currently: september

"This strangely still pause between summer and autumn, greenery and gold, and the heat and rising wind that is once again readying itself to rush it all away in a climactic symphony of color and scent is - in my opinion - one of the best parts about living on earth."

- Victoria Erickson

Happy belated birthday to my dad!

currently: august

"The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning.  The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot."

- Natalie Babbit, Tuck Everlasting

Beautiful South Dakota

currently: july

"The dandelions and buttercups gild all the lawn, the drowsy bee stumbles among the clover tops, and summer sweetens all to me."

- James Russell Lowell

Reading: The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Phillipp Sendker.  Such a sweet, sweet story.
Making: plans for my 10-year high school class reunion weekend next month.  Can't wait!
Cooking: breakfast for dinner.  Yum.
Drinking: too much caffeine.  I had two Diet Mt. Dews today and am way too chatty.  Oops.
Deciding: that my small group is the best there is.

Wanting: to spend all day, every day, outside.

Playing: this album by The Brilliance.  I particularly love the instrumental versions of each song.
Watching: Parks and Rec, Season 2.  I multitask and do abs while I watch - the perfect combo. 
Exercising: back to (cautiously) running and adding some strength training! 
Learning: more about God's heart through this She Reads Truth study on the Sermon on the Mount.
Pinning: grilling recipes.  Gotta take advantage of this summer grilling weather.

Wishing: that our friends Chris and Emily lived closer to us.  We had such a fun 4th of July w/ them!
Wearing: golf attire, more likely than not.  :)
Needing: to check the words I speak more closely - that they may be uplifting.
Reflecting: "...not that there are any sins little, for there is no little God to sin against..."
Feeling: impatient to see my friend Jess' new house tonight and celebrate with a bottle of wine.
Praying: for the families of those lost in the Malaysian plane shot down over Ukraine yesterday.
Loving: the fact that I get to see my mom twice in one month next month. 

{beautiful Lake Erie on July 4th}

currently: june

"What is one to say about June,

the time of perfect young summer,
the fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months,
and with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade."
- Gertrude Jekyll

Love my sis and my gorgeous alma mater (#ricefightneverdie)

My favorite month is finally here - and is flying by.  After what seemed like an eternal winter, it's officially summertime.  I hope to take advantage of this gorgeous, sunny, warm, humid weather as much as I can.  Before June departs and ushers us into July, here's what I'm currently up to this month:

currently: april

There's something so glorious about spring, isn't there?  The ground turns from brown to bright green, flowers begin to peer out at the world, the air turns from bitter to refreshing, and the sun lingers each evening like an old friend.  I feel like this month, I am coming out of hibernation - along with the rest of the world.  And it feels so very good.

january-ing

How is it January 11th already?  After surviving the Polar Vortex last weekend, I feel like this week has flown by.  It's a balmy 34 degrees here today, which feels great after the -40 degree windchill on Monday.

I'm a little behind the curve in setting some goals/hopes for this upcoming year.  Hopefully they will come together this weekend, but in the meantime, I leave you with my "happen-ings" of this month!  (here are the month-ings for October, November and December) 

reading:  I got The Power of a Praying Wife over the holidays from a sweet friend in our small group, so I am looking forward to getting started on that.  I'm also still working my way through One Thousand Gifts - it's a great book and I am taking my time, savoring each chapter.  Good stuff in there.
making: travel plans for the year.  We just booked a houseboat trip with my family in June and I couldn't be more excited.  I'm also hoping to arrange a girls' weekend sometime this spring.
cooking: Steve is on another round of his P90X program and this time I am jumping in with him... so we have been doing a lot of healthy cooking.  It's been a fun adventure.
drinking: lots and lots of hot chocolate, especially during the Polar Vortex.
wanting: to go line dancing.  I used to go all the time in college - such a Texan thing - and have really been missing it lately.  There's one country dance hall in town, but I don't know much about it.  Maybe it's time for me to look into it.
watching: Downton Abbey!  The season premiere was last weekend and I am re-hooked to that show already.  I'm also looking forward to the return of Sherlock next weekend.  I'm all about the BBC shows this year.
eating: please see cooking, above.  Lots of healthy food - with some cheats here and there :)
enjoying: getting back into the swing of things with work and routine after the holidays and snow storm.
deciding: to care for my body better this year.  That includes both how I work it out with exercise and what I put into it with food.
wishing: we could have spent more time with my family of Christmas.  We had a wonderful time - it was just way too short.
wondering: what God's plan is for us geographically-wise.  I've been feeling a tug back to Texas lately and am trying to sort out what God has in mind for us in the near and distant future.  I love Indy but I love Texas too.  It's confusing.
learning: how to use my new camera.  It's been so much fun!
hoping: that the rest of my little sister's residency interviews go well and that she gets her top choice of programs on Match Day in March.  I got to take her to a residency interview in Chicago last weekend before the snow storm and we had a great time.
marveling: at God's power through nature - and also how He can make beauty out of nothing.  One day, our back yard is just a bunch of dead grass... the next, it's a winter wonderland.  Pretty incredible.
smelling: do you think that snow has a smell?  I definitely do - before the snow storm, I could have sworn that I could smell the change in the weather.  Kind of like when it rains.

missing: Texas.
wearing: lots and lots of layers.
noticing: that I seem to struggle more and more with the cold each passing year.  Not a good sign.  This disease runs in my family and I'm pretty sure I have it.  Thus why I am wearing lots and lots of layers!
knowing: that He makes everything beautiful in its time.  (Eccl. 3:11).
thinking: that there's nothing better on a cold winter's night than drinking hot tea by a warm fire.
pinning: encouragement for making healthy lifestyle decisions.
feeling: cold.  I'll just leave it at that :)
praying: prayers of thanksgiving to the Lord for carrying me through the past year.  Despite challenges and adversity, He blessed me in so many ways and I am especially thankful at the start of this new year for new beginnings and fresh starts.
looking forward to: seeing what God has in store for us this year.  I'm sure it's going to be good stuff.

loving: weekends with no plans.  After a busy holiday season, it's refreshing to wake up on a Saturday morning and have the entire weekend at our leisure.  I'm sure when spring rolls around we'll be traveling much more etc., but for now I'm enjoying the slower-paced weekends.

I hope you are having a great January so far!

december-ing

...and just like that, it's December!  I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.  Mine was lovely - a nice long weekend in Texas with my family.  Couldn't have been better.  I'll do a recap post soon, but until then, here's what I'm currently up to as we usher in the most wonderful time of the year!

reading: "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp.  My mom loaned it to me over the weekend and I haven't been able to put it down. 
making:  good use of our new living room furniture.  You can read more about that here.
cooking: turkey!  I helped my mom prepare the turkey for Thanksgiving dinner - it was my first time roasting a large bird. 
drinking: peppermint hot chocolate from Starbucks.  Yum.  I also tried a peppermint mocha over the weekend and for a girl who doesn't like coffee, I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was.
wanting: a new camera.  It's on my Christmas list :)
watching: 25 Days of Christmas on ABC Family.  I am a huge fan of the old claymation movies, especially Rudolph.
eating: unfortunately, not enough Thanksgiving leftovers.  That's the only downside of flying to home for Thanksgiving - we can't bring leftovers back.  But I got in my fair share while we were there!
enjoying: Christmas music.  All day, every day.
deciding: to spend more time reading and less time watching TV.
wishing: that grocery stores sold egg nog all year long. I love egg nog.
wondering: what to get everyone for Christmas.  I see a trip to the outlet mall in my near future...
learning: that thanksgiving isn't just a one-day-a-year thing.  It's every day, every year. 
hoping: that I will master this whole twitter thing eventually...
marveling: at how the Christmas lights twinkle and dance on our Christmas tree. 
smelling: peppermint everything.  Yum.

missing: my family.  Can't wait to see them again in just a few weeks though for Christmas.
wearing: dresses and leggings. By far my favorite outfit combination. It's so comfortable.
noticing: how important it is to choose words wisely.
knowing: that even though I am a "grown up," it's totally okay to be a kid about Christmas. 
thinking: about running another half marathon.  Maybe one in Dallas - an excuse to see my folks for the weekend?  We will see!
pinning: crockpot recipes.  Time to gear up for these cold winter months.
feeling: homesick (and Texas-sick). 
praying: for my sister as she travels all over the country for residency interviews.
looking forward to: seeing my family for Christmas!

loving: John Piper's advent devotionals.  They are a great way to remember the true reason for this beautiful season.

november-ing

Happy November and a belated Happy Halloween!  Our Halloween trick-or-treating was rained out yesterday, so tonight is the official unleashing of kiddos in costumes on sugar highs in our neighborhood.  I'm not sure if we'll be home from work in time to hand out candy, but I sure hope so!  Handing out candy on Halloween is my favorite part of the holiday.  Well, that, and candy pumpkins (not to be confused with candy corn.  The pumpkins are so much better!).

Since it's the first day of November, I'm continuing with my monthly -ings (you can find October's here).  Here's what I'm up to this month:

reading: "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth - the latest in the Divergent trilogy.
making: an organized recipe box. 
cooking: our first chili of the season last night.  Perfect for a rainy Halloween.
drinking: chai tea lattes.  Yum.
wanting:to see "Gravity" in theaters.  It's gotten great reviews and I love movies about space.  Speaking of which, I can't wait to see "Ender's Game" either.  I've loved that book since I was a kid.
playing: Ray LaMontagne pandora station.  All day, every day.
watching: Pacers basketball.  The NBA season has officially commenced, so we will have basketball on in our house from now until February.  Luckily, I like the Pacers and they are purported to be good this year.  Hooray!
eating: leftover blueberry cobbler from a trip to Gannie's last weekend.  SO. GOOD.
wishing: that Thanksgiving was here already.  We are going down to TX to spend the holiday with my family and I can't wait to see them.  Especially my sister.
enjoying: evenings after work with Steve.  I feel like we are finally getting into a routine and our social calendars aren't as packed, so we have more time to just unwind together in the evenings.  It's been great.
waiting: for the first snow.  I know it's coming soon.  :) / :(
wondering: whether I should join the local masters swim team.  Now that I have been able to swim consistently without my back acting up, I am feeling the urge to commit to more scheduled swimming.  We'll see!
learning: basics of cooking.  For example, how to cook broccoli without using the microwave.  We're talking serious basics here.  But it's been fun!
hoping: that the professional pictures we had taken last month turn out well and can be used for Christmas cards.  We didn't get to send out Christmas cards last year, so I'm eager to do them this year!
marveling: at the beautiful changing of colors.  Our leaves were late to change this year, but the gorgeous array of red, orange and yellow was well worth the wait.
smelling: crisp mornings.  There's a certain smell to them that's captivating.

missing: my college five-year reunion.  We couldn't make it work this year and I'm really bummed.
wearing: scarves.  I love scarves and am SO glad that scarf season is upon us!
noticing: small improvements we made to our house this week - a new chandelier makes a huge difference in our entryway!
knowing: that making wise financial decisions now will pay off later.  Now if only "wise financial decisions" included buying a whole new fall wardrobe, which is what I really want to do...!
thinking: that forgiveness is a mysterious thing. There comes a point where you cannot fully forgive - but if you're a Christian, God steps in and does it for you if you ask Him to. 
pinning: crockpot recipies.  My goal is to maximize my crockpot this fall/winter and learn to make some delicious soups and stews from scratch!
feeling: loved by my husband.  So much of it is in the little things. 
praying: for my sister as she goes on residency interview trips.
looking forward to: Thanksgiving!!

loving: looking back on the last year and seeing how far Steve and I have come.  By God's grace, we've come a long way and I am so, so thankful.  Also, looking back to two years ago when we got engaged on 11/11/11! 

 

Happy November!

october-ing

I found this list from Veronica at Passion, Pink and Pearls and thought I'd adopt my own version as a check-in each month.  So as we usher in the new month of October, here's what I'm currently up to!

reading: "Boundaries" by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. Charles Townsend.  Great book.  Also, anything by Margaret Atwood.
making: a commitment to work out for an hour 6 of 7 days each week this month.  So far, I'm 4/5 :)
cooking: Breakfast scrambles, aka the easiest breakfast ever - just a bunch of veggies thrown into scrambled eggs.  My husband thinks it's the best thing since sliced bread.  He's a sweetie.
drinking: LOTS of water.  Also, hot tea (Constant Comment).
wanting: to cover my front porch in pumpkins.
playing: with new ways to style my hair.  I've recently learned how to curl it with my left hand, which sounds silly but I'm ridiculously excited about it. Being ambidextrous has its perks.
watching: Once Upon A Time.
eating: leftover birthday cake.  It's a terrible problem.
wishing: that my swimming skills were as good as they once were.  Maybe one day...
enjoying: waking up early.  I know, it sounds crazy, but I feel like I can fit so much more in my day when I rise early and get my workout done before heading to the office.
waiting: for the arrival of a new baby!  Our friends are adopting and found out two weeks ago that they will have a new sweet baby within the next week.
liking: everything about Wheaton College.  We are here for Steve's class reunion/Homecoming and this is a really special place. I'll blog more about it soon.
wondering: when the weather is going to turn fall-ish.  It's strange to me that it's eighty degrees in October (although I'm not complaining!)
learning: a lot at work - I'm working on some projects with a great partner who has taken time to teach me as we progress.  It's been great.
loving: folding little baby clothes while helping my friend prep her nursery for the new baby.  Something about little baby clothes just makes me smile.
hoping: that the government shutdown will be over soon. The longer this shutdown goes on, the more people that will be affected but it. My heart goes out to them.
worrying: whether I'll be able to go to my college's 5-year reunion next month.
marveling: at the true Christian community of our small group. I'm so thankful for all of them.
smelling: pumpkin-scented everything. Tis the season!

missing: my sister.
wearing: a new ring that Steve bought me at the Penrod Arts Fair.
noticing: how often I do not show respect to my husband (convicted by this article).
knowing: that Steve and I feel more connected after a weekend away from home.
thinking: about what to do with this desire God has placed on my heart for teaching others.
bookmarking: everything on thepeacefulwife.com.  (See noticing, above)
opening: my heart (well, trying to.  Some days are better than others.)
feeling: nostalgic about my college experience. Wheaton College is a special place, and Rice is too. In very different ways.
praying: for my dad's ongoing recovery from shoulder surgery last week.
looking forward to: seeing my mom when she is in IN at the end of this month. 

loving: meeting all of my husband's college friends. It's so fun to get a glimpse into what he was like before we met!