lists = sanity.

i’m a list maker.  without lists i might self-combust.  i remember there was one particular day in high school when my dad picked me up from school and he asked me how my day was and i remember having this conversation:

     me:  omg!!  i’m like SO stressed out!!

     dad:  why?  what’s up?

     me:  i just have so many things to do and i’m afraid i’m going to forget something!

     dad:  here’s a piece of paper.  make a list.  then you won’t forget.  (my dad is a genius!!)

this was my list:  finish government homework, pick up library book, tweeze eyebrows, bring pink sweater to school tomorrow, read acts I and II of hamlet (cause wasn’t shakespeare always in roman numerals?), find a homecoming dress.  (there might have been a few others in there, but i for sure remember the eyebrows on that list!)

now my lists consist of more “grown-up” things that are half as fun: pick up dry-cleaning, buy cat food, call mom, email realtor, get car washed, go grocery shopping. 

nonetheless, i would not survive without lists to cross off.  so naturally, i make a list when i go grocery shopping and since we get paid every 2 weeks, i shop every other week for 2 weeks worth of groceries for 2 people.  not only that, but every week is different as far as meals at home go, thus every grocery list is different.  sometimes i’m shopping for 10 dinners, sometimes only 4.  i make my meal list and my grocery list in excel – it’s easy that way and then i have it saved so next time i need some meal ideas, i just pull up the last list.  so this was my list this past weekend (you’re not allowed to comment on the awesome processed and pre-packaged food we eat): 

and i swear i got like 4 comments from people about my list.  including the pharmacist AND the butcher.  “wow!  do you really sort that by department?”  to which i told the pharmacist “yes, it’s sorted by department and yes, it’s on excel.  i can shop faster and stay on a budget that way.  now, can i pleave have my birth control?  thanks!”

i’m organized. 

and i like it that way.

100 miles.

i love challenges!  my goal is to wog (walk/jog) 100 miles before 2010!  i already have 8 people at work signed up and 5 of my friends!  here goes nothing…

i lack patience.

i’d like to think that i’ve turned a new leaf (given the whole season of leaves and all) when it comes to being patient.  i’m not a patient person by nature.  i’m okay when sitting in traffic (living in so cal for 6 years will do that to you) or even waiting in lines (thanks to disneyland), but when it comes to waiting to hear back from people, i have a low tolerance.  i’m a firm believer that you need to get back to people in a timely manner.  even if you don’t have an answer, at least acknowledging their request and saying “i don’t have an answer for you yet” is worth millions in my book.

so i’ve received 21 emails today to my personal account – granted more than half of them were from facebook and about 7 of them were junk, but i’ve been checking my email incessantly EVERY 3 minutes hoping we will have heard something about the house… and it’s only tuesday.  and we’re only 6 weeks into a process that could take at least 15!

it might be a long week (or maybe weeks, but i’m hoping not)…

just a little bit of fall.

first off, i borrowed my sweet custom header from here.  i love this website!  and i LOVE this shot!

secondly, i don’t know if i need to say it again, but i love fall.  i love how the leaves turn color before the whole world goes into hibernation (well, not really, but it seems like it).  i do however miss the fall in boston – nothing like the colors there!

and third, i don’t care for rain.  it can be cold, foggy, cloudy and i can survive, but for some reason when water starts to fall from the sky i turn into the wicked witch from the wizard of oz who just melts – i hate it.  BUT, you’ll all be excited to know, that i think i have found a way to look forward to rainy days – minestrone soup and a grilled cheese for lunch!  it’s my new favorite and PERFECT for days like today!

here’s my little tribute to the beauty of fall…

lemons vs lemonade.

i tend to complain a lot.  i get frustrated with people.  i vent about dumb things.  i say things i shouldn’t about people i love.  all of that is so ugly and i hate what it does to my spirit.

so i’m trying to find joy and beauty in little things.  trying to be thankful for each moment.  learning that lessons can be found if you look for it.  you have to make a conscious effort to make yourself more aware.

on saturday i saw some kids selling lemonade on a street corner.  they frantically waved their sign to every person that stopped at the stop sign.  i had $1, so i gave it to them and you would have thought i gave them a winning lottery ticket.  and it made me wonder – when did my saturdays go from being filled with the stress of running a lemonade stand to the stress of everything else in life??

i wonder if that was God telling me to slow down and enjoy the simple things?

house update #3.

 

 

 

we just found out that that we should get the bpo (broker’s price opinion) results back next week!  and IF they are in line with what our offer was (which the seller’s agent is confident it should be), we will have a new house by the end of the year!!!!!!!!! 

still lots of “ifs” and variables to wait on, but so far it’s good news!!

church hunting.

have you ever had to “pick” a church?  or have you ever had to metaphorically form a checklist of things the church needed to have or not have to meet your expectations?  we have ”church hunted” SO many times mostly due to moving, and it is a draining process.  i’ll have to admit, it has caused more ”heated talks” in our marriage than any other topic.  i can’t tell you how many churches we have stepped foot into whether it be for 15 minutes (and yes, there was a church that we literally walked out of after 15 minutes) or a couple sundays.  the process is so frustrating because you start to observe things with such a critical eye instead of really focusing on the purpose of church.  some of the (superficial) reasons for us:  the congregation is all 20-somethings; the congregation is all senior citizens; the pastor never opened the bible (because it was all in the handout); the music was too boring/old/or just didn’t flow well; the atmosphere was too cold/dark/uninviting; and the #1 reason – it was just too cheesy/fake or it felt like they were “doing church just to DO church”.

i’ve struggled with what church is and is not supposed to be and how much of it really relied on my opinion or how i “felt” about it.  how much “sacrifice” do you make to be at a church in regards to travel time, wants/needs and relationships?  or by me even thinking twice about those things, does that automatically make me less spiritual since church isn’t supposed to be about me?

matt and i grew up in two VERY different churches.  i grew up in a “mega” church with 4+ services on saturday nights and sunday mornings (christmas eve was like 8+ services).  i was very involved in the youth group including missions trips all over the world.  matt grew up in a much smaller / more traditional atmosphere.  he too was very involved in a close-knit community.  both were neither good nor bad, just VERY different which caused frustration when trying to “pick” a church that wasn’t solely based on preference or what we were “used to” growing up.

i think we’ve found a place where we both didn’t think we would ever end up.  and it’s different than most churches we have experienced.  people are happy.  people are filled with joy.  they practice what they preach. they enrich lives and encourage you to spread it.  they teach salvation and present the gospel every chance they get.  they don’t sugar coat it.  and while i know this church isn’t the perfect church and lots of people wouldn’t necessarily be drawn to it, we have been blessed by it!  it’s almost too good to be true.  and it’s an unbelievable feeling.  we’re excited to see what God does.

house update!

we COULD close by the end of the year!!  keep your fingers and toes crossed for us!!

(recap) birthday fun!

so i just have to recap (for my parents) with the few pictures that i have the wonderfulness that was my 27th birthday!

matt took a 3-day weekend the 18th – 20th with the anticipation of some exciting plans in store, however, there was a hiccup with me getting time off, so plans got changed.  we spent friday sleeping in, going to lunch and a movie and a birthday party for our good friend, glyn.  we left saturday morning for half moon bay – one of our favorite places!  we had dinner at hmb brewing company (another fav) and enjoyed freshly baked chocolate chip cookies at our b&b (another fav).  sunday morning we enjoyed breakfast in bed and matt surprised me and took me on a hike!  it was a typical foggy day in hmb, but it was a beautiful hike overlooking the ocean!  we took tons of fun pictures!

matt found a fun little candy shop where we picked up some fabulous fudge and then hit up an italian restaurant which will for sure go down as another fav!  so cute and great food!!  we walked around downtown before we headed home. 

then on tuesday (the day before my birthday) i got a text message from matt that said “we have plans tonight, i’ll pick you up at 8:30 (he didn’t get off work until 8).  dress comfy – we might be out a little late.”  so i got all excited trying to rack my brain of all the fun things he might have in store.  we walked downstairs like we’re going to get in the car to go somewhere and he turns the other way, pulls 2 tickets out of his pocket for the killers concert at arco arena (literally across the street from our place) that he got for FREE from a friend at work!  we showed up just as the opening band was starting their last song!  it was a blast!

 

wednesday i was surprised at work with flowers from my parents and flowers from by bff, tara! 

 

 

 

 

 

some co-workers took me out to lunch and then when i got home i was surprised by even more flowers from matt and dinner at pf changs!  our favorite place  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

it was a fabulous birthday!  i felt so special and totally spoiled!!

weekend fabulousness!!

matt took me on a little mini-vacation this weekend for my birthday.  and honestly i don’t think i could have asked for anything more – getting my husband all to myself for 3 whole days to do WHATEVER we wanted was pure bliss!!  i don’t remember the last time we had 3 days just to ourselves!  we slept in, we ate amazing food, we went shopping, we saw a movie, we went on a mini-hike overlooking half moon bay, we ate candy, took naps (well i did), took pictures and just enjoyed not having a schedule!!  it was all so delightful! 

and because of that… i didn’t work out and i didn’t stay up on my reading, so forgive me for not posting about it… i took a few days off.  but i’m back in the saddle today! 

pictures of this weekend to come!

p.s.  fall officially starts tomorrow and that’s just exciting!!  now if the sacramento weather could cool off a little, that’d be much appreciated!