Remedies for Life's Maladies

My (incomplete) list of simple, splendid things:

Chubby baby fingers...black and white photos...Christmas ornaments...
hot tea with cream & sugar...Gerber daisies...tulips...
the rhythmic sound of breathing next to me in bed...
cold milk...bookstores...sour cream cookies (like Mom makes)...
rain...squirrels scampering...a hot bath...
full body massages...gift certificates...pedicures...
slobbery baby kisses...puppy breath...the smell of baby's skin...
broken-in jeans...a good hair day...mid-day sex...
homegrown tomatoes...butter pecan ice cream...hummingbirds...
ice cold Dr Pepper...intimate talks...laughing so hard you cry...
the feel of freshly shaven legs on my sateen sheets...
soft rain...wildflowers...catching up with friends...
fresh baked bread...jalepano cheese bagels...napping in the sun...
eight hours of sleep...down bedding and pillows...Canadian geese...
roller coasters...summits...big city skylines...
fireworks...singing Happy Birthday...finding the perfect gift...
ocean breezes...the soreness of a good workout...the smell of pine trees...
someone running their fingers through my hair...West Texas sunsets...
capturing memories with photography...a good book...prayer...
hand-written letters...shortbread...traveling to new places...
seeing the boys master a new skill...strawberry margaritas...bargains...
baseball uniforms...lingerie...warm clothes fresh out of the dryer...
venting...art by Ethan...family...
storytelling...art & history museums...romantic walks...
fishing...playing hand and foot...my wedding band...
grass between my toes...picnics...rainbows...
raises...hard wood floors...peek-a-boo...
the enthusiastic greeting the boys always give me...
an office with four walls and a door...water fights...
praise music...quotations and scriptures...a flexible work schedule...
looking through old photographs...knowing love never fails...

Feel free to add your own...

Camping

John set up a tent in Ethan's room & for a few nights last week Ethan slept in it...And as you can see, he & Nolan had fun playing in it too! Now Ethan can't wait for it to warm up so he can go camping outside!
I think that sounds fun, too. We haven't been camping since I was pregnant with Ethan!

The 40 Year Old Virgin

I love "The Office". We watch it every Thursday night. We think it's hilarious...So we were excited to rent "The 40 Year Old Virgin". I DO NOT recommend it. In the end the message was that it was (kind of) okay to stay a virgin & there were a handful of funny parts...but it was not worth watching again. (It was the "unrated" version - only because that was the only one available for rent - so I don't know exactly what it was like in the theater.) The F word was thrown around like candy. And there was unnecesary nudity. Does sex/nudity (on tv) make anyone else out there physically ill? Ugh - it just grosses me out! SO, IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET - DON'T WASTE 2 HOURS OF YOUR LIFE!
The Office tonight was funny, though. Someone took a dump in the bosses office & they had to change the carpet! HA! If you watch it, you know that is funny. I love that show because the boss says/does things you might think, but you would NEVER EVER say/do. Plus, I can totally relate to the cubicle life. (Thankfully, I recently got an office with walls & a door!) Anyone else a fan?

Reading, Reading, & More Reading

I decided I would read all the books in our home library & my office library - I figure what's the point in having them if I don't utilize them.
So I am trying to read for a little while each morning after my quiet time. I read about a different topic/from a different source each day.

Since 2006 began I have completed the following 3 books:
"Everyday Evangelism" by Randy Becton
"How to Raise your Self-Esteem" by Nathaniel Branden
"Good to Great" by Jim Collins

"Everyday Evangelism" is great & short (less than 100 pages). It is inspirational to anyone who would like to incorporate sharing their faith throughout their everyday life. Randy Becton is an amazing person & I think it makes the book more meaningful to me. He taught a class at ACU titled Everyday Evangelism, and John & I have loved him since. Please pray that he willed be healed from cancer (it's his third battle).

"How to Raise your Self-Esteem" is okay. It has lots of questions & activities for self-reflection (which I liked, but I thought it was a bit excessive). I also felt like the author had a slightly different value system than I do...but it was worthwhile. In conclusion he correlates increased self-understanding with an increased understanding of others - which I think is true.

"Good to Great" shares the conclusions from a study of companies that went from average to greater than 3 times the average stock market value & then sustained those high numbers for at least fifteen years. It shares the common characteristics of these great companies & encourages you (& your company) to emulate those characteristics. It's a nerdy read, but great for anyone in management/leadership.

Please pray

Darrell (John's older brother) and his wife Missy need your prayers. They are currently separated. Please pray that their marriage will be restored. Pray blessings of forgiveness, trust, self control, patience, honesty, open communication, unconditional love...be given to them.
The prayer of a righteous man/woman is powerful & effective!

Ethan's Request

Wednesday, after I picked up the boys from daycare, Ethan said, "I don't want to go home. I want to go see Nana." This is not an unusual request & I often grant it, but that night I couldn't...So he made another request. "OK, I want a little brother." I explained that he already had one - Nolan. I asked if he wanted another little brother. "Yeah. And a little sister." :)

Searching for Balance

I don't have much to say or much time to spend on this (or anything else of leisure) today. I have lots of goals for 2006...but one of them is finding balance in my life. I want to tap into the peace that passes understanding continually, be able to fulfill commitments, have fun, kick my feet up, and excel. Anyone got your finger on that pulse? Is it even possible?