all hanging on one person's breath

I am so loving that many of you have already posted your Love Lists! (Visit Fat Bridesmaid, Aimee , Mousearoo, Shirley, and Sarah.) Thank you all so much for playing along!

In the spirit of 10 things, let me tell you 10 awesome things I did today.

1. I filled up my car for less than $40.
2. We went to church and heard a great sermon about hope.
3. We took my Mom and Dad through the model of our new home.
4. We planned out the paint colors.
5. We went furniture shopping. We have picked out potential dining room set and chairs for the tv room.
6. Mom and Dad took us to a Mongolian Grill where I had a little bit of meat, and lot of veggies, and a moderate amount of brown rice.
7. We bought these really cool, and really cheap, bookshelves at Barnes and Noble.
8. I finished packing up my great-grandmother's dishes.
9. I had a bowl of Banana Nut Crunch Cereal for dinner.
10. I had an ephiphany. This deserves a paragraph of its own.

Epiphany backstory: We live in a huge house with a huge yard that is perfect for wiffle ball. When we moved in 2.5 years ago, we painted the room across the hall from our bedroom a great shade of pale green, which I thought would be perfect for a child of either gender. We are trying to have kids. So far, we have been unsuccessful. When I walk through my huge, lonely house, I am reminded of this.

Now we have sold our house. To a two parent family with 6 kids. SIX KIDS!

Then we find a house that is perfect for the two of us. We are moving to a house half the size of our current house, with no yard. We have room to grow, but not too much space for just the two of us. It's good for our needs, but we wouldn't be crowded if there was a little person running around.

So I'm in the bookstore today, thinking of how excited I am that a family of eight is moving into our house. And then it hits me.

Epiphany: Our big house is empty without kids. There is a part of me that feels that way too. In a smaller house, that is more suited for the two of us, maybe I won't have the constant reminder that something is missing. Maybe we're moving into a smaller house to help me be content with what I have, to not constantly be looking for something to fill up my rooms. Maybe I'll feel more content not having a baby if I don't feel like we're in a space that is meant for a big family.

I hope that makes sense. It made sense when I explained it to Nathan, but it's kinda gray when I try to tell you all. I think you get the picture.

I have decided that I am going to try to be food good through the move, but I'm not going to have unrealistic expectations. I am so excited to get into the fitness room once we move, though! In a month, I will start acting like the healthy person I am!

all you need is love!

Today has been full of packing. Packing, packing, packing. I know we aren't moving for over a month, but between working, commuting, and plans for the next three Saturdays, our time is limited. And I like packing while we are still really excited.

I'm taking a break right now.

During my break, I came across today's post by Fat Bridesmaid. She has a list of ten things she hates, and a link to the same meme at Adventures in BabyWearing. I decided to alter it a little, and I'm listing 10 things I LOVE. (And, you'll notice FB, my list of loves is similar to your list of hates!)

Food: I love tortillas. A burrito, a sandwich as a wrap, scrambled eggs and cheese in a tortilla, a slice of cheese folded into a tortilla and microwaved. Yum. Flour, wheat, corn, doesn't matter. Flat and round is all I need.

Fruit: I absolutely love oranges. You have to take time to eat them, be focused, not stick my thumb nail too far through the skin into the good part. Yum, oranges.

Veggies: Although I loved carrots cooked in honey and mustard, my favorite veggie is the sweet potato. I could eat them every day.

Celebrity/People: I used to really like Oprah, but then I realized that she likes herself a little too much. I love Rachael Ray. She's really close to being too chipper and obnoxious, and that endears her to me. She is comfortable with who she is and she made her dreams happen. And most of my cooking skills and comfort with experimenting in the kitchen is thanks to her.

Event/Situation/Incident: I love weddings. People I know, people on tv, A Wedding Story. Weddings pull me in and make me happy. The most recent one for us was Nathan's brother, Luke. (Notice Nathan still standing up there. Isn't he a cutie?

TV Shows/Movies: As embarrassed as I am to say this, my favorite show is What Not to Wear. I know I have so many cooking shows and HGTV shows and funny shows to choose from (like Arrested Development), but I love watching Clinton and Stacy tear people apart and then watching the poor, underfashioned person immerge as a self-confident and self-loving person. It's a transformation that I would love to have. But I don't think my current style is bad enough.

Music: One word: Nickel Creek.

Household Chores: I don't think I love any chore, but I don't despise laundry all that much.

Around the World: I love that some people have the ability and drive to make taking up for others their life's work. Whether it is building an orphanage, being a missionary, or working in a soup kitchen, every little bit helps to make the world better for someone else.

About Myself: I like my ability to make others see my perspective without being aggressive. I really like that I can do my (pretty tough) job well and feel like I have done some good. I love that I can listen to someone in a way that makes them feel heard. I love that I am motivated to make myself better.

What about you? I'm tagging some folks. We need more positivity around here!

I tag 10 bloggers that I love!

1. Annie
2. Fat Bridesmaid
3. AMuldoon
4. Briana
5. Aimee
6. Mousaroo
7. Shirley
8. Angie
9. Sarah
10. Jeannie

movin' on up!!

We are moving! I am very excited! Let me count the ways...

1. My commute will be 4 minutes. It is currently 65.


2. We will be within walking distance of everything we could possibly need (Meijer, Old Navy, Barnes and Noble, Johnny Carino's, etc.).


3. There are a TON of sidewalks EVERYWHERE.


4. Our complex has a very nice fitness center.


5. There is a church within walking distance that I think we should check out.


6. There is no yard to mow.


7. There are no weeds to pull.


8. It is so beautiful!


9. We have less space, which means we will have less stuff.


10. Our kitchen will have an island!

I should have taken pictures today, but I didn't. We signed contracts to buy and sell today. We have 35 days to close on the house we are selling and 45 on the house we are buying. I'm nervous that we will have some layover where we are homeless, but I'm sure we could shack up with Kent. Today we picked out hardwood, and carpet, and appliances...it was just so cool!

I have such a good feeling about this move. I really do. I am excited to have treadmills and weights and safe places to walk right outside my door. I am excited to be in the city, in the middle of all the stuff, and closer to the people we want to be with.

Yay us!

you dig everything of which I'm ashamed

As I do every day, I have spent my evening reading blogs of others. One in particular struck me today. Her blog is the only one I read that is written by someone I actually know. And she inspires me every day.

Shirley is not only a woman who has lost a ton of weight, she also loves and follows God. She and her family moved to Texas several years ago, and we miss her terribly. Check out her blog. It's a great read.

In her blog today, she talked about her husband. And today, I would like to tell you all about mine.

I love my Nathan.

Nathan is the best husband ever. He takes all of my craziness in stride. He scratches my back, "right where the tag would be." He is a wonderful cat daddy. He emails me 100 times a day at work. He makes me want to be better. He talks Harry Potter with me. He watches tv shows he doesn't really want to watch. He is my best friend, my motivation, my accountability partner (with a soft side), my bed-maker, my long-distance driver, my everything. Did I mention that he is incredibly smart, a great athlete, a mandolin player in-the-making, and master of the grill? I have now.

Thank you, sweetie, for all you do for me.

I'm not unfond of you!

turning into something you are not

I would post a pic of my weigh-in this morning, but my scale showed exactly the same number as last week. No point in repeating. We ate a lot of farm raised produce all weekend. We actually ate really well. I did have Taco Bell for lunch today, but it's one bad meal. I'll get over it.

The yard sale was pretty much a failure. I don't know what happened. Maybe it was the heat. Maybe it was the change in the way our street is marked. Last year, I seriously think about 80% of our street sat out stuff. I'd say 20 yards in a tenth of a mile. This year, there was us and one other. So no one stopped. I think we had about 25 people, and I think all but two bought something. I know we had quality stuff. Now it's at Goodwill. We made more than I expected, though, selling 2 dining room table and chair combos, a hutch, and an electric guitar.

We have a lead on our house. A couple (with 6 kids!) came through it on Thursday. No offer yet, but the realtor thinks there is one coming. Pray for us and our house!

Work is crazy. I still love it, but I am exhausted. I'm running a bath now. I am seriously going to relax in our huge tub, and then read myself to sleep. It's too hot to do much else anyway. My car temp said 101 the whole way home. Ugh. It's so hot.

I hope you all are doing well. I so love reading all your blogs. You keep me going!

so glad our paths crossed this time today

One of the benefits of my new job: calling in vacation. We do this thing where all leave is in one bunch. No sick, vacation, and holiday - just "days off." So that means when I want a day off, no excuse for a sick day, just calling off. I actually told them yesterday, and it was no big deal. My mom will be here soon, my aunt and uncle and my sister-in-law and her mom will be down later today. Very exciting weekend!

And my posting may be sparce over the next few says because (drum roll please)...

It's YARD SALE WEEKEND!

I am so excited about all of the stuff we're going to get rid of. We're putting out several desks, our dining room suit, lots of pots and pans, bowls, books, magazines, toys, rugs, just a ton of stuff. I've been working on this purging of stuff thing a lot, but it feels like we'll get rid of some big stuff this weekend. I feel kinda bad about all the stuff I took to Goodwill that I could have made money for, but it was worth it to just get it out of the house. And the money would have been spent on nothing in particular, so it's all okay.

We're planning and pricing today, and then setting up tomorrow. I'll probably post pics of what the yard looked like, and let you know how well we made out.

Have a great weekend!

set me up with one of your friends

Here's the breakdown of my day.

Actually, it started last night. My headache didn't go away. And a caffeine withdrawl headache does not respond to medication. I was up and down all night long. My head hurt so bad. I finally got about 2 hours of good sleep, and then it was time to go to work. Not only did I still have the headache, but I was incredibly groggy. So I had the dreaded Starbucks drink. It was awesome. And the headache was gone before I knew it. I'm back on the bottle, my friends. And, after the hours of withdrawl, it's worth the 4 points...and the 20% of my daily dairy requirements!

The rest of my day was....AWESOME! I had starbucks and banana for breakfast. A mozzarella and tomato salad (half the bread, half the dressing) for lunch. (Tangent: My salad came from Panera and I DID NOT even feel tempted to get a frozen coffee drink there.) I know the salad isn't the best for me...there is a ton of cheese...but (a) it's dairy. (b) it's not a big fat cheeseburger or a Chalupa. (c) the amount of tomatoes I ate way outnumbered the pieces of cheese. For dinner, I had a grilled pork chop, an ear of corn, and some jello. I just had a Fiber One bar and a big glass of milk. I thought about going back and counting the points or the calories or something, but decided against it. Today I am just basking in the glow of making healthier choices, of really wanting to make healthier choices.

And I have the best husband ever. He scratches my back while I blog. Does it get any better? It's a pity he can't reach my feet, or I'd trick him in to rubbing them.

My Maid-of-Honor friend (that I whined about here) also responded to my friend invitation on Facebook today. She's my friend! Yay!

I'm still having trouble with our realtor. He wants us to drop our asking price for our house. Substantially. I'm very unhappy. And nervous.

I've been listening to a great sermon series about the Prodigal Son and how we are either like him or the Son who stayed home and felt entitled and slighted. Such good stuff. Today I started listening to a series on Ruth and I am really enjoying it so far.

Oh! And big news! Nathan got us FRONT ROW SEATS for the Nickel Creek show in October. Front row! I am so excited. You really should check them out. But hurry! They are breaking up at the end of the year! By the way - the subject line is from one of Nickel Creek's live songs. It fits because I'm going to play matchmaker between my friend Kent and the lady who is trying to sell us a townhouse. They'll have such a great story to tell their children. Although the last time I tried to set Kent up, she said she felt pressured, but then she was engaged to someone else 4 months later. This time will be different.

I am so glad to have a good day to share, and so glad that I have you to share it with. I so appreciate all the friendly and encouraging comments the last few days! My blog friends are the best!