnie complains to Aibileen that Celia Foote is just too stupid to "see the lines."  The lines between black and white, the lines between the other snooty wives and herself, etc.  Aibileen tells Minnie she's starting to realize that the lines are not real.  That nothing makes them inferior.  That we are all people and have a lot in common, and there is not as much that divides us as we tend to think.  (She says it more eloquently, I'm sure.)

Anyway, it was true, and profound.  The more we focus on what separates us and makes us different, what makes us feel superior or inferior to others, the more we struggle with bitterness and fear and hate.  The more we focus on what connects us and on finding a way to speak honestly about our differences, the more the lines will dissolve and things will begin to change for the better.  There will always be people who choose to focus on the dividing walls and point them out to everyone else, but I hope to be among the group that has the character to tear those walls down.

So I recommend reading this book.  It is entertaining and uplifting and real.  It is about standing up for yourself and standing up for those who are mistreated.  It is about finding your purpose and doing something that matters to you, even if it isn't what everyone expected.  It is about healing from past betrayal and learning to trust people enough to share your heart and stand together.

 And it is about loving others enough to cross over "the lines."

Photo Friday

Not a photo I took, obviously, but I'm changing Photo Friday up a bit. :)

American Idol is back, and Steven Tyler has yet again proven that a sense of humor and crazy confidence goes a long way...

All on the same night, he wore a hot pink paisley shirt (which had a hilarious little knot tied at the bottom in front), a black leather vest, two necklaces, a purple fedora hat, blue-painted fingernails, some definite lip gloss, and two colorful feathers in his scrunched long hair (a strange trend I believe he started)!  He's seriously the only straight man alive who could confidently pull all that off and still flirt it up and have girls falling all over him, which they did. :)  Love it... so entertaining!!

And in honor of Steven (and the awesomeness that was Armageddon), here's my "song of the week!"

Thankful Thursday! (48)

"O LORD, I give my life to You.  I trust in You, my God! ...Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by Your truth and teach me, for You are the God who saves me...  May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in You." ~Psalm 25:1-21

"For the word of the LORD holds true, and we can trust everything He does. He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the LORD fills the earth." ~Psalm 33:4,5

"Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory - for all its strength, it cannot save you. But the LORD watches over those who fear Him, those who rely on His unfailing love. He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine.  We put our hope in the LORD.  He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. Let Your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in You alone." ~Psalm 33:17-22

"I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me.  He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy;  no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; He saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him. Taste and see that the LORD is good.  Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him!" ~Psalm 34:4-8


Today, I'm thankful for God's Word, particularly these verses.  It always encourages me and engages my heart to read Psalms!

I am also thankful that I got to come home and spend time with my family last night. 
Thankful for Mom and her birthday!

I'm thankful that my Joyce devotional was on the power of words and the polluting effect that complaining has in our lives.  (It came at a time when I needed to hear that.) 

I'm thankful for our family friends from my Dad's fantasy football league... always fun hanging out with them!

I'm thankful for my precious nephews who keep everyone entertained!!  Quotables coming soon. :)  (This is a picture we framed to go in Jace's nursery room... I love it!)

I'm thankful that God protected Rachael and baby Jace through all that happened this week.

I'm thankful for Joe's Pizza and cookiecake!

And I'm thankful for the ability to run and exercise and burn off those calories! ;)

I am thankful for encouraging friendships!

I am thankful that I'm becoming more aware of Satan's schemes in my life - meaning where he targets me and where I need God's strength.  (Tip: Wherever you find your validation, that's what he's targeting.  I often find mine through friendships... others might find it in work, in popularity, in image, etc.  It's only when we truly get our validation from Christ that he cannot successfully attack us!  I believe I'm getting closer and pressing toward that!)

I am thankful for rest.

I am thankful for work.

I am thankful for PURPOSE!!

I am thankful that God is close and that I can feel the light and life of Jesus in and around me.

And I am thankful for JOY!  =)

"This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it!!"

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

"You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it.  You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them.  But you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it." 
~James 4:2

"My life is too valuable, my calling is too great, and my God is too good to waste my life on things that do not matter!" ~Pastor Craig

"And though the odds say improbable, what do they know?? For in romance, all true love needs is a chance! And maybe with a chance, you will find you too like I am overjoyed, over love, over you!!"
~Overjoyed, Stevie Wonder

Happy Birthday today to my wonderful Mom!!  =) 
I'm driving to OKC after work tonight to celebrate with the fam and some of our close family friends at Joe's Pizza!  Then staying up with Mom to start making the Oreo balls for Rach's baby shower this weekend!  Fun times!! ❤

We found this picture a few days ago... of Mom and Dad on her 28th birthday (aka her at my age)!  Love it!!  =)

Tribute Sunday ~ Running!

This definition made me laugh...

"Marathoning: The triumph of desire over reason." ;-)

26.2 Reasons I'm Training for and Running a Marathon!

1 ~  To break through intimidation and excuses, knowing that I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength! :)

2 ~  It'll be cool to finally have a race number that says "Full Marathon!"  Not to mention the 26.2 sticker on my car!! =)

3 ~ Outdoor training runs at LaFortune and Riverside are invigorating, and actually something that I really enjoy!  (Better than treadmilling, but that can be fun too, depending on what's on TV.)

4 ~  As much as I don't typically enjoy the act of running, I know that I am happier and more energetic and feel more alive when I am training and working toward a goal!

5 ~ Almost every race you enter is also helping to raise money for a good cause, so it's not just good for you, but for others as well!!

6 ~ Running with friends who don't stop to walk forces you to push yourself and catch up so you can stay in the conversation!  And there is a great feeling of accomplishment every time I push myself to go farther or run longer than I thought I could!

7 ~ For the joy of getting the Finisher's Medal placed around my neck after the race!  And the joy of knowing for the rest of my life that I ran a full marathon!

8 ~  For the victorious post Finish Line pictures! =)

9 ~  Because life is a marathon. It requires endurance and is full of ups and downs, and it is all about having goals, taking it one step at a time, and keeping your eyes on Jesus (our finish line). So many metaphors and spiritual parallels, and it gives me so much blogging material! ;)

10 ~ Seriously, almost everyone I know is a runner... so there is motivation and positive peer pressure to join the club and be part of memorable race events!

11 ~ Because sometimes you get to see ducks or precious dogs along the way! =)

12 ~ You get a fun race T-shirt that you can wear with pride for years to come! :)  Or have made into an awesome quilt. ;)

13 ~ Because stretching and walk/jogging and talking about life with friends is a far better use of my time than watching reruns or facebook or blogging!

14 ~ I love the Saturday morning Riverside runs followed by Old School Bagel breakfast with friends! =)

15 ~ To accomplish something that only 0.01% of the world ever finds the motivation and discipline to do. To press through the hard parts and follow through on my committment and finish the race!!

16 ~ To be part of fun little racing events with friends!

17 ~ To "build my best me." =)  Seriously, I think running builds muscle and good habits and inner strength and confidence!!

18 ~ For the camaraderie you build during training runs and the new friendships you build during the actual race. Aside from being too out of breath, the conversation with other runners comes easily and is often inspiring!
19 ~ I seriously love wearing the cute runner's jackets and really feeling like a runner!

20 ~ Running is a safe and inexpensive sport that can be done almost anywhere at any time... it takes “I can’t” and other excuses out of my vocabulary!

21 ~ Weight loss -- to seriously train and cross-train to get ready for a marathon will significantly help me toward my weight loss goals... and running is the fastest and most effective way to burn calories!!  I lost half my weight training for the half, so this time... I'm going all the way! =)

22 ~ Getting to slap the blue marker every time we finish a 5k run around LaFortune Park! =)

23 ~ For the increased self-confidence and the beauty of the "runner's glow," as I like to call it!  It's better than anything I can buy at the makeup counter! :)

24 ~ The excitement of the starting line on race day... your adrenaline pumping, full of nervous anticipation. Then the gun and the confetti, and off you go!

25 ~ It helps me to naturally incorporate a more healthy lifestyle (like drinking more water and eating less sugar)... because I know it makes the running easier!

26 ~ Family pride... it's motivating to know that my parents and sister and aunts and cousins and nephews will all be cheering me on, proud of what I'm doing... that helps make all the long training runs worth it!

26.2  ~ When you can see the finish line in sight and you know you have made it, and the crowds are packed and screaming at the tops of their lungs, and you know that God is smiling down at you and your family and friends are cheering you on... it's an awesome feeling!  No matter how tired you are, you will float through the finish line with a smile! =)

YAY, running!!  I'm inspired today.  And I'm committed enough to keep going when that feeling fades!  You'll notice I've added the 2012 Marathon Training widget to the side of my blog.  I am keeping track of all the miles that I walk or jog in training this year!  (Not counting anything on the bike or elliptical.)  Just having that there has been motivating for me.  I'm excited to see how many miles I've run by the race and by the end of this year! 

I will run with perseverance and finish the race with joy!! ;)