Happy Leap Day!!

Laura:  "The stars look really bright tonight."

Me:  "That's because it's Leap Day!!" =)

This year already feels special to me for many reasons, and the fact that we have this "extra" day is one of them.  I love that I "took the leap" to go back to school and run the marathon during a leap year! =)  And I love that I finally got to experience dinner and dessert at Chuy's with Laura tonight!  Then we went back to her house, watched Modern Family, and played awesome duets of Heart and Soul, Chopsticks, etc. on her keyboard.  (One of those awesome keyboards that can sound like a flute or guitar or drums or several other things... so fun!  I want one, and I wanna be able to play again like I used to!)

Playing those songs made me think of this scene from Big.  Love it!

Anyway, I spent much of my day thinking of ideas for a "Top 29 list" for the 29th of February.  Laura had a book of list ideas... I may have to start a weekly Top 10 list or something, because they all sounded fun! 

But in honor of "Leap Day," here are 29 events that I would love to "leap" into and re-live, time machine style!  (I don't mean re-do or change things, but simply live again, just as they happened...)

1. Playing "Wild West Bakery Shop" with Rach and Blake when we were little!
2. Grandad reading Cinderella to me when he used to babysit us
3. Racing the cousins to dive in when Havno threw his change into our pool! lol
4. Picking up pinecones, walking along the railroad ties, and playing "Little House on the Prairie," "Little Pilgrims Progress," and "Noah Webster" (all books we read at CHA) with Rach outside Dad's office back in the day...
5. Going to WhiteWater with JB, Rach, Blake, and Emily... back when JB and Emma stayed in the kiddie section all day and we rode The Flumes a gazillion times!
6. The first time I rode the "Terrible Twister" at Frontier City, not knowing the floor would drop halfway through and I'd be suctioned to the wall! lol
7. The 4th of July reunion with all of mom's side of the fam at our house when we majorly decorated everything and had some sort of fun red-white-and-blue jello dessert
8. Playing "The First Noel," "Amazing Grace," and "Joy to the World" on our old piano on Christmas Eve, with the fam gathered around listening
9. The confetti-on-the-fan-turned-on-at-midnight New Years Eve party for 2000!
10. Waiting in the 2am line in Mom's minivan for Krispy Kreme donuts... with Mom, Rach, Mark, Jay, Holly, Megan, and Kate!
11. Driving back from Tri-State, snowy ditch and all, with Jordan Law entertaining us all the way home :)
12. Walking the beach late at night in Hawaii with Babah, Grandad, Rach, JB, Blake, and Emma... seeing Babah and Grandad dance out there... splashing around in the ocean... awesome
13. Laying out in Florida, listening to the waves, singing "Sittin on the Dock of the Bay" in my mind
14. Sitting on the porch swing with Josh in his backyard, just talking
15. The whole day in Boston when we went to the Boston Pops Sound of Music sing-a-long (with Josh, Evan, Sarah, and Zana)
16. The ballroom dance "party" - Josh and I went (after taking lessons) with Holly and Jordan, and at least in my head, we looked good 
17. Chet's 21st birthday and the group's first time at Caravan... learning new line dances is always fun!
18. Not the cruise itself, but the roadtrip back home after the cruise with Rach and Kate... they were so entertaining!
19. The roadtrip with the Wallaces - hilarious from start to finish!
20. Making the boxes for all the volleyball girls (painting, finding pictures and verses, etc.) with Mom!
21. The night of our downtown carriage ride with Rach, Holly, and Megan... so many funny memories that night
22. Talking to Natalie Gruenberg in her car for several hours after Bobbi's first Christmas Shenanigans party (I'd re-live that entire night)
23. The first night at Big Cedar - a fun dinner, then swimming/floating in the hot tub under the stars, watching Dan in Real Life, and just hanging out with Malori, Ruth, and Charlotte
24. The Eugene Field summer cookout with the lifegroup
25. The One Republic concert on the beach at Mandalay Bay... hanging out with Malori, Chet, and Jeff... such a great night!
26. Breakfast at the Bellagio "Pool Cafe" - yep, two from that Vegas trip that I wanna re-live.
27. The whole day of 11-11-11 in Vegas (Bill & Jill's wedding, Maggiano's lunch, shopping with Malori, reception at Stratosphere)
28. Watching Titanic at the Hollywood Theater in Norman (I'd go just to hear that theater's theme song again)... then talking about it all night with Rach, Ashley, and Amber
29. The night at Disney World when we rode Splash Mountain over and over because there was no line... awesome! :)

12 in 2012 ~ February

Well, this February has lived up to my high expectations. =)  We even get an extra day tomorrow, which I'm definitely going to celebrate!!

My mini-goal for this month was to focus more on others, doing something kind for someone every day.  I won't go into too much detail , but I've been pretty successful on this one... some more memorable than others, and most of them have been small (like sending an encouraging FB message or writing a card to someone).  But that's the cool thing about kindness - the smallest things sometimes make a huge difference!  And it's uplifting for you and the other person. 

I've also kept a daily journal through the month of ways that I have felt God's love/kindness toward me.  Things where I have felt His presence or His favor, little things that have made my day, people going out of their way to be kind to me, etc.  That one has been pretty exciting... God is good, and there is so much to be thankful for!! 

I read Chasing Rainbows for my February fiction book.  It was good and thought provoking, but I'm far more excited about reading Little Women for the first time as my March book (about the March family - how appropriate)!

February is full of awesomeness... Jace's birthday, Rachael's birthday, Valentine's Day fun, Anthony's birthday (his health is improving and he should get to go home soon, which is awesome), my birthday, starting school, etc.  Anyway, it's had so many fun celebrations... and so many occasions to be unhealthy.  Sad to say, I haven't done very well on eating habits this month, but I've kept up with working out and have not let myself become discouraged.  I've also stayed consistent on my "stairs only" plan at work.  I've taken the elevator only one time in 2012, and that was because they were doing construction on the stairs that day!  It just happened to be on my birthday, so I think that was a mini-wink of kindness from God. :) 

Okay, so my original March goal was to get back into writing and write 500 words a day.  That was before I signed up for school, and I've decided not to put that kind of pressure on myself!  I do want to get more serious on eating right, though, so my March goal is this:
Write down everything I eat, and stay under 1500 calories every day!

I may use MyFitnessPal to help track it.  Doable, yes.  Easy for me, no.  But as Joyce says, all that is required is a "quality decision" to do what I know is right!  Going by what I know, not what I feel.  (I'm praying for God's grace in that area, that I would become more and more emotionally stable, not letting my emotions throw me off course, but obeying God regardless.)

Anyway, I'm finished eating my PBJ with Apricot jelly (YUM), and I'm off to the jail to take some pleas.  Happy February, and happy "Leap Day" tomorrow!!  I'm expecting good things!

Crystallized Memories

Today has been a good day.  This morning, I cut myself some fun new bangs (thanks to Rach for teaching me to do it right) and then my judge said he really liked my hair, and that got things off to a great start! :)  I got up early enough to work out, I was productive at work, and then I had my first real class tonight.  We went around the room telling a little about ourselves, and the instructor wrote our occupations and hobbies and future career goals on the board... one girl is working as a waitress, so she wrote restaurant, only she spelled it "resteraunt."  Hmm, my proofreading mind was stuck on that for a while. lol  Anyway, the class was such a relief to me, as all of the homework and presentations, etc. is about 500 x more simple than I had imagined.  I looked over it through the past week and was beginning to stress a bit.  Not needed.  She said over and over, "Don't make it harder than it has to be."  Deal!

Anyway, we talked about the adrenaline cycle in class tonight...

When we experience a major life event, good or bad (the birth of a new baby, a car wreck, a death, etc.), our body responds with adrenaline (such a God thing).  It sends the blood flow to our brain and heart, sharpens our senses, and helps us to process it in slow motion.  In these big events, our mentality quickly shifts from our head to our heart. 

For the first week, we are all over the scale of emotional highs and lows. 
Three weeks afterward, we will be sick if we have not properly flushed out the toxins from the adrenaline.
Six weeks afterward, there is a natural downtime period of reflection, questioning, and processing doubts. 

How do we get rid of the toxins?  She said the best options are tears and sweat.  (Adrenaline is also a natural dehydrator because it thickens the blood, so drinking lots of water is really helpful.)  I find that so interesting.  Fighting to "stay strong" when we're in turmoil is only making us sick, so cry it out... and once again, there's something to be said for the benefits of working out! 

Within 24-48 hours of any major crisis, our mind will form what she called a "crystallized memory" of the event -- immovable no matter how we turn it, like a snow globe.  For a while, you will see the whole world as distorted 'through the snow globe' -- when you cannot stop picturing and reliving the crisis and you feel like you're going crazy.  (Been there!)  The point of all this was to emphasize that in the middle of feeling like a lunatic, you can take comfort in knowing that your reaction is actually very normal.  And eventually (the time differs based on the crisis and how you seek healing), you'll be able to 'set it aside' and see the world more clearly.  But these are deeply embedded memories that stick with you and shape you... how you react and how they shape you long-term is your call!

The Image of GOD

I finally finished my required reading for this week... I won't procrastinate so much again, as I would love to keep Sundays as a "day of rest" and feel refreshed before class on Mondays.  Today, I went to the 8:30 service at the new Broken Arrow LC campus.  Then I came home and went back and forth between reading, then walk/jogging and watching season one of Downton Abbey.  I've figured out that I absolutely cannot have the TV on at all if I want to study and comprehend anything... that I need a nice break every now and then... and that I highly prefer to read/study when it's sunny outside! :) When the house is silent and I'm reading textbooks and it's dark out, it's just terribly unpleasant to me. 

This first course is focused on Human Development: Birth through Adolescence.  The reading has been pretty interesting so far, and my mind is adjusting to the intensity of all the technical terms.  Something I found really interesting:  in China, your birthday is celebrated on the date of conception (I actually love that - as it is when life begins)... but it's sad and ironic that they believe that and still force abortions.  How awful.

Another key thought... I am so thankful to have been raised in a Christian home, church, AND SCHOOL where I was never for one moment confused on the concept of my own origin.  It is more than just a pet peeve - I find it offensive when human beings are compared to or labeled as animals.  People are NOT just another category of animal.  That so many schools teach children that there are only two forms of life, plant and animal, is tragic.  That so many people believe it all started with evolution is such a destructive lie. 

The truth that human beings are created IN THE IMAGE OF GOD is not something I take lightly.  That is not the case with any animal.  That we have a body, soul, AND SPIRIT... that God has given us authority... that we are the crown of creation... that Jesus died to save us and can come to live in our spirit... it matters, and it gives us great intrinsic value.  I have dealt with some insecurity, but I cannot imagine how differently I would view my own identity and worth, how much it would weaken any sense of personal responsibility to believe that I am simply another animal, here at this time by random chance, and that my early ancestors were monkeys.  No, the God of the universe created people separate and apart from animals, then He gave them authority over the animals.  God formed me and made me unique and special... I am fearfully and wonderfully made and I am precious to Him... He sees my heart, knows my character, and has a purpose and plan for my life.  I am the apple of His eye.  I don't know how anyone can truly believe that and remain lukewarm or halfhearted on the subject of "the big bang." 

Anyway, that's the end of the mini-rant, but I do believe it's an important one.  I'm happy to be done with "work" for today.  And now I'm off to make dinner (Velveeta Cheesy Skillets - aka "liquid goooold!") and watch the Oscars... hooray!!

Obstacles?

"For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last, it dawned on me that these 'obstacles' were my life. 

This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.  So treasure every moment that you have...  and remember that time waits for no one… decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy.”
~Alfred D Souza

I like this quote.  There will always be something to overcome, something to reach toward, something to desire... I am looking forward to meeting the right person, I am excited for the day I finish school, the first day of my new job, the day I reach my weight goal, the day I get married, the day I adopt a child, etc. ...but Jesus is here with me today, revealing His heart in ways that are often more intimate than epic.  He loves me, His timing is perfect, and He is working out His plan.  So I am choosing to enjoy the journey with Him!  I'm praying for God's grace to fill me with radiant joy ("calm delight") and genuine peace, right here in the present.  =)

"...and I'm SINGING!"

Well, tonight was mainly an orientation and getting all of our books and our laptop, etc.  There are 12 people in the FSG program (9 women, 3 men - one of whom is named Michael Jackson :)) and they all seem great so far.  The instructor had us all get up and pray holding hands in a circle, which made me really happy.  I wasn't sure whether they would downplay the Christian thing or really go for it, and I'm happy to see it's the latter. 

Today as a whole has been awesome.  I'm off work - hooray President's Day!  Malori and I got up in OKC and drove from her house to my house... then I went with her to hear her give a presentation for CHK at TU.  She was very poised and impressive, and I have no idea how she manages that with no notes and no nervousness!  After the Chesapeake thing, we did lunch at Queenies at Utica Square, then shopped around Coach and a couple other stores.  I went by Maurices and got some new clothes... because you have to look good on your first day of school. ;)  Then there was the orientation... they got pizza for us and we spent some time getting to know each other a little, then learning how to navigate around our new laptops.  My first class is "Human Development" -- it's 5 weeks, and I think it's going to be interesting!  We shall see...

Ready for class on day one, February 20, 2012

{Side note:  Is it strange that I always highly prefer the pictures of myself that I take from the mirror (with my camera pointed at the mirror image instead of at me)??  Ten of my FB profile pics are done that way. lol  Maybe it's because of BP or because that's the way I always see myself, but I definitely think it's more flattering than the non-reversed version of myself.  I'm sure all of this sounds narcissistic, but it's just something I was thinking about tonight.}

Anyway, I'm about to go to bed, but in honor of my awesome day, here are two random fun videos that make me happy... both from movies starring Zooey Deschanel, oddly enough.

"It's a Time to Begin!" ;-)

I'm about to head to SNU-Tulsa for my first night of class!!  Get excited! =) 

The first two verses of today's Psalms reading were Psalm 37:30,31...
"The Godly offer good counsel;
they teach right from wrong. 
They have made God's law their own,
so they will never slip from His path." 

A small thing that it used the word counsel, but that made me quite happy. 

Precious

My little nephew having a mini sneeze attack!  I love that he says, "Ohh" after every sneeze!!

Scripture Saturday

"THERE ARE 'FRIENDS' WHO DESTROY EACH OTHER, BUT A REAL FRIEND STICKS CLOSER THAN A BROTHER."  ~Proverbs 18:24

This was the last verse of today's Proverb, and seemed very appropriate.  I have experienced several of the first type of "friends," but I'm so deeply thankful for my close, real friendships! 

Here are a few pictures from my birthday last night:

My "bouquet of newly sharpened pencils" (inspired by You've Got Mail) from Laura Bower... complete with an amazing poem (which we have on video) and several other awesome presents!!  Loved it!!

 Malori Riah raising her Martini glass to toast my bday...  too strong for me, but I think Martinis are sexy as drinks go! lol  And it's a cute pic overall with her bright shirt and cute new glasses and scarf. :)

Our group of 7 before we moved from RedRock to Yolotti!  Love it.

 Jennie met us at Yolotti for dessert round #1! :)

Then we came back to my house for some awesome Merritts cake!  (Thanks, Malori!) 

All in all, it was a great night with my favorite friends... and so nice to have Malori back in Tulsa.  

The best quotable moment at dinner was Jeff and Chet discussing their Europe trip:

Jeff:  "But now we have stories to tell!  You know, if everything had gone perfectly and everywhere we stayed had just been totally smooth, you'd be --

Chet:  "Going back!!"

Hilarious!  Hotels matter.  To me, at least. I shan't travel to Europe until I can do it properly. :)

Today, we had lunch at Panera then drove to OKC... saw This Means War at Quail with Mom and Dad (I do NOT recommend this movie)... then dinner at Abuelo's with Mom, Dad, Josh, Rach, Jace, and Malori... aka, the fam. :)  So far, this February and this birthday beats last year 1,000%! 

And on a far more random note, here's an old pic of me and Rach, just to clear up any confusion on what Glamour Shots is really all about... ;-)

Awesome.

Photo Friday

I love these 3 pics of Triston and Carter - it totally shows their personalities, and makes me happy.
Carter was the first to jump up to ride the horse, and did this pose without being asked.  Triston was up next, and I asked him to hold his hand up for me, and instead, he made this, "are you crazy?" face. lol  He's cautious... and precious.  Then we noticed that Carter was not bothering to wait around for his next turn... he had been hanging on to the horse's tail the whole time Triston was on the saddle... hilarious!  Love it!!

This was Valentines night Bingo at Aberdeen Heights (an assisted living center where the LG has been volunteering for the past few months - this was my first chance to go, and it was great)! 
"Charli" playing Bingo... the adorable V-Day cards drawn by Chris McFarland... the lady at the end of our table was playing 6 cards at once - intense... the board that read "Family Night Bingo w/Lindsey"... and Jeff and Kevin entertaining the folks at their table. :) 

28

Happy 28th Birthday to me!!

Here is a "vintage" birthday pic from my 25th birthday in 2009.  Still one of my favorites. :)

God is so good...

The past year has been full of changes, difficulties, growth, and great blessings!!

I feel confident right now that I am in God's will and on the path toward becoming the woman He created me to be... I couldn't say that at this time last year, so I am extremely thankful for that!

I missed Thankful Thursday, so I'll take a minute to be grateful here today...

I am thankful that, as of yesterday, I am COMPLETELY CAUGHT UP at work for the first time in 2012!  Awesome feeling.

I am thankful that I am now (as of yesterday, again) OFFICIALLY ENROLLED to begin school at SNU on Monday!!!  All of my 70 hours transferred - praise the Lord! - and the 6 "Life Learning Papers" that I'll have to write to make up the other 18 credits are going to be much more simple than I originally thought.  I had to laugh when I heard the topics...

I'll be writing on My Journey to Faith, Health and Nutrition, Volunteering Experience, American Cinema, A Fiction Book series, etc.  Awesome!

I'm thankful that I get to CELEBRATE tonight with some of my favorite people on earth!

I'm so very thankful that baby ANTHONY has survived his first day against all odds ...tonight at 7:30 will be 48 hours since he was born, and the doctors say if he makes it to that point, it's a great sign.  Be praying that God will continue to have mercy on them and show His grace and power!

I'm thankful for my Kindle, and that I get to spend the rest of my morning READING after this post.  I'm reading Little Women for the first time, and it's actually quite funny and far better than I expected!

I'm thankful for conviction, humility, and REPENTANCE.

I'm thankful for all the many blessings in my life,

and above all else, I'm thankful for GOD'S LOVE!

"Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us. For I am persuaded beyond doubt that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord!"

~Romans 8:37-39

The Darkness and the Fog...

Please pray for my cousin, Kristin, her husband, Frankie, and their newborn baby, Anthony... he is in Intensive Care right now. He was born with a heart defect that is worse than the doctors initially thought, his liver is out of place, and he has "horseshoe kidneys." Things are obviously off to an overwhelming/rough start, and all prayers are appreciated!

While most parents would be celebrating and holding their precious new baby for the first time tonight, instead they are crying and praying for God's help and mercy, that nothing else will go wrong.  It's truly the worst feeling ever when sadness and fear find their way into the center of something that should be full of so much joy!  I am extra emotional on this thanks to the recent birth of my nephew, and being reminded how very helpless and precious babies are.  I got the text from Mom and immediately teared up while telling the lifegroup to pray for their family.

On my way home from lifegroup, I was praying through all of this... thinking about how hard and confusing it must be for them, how strange and scary it can feel when we don't know what lies ahead of us or why certain things are happening.  I was not angry with or even questioning God this time, just pondering... 

And my thoughts were interrupted by the fog.  It was foggy outside tonight... I mean, a rare, dense, ridiculously thick fog.  I had to slow down because I could only see as far as my car's headlights were shining.  I could see the boundary lines of the lane I was in on both sides, and when I got close enough to it, I could see the street signs to know where to turn.  But that was it... everything else was dark and cloudy.

The Holy Spirit connected those dots pretty quickly...

There are times in all of our lives when it's hard to see where we are going, what is ahead for us, why this is happening, etc.  Times when the confusion is so thick that we sincerely wonder if God has forgotten about us.

First off, the fact that we cannot always see the big picture clearly does not mean it isn't there or that God is not working!! 

"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." -Psalm 119:105

Lamps do not put off much light, but it's just enough to take the next step forward.  Spiritually speaking, we are living in a dark world, and sometimes, there are emotional clouds or "fog" that disrupt our lives in addition to that darkness.  When that happens, the first thing we need to do is turn on the light.  Open up God's Word.  Pray.  Even if you feel nothing, or even if you have to cry or scream through it.  The second thing to do is slow down... don't make any major life decisions when you're emotionally upset.  Don't dwell on the darkness or get in a panic over the fog and throw yourself off course, but put your focus on what little you are able to see clearly through God's Word.  At the very least, we can always see the boundary lines... the Holy Spirit's conviction inside us showing us what not to do, where not to go.  Even if the fog sticks around for a while, it teaches you to slow down and pay closer attention to the Light, searching for the signs and the path and where God wants you to turn.  And when you get close enough to that turning point in your life, God will make it clear to you.  And eventually, the fog will lift and the sunlight and clarity will return... because our God is a God of restoration, and nothing He does in our lives is without purpose.

All of that is not just a cheesy metaphor for me... I feel like I have lived that out more than once now.  I told the group tonight that the key phrases God had me dwelling on at the end of 2011 were "Let there be light" and "separate the light from the darkness."  To fully surrender and let Jesus in, asking Him to shine in my heart and make things clearer, and to make sure that I remember no matter what happens in my life that "there is no darkness in Him."  Part of my verse for 2012 (Micah 7:7,8) says "Though I sit in darkness, the Lord Himself will be my LIGHT." 

There are days when life feels perfect and sunny, and everything ahead of and around us is clear.  But trouble will come, and our faith and character will be tested.  There will be times of overwhelming sadness and pain, where we are tempted to doubt God's goodness.  When those days come, the sheer emotion always threatens to dramatically throw our lives off course into a pit.  Jesus Christ - knowing Him and seeking Him through God's Word - He is the only way that we will ever find victory and peace through the darkness and the fog. 

"Let there be light..."

New/Favorite Quotables

“If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.” ~Jane Austen

“Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different.”-Oprah

"Kids, one thing you'll learn about relationships is that you're never done getting to know someone..."  ~Ted, HIMYM

“My thought is, if you don't have underwear on within five minutes of getting out of the shower, you need therapy!” ~Chet, of the men at gym showers - lol

“You know, I intend to own a herd of buffalo one day… it’s really a bucket list item. I just like the idea of the buffalo herd grazing and roaming around.” ~Jeff, serious, upon seeing the Bison sign at the Farmer's Market :)

“Nahs to meet you!” ~Jeff, to my Mom

“Wow, that was a definite Texas accent!!” ~(all of us)

“Well... my head was turned!” ~Jeff :)

“I just think we're gonna meet again someday. Like I just feel like God’s gonna work that out and we're gonna be friends! You know, he's a cool guy. I could be like a mentor. (long pause) Me and Usher.” ~JEM :)

"I want adventure in the great wide somewhere!
I want it more than I can tell...
And for once, it might be grand
To have someone understand,
I want so much more than they've got planned."
~Belle, Beauty and the Beast

"Attention, all Creepers, Go to the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market right now. You all are having a convention of sorts at this time." ~Amanda Wille :)

“Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure.” ~Darcy, Pride and Prejudice

"Authenticity without integrity is lethal." ~Erwin McManus

“It looks like something you’d see in the Brady Bunch house." ~Me, on the couch fabric

“Exactly!” ~Malori, ready to buy it :)

"At times, life is wicked and I just can't see the light. A silver lining sometimes isn't enough to make some wrongs seem right." ~Creed

“And during that whole peaceful God sunset thing, I just decided..... I really need to go shoot my gun!” –K-Lamb, totally serious

"She looks like a walking disaster, then she opens her mouth and it's confirmed." –Rach

"Slow down, you're doin' fine. You can't be everything you wanna be before your time, although it's so romantic on the borderline tonight... You know that when the truth is told, you can get what you want, or you can just get old."

~Vienna Waits for You

“Well, I read somewhere that you live longer if you get a dog…”

“Good Lord, how long do you wanna live!?” ~Babah

“Till I die!”  ~Grandad

“I actually thought I was on to something with butter slices!  You know, like cheese slices?  Pancake, butter, pancake, butter… melt!”  ~Chet Lee

“So… is he gonna be black?”  ~T-man confused by Jace’s ultrasound pic :)

“Do girls not work?” –Triston, confused when I didn’t give him a quarter for the gumball machine

“I do work. I just don’t have any quarters right now.” -Me

“Because boys make quarters when they work.” –Triston (who had just gotten several from Dad and Josh)

“Well… mine are all at the bank.” –Me :)

“We interrupt your regularly scheduled, floral-bouquet-dominated newsfeed with something completely different. My dear friend Lindsey brought me the most wonderfully horrible assortment of things she knows I hate. Haven't ever laughed so hard on VDay or simultaneously been so repulsed… Only someone that knows me well could pull this off without making me dry heave.”  ~Laura

“OUCH!  Someone come hold my hand!!  …No, not YOU, Carter!” –Triston… I love the drama of children’s emotions :)

“She’s like me… only worse... in a good way!”  ~Chet describing Malori’s blunt-ness

“Yeah, Jeff calls and asks if I wanna just sit in the car and talk instead of jogging this morning… but now that we’re here, suddenly, he’s Mr. Triathlon!”  ~Chet, annoyed with Jeff mocking him for shortening the run distance that morning - lol

“Complacency is never very comfortable with audacity… don’t let anyone but God himself put you in your place!”  ~Steven Furtick

"Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike." ~J. K. Rowling

“All you are is mean. And a liar. And pathetic. And alone in life, and mean!” –Taylor Swift

"Why don't you just close your door?" -Martin

"And just concede defeat!? Better yet, why don't I just move out, let him have the run of the place? Yes, I'll get two apartments -- one for me, one for my cricket!!" -Frasier :)

"Seriously, who thinks the little packs are the 'fun size' anyway? Three M&Ms in a bag?! -- That's not fun!" ~Kristin, discussing Halloween candy :)

"Heeks us now, only in my memory. What movie?" -text from Rach :)

"Time you enjoy wasting... was not wasted!” ~John Lennon

"Someday, we'll have to have our pill sorters out just to remember which pills to take." ~Faye

"Nah, we won't have to worry about that because we'll be under Obama's special plan that kills off all the old people!" ~Ruth :)

"Is she wearing jeggings??" -Me

"Probably! And if so, she's probably like, 'Oh, jeggings, pour your love on me!'" -Rach

(random hilarious conversation during the LC worship service)

"Hey Swadie, why don't you get online right quick and figure out a way to make us a billion dollars. Or really, a hundred million would be good enough!!" ~Mom, after we saw The Social Network (I'm on it.)

“Real difficulties can be overcome; it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable.” ~Theodore N. Vail

Chet: "Which post was it?"

Malori: "The latest one... you know, where I was all happy and out of character!"

"We need you to help us see -- it's like that kid in the Sixth Sense who sees dead people."

"Wait a minute, you're equating quality women to dead people!??"
-Mike and Stephanie, My Boys

"You know what they say, son: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!" -Martin
"Yes, Dad, but not everyone makes it into that second group." -Niles

"Like: Ith my birfday today!!" -Malori

(Talking about the adorable bunny in Robin Hood, and how they always give certain Disney characters a lisp to make you feel even worse for them... so hilarious!)

"We have defined holiness through what we separate ourselves from rather than what we give ourselves to. I am convinced that the great tragedy is not the sins that we commit, but the life we fail to live... For too many of us, because we fear failure, we are afraid to try. I think it’s one of the reasons we entertain ourselves to death. We find our romance in You’ve God Mail, and we fight our battles through William Wallace and Maximus Aurelius. And there might as well be a glass screen between real life and us because the closest we get to fulfilling our life’s dreams is watching them!"  ~Erwin McManus, Chasing Daylight

"Influence is always more powerful than authority. We would much rather be magnetically pulled in a direction than controlled by the force of power and consequence. Influence can be a great thing, especially when we distinguish it from manipulation." ~E.W.

"Many of us want a map, but what we get is a compass... when you move forward on what you know, things become clearer. When you refuse to act on what you know, all that you do not know paralyzes you."  ~E.W.

"Whenever God is doing a new thing, He does it through people. And those He chooses to lead the way are often considered fortunate only in retrospect. Whenever God moves forward, it is in conflict with many other forces. The kingdom of God can expand only out of conflict with the kingdom of darkness. Hate does not surrender easily to love, nor does evil submit quietly to good."  ~E.W.

"The opposite of love is not hate; it is indifference."

~Elie Wiesel

"We see God as a means to an end rather than the end itself. God as the assistant to our life versus God as our life."

~John Eldredge, Walking With God

"Sooooo..... you are Jesus Christ of Nazareth??"

~my judge, talking to a crazy defendant who called himself "the Lamb of God" :)

"Never forget that time by itself does nothing to heal." ~Beth Moore (on the importance of letting God in and forgiving)

"You rarely get to keep something you have to manipulate to get!!" ~Beth

"If we're convinced God is sovereign, good, and purposeful, why would He allow or even ordain a season that has no value or contribution to our futures?"  ~Beth

"We are far more upset when things go wrong than we ever are when we aren’t close to God… We see God as a means to an end rather than the end itself. God as the assistant to our life versus God as our life."  ~John Eldredge

"It'll be just like Bridget Jones, you know, minus all the relationships and the smoking."

~Malori, talking about writing her life story

"Is this some kind of a joke!? I was gone 3 hours!!" ~Ricky Bobby (upon coming home to find his wife remarried to his best friend, best part of the movie by far!)

"Let's go! Every horror movie ever made was probably based on a true story from this town." ~Kate after going to the bathroom at a disgusting gas station, so funny

"I love that movie! I saw it 3 times." -Rach, talking about Wild Hogs

"Aww, come sit on my lap." -Kate, off in her own bizarre but funny world

"That's .......weird!  Because I've seen Wild Hogs??" ~Rach

"Now, I have a machine gun. Ho...Ho...Ho." ~Hans, slow and angry (Die Hard)

"I kinda teared up there for a second! I was just glad I had on my 3D glasses..." ~Rach, describing Up :)

"Oh, yeah, everyone’s busy… busy, busy, busy.  What's been keeping you so busy lately!??" -George Kostanza
"Well.... mostly the chemotherapy." ~Jon Lovitz' character

Marilla: "Weren't you taught to say your prayers?"

Anne: "Well, Mrs. Hammond told me that God made my hair red on purpose, and I've never cared for Him since."  :)

"I am JUST LIKE Danny Ocean in Oceans 11!" ~Mark, totally serious, while playing poker at our house

"Milly and me's goin' to town!!" ~Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

"Are you yelling at me!?" -Bruce Willis as Elizabeth's dad, Paul

"God, NO." -Ross (my favorite of the friends, though no one else seems to feel that way.)

"He and I don't really talk that much ever since he chased me off with a weed eater." -Wesley Blake :)

"I like your blonde hair. But it's dark underneath... did you mean for it to be like that?" -Jenny

"Ummmm, yeah!" –Kate

"Sometimes, I don't wear bras with certain tops." -Kate

"Me too, but I don't look slutty or whorish." -Jenny

"Huh!? Did you just call me slutty and whorish in the same sentence?" –Kate

"Are you mentally handicapped?" -Aaron, (opposing Mark in Debate class, speaking on rights of the mentally handicapped)

"Maybe! I've never taken an IQ test." -Mark, never wanting to give a direct answer... so funny

"Ahem... always consult me before you do things like that." -Amber (Gene tried to fit the mirror into our trash can by breaking it into a million little pieces.) Mom was worried about Kelsey stepping on the glass...

"Oh, I don't think she'd step on it. Her paws are so tiny." -Gene

"That...... doesn't make any sense." -Amber :)

"Get inside the system, and make it work for you like little puppets!" -Mark, commenting on Rach and I always being office aides and the perks that came w/it! ;)

"WHAT!? Ohmygosh, I'm getting wet!!" ~Wes, when he went to pick up the football in our neighbor's yard and their sprinklers came on... hilarious!

"Respect your elders, Megan." -Holly

"You just said you'd rather be the moon than a llama. That pretty much cancels out the respect." -Megs :)

“I mean, what’s more important?  Love… or silliness!?”  ~Ross

“Jaaaack, the vending machine is broken!” ~Liz Lemon

“I know.  I broke it… I needed to speak with you and I knew that was the fastest way to get you in here.” ~Jack, 30 Rock :)

"Okaaaay, I feel awkward." -Jeff, turning around after we'd been behind the drunk skanky girl for a while in Vegas! lol

"Uh-ohhh, I'm starting to feel sick. I better spit this gum out." -Me, on our plane ride back home

"Well, maybe that's because it's Doublemint!" -Malori, not super compassionate just then

"Hey, did any of you ever do those Glamour Shot pictures!?"  ~JEM

Me: "Yep."

Jeff: "I did too." (We all turned around and perked up at that point)

Chet and Malori: "Whaaat?"

Jeff: "Yeah, you know, we all did 'em!"

(He was confused and talking about Senior pictures, but it was HILARIOUS, and earned him the nickname "Glamour Shots.")

Congrats on making it through this list!!