Are you wondering why I haven't answered any E-mails, comments on Myspace or anything? Well - for some reason I can't access any of that! And I can't figure out why. My internet browswer won't let me get to the login screen. I was surprised I could even log into my blogger.

Ugggggghhhhhhhhhhh .......... I've sat at this computer for hours trying to get it to work! I don't know what's wrong...

The Covered Bridge Festival

For as long as I can remember, we've always gone down to the Covered Bridge Festival in Terre Houte, Indiana with our family every few years. It's been awhile since we've gone, though. Typically, we go to Brown County one year (which we still do, on this schedule) and then the Covered Bridge Festival the next. If the whole family still went, this would be the year that we'd go to the Covered Bridge Festival. But, like it's been the past several years, that's not going to happen.

.... Until today! I was watching the news this morning and realized that Iowa has a Covered Bridge Festival in Winterset!! Yea :)! Now, I just have to convince Dan to take me :) I suppose I could go by myself, but it's so much better with your family. I've printed out the map to all the bridges, and I'm starting to get excited about wandering the streets, looking at all the crafts and art. Yea!!!! I'm so excited!!!!

You know what.. The more that I think about it and dream about it, the more that Des Moines just seems like the perfect place for us to root. We have a fanatastic church, the local school is great, we have friends here, there's the Covered Bridge Festival!!, all of our family is going to be all over the country anyway. The only thing we're missing is having family. Just someone from our family being out here would make such a difference. I really hope that Carl decides to go to college in Aimes... Or maybe we can convince someone else to move out here (Christi, Jim and Taddie maybe?? ... Or, by a long shot, Cheryl, Bill and Tori?) It would make such a difference.

I just don't want our kids to forget what we have in Michigan/Indiana. The history, the family. I don't want my kids growing up not knowing who their Great Aunt Becky and Uncle Mike are. Or even their fourth cousin, Christian Lee. My family is so close.. I think my fears are all rooted in growing apart and distant from the people who mean the most to us.

Gosh ... even if my mom and dad moved to St. Louis, MO - that's closer than Washington D.C. But I know how much they LOVE it out there. Again, no family. But my dad loves his job and my mom loves the history in the area. Just as long as Dan and I schedule at least 3-4 times a year traveling out there. Maybe more when we have kids.

OK! Sometimes, I wonder if I think about this stuff too much ... I guess I'm just trying to find a solution! Oh well - I just need to remember to leave it in God's hands, and trust that we're here for a reason. Because we are, you know.

Journaling Prompt - Pretend that you see yourself walking into a room. What's your first impression of yourself? What stands out about you? Optionally extend this exercise by changing the "room" you are entering (the gym, the office, etc.). How does that change your impression?

So, I am basically two different people in this scenario. The first me is sitting at a table in a restaurant. The restaurant isn't a McDonald's, but it's also not a Carriage House. It's more of .... an Applebee's J Maybe I'm sitting alone, maybe with one other person, I'm not sure. Hmm.. Let's say that I am alone for the sake of having an opportunity to be distracted by another me walking into the room. This me is walking through the doors of Applebee's with Dan. I'm wearing a long sleeved, pink, thermal shirt with a gray Notre Dame Lacrosse shirt over top. Jeans and tennis shoes complete this casual look. My hair is shoulder length, probably half pulled back into a clip. Make up is done neatly with an emphasis on my eyes. The other me, sitting at the table alone, would probably glance over to see Dan and I talking while we're waiting for the waitress to seat us. And I think that I would be thinking .... "they look so happy. Hmm.. I love the way she did her eye make up. It makes her eyes seem soft, yet at the same time, it makes it look like what she's looking at is so important (would you call that focused?) .... I wonder if she knows Jesus. How else would you have eyes like that? Eyes that light up with joy. Eyes that just look like you've spent time with Jesus."

So ... this is sometimes the line of thinking that runs through my mind when someone else pops out to me. And I suppose it's what I hope that others think when they see me. I frequently pray that God will just shine through me. I pray that someone could just look at my eyes, at the joy on my face, and see a glimpse of Him. And really, I hope that's what others think when they see me in any setting, whether that be in the office, in the gym, in the classroom, anywhere.

Funniest Book I've Read in a Long Time! #1

Gabcast! Funniest Book I've Read in a Long Time! #1