95 years....

Let's think about that for a minute.  It is a LOOOOOOOOOOONG freaking time!

* It is 16.8 years longer than the life expectancy in the United States today.
* It is 5 years shy of a century.
* It is 3 times the life span of Jesus.
* It is 21 years younger than the oldest person alive in the world right now.
* If you are 95 today that means you were born in the same year as JFK and we know how far you outlived him!

Well I am sure you are curious as to what is so special about 95?  I will tell you.  Today my lovely grandmother Violet celebrates 95 years of life!

Happy Birthday Nannie!

Nannie has been a perfect example of the type of kindness and love I want to one day share with my grandkids.  She modeled what it mean to be loving, caring, and generous to me and on top of all that found time to teach me how to cook!  I remember countless times spending the night at Nannie and Pop's house and waking up to a yummy breakfast and then a day filled with crafts and cooking.  She used to take me to Piece Goods to shop for fun craft projects and was always willing to let me filter through her craft boxes to see what I wanted to make next.  To say she had a part in making me the person I am today would be a HUGE understatement.  My love for craft projects and cooking would most likely not exist if my Nannie had not taking the time to encourage my love for such things!  She truly is one of a kind!

Nannie and I

Last night, we had a HUGE gathering of family and friends to celebrate her birthday and her life!

So many people, I cannot get them all in one picture!

The Birthday Girl

I look forward to spending another year with this beautiful (both inside and out!) woman!

Reading....one of my favorite pastimes?

Here lately you would be hard-pressed to prove that I actually enjoy reading, but I do!  I have been having to practically force myself to start a new book; I blame it on the TV and cold weather.  It is a cycle and it goes like this....It is cold outside....all I want to do is cuddle up in a blanket with 52 layers of clothes on so I am warm.....I get so warm in my cacoon that I start getting tired....instead of reading, I just want to watch T.V. cause reading just makes me sleepy.....then I get hot in my blanket and break free.....only to be cold again in another 5 minutes.  I worry about myself going through menopause someday if I already have these crazy temperature swings!

Anyway, I have had some free time between work and meetings and such this week, so I have taken it upon myself to really dive into my current book, Wild.  Mainly because it took me forever to get it from the library and it is due back next Friday, so I am working on a bit of a deadline here.  Well this approach seems to be working, I put my nose in a book and now I am hooked (turns out reading actually makes me a rhymer too).  I am over 1/3 of the way through and I cannot wait to hear how it ends--this is a great place to be at for all you non-readers....because this means that all the free time I have will be channeled towards my reading rather than other useless tasks (like packing for that big move I have coming up next week).

Moving right along....and yes I was reading at a stoplight in the car while waiting to go!

So maybe the last 4-5 books on my list will get done before the year is up after-all :)

Random Acts of Kindness

So we have been studying the fruit of the spirit in bible study lately and last week, CJ led us in a study of kindness and goodness.  As part of the study, we had a challenge: to perform a random act of kindness each day for the upcoming week above and beyond what you would normally do.  

So I set out with the list I was given and decided on some tasks, some easier than others, and some much funner than others.  

Day 1: Mail an anonymous package to a friend --I did this and tried my darnest to disguise my handwriting, but I was figured out.  I still think she liked the package!

Day 2: Leave a note in the mailbox for my mail lady with a Starbucks gift card.  My mail lady appreciated the gesture and left me a thank you note!

Day 3: Send an anonymous letter to a sibling with a gift card.  I mailed a note to my sister from her child with another Starbucks gift card.  I really really thought she might think it was her husband, but alas she also realized it was me, but loved the coffee treat!

Day 4: Leave change for the snack machine.  Well this one was a BIG FAIL!  So I thought I would be creative, right.  So I made up a cutesty note card (see picture) so people could see the change and know it was for the taking.  Well I left it there Friday taped to the soda machine.  And I waited, and waited, and waited.  Turns out people do not like free money.  I know multiple people have come and gone from that snack room and NO ONE uses the money.  I finally took the note card down today and just left the change in the machine, but this one was a bust.

Sorry for the sideways picture!

Day 5: Packed up and delivered an extra bed I had to a friend across town.  This was probably the hardest of all--with CJ's help, we load up the truck, but moving furniture is much harder to do than it looks and that bed was unyielding.  Needless to say, I am glad that is over, but she now has a bed for one of her guest bedrooms!

Day 6: Volunteered for a task at church I really did not want to do.  This past Sunday was an overfill of duties at church.  I had nursery and hospitality/greeting, had to work the welcome table, then at night I had a leader's meeting and youth group.  I was definitely doing my normal acts of kindness anyway.  So when I learned we had a fellowship lunch, I DID NOT WANT TO PARTICIPATE.  But I did, despite my better judgement, and it was good.  I volunteered to work the cash box and registration for people who had not pre-paid for their lunches.  It was a fun experience and afterward I joined a few others to catch up on the week and eat lunch today.  

Day 7: Took a friend out for her birthday celebration.  My friend Allison was celebrating her birthday on Tuesday, but since Monday we have small group, I asked if she would be available to meet up for dinner.  I have been wanting to have some one on one time (so I guess this is a little selfish of me too) for awhile with her and her birthday seemed like a great opportunity.  We shared a meal and some wine and chatted about our lives. It was great and I think she appreciated the celebration for her birthday.  Then we had cupcakes at small group for her!

All in all, it was a great week.  I enjoyed the experiences of going out of my way to be kind and I found myself more incline to be friendly or helpful when needed.  I offered up by dusting services for my mom, but she put me off for a few weeks when she is on a cruise in December and I am staying at her house to watch the dogs.  So all in all, acts of kindness week was a success.  Thanks for the challenge CJ!  

Weekend in Review....

Well another weekend has come and gone and I am once again tired!!!  I really need to learn to take a little time to relax on the weekends...Oh well, Thanksgiving will be here before I know it and we have 4 days off work together (don't mind that I am going to Norfolk, and moving over that 4 day span!)

So what did I do this weekend?  Well, checked everything off my list of things to get done this week (cleaned stuff out, took to goodwill, moved some furniture out of my house, saw Erica run a half-marathon, ran multiple errands, went to a party, worked the nursery at church, helped with the fellowship lunch, youth group, shopping with mom, cooked dinner, etc.) and I am sure threw a few other things in there just for the heck of it!

This upcoming week is going to be busy, as is next week; I have taken a new approach to my planner, where I look at my upcoming week about a week and a half in advance and find the days that I do not have anything and physically write "Don't plan anything!" down, this way I remind myself that I need some free time.  So far it has sort of been working---most of the time I end up planning something anyway, but hopefully it is more low-key.

Please note: Tuesday is my Don't Make Plans night :)

All in all, I feel like I am coming into the final stages of the move and getting excited about being able to sorta access all my things rather than going to look for something and realizing that I packed it a week ago.  It will be nice to be in a smaller place and be able to make the space my own.  I am excited about this new phase of my life (just ready to be at that place than in the preparation phase still). :)

Anyway, back to my weekend....Friday night, I made chicken taco salad from a pinterest recipe and CJ came over for dinner and we watched Rock of Ages!

Please note my dog would rather be around anyone than me! haha

Then Saturday we got up bright and early to go cheer on Erica during her half-marathon.  We made the best posters and were excited to show them off to the runners!

We had a few people ask if I promised?  I may have said Yes!

Got a lot of laughs on this one!

Here is Erica waving enthusiastically  around mile 8!

Our Third sign, which we used near mile 12, everyone was feeling like this I think!

Here is Erica right before mile 12 marker, she was VERY in the zone, we had to scream her name and jump up and down for like 15 seconds before she even saw us!!!

Back home, Brutus did NOT get the memo to do the CJ face!  

Roommate Reunion at Sweet Frog!

Just cause he is cute :)

There you have it, my weekend in review, hope you had a fun and productive weekend too!

Cuttest Boy in the World

No I am not talking about Taylor Lautner or Brad Pitt, rather, this cutie here:

Ummm who would NOT cheer for the Nationals after seeing this face?

Not convinced yet?

Check this out:

What parents would not be proud?

The countdown is on....2 weeks exactly til I get to see that smiley face in person and get a big hug from him!

November Book Update

So another month has passed and this list has not grown much at all.  But I did finish ONE book and started another just this morning, so I felt like it might be time for a quick update!  

What are you reading these days?  Also, make sure to take a break from the books to go VOTE today :)

List of books I have read in 2012

1. Five Love Languages
2. Sisterhood Everlasting
3. The Holocaust Diaries
4. Private #1 Suspect
5. The Fixer Upper
6. The Hunger Games
7. Catching Fire (book 2)
8. Mockingjay (book 3)
9. The Carrie Diaries
10. What Alice Forgot
11. The Purpose Driven Life
12. The Reservoir
13. Private Games
14. Mountain beyond Mountains
15. Hijacked: Responding to the Partisan Church Divide
16. Sarah's Key
17. I've Got Your Number
18. Private
19. There are No Children Here
20. Generous Justice
21. The Other Boleyn Girl
22. Kisses from Katie
23. Unbroken
24. A good and perfect Gift
25. Hope in a Jar 
26. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
27. Lexapros and Cons
28. 3rd Degree 
29. The 100 thing challenge


 List of books I plan to read in 2012

30. Wild (started on 11/6/12 and due back to the library by November 24th so I have to finish it by then cause there is a hold!)
31. The Rape of Nanking
32. The Girl who Played with Fire
33. The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
34. Flyboys 

Happy Reading!

Halloween Take 2

I love holidays!  I love theme parties!  So by default, Halloween has to be one of my favorite holidays--it is all about themes and dressing up and getting into the spirit, so I love Halloween celebrations!

Needless to say, Halloween on Hanover is like Halloween on crack!  It is awesome--lots of kids in tons of costumes with lots of candy and fun!  My kind of night!  I was so caught up in the festivities  I forgot to take more pictures, but here are a few for your viewing pleasure...

Lila (Morton Salt Girl), Me (Katniss), and CJ (ladybug)

C-3PO and R2D2 hanging out outside Patrick's house (his roommate and his girlfriend)

Jellyfish!

See people get super into it!  Pirate themed house!

Thought bubble!  He let you change the board!

More pirates!

The Ladies again!