Christmas time with Drew in Florida!

So this Christmas was Drew and I's first without our parents or family. David and I were thinking about going to Texas for Christmas to see his grandparents and mine. It was going to be a crazy trip- flying into Dallas, then getting picked up by my parents in Dallas, drive to Austin to see my aunt, then drive to Kerrville to see my grandparents, drive back to Austin and then fly out to home. We researched the cost of the trip for nearly a month- thought about flying out of Tampa, out of Orlando, to driving there! (A two day drive) One of our biggest problems was what to do with our dogs. We wanted to kennel them but couldn't find one that was less that $40 a day/dog! (that's nearly $600 for a 6 day trip) It was looking either really expensive or really impossible. So David and I prayed for guidance. The next day Drew texted me saying "might be able to come to Florida for Christmas..." And when I told David we both knew that would be the best idea! So we found an airline called Allegiant Air CHEAP flights! and found Drew a seriously cheap flight. Drew asked off of work & it all came together in a couple of days! We had an awesome time. And what was really fun is that I got to do things I haven't done yet in Florida, so it really felt like a vacation for me as well. We went to Mote Marine and saw dolphins and manatees, ate out A LOT!, ate at the historic Salty Dog, Siesta beach, slept in, stayed out late. Just plain ole good times with Drew. We got to catch up and as always- felt like a day hasn't gone by since we've seen each other. Drew was always a great conversationalist. We stayed up late talking and laughing. Made me really appreaciate my family, who just GETS me you know? It was awesome. I feel so blessed to have had this opportunity because we never know when we might leave Florida!

The movie that defined my childhood: Man From Snowy River

If I'm speaking to a fellow fan of "The Man" as I call it you are already humming Clancy's tune "hmm hmm hmmm hmmm hmm hmm..." and so on in your head. I was reminded today of my love for the movie when a friend posted quotes from it on my Twitter page. It took me back to a simpler time in my childhood. A time when I dreamed of riding with the Brumbies....My family always gew up watching wholesome movies so we didn't have many good options. Mostly they were old Don Knott's movies, Disney cartoons and the occasional classic- like The Man From Snowy River. A story about an Australian cowboy, Jim Craig, who was forced out of his mountain dwelling to defend his land, horses...and family name. (pretty good eh I just made that up). The actor in the movie, Tom Burlingson was more of a horse rider/stunt man than actor, which adds to the authenticity of his character. Sort of socially awkward, but certainly quick with the fist if you insult his integrity (remember Curly? He had it coming...) The movie is a love story, as well as an action/adventure. There are amazing horse stunts, jumps, huge cattle drives, passion and suspense. Jim's love interest- Jessica or "Jess" is one of those strong female roles a girl can be proud of. A daughter of a wealthy cattle owner she isn't a stranger to the saddle. A prideful girl but one that easily falls for a country mountain boy. The story slightly resembles the star crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet where in their love they are ostrasized from both families: Jim- the hardworking mountain men, Jess-the wealthy elite. Neither approve of the union. Jim eventually proves himself worthy of her affection by riding down and capturing the prized colt of Jessica's father. The chase of the horse is probably the best part of the movie- hundred of horse riders charge after a pack of wild horses- the Brumbies. Jim's expert horse riding skills put him in the front. The best scene is when the wild horses leap down a steep mountainside and none can follow- but Jim- who flies over the other men to charge down the mountain in a scene like no other I've ever seen in movies before. Gives me chills everytime I watch him and his horse run down a nearly vertical slope. The story always fed into my adventurous side, always wanting to discover something new. The love story was sweet, and showed that sometimes you have to stand apart from the crowd. Such an amazing story! Best line in the movie is at the end, when Jim has proven himself the best rider, the man of integrity, the man who's stolen Jessica's heart. He leaves her in anticipation, needing to take his newly won brood of mares back to his mountain home, to prepare for Jessica's arrival. He leaves her breathless with this: "There are a dozen good mares in that mob. I'll be back for them...and for whatever else is mine." Jim Craig's website :)

"Cargo Bikes: Go Ahead And Bring The Kitchen Sink"

"Curtis "Corky" MillerA Million And One Uses: A cyclist and two boys take one of Metrofiets' cargo bikes for a spin in Portland. Cargo bikes are a game changer. I currently run a coffee roasting business (www.trailheadcoffeeroasters.com) entirely by bicycle within the boundaries of Portland, Ore. All deliveries and business errands are done on a bicycle capable of carrying ~150-200 pounds. So many people assume that being on the bike is a second choice when a car is so easy and without effort. I find being in a car stressful and lethargy inducing. Picture a vehicle that can carry around your kids and groceries efficiently, and doesn't burn any fossil fuels. But there's one drawback: You have to pedal it yourself.
Cargo bicycles are specially designed bikes that can haul several hundred pounds. Long popular in Europe, they're starting to make their way into the United States."
NPR news http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121034522

Thanksgiving week!

So I have to say I went into Thanksgiving weekend with some reservations. I'm always super emotional/nastalgic during Thanksgiving because we are some of the only people here without any family close. Last year for Thanksgiving David and I had an awesome time, but it was just the two of us. Was kind of hilarious because we made all the food and barely finished half of it...but still a good time. Made me realize just how far we were from family. But this year we found ONE couple that didn't have family to spend Thanksgiving with! So we spent this year with Jenny & Brian. They are both originally from Chicago so Sarasota is quite a transition. I remember how I felt last year spending Thanksgiving alone and knew that it would mean a lot to Jenny. Turned out to be an amazing time. Had my first deep fried turkey, made with vodka for some reason (I don't know ask Brian), watched football, laughed a lot, and ate a whole lot! So for me, that equals a good time. I truely feel that living in Florida for nearly 2 years has made me truely thankful for friends. I've always been close to my family but when you live far away your friends truely become your new family. We've had people pour into our lives like I've never experienced. I never realized friends could be this close, close as family. I thank God for the new friends we've made here and the interesting experiences we've had! And you know, I really am thankful for my husband, he's so fun, hilarious, always up for something new. We just finished decorating our house for Christmas and he worked alongside me like a little kid, excited mostly to decorate the palm tree's in our front yard. So thank God for your amazing blessings!

How rich are you??

My sister posted this website on her blog and had to pass it along! It compares your yearly income with the average income of the world's population. So we feel  rich blessed today.
We're 55,146,441 richest person in the world! We're in the TOP .91% richest people in the world.
Calculate your income and give today Global Rich List

What I'm listening to today

"Everything" by Alanis Morissette
So I've loved Alanis' music since her first woman empowering, man hating album Jagged Little Pill, singing at the top of my lungs to "You Oughta Know"...not knowing the true meaning behind her bitter words, just liking the feeling of being a tough woman! Picture a 14 year old screaming "well I'm here to remind you of the mess you left when you went away!!" Rocking out from my gray Walkman. I think that love for her raw, at times brutually honest lyrics speak to me still. Recently I downloaded her Collection album with the best of all her songs and have been touched by "Everything". If it was playing on the radio I would, for the first time in my life, call in the local radio station and dedicate it to my husband David. Its a song I picture singing to him at our 50th wedding anniversary (minus the first line if you end up listening to it...). But its sweet, sarcastic, refreshing, honest, pure. It makes me smile everytime I listen to it. Pick it up on iTunes :)
Chorus
"You see everything
You see every part
You see all my light
And you love my dark
You dig everything of which I'm ashamed
There's not anything to which you can't relate
And your still here..."

BUY THIS NOW series by Katy :)

I thought I'd start a new series of household items that have changed the way I clean. I have two cats and two dogs and we constantly leave the windows open at our house because of the great weather- therefore- my house always has a film of dirt on the floor! I have two pets especially that shed chunks of fur. So yesterday David and I got a Hoover SteamVac and its amazing! We've only lived in this rental house for 4 months but the water we were throwing out was BLACK! It was a disgusting/revealing cleaning. Plus we both had a lot of fun cleaning (which is a plus ladies if your husband isn't the clean type) because you can see the line where it cleans! We got a Hoover because its easy to use, the clean water is separated from the dirty water (which in other brands it for some reason mixes together the dirty and clean water making it gross to clean. So we picked ours up at Best Buy for $175 and it has already paid for itself. Renting a Rug Doctor from Home Depot is $60 for 45 minutes! So go BUY THIS NOW!

Beauty

Looking out of my window at the palm trees and sunny bright sky I am so captured by the beauty of nature. I never thought I'd enjoy the beauty of Florida as much as I have. Of course the white sand beaches and blue green water is obviously beautiful but I always missed the mossy creeks of Arkansas. My dad and I used to go on hikes every month to the Buffalo River and one time we decided to bushwack our way through the trail so we could make the trailhead before sundown. And we found this little pocket of ferns with a small stream running through in a crevice of a mountain. It was like one of those weird moments where you feel like you were the first person to ever see this sight. Like a scene out of a JRR Tolkein novel. I always go back to that moment and think it was the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen. Its amazing how different beauty can be, even in the overgrown backyard of mine, the twisting vines...which David says are killing the trees but whatever! I never knew before living in Florida how noisy palm trees were. When its windy outside you can hear them creaking and crackling. I was informed that it was because they self prune by breaking off the dead branches in the wind. Its the same sound as someone chopping wood. For the rest of my life I think I'll be encountering these small moments in nature, the diversity of beauty, if I'm just willing to listen and see it.

Barbie got the boot!

Well not actually, lovely little Barbie is still flouncing that perfect 34,28 (what are the other measurements?)body of hers around town but listen up, there's some new girls on the block. Anyways, I heard on NPR the other day that the provacative Bratz dolls are getting replaced by "Moxie" dolls after a lawsuit...from the makers of Barbie! That they are too similar to the Barbie prototype. *Gasp*
Does this not seem like some sort of high school cat fight? Hilarious. The new Moxie girls feature a plethora of races fully clad in colorful teenie bopperish clothing. It is said, however, that they resemble a less, how do I say, Hooker-ish version of Bratz. They are a bit more conservative than the other girls.
I remember playing with Barbies growing up. My sister and I had an aaaamaaazing time. And we had the old group- Ken, Barbie, Skipper, a pre-teen size (what were their names?) and even the babies! When my sister and I played though we weren't just going to the mall or the movies- we had epic adventures as pirate princesses, Amazonian treasure hunters, deep sea divers!! I mean these adventures we had with our Barbies lasted for weeks! We made clothes out of old rags that my mom gave us, put music to it (Phantom of the Opera was classic) and even drug my brother into playing with us. (We were that fun!) My sister and I bought Barbies into our teens and even had a code word when we were shopping for one saying- "Oh we should get this for our sister 'Emily'..." Well needless to say "Emily" had plenty of dolls! haha Oh man, I really am looking forward to the day either Heidi has a girl or me because then we can pass on our epic adventures to them...and also get a chance to play dolls again!

Don't buy Reebok

So I don't know how many of you have seen the new Reebok commercial featuring woman's shoes to specifically tone a woman's butt. I think the commercial is so embarrassing. Once again we are objectifying women..classic. So I wrote Reebok's Customer Service an email:
"Hello
I just wanted to write you and say how dissapointed I am that your newest advertisement for a woman's shoe (specifically designed to "tone your butt") objectifies women. In the commercial it focuses on her butt twice. I guess your marketing department assumes that women will want your product to tone their butts, but you use sexual objectification to attract women? I understand that sex sells but its almost hilarious your doing it for a women's shoe! I don't even have kids and it grosses me out. I'm in my mid twenties and work out often and I know now that I will never use your product and will go out of my way to tell others not to use your product either. It would be refreshing if a shoe company would actually sell shoes instead of resembling a rap video.
Thanks"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCHKXICefFw

On the brink

So today I was reflecting how I feel that so many people in my life are "on the brink" of a major decision in life. To have kids, to move, to stay, to buy a house! David and I have been wrestling with the thought of moving for the last few months. We always knew that Florida wouldn't be our long term home, but we weren't sure how long. We're nearing the 2 year mark of Florida and I have to say I love it here. Especially since we were able to find a cool church. It has made the difference in the quality of our lives here. I keep praying that God will give me direction, that I'll feel confident about one decision or the other. I've thought about fasting and praying but really don't really know exactly how/what to do when I do it. I mean I know to pray but am not sure exactly the purpose of doing it. I want to be focused. I feel lost. I want to feel like I'm moving toward a goal. I'm stuck. Anyone have any suggestions in how to get out of a rut? How to move forward? I want to badly to know where to go or what to do!! Learning how to trust God has been a life long lesson for me. To give it over. To release control. Maybe that's all I can do at this point.

Pictures of the house!

David and I moved to lovely Glades Way in August. Its so different from our last place in that our last place was new, in a new area and a townhouse. Now this is an older house, with a big yard in an older part of town. So its actually the opposite! But it works for us. I can't wait for the day that we can buy a house, this one we're renting.Sorry, the quality of the pictures aren't great!

Dog Halloween costumes!

These are a couple of ideas I have for my dogs!

fall party (pics)

Bringing fall to Florida

Ahhhh the sigh of relief I get on a Friday morning. I don't even mind getting up early! I'm pretty excited about the weekend because Saturday David and I are going kyaking with a local group at Philippi Estate Park! I've never been kyaking here in Florida and am excited to see how much it differs from lakes and streams. We're probably going to go ocean kyaking to see all the beautiful mangrove forests. Most boats can't get too close to the magroves that grow on the shore because of their elevated roots. Mangrove forests are an essential part of Florida's ecosystem, so many fish and wildlife live within their groves. AND, I'm super excited about hosting a fall party on Saturday! Since we don't have the four seasons here in Florida, I wanted to introduce my friends to fall activities so we're going to dress up in sweaters and scarves (hopefully it'll cool down this weekend) carve pumpkins, drink apple cider, roast pumpkin seeds and sit on a bale of hay! haha Its cheesy but my friends here were actually excited! Probably because they're all locals! Can you imagine never really seeing a beautiful fall day with the leaves turning golden yellow, red and orange? Never smelling a crisp fall day? Never riding on a tractor on a cold night? Those are some of my favorite memories, and I'm bringing them here to Florida!!

Congrats Obama!

President Barack Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize
By KARL RITTER and MATT MOORE (AP) – 20 minutes ago

OSLO — President Barack Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday in a stunning decision designed to encourage his nascent initiatives to reduce nuclear arms, ease tensions with the Muslim world and replace unilateral American action with international diplomacy and cooperation.

Nobel observers were shocked by the unexpected choice so early in the Obama presidency, which began less than two weeks before the Feb. 1 nomination deadline.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama woke up to the news a little before 6 a.m. EDT. The White House had no immediate comment on the announcement, which took the administration by surprise.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee lauded the change in global mood wrought by Obama's calls for peace and cooperation but recognized initiatives that have yet to bear fruit: reducing the world stock of nuclear arms, easing American conflicts with Muslim nations and strengthening the U.S. role in combating climate change.

"Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future," said Thorbjoern Jagland, chairman of the Nobel Committee.

Still, the U.S. remains at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. Congress has yet to pass a law reducing carbon emissions and there has been little significant reduction in global nuclear stockpiles since Obama took office.

"So soon? Too early. He has no contribution so far. He is still at an early stage. He is only beginning to act," said former Polish President Lech Walesa, a 1983 Nobel Peace laureate.

"This is probably an encouragement for him to act. Let's see if he perseveres. Let's give him time to act," Walesa said.

The award appeared to be a slap at President George W. Bush from a committee that harshly criticized Obama's predecessor for his largely unilateral military action in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks. The Nobel committee praised Obama's creation of "a new climate in international politics" and said he had returned multilateral diplomacy and institutions like the U.N. to the center of the world stage..."

Associated Press Writer Ian MacDougall contributed to this report.

Video! (puppies!)

Time with family

As some of you know David and I ventured to Dallas, Texas to attend David's grandfather's funeral. When David first discovered his grandfather, his namesake, was sick he was completely devastated. It was so hard for him to be away from his family. He was able to fly out for five days to go spend with his grandmother, who requested him to be there. The funeral was a celebration of the rich life of David's grandfather. He left a legacy not only in his professional life but also in his personal life, being praised by his sons as "never saying a cross word to mother," was grieved by his own foxhole mate from World War II. There were tears of joy on everyone's face, all recalling their own personal memories of David Senior. Although everyone missed him dearly there was a smile on everyone's face, because no one felt untouched by his life, everyone felt loved by David Senior. David cherished his memories with his grandfather, recounting how he used to take him to classic car shows when he was young and how proud he was of his grandfather, who would win every car show with his magnificent recreation. Although the circumstances weren't the best it was still refreshing to be around family. I was able to go there for three days and spend time with David's family. Even though it was short it gave me a small boost. Everyone was loving and somehow the hugs of family members mean more. We all celebrated the life of David Ralph Senior and cannot wait to spend eternity with him.

TV show "Cougar town" is based out of Sarasota!

Remember growing up in Arkansas people? Or in a small, relatively unknown state? Remember growing up and watching movie after movie based out of L.A. or New York? Most of us probably know the layout of Central Park better than we do our own local parks! I always wanted to watch a movie and shout- "Hey I eat at that restaurant!" or "I live right above that store." But for the first time I've experienced the euphoria of seeing the town I live in on TV, thanks to a new show called "Cougar town" with Courteney Cox. As the title suggests, mamma Cox is on the prowl for younger men, has a body of a 16 year old and is totally sleezy. Not that this is the best image for our sweet beach town but its still pretty cool! OH- and I'm getting cable this Friday so I'll be connected to the world again soon! Here's a funny article from our local Sarasota Herald Tribune about our new reputation.


"Forget the reputation as a home for retirees and senior citizens; the Sarasota area is about to be known as “Cougar Town.”ABC'S "Cougar Town"
That’s the title of a new ABC comedy series that begins Wednesday night and could put the area on the map, literally.
The title sequence zooms in from the outline of Florida to show Sarasota with a “Welcome to Cougar Town” sign just about where Venice might be on the map.
In the mind of co-creator Kevin Biegel, a 1994 Riverview High School graduate, Cougar Town is “in some mythical area beneath Sarasota, maybe even beneath Venice, a heretofore undiscovered town. It’s maybe what Sarasota was in the mid-1970s and then kind of translated 20 miles south.”
The title is a reference to “cougars,” the 40-something women who date much younger men, similar to older men who date younger women.
Biegel says the title is possibly the “dumbest you could give” to the show. “We totally realized that the title is super insane, but the second you hear it, you’ll remember it. Then you’ll watch it and see it’s not what you think it is.”

Biegel had his hometown in mind while dreaming up the show with “Scrubs” creator Bill Lawrence. They are the executive producers of “Cougar Town,” which stars Courteney Cox as Jules, a divorced real estate agent who is ready after many years to jump back into the dating scene. But she finds herself attracted to and attractive to guys who were her age when she last hit the bars, long before her now-teenage son was born.
The show is less about the dating scene than Cox’s character coming to terms with how she has changed. The opening sequence shows her squeezing excess skin in a way most actresses would never expose themselves on screen.
“That’s 100 percent her,” Biegel said. “She was so excited to do that. I thought she was being sarcastic, but she was adamant that that be the first thing you see in the show.”
The 33-year-old Biegel, who previously was a writer for “Scrubs” and “South Park,” said he wanted something different for the setting of the new show.
“I’d never seen a show in this part of Florida. Everyone’s in New York or Los Angeles. I think there’s a lot of fun to be had in that area and with those characters.”
But is Sarasota a hotbed of cougars?
“With such a high divorce rate, I know lots of people who were married to doctors and lawyers and start dating younger,” said Biegel, who celebrated his first wedding anniversary two weeks ago.
Early reviews for the show have ranged from positive to mixed. Some call it bawdy or filthy, but it made the best shows list in The Washington Post, which described it as “ferociously smart,” and it is No. 8 on the top 10 list of USA Today, which called the show “surprisingly agreeable.”

The only Cowboys fan in Florida

OK so we're probably not the only ones but you sure would think so by the amount of Giants (puke) and Eagles (barf) fans here in Florida!! Mostly because a lot of New Yorkers have drifted down here for the warm weather. You would have laughed to see David and I in our Cowboys jerseys at Beef O Brady's surrounded by a sea of blue Giants jerseys. So, needless to say, unless we take our own posse we're watching the games at our fellow fan's house Tim and Lauren. David and I have been Cowboys fans our whole lives. We were both born in Dallas (ok David was born in Ft Worth but basically Dallas) and have followed them ever since. My twin brother always kept my updated on the latest stats and players. And for any of you that knew me when I was a young tomboy, my dream in life at 7 was to be the first woman in the NFL...yeah not going to happen. But watching the Cowboys always gives me a peice of home everytime I watch. I never truely felt that way about the Razorbacks because, lets all face it, its hard to watch a team that consistently loses miserably. I still got the Hog love in my heart but ouch, its embarassing to watch. Anways, have you seen the new Cowboys stadium???? Its insane!! Watching it last Sunday I was in awe. I think the cheapest seat is about $150 and that in the boonies! It pained me to see the Cowboys lose by ONE point to the Giants in their first game in their new stadium. I could just see the dissapointment on the fans faces. I knew David's Nana was weeping silently. (OH- sidenote- David's Nana is the biggest Cowboys fan I've ever met, her whole house is decked out Cowboy style and she's not missed a game since the franchise started). So if your a Cowboys fan give me a hoot and hollar and lets hope they go far this year!!!

If I was rich, this is what I'd buy

Patagonia Women's Katalla boot
Patagonia Side wall snowboarding jacket
1965 Mustang
Craftsman style home
Just to name a few :)

kickin it old school- no cable!

OK, to my like 4 blog followers I haven't been able to post any new blogs because David and I don't have cable or internet at the home! aaahhh yes, I know, its terrible! I feel I've gone back to the dark ages, pumping water from a well, gathering crops for dinner, I have no link to the outside world at home! Ok, so its not actually that bad but I seriously feel way behind on things. When I get to work and chat with some of my coworkers I feel like I did growing up when my family never had cable! We seriously didn't get cable until I was in 10th grade. Imagine growing up without cable (Marietta, you can haha)! Pretending in middle school that I knew what MTV was, what pop up videos were, 90210, even Saved by the Bell! Granted, I did make up for lost cable-time at my best friend Shelby's house...but still I felt like a little prarie girl not having cable. I remember being embarassed when my friends came over to watch tv and I was trying to divert their attention to my swimming pool so they wouldn't find out that I was a dorky little missionary kid. OK enough of the reminicing but we're going to try and get it soon. We had to switch companies because we moved on the other side of town that has a different cable service. Mostly I miss David and I's Sunday ritual which is to watch all awesome shows on National Geographic. Thats always when the best shows were on...I missed the last part of Shark Week on Discovery, Atlanta Housewives (yes I know its rotten but they are hilarious!), Megan wants a Millionaire (don't tell me you don't watch it) and a recorded show called Raising the Bar that I've been waiting for the season to come out forever- all washed away, unseen. But on a positive note I have read like a book a week since not having cable. I've read The Other Boleyn Girl, Katherine, A Thousand Splendid Suns and Paul Revere...all in a month without cable. I've enjoyed sitting on the couch on a Saturday afternoon imaging what the costumes looked like in 14th century England, what the East coast harbor smelled like in early America, what the difference was between the Pashtu and Herati dialect in Afghanistan sounds like...Its truely been refreshing. So as an observer on the "other side" so to speak I encourage you to turn off the telly, if only for one full day, and enjoy a long awaited good read :)

had to laugh

So David and I recently moved to a new house which we are really enjoying. Although the house is older, A/C a little figety we like having the privacy of a home. We've both always lived in townhouses or apartments so its been so fun cranking the tv up louder and letting our dogs bark a little longer because hey- we're in a house! Anyways, one drawback to our house is that while we have a great yard- its not fenced in on all sides. Plus, our neighbors next to us don't have their yard gated either.We back up to an elementary school so the back is gated but open on the other two sides. Luckily we live on a lazy little culdasac (sp?) so we thought it would be fine to forgo a fenced yard. Let me say something first about our pit bull Roman. If you've ever owned any breed with pitbull in them you know that they have the sweetest disposition, and most loyal character. Roman melts our hearts daily. But that being said- you also know that any dog with pit in them also has a TON of energy. Hence the backyard for him to romp and play and spend all his energy. But not in the way that he chooses. The past few weeks we've been letting the dogs outside in the backyard without leashes as long as one of us is supervising them. But recently Roman has gotten this new itch or shall I say, primal instinct, to run like a wild stallion around our house and neighborhood. We did not know this about him until the other day...David was telling me how he was taking the dogs outside on Sunday while he was in the backyard watching them. He tells me all of the sudden Roman's terrier craziness kicks on. And he said Roman ran around our house in circles twice and then disappeared into our neighbor's (unfenced) yard. David, thinking, "it probably doesn't look good to have a wild looking pit bull running in our neighbor's yard where they have kids and a few cats." Even though we know the worse Roman could do is shower the kids with licks and kisses....but other people don't know that. So David runs after him, a glass of water in his hand, into the yard after Roman. Roman thinks this is a game because David is running after him trying to grab him. So Roman is ducking and weaving, happily escaping his master in this fun game of tag. So David lunges after Roman, full force to catch him but slips and falls into our neighbor's tall grass, throwing the glass in the air and hitting face first into the ground. Roman still escapes...and runs back to our yard. As David gets up he looks over and sees our neighbors through the back window- the whole family- sitting down at a peaceful dinner all looking at him like he's psycho, chasing his wild pitbull . David said he mouthed "I'm sorry" and smiled sheepishly while creeping back into our yard. Needless to say we've learned our lesson- we're going to either fence in the yard or get electric collers. Even though it makes me sad to do it, its obvious that Roman can't handle the wide open spaces!

these are a few of my favorite things....

Like the song goes from my mother's favorite movie, Sound of Music- when those darn dogs bite and freaking bee's sting, when I'm feeling sad from a long week, I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad:
1. That God is available
2. My husband laughs at my jokes
3. My cat Patches loves me more than anyone (though sometimes that can be annoying)
4. Hot fresh coffee in the morning with a bit of hazelnut creamer
5. Rain in the afternoon to cool down a hot Florida summer
6. Summit's smile
7. Old friends
8. Inside jokes
9. The sand at Siesta Key that never gets hot and feels like snow at night
10. Thinking of my loving, hilarious family living in one house
11. Obama is president :)
12. Mango sorbet
13. Two happy dogs that slobber me with kisses when I get home from work
14. Outback's 8 ounce prime rib seasoned and seared, cooked mid rare
15. Being an Arkansan at heart
16. God is there

When it rains it pours

I'm sorry if all of my recent blog posts are depressing...ok maybe not all of them are but I have to be honest about this time in my life. I am exhausted emotionally. Its been a whirlwind of a month. So much has happened and I feel like I can't even keep up. I feel that if I can get out an ounce of what I'm feeling, even into the void, then thats one less ounce weighing on my heart. You know when your chest feels heavy? Like you feel you could cry for a week straight and it would keep coming? That's how I feel, weary, angry, confused and blaaaaaah. First, last week at work the family that I had to call DCF on informed me that my services would no longer be needed because their child had died. My heart stopped when I heard her voicemail. A mother and child that I had met with since I first started working with Healthy Families. A child we struggled so hard to keep him healthy, to inform the family of various safety risks in the home. I had seen him weekly since his birth. As far as we know the child died of SIDS, unexplained at this point. He was a sweet child with a beautiful smile. And I can't get that smile out of my head. I struggled with comforting the mother, telling her she did all she could. Trying to find words that I didn't have. Today I am attending the child's funeral with the family and my heart feels like it weighs a ton. Also, my former coworkers I had known since I've lived in Florida, a married couple with a 2 year old are now going through a custody battle and divorce. My friend informed me that her husband had been abusing her for the past year and she has just mustered the courage to leave. But the law is not on her side, even though she's the victim. She was accused of leaving with the child abruptly, which can be grounds for temporary custody for the father. Even though the reason she left abruptly was because she feared for her and her child's safety!You don't leave a burning building slowly!! My heart aches for her and her child. I could see the weariness in her eyes from all the hearings and court appearances she's had to endure. He's relentless in breaking her down mentally, sending her nasty emails and discouraging her every step. I couldn't believe the guy sitting in front of me in the court room, an intelligent, seemingly caring friend of mine, abused his wife secretly. I felt disgusted. I was called as a witness to testify about his drug use, which I had seen both at work and at their home. The lawyers attempted to chastise my story, to try to find any loopholes. But I told the truth, nothing less and nothing more. So my story was concise, no matter how condesending the lawyers were. They were malicious in their pursuit to discount my testimony for my abused friend. I cannot understand why any lawyer would prosecute an abused wife. Times like that I know why God says- "Vengence is mine," because he is the only one who can serve an accurate punishment for people like that. My husband's grandfather is also not doing well. His health is failing quickly. We want David to go visit his namesake but don't have the money to fly him back. I can see David is trying to put on a happy face for me, but he's struggling himself. We both are just trying to survive this week. I feel the statement is true though, that "when we are weak, He is strong." To me that means we just give it all up to Him. We give our thoughts, actions, everything to God to guide. Like letting a friend carry you on their back when you can't take another step. I keep wondering if I can do this job or not. If I have the guts, or backbone or whatever it takes for this profession. I'm struggling just to keep from crying at work. But I take God's guidance each day. And at this point I'm totally ok with releasing control.

I found my style: East meets West!

Since I'm fairly new to this married lifestyle and living in a home for more than six months like college I've been trying to find out my design style for our home. I strongly believe that the home should reflect both couple's style. I know everyone has their preference (or perhaps they have none) on the styling of their houses. I just don't think its fair for a man to live in a shabby chic pink doll house and then have the basement to himself. (On a side note we've been watching this show called "Man Cave" where men have taken over the basement or backyard and turned it into a men's only area complete with a full bar or pirate style theme because their wives have decorated the rest of the house, haha) Plus, not like many women's husband's, mine actually has a pretty strong opinion of what style he would like our home to be. David likes the more contemporary, architectural simplicity. And any of you who know me know that aint my style baby! But he also has pictures and souviners from his travels to Europe. So its more like East meets West! Mine is a mixture of many things. I was an International Relations major in college so you have to know that I'd have a global or exotic style. My dad is also a missions pastor and travels all around the world and will bring back little trinkets from where he's visited, so, nonetheless my house has a mixture of everything...which I love. But then my house started looking a little junky, a little too eclectic and borderline eccentric! So I've starting honing in my style and found a cool book on Amazon called Exotic Style (suprise) and have found its tips very helpful. From colors, to patterns, to placement of worldly treasures, its beginning to put my house together into one thought. I have to say, I'm so glad to have finally found a style for both David and I!

Is positive news an oxymoron?

David and I constantly talk about news & politics...mostly about our distain for how popular media portrays those subjects. We laugh about how when you watch the news there's 3 negative news peices for every 1 positive news peice. I know the world isn't perfect, that there is suffering everywhere. But there is also good everywhere! There are wonderful things going on in the world daily, real people improving our world in various ways. So David then found several news sites to read on positive news:
www.happynews.com/
www.positivenews.org.uk/
Not that we are burying our heads in the sand, ignoring the problems of the world, but wouldn't we be more positive people ourselves if we weren't constantly barraged by negative news and advertisements? In Sao Paulo they have actually banned public advertisements because they think it not only makes their city ugly with all the banners and posters, but also because it bombards people with constant negative messages! Way to go Brazil!

Ouch this hurts...

This has been a really difficult week for me this past week. Working with struggling families has been more challenging than I expected...not that I expected it would be easy, but I can't deny that its effected me. I've worked with struggling teenagers before at Piney Ridge, a rehabilitation center for teenage sex offenders, but never with mothers and their child. At Piney Ridge the kids were separated either from the perpetrators or their victims, a "controlled environment" if you will. We could control the messages going into the teenagers heads by constantly encouraging them, cutting out tv and radio. They all had therapists and nurses caring for their every need. As a youth care worker you were there as a teacher's aide, a watchman for any fights, and mainly- a motivator. It was such an awesome atmostphere most of the time. But now I go into the "lions den" so to speak. To the heart of the family- the home. Nothing is hidden, nothing can be candy coated. I see the environment as it truely is. Some families struggle on just getting by each day with a meal on the table, but some families live off the beach! There's so much diversity in this job. I've met people from all walks of life. All with one goal- to fall in love with their child, for guidance on how to be the best parent possible. I'm always so impressed that these families have reached out and asked for help, do you know how hard that is?? I know I struggle with asking someone for help, even family. But I can't say seeing and experiencing all this doesn't hurt. Some nights I just come home and cry. There are some days I think I'm just not cut out for this type of job. It has brought me to the Lord, forced me to lay at His feet and ask for His wisdom. This past year I've gone back and forth from extreme highs and lows. And His love is enduring and faithful. Though that sounds cliche what it means to me is that his voice is there if I only slow down to listen. Turn off the tv, my phone, the computer, all distractions and just listen to the still small voice. I look to my Father as a friend, a friend who listens and cares. But I ask for help now, to my friends, to pray for me at this job. For His wisdom to guide me.

Its a small world after all.....

No I'm not going to Disney World, even though its only 2 hours away and I've neeever been (hint hint husband...). But I wanted to share a weird story. So David and I have started attending a new church in Bradenton. We actually found it by googling "non demoninational churches" in the area! So the first time we went there we were blown away, by the music, lights, and all the people with smiles on their faces. We've been going there for about 6 months now. If you want to read more about it here's the website http://www.baysidecommunity.org/
Our pastor is on vacation so we've been having different speakers come every week for about a month. So this last week after some rocking worship we look up and see a portly, but friendly looking fellow on stage. And he starts telling us he's Randy (our pastor's) brother. Randy is originally from Louisiana. And he says he's from Arkansas! I of course give a hoot and holler and yell "Go Hogs" while everyone in front of me turns around and looks at me like I'm crazy...Not many Arkansans here in Florida. Anyways, so he does an amazing job, we're all rolling with laughter and I'm proud, once again, to be an Arkansan. Then later David and I look him up, Pastor Rick Bezet, and randomly enough he helped start a church David and I used to attend in college called Keypoint! Weeeird. I think somehow or another all Arkansans know each other or at least have something in common. He also helped start a church in Conway called New Life Church. And then it turns out my parents know him and his church. So yep, its always a small world after all if your from Arkansas!!!

I need your prayers

I can't go into much detail due to lagality issues but last week my supervisor and I decided to make a call to the Department of Children and Families on one of my families. The child had a health risk due to the mothers lack of understanding on feeding her infant. I know in my heart it was the right choice because I want this child to be healthy, mom was even told he was at risk for failure to thrive b. His pediatrician. My heart aches for this child and his young mother. And I can't help but feel guilty, worried she will feel betrayed. Calls to DCF aren't always what the media dramatizes it to be, it can usually be a good thing. But the process is still unfolding, we'll see what happens. I just need your prayers to remain strong, trust God, and not let myself get sucked into this. Pray His will be done. Thanks

Puppy update

I think its been awhile since I've posted an update about my two puppies (now both 6 months old) Lily and Roman! They are so sweet and I am so glad that we got the both of them. Even though some days they are completely exhausting I couldn't do without either one of them. Lily is extrememly independent and thinks she is the head of the household. One of the funniest things she does is grunt like a little piglet when she's on the trail of another animal outside. Her favorite past times are: sniffing through the grass outside for cat poop, running after the laser pointer full speed into the door, playing in the mud (especially right after I bathe her), and squeeze under the beds upstairs in hopes of snagging a kitty hiding underneath. Roman is our resident "love pig". Even though he's an American pit bull terrier he has the heart of a little bunny. He especially loves David. When we're watching tv in the living room he'll set his face on David's lap and just stare up at him lovingly. His favorite past times are: chasing his favorite red ball in the park and hope to catch it in the air before its second bounce, chew on Lily, chew on his cage, chew on socks, chew the plaster off our walls, watch tv (especially Family Guy) and lick everyone he meets. Here are some pictures of what they look like now!