Right Now I'm...

Listening: Daylight by Maroon 5, Brave by Josh Groban, Voyage by Celtic Thunder (entire CD), and of course my "Good Times" CD (songs compiled by yours truly- made one for me and one for Helen... to help us miss each other a little less)

Reading: Remember by Karen Kingsbury & Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks--- and The Very Cranky Bear by someone I can't remember (my 2-year-olds LOVE this book!)

Eating: Left over "Happy Retirement" cake (Thanks, Joe!)

Wishing: that winter will be over; that Helen wasn't in Ohio... or that I was..., for a hug from Caleb, that relationships were easy

Needing: Technically, I need nothing because God has promised that He will supply for all of my needs.  In Lacy land, I feel like I need more friends in the area... since Steve, Helen, Caleb, & Caleb are all far away...

Rejoicing: I once again have the joy of teaching Children's church!  Family- both natural and adopted (Yellow House Family, Tom & Lori, Kirsten). Salvation! 

Indulging: The Bachelor is my Monday night indulgence. That show is so ridiculous, but I just can't seem to help myself!  Also, I bought potato chips and french onion dip yesterday.  That is definitely an indulgence.  Oh, and I just ordered a Tablet today.  That counts as an indulgence for sure!

Enjoying: My daily journal.  I took a pinterest idea and modified it to fit my needs. Basically, I have a journal wherein I write the day at the top of the page (ie- January 1).  Then on the first line I write the year (ie- 2013) followed by something special about the day.  I'm hoping to keep the same daily journal for several years, being able to look back on what I did on any given day! I'm definitely enjoying finding something to write about every day!

Loathing: Snow.  And Winter. And cold. And wind. And the Joker from Batman.  Always the Joker.

Saying: "You think THAT'S hard?!  Try eating applesauce with chopsticks.  That's hard." 

Meditating: Psalm 139:14A  "I will praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."  I got my finger prints taken this week for work, and I was astounded at God's design of the human body. Each person has his own unique finger print.  Of all the billions of people that have walked the earth... and are on the earth right now, each and every person has a unique finger print!  Amazing!

Picturing: Europe.  I cut/colored my hair to look like this again after looking through my Europe pictures this weekend.  Then today, I chatted with my friend Andy about his upcoming trip: it's his turn to join the Chorale for Europe tour through Germany & Holland!

Savoring the Moments

So anyone that knows me won't find this too shocking, but I've been feeling kinda emotional lately. Homesick, if you will. Not homesick in the "I just wanna go home to mommy" kinda way, but in the "I miss Helen... and Caleb... and Fogell... and SUMMER!!!" kinda way.

The fact is that life changes.  Whether we want it to or not, life just keeps on moving, and change is unavoidable. I've been reflecting a lot lately on where I was six months ago, and how perfect life was.  Sometimes when I look back on things that were really, really great, I find myself wishing I'd savored the moments more... that I'd taken time to appreciate what I had when I had it.

And as I was driving home from church last night, thinking about how many wonderful Pie Rush Wednesdays we had this summer, I waited for that "I wish I'd savored it more" feeling to come over me.  But it never came. I realized that probably for the first time in my life, I'd actually taken the time to savor the little moments.  To drink in the memories.  To live in the moment, not worrying about what was to come. And even though I would LOVE to have just one more day of that incredible summer, I also have no regrets.

Because I spent every moment of the summer enjoying life to the fullest. And the memories I have from that (and the lesson I learned about how rewarding it is to actually savor the moment) will last for life.

Good Reads

Well here we are, the month almost half over, and I haven't written one single post for this wonderful new year.  What's that all about?!

Well, it's probably about how not much new is going on here.  I'm slowly adjusting to life without My best Helen & Steve living down the road.  Eagerly anticipating the end of winter and the arrival of spring. Spending my days with my 2-year-olds and my nights with One Tree Hill.

I kicked off my new year by reading two really fantastic books, and I thought I'd take a little posting space to share them with you:

Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson

Anyone who loves a good suspense novel will love Dee Henderson's works!  I began reading her O'Malley series when I was, I think, still in middle school. My dad and sister both loved them, so I picked up Danger in the Shadows and fell in love.  Full Disclosure follows the story of Ann Silver, who happens to know the O'Malley clan quite well.  If you loved The O'Malleys, you'll love Full Disclosure.

Lethal Legacy by Irene Hannon

I picked up my first Irene Hannon book at the library because I saw Dee Henderson highly recommended it (as written on the inside of the book). And I'm SO glad I did! Irene Hannon is a wonderful author.  Her books move quickly along, keeping your interest the whole way and leaving you excited for more.  Lethal Legacy is the third book in the Guardians of Justice series, which follows the stories of the three Taylor siblings.  I sat down and read this book cover to cover on New Year's Eve... I couldn't put it down!

If you're looking for something good to read, an escape from reality, I highly recommend both of these books!