{thankful}

I am oh so thankful

for Lisa's laughs

walks with Michael and sunny afternoons

for valentines day flowers 

for Carrie's Mexican blanket dance

for fun times at the Red Rooster and David's nordic beard

for sunrises before morning prayer

for face masks that look questionable

                                                    

for the pup we got to watch for a few days

for warm coffee

for the infectious laughter of these three

                                                 
                                                 
                                                             for Michael's mighty beard

                                     

for two husbands

for Mikey and his Cosby sweaters

for these lovely new dishes

for valentines day dates and Jane Austen's stories 

for the excitement of getting a crafty card from a dear friend that is so very far away

for snowpocalypse 2013

for my new housemate, Mariah and her love for all things Harry Potter

for warms socks and warm sunlight on chilly days

for Wesley's ability to always lose at Nertz

 and for my ability to always win Nertz. 

A few more things that I was not able to snap pictures of from the past few weeks:

-a trip to the Trapp's that always leaves me feeling blessed with a warm home, lots of laughs, a full belly, and the best in-laws a girl could ask for.

-and a visit from my best friend of seventeen years, Caitie. We call each other Shmoopy. Get over it.

                                                          ------------------------------
Products to mention:

face masks: Mariah bought those face masks from a store called Lush. I tried the questionable looking, but ever so smoothing Chocolate mask. I almost ate my upper lip it smelled so fantastic. Apparently, if you go to one of their stores, they will offer a free facial or foot or neck massage. Yes please.

beard conditioner: I bought Michael the Beard Conditioner for Valentines Day. It's from Wild Rose Etsy Shop, and is Michael's new best friend. If you have a man with a burly beard in your life, I suggest buying the Tundra Beard Conditioner Oil. It smells so great that you'll want to live in his beard. Oh yeah, it works too.

dishware: Shmoopy brought me those lovely new plates and bowls from Anthropologie. They have a lot of funky, pretty and ecclectic dishware. She also bought Michael and I mugs with our initials on them. Husband said, "M for Michael, or W for Winston. You decide."

card: That super cute Valentine's Day card that I received was from one of my best friends, Rachel. She is the most crafty person I know, and has a shop that you can browse and purchase said crafty items. Check it out: Peachy Press

two husbands: not a real thing. But that picture was taken at McGurk's Irish pub on our Valentines Date. We ate authentic Fish&Chips and a Lamb Stew. I could eat those things for the rest of my life, as long as cheese was included somewhere in there. This pub is so great, they even have live Irish music at night and a beautiful garden outside!

That is all. Happy Saturday!

Sweet Mondays

Today is a fantastic day for sipping coffee, road tripping back home with my husbandito, and listening to one of my favorite tunes by Iron and Wine. Happy Monday friends, you are loved!

{Lent}

I have a bit of a different perspective of this Lenten Season due to this article by Rachel Held Evans that one of my professors recommended.

Usually my thought process before Lent goes somewhat like this:

"What am I addicted to and need to be a bit more disciplined in?

I could give up cheese (no. I seriously could not).

I should really watch less tv.

I should start working out!

I spend too much time on Facebook.

Give up coffee?

What's interesting about this list, is all of these goals seem a little bit New Year resolution-ish and less like a way in which to be more like Jesus. I mean, I could seriously benefit from these goals, but I have tried a few of them over the years and have always felt rather unfulfilled after the forty day trek through a not so challenging desert.

A few years ago I gave up Facebook for Lent. It was surprisingly easy given all of the time I waste on a site that feels like an awkward virtual party with virtual clones of people you know (and a few you'd rather not). I was encouraged by all the time I gained sans Facebook. Yet, at the end of Lent, I didn't really care a whole lot that I had given up Facebook and in the long run, that forty day period really didn't do a whole lot for my character. It could be the case this is unique to me, but I have a sneaking suspicion others feel the same way.

My hubs and I discussed today a few of the points Rachel Held Evans provided in her article.
The one that made me think that Lent is not primarily about giving something up was #7:
Why am I giving this particular thing up? How does giving it up draw me closer to God and prepare me for Easter?
Well, the answer to that question in regards to giving up Facebook: It just straight up does not draw me closer to God and prepare me for Easter. Neither will watching less tv or working out. Giving up Facebook made me a bit more disciplined (which is a great thing), but it did not prepare me for Christ. I should have added some sort of spiritual discipline to replace my Facebook time.
Also, disclaimer: I'm not suggesting that giving up those types of things is a bad idea.  Or that minimizing our daily distractions is a bad thing-- I'm all for that! I do think, however, that most people view Lent primarily as a way to just give something up.  A refreshing perspective: to practice a discipline during Lent that will add to your character as a follower of Christ.

So, for this Lenten season, Michael and I have decided to go to St. Paul's morning prayer service Monday through Friday. This could fall under the category of "giving up something",  because we will be missing a few hours of sleep every morning. But I'd rather think of it as adding a valuable discipline that will draw me nearer to God. The reason I am sharing what I will be "taking up" this Lent, is so that for those of you who know me, can ask me about it from time to time--a sort of accountability thing if you will. 

A Day In The Life

Thursday, February 7th to be exact.

morning coffee and journaling

my lunch/breakfast 

barista times

an attempt at latte art

cheesin'

date night with the husband at a local diner

second part of date night: Spitfire Grill

the set for the musical. it was fantastic!

a typical end to the night: hang outs at the 719

Dear food, here's to you for posing so well. You're a natural.

But really, it felt strange to take pictures of my food. It actually just felt strange to carry a camera around all day and take pictures of ordinary happenings. 

I realized however, as I was looking at all of the pictures from my day, that it is quite nice to look at the ordinary every once in awhile. It's a peaceful picture, and a great reminder of how blessed I am. 

Happy Friday brave ones.

A song for Saturday

I'm hoping to post sometime tomorrow. But for now, enjoy this lovely tune!