{Gratitude}

First, a song by Johnny Flynn for today:

Ah, I have so much to be thankful for.

For our local Creamery and the Chocolate and Cheese Tasting they held in March (SO GOOD)

 For new friendships and the finest of housemates 

                                   
                                            

 For well-known friendships and never ending laughs

 For breathtaking views

 For the two people that know me the best

 For the bodies we have to enjoy snow-shoeing

 For warm campfires and the conversations that take place during 

 For desert mountains with magnificent colors

For conversations with one of my favorites

For this face. And his short-lived fumanchu.

Thanks, Gratitude, for always turning what I have into enough.

Happy Friday friends.

For the Scaredy-Cats

Dear Weather.com,
You are telling me there is a Tornado Watch for my County right at this moment.
I believe you.

It's not a question about if they will form. It is a question about when will I die.

I should probably bring some cans to the basement just in case of an emergency. 

Thanks for always being there for me to encourage my irrational behavior.

                                                                         Best,

                                                                         Kelly

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Real Life stories from Kelly Anne Baker-Trapps life (oh yes, this will be terribly pathetic):

Classic Example #1:

There was a severe thunderstorm while I was at my best friend Caitie's house in 2004. I was 14. I normally love storms, but of course I had to look on the internet to find out whether or not I would make it. Weather.com stated that we were under a Tornado Warning. 

I demanded that we flee to the basement. She laughed, but followed me anyway (I should also mention she was 12 at this time). The sirens went off. I started sprinting towards safety. I dramatically opened her door and flung myself into the fetal position while covering myself with all of her clothes and fluffy objects. 

Classic Example #2:

When I was probably 10,  my hometown was under a Tornado Watch. Most of my family was home, my dad and older brother were watching the storm on our deck, my mom was making dinner and my older sister and her now husband Greg were sitting in the basement watching a movie (not because of the weather). Naturally, I was making shelter in the back room. Since I had tinier arms, I had to make several trips to the pantry to get all of the necessary items. Cans, fruit, gallons of water, blankets, pillows, my blanket, and flashlights.  At any rate, I had to walk past them to get to my unbreakable shelter. I remember them laughing at me and telling me it wasn't a big deal. How could they? Of course they would have to thank me after I would save their butts.It is clear who the sane person in the situation was.

Classic Example #3:

LAST YEAR. My roommate Caitlin and I were sitting in our apartment talking, but I was very distracted by the ominous sky outside. I quickly looked on weather.com and it told us that a tornado was spotted. NO. This would be the time that a tornado would kill me. 

Obviously. 

I convinced Caitlin of our untimely demise, so we grabbed our college mattresses and jumped in the tub and threw those springy life savers over our heads. 

-------------

My friend Wes just walked into my living room and I said, "WILL YOU STAY HERE SINCE THERE IS A TORNADO WATCH." Clearly the more people that are around me, the more calm I become.

He said,"No. If there's a tornado, I'm going to find it. Collect it. Slay it, and bring it's head to the Town Hall and get an award."

Most people feel this way. Maybe not that brave, but at least they don't care about it as much as me. You know why? Because if I have lived through 30 tornado warnings, then the chances of living through the next one is highly possible. I mean, the logic behind that claim isn't totally solid. But, based off my experience, it has been the case that weather.com has been totally off the mark, or even on the mark and I have still made it. That should be at least cause for less panic. Am I right? 

I feel as if my husband Michael acts appropriately. Whenever the situation arises of a possible tornado, he says, "We're fine." Because, at that moment we are. Then if a siren does go off, we walk to the basement (he might even stand on the porch for awhile).

 No flinging. No fetal positions. No cans of beans. 

( I will always grab something fluffy just in case)

Here's the problem: I decide to work myself up. I decide to check weather.com and make sure that I'm right about my impending doom. I decide to plaster my face against the window and make sure that I'll see the first sign of that tornado. 

How strange and dramatic.

 I have a hunch that it is true of all you scaredy-cats out there as well. Whatever the fear may be, the response is:  I will curl up and make it terrible for myself by expecting the worst- even when it has proven to not be true in the past. The scaredy-cat can't even conceive of other possibilities. 

Today my dear friends, I say this to my fear and to weather.com:

Thank you Nacho.

I will now go read.

But really, if you gravitate towards being irrationally afraid of something, try and realize that other people are surviving and that you might possibly be making it worse for yourself.

**Disclaimer: for people that may actually have an anxiety disorder, none of this is meant for you. This is for those of you (and myself) that know they are genuinely overreacting. 

{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.