Isn't This a Hoot!

I was playing with the photo booth app on J's computer and snapped this gem of him playing Rock Band!  I couldn't stop laughing! I used shrink mode to create this silly picture. Enjoy!

Half-Priced Books: More than I bargained for

Yesterday, J and I hit Half Priced Books in search of a particular book on adoption. Their selection is very slim(I guess people tend to hang on to those books). I did not find the book I was looking for but found a few others that looked interesting. I opened the book titled "Loved by Choice" and hidden in the back was a bookmark. This was not just any book mark, but a special, homemade one with the inscription that said "Dear Mom, I will love you forever, and forever you will be the most wonderful mother, You mean everything to me." On the back was a picture of a child and I'm guessing the artist of this bookmark. (I photoshopped him out for obvious reasons.) It is amazing something so small can illicit so many feelings. My first thought was that a mother out there must be missing this bookmark. It obviously was accidently left in the book before it was sold to the bookstore. Of course there is no way to track down the mom and the clerk said they would just throw it away. I decided to buy the book and save this precious bookmark from the recycle bin. I showed it to J and told him my feelings of sadness for the mom who was missing this. And sweet J, always amazing me said"Maybe it was meant for someone to find, someone wanting to be a mom as a reminder that those words could be meant for them!" So I'm keeping it as a reminder, and one day, maybe I will leave it in the book for someone to find, and give them hope.

All About Mi Amor

This week began the celebration of the birth of my husband! The week began with a nice dinner out with my parent's where we also celebrated father's day and Mom's birthday. The next big event for J's birthday was  a cool gift from our friend who visited legoland for his own birthday. He thought of J and brought him a Boba Fett Lego key chain. Boba Fett now resides at J's work cubicle where it has been admired by many!

 Yesterday, the actual birthday happened! We both had to work but we did a little celebrating once we got home. J opened his gift and was very happy to get the camera he has been wanting for 2 years now. This camera should cover me for  at least 2 birthdays, 2 Christmas's, and I think I can throw in an anniversary! Enjoy the pictures of him opening. Those are all his real expressions! J is going to pick a photography project and hopefully I will be able to post some of his pictures on my blog in the future.

After J looked at his gift and set the battery up to charge we went to Dinner. We came home and topped off the night with some chocolate dipped cake balls(thanks groupon!). 

Happy Birthday, J! Love you!

What is Love? Is it Unconditional?

I think there are a lot of answers to this question. I am not sure the correct answer. It seems obvious, but sometimes it's not. Do we choose who we love, or does it choose us? Do we love someone because the live in the "right" house, wear the "right" clothes, look the "right" way, or do we just love? Do we pull our blinders off, toss away the circumstances of someone's life and choices and say, "no matter what, I choose to love you?" This to me is the type of love that is raw, real, and very difficult. It's the type of love that is often missing in our world. It is the hardest kind of love. I think when you meet someone who chooses to live with this type of love...you are inspired. I think on the flip side, there are those who do not understand this type of true, unconditional love, and that is shown in their questions and judgement. Life for me is a journey. I cannot tell you that I am one of those people with unconditional love for all, yet. I can tell you that I have met people who have inspired me to strive to be like this, to work at it, and open my heart for the possibilities.....

What I love about fathers day is we get to celebrate Dad.

He is usually the calm in the storm.
He is genuine and honest.
He has a unique sense of style.
He is giving and selfless to everyone.
He has worked so hard so that I may have every opportunity possible.
Happy fathers day to my dad. I love you!

Today, I also remember my grandfathers. You are missed.

And one last person to mention is my father in law. A truly genuine, hard working man that is very special to me. :)

Never Gets Old

I read my daily bible reading today and it is one of my favorites. I don't think we can hear it enough and it is so true, yet so hard to do!!!

Matthew 6:24-34

24 'No one can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or be attached to the first and despise the second. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.
25 'That is why I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and what you are to wear. Surely life is more than food, and the body more than clothing!
26 Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they are?
27 Can any of you, however much you worry, add one single cubit to your span of life?
28 And why worry about clothing? Think of the flowers growing in the fields; they never have to work or spin;
29 yet I assure you that not even Solomon in all his royal robes was clothed like one of these.
30 Now if that is how God clothes the wild flowers growing in the field which are there today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, will he not much more look after you, you who have so little faith?
31 So do not worry; do not say, "What are we to eat? What are we to drink? What are we to wear?"
32 It is the gentiles who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all.
33 Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on God's saving justice, and all these other things will be given you as well.
34 So do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.'

Unanswered Prayers

Do you ever wonder why prayers go unanswered? Is it true that prayers are never unanswered, just that the answer is not what we think? Is it true that when some doors close, others open? I think I could probably type every cliche in the book. Maybe they are not cliches, maybe they are true. Maybe the key is faith, hope, openness, and love. Maybe the trick is to look past our pain and suffering, out of our small microcosm and truly see the big picture. It seems things get muddled by all the distractions, but some days, something happens that makes you see. Something happens that makes you know your experiences have led you to a moment where you are able to help, guide, and offer support to someone who needs it. Reflecting on it makes you realize, God helped you handle the pain and suffering, because some day when you least expect it, you would be strong, and experienced and in a position to help someone else who is in pain and suffering.

Hidden

Ever have one of those days you just want to hide in the closet? Sadie had one today!

Long, Hot Summer

The temperature is flirting with 100 and that is just the beginning sign that it is going to be a long, hot summer.  The beginning of summer promises baseball, fresh vegetables, new goals, vacation, and of course one lazier than ever dog!! Sadie's newest thing is falling asleep in weird places. This is a shot of her in the middle of the walkway to the kitchen and she won't move when you try to get by!! Maybe she is the kitchen police and what she is really saying is, "step away from the refrigerator!"

This is her very sad that J's Dad left. They visited this weekend and he spent most of the weekend outside with Sadie. After he left, she put her head on the bottom of the chair he sat in and waited for him to come back.

J's parents are great when it comes to gardening. I had a hibiscus since April, and it just wouldn't bloom. Low and behold, just 2 days after they left it was blooming!!

 You may ask why I have a picture of a turtle and I would tell you that it is me...running! I started a phone app called "Get Running" today that was recommend by my sister in law, Ky. It is couch to 5k in 9 weeks. I run sometimes, but I thought this would better train and encourage me. I must say after the first workout I was huffing and puffing. During the cool-down I came across this turtle. I hoped that this was not a sign of how slow I was running!!

We started recycling this summer in our neighborhood! Yeah!

 On the veggie front, my tomato garden is in bloom. The plants are doing okay. It is just my second year so I am still learning. My giant grape tomatoes in the bottom picture are actually miniature romas. I only have one "big Boy" tomato that was blooming, and this morning I awoke to find that it has been attacked by "Angry Birds"!! On the good news, I have an abundance of grape and cherry tomatoes.