Hi All,
Yesterday I hit the 17 week mark of pregnancy. I'm feeling good. I have energy about every other day. We went to our first birth class (they meet once a month and then twice a month etc.). All is well and the baby's heart beat is around 160bpm. We will have an ultra sound a week from today to hopefully find out the gender!! We are excited and planning how we will announce what we are having. If you haven't already, you can join the Baby Mentze group on Facebook. You can also submit your best guesses in our baby pool on Facebook (it's a google document). You may want to do so before we find out what we are having. You have a couple days of grace after we find out because it may take us a little while to get our stuff together.
With all this excitement it's not all that's going on. We are excited to host our Ugly Christmas Sweater Party this weekend! We also have Erik's work Christmas party and Sunday we have Cityscape (which is a city scavenger hunt)...so we have a busy weekend.
On the 22nd we fly out to Portland for Christmas vacation....we hope to catch up with some awesome people but we also understand that this is a busy time of year. We are also so thankful for what this season represents...not just giving gifts and being with family, but that God came to earth and the amazing reason He did so.
We hope you all have a Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Tis the Season
So I'm now 15 weeks 2 days today. The belly is getting bigger along with everything else it seems. Some times there are those ladies who only get pregnant in front. I'm not one of them. I FEEL and AM pregnant everywhere!
This week (maybe longer) the baby's name is "Eloise"...for those of you who keep up with the names.
We just returned from our trip to Idaho. We had a great time visiting family and friends while there. Moscow isn't home, but it's still nostalgic to visit. It's fun to see faces from the past. This was probably our last visit to Moscow for a while.
We leave for Portland in 21 days. CRAZY! We are excited to see everyone over our break...I'm sure it will be busy. I can't believe that Christmas is right around the corner! I'm getting ready to deck our halls and listen to Christmas music while putting together our Christmas letter. Welcome to a busy month AND our half way mark of pregnancy. All is well.
This week (maybe longer) the baby's name is "Eloise"...for those of you who keep up with the names.
We just returned from our trip to Idaho. We had a great time visiting family and friends while there. Moscow isn't home, but it's still nostalgic to visit. It's fun to see faces from the past. This was probably our last visit to Moscow for a while.
We leave for Portland in 21 days. CRAZY! We are excited to see everyone over our break...I'm sure it will be busy. I can't believe that Christmas is right around the corner! I'm getting ready to deck our halls and listen to Christmas music while putting together our Christmas letter. Welcome to a busy month AND our half way mark of pregnancy. All is well.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
A Bun in the Oven
Hi All,
So I haven't posted on this blog in quite a while because we were keeping our lips closed on what was going on until we wanted to share it with everyone.
Most of you follow facebook and know that we have a "bun in the oven"!!
I just wanted to write a quick blog to answer the questions that are typically asked when your expecting.
When are you due? May 22, 2012
How am I feeling? I am feeling great. The first trimester I didn't have any morning sickness. I didn't puke (I hate puking so I'm VERY thankful). I have just been very tired but my energy is coming back. I have had some food aversions and nausea. Nothing sounds good to eat and I'm almost fearful to eat something because I may get sick, but when I don't eat I get nauseated. Things are getting better though.
The baby doesn't like...certain chips and salsa (something I can totally binge on)...homemade pizza (that was an AWFUL night)...and pickles (again something I love).
How far along are you? I am 13 weeks today (November 15th)
How long have you known? We have known for since September but decided to keep it under wraps because we wanted to get through the first trimester.
Are you going to find out the sex? YES. We hope to find out before Christmas.
Do you have names picked out yet? We have some we really like but we will not be sharing them with anyone. There has to be some element of surprise...and we haven't settled on them yet. For now we are giving the baby a new name each week (they aren't even close on the list of names we like). The first name was Kevin, Ralphie was next and I think next we will go with Berniece. They are all names from movies....maybe we will do Lloyd and Harry as well ;-)
Are you showing yet? Umm a little. I've gained some weight but not a ton.
Are you excited? Yes...but it doesn't feel real yet. I have no clue what we are in for...and I kind of like it that way ;-)
Do you want a boy or girl? Before we got pregnant I think we both would have said, "Boy". However, when we decided to start trying I think we didn't really care. That's when we knew we were ready to start trying.
Do you have an instinct as to what you are having? We both think girl.
What did you do when you found out....how did you find out? Well, I thought I wasn't pregnant. I had taken some tests before and they had been negative but "felt" like I might be pregnant. This time I totally didn't think I was pregnant but Erik said, "you're pregnant". Well my cycle has gone anywhere from 28-38 days. So I was pretty clueless. Erik got up and went down stairs and I got up and decided to take a test on day 33. I took the test and we didn't mess around with the 1 or 2 line tests...we got the digital so there was no guessing. I sat there while it processed and then BOOM....my life just changed. I wasn't sure what to say or do...my eyes just got big. I went downstairs and called for Erik and by then he knew I had taken a test....and he knew. We took a small little video of our morning which we may post later.
Other information that you may find interesting....
Our nursery colors: We decided to not go with a "baby" theme...but a color theme and build off of it.
Boy: Grey, Yellow and White (maybe some orange)
Girl: Blue, Pink and Red
Have we registered yet? We have registered at Babies R Us...just for the basics because eventually we have to move again (because we rent the house we currently live in).
We also started a registry on Amazon (again basics) but we aren't done yet.
Are you still active? Yes! I'm playing volleyball about 2 days a week and will pick up a little more cardio here and there.
I think that is about it. Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll do my best to answer them via blog.
So I haven't posted on this blog in quite a while because we were keeping our lips closed on what was going on until we wanted to share it with everyone.
Most of you follow facebook and know that we have a "bun in the oven"!!
I just wanted to write a quick blog to answer the questions that are typically asked when your expecting.
When are you due? May 22, 2012
How am I feeling? I am feeling great. The first trimester I didn't have any morning sickness. I didn't puke (I hate puking so I'm VERY thankful). I have just been very tired but my energy is coming back. I have had some food aversions and nausea. Nothing sounds good to eat and I'm almost fearful to eat something because I may get sick, but when I don't eat I get nauseated. Things are getting better though.
The baby doesn't like...certain chips and salsa (something I can totally binge on)...homemade pizza (that was an AWFUL night)...and pickles (again something I love).
How far along are you? I am 13 weeks today (November 15th)
How long have you known? We have known for since September but decided to keep it under wraps because we wanted to get through the first trimester.
Are you going to find out the sex? YES. We hope to find out before Christmas.
Do you have names picked out yet? We have some we really like but we will not be sharing them with anyone. There has to be some element of surprise...and we haven't settled on them yet. For now we are giving the baby a new name each week (they aren't even close on the list of names we like). The first name was Kevin, Ralphie was next and I think next we will go with Berniece. They are all names from movies....maybe we will do Lloyd and Harry as well ;-)
Are you showing yet? Umm a little. I've gained some weight but not a ton.
Are you excited? Yes...but it doesn't feel real yet. I have no clue what we are in for...and I kind of like it that way ;-)
Do you want a boy or girl? Before we got pregnant I think we both would have said, "Boy". However, when we decided to start trying I think we didn't really care. That's when we knew we were ready to start trying.
Do you have an instinct as to what you are having? We both think girl.
What did you do when you found out....how did you find out? Well, I thought I wasn't pregnant. I had taken some tests before and they had been negative but "felt" like I might be pregnant. This time I totally didn't think I was pregnant but Erik said, "you're pregnant". Well my cycle has gone anywhere from 28-38 days. So I was pretty clueless. Erik got up and went down stairs and I got up and decided to take a test on day 33. I took the test and we didn't mess around with the 1 or 2 line tests...we got the digital so there was no guessing. I sat there while it processed and then BOOM....my life just changed. I wasn't sure what to say or do...my eyes just got big. I went downstairs and called for Erik and by then he knew I had taken a test....and he knew. We took a small little video of our morning which we may post later.
Other information that you may find interesting....
Our nursery colors: We decided to not go with a "baby" theme...but a color theme and build off of it.
Boy: Grey, Yellow and White (maybe some orange)
Girl: Blue, Pink and Red
Have we registered yet? We have registered at Babies R Us...just for the basics because eventually we have to move again (because we rent the house we currently live in).
We also started a registry on Amazon (again basics) but we aren't done yet.
Are you still active? Yes! I'm playing volleyball about 2 days a week and will pick up a little more cardio here and there.
I think that is about it. Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll do my best to answer them via blog.
Monday, September 12, 2011
The Fall
So the past month has been busy..........
For those who don't know, Erik was offered a transfer into another group (IN THE SAME COMPANY AND SAME STATE). He decided to take the transfer and hold off on the Ph.D. for now. This opportunity for Erik opens doors for him to grow into some possible leadership roles. He is really excited and the transfer will happen within about a week or two. He is currently wrapping up his currently role and handing it off to another co-worker.
For me the past month has been busy as Take Shape for Life has doubled in size for me. It's been great to help people take control of their health and lose the weight that they want to lose and get off medications. I have been doing some reading myself to always keep working on being informed. I have been reading the Habits of Health book by Dr. Andersen and it has been encouraging to re-enforce and relearn such valuable knowledge.
I have also been helping coach a jv volleyball team down here. The girls have great attitudes and work super hard...when they are not injured or sick. We won our first game last week....it felt good to have a victory.
With the fall starting it means the start of....FOOTBALL. Erik and I enjoy our weekends of watching games and doing stuff around the house.
Well....that's all for now.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
I found my voice...
If you really what to know what is going on in the mind and life of Kristin...read the whole post.
As many of you know...I like to sing. Many have told me that I have a great voice, and with the compliments it's easy to fall into the place of "what I am able to do" and not really give God the glory for the gift that I have.
I remember praying when I was around the age of 16..."Lord, if I ever abuse my voice and take the glory that is due to you, or if I'm not doing what you want me to do please take my voice away". It sounds like a silly prayer but through the years God has been faithful to get my attention through my voice.
In the last few years I haven't really sang a lot...I haven't really pursued a lot of singing opportunities and when you don't use it...you lose it. It's not that I don't have a passion for it, but rather I was hiding in fear that I would abuse it if I used it.
Fear is huge it can paralyze you without you knowing it. I didn't realize all the things I held back because of fear. I fear failure, rejection, what people think...the list goes on and on. I have come to realize that I have hidden behind this fear so I won't do anything and therefore "I am safe". Then you find yourself in a comfort zone that is hard to get past because you have been there so long....I say "you" but I really mean "I"...I'm sure someone could relate though to what I'm saying.
Well when Erik and I moved to Arizona Erik's path to building his career was pretty clear. He had a job. He now loves his job. He was considering doing his Ph.D. down here...and still is. A lot has opened up for Erik down here. However, many people asked. "Well, what do you plan on doing Kristin?"...haha...good question. I guess the assumption was that I would apply for teaching positions at a private Christian school. However, most schools don't hire in January. And I guess the idea of Take Shape for Life was still in the mix of what I would like to do...but I did have some hang ups. While I love teaching it's not where my heart is right now. I also adore coaching...but I don't see the time commitment coming available that would allow Erik and I to still act like a married couple. I still enjoy both teaching and coaching...but how do I do this when we are close to starting a family (I guess if most readers want to read into this you can...but we won't say).
Well, last week I attended the Take Shape for Life conference in Florida. I previously had some hang ups with maybe the approach that the company took and methods that I didn't think seemed right. Well....I was really wrong. Not only was I wrong about the company and the small little hang ups I had with it. But this convention pointed out some huge fears in my life. I was fearful that people would see me as someone who was approaching them for my own gain...wrong...I was so concerned about myself. I was fearful that they would reject me and I would personally attach myself to the rejection. I can't attach myself to something like that. It's like asking, "Do you want cream with your coffee?" If they say no they are not saying no to me...they are saying no to the cream. I also had a fear of what people would think of me. Wow I'm selfish. Well at some point I have to start caring about others and stop caring about myself.
So the whole convention kicked my butt. And to be honest I'm excited. I am being stretched beyond my comfort zones and I don't want to run back to my safe little fears that don't let me do anything.
All that to say I have my focus and why I'm in Tucson for myself. I'm here to help this state get healthy. Not only that...I get to be a Coach and Teacher...what I love but I get to do it from home. I get to celebrate my clients successes with them. I get to encourage them. I get to coach them. I have a drive that makes me excited each day to see who I can find and tell about Take Shape for Life. Through this process I'm excited to see what God does.
So you know how I mentioned at the beginning of the post that I got my voice back...well...as I returned home I spent some time with my guitar "Derek" and spent some time singing...and my voice is back and stronger. It's really encouraging to see how God gives and takes away for seasons.
If you at all are interested in making a healthy lifestyle change by doing Take Shape for Life please send me a message. I would love to coach you through the process and help you own your health.
More to come...I am going to my first networking event soon and quite frankly it terrifies me....but I'm going to conquer the fear.
Thanks for reading.
As many of you know...I like to sing. Many have told me that I have a great voice, and with the compliments it's easy to fall into the place of "what I am able to do" and not really give God the glory for the gift that I have.
I remember praying when I was around the age of 16..."Lord, if I ever abuse my voice and take the glory that is due to you, or if I'm not doing what you want me to do please take my voice away". It sounds like a silly prayer but through the years God has been faithful to get my attention through my voice.
In the last few years I haven't really sang a lot...I haven't really pursued a lot of singing opportunities and when you don't use it...you lose it. It's not that I don't have a passion for it, but rather I was hiding in fear that I would abuse it if I used it.
Fear is huge it can paralyze you without you knowing it. I didn't realize all the things I held back because of fear. I fear failure, rejection, what people think...the list goes on and on. I have come to realize that I have hidden behind this fear so I won't do anything and therefore "I am safe". Then you find yourself in a comfort zone that is hard to get past because you have been there so long....I say "you" but I really mean "I"...I'm sure someone could relate though to what I'm saying.
Well when Erik and I moved to Arizona Erik's path to building his career was pretty clear. He had a job. He now loves his job. He was considering doing his Ph.D. down here...and still is. A lot has opened up for Erik down here. However, many people asked. "Well, what do you plan on doing Kristin?"...haha...good question. I guess the assumption was that I would apply for teaching positions at a private Christian school. However, most schools don't hire in January. And I guess the idea of Take Shape for Life was still in the mix of what I would like to do...but I did have some hang ups. While I love teaching it's not where my heart is right now. I also adore coaching...but I don't see the time commitment coming available that would allow Erik and I to still act like a married couple. I still enjoy both teaching and coaching...but how do I do this when we are close to starting a family (I guess if most readers want to read into this you can...but we won't say).
Well, last week I attended the Take Shape for Life conference in Florida. I previously had some hang ups with maybe the approach that the company took and methods that I didn't think seemed right. Well....I was really wrong. Not only was I wrong about the company and the small little hang ups I had with it. But this convention pointed out some huge fears in my life. I was fearful that people would see me as someone who was approaching them for my own gain...wrong...I was so concerned about myself. I was fearful that they would reject me and I would personally attach myself to the rejection. I can't attach myself to something like that. It's like asking, "Do you want cream with your coffee?" If they say no they are not saying no to me...they are saying no to the cream. I also had a fear of what people would think of me. Wow I'm selfish. Well at some point I have to start caring about others and stop caring about myself.
So the whole convention kicked my butt. And to be honest I'm excited. I am being stretched beyond my comfort zones and I don't want to run back to my safe little fears that don't let me do anything.
All that to say I have my focus and why I'm in Tucson for myself. I'm here to help this state get healthy. Not only that...I get to be a Coach and Teacher...what I love but I get to do it from home. I get to celebrate my clients successes with them. I get to encourage them. I get to coach them. I have a drive that makes me excited each day to see who I can find and tell about Take Shape for Life. Through this process I'm excited to see what God does.
So you know how I mentioned at the beginning of the post that I got my voice back...well...as I returned home I spent some time with my guitar "Derek" and spent some time singing...and my voice is back and stronger. It's really encouraging to see how God gives and takes away for seasons.
If you at all are interested in making a healthy lifestyle change by doing Take Shape for Life please send me a message. I would love to coach you through the process and help you own your health.
More to come...I am going to my first networking event soon and quite frankly it terrifies me....but I'm going to conquer the fear.
Thanks for reading.
Monday, July 18, 2011
So Erik and I celebrated our three year anniversary at a local restaurant and we also took the 4th of July weekend in Vegas with our good friends from Portland.
Here is a little video of my first day in Vegas..
We did have a great time going to see Blue Man Group!
We also went to the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop
We had a great time just lounging at the pool....we also "experience Vegas" when we went out to eat...we ended up people watching.
So we went to the Grand Lux Cafe at the Venetian for dinner one night. We sat at a high top table and soon after we sat down there were a group of guys that came in obviously "doing Vegas" and had a bunch of Red Bulls on the table. Well they all ordered burgers and fries and soon after one of the guys saw a sign that said, "No shirt, no shoes, no service"....well obviously that means you can have no pants. So one of the guys decides to take his pants off. Well he's walking around the restaurant hitting on girls in his shirt, underwear and shoes. He goes table to table talking to girls. Some girls were responsive and some wouldn't give him the time of day. So the guys eat their food and then they are getting ready to leave and the guy decides that he needs to take his shirt off. Well at that point the management kicks him out. Wow! Really...you can take off your pants but if you take off your shirt it's crossing the line. I have no doubt that if it had happened anywhere else he would have kicked out...but in Vegas it's perfectly okay.
The last night we were there we heard that there was fireworks show at the Mandalay Bay so during the day we made our way down the strip to go see them. We found out that it was a "private" showing on the very south part of the property. We decided to get as close as we could just in case we couldn't see them. We are so glad we did this because the fireworks were not visible to people watching over the sky bridges. As the fireworks began we ran down a hill, through some bushes and found ourselves on a loading dock to watch the show...so while the "private" showing cost the people there $25...we got to see it for free....winning!...in Vegas.
We had a lot of fun and can't wait to meet up with our friends again.
This week I'm heading to Orlando for a Take Shape for Life Convention...I'm excited but sad that Erik is not going with me.
Well...that's all for now.
Here is a little video of my first day in Vegas..
We did have a great time going to see Blue Man Group!
We also went to the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop
We had a great time just lounging at the pool....we also "experience Vegas" when we went out to eat...we ended up people watching.
So we went to the Grand Lux Cafe at the Venetian for dinner one night. We sat at a high top table and soon after we sat down there were a group of guys that came in obviously "doing Vegas" and had a bunch of Red Bulls on the table. Well they all ordered burgers and fries and soon after one of the guys saw a sign that said, "No shirt, no shoes, no service"....well obviously that means you can have no pants. So one of the guys decides to take his pants off. Well he's walking around the restaurant hitting on girls in his shirt, underwear and shoes. He goes table to table talking to girls. Some girls were responsive and some wouldn't give him the time of day. So the guys eat their food and then they are getting ready to leave and the guy decides that he needs to take his shirt off. Well at that point the management kicks him out. Wow! Really...you can take off your pants but if you take off your shirt it's crossing the line. I have no doubt that if it had happened anywhere else he would have kicked out...but in Vegas it's perfectly okay.
The last night we were there we heard that there was fireworks show at the Mandalay Bay so during the day we made our way down the strip to go see them. We found out that it was a "private" showing on the very south part of the property. We decided to get as close as we could just in case we couldn't see them. We are so glad we did this because the fireworks were not visible to people watching over the sky bridges. As the fireworks began we ran down a hill, through some bushes and found ourselves on a loading dock to watch the show...so while the "private" showing cost the people there $25...we got to see it for free....winning!...in Vegas.
We had a lot of fun and can't wait to meet up with our friends again.
This week I'm heading to Orlando for a Take Shape for Life Convention...I'm excited but sad that Erik is not going with me.
Well...that's all for now.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
oh it's time
I don't have anything super insightful to say but I thought I would update just in general.
The weather down here is in the 100's...yesterday was 110. REALLY?!! With the weather being so warm I haven't worked at the restaurant in 3 weeks. We have a pretty clean house and the laundry hasn't piled up at all. I really enjoy being on top of that. This last weekend we went through the boxes in our office closet that we haven't gone through since we moved from Idaho...3 years ago! So we have been moving these boxes from Idaho to our apartment in Oregon...from our apartment in Oregon to our house in Oregon...to Arizona. It's time to part with STUFF. It is a very cleansing experience. It also was inspired by watching Horders.
Also being at home I have found a few critters that decided to try to move in without paying rent. A few weeks ago I was walking into our office and I saw a little brown spot on the floor and when I walked by I didn't have my contacts in. I just thought I needed to clean the floors. However, I leaned over to see what it was and was totally grossed out to find a cockroach. I just about puked when I saw it. I HATE roaches!! Once I discovered the critter (already dead) I didn't even go near the office or bathroom the whole day...yes...I went upstairs all day to use the restroom.
Last week we had a service come out and spray the outside of the house and there are systems installed in house walls where they can spray stuff in the walls to have pest control. Two days ago (fortunately I had my contacts in) I walked by the office and saw a critter and when I looked closer I discovered a scorpion. Fortunately I had some scorpion spray in the bathroom (next to the office) and well he didn't last long in our house. The pest people came back out and sprayed the inside of the house and disposed of the critter.
This weekend my nephew and niece will be visiting with my parents. I'm excited to see them and have a little fun! I'm so tempted to teach them a few things....but I fear the retaliation from my sister. So I'll be good. We are going to build forts, go swimming, go see Cars, bake some cookies, and wrestle!
Next week Erik and I will celebrate our 3rd anniversary! We are still amazed at the journey we have taken through these 3 years. I did not imagine or could even plan everything that has happened these three years. I wouldn't want to take this adventure with anyone else. The weekend of the fourth of July we are going to Vegas with our dear friends from Portland. We are excited for a little get away to celebrate our anniversary and spend time with friends.
Well...that's about it...longer than I thought.
The weather down here is in the 100's...yesterday was 110. REALLY?!! With the weather being so warm I haven't worked at the restaurant in 3 weeks. We have a pretty clean house and the laundry hasn't piled up at all. I really enjoy being on top of that. This last weekend we went through the boxes in our office closet that we haven't gone through since we moved from Idaho...3 years ago! So we have been moving these boxes from Idaho to our apartment in Oregon...from our apartment in Oregon to our house in Oregon...to Arizona. It's time to part with STUFF. It is a very cleansing experience. It also was inspired by watching Horders.
Also being at home I have found a few critters that decided to try to move in without paying rent. A few weeks ago I was walking into our office and I saw a little brown spot on the floor and when I walked by I didn't have my contacts in. I just thought I needed to clean the floors. However, I leaned over to see what it was and was totally grossed out to find a cockroach. I just about puked when I saw it. I HATE roaches!! Once I discovered the critter (already dead) I didn't even go near the office or bathroom the whole day...yes...I went upstairs all day to use the restroom.
Last week we had a service come out and spray the outside of the house and there are systems installed in house walls where they can spray stuff in the walls to have pest control. Two days ago (fortunately I had my contacts in) I walked by the office and saw a critter and when I looked closer I discovered a scorpion. Fortunately I had some scorpion spray in the bathroom (next to the office) and well he didn't last long in our house. The pest people came back out and sprayed the inside of the house and disposed of the critter.
This weekend my nephew and niece will be visiting with my parents. I'm excited to see them and have a little fun! I'm so tempted to teach them a few things....but I fear the retaliation from my sister. So I'll be good. We are going to build forts, go swimming, go see Cars, bake some cookies, and wrestle!
Next week Erik and I will celebrate our 3rd anniversary! We are still amazed at the journey we have taken through these 3 years. I did not imagine or could even plan everything that has happened these three years. I wouldn't want to take this adventure with anyone else. The weekend of the fourth of July we are going to Vegas with our dear friends from Portland. We are excited for a little get away to celebrate our anniversary and spend time with friends.
Well...that's about it...longer than I thought.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Birthday and aftermath
So Disneyland was an epic adventure that I must do again soon! I had so much fun on my birthday and the people who were with me made it amazing! I feel so loved and treasured by the people I am privileged to call family and friends.
Summer is coming here and it's getting very warm...I'm soaking in the warmth although I know it will be here for a while.
Things at the restaurant have slowed down and many servers have left for other jobs. I hope to be leaving in the near future as Take Shape for Life has boomed in the last month or so. The sooner I gain more clients the sooner I can quit....joy! So if you have thought about it, or know of someone who would benefit from making a lifestyle change towards their health...I would feel privileged to help them. Erik and I started our journey to health May 24th of last year and we originally thought..."we will give it 30 days...anyone can do anything for 30 days right?" We never even imagined where we are today because of Take Shape for Life.
Right now I'm reading a book called "Radical" by David Platt. It has been very challenging spiritually to read and at times made me very uncomfortable....I think that is the point. I realize my need to change and change isn't fun when you are "comfortable".
There is a lot more on my heart and mind these days...but at this point I don't think I should share...some times I just need to process things out and get over myself.
Summer is coming here and it's getting very warm...I'm soaking in the warmth although I know it will be here for a while.
Things at the restaurant have slowed down and many servers have left for other jobs. I hope to be leaving in the near future as Take Shape for Life has boomed in the last month or so. The sooner I gain more clients the sooner I can quit....joy! So if you have thought about it, or know of someone who would benefit from making a lifestyle change towards their health...I would feel privileged to help them. Erik and I started our journey to health May 24th of last year and we originally thought..."we will give it 30 days...anyone can do anything for 30 days right?" We never even imagined where we are today because of Take Shape for Life.
Right now I'm reading a book called "Radical" by David Platt. It has been very challenging spiritually to read and at times made me very uncomfortable....I think that is the point. I realize my need to change and change isn't fun when you are "comfortable".
There is a lot more on my heart and mind these days...but at this point I don't think I should share...some times I just need to process things out and get over myself.
Monday, April 11, 2011
before I'm 30 bucket list
so today is April 11th...
I have 40 days till I turn 30 years old...or should I say 20 with 10 years experience. NAH...30 doesn't scare me...it's a number. It doesn't define me, although some people will now define me as middle aged or of child bearing age or mature (because my age doesn't begin with a 2).
I love that my definition doesn't come from age, sexuality, marital status, political position, my job, success or failures, how many friends I have on facebook, the way i dress, or whatever music I like (yes I even like country), and how much I weigh...it comes from JESUS CHRIST.
I love that my definition is: I am a child of God, created in His image, fearfully and wonderfully made, saint, redeemed, co-heir, new creation, ambassador for Christ, chosen, royal priesthood, righteousness of God, temple of the Holy Spirit, forgiven....so much more.
Anyways...I sometimes get stir crazy about things I need to do before something happens...kind of like cleaning house before company comes over. I think I should make a bucket list of things I should do before I turn 30....
Any suggestions? I have 40 days people...help me out here....
I have 40 days till I turn 30 years old...or should I say 20 with 10 years experience. NAH...30 doesn't scare me...it's a number. It doesn't define me, although some people will now define me as middle aged or of child bearing age or mature (because my age doesn't begin with a 2).
I love that my definition doesn't come from age, sexuality, marital status, political position, my job, success or failures, how many friends I have on facebook, the way i dress, or whatever music I like (yes I even like country), and how much I weigh...it comes from JESUS CHRIST.
I love that my definition is: I am a child of God, created in His image, fearfully and wonderfully made, saint, redeemed, co-heir, new creation, ambassador for Christ, chosen, royal priesthood, righteousness of God, temple of the Holy Spirit, forgiven....so much more.
Anyways...I sometimes get stir crazy about things I need to do before something happens...kind of like cleaning house before company comes over. I think I should make a bucket list of things I should do before I turn 30....
Any suggestions? I have 40 days people...help me out here....
Friday, April 8, 2011
what's the plan?!
So Erik and I have somewhat of a routine down...and we are still figuring out things to do.
As of lately we have had some great conversations about everything under the sun. It has been great to talk and grow together. It has brought up issues that we need to address but we tend to avoid them. However, I think one thing that has come up is how we spend our time. We don't have a lot of friends down here so our evening usually compose of getting off of work, eating dinner (unless I'm to tired to make anything then we just go out to eat), walking around the mall or sitting at home on facebook (erik on his nook) and watching tv. Bed time rolls around and we have no motivation to go to bed...why? I think we are bored. I don't think we are being purposeful with our time, setting goals, doing chores (we typically avoid because we are lazy), spending time in the Word, making plans so we can look forward to something....I don't know I think we are still hashing through these thoughts.
I think we are still asking the question, "why are we here?"
We know we probably won't receive the answer to that for quite a while...but it sure would be nice to have a hint of what God's plan is for us here.
until next time.
As of lately we have had some great conversations about everything under the sun. It has been great to talk and grow together. It has brought up issues that we need to address but we tend to avoid them. However, I think one thing that has come up is how we spend our time. We don't have a lot of friends down here so our evening usually compose of getting off of work, eating dinner (unless I'm to tired to make anything then we just go out to eat), walking around the mall or sitting at home on facebook (erik on his nook) and watching tv. Bed time rolls around and we have no motivation to go to bed...why? I think we are bored. I don't think we are being purposeful with our time, setting goals, doing chores (we typically avoid because we are lazy), spending time in the Word, making plans so we can look forward to something....I don't know I think we are still hashing through these thoughts.
I think we are still asking the question, "why are we here?"
We know we probably won't receive the answer to that for quite a while...but it sure would be nice to have a hint of what God's plan is for us here.
until next time.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
only 30 days later....
What to post? I feel as though I don't have anything very eventful to post on here....
The middle of the month Erik's parents came to visit (our first guests since being here). We had a blast with them! We went out to dinner, took them to church and our small group at church, went to Phoenix for the day to watch the Mariner's play the White Sox....it was fun. We were sad to say goodbye...but they can't stop us from praying that maybe some day the warm and sunny weather might draw them down here...oh and maybe eventually grandkids.
Life seems to be full of working and relaxing. I'm pretty beat when I arrive home from work. Right now the restaurant is "in season" which means there are a lot of people going through the park.
With this I thought I would post a few things/tips for people who go out to eat because some people just don't know...
1. Tip 18-20%....tipping is someone's income and most likely your server will have to tip out a busser or expo person so don't think that you are giving them all of that money. If you don't know the math most cell phones have a useful tool to help you figure it out. Please live generously.
2. If you are not ready to order don't have your waitress stand there and wait for you to make up your mind and ask a million stupid questions. Even 30 seconds is valuable time to your server. You can ask questions like: "What is your favorite dish? and what is your top selling meal?"
3. Be observant....if your server is running around like a crazy person...chances are that you are not his/her only table. Take note of the other tables he/she has to go to be sure they aren't slacking off in their responsibilities to serve you.
4. When your server delivers your food and then asks, "Is there anything else you need?" SAY EVERYTHING that you need right then...nothing is more annoying than going to a table 5 DIFFERENT times for 5 DIFFERENT needs (you are probably not their only table).
5. If there are elderly people in your party that don't speak loudly or hear very well... PLEASE HELP THEM!
6. When your server comes to your table please stop talking for at least 5 seconds to acknowledge that they are there. It is really annoying when I walk up to a table and have to wait for the one "chatty Kathy" to shut her yapper so I can take their order. OR...when a server comes to the table to deliver the food...you may think that they have supernatural strength to just hold the plates until you shut up long enough to hear what food is being delivered. Also....please remember what you ordered....you are the one who ordered it so you should know, so your server doesn't stand there with your food announcing what they have in their hand 3 times.
7. Servers are humans too....don't take food our of your mouth and put it in your servers hand. GROSS (yes this actually happened)
8. If there is something wrong with your meal make sure you address the problem as soon as possible so your server can fix the problem. Your server does know how to do their job so if there is any fault....it's usually 82% of the time the customers error or misunderstanding.
9. If you are lacking refills it's not always your servers fault so don't ding them on the tip.
10. Order for your children....although it's nice to let you kids have social interaction with adults, learn manners and decision making skills it's just not always the best environment for them to learn this at a young age. If I haven't mentioned this...your servers time is valuable.
11. They are a server not your servant so don't talk down to them...they are human too.
I thought I would help the world out with these tips. If you have any questions I would be happy to help clarify anything.
All in all...life is going well. We miss people but we hope people up north with get bored with the rainy weather and come down for a visit.
The middle of the month Erik's parents came to visit (our first guests since being here). We had a blast with them! We went out to dinner, took them to church and our small group at church, went to Phoenix for the day to watch the Mariner's play the White Sox....it was fun. We were sad to say goodbye...but they can't stop us from praying that maybe some day the warm and sunny weather might draw them down here...oh and maybe eventually grandkids.
Life seems to be full of working and relaxing. I'm pretty beat when I arrive home from work. Right now the restaurant is "in season" which means there are a lot of people going through the park.
With this I thought I would post a few things/tips for people who go out to eat because some people just don't know...
1. Tip 18-20%....tipping is someone's income and most likely your server will have to tip out a busser or expo person so don't think that you are giving them all of that money. If you don't know the math most cell phones have a useful tool to help you figure it out. Please live generously.
2. If you are not ready to order don't have your waitress stand there and wait for you to make up your mind and ask a million stupid questions. Even 30 seconds is valuable time to your server. You can ask questions like: "What is your favorite dish? and what is your top selling meal?"
3. Be observant....if your server is running around like a crazy person...chances are that you are not his/her only table. Take note of the other tables he/she has to go to be sure they aren't slacking off in their responsibilities to serve you.
4. When your server delivers your food and then asks, "Is there anything else you need?" SAY EVERYTHING that you need right then...nothing is more annoying than going to a table 5 DIFFERENT times for 5 DIFFERENT needs (you are probably not their only table).
5. If there are elderly people in your party that don't speak loudly or hear very well... PLEASE HELP THEM!
6. When your server comes to your table please stop talking for at least 5 seconds to acknowledge that they are there. It is really annoying when I walk up to a table and have to wait for the one "chatty Kathy" to shut her yapper so I can take their order. OR...when a server comes to the table to deliver the food...you may think that they have supernatural strength to just hold the plates until you shut up long enough to hear what food is being delivered. Also....please remember what you ordered....you are the one who ordered it so you should know, so your server doesn't stand there with your food announcing what they have in their hand 3 times.
7. Servers are humans too....don't take food our of your mouth and put it in your servers hand. GROSS (yes this actually happened)
8. If there is something wrong with your meal make sure you address the problem as soon as possible so your server can fix the problem. Your server does know how to do their job so if there is any fault....it's usually 82% of the time the customers error or misunderstanding.
9. If you are lacking refills it's not always your servers fault so don't ding them on the tip.
10. Order for your children....although it's nice to let you kids have social interaction with adults, learn manners and decision making skills it's just not always the best environment for them to learn this at a young age. If I haven't mentioned this...your servers time is valuable.
11. They are a server not your servant so don't talk down to them...they are human too.
I thought I would help the world out with these tips. If you have any questions I would be happy to help clarify anything.
All in all...life is going well. We miss people but we hope people up north with get bored with the rainy weather and come down for a visit.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
routine
With changing life, routine changes...this is harder than I thought it would be.
In Portland Erik and I had our routine down to a "T"...work schedules, house church, church attendance, laundry, grocery shopping, where we would go grocery shopping, how we would grocery shop, what we would do in the evening, get togethers with friends and family,weekend plans...
Not that I was naive to think that everything would just fall into place here...I knew it would take some time and work. It's just different.
Here I have had to search for a grocery store that has everything I need, AND at decent prices. It's been harder than I thought but I think I might have it down. This may sound dumb to blog about but it made me excited to finally figure things out a little.
Laundry was always done on Wednesday and Saturday...here...it's done when I have days off. (not that you all care about when I do my laundry...but routine is important to me)
Friends...well...we are working on making friends. Family is further away so it takes a little more planning to see and spend time with them (unless they come to us).
Church...still figuring it out. We found some awesome people that we really feel that if something were to go horribly wrong and we needed something we could call them. God has a big picture for us down there and we are trying to not get in the way.
Everything takes time down here...we live super north of Tucson so it takes planning to make routine happen. I think it's actually better for us to plan better and help us not spend as much money with things to distract us and go to.
With planning everything comes the thought of planning our lives...when or should Erik start taking classes?...we aren't too concerned about figuring that out yet. When should we start a family? it's been in the conversation as of lately and that's about all I'm going to say about that...(for those who want to read into this...it's just conversation right now). (My hope is that working from home would become more of a reality so the conversation can become a reality).
That's about it for now.
In Portland Erik and I had our routine down to a "T"...work schedules, house church, church attendance, laundry, grocery shopping, where we would go grocery shopping, how we would grocery shop, what we would do in the evening, get togethers with friends and family,weekend plans...
Not that I was naive to think that everything would just fall into place here...I knew it would take some time and work. It's just different.
Here I have had to search for a grocery store that has everything I need, AND at decent prices. It's been harder than I thought but I think I might have it down. This may sound dumb to blog about but it made me excited to finally figure things out a little.
Laundry was always done on Wednesday and Saturday...here...it's done when I have days off. (not that you all care about when I do my laundry...but routine is important to me)
Friends...well...we are working on making friends. Family is further away so it takes a little more planning to see and spend time with them (unless they come to us).
Church...still figuring it out. We found some awesome people that we really feel that if something were to go horribly wrong and we needed something we could call them. God has a big picture for us down there and we are trying to not get in the way.
Everything takes time down here...we live super north of Tucson so it takes planning to make routine happen. I think it's actually better for us to plan better and help us not spend as much money with things to distract us and go to.
With planning everything comes the thought of planning our lives...when or should Erik start taking classes?...we aren't too concerned about figuring that out yet. When should we start a family? it's been in the conversation as of lately and that's about all I'm going to say about that...(for those who want to read into this...it's just conversation right now). (My hope is that working from home would become more of a reality so the conversation can become a reality).
That's about it for now.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
downs and ups
so this week i found out a guy i went to high school with passed away...
he was living over in Korea and details are not clear on how or why he died but it is suspicious that he may have committed suicide. while i didn't know him well it still is heartbreaking and thought provoking as to why this happened. you never know the emotions or events that lead up to this....and sometimes wonder could anything have been done to prevent this ending...don't know. what i do know is that i have a responsibility to live by conviction and leading of the Spirit to be obedient in my actions in words towards people. if someone comes to mind for some "random" reason i know i have a responsibility to pray for them, call them, text them...send them a message to let them know i care. i want to be intentional with those in my life.
while one life is lost and there is sorrow another one is born...and there is much joy. my cousin and his wife just had a baby boy this week. he is precious and beautiful!!! Justus Maynard....LOVE IT. i think i'll just call him Maynard ;-) he is one good looking kid so i don't think his middle name matters.
he was living over in Korea and details are not clear on how or why he died but it is suspicious that he may have committed suicide. while i didn't know him well it still is heartbreaking and thought provoking as to why this happened. you never know the emotions or events that lead up to this....and sometimes wonder could anything have been done to prevent this ending...don't know. what i do know is that i have a responsibility to live by conviction and leading of the Spirit to be obedient in my actions in words towards people. if someone comes to mind for some "random" reason i know i have a responsibility to pray for them, call them, text them...send them a message to let them know i care. i want to be intentional with those in my life.
while one life is lost and there is sorrow another one is born...and there is much joy. my cousin and his wife just had a baby boy this week. he is precious and beautiful!!! Justus Maynard....LOVE IT. i think i'll just call him Maynard ;-) he is one good looking kid so i don't think his middle name matters.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
what's going on
So the last weekend of January Erik and I headed out to Chicago to see friends, play in an alumni volleyball game at Moody and attend Founders Week at Moody.
Erik was only able to stay for the weekend but I stayed until the 6th and if you were watching the news at all you probably saw that Chicago got a slight snow storm....only a few inches shy of the record blizzard in 1967. I had never seen so much snow in one day! There were a lot of businesses closed for the day...snow was EVERYWHERE. The road I stayed on in china town was a two way road with cars parked on each side....it was now a one way with cars snowed in. CRAZY.
There is nothing you can do but go have fun, tromp around in the snow and laugh at the craziness. I had to go buy new boots because mine were soaked. So many businesses were closed or understaffed that it was very hard to find some...and now I have some new boots that I won't be using in Tucson anytime soon.
While I was in Chicago for the week I attended Founders Week at Moody which was very refreshing to just worship and soak in God's word.
I had a ton of fun hanging out with friends that I hadn't seen in about 6 years and some I hadn't seen in about 4 years. It was a very enjoyable trip...can't wait to go back.
While Erik was there I was able to give him a small tour of Chicago...the skydeck on the "Sears" tower, the Bean, the signature room in the Hancock tower, Ed Debevicks,lots of Chicago style pizza, Harvest Bible Chapel...it was a small tour but very fun.
While I was in Chicago we had a bit of a surprise in Tucson...our pipes froze...why the heck would you put pipes OUTSIDE of your house? really?! I guess that's the way they build houses down here with some pipes exposed. Anyways...at least it's a rental home.
Now that we are both back safe and sound....I was able to complete my health coach certification!! I am excited that I have this part of my education complete and I'm excited to learn more.
I also got a job at a restaurant at http://www.tohonochulpark.org/wordpress/dine/ it's a desert nature preserve park with a restaurant on the property...it's pretty nice.
I started work yesterday and so far so good...I do covet your prayers as I walk into the environment there are a lot of lost and hurting people that work at the restaurant. I think I hear the "F" word about every few mins and gossip that tears down one another all the time. It's hard not to get caught in the political side of the place...I just want to be different around them. Someone who shows them love and appreciation for who they are...love them where they are and opportunity to show them truth.
You may be wondering how Erik's job is going...well...HE LOVES IT. Which is a huge relief as we moved here with a lot of unknown. It's great to know that it can be a promising future for us here.
We are also in the process for looking for a church family. Fortunately and unfortunately there are a lot of churches down here. We have some great prospects but we are being prayerful as to where we should be. We know God has a bigger picture of why we are here so we don't want to miss where God wants us to be...in obedience.
We still feel like we are on vacation and waiting to go back to Portland...not sure when we will feel like we are home...some day.
So I think this is my longest post ever...hope you made it through my ramblings.
Erik was only able to stay for the weekend but I stayed until the 6th and if you were watching the news at all you probably saw that Chicago got a slight snow storm....only a few inches shy of the record blizzard in 1967. I had never seen so much snow in one day! There were a lot of businesses closed for the day...snow was EVERYWHERE. The road I stayed on in china town was a two way road with cars parked on each side....it was now a one way with cars snowed in. CRAZY.
There is nothing you can do but go have fun, tromp around in the snow and laugh at the craziness. I had to go buy new boots because mine were soaked. So many businesses were closed or understaffed that it was very hard to find some...and now I have some new boots that I won't be using in Tucson anytime soon.
While I was in Chicago for the week I attended Founders Week at Moody which was very refreshing to just worship and soak in God's word.
I had a ton of fun hanging out with friends that I hadn't seen in about 6 years and some I hadn't seen in about 4 years. It was a very enjoyable trip...can't wait to go back.
While Erik was there I was able to give him a small tour of Chicago...the skydeck on the "Sears" tower, the Bean, the signature room in the Hancock tower, Ed Debevicks,lots of Chicago style pizza, Harvest Bible Chapel...it was a small tour but very fun.
While I was in Chicago we had a bit of a surprise in Tucson...our pipes froze...why the heck would you put pipes OUTSIDE of your house? really?! I guess that's the way they build houses down here with some pipes exposed. Anyways...at least it's a rental home.
Now that we are both back safe and sound....I was able to complete my health coach certification!! I am excited that I have this part of my education complete and I'm excited to learn more.
I also got a job at a restaurant at http://www.tohonochulpark.org/wordpress/dine/ it's a desert nature preserve park with a restaurant on the property...it's pretty nice.
I started work yesterday and so far so good...I do covet your prayers as I walk into the environment there are a lot of lost and hurting people that work at the restaurant. I think I hear the "F" word about every few mins and gossip that tears down one another all the time. It's hard not to get caught in the political side of the place...I just want to be different around them. Someone who shows them love and appreciation for who they are...love them where they are and opportunity to show them truth.
You may be wondering how Erik's job is going...well...HE LOVES IT. Which is a huge relief as we moved here with a lot of unknown. It's great to know that it can be a promising future for us here.
We are also in the process for looking for a church family. Fortunately and unfortunately there are a lot of churches down here. We have some great prospects but we are being prayerful as to where we should be. We know God has a bigger picture of why we are here so we don't want to miss where God wants us to be...in obedience.
We still feel like we are on vacation and waiting to go back to Portland...not sure when we will feel like we are home...some day.
So I think this is my longest post ever...hope you made it through my ramblings.
Monday, January 24, 2011
warm weather
So we made it to Tucson!
We are getting settled in our new home and finally have internet!
We find it quite interesting down here to find people along the side of the road (in the dirt) selling knives, cat trees, walking sticks, and valentines gifts...why the heck would I want to buy a valentine's gift on the side of the road?!?! so romantic and thoughtful.
We also went to three different church services this Sunday...they all had pros and cons...just are praying for direction.
We went to the mall the other day and actually found someone wearing skinny jeans...they are the minority down here.
That's all for now.
We are getting settled in our new home and finally have internet!
We find it quite interesting down here to find people along the side of the road (in the dirt) selling knives, cat trees, walking sticks, and valentines gifts...why the heck would I want to buy a valentine's gift on the side of the road?!?! so romantic and thoughtful.
We also went to three different church services this Sunday...they all had pros and cons...just are praying for direction.
We went to the mall the other day and actually found someone wearing skinny jeans...they are the minority down here.
That's all for now.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
trying to update more
So I have been trying to update our blog with new pictures and such...I would love to make a slideshow of our pictures but I can't seem to figure it out. I typically can just click around and figure it out but it's not really working so if you read this and have time to help me it would be appreciated.
In other news we are super close to leaving...Friday morning will come fast...I'm getting kind of excited that it's finally here instead of just talking about it and reminding people of when we leave. I'm sure I'll answer that question after we are gone too.
It's been a great blessing to hang out with friends...more than I can even describe. I hope and pray we can find just as treasured friends down there as up here. I know it will take time and prayer though.
We also booked our tickets to go to Chicago at the end of the month!! Yes, we are crazy with all this change to throw in a trip. I actually knew about the trip long before we decided to move but had to wait to book the trip to see if Erik could get a little time off. Erik and I will be there the 28th-31st...I'm going to stick around for Founders Week at Moody and catch up with friends until the 6th! I'm also going to be playing in an alumni volleyball game at Moody that weekend. I'm excited to see all my former teammates and play.
well that's the update for now.
In other news we are super close to leaving...Friday morning will come fast...I'm getting kind of excited that it's finally here instead of just talking about it and reminding people of when we leave. I'm sure I'll answer that question after we are gone too.
It's been a great blessing to hang out with friends...more than I can even describe. I hope and pray we can find just as treasured friends down there as up here. I know it will take time and prayer though.
We also booked our tickets to go to Chicago at the end of the month!! Yes, we are crazy with all this change to throw in a trip. I actually knew about the trip long before we decided to move but had to wait to book the trip to see if Erik could get a little time off. Erik and I will be there the 28th-31st...I'm going to stick around for Founders Week at Moody and catch up with friends until the 6th! I'm also going to be playing in an alumni volleyball game at Moody that weekend. I'm excited to see all my former teammates and play.
well that's the update for now.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
materialism
There's nothing like moving that will open your eyes to how materialistic we are. We have too much STUFF. I really like the cleansing process...but I really hate the moving process even though I have done this numerous times.
The house is almost packed up into one POD and it will leave January 6th...but we don't leave until January 14th! Yes, that means we will be living out of our suitcases and sleeping on the floor.
Erik's first day of work is January 17th and I will be...........unpacking the POD. I wish I could convey my "excitement" through this blog but I think you can get the general idea.
I excited for a new adventure...I have no idea what God is doing...we are just desiring to be obedient.
The house is almost packed up into one POD and it will leave January 6th...but we don't leave until January 14th! Yes, that means we will be living out of our suitcases and sleeping on the floor.
Erik's first day of work is January 17th and I will be...........unpacking the POD. I wish I could convey my "excitement" through this blog but I think you can get the general idea.
I excited for a new adventure...I have no idea what God is doing...we are just desiring to be obedient.
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