Books
I saw this on Jamie's blog--she always has cool stuff there. Thought I would give it a whirl :)
1. One book that changed your life: the Bible
2. One book that you've read more than once: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte--I've read it like 4 or 5 times--so good!!
3. One book you'd want on a desert island: Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time. It has 4,500 pages & I've been wanting to read it for awhile now, but I think the only way I'd ever have time is if I was on a desert island. Or if I had no kiddo.
4. One book that made you laugh: The BFG by Roald Dahl--there's actually a chapter about whizzpoppers (AKA farts)
5. One book that made you cry: Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers--the story of Hosea modernized. Every woman should read it
6. One book you wish had been written: How To Be Artsy & Creative Overnight
7. One book you wish had never been written: The Portrait of The Artist As A Young Man by James Joyce. Two words: sheer torture.
8. One book you're currently reading: James & The Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
9. One book you've been meaning to read: Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. Matt really wants me to read it so we can discuss. I'm so stuck on children's literature though, it's hard to break through to the hard stuff :)
If you're reading this post — write your books in the comments or post them on your blog and let me know in the comments!
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
6 Months! (Ok, so I'm a few days late....shoot me!!)
Hi friends! Ava turned 6 months on Saturday--we can hardly believe she's already that old! We had our doctor's appt on Friday & all seems to be well. She's 15lbs 14oz and 26 inches long. She's still pretty small, but the doctor doesn't seem worried. It's amazing how her presence has changed our lives so drastically. I feel like I love her more every day. I love being her mommy.
I started my ladies Bible study this past week. I think it's going to be really good for me to be around other young moms & to be involved in a study again. I actually got to spend a whole hour reading and praying yesterday. I haven't had time like that in, well, 6 months. It was refreshing and convicting & quiet. I think that's the best part--quiet. It's amazing how much more I appreciate my quiet moments.
Please be praying for Ava--she's been sick all week. Last night I was up with her for 2 1/2 hours & she screamed the whole time. It was the most overwhelming feeling--not being able to help or comfort her. Needless to say--2 out of 3 of us were in tears. It was not fun. And today I'm completely exhausted & don't feel like doing anything but sit on the couch and watch our new cable. Yes--we actually got cable yesterday--we got a great deal for 6 months, so we'll have it for that long & then like usual we'll probably come to our senses when we get our first real bill & cancel it. But for 6 months at least it will be fun to hang out with Rachael Ray again. Love you all. I don't have any new pictures, but as soon as I do I'll post them :)
Hi friends! Ava turned 6 months on Saturday--we can hardly believe she's already that old! We had our doctor's appt on Friday & all seems to be well. She's 15lbs 14oz and 26 inches long. She's still pretty small, but the doctor doesn't seem worried. It's amazing how her presence has changed our lives so drastically. I feel like I love her more every day. I love being her mommy.
I started my ladies Bible study this past week. I think it's going to be really good for me to be around other young moms & to be involved in a study again. I actually got to spend a whole hour reading and praying yesterday. I haven't had time like that in, well, 6 months. It was refreshing and convicting & quiet. I think that's the best part--quiet. It's amazing how much more I appreciate my quiet moments.
Please be praying for Ava--she's been sick all week. Last night I was up with her for 2 1/2 hours & she screamed the whole time. It was the most overwhelming feeling--not being able to help or comfort her. Needless to say--2 out of 3 of us were in tears. It was not fun. And today I'm completely exhausted & don't feel like doing anything but sit on the couch and watch our new cable. Yes--we actually got cable yesterday--we got a great deal for 6 months, so we'll have it for that long & then like usual we'll probably come to our senses when we get our first real bill & cancel it. But for 6 months at least it will be fun to hang out with Rachael Ray again. Love you all. I don't have any new pictures, but as soon as I do I'll post them :)
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Ava's Photo Shoot :)
Here are some pictures we took the other night. She was having so much fun on her belly & learning how to sit up. I took 70 pictures in about 10 minutes, but I won't bore you with all of them. Here are some of my favorites. And yes, her room is still pink--we haven't had a chance to paint it yet!! And yes, her art is still on the floor, b/c we haven't gotten to hang it yet. We're just a little behind :)
Here are some pictures we took the other night. She was having so much fun on her belly & learning how to sit up. I took 70 pictures in about 10 minutes, but I won't bore you with all of them. Here are some of my favorites. And yes, her room is still pink--we haven't had a chance to paint it yet!! And yes, her art is still on the floor, b/c we haven't gotten to hang it yet. We're just a little behind :)
Africa Slideshow
One more thing that I forgot in my last post. There is a website that some missionaries from Mercy Ships have put together from their recent visit to Acres of Hope. There are a couple of slideshows of the kids at the orphanage--just in case you want to check it out :) If I was technical I could just put the link to get there, but I don't really know how, so:
Go to www.acresofhope.org
click to enter site
on the left side there's a toolbar--click on charitable needs
at the bottom, there is a list of friends
click on Mercy Ships missionaries Brian & Warrie Blackburn
That takes you to their website--all the kids names on their have slideshows & then the last one ( I think it's called acres of hope & liberia ) has lots of pics of the orphanage & kids.
Enjoy :)
One more thing that I forgot in my last post. There is a website that some missionaries from Mercy Ships have put together from their recent visit to Acres of Hope. There are a couple of slideshows of the kids at the orphanage--just in case you want to check it out :) If I was technical I could just put the link to get there, but I don't really know how, so:
Go to www.acresofhope.org
click to enter site
on the left side there's a toolbar--click on charitable needs
at the bottom, there is a list of friends
click on Mercy Ships missionaries Brian & Warrie Blackburn
That takes you to their website--all the kids names on their have slideshows & then the last one ( I think it's called acres of hope & liberia ) has lots of pics of the orphanage & kids.
Enjoy :)
What's new with us....
I feel like it's been forever since I've had a chance to update you on what's going on around here! We're feeling a little more comfortable every day--it's starting to feel more like home & less like a place where we sleep. We still have a lot of painting to do, and we haven't hung much on the walls yet, but most of the boxes are unpacked. Matt is learning how to do yardwork and I think it looks pretty awesome! We're definitely not gardeners, but we haven't killed anything yet, so we look at that as success :)
On the church front, we had our promotion Sunday last week & we had a great day. There were about 425 kids, plus adults on Sunday morning. Everyone was really excited & it was a lot of fun. Matt started the year by sharing his vision for the student ministry and our theme--The Movement. He's talking about how Jesus started a movement when He lived here on earth & how it's up to us to keep the movement going. Wednesday was really awesome too--lots of kids & lots of energy! He's going to start teaching through the book of Acts this Wednesday, and we'll hang out there for the rest of the fall. I've never seen him more happy or more content--he's loving his new position & I'm loving having a happy husband again :) Please keep the student ministry in your prayers--it's obvious that God has huge plans for this year--and we're just excited to be a part of it. We've already run out of enough chairs, so I think they're trying to buy some more before next week!!
Ava is cuter than ever these days. She just started sitting up on her own this week. It's so cute, b/c she's a little wobbly & unbalanced. She's a little fighter though--she refuses to fall over :) She's eating baby food & cereal--so far her favorite is sweet potatoes. She wasn't a big fan of carrots, but we'll try again soon. She goes for her six month (can it be time for that already???) checkup on Friday, so I'll give you an update after that. She's still pretty tiny--she's still in size 2 diapers. Hopefully she's gained a little weight though with the baby food & she's growing on schedule.
We have really started researching & praying pretty diligently about our adoption. We've always known that we want to adopt, but we really feel like God is getting us ready to start the process soon. We've looked into a couple of different programs and feel like God has closed the door on those. Over the last few days though, we've really been talking about the country of Africa & the possibility of adopting from there. I found this amazing adoption agency online called Acres of Hope (www.acresofhope.org) that really struck us as something special. They are a very small agency & they have an orphanage in Liberia, Africa. It is run by a Christian couple & 4 other people & they're based in Wisconsin. So far, they've adopted out 300 kids from their orphanage. They feed 8,000 kids every day & have been able to get 4,000 kids into new schools. Last night, Matt & I spent about an hour looking through their website & talking about it. We're probably going to try to call them & talk more to get a feel for things. We're so excited about this possible opportunity & would ask you to pray for us as we begin to pursue some leads. We're also really trying to seek God about the possibility of adopting more than one--probably siblings. Maybe 2? It seems so overwhelming to us, but we just want to remain open & available for whatever God wants to do in & through our family. We really need prayers for wisdom, finances & grace as we begin this process!!
I keep trying to add more pics of Ava from a little photo shoot we did the other night. Blogger has been acting a little weird for me lately, so I'll keep trying until I can get them up. We love you all :)
I feel like it's been forever since I've had a chance to update you on what's going on around here! We're feeling a little more comfortable every day--it's starting to feel more like home & less like a place where we sleep. We still have a lot of painting to do, and we haven't hung much on the walls yet, but most of the boxes are unpacked. Matt is learning how to do yardwork and I think it looks pretty awesome! We're definitely not gardeners, but we haven't killed anything yet, so we look at that as success :)
On the church front, we had our promotion Sunday last week & we had a great day. There were about 425 kids, plus adults on Sunday morning. Everyone was really excited & it was a lot of fun. Matt started the year by sharing his vision for the student ministry and our theme--The Movement. He's talking about how Jesus started a movement when He lived here on earth & how it's up to us to keep the movement going. Wednesday was really awesome too--lots of kids & lots of energy! He's going to start teaching through the book of Acts this Wednesday, and we'll hang out there for the rest of the fall. I've never seen him more happy or more content--he's loving his new position & I'm loving having a happy husband again :) Please keep the student ministry in your prayers--it's obvious that God has huge plans for this year--and we're just excited to be a part of it. We've already run out of enough chairs, so I think they're trying to buy some more before next week!!
Ava is cuter than ever these days. She just started sitting up on her own this week. It's so cute, b/c she's a little wobbly & unbalanced. She's a little fighter though--she refuses to fall over :) She's eating baby food & cereal--so far her favorite is sweet potatoes. She wasn't a big fan of carrots, but we'll try again soon. She goes for her six month (can it be time for that already???) checkup on Friday, so I'll give you an update after that. She's still pretty tiny--she's still in size 2 diapers. Hopefully she's gained a little weight though with the baby food & she's growing on schedule.
We have really started researching & praying pretty diligently about our adoption. We've always known that we want to adopt, but we really feel like God is getting us ready to start the process soon. We've looked into a couple of different programs and feel like God has closed the door on those. Over the last few days though, we've really been talking about the country of Africa & the possibility of adopting from there. I found this amazing adoption agency online called Acres of Hope (www.acresofhope.org) that really struck us as something special. They are a very small agency & they have an orphanage in Liberia, Africa. It is run by a Christian couple & 4 other people & they're based in Wisconsin. So far, they've adopted out 300 kids from their orphanage. They feed 8,000 kids every day & have been able to get 4,000 kids into new schools. Last night, Matt & I spent about an hour looking through their website & talking about it. We're probably going to try to call them & talk more to get a feel for things. We're so excited about this possible opportunity & would ask you to pray for us as we begin to pursue some leads. We're also really trying to seek God about the possibility of adopting more than one--probably siblings. Maybe 2? It seems so overwhelming to us, but we just want to remain open & available for whatever God wants to do in & through our family. We really need prayers for wisdom, finances & grace as we begin this process!!
I keep trying to add more pics of Ava from a little photo shoot we did the other night. Blogger has been acting a little weird for me lately, so I'll keep trying until I can get them up. We love you all :)
Monday, August 21, 2006
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Matt's 100 List
Ok, so I talked Matt into making a "100 Things About Me List" b/c I've become addicted to reading them....so....here's his list:
1. I am loved by God
2. I don't like to shave (and Rachel hates that I don't like to shave)
3. Some days I wear hats b/c I don't have time to wash my hair
4. I hate cingular wireless (fewest dropped calls?? my booty!!)
5. I love Chuys
6. I love creamy jalapeno
7. I have the privilege of pastoring the coolest students on the planet
8. I am a coffee snob
9. I am not a morning person
10. My wife is a morning person
11. My baby is also a morning person
12. I am outnumbered in the morning
13. I love urban outfitters
14. I often struggle with being who I am vs. being who I think people want me to be
15. I don't read my Bible enough
16. I want to spend more time in quiet places with God
17. I'm afraid of failure
18. I like to read
19. I'm going to be up until 1am trying to finish this list
20. My favorite part of the day is getting Ava out of her crib in the morning
21. I love my family
22. I don't like cutting the grass
23. I hate the dentist
24. If I had the $ I'd have all my teeth pulled & have fake ones put in
25. I like Germany
26. I like buying clothes in Europe
27. I can talk to thousands of teenagers at one time & it doesn't bother me
28. I get nervous speaking to a group of 5
29. I don't have a colon
30. I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease when I was 14
31. I work at an amazing church
32. Sometimes I miss being a kid
33. I like thrift store shopping
34. I'm married to the greatest woman in the world
35. I'm married to the greatest mom in the world (she's the same one as #34...just in case you thought I was a polygimist or something)
36. I feel very unqualified for my job
37. I have an ostomy bag
38. I hate meetings
39. I worry about things a lot
40. I'm selective in how I trust God
41. I wish I could write music & sing
42. I love my cat Oliver
43. When Ava laughs it makes me smile
44. I don't believe in purgatory
45. If there were purgatory, I'm pretty sure people there move from state to state all the time
46. I have a new fascination with Pei Wei
47. I really want a Mac iBook
48. I think the only reason I want a Mac iBook is so that people will think I'm cool
49. I love the church of Jesus Christ
50. Sometimes, though, the church gets on my nerves
51. My hollywood crush is Sandra Bullock
52. My glasses are always dirty
53. I like history
54. If I could talk to anyone from history i think I would pick Martin Luther (not King)
55. I love to travel
56. I want to take a month and travel Europe someday
57. My wife and I really want to adopt a couple of kids from different places
58. I think racism makes God sad
59. I love coldplay and wish I could see them live someday
60. I love skittles, but only the red and purple ones...I throw the other ones away (this is not racism--it's skittlism....and then rachel get's mad at me, b/c her favorites are the ones that I just threw away)
61. I am a people person
62. I am perfectly ok though spending time alone
63. I work with the most amazing and creative people in the world
64. I don't fix things around the house very well
65. My brother is one of my favorite people to spend time with
66. I love hitting the snooze button in the morning
67. trash day ticks me off because I have to get up early
68. I believe Ava Marie Setliffe is the cutest little girl on the face of the planet
69. I think Ava could be a baby gap model
70. Before Ava was born I was worried she may look like an alien (like many newborns do)
71. Sometimes I think too highly of myself
72. Sometimes I think too lowly of myself
73. Chai tea lattes make me smile
74. I hate how i always feel like I'm never caught up at work
75. I fear becoming comfortable and not caring about those who are less fortunate
76. Kindergarten was great b/c we had nap time
77. I think nap time should be instituted in all workplaces
78. I'm getting really tired now
79. My wife comes to me for fashion advice
80. Sometimes I wish I were rich
81. I don't think God would let me have alot of money at this point in my life, bc/ I would probobly not be wise with it
82. I believe joy cannot be bought
83. I believe the American Dream is a lie
84. I would like to grow my hair long, but I think I'd look stupid
85. I am an all-around messy person
86. My wife and I are polar opposites, and we make a good team
87. sitting still too long drives me crazy
88. unmotivated people drive me crazy
89. I live with the 2 most beautiful ladies in the world
90. sometimes i look at Ava and wonder what she will look like in 20 years
91. I would die for my family
92. I probobly don't call my family in TN enough
93. I think I had a great childhood
94. My wife is my best friend
95. My wife is my greatest source of encouragement
96. I love spending the day with my family
97. blueberry cake donuts rock
98. I have to get up really early tommorrow
99. I can't decide between "A Time To Kill" or "Shawshank Redemption" as my all-time favorite movie
100. I am going to bed now
Ok, so I talked Matt into making a "100 Things About Me List" b/c I've become addicted to reading them....so....here's his list:
1. I am loved by God
2. I don't like to shave (and Rachel hates that I don't like to shave)
3. Some days I wear hats b/c I don't have time to wash my hair
4. I hate cingular wireless (fewest dropped calls?? my booty!!)
5. I love Chuys
6. I love creamy jalapeno
7. I have the privilege of pastoring the coolest students on the planet
8. I am a coffee snob
9. I am not a morning person
10. My wife is a morning person
11. My baby is also a morning person
12. I am outnumbered in the morning
13. I love urban outfitters
14. I often struggle with being who I am vs. being who I think people want me to be
15. I don't read my Bible enough
16. I want to spend more time in quiet places with God
17. I'm afraid of failure
18. I like to read
19. I'm going to be up until 1am trying to finish this list
20. My favorite part of the day is getting Ava out of her crib in the morning
21. I love my family
22. I don't like cutting the grass
23. I hate the dentist
24. If I had the $ I'd have all my teeth pulled & have fake ones put in
25. I like Germany
26. I like buying clothes in Europe
27. I can talk to thousands of teenagers at one time & it doesn't bother me
28. I get nervous speaking to a group of 5
29. I don't have a colon
30. I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease when I was 14
31. I work at an amazing church
32. Sometimes I miss being a kid
33. I like thrift store shopping
34. I'm married to the greatest woman in the world
35. I'm married to the greatest mom in the world (she's the same one as #34...just in case you thought I was a polygimist or something)
36. I feel very unqualified for my job
37. I have an ostomy bag
38. I hate meetings
39. I worry about things a lot
40. I'm selective in how I trust God
41. I wish I could write music & sing
42. I love my cat Oliver
43. When Ava laughs it makes me smile
44. I don't believe in purgatory
45. If there were purgatory, I'm pretty sure people there move from state to state all the time
46. I have a new fascination with Pei Wei
47. I really want a Mac iBook
48. I think the only reason I want a Mac iBook is so that people will think I'm cool
49. I love the church of Jesus Christ
50. Sometimes, though, the church gets on my nerves
51. My hollywood crush is Sandra Bullock
52. My glasses are always dirty
53. I like history
54. If I could talk to anyone from history i think I would pick Martin Luther (not King)
55. I love to travel
56. I want to take a month and travel Europe someday
57. My wife and I really want to adopt a couple of kids from different places
58. I think racism makes God sad
59. I love coldplay and wish I could see them live someday
60. I love skittles, but only the red and purple ones...I throw the other ones away (this is not racism--it's skittlism....and then rachel get's mad at me, b/c her favorites are the ones that I just threw away)
61. I am a people person
62. I am perfectly ok though spending time alone
63. I work with the most amazing and creative people in the world
64. I don't fix things around the house very well
65. My brother is one of my favorite people to spend time with
66. I love hitting the snooze button in the morning
67. trash day ticks me off because I have to get up early
68. I believe Ava Marie Setliffe is the cutest little girl on the face of the planet
69. I think Ava could be a baby gap model
70. Before Ava was born I was worried she may look like an alien (like many newborns do)
71. Sometimes I think too highly of myself
72. Sometimes I think too lowly of myself
73. Chai tea lattes make me smile
74. I hate how i always feel like I'm never caught up at work
75. I fear becoming comfortable and not caring about those who are less fortunate
76. Kindergarten was great b/c we had nap time
77. I think nap time should be instituted in all workplaces
78. I'm getting really tired now
79. My wife comes to me for fashion advice
80. Sometimes I wish I were rich
81. I don't think God would let me have alot of money at this point in my life, bc/ I would probobly not be wise with it
82. I believe joy cannot be bought
83. I believe the American Dream is a lie
84. I would like to grow my hair long, but I think I'd look stupid
85. I am an all-around messy person
86. My wife and I are polar opposites, and we make a good team
87. sitting still too long drives me crazy
88. unmotivated people drive me crazy
89. I live with the 2 most beautiful ladies in the world
90. sometimes i look at Ava and wonder what she will look like in 20 years
91. I would die for my family
92. I probobly don't call my family in TN enough
93. I think I had a great childhood
94. My wife is my best friend
95. My wife is my greatest source of encouragement
96. I love spending the day with my family
97. blueberry cake donuts rock
98. I have to get up really early tommorrow
99. I can't decide between "A Time To Kill" or "Shawshank Redemption" as my all-time favorite movie
100. I am going to bed now
Pics
Hey! I was going to write a little update, but Ava is reminding me that she is starving (quite loudly in fact!!) so I'm going to just post some pictures. I'll update soon :)
Mama & Ava
A pic from my cell phone camera--not the best quality, but the subject sure is cute :)
Another cell phone pic--she's starting to sit up when she has support behind her back!
Her "what are you thinking Mom??" look
Ava with my grandpappie :) I think they kind of look alike!!
I love this picture
Her eyes melt my heart
Hey! I was going to write a little update, but Ava is reminding me that she is starving (quite loudly in fact!!) so I'm going to just post some pictures. I'll update soon :)
Mama & Ava
A pic from my cell phone camera--not the best quality, but the subject sure is cute :)
Another cell phone pic--she's starting to sit up when she has support behind her back!
Her "what are you thinking Mom??" look
Ava with my grandpappie :) I think they kind of look alike!!
I love this picture
Her eyes melt my heart
Monday, August 14, 2006
100 Things About Me
My friend Jamie (iveyfamily.blogspot.com) did this on her blog & it really got me thinking. I wonder if I can come up with 100 things about me. Last night I couldn't sleep, so I started making my list. Here I go....let's see if I can do it.
1. Jesus loves me
2. I don't understand why Jesus loves me
3. I am married to my best friend
4. My daughter's smile just about makes my heart stop
5. I like striped socks
6. I just realized that I don't know how to spell striped :)
7. I make the bed every night right before I get in it
8. There is an artist living inside of me, but she is trapped
9. I am afraid of too many things
10. I love the smell of pumpkin
11. One of my favorite childhood memories is catching fireflies at Devil's Lake
12. I really don't like fish
13. I have wanted an orange cat named Oliver my whole life--and now I have him
14. I love that Ava got her nose from me
15. I get really nervous when I meet new people
16. I think that Jane Austen is the greatest writer of all time
17. Well, somedays I think that Roald Dahl is the greatest writer of all time
18. Chocolate covered cherries make me throw up
19. I feel very insecure about my body--why is it so hard to lose weight?
20. I am married to the greatest youth pastor the world has ever seen
21. If I wouldn't gain 1200 pounds I would eat Mexican food at every meal
22. I have obsessive compulsive tendencies
23. For example...I eat my skittles by color & least favorite to favorite and I go in a circle. I eat purple, green, red, orange, yellow. Then I start over until they're all gone & my last bite is yellow--b/c it's my favorite.
24. Matt hates yellow skittles so we make a great team
25. I still check under the bed for monsters when Matt is out of town
26. I love Gilmore Girls--a little too much really--sometimes I even feel like they're my friends
27. My two longest friendships are with Erin & Aprile--12 years
28. I break out into a cold sweat when I have to make a phone call. Don't ask me why...
29. My parents are my heroes
30. I still sleep with a yellow puffalump monkey named Nanners. If he falls on the floor I wake up
31. I've caught Matt snuggling with Nanners in the morning
32. I'm jealous of Ava's eyelashes
33. I am a neat freak but I don't really know how to keep things neat
34. I don't enjoy cooking, but I could spend the whole day watching the Food Network
35. I am a procrastinator
36. I miss shopping for school supplies
37. I was born in Flint, Michigan
38. I think my dad is a brilliant man
39. I am a clutz--I fall down in the grocery store all the time
40. No one has ever seen me fall down in the grocery store, so no one believes me
41. My favorite song today is Black Horse & A Cherry Tree by KT Tunstall
42. If I ever figure skated at the Olympics I would skate to It's a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
43. My favorite day I've ever had was the second day of my honeymoon where we walked the pier in Monterey.
44. Ava's birth ties #43
45. I'm afraid sometimes that I don't love God enough to be a good mommy
46. My favorite color is green
47. I hate riding in convertible
48. I love that Ava is so excited to see me in the morning
49. I wish I was a late night person so I could stay up with Matt longer
50. I'm afraid I can't come up with 50 more things
51. I love antique stores...everything about them...the smell, the history, the fascinating people that work there
52. I have been fighting acne for 15 years
53. Roaches scare the pee out of me
54. I wash my hands at least 30 times a day
55. Blueberries are my new addiction
56. I miss being a kid
57. I met Matt on the first day of college
58. I fell in love with Matt before I even met him
59. Matt is the cutest boy I've ever seen
60. I miss Jamie, Ginger & Maris every day
61. I love to decorate my house
62. I hope that someday I can finish seminary
63. I don't feel as brave as I used to
64. Somedays when things get really hard I find myself looking for flights to Florida so I can be around people that really love me & know me
65. I fight the ugly monster of perfectionism every day
66. My favorite kind of ice cream is butter pecan, but no one else likes it, so I've had to revert to mint chocolate chip when I share a gallon with someone
67. I wish I could eat an entire gallon of ice cream by myself without feeling guilty
68. I think about the baby we're hoping to adopt every day...actually every 5 minutes or so
69. I hate how shy I am
70. My friend Virginia inspires me to be creative
71. I didn't think that moving to Texas would be so hard
72. Sometimes I actually start to think that I'm a good singer
73. I wish I read my Bible more than I do
74. I love that in Victorian times it was a sign of prosperity and wealth to be pasty white and fat
75. Sometimes I think more highly of myself than I should
76. Sometimes I think more lowly of myself than I should
77. I enjoy scrapbook--but only with friends b/c I'm a copycat
78. I love cuban food
79. I still wish upon stars
80. My hollywood boyfriend is Sean Connery as James Bond
81. My other hollywood boyfriend is Brad Pitt in Oceans 11
82. I still love it when Matt holds my hand
83. I could stay at my house every day for a week and be perfectly content
84. I love clean sheets
85. I like the color of my eyes
86. One of my favorite parts of the day is opening all the blinds in the morning
87. I struggle with my prayer life
88. I would rather eat dog food than put on a bathing suit
89. I stole a piece of candy from the store when I was 5
90. I wish that Matt had been my first kiss
91. I love having a sister...I wish she lived next door to me
92. I want to learn to be a photographer--I'm thinking about taking some classes
93. I'm terrible at math
94. I love black furniture
95. I miss season 1 of Alias
96. I call my Mom almost every day
97. I love that Ava's birthday is 02/26/2006--it seems magical to me
98. I tend to be fake sometimes
99. My favorite Roald Dahl book is The BFG
100. I'm proud of myself for doing this
Wow--I did it :) Ok, you're probably all bored to death, but it was just something I had to do. Thanks for the idea Jamie. You should all try this--it's actually kind of fun and therapeutic! Have a good Monday....
My friend Jamie (iveyfamily.blogspot.com) did this on her blog & it really got me thinking. I wonder if I can come up with 100 things about me. Last night I couldn't sleep, so I started making my list. Here I go....let's see if I can do it.
1. Jesus loves me
2. I don't understand why Jesus loves me
3. I am married to my best friend
4. My daughter's smile just about makes my heart stop
5. I like striped socks
6. I just realized that I don't know how to spell striped :)
7. I make the bed every night right before I get in it
8. There is an artist living inside of me, but she is trapped
9. I am afraid of too many things
10. I love the smell of pumpkin
11. One of my favorite childhood memories is catching fireflies at Devil's Lake
12. I really don't like fish
13. I have wanted an orange cat named Oliver my whole life--and now I have him
14. I love that Ava got her nose from me
15. I get really nervous when I meet new people
16. I think that Jane Austen is the greatest writer of all time
17. Well, somedays I think that Roald Dahl is the greatest writer of all time
18. Chocolate covered cherries make me throw up
19. I feel very insecure about my body--why is it so hard to lose weight?
20. I am married to the greatest youth pastor the world has ever seen
21. If I wouldn't gain 1200 pounds I would eat Mexican food at every meal
22. I have obsessive compulsive tendencies
23. For example...I eat my skittles by color & least favorite to favorite and I go in a circle. I eat purple, green, red, orange, yellow. Then I start over until they're all gone & my last bite is yellow--b/c it's my favorite.
24. Matt hates yellow skittles so we make a great team
25. I still check under the bed for monsters when Matt is out of town
26. I love Gilmore Girls--a little too much really--sometimes I even feel like they're my friends
27. My two longest friendships are with Erin & Aprile--12 years
28. I break out into a cold sweat when I have to make a phone call. Don't ask me why...
29. My parents are my heroes
30. I still sleep with a yellow puffalump monkey named Nanners. If he falls on the floor I wake up
31. I've caught Matt snuggling with Nanners in the morning
32. I'm jealous of Ava's eyelashes
33. I am a neat freak but I don't really know how to keep things neat
34. I don't enjoy cooking, but I could spend the whole day watching the Food Network
35. I am a procrastinator
36. I miss shopping for school supplies
37. I was born in Flint, Michigan
38. I think my dad is a brilliant man
39. I am a clutz--I fall down in the grocery store all the time
40. No one has ever seen me fall down in the grocery store, so no one believes me
41. My favorite song today is Black Horse & A Cherry Tree by KT Tunstall
42. If I ever figure skated at the Olympics I would skate to It's a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
43. My favorite day I've ever had was the second day of my honeymoon where we walked the pier in Monterey.
44. Ava's birth ties #43
45. I'm afraid sometimes that I don't love God enough to be a good mommy
46. My favorite color is green
47. I hate riding in convertible
48. I love that Ava is so excited to see me in the morning
49. I wish I was a late night person so I could stay up with Matt longer
50. I'm afraid I can't come up with 50 more things
51. I love antique stores...everything about them...the smell, the history, the fascinating people that work there
52. I have been fighting acne for 15 years
53. Roaches scare the pee out of me
54. I wash my hands at least 30 times a day
55. Blueberries are my new addiction
56. I miss being a kid
57. I met Matt on the first day of college
58. I fell in love with Matt before I even met him
59. Matt is the cutest boy I've ever seen
60. I miss Jamie, Ginger & Maris every day
61. I love to decorate my house
62. I hope that someday I can finish seminary
63. I don't feel as brave as I used to
64. Somedays when things get really hard I find myself looking for flights to Florida so I can be around people that really love me & know me
65. I fight the ugly monster of perfectionism every day
66. My favorite kind of ice cream is butter pecan, but no one else likes it, so I've had to revert to mint chocolate chip when I share a gallon with someone
67. I wish I could eat an entire gallon of ice cream by myself without feeling guilty
68. I think about the baby we're hoping to adopt every day...actually every 5 minutes or so
69. I hate how shy I am
70. My friend Virginia inspires me to be creative
71. I didn't think that moving to Texas would be so hard
72. Sometimes I actually start to think that I'm a good singer
73. I wish I read my Bible more than I do
74. I love that in Victorian times it was a sign of prosperity and wealth to be pasty white and fat
75. Sometimes I think more highly of myself than I should
76. Sometimes I think more lowly of myself than I should
77. I enjoy scrapbook--but only with friends b/c I'm a copycat
78. I love cuban food
79. I still wish upon stars
80. My hollywood boyfriend is Sean Connery as James Bond
81. My other hollywood boyfriend is Brad Pitt in Oceans 11
82. I still love it when Matt holds my hand
83. I could stay at my house every day for a week and be perfectly content
84. I love clean sheets
85. I like the color of my eyes
86. One of my favorite parts of the day is opening all the blinds in the morning
87. I struggle with my prayer life
88. I would rather eat dog food than put on a bathing suit
89. I stole a piece of candy from the store when I was 5
90. I wish that Matt had been my first kiss
91. I love having a sister...I wish she lived next door to me
92. I want to learn to be a photographer--I'm thinking about taking some classes
93. I'm terrible at math
94. I love black furniture
95. I miss season 1 of Alias
96. I call my Mom almost every day
97. I love that Ava's birthday is 02/26/2006--it seems magical to me
98. I tend to be fake sometimes
99. My favorite Roald Dahl book is The BFG
100. I'm proud of myself for doing this
Wow--I did it :) Ok, you're probably all bored to death, but it was just something I had to do. Thanks for the idea Jamie. You should all try this--it's actually kind of fun and therapeutic! Have a good Monday....
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Man Against The Mosquito....
Ok, I've decided to start a club. It is time to unite.....We must fight the powers of darkness.....And blood sucking little yucky bugs. My new club is called man against the mosquito. Why might I be doing this? Because I hate them. They make my life miserable. They love me and my blood (which by the way must be made of sweet tea or something). The other night I went outside to talk to my new neighbor for no more than 10 minutes. The next morning I woke up with over 50 bites on one leg--and that was just from the knee down. I look like I have the chicken pox. And then I had some sort of reaction & my ankles got all swollen & then I started having pregnancy flashbacks. I am so itchy right now, it's not even funny. And of course Matt & Ava walked away unscathed. Not a bite on them. So I ask you to consider joining my club. It's time to stand up & fight. Grab your cans of Off & let's go to war....
Ok, and here's some cute pictures of Ava :)
Daddy & Ava--eating her dress
Just lounging & getting her diaper changed :)
Up close & personal
Ok, I've decided to start a club. It is time to unite.....We must fight the powers of darkness.....And blood sucking little yucky bugs. My new club is called man against the mosquito. Why might I be doing this? Because I hate them. They make my life miserable. They love me and my blood (which by the way must be made of sweet tea or something). The other night I went outside to talk to my new neighbor for no more than 10 minutes. The next morning I woke up with over 50 bites on one leg--and that was just from the knee down. I look like I have the chicken pox. And then I had some sort of reaction & my ankles got all swollen & then I started having pregnancy flashbacks. I am so itchy right now, it's not even funny. And of course Matt & Ava walked away unscathed. Not a bite on them. So I ask you to consider joining my club. It's time to stand up & fight. Grab your cans of Off & let's go to war....
Ok, and here's some cute pictures of Ava :)
Daddy & Ava--eating her dress
Just lounging & getting her diaper changed :)
Up close & personal
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Life In The Great State of Texas....
Hey friends :) I can't even tell you how great it is to finally have a computer again. It's sad how attached I've gotten to technology! We have been in Texas now for exactly one month! It has been a fun, crazy, completely stressful ride so far, but we're loving it! Matt is really enjoying his new job--he feels so blessed, humbled & overwhelmed that God has called him to such a huge task. The church has been so sweet to us--we feel like we've definitely found a church family--not just a church. He has been super busy trying to get everything ready for the fall--which kicks off next Sunday as the kids promote to their new grades. More good news--God has brought Matt an Associate--a guy named Grant that we knew at HBU. He is a great leader & friend, and it's as if him & Matt are soul-mates (ministerially speaking ha ha!!). They get along so well, and share the same passion & love for students. We're so excited that the team is complete & now we can move ahead!
Ava is doing so many new things!! She's getting so big & cute. She's been rolling over from her back to her belly for a month now. She could roll across the whole floor if we'd let her--she's definitely a mover!! And she started eating rice cereal a couple of weeks ago & loves eating out of a spoon. I get all sappy every time I feed her though, b/c I'm like--are you really old enough for this???? Where has all the time gone? She sat up on her own for about 10 seconds yesterday, so she'll probably be doing that soon too! And she's starting to teethe, so she's pretty fussy sometimes & she chews on EVERYTHING & drools on EVERYTHING!!! We are so crazy in love with that little girl though. I can't even put into words my joy & excitement to spend my life with her. She is the sweetest gift....
I've been busy putting the house together slowly but surely. It's starting to come together & really feel like home--so that's comforting :) I have some friends coming over to help me paint tomorrow--yeah!! As soon as we get that done I'll post some pictures. I'm starting to make some good friends here, but I definitely miss my Murfreesboro girls! I'm really enjoying being a stay at home mom--it's the greatest job on earth.
Hope you're all doing good. Here are some pictures from the last month. I'll post some more over the next few days, so stay tuned!
My favorite new picture--I think she's a perfect mix of Matt & I. I love that smile :)
Such a happy little baby :)
Matt went out of town for a week & let me get season 4 of Gilmore Girls (I love him!!) Ava & I were both very happy girls :) We like to call ourselves the Setliffe Girls!!
The face says it all
She is the happiest baby in the morning--I love it!! Another morning person in our house--sorrry Daddy!!
With Auntie Em at our Murbach family "Good-bye Weekend" in Nashville. I think Ava looks a lot like Emily.
With her favorite chew toy--teething!!!
With Jamie & Deacon--Ava's future husband :)
Ok--I can't for the life of me figure out how to flip this picture, so just turn your head--I think it's so cute!
Hey friends :) I can't even tell you how great it is to finally have a computer again. It's sad how attached I've gotten to technology! We have been in Texas now for exactly one month! It has been a fun, crazy, completely stressful ride so far, but we're loving it! Matt is really enjoying his new job--he feels so blessed, humbled & overwhelmed that God has called him to such a huge task. The church has been so sweet to us--we feel like we've definitely found a church family--not just a church. He has been super busy trying to get everything ready for the fall--which kicks off next Sunday as the kids promote to their new grades. More good news--God has brought Matt an Associate--a guy named Grant that we knew at HBU. He is a great leader & friend, and it's as if him & Matt are soul-mates (ministerially speaking ha ha!!). They get along so well, and share the same passion & love for students. We're so excited that the team is complete & now we can move ahead!
Ava is doing so many new things!! She's getting so big & cute. She's been rolling over from her back to her belly for a month now. She could roll across the whole floor if we'd let her--she's definitely a mover!! And she started eating rice cereal a couple of weeks ago & loves eating out of a spoon. I get all sappy every time I feed her though, b/c I'm like--are you really old enough for this???? Where has all the time gone? She sat up on her own for about 10 seconds yesterday, so she'll probably be doing that soon too! And she's starting to teethe, so she's pretty fussy sometimes & she chews on EVERYTHING & drools on EVERYTHING!!! We are so crazy in love with that little girl though. I can't even put into words my joy & excitement to spend my life with her. She is the sweetest gift....
I've been busy putting the house together slowly but surely. It's starting to come together & really feel like home--so that's comforting :) I have some friends coming over to help me paint tomorrow--yeah!! As soon as we get that done I'll post some pictures. I'm starting to make some good friends here, but I definitely miss my Murfreesboro girls! I'm really enjoying being a stay at home mom--it's the greatest job on earth.
Hope you're all doing good. Here are some pictures from the last month. I'll post some more over the next few days, so stay tuned!
My favorite new picture--I think she's a perfect mix of Matt & I. I love that smile :)
Such a happy little baby :)
Matt went out of town for a week & let me get season 4 of Gilmore Girls (I love him!!) Ava & I were both very happy girls :) We like to call ourselves the Setliffe Girls!!
The face says it all
She is the happiest baby in the morning--I love it!! Another morning person in our house--sorrry Daddy!!
With Auntie Em at our Murbach family "Good-bye Weekend" in Nashville. I think Ava looks a lot like Emily.
With her favorite chew toy--teething!!!
With Jamie & Deacon--Ava's future husband :)
Ok--I can't for the life of me figure out how to flip this picture, so just turn your head--I think it's so cute!
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