Martin Family Photos ~ Fall 2014

Last night was the PERFECT time for a little family photo session!  The last hour and a half of sunlight was absolutely beautiful! I'm so grateful for every opportunity I have to practice my skills behind the lens, and last night had some real winners!

I just love this little family!  So much personality and love!

Right Now I'm...

Listening: A few Friday nights ago, I crawled in bed at 7:30 with my laptop and my PS I Love You DVD.  Since then, the score from that delightful film has been stuck in my head.  My favorite is "To Eire," which I've also made my ringtone. Yes.  I realize this makes me slightly nerdy.  I'm totally ok with that.

Watching: I finished up Gilmore Girls this weekend (for like the 5th time), so I dove right back in to Scandal.  I'm so excited for my shows to come back at the end of the month! 

Reading: This is the time of year I always pick up my copy of Karen Kingsbury's A Thousand Tomorrows.  I absolutely adore this book, which is a love story about a bull-riding cowboy and a cystic-fibrosis-fighting barrel racer.  I cry at the end every single time, but it's just soooo good!

Eating: Ice cream with fresh peaches.  The peaches are kinda hit-and-miss with their tastiness, but add a scoop or two of Blue Bunny Vanilla, and you've got yourself quite a tasty treat! 

Wishing: That it was easier to patiently wait for God's plan and timing.  I think that's my "always" wish.  

Needing: This weather to stick around for the next 6 months!  I'm LOVING the 60's temps and sunshine!  If it could stick around for at least a few weeks, I might actually find time to get outside with my sister and her family for a photo shoot!

Rejoicing: I found my voice!  Unfortunately, my surgery in March didn't completely remove the possibility for sinus infection.  I spent the weekend battling it out with another nasty one, although at least it wasn't as bad as what I used to get before the surgery.  With this came an unusual case of laryngitis; unusual in that I don't remember ever getting laryngitis with a sinus infection in the past.  I'm finally on the mend and feeling MUCH better; in fact, this is the best I've felt in a week, and boy am I glad!

Indulging: Hot tea with honey.  There's nothing I like more when I'm suffering from a sinus infection (and apparently this time laryngitis, too) than a nice hot cup of honey-laced tea!  I've had several gallons in the past week.

Loathing: Worms.  It was kinda rainy yesterday morning, and with the rain seems to always come the worms.  I just loath the smell that permeates the air when worms are out.  Also, there is this detail of my gag reflex always enacting when I see worms.  It's disgusting. 

Saying: Well, with a case of laryngitis, I haven't been saying much at all over the last three or four days.  I'm sure my family has enjoyed the quiet.  :)

Meditating: Our church is doing a new children's program on Wednesday nights: Scripture Seekers. The idea is that every week the kids have a small passage of Scripture they read every day (Thursday, Friday, Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday).  Each day, they read the same passage and then answer a different question about it.  Since I'm helping, I also received a notebook in which to participate, and this week we're talking about Mary, the mother of Jesus.  I always enjoy reading about and studying Mary.  She found favor with God.  That's pretty cool!

Picturing: Mostly, I'm picturing this-

I can't WAIT for the leaves to turn & fall!!!

And this-

I can't WAIT to go see my best Helen next weekend for a pre-birthday Birthday weekend!!

When Life Gives You Lemons

I love lemons.  There's just so much you can do with them:

Add them to a glass of water or iced tea to dress up your drink

Use (or con your best Helen Crocker sister into using) them for a lemon meringue pie

Juice them to add to a nice salad dressing

And, of course, there's always the old standby: Make Lemonade.

Now, with fall doing its absolute best to make its grand entrance, lemonade isn't exactly what I have on the menu.  In fact, I've skipped the lemonade and gone straight for the tea.  Hot.  With honey.  And while I don't exactly take to the notion that "life" gives you lemons,  I do believe that God places things in our lives to teach us lessons, or simply to see what we're made of.

On Tuesday, I started feeling a little sniffly, so I pulled out the throat drops and hot tea and went nuts. However, by Thursday morning, I decided that my throat drops and hot tea were no match for whatever this was I had come down with.  So... I went to the doctor. Well, technically, I went to the Physicians Assistant (but I'm pretty sure she could be a doctor if she really wanted to because she's AWESOME... and anyone who knows me knows that I barely tolerate PA's... to put it mildly). Guess what.  I have a sinus infection.  SOOOOO not fair when I just had surgery in March to fix this little recurring situation.  The good news is that this sinus infection isn't nearly as bad as what I used to get. I did get some killer meds and missed a day and a half of work.

I also have been awaiting some news, which I may have gotten today through the grapevine, that wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear.  So that kinda bummed me out, too.

Then I got to thinking about Sunday School.  We're finishing up our study on James this Sunday, and the whole book is about our growing relationship with Christ and what it should look like and how to enhance it.  And though I'm not sure if we ever discussed it, one thing that stuck with me throughout the entire study was this: we should be looking to God for everything.  If I'm sick, I should praise Him and trust Him for healing.  If I'm feeling like a change is needed in my work life or in my social life, I should praise Him and trust Him for leading.

And maybe, just maybe when "life gives you lemons," God just wants to see what you'll do with them.

So I'm choosing to make the lemonade (that actually tastes a LOT like hot tea with honey for now) and praise Him in the process!

5 Thankful Things: August

1. VACATION!  I'm sooooo thankful for the week we were able to spend away from our normal, everyday routine.  I LOVE vacation.  We had so much fun!

2. Modern Medicine: For the first time in 5 months, I again had the opportunity to be thankful for modern medicine.  Even though an ear infection got me down for a few days, I was able to get some ear drops and was back to my high-energy self quickly.

3. Church Fellowship at Camp:  It was so fun to spend the afternoon/evening together over at camp last Sunday with our church family.  I'm thankful that we have a place to do such things and for the beauty there!

4. Tennis Shoes:  Odd, I know, but I'm thankful that I had the sense to wear my tennis shoes to work yesterday morning. With Old Threshers in town, it was extremely busy at work, and my feet survived because I was smart enough to wear my super cool sneakers.

5.  Opportunities that stretch our faith:  I'm thankful for the opportunities God gives us to grow in our faith. AND.... I'm excited to see what God has in store for my 5 Thankfuls NEXT month!

Right Now I'm...

Listening: Lately, I've taken to listening to Josh Groban on the way to work. There's just something so calming and soothing about his tunes that really relaxes me.  I've noticed a considerable (and CALMER) change in my mood upon arrival to work as a result!

Watching: Well, I ended up with an outer ear infection, so I spent all of Saturday & Sunday curled up on the couch with Gilmore Girls reruns. Gotta say: humor goes a LONG way to improving one's mood.

Reading: Nothing at the moment, but over vacation, I read Robin Jones Gunn's new(ish) book "Forever With You." Any Todd & Christy fans out there? Well, this is the newest addition to their story, and boy was it good! I LOVE these characters, and it was so fun to "catch up" with them!

Eating: As previously mentioned with the whole ear infection thing, I went for comfort food.  This time that included a box of original Wheat Thins and Gatorade. 

Wishing: That it was Autumn. I know, I know. It'll be here soon.  I'm trying my best to wait patiently!

Needing: I can't actually think of anything to put here... unless I put cereal.  That's the only thing I really need right now, since I'm basically out. 

Rejoicing: I feel better!! And also, this is the first time in 5 months that I've been sick!  That's gotta be some new kinda record for me! I'm so thankful that I'm feeling better, but I'm equally thankful that I've been (for the most part) completely well over the last 5 months!

Indulging: Again with the whole ear infection scenario, I had a hankering for Almond-n-Cream drink, but alas, there was no almond extract to be found!  So I substituted Black Walnut flavoring.  Turned out pretty tasty, if I do say so myself.  And I drank like 4 servings. Sugar is supposed to make you get better faster, right?

Loathing: That my vacation is over.  We had such a WONDERFUL time, and I just hate that it ended.  Or maybe I'm loathing that I had to return to reality. I'm not sure...

Saying: Mostly things witty and sarcastic.  But what else is new?!

Meditating: God's peace.  God is in control of everything, and no matter what is happening in my life, I have no reason to worry or to get worked up.  As I mentioned in my music choices and their desired effect, I've been thinking a lot about God's peace also.  I'm so thankful that even when life seems hectic or directionless, God gives a peace that is beyond comprehension.  

Picturing: Vacation.  I miss it. It was wonderful.  I want to hit rewind!