thoughts on a friday afternoon

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"The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, Tall, light, dark, can, decaf, low-fat, nonfat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are, can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall! Decaf! Cappuccino." - Joe Fox, You've Got Mail

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Last night I was watching You've Got Mail for probably the 21st time. And I think it's the cutest movie. But Lydia wanted to cuddle, so I was snuggling with her, and every single time I laughed she would do the most adorable little forced giggle, and then look at me to make sure I noticed. And we had the "battle of the pause button," because she figured out the movie stopped and I tickled her when she pushed it. :)

 

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Tomorrow I get to go back to my hometown to spend a few days with my bestie. And you know what, I've been thinking about this lately, but I don't really think of it as home anymore. I think I finally got over being upset about movie, and think of this area as home now. I'm not resisting learning my way around and making friends. I'm not terrified every time I leave the house.  I can see ways that I  have blessed in moving here two years ago. I have a good church, and a bible-study group that is really good for me, in being able to study and learn, and also learn to become more vocal and articulate about harder things. I left some friends behind, but I've made more genuine, good friends in the two years that I've lived here than I ever had before. When I start to think about how angry and upset I was, I regret expending all that emotion and frustration. Yes, it was hard. Really hard. But it was a good thing.

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"The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand." Psalm. 37:23-24

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I am so ready for spring this year. This rain and cold has been starting to get to me, and the past two days have been sunny at least and I've been so happy. I can't wait until it's warm and happy out all the time, and I'm not longer freezing all of the time. ;) I'm in such a raspberries and lemonade mood. At a coffee shop a few days ago I just wanted a strawberry lemonade, but they couldn't make it, so the barista and I decided on a lemonade rockstar with strawberry flavor added; and then I proceeded to drop it all over my car right there in the drive thru. (But she was so nice and made me another one and helped me clean it up.) Yesterday, in a fit of spring fever I made a lemon cake, which I do every spring. And I remarked something about Lemon just tasting exactly like spring, and Caleb came to me quite perplexed. "Why does lemon taste like spring? You can't taste spring. It just happens!" gosh. When did he get so smart?

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 After reading My Life in France by Julia Child I ordered several dvd's of her cooking show from the library, and I love her even more. Not only is she full of confidence and adventure and totally inspiring, she's just adorable. I'm a messy cook. After I get done cooking the kitchen is usually a disaster and it's a big job to get it cleaned up, but hey, the food tastes great! :) But I noticed that Mrs. Child is a messy, slightly klutzy cook, but she also doesn't let it faze her. In fact sometimes it strikes her as funny, and you can see that she is trying hard not to laugh in the middle of the show after spilling something all over. She'll try to flip an omlet in the pan and end up spilling it all over the stove top, but instead of freaking out or being upset she just picks up the pieces and smashes them back together saying something like "If nobody is in kitchen with you nobody has to know!!"

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Lydia just woke up from her nap, and we're going to go play outside for awhile. It's the thing that makes her happiest. At the moment she's standing in front of me with amazing, wispy bed hair, chattering in the cutest munchkin voice about nothing in particular. :)

 

Head in the Clouds // Book Review

Head in the Clouds
Karen Witemeyer
{3 Stars}
I picked up Head in the Clouds by Ms. Snelling earlier this year at the library, completely on a whim. I didn't know anything about her writings or the book, but the cover caught my eye. It featured a woman dressed in a bright yellow dress, completely caught up in a book, about to step off a porch into thin-air. I had to laugh, because it was something I would do. (And the first thing my sister said when she saw it was, "Becca, you'd totally do this!") The back cover shows the book flying through the air.

    So I took it home and thoroughly enjoyed it. It wasn't your typical christian romance book, which are usually stupid, either rambly or too fast, and more romance than anything else. Don't get me wrong, I love cute love stories, but I'd rather read a sweet book than one seeped with unnecessary details, especially if you're writing from a Christian perspective.

     But Head in the Clouds was pretty adorable. And I loved the fact that she didn't really glorify the love story. It was a thread throughout the whole thing, but the plot was more centered on a kidnapping/child recovery theme.

Adelaide was very lovable, and relatable. Being the klutz that I am, I enjoyed her "awkward situations" thoroughly. Lately my own life has felt like my name should be used as a definition for awkward in Webster's dictionary. So it is always nice to find reassurance in the fact that other people humiliate themselves regularly in public by falling over randomly and tripping on nothing, or just acting like a complete spaz. (Even if said person is entirely fictional. Somehow it helps...) But she was so much more than a klutz. She was independent in the best way, spunky, intelligent, impulsive but still sensible. And I loved the way that she treated Isabella, (who hasn't spoken since her mother died.) And the creative ways she draws her in, and peaks her interest.
    All in all, I enjoyed this book. It was cute, and not too deep, so perfect for an evening of just relaxing and not wading through a Dickens novel. :)

these are a few of my favorite things// 06

+ quiet

+ getting things done

+ having awesome little brothers who are more than willing than to remove the flock? herd? pod? of lady bugs that have decided to infest my bedroom.

+ Happy daffodils  (they're my favorite flower. ;)

+ good conversations with good friends

+ it's almost spring, which means we might start seeing the sun! (!!!!!)

+ electricity and hot water. (our power was out last night, which always make me thankful for lamps and showers. ;)

+ coffee dates

+ Happy books, like "Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good," by Jan Karon and "My Life in France" by Julia Child.

+ "The Lord's loving kindness indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. The lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I have hope in Him." Lamentations 3:22-24

+ Ice cream!

+ Cuddling with Lydia when she's still sleepy and teaching her to give hugs.

+ "Greater is He living in me than he who is in the world." (Paraphrase of 1 John 4:4)

+ "Never miss a good chance to shut up." Will Rogers

+ Roots Run Deep by Jadon Lavik 

+ baby bunnies. (so far my sister has had a couple doe's have babies in the past few weeks, and they are pretty darn cute.)

+ watching master and commander with my little brother a couple days ago. (It's cool that he's old enough to really hang out with, but also, he's turning 18 this year!??)

+ the wind outside. (so it knocked the electricity out for a while, but I love it anyway. Makes me think of Goldendale.)

+ having fun with my sister while shopping. (she's a good one to take with you when you're not supposed to buy any more clothes. ;)

+ working on some piano pieces again. it's been far too long, but it's cool that my fingers and mind still remember how to take sheets of music and make music happen.

My Life in France by Juila Child // Review

 

Just speak very loudly and quickly, and state your position with utter conviction, as the French do, and you'll have a marvelous time! - Julia Child on French dinner parties.

I have loved Julia Child ever since watching Julie and Julia several years ago,  and falling so in love with it and both women, and as a result, I ended up hosting an elaborate French party just to have an excuse to show the movie to friends. Earlier this month I was catching up with a favorite youtube channel, and Petie heartily recommended "My Life In France." I've read several other books per Petie's suggestions on her blog, and loved every single one of them. So I ordered "My Life In France" from the library and was excited to read it. But I wasn't expecting to fall quite so in love with it. How could a book rival Julie and Julia? But this book is insanely adorable. One of the things I loved the most was the way Julia describes her experiences with food. She's not just telling stories about food, but she makes it almost as though the reader is experiencing the dishes with her, through her pen. It's not just a meal, but every bite of food was an exquisite experience for her. I find it amazing how she remembers every detail of different meals and dinner parties, right down to the sauces and particular bottles of wine.Another favorite aspect was Paul and Julia's relationship. It was interesting, because they met later in life, and married around 35 and 45, but never had children. But their relationship was sweet, fun and inspiring. She whole-heartedly supported him in his work and dreams, while he cheered her on right from the beginning. (He wrote to his twin Charlie, "Julie's cookery is actually improving. I didn't quite believe that it would, just between us, but it really is.") And they seemed so compatible. They both had their separate talents, interests and dreams, but they also shared a lot of the same interests, and they found great ways of meshing together and complementing each others strengths and weaknesses. Julia had so much energy. She was always off attending a professional lecture by some renowned Chef, exploring through the marketplace for the absolutely perfect mortar-and-pestal, or starting her own private cooking school, or a tv series, or traveling back and forth from the States and France. (Not to mention perfecting her mayo recipe, and using 200+ lbs of flour to find the perfect way to make french bread in a standard American oven. :) All in all, I loved this book so much. It was entertaining, funny, inspiring and entirely enjoyable.  {5 stars}      

It's a girl thing // black and floral

I am pretty excited about this skirt. I bought it last  week for 1/3 of the original price. I've been looking at it every time I went into Fred Meyer over the past three months,  falling more and more in love with it, but couldn't justify the price, considering the quality isn't that good, but I love the print and length. So when I found it on sale this week I couldn't resist anymore. ;)

This pendant is my favorite and I don't really even like peacocks. (At least real ones. ;)

Outfit:

Sweater: Target{20.99}

Skirt: Fred Myers{14.99}

Tee: Kohls{8.99}

Heels: Payless {19.99}

Set my heart, O dear Father,

On Thee and Thee only,

Give me a thirst for Thy presence divine.

Lord, keep my focus on loving Thee Wholly,

Purge me from earth; Turn my heart after Thine.

A passion for Thee

O Lord, Set a fire in my soul,

And a thirst for my God.

Hear Thou my prayer, Lord Thy power impart.

Not just to serve, but to love thee with all of my heart.

Father fill with Thy Spirit, and fit me for service

Let love for Christ, every motive inspire.

Teach me to follow in selfless submission

Be Thou my joy and my souls one desire.

A passion for Thee

O Lord, set a fire in my soul

And a thirst for my God,

Hear Thou my pray, Lord Thy power impart

Not just to serve, but to Love Thee with all of my heart. 

This hymn has been stuck in my head lately. I've been thinking a lot about serving God in all things, big or small, and having a consuming passion and desire for Him, not just going through the motions, or serving with my hands; but truly loving and seeking to bring Him glory through everything I say, think and do.I think sometimes I get caught up in doing things because I know it's right, (like reading my bible, or praying, etc.) But not necessarily out of love and total devotion and passion for Christ. 

Anyway, that's just what I've been thinking about lately. :) 

normality: the state of being usual, typical, or expected.

+This past week my entire family has been pretty sick. We've gone through an abnormal amount of ibuprofen and NyQuil, but despite all that the world rolls on. It's been a week of deciding to wear cute dresses everyday, and then adding  jeggings and sweaters for warmth, and a lot of make-up--if for nothing else than the fact that whenever you happen to catch a glimpse of yourself in a mirror at least you don't look as though you were dying. ;)

+ I bought a weighted hula hoop earlier this week, and I've tried it a couple of times, in between feeling like I might as well die. It seems like it's a much less painful more entertaining way of working on your abs, than crunches. My purchase seemed to inspire the whole family for one day, because mom had everybody doing hula hoops in the living room one morning early last week-but the fad seems to have ended there. :)

 + One of the girls had ballet on Wednesday, and I felt somewhat better than Mom did, so I threw a bunch of dark chocolate covered camels into my purse and we ran a bunch of errands. (The caramels were to bolster my mood through out the errands and shopping I needed to get done, of course!) To cheer myself up I decided on a whim to run to goodwill and look through the formals. I ended up buying a red satin strapless gown, that is a high-low tea-length. It's quite beautiful and perfect for a formal dinner my brother and I are attending next weekend. And my sister and I picked out a new color of my current favorite brand of lipstick, which is super exciting for some reason. :)

+ Lydia learned to walk about a month ago, and she is now an expert at evading all of our gates/blocks to the stairs. Luckily she is already an expert at climbing them and has nearly perfected coming back down. (As long as she doesn't take any tips from me and end up toppling down them once a week, we're all good! ;) So far she has learned to say "Up," "Mama," "Duck," and she also moos like a cow. (I taught her that of course. ;)

+ I tried to take photos of my outfit today but my compute won't read the SD card. I think I'm going to bite the bullet and buy a new laptop sometime in the next couple of weeks. Whenever I finally convince myself, and talk to my brother about what to get. (I haven't any idea how to go about shopping for a laptop. Suggestions??)

+ in short, life around here has been rather normal. Laundry, cooking, cleaning, reading, helping littles with school, telling Lydia she's cute, all those little things that make my life. I kind of like it. :)

xx,

life // a list

I've been thinking about the sea a lot lately. I never did get to go last year...

Listening:

lots of Michael Buble, Frank Sinatra and Chris Rice

 
Drinking:

Coffee. Lots of coffee. And Harney & Sons Paris tea with a dollop of half and half and a spoonful of sugar. 

Missing:

my little horse and riding through the meadow. 

Watching:

lots of musicals... Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, The South Pacific, etc.

Loving:

baby giggles from Lydia

Hoping:

to make a trip back to Goldendale to be ridiculous and spontaneous with my lovely bestie. 

Wishing:

that time would stand still and speed forward at the same time. I want to enjoy every moment, but the ancitipation for things to come is overwhelming sometimes.

Reading: 

just friends, a lost pearle, Colossions

 

A Chance to Die // Book Review

Amy Carmichael understood true discipleship and lived it out. At a very young age she felt called to the mission field, followed God's guidance, and eventually went to India, where she would spend fifty-three years without furlough. While there, Amy founded the Dohnavur Fellowship, a refuge for children in moral danger- children who were orphaned or unwanted and sold to the temple, Amy became a mother for these children, and so they called her "Amma."

Even today, Amy's life of obedience and courage stands as a model for all Christians everywhere. We resonate with her desires and dreams, her faults and fears, her dedication and service. For former missionary and author Elisabeth Elliot, Amy became a role model. "She was my first spiritual mother," writes Elliot. "She showed me the shape of godliness. 

- From the Back of the book

     One of my favorite quotes from this book  sums up Amy's whole outlook on her calling for Christ; "I would rather burn out than rust out." It reminded me of a conversation I had with a friend a while back, and he was saying that he wants to get to the end of his life, and be completely, 100%, spent for the Lord.
     This book was  one of those books I've always meant to read, but never actually read, so I ordered it from the library on a whim, and decided to read it in November. (This review has been a long time in the works.) But I am very glad that I did end up reading it, as it was incredibly inspiring and encouraging. I thought I had a pretty good idea of Amy Carmichael's life, (based on a short biography I read about her when I was younger,) but A Chance To Die had so many more details and a lot of her personal writing. She was so selfless, even from a very young age, always putting others needs before her own. She had a vision that she followed all her life, and stuck to it, even when others around her protested, or made things difficult for her. She inspires me personally in the way that she always ran straight to her Savior when in need, or when she was struggling with doubts and fears; Christ was the center of every single thing that she did. 
     I highly recommend A Chance To Die as an encouraging, uplifting biography of a wonderful, sweet woman who strove to glorify Christ in all that she did!

these are a few of my favorite things // 05

 

+ seeing people I miss
+ emails that make me happy ;)
+ misty days
+ verses that stand out and convict during devotions
+ listening to Christmas music
+ free birthday drinks from Starbucks
+ rainfall on the roof as I drift off to sleep
+  buying several of my favorite movies with gift cards. ;) (North and South,  Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, and The Young Victoria.
+ Frisians  (They're so beautiful. Someday I think I would like a black or gray gelding.)
+  new books to read, and rereading old favorites
+ possibly getting to see my bestie this tomorrow! (!!!!!)
+ Coffee
+  Christmas Caroling with people from Church
+ making faces at the littles in the row in front of us in church and seeing their faces light up with smiles
+ mama bought me two huge boxes of my favorite tea for my birthday. She's awesome.
+ reading, in comfy pajama's!  after a very long, very overly-social day. :)
+ London Fog's (I've been drinking them a lot lately and they're soo good!)
+ Driving in the rain (It's oddly satisfying sometimes. :)
+ New coffee mugs (An adorable christmasy owl one from my little brother, and a huge, fun one from my oldest brother.)
+ It's almost Christmas. ;)

He is faithful // 1 John 1:9

 

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

1 John 1:9

This morning I was reading in 1 John, and I can't count the many, many times I've read those words. I've grown up my whole life exposed to the Bible, and reading it for myself. And it's amazing and excites me that I still get overwhelmed when I read these verses. I stop and reread them several times, absolutely savoring the promise. "He is faithful and and righteous to forgive." All we have to do is confess. I cannot understand why, or how, He can forgive and love so beautifully, so unconditionally. But I am so very grateful.