tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47046307705813117382024-02-19T06:06:57.007-05:00The U FileAprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.comBlogger256125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-68751305573635367682014-08-20T21:31:00.001-05:002014-08-20T21:32:31.573-05:00We've moved! Check us out over at: <a href="http://www.theuebels.com/">www.theuebels.com</a>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-32699744511632907922014-01-11T09:37:00.000-05:002014-01-11T09:37:19.763-05:00Five Things Friday: January 10th EditionObviously I started this post yesterday but didn't get around to finishing it. So here are my five things Friday on this Saturday morning :).<br />
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1. On Thursday evening Nic had a meeting at our house so I took Sadie out on an ice cream date to the local Dairy Queen. It was pretty quiet in the place with the occasional DQ patron stopping by every five minutes or so. There was also a TV so we were taking in a little Reba with our sundaes (which by the way, that show makes me miss cable). Anyways, a commercial for Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls came on with the Pillsbury Dough Boy. After it went off, Sadie in her loudest, most inquisitive 3 year old voice said "Mommy, who's that white guy?" After I picked my jaw off the floor I realized who she was talking about and in my loudest, most clear voice said "Oh, you mean the guy on the commercial? That's the Pillsbury Dough Boy silly girl." I had to have some kind of redemption. The girls working behind the counter just laughed. I feel like we've got some great material ahead of us for <i>Kids Say the Darndest Things</i>. <br />
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2. I started reading Bob Goff's <i>Love Does </i>the other night. So far I highly recommend it. It's a really easy read & thought provoking.<br />
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3. I mentioned Sadie started preschool this week. Well, I guess you could say that, she's only been one day so far, STILL. Anyways we made quite the impression on our first day. Monday was the first day of the bitter cold arriving and of course when we got to school (eager beaver mama was ready to GO) the doors were still locked. So we waited outside for a bit, I made Sadie check the door again, and eventually other parents and their wee ones joined us outside in the cold. We were all trying to protect our young from the harsh elements as best we could, when one of the other moms had her daughter try the door again, and what do you know? It was open. Way to help your kid make new friends April. I wanted to scream "It was locked, I swear it was locked" but it was no use, the concerned stares from all the other parents said it all.<br />
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4. Thursday afternoon, while coming home from a play date, I'll admit I kind of made a bone-headed driving move. As soon as I did it I regretted it. But unfortunately for me the dump truck driver who my decision impacted was not looking to show me mercy that day. I looked in my rear view mirror and started to freak out, seriously it felt like my life was flashing before my eyes. And meanwhile Sadie was in the back seat going "What's wrong mommy? What happened?" By the grace of God, we didn't get in an accident that day. And I spent all afternoon a bit shaken up but praising God that he does show us mercy!<br />
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5. I'll also admit that over Christmas break I've been binge watching TV on Hulu Plus a little. The Mindy Project may be my new favorite show. But one show that I am absolutely done with is Downton Abbey. I think Nic thinks I'm kidding when I shoot him the "stinkeye" every single time he asks me about watching this season. Oh no son, fool me once Downton (or kill off a lovable main character), shame on me, fool me twice- well you know how the saying goes.<br />
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Happy Weekending! Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-5859492765165912692014-01-08T17:35:00.001-05:002014-01-08T17:35:51.493-05:00Cha, Cha, Cha Changes <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The past few days have been full of change around our house. Sadie started preschool on Monday morning and hasn't been back yet (thank you polar vortex). I am officially a Stay at Home Mom (SAHM) as we count down the days to U2's arrival (5 1/2 weeks till my due date, in case you're wondering). And last but certainly not least Mabel (our dog) has now lost the ability to jump off of furniture thanks to an "ACL" tear. Yes you read that right, dogs have ACLs. Well technically it's called a cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) in dogs, but you get the point. By the way (random tangent here), Sadie checked out this Snoopy book at the library today called <i>Your Dog Plays Hockey?</i>. The whole premise of the book is Snoopy gets hurt playing hockey and has to have knee surgery. Only at the end he doesn't actually end up needing surgery because "dogs don't have knees." Oh no my friend, they may not have actual knees but they have the equivalent of one! Perhaps I should write Charles Schulz's foundation?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Your-Plays-Hockey-Peanuts-Gang/dp/0694009091" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
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Anyways, it started Sunday night when we noticed Mabel wouldn't jump up on the bed. Despite incessant coaching on my part she kept refusing and we immediately knew something was up. She never ever refuses a chance to be on the furniture and so (enter stage right) began my panic. Here we were supposed to be going to sleep but all I could think of were the thousand and one terrible things that could be wrong with her. Don't you just love anxiety? It comes at the best times. The next morning (after a terrible night's sleep may I add) she was still hobbling around so I called the vet & got an appointment early that morning. I couldn't eat that morning, the whole drive there I was freaking out (in my head, mind you) about all the things that could be wrong with her. After 5 minutes of examining her the vet looked at me and said "I think there's a tear in her cruciate ligament" and you know what? I didn't fall out of my chair, I didn't scream bloody murder, it was just like "ok, so what do we do now?" It is what it is and I'm ok. It was like this strange, "divine" (wink, wink) kind of peace came over me. So much of my anxiety had been wrapped up in the scary unknown, the what ifs, the make believe scenarios I'm so good at conjuring up. But the truth is even when the worst happens (p.s I realize there are way worse things that happen in life than this, it's just my current situation), God is still there, he didn't forget me, this doesn't surprise him.<br />
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The funny thing is our pastor had just talked about all of that stuff the day before. And here I was taking notes, nodding in agreement, not knowing the very next day I would need those reminders. My dad called that morning just to check in (again with the divine appointments) and one of the things he said to me was "Well when those kinds of things happen to me I like to ask, Ok God, what are you trying to teach me here?" Instead of wallowing in self pity and complaining about how much this stinks, I can still choose to praise God. Be upset, grieve, sure. But gaining a deeper trust in God through this experience is hopefully what I'll take away. I certainly don't do this perfectly. In fact last night as I was laying on the couch sobbing because this sub zero weather is awful, I can't eat dinner because of pregnancy heartburn, and my dog has a torn ACL, my sweet compassionate three year old left the dinner table to come over, give me a hug & say, "It's ok mommy."<br />
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And she's right. Not because of me, not because "all's well that ends well," because God is still in control and my hope is in Him. Yesterday I mentioned a few hopes I have for this blog, one I didn't mention but hope to write more on is the affect anxiety has had on my life. Can I just say I hate anxiety/worry/panic attacks? Over the past few months I've met several people with similar struggles so I figure it might be time to talk about it. Again, not because I'm some kind of expert or have it all figured out, but I think we need to talk about it. Fear has held me captive for far too long. And it's a new year after all :).Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-53765279077107741912014-01-07T22:14:00.002-05:002014-01-07T22:14:45.744-05:00A New Year, A New Me (just kidding, well slightly)*Author's note* I actually started this post on January 1. I just didn't finish it until tonight so bear with me when I talk about what seems like old news now :).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/169137434/new-years-party-hat-in-black-hello-2014?ref=listing-shop-header-2" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
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I know there are lots of people who dislike New Year's resolutions and hypothesize (quite accurately may I add) that the gym will be empty come March and all those promises to "make it right" and "start new" will be long forgotten. But there's something about a fresh start and a time to reflect on the past and ponder the future that I really value. So last night I set down to come up with my own resolutions and in a seemingly divine moment it happened to be the last page of my journal. I realize that my life is about to get turned upside down in a few short weeks with Baby U2 making her arrival so maybe it's not the best time in life to be making "resolutions" but at least come March I can be like all the others who can say they tried. So in no particular order my New Year's Resolutions for 2014 are:<br />
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1. <u>Be intentionally generous at least once a month.</u> We've been trying to save more than we spend the past few months as we anticipate the newest addition to our family but I've noticed lately it's made me kind of stingy. I don't like that feeling at all and more importantly I know it's not what I'm called to. So it can be something small like buying coffee for the person behind me in Starbucks or donating money from my personal spending money to a charity, either way it must be some kind of a sacrifice. Last year I came across this exercise in the <i>Spiritual Disciplines Handbook</i> by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun where you give away one of your most treasured items. Needless to say I haven't done that yet because that is SO HARD for me but I would like to at least attempt this before 2015. <br />
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2. <u>Record one high & one low from each day.</u> I've heard of people doing this in all kinds of ways. Some take a picture a day, others write down a mini-blurb of their day, or one specific activity. The idea is all the same: to give thanks & remember God's faithfulness. (I've actually done this every night before bed so far & I've really enjoyed ending my day with some reflection)<br />
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3. <u>Write more/blog more.</u> I know I say this every year and every time I blog but it's so true. Writing is so therapeutic and life giving for me when I take the time to do it. Our pastor actually gave a challenge to the congregation on Sunday that I'm now considering my main motivation behind this goal. He asked us to "Be verbal about what God is doing in your life and how you're changing." And since it seems I'm better at writing those things out then talking about them sometimes, I hope for this blog to be a place where I can share just that (though I'm also not excusing myself from talking to real, live people either :0.)<br />
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4. <u> Have people over to my house more.</u> It is simply not ok to talk about how lonely I am and how "I have no friends" and not take some initiative to invite people over. Plus, I absolutely love having people in my house, it makes everything seem so warm and full of life. This one is going to get really hard for me after U2's birth because I like to have my house clean and in order for visitors. But from experience I now know that's not always possible when you have a newborn. So to borrow the theme from MOPS this year I'm going to have people over and invite them into my "Beautiful Mess." <br />
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5. <u>Keep track of the books I read.</u> This one is a late addition and is largely in part to <a href="http://www.stephenlutz.net/2014/01/06/the-benefits-of-tracking-your-reading/?utm_content=buffer88794&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer" target="_blank">this</a> blog by Steve Lutz. I also noticed as I was reading year end posts by many of my favorite bloggers they included a "Reading Summary for 2013" or something like that. I'm not setting an exact count or particular type of genre goal because I typically read at least one book per month anyways. But I am going to start writing them down and I would love to post at least one book review on here each month!<br />
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So there they are. Nothing life shattering, just a few hopes and dreams for 2014. Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-55256606891945909712013-11-04T22:10:00.000-05:002013-11-04T22:10:57.555-05:00A little "cry cry" on this cold Monday nightIt's currently pretty darn quiet in my house. I'd like to take a moment to thank Daylight Savings Time for that (begin slow, painful clap). I know, I know-it's so stereotypical for people with young children to rant about how their kids don't understand the whole "fall back" thing and how we're up at 5am everyday now. But friends, have a little mercy on us because it is painful! I don't even care about the waking up early thing (we're learning quiet independent play as a result) but the OVERTIREDNESS, the nighttime woes, the napping woes. Have mercy (if only Uncle Jesse knew how I would twist his trademark phrase)! I know everyone will adjust eventually & to be honest I am finding myself much more productive in the morning hours (who cares about waking up at 6:30 when it still feels like 7:30). But I would also be ok if we removed this one from our law books. Can I add that on to my ballot at tomorrow's election?<br />
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Saturday was one of those days that makes you feel like a total failure as a parent. Sadie had been (notice the past tense there) doing really well with potty training so we promised her a morning at the local "bounce house." Turns out after driving 45 minutes to arrive at said "bounce house" we should have done a little more research. The one we were planning on going to closed 10 MONTHS AGO & the one across town had no Open Gym hours on Saturday. To say we were scared to tell Sadie was quite the understatement. In the end she actually ended up handling it ok & our attempt to do something else "cool and fun" seemed to be a win in Sadie's book. We rode up to the Roanoke star, where you can see the Roanoke Valley for miles & miles, & "hiked" the loop around the star. While we were looking off the overlook Sadie kept saying "I can see the bounce house. They closed today." Poor child. Oh but it doesn't end there. After the star we headed over to the mall where I promised Sadie there would be a Disney store with lots and lots of princess stuff. As it turns out the Disney store closed oh I don't know, almost 4 YEARS AGO; again with the fact checking. So we walked away with our tails between our legs to the indoor playground & Sadie forgot the word princess even existed (until we got back to the car where Princess Belle was waiting for us). <br />
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See how I casually mentioned potty training earlier. This challenge is certainly not for the faint of heart my friends. And I kid you not that every time I see someone walk into a public restroom, I want to give a shout of praise to the kind soul who taught them how to do that! I know this is just like the whole Daylight Savings Time thing & she'll catch on eventually but it is certainly producing some perseverance & character in the mean time :). <br />
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I think that's enough "cry-cry" for now. As I near the beginning of my 29th year of life next week I hope to have some more meaningful thoughts on life. For now enjoy a little 'Bippity Boppity Boo' from Princess Cinderella! <br />
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-59578101438207118922013-10-31T13:51:00.001-05:002013-10-31T13:51:26.176-05:00Happy Halloween!Again I find myself apologizing for my long absence from the blogosphere. I've still been reading other people's blogs, I just haven't felt like I've had much of a voice or content to share lately. But I've been inspired by my hubs and other blogging friends to pick back up the 'ole keyboard and start typing. So here are some random thoughts for now, hopefully I'll be back later and more frequently with something more valuable :).<br />
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I finished the second book in the <i>Divergent</i> series on Tuesday afternoon. In case you're interested it's called <i>Insurgent </i>not <i>Allegiant</i>. Much to my dismay (and stupidity), after finishing the book I was so desperate to talk about it with somebody or hear other people's opinions that I googled <i>Allegiant</i>. I started seeing all kinds of *spoiler alert* warnings but smarty pants me thought "It's ok. I just finished the book so this isn't a spoiler." As it turns out you should take the extra two seconds to push Home -----> Title Page on your Kindle before googling a book. Apparently there are MAJOR events that happen in the third book and I am now the proud owner of such knowledge without reading the book. Yea, not cool. Interestingly enough this also happened to me during the most recent season of Downton Abbey. Apparently they air the British episodes a full six months or so before they release it across the pond. Their Facebook account operates for both countries so when something says "What did you think about last night's episode?, don't click it. (Warning: Season 3 Spoiler Alert) That whole Sybil dying thing, yeah, heard about it, like SIX MONTHS before you did. And the best part: Nic wouldn't let me tell him, something about he didn't want to have the experience ruined for him. Hmmph. <br />
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In other major news, tomorrow I'll be 25 weeks pregnant with Baby Uebel #2. Sorry about the long delayed announcement there, this poor baby is already destined to a life of second child syndrome. Every time I go to the doctor they ask me how far along I am and every time I respond "Actually can you tell me that?" I think they think I'm kidding but I'm really not. This pregnancy is flying by! With Sadie I could've told you down to the exact day how "pregnant" I was and which vegetable/fruit she most closely resembled. This time around I'm lucky if I remember to EAT any fruits or vegetables that day. Poor baby- I promise I love you & am excited to meet you!<br />
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We're headed out tonight to do some trick or treating with Cinderella. Sadie has been obsessed with her lately so there was never a doubt in our minds who she would be dressing up as for Halloween. A friend of mine suggested I dress up as the pumpkin who will ultimately be her carriage, seeing as I'm in such a pumpkin like state as of lately :). I think I'll pass for now. I'm afraid I'd be more likely to back up traffic when people saw a giant orange blob in the road! Happy Halloween! <br />
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-63676101936310583852013-07-09T20:01:00.000-05:002013-07-09T20:02:50.216-05:00Not what you thoughtSo the post I promised ain't happening today. It's been a much busier day than I expected and well <i>So You Think You Can Dance</i> is on, so you know. I promise I haven't forgotten about it & I'll hopefully have the continuation up in the next couple of days. For now enjoy a little picture from some of our adventures today.<br />
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<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-91083603302374516072013-07-08T20:47:00.001-05:002013-07-08T20:49:16.313-05:00And we're back....<style>
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</style>As I sit here on campus on this beautiful, not rainy Monday
morning I would be remiss if I wasn’t given to a posture of thankfulness &
gratitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the first week of
freshmen orientation and there’s an excitement to this place that only a couple
hundred rounds of “Let’s Go Hokies” at 8am in the morning can bring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nervous freshmen wander around with
nametags around their necks announcing their past, present, and future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Proud parents follow behind them,
taking it all in, with a look in their eyes that says “Please tell me they’re
going to be ok.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please promise me
you’ll take care of my baby.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<br /></div>
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It’s hard to believe I sat in their place <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">eleven</b> years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact sometimes it’s so hard to
believe (and imagine) that I almost feel closer to the parent end than the
student.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps that’s why with
every year that passes the pleading in their eyes gets a little clearer to me,
will Sadie really be one of these bewildered students in just <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">sixteen</b> short years?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eek!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somebody please stop time now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Right now Nic & I can do no wrong in her eyes (well ok,
except for maybe when we cut the TV off).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We are her favorite people, her superheroes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yet here I sit watching the exact opposite: eye rolls,
deliberate efforts to walk at least 10 ft in front of your parents, all the
while exerting a little more independence with each step.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When does such a cosmic shift
happen?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or is it already
happening?</div>
I know the end goal of my parenting (the one that can seem
so very far away at times) should be to raise a responsible, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">independent</b> adult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And deep down I do truly want this
(besides I don’t want to be changing diapers and reading “How do you hug a
porcupine?” for the 50<sup>th</sup> time today when she’s eighteen).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But why does it have to be so hard?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<br /></div>
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Whether I like it or not, what God has been teaching me
lately isn’t so far off from what the parents of those college students are
experiencing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learning to trust
God isn’t an easy lesson, whether you’re the parent of a two year old or a
twenty two year old.</div>
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<br /></div>
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A few weeks ago our pastor said something like “Life’s
lessons are better learned in a lab than a lecture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it just so happens that our lives are one giant learning
lab.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Admittedly I cringed a
little at first because the memories of General Chemistry lab
still haunt me, but he’s definitely got a point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who’s a better lab partner than my two year old, careless
(ahem, carefree) daughter anyways?</div>
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<br /></div>
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I don’t know if it’s a toddler thing or a Sadie thing but
that girl can look at a step and fall over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact a few weeks ago she fell down several steps or
excuse me, lack of steps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were
hanging out at the playground with several other moms, I was holding another
little girl at the top helping her go down the slide, when I felt Sadie touch
my shoulder and then suddenly I felt her no more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One minute she was there, the next she was gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Almost immediately I heard a loud thud and shrieks of
horror.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I look down and see my
little sunscreen drenched, floppy hat wearing girl covered in mud and screaming
at the top of her lungs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish I
could tell you I immediately kicked into super mommy mode and swept down in one
leap to scoop her up but I didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even though I was staring at what was clearly my child all I could think
was “That’s not Sadie. I know where Sadie is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadie would never fall like that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I take good care of Sadie.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then somehow reality broke through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Thank you Lord we somehow escaped that accident without so
much as a bruise (no really, praise to God for that).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as I raced home to clean off all the mud and mulch from
Sadie’s knees I could almost hear God saying “She’s not yours April.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can’t protect her from
everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have to trust
me.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All afternoon and evening
through tears, I wrestled with what could have happened and what didn’t happen
and yet I still kept hearing that faint whisper “She’s my child first.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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I love James 1:17.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ve written it on my nifty, Pinterest-inspired chalkboard, I’ve
memorized it, I’ve even recited it to other people in situations where I deem
it necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this time it was
like I was hearing it for the first time “Every good and perfect gift is from
above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadie is a beautiful, lovely, precious
gift but are you more in love with the gift than the giver, April?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hard words for this mama to swallow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">[to be continued....hopefully tomorrow] </span></div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-963933532182485592013-06-03T20:12:00.000-05:002013-06-03T20:12:27.657-05:00Another ridiculous coffee shop story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuntGsZiWUuUB9zsBtk-Xfbhk7d3btaO1IbxdLtFduwiWmxeMaO_p1JERaSk7UEa07BZALlH43n1Jc33c2bKQYCuuj_CKftnr7OPR4CtagBLSatWniozA5WqwkvMxLS6Ywjg4kcysYpZw/s1600/IMG_3648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuntGsZiWUuUB9zsBtk-Xfbhk7d3btaO1IbxdLtFduwiWmxeMaO_p1JERaSk7UEa07BZALlH43n1Jc33c2bKQYCuuj_CKftnr7OPR4CtagBLSatWniozA5WqwkvMxLS6Ywjg4kcysYpZw/s320/IMG_3648.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
A couple of weeks ago we went to up to Roanoke on a Saturday morning to check out their farmer's market. I was somewhere in the middle when it came to my satisfaction with the market. On the positive side, their produce was WAY cheaper then our local farmer's market and we got some green eggs (yes you read that correctly) that were seriously some of the best I've ever eaten. In case I just freaked you out and you're going all Dr. Seuss on me, the eggshells were green, not the actual egg contents (which by the way is apparently super common when buying non-store bought eggs). Unfortunately there weren't a ton of farm/produce vendors and by the end of the market there were more craft vendors than anything else. The atmosphere was awesome though & since we've had a gift card tucked away in our desk drawer for several months now, we decided to hit up Mill Mountain for some delicious iced coffee and apple juice. I love this coffee shop and if I lived in Roanoke I would probably quite quickly become a "regular" (Well maybe, that's my dream to become a regular- you know, the kind that walk in and the barista has already made their drink because they come there every day. Unfortunately I don't know if my wallet or my caffeine consumption can support my dreams). <br />
<br />
Anyways, before we got out of the car that morning I had stashed my DSLR camera in the bottom of our stroller in an effort to take more pictures and make our blog seem "more artistic." But of course, like always, because photography is NOT my passion, I hadn't taken a single picture all morning. So as soon as we sat down I whipped out my camera and started framing the perfect shot (don't worry folks, I call myself a recovering perfectionist). As I'm trying not to curse at the flash that keeps popping up despite my incessant efforts to keep it down (again, read I am not a photographer), I hear some "smirking" from the table next to us. <br />
<br />
Out of the corner of my eye who should appear but a table full of lattes and three hipsters nearby. No but seriously, there were three young twenty-somethings, who as I listened closer to their conversation just so happened to have shot (with a camera) a wedding the weekend before. And as they spied my camera and my obvious lack of expertise, I felt......dejected. I've never been more aware of my baggy jeans and collegiate hoodie then in that moment. I wanted to scream "But.... I have a cute toddler." As if trying to justify my behavior. Pathetic, I know. Luckily I didn't say a thing, I just sat there, sipped the rest of my iced coffee, and walked out with my head held high. Only to think maybe I'd just been given a sign from above. <br />
<br />
Stop trying to be something that you're not. Now if only I wasn't so dang stubborn.<br />
<br />
<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-76908707855549695012013-05-24T15:55:00.000-05:002013-05-24T15:55:41.594-05:00Hook 'em....I mean Go Aggies!Happy Memorial Day Weekend! I have lots of plans in my head for some fun, local events to celebrate with (hmm...perhaps I should run those by the hubs sometime soon). Unfortunately though none of those plans include swimming. It's currently 52 degrees and FREEZING! I even saw a tweet that said tomorrow morning will be in the 30's, what in the world? Perhaps my life long dream of living in Texas isn't looking so far off after all.<br />
<br />
Speaking of TX, my mother's day present this year was a lovely Texas A&M hoodie that I may or may not have bought for myself (read: I ordered it from the university bookstore & used Nic's credit card to purchase).<br />
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<br />
Apparently wearing college paraphernalia, around a different college town, that you don't have a *direct* connection to makes you an easy target for people to make fun of. By no means am I a bandwagon fan, I mean I did start following Johnny Manziel on Twitter after he won the Heisman this year, BUT I have been listening to podcasts out of Breakaway Ministries (a ministry on the campus of A&M) for a few years now. So by way of hearing Ben Stuart talk about Reed Arena and the Aggies on a regular basis, I think I'm allowed a sweatshirt. (And to further convince you of my connection, in terms of colleges, Virginia Tech and Texas A&M are quite similar actually. Big state schools with a corps of cadets and a large emphasis on tech & ag related fields.)<br />
<br />
Anyways, all this is fine & dandy until I walk into our local Starbucks last week proudly wearing my new hoodie. (Mind you, I'm already totally ignoring the fact that it's 80 degrees outside and I'm melting, but gosh darn it I will wear my new shirt!) Immediately the barista behind the counter says, "I love your shirt! I have a cover for my phone too!" and then she proceeds to pull out her iPhone proudly adorned with an Aggies cover. I freeze. Oh my gosh, she knows my secret. How does she know my secret? What do I say? How am I supposed to respond? In that moment all that comes to mind is "Hook 'em Horns" but I know that's not right, so I mutter out the only words I can think of, "Ummm..thanks." Biggest. letdown. ever. Here this innocent barista thinks she has found a friend and fellow Aggie lover and all I can do is say thanks. Apparently buying another school's hoodie comes with more responsibility than I realized. <br />
<br />
Obviously I'm still wearing the hoodie but I won't be caught off guard again. I did my research (thank you, faq page on the Texas A&M website). Gig 'em Aggies!<br />
<br />
<br />
Disclaimer: Don't worry Hokie fans, my heart still belongs to Virginia Tech.Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-80978880148550439982013-05-22T14:41:00.001-05:002013-05-22T14:41:53.817-05:00Well folks, if you're still here after a 5 month hiatus, welcome! I really have no excuse for my absence- there are still plenty of cute Sadie pictures to post, a thousand and one "April" thoughts to write about, and other random things to include on here. Truth be told I sort of forgot about the blog for a while and then, well, I just didn't know what to post. <br />
<br />
Over the past couple of months I've been on a reading kick. (P.S. I apologize to those of you who live near me and receive my unsolicited book recommendations. Maybe I should look into working at Barnes and Noble or the library.) One of the books I enjoyed the most was <i>Freefall to Fly</i> by Rebekah Lyons. The book is all about Rebekah's struggle with anxiety, depression, and how she found her way back to a life of meaning through it all. At the end of the book she includes a few exercises to help in finding our own meaning:<br />
<ul>
<li>Write down your earliest dreams</li>
<li>Write down the turning points in your life</li>
<li>Write down your talents</li>
<li>Write down your greatest burden </li>
</ul>
To say I've answered all those questions and now know exactly what God's purpose for my life is, well I'll probably be dead by the time that happens. But one of the things I do enjoy and feel like is somewhat of a talent (why do we have such a hard time admitting to our talents? Arrgh!) is writing. So my goal is to make more time for that. And this blog is one way to do just that.<br />
<br />
Since my super smart computer enginerd husband is all done with seminary now and looking for ways to fill his now free time, the blog may take on a different look this summer. I might get my co-author back (see first sentence), maybe I'll follow the rules of building your blog 101 and come up with some kind of "blog platform." One thing I do know for sure (at least I really, really hope) is I'm back!<br />
<br />
And now for a super classy picture taken during the hub's seminary graduation last weekend:<br />
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-73577566495064636602012-12-17T22:33:00.000-05:002012-12-17T22:36:30.199-05:00What size are you?This summer I started taking ballet classes. Call it an early midlife crisis if you'd like, I've just always wanted to dance and while I had the extra time this summer I figured why not. I loved every one of those classes, I may not have been able to walk most days this summer, but ballet was oh so much fun and totally worth the pain. Fast forward to August when my teacher told us she wouldn't be returning for the fall. Devastated, I frantically searched the web for classes that wouldn't break the bank or the Uebel portfolio. I struck gold when I found a dance company at VT that offered free public ballet classes.<br />
<br />
So a couple weeks later I met some friends outside the dance studio and with locked arms and trembling knees we walked in. Just inside the lobby at least twenty girls were stretching, changing into tights and slippers, and chatting away. I introduced myself and promptly found an open spot on the floor where I started stretching as long and hard as I possibly could. The problem with this is I DON'T KNOW HOW to stretch. I was copying what the girl next to me was doing, what the girl in front of me was doing, and even the girl behind me when I happened to look that way. Normally I hate stretching, I roll my eyes at Nic if he even suggests we do it before a run. But this particular night I could've been Gabby Douglas prepping for the vault. Yes, I was that intense.<br />
<br />
Why? Because the 19 other girls in that room were doing the exact same thing and I was not about to be the only one not doing it. Especially since I was probably 10 years older than some of the girls in that room. *Did I mention my class this summer was a bunch of late-20, 30, and 40 somethings?* It was like I was back in middle school all of the sudden and I would say or do anything just to fit in. What in the world? I'm 28 years old and I'm suddenly having an identity crisis??<br />
<br />
I think there's a little bit of that terrified, nail biting middle schooler in us all. Even the most independent, confident of women. We start to size each other up the minute we walk in a room. "She's so pretty, I can't talk to her. She's super smart, she wouldn't like me. Her voice sounds like an angel, she's too good for me." It's like we create some kind of ranking system in our head and we can only talk to the people who rank near us on our scale. So if you happen to think yourself a 10 then you could talk to anybody in the room. But if you're just a 3 you're going to spend the rest of the night trying to earn everybody else's respect and attention.<br />
<br />
I used to think guys had it rough. I heard Nic say once that guys are always in competition with each other (the following is his example by the way). "Dude, my dog kicked me in the groin today" "Oh man that's nothing, last year my dog kicked me so hard it ended up on America's Funniest Home Videos." As stupid as it may be, at least they vocalize it. We ladies keep it all inside, hoping no one figures out where we rank on the scale, so we pull every muscle known to man because we want to seem like we know what we're doing. <br />
<br />
So what do we do? One dance class and a few months later I realize my identity isn't quite as formed as I thought it was. And somewhere sits my middle school self just waiting for her spotlight to come around again. Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-5844473066128464922012-11-28T15:30:00.000-05:002012-11-28T15:30:00.019-05:00Santa's Little Helper
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I wrote this for my local MOPS group newsletter and since the blog has been a bit quiet lately I thought I might share. We went up to NYC along with my parents for Thanksgiving this year and had a very memorable blast! I'll try to post pictures from our adventure soon.</div>
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Christmas always finds some way to stress me out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or maybe it’s the other way around
really.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems like I look at my
calendar and to-do lists for the month and have an absolute meltdown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get so hung up on all the things I
need to do that I can’t enjoy them when they’re actually happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get so frustrated at myself every
time, yet somehow every year those same feelings seem to surface.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I somehow doubt I’m alone in this either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, in a survey taken back in 2006
the research group <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Greenberg
Quinlan Rosner</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> found that 38% of Americans report an increase of stress
during the holidays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And women
disproportionately feel that stress!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now that I have a little one in my house I certainly don’t want to
project that stress on to her (which by the way ends up happening A LOT). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what is a girl to do?</span></div>
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For starters I’m trying to let go a little bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You see I’m a bit of a perfectionist,
so if all the Advent calendars aren’t ready to go by December 1 or all my
presents aren’t Pinterest crafty I tend to freak out a little bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something Dr. Diane Jones-Freeman said
at our last meeting though has been bouncing around in my head the past couple
of days: “I don’t have a perfect life but I have a good one.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not King Midas and I don’t have a
golden touch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact as I was
recently reminded by a parody of this old fairytale on Sesame Street, I don’t
want the golden touch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So this
holiday season I’m hoping to breathe a little easier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And enjoy a few extra Peppermint Oreos while I’m at it!</div>
Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-37649579399831811202012-10-19T10:34:00.003-05:002012-10-19T10:34:57.552-05:00Five Minute Friday...LookWell after a considerable break around these parts I thought it might be about time to break the silence. I've been experiencing a good bit of writers block lately- I think about blogging but then I don't know what to blog about. Pair that with the busiest time of a year for a campus minister and you get two months of nothing. So to break the silence I'm linking up with Lisa-Jo Baker for a Five Minute Friday-no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking. This week's topic....<b>Look</b>.<br />
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<br />It doesn't take much effort to look around outside this time of year. It's peak season for all the brilliant colors of fall and man are they beautiful. I'm constantly reminded of how beautiful this place we live in is. Sometimes if you catch a view of the mountains from just the right angle it looks like they're on fire. And of course I would be lying if I didn't mention how those last few words make me think of Katniss, I digress. <br />
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It's so easy to take the beauty of nature for granted. I walk the same paths every week, I drive on the same roads every day, I see the same trees outside my window every morning. But sometimes it takes a change to make me actually LOOK at something new, as if for the first time. I think what I'm saying there is sometimes change isn't always a bad thing. And I really can't believe I just wrote that sentence because change does not come easy to this girl. I remember when my parents sold the smoke puffing, wood paneled mini-van that I was often mortified to ride in I collapsed into a heap on the front lawn as the new owner drove away. Was I really that sad to see it go? Probably not, but it meant change was coming. And it always does, whether I'm ready for it or not. Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-64434177084331646192012-08-16T20:23:00.002-05:002012-08-16T20:23:29.882-05:00Midweek ConfessionsMy mid-week confessions are a day late this week. I blame the nice weather. Better late then never though!<br />
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- Last time I wrote I bragged about feeling like a "real runner" since I would continue my training even while on vacation. Well it certainly wasn't all the glitz and glamor I imagined it to be. Somebody slap me the next time I start bragging about that.<br />
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- Speaking of running, while in Texas one of my runs was outside. Our hotel was right on Lake Grapevine so the trail went through some "marshy" territory. All I could think was "Do they have alligators in Texas?" When I got back to the room one of my roommates informed me that they don't have alligators but they do have rattlesnakes and scorpions. Sweet Lord, do all Texans carry around a shotgun with them to ward off such creatures?<br />
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- I was a bit nervous about flying last week. It had been almost three years since my last flight and I was just a bit uneasy about it all. In my desperate need for control AT ALL TIMES I found myself mumbling "ok boys, get us out of here" every time we would hit a patch of turbulence. Since when did I go to flight school? I also felt a strange urge to give the pilots a high-five when exiting the aircraft. I restrained myself.<br />
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- I met one of my favorite bloggers, Lisa-Jo Baker, last week at MOPS Convention. I talked to her after her seminar and even tweeted (*this is when you use Twitter to communicate with someone mom, sort of like a text*) at her, thanking her. The fact that she replied to that tweet may or may not have been the highlight of my day.<br />
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- Sometimes when I'm in the middle of doing something I'll stop and think about how I'm going to phrase a tweet describing said something. Then, when I'm finished and ready to tweet I get annoyed at myself because I can't remember how the phrase went. Does this make me pathetic or narcissistic? Please don't answer that question. <br />
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<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-5160631455748906572012-08-01T20:33:00.002-05:002012-08-01T20:33:25.573-05:00Midweek ConfessionsSorry for the huge gap in between posts. I've noticed a lot of the
other blogs I follow have also had longer than normal pauses that they
blame on the lack of structure during summer so I'm doing the same. I've
also had trouble thinking of things to blog about so suggestions are
welcome :). Anyways, here are a few Midweek Confessions.<br />
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<br />
- I
signed up for my first half marathon this week and the thing I'm most
excited about, actually happens next week. I'm headed to the MOPS
Convention in Dallas next week & I'm so excited because I'll
finally get to look like a "real runner" since I'll have to run in the
hotel fitness center to stay on track with my training schedule. I
know, we'll save my self confidence issues for another day!<br />
<br />
-The olympics may or may not have inspired me to sign up for said half-marathon. <br />
<br />
- Speaking of self confidence issues, Nic & I have been eating healthier the past few weeks and when we have a good day it takes everything in me not to post all about it on Twitter. Obviously I failed just now.<br />
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-Thanks to a podcast I listened to this morning I've been thinking about the age old question, do I take myself too seriously? In an attempt to "lighten up" I started singing in the car tonight. At every stoplight I would stop and look at the person beside me and wonder "Do they think I'm crazy?" I think I know the answer to my question. <br />
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-I'm obsessed with ampersands. Like thinking of becoming an ampersand knick-knack collector. Who does that (but seriously if you find out let's talk because I want to find out where they get all their goods)?<br />
<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-64526606612926110022012-07-05T20:45:00.000-05:002012-07-05T20:47:28.508-05:00Happy 4th of July (a day late)!I know, I've been terrible at this whole blogging thing lately. I say I'm making a comeback and then I actually retire. It's like I'm Brett Favre or something (well, I guess really the opposite of 'ole Brett). Anyways, I will be back soon, but for now here's a picture of my own little firecracker celebrating the 4th!<br />
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<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-12902186234625318682012-06-01T14:14:00.002-05:002012-06-01T14:20:16.367-05:00My Three: Day three<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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I'm closing out this series today, at least with the first question.
Sometime in the next few weeks I hope to answer another of <a href="http://orangedad.com/" target="_blank">Orange Dad's</a>
questions. I know this is obvious but I want to be sure I say it, there
are a TON of people who have invested in me and influenced me along the
way. I'm pretty sure if I wanted to, I could write a post every day
for the next year and not have any repeats (well maybe, I'm not sure I
have that many friends, unless we're talking Facebook friends where I
have 883 of them). It was quite difficult to narrow it down to three so thank you to all those people who have left an impact
on my life, big or small. So without further adieu... <br />
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<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbWMTjnH_Mf053IqGQn1IoNeex8PwlOFfDy4kTUmE66BsuJOrGFgdrpGvw7dfAUr62-FnzB1__kVaxF3VhukMlRvtewei9R69RbrRUtzi-wW9Wz7TRUsedyYIVkbCp_2NAxtBSWru0eGc/s320/IMG_1893.JPG" width="296" /> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Yes, I am in fact dressed as an eight ball. I was 7 months pregnant with Sadie and wanted to take full advantage of my bowling ball of a stomach at Halloween!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Meet my friend </span><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Melissa Cheliras</b>. </span>I had always heard people talk about Melissa but never actually met her till the summer we moved back to Blacksburg to work at BCM. Then, not only did I meet her but I got to work with her, and in campus ministry this means you spend a lot of time together, especially during those first few weeks of school. </div>
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One thing you saw in Melissa from the moment you met her was her zeal for God and life. She found joy in both of those things, in everything she did. Whether it was cracking me up at a Zumba class, inviting me to hang out at the river and "rest", or watching a movie with me while Nic was at school so I wouldn't be lonely, her passion and enthusiasm were contagious. That gal lived life to the fullest and she challenged me to do the same. When she was dancing she saw the creativity of God at work, when she was in India celebrating the wedding of a friend she saw God in the faces of the people surrounding her, when she was meeting with a student, who was broken and felt hopeless, she brought hope and restoration right there in the middle of campus. </div>
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If I ever learned anything about loving people and bringing Jesus to the world, it was from her. I would always be amazed sitting across the booth from Melissa at staff meeting as her "notepad of names" continued to grow. She kept a running list of people she wanted to contact/hang out with and as we would mention someone at staff meeting she'd add them to her list. The funny thing was, she would actually contact them. It didn't matter how long it'd been since she last saw them or how "awkward" it might make her feel- she loved that person and more importantly Jesus did too and they needed to know it. </div>
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When Melissa started to get sick I talked to her a few times over the phone. I wasn't really sure what to ask her or even where to begin but she would always answer my questions with such grace and then say "I want you to know I've been praying for you and your family. Are there any ways in particular I can pray for y'all?" Talk about being humbled. Here she was in the middle of fighting cancer and she cared about me. Typical Melissa, she always was about caring for others above herself, it's almost as if somebody had told her to do that :). It didn't matter what she was doing, if someone needed something, she would stop the world to get to them. Thank you Melissa for showing me that. Thank you for teaching me what it means to love selflessly and to love well. So much of what I do in college ministry is wrapped up in how you did college ministry and for that I am eternally grateful. You are greatly missed friend. </div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-46719868991638367962012-05-31T21:37:00.000-05:002012-05-31T21:38:17.335-05:00My Three: Day twoSo I know that technically there are only 2 hours and ten minutes left in this day but nonetheless here goes day two of <i>My Three</i>!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(yes I know this doesn't look like me. That's because it's from my freshmen year</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">of college (i think), 2002 to be exact)</span></div>
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Meet <b>Megan F.</b> Despite the fact that Megan and I grew up about 30 minutes down the road from each other we never met till we got to Virginia Tech. We ended up living in the same dorm, she on the first floor, I on the sixth. I spent many a night on Meg's floor due to a bad roommate situation and we quickly became good friends.</div>
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The one year that we lived together during college I distinctly remember Meg waking up a bit early every day to spend some time with God. If I ever got up before 7, it was almost a guarantee that I would see her door cracked, light on, and smell the coffee brewing (really it was already brewed and in hand, she had to have her coffee :o). I wasn't much of an early riser back then, and to be honest I'm still not, but I saw such discipline and devotion to the Lord in Megan that it not only encouraged me but challenged me to do the same (just maybe not in the morning). </div>
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I've been going through a study on Ruth by Kelly Minter this summer and yesterday in my reading she was talking about how Naomi, though it sounds harsh, is to be admired for her honesty with God at the end of chapter 1. This couldn't remind me more of Megan. Some of my favorite time spent with Meg is laughing till I cried BECAUSE of her honesty but she also could not be more real in what's going on with her walk with the Lord. </div>
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This last year has brought lots of changes to her life (you can read about that and more of her <b>honest</b> heart <a href="http://www.myquestforjoy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">here</a>). I'll never forget talking to her just a few weeks after Liam was born. She was telling me how all the doctors kept telling she & Joe that they just couldn't get over how peaceful and calm they had been and then she said something that took my breath away, something she meant, "We want to be sure we're showing these doctors the love of Jesus through it all too." Here she was awaiting news that would change her life and she was thinking about God's glory. Such faith. Such trust. Thank you Megan for showing me what it means to "continue in my faith, established and firm", even from 3,000 miles away!</div>
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<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-37652112186925498962012-05-30T14:35:00.001-05:002012-05-30T14:43:01.785-05:00My Three: Day OneInstead of linking up with E, Myself, & I this week, I'm using a little inspiration from a blog I was introduced to last week. If you're a parent, <a href="http://orangedad.com/" target="_blank">Orange Dad</a> is well worth your time. As I sat in Panera last week reading it for the first time, I was trying to hold back the tears as I thought about what it means "to shepherd my daughter's heart." <br />
<br />
Anyways, I think I'm going to do a series of posts based on a few of the questions he poses. The first being, <b>Who are your people</b>? The ones who've invested in you and influenced you in your walk with the Lord. I've narrowed it down to 3. I'll be posting one a day for the next three days! <br />
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So in no particular order here we go.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b> </b>(please ignore the fact that the Uebels somehow all managed to wear pink
& white stripes that day- or as Nic likes to say pink/white/and
MAROON stripes)</span></div>
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<b>Libby G.</b> is one of those people you can see every couple of years and somehow feel like it was just yesterday. She's also one of those people you're just naturally drawn to because she's so fun, so when I saw her last Thursday :), nothing could've been sweeter. Libby worked at the BCM (BSU back then) as an intern my freshman year at Virginia Tech. I think God must have given her an extra dose of patience to stick with my bratty, obnoxious, "thinks she knows it all" 17 year old self, because for some reason she did Libby was the first person to teach me not only what it meant to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and strength but to actually live like you do too. Her passion for the Lord practically exuded in everything she did, whether it was teaching me how to pull off funny pranks or how to read the Word.<br />
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Libby was my friend & she taught me how to be a friend too. If it wasn't for her persistence in getting five freshmen girls to actually hang out together once a week I probably wouldn't have some of the 4 bestest friends a girl could ask for! I can still remember her telling stories about her besties from college & how she desired for us to have those same kind of life long friendships. I recently found a bunch of prayer requests from that year while I was on a quest to "rid my house of all this crap." Every week we would write our prayer requests on a sticky note and at the end of the year Libby gave them all back to us. Thinking back on it, I never doubted for a second that Libby didn't pray over each of those requests, because that's just who she is (p.s. it's ok if you missed a week or two Libby, my observation still stands).<br />
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Now I sit on her side of the equation, where it feels like I hear a ton of prayer requests throughout the course of a week. It's so easy to pass them over and say you will but never actually pray for them. Seeing those post-it notes was a challenge to me of what it looks like to love and serve God well. So thank you Libby. Thanks for being a big part of the reason I wanted to be a college minister in the first place! <br />
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<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-59348556662643648542012-05-23T13:18:00.000-05:002012-05-23T13:18:12.555-05:00It's time for...Midweek Confessions. I feel like these are a little lamer than usual. Thanks for bearing with me & my goofiness though :).<br />
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<ul>
<li>Last night Sadie woke up & could not get herself back to sleep without screaming for over an hour. I probably tend to be a bit melodramatic at 3am so as I lay awake staring at the ceiling all I could think was: Will I ever sleep again? Why God why? (side note- I certainly understand why God makes babies so darn cute now!)</li>
<li> I found a few (like 4) grey hairs last week. If you ask me about them in person I'll flat out deny it and call you a liar. I like to refer to them as my "bleach blonde" hairs. I may have had a mini nervous breakdown when I found them too. </li>
<li>While we were childless last weekend I kept telling Nic we needed to stay out late, go see a movie, or live on the wild side a bit. Instead of going to see <i>The Avengers</i> we went back to the B&B at 8:00 and finished watching Season 2 of Downton Abbey. How sad are we?</li>
<li>I got my first gold card in the mail this week. It was for Starbucks. I let Nic nickname my card online, to which he affectionately termed it "Gold Digger." Should I be concerned that he's trying to send me a subtle message?</li>
</ul>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-19747847473781469512012-05-18T21:17:00.003-05:002012-05-18T21:17:49.289-05:00Five Minute Friday-PerspectiveWe're up in Ann Arbor, MI (which by the way is a fabulous city) celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary this weekend but I figured I could still squeeze in five minutes of writing. So here goes the 2nd edition of Five Minute Friday with <a href="http://thegypsymama.com/" target="_blank">The Gypsy Mama</a>. This week's topic: perspective. <br />
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<b>Go</b><br />
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"Perspective is the ability to stand between yesterday and tomorrow and understand how and where today fits in."<br />
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What's funny is I tweeted that quote a couple of days ago. I was reading my MOPS Intl. Handbook of all things and came across it. It seemed pretty profound to me because though it seemed so ideal, in reality I am absolutely terrible at it I feel like I spend so many days just waiting for the hours to pass away or for Nic to come home, yet somehow I look back and the years keep flying by. How have I been married 6 years on Sunday? How is my daughter already 16 months old? <br />
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When I look at time in the broader picture it makes me want to savor every minute that I spend napping on the couch with my sick baby or singing in her ear while the doctor examines her and she screams bloody murder. The days don't seem so unbearable at times because it all too quickly is passing away. <br />
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<b>Stop </b>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-28593977361460533042012-05-16T07:00:00.000-05:002012-05-16T07:00:09.780-05:00Mideweek Confessions-Round 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hopefully you haven't rolled your eyes at me too much from last week's confessions. Here we are for Round 2.<br />
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<li>I cleaned my bathroom last week for the first time in a month probably. It was every bit as disgusting as you're imagining right now. I'm talking single, college boy, "I clean my bathroom once a semester" dirty. The ironic thing here is that I used to pride myself on having a sparkly bathroom that was cleaned at least once a week. Oh motherhood, what have you done to me?</li>
<li>All week I've been <s>obsessing over</s> thinking about these confessions. Something will happen and I'll think, is that worthy of a confession? Yes it is "summer" for me and I do have more time on my hands thank you. </li>
<li>Since I was blessed with bad teeth and they seem to be worsening, I left my dentist appointment last week with a $120 electric toothbrush in hand. The hygienist and receptionist kept raving about how much I was going to love it. Meanwhile I was thinking "Yea, yea, yea-you're just saying that because I just spent $120 on a TOOTHBRUSH." I stand corrected. That thing is awesome- I'm officially obsessed. Seriously, it feels like you just left the dentist every time you brush your teeth (I'm also noticing that I am easily "obsessed" with things; maybe I have more of an addictive personality than I realize.)</li>
<li>I get angry, like legitimately angry, when a show doesn't end the way I want/expect it to. When Psych ended about a month ago I was literally screaming at the TV in horror. I then proceeded to spend the next hour searching the internet for any spoilers and proclaiming "I wash my hands of this" if Henry is really dead. Now I just obsess (again a theme) over all Gus' (Dulé Hill) tweets, searching for some kind of answer. </li>
</ul>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-64832967233114384932012-05-13T14:54:00.001-05:002012-05-13T14:54:21.863-05:00Not your Hallmark kind of Mother's DayIt's been pretty quiet around here this weekend. It's the first time, in a long time, that we've had nothing to do. As life would have it though, that's been a very good thing. Little Miss has been quite sick. A high fever two days in a row warranted a visit to the doctor this afternoon. Not exactly how I imagined spending Mother's Day, but there's certainly no where else I'd rather be than taking care of the one who made me a Momma. Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there (mine included-love you mom)!<br />
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Hanging out at the Mother's Day brunch at preschool on Friday</div>
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My awesome Mother's Day present- they say "Toms loves Moms"</div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4704630770581311738.post-24310702264786679092012-05-11T10:33:00.001-05:002012-05-11T10:33:18.763-05:00Five Minute Friday: IdentityToday I'm linking up with <a href="http://thegypsymama.com/" target="_blank">The Gypsy Mama</a> for her Five Minute Friday. The idea is "to throw caution to the wind and just write, to share what five
minutes buys them. Just five minutes. Unscripted. Unedited. Real." Today's prompt is Identity, so here we <b>go</b>:<br />
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I never really realized how much my identity was caught up in what I do until I became a mom. I tell people all the time that when we had Sadie it felt like somebody pulled the rug out from underneath my feet, both literally and metaphorically speaking. I went from having a plan/feeling confident in said plan 99.9% of the time to feeling completely clueless. <br />
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The first few months I was in pure survival mode so I didn't really see the identity crisis happening. But once I reemerged into the world from a sleep deprived fog, it slapped me in the face. Sure I was still a campus minister but my time there had been greatly reduced. Somehow I had decided (in my silly head) that being a mom wasn't quite as valuable as working full-time in a real job, I felt like I had no purpose anymore. I think you see where that's headed. I was an emotional wreck with multiple meltdowns that strangely are quite similar to the temper tantrums my 16 month old is throwing these days. <br />
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<b>stop.</b><br />
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*editor's note: so this whole typing just for 5 minutes was a lot harder than I thought. Perhaps I'll finish this stream of thought sometime next week. Leaving it without a conclusion is killing me, but that's what I'm supposed to do!Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06696369071735544167noreply@blogger.com1