snow day again!

You know it's a messy day in West Michigan when over 500 schools & businesses are closed and the state police are telling people to stay home if at all possible. Crazy! With wind chills down below zero and the snow blowing & drifting--it's a great day to be wrapped up in a robe, under a blanket, with your coffee and a good book. Or, in my case, a textbook. :)

Gotta love Michigan!!

poor puppy

so, more drama with our puppy. I know it's not the same as having a sick child--which many of my friends deal with--but it can be just as bothersome. The loss of sleep, the doctor visits, the giving of medication...all the joys of a sick member of the family. :) Harley is now dealing with an ear infection. The vet put him an antibiotic, a steroid due to inflammation, and an ear drop. It's tons of fun--especially all the side effects of the steroid! For those of you who aren't familiar with this particular drug, it's side effects include lots of water bowl filling and frequent trips outside. It's great fun! :P

However, it is good to see him on the mend as he was pretty miserable all weekend. This too shall pass!

snow day!

Have I mentioned how I love the fact I work for a school district? One of the perks is the occasional "gift" of a snow day! I know every day is truly a gift from God, but I'm pretty sure that snow days are gift wrapped with a beautiful bow... ;)

A cozy morning wrapped in my robe & a blanket, sipping coffee on the couch is the perfect way to begin. And now, after a good long workout on the treadmill, I can begin whatever project I decide to accomplish with my free day. And, honestly, I don't have too much option other than to work on grad class homework. I have plenty to read for both classes. And one class has quite a bit of on-line work to keep me busy as well.

Hmmmm...maybe I'll make another pot of coffee... :)

michigan humor

In anticipation of the "artic blast" we're supposed to get this weekend...here is a little Michigander humor:

MICHIGAN TEMPERATURE CONVERSION CHART

70 and above: Texans turn on the heat and unpack the thermal underwear. People in Michigan go swimming in the Lakes.

60 above: North Carolinians try to turn on the heat. People in Michigan plant gardens.

50 above: Californians shiver uncontrollably. People in Michigan sunbathe.

40 above: Italian and English cars won't start. People in Michigan drive with the windows down.

32 above: Distilled water freezes. Lake Superior's water gets thicker.

20 above: Floridians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves and wooly hats. People in Michigan throw on a flannel shirt.

15 above: Philadelphia landlords finally turn up the heat. People in Michigan have the last cookout before it gets cold.

0: People in Miami all die. People in Michigan lick the flagpole.

20 below: Californians fly away to Mexico. People in Michigan get out their winter coats.

40 below: Hollywood disintegrates. The Girl Scouts in Michigan are selling cookies door-to-door.

60 below: Polar bears evacuate the Artic. Michigan Boy Scouts postpone "Winter Survival" classes until it gets cold enough.

80 below: Mt. St. Helen freezes. People in Michigan rent videos.

100 below: Santa Claus abandons the North Pole. Michiganders get frustrated because they can't thaw the keg.

297 below: Microbial life no longer survives on dairy products. Cows in Michigan complain about farmers with cold hands.

460 below: All atomic motion stops (absolute 0 in the Kelvin scale). People in Michigan start saying, "Cold 'nuff for ya?"

500 below: Hell freezes over. The Lions with the Super Bowl.

good books

I’ve read a couple of really good books recently. On our trip down to Tennessee, there was a billboard in Kentucky announcing a store that had 20,000 books for under 5 bucks! I couldn’t speak I was so excited! So, being the wonderful husband that he his, he got off the next exit and brought me to this magical bookstore. :) After browsing for awhile—I picked out a couple of good Christian Fiction (my favorite!) that looked liked they would be a good read. Often, when I do this—that is just pick out a couple of random books—I get a little nervous that I may have wasted money. (I really need to visit the library more often…) But, there are times when I pick out winners—books that will stay on my book shelf to be read again in the future. This was one of those times!

Winner #1: Room of Marvels by James Bryan Smith
If you’ve ever read The Five People You Meet In Heaven, and enjoyed it; you will love this book as well. It was a beautiful and powerful look at what Heaven could be like. I loved it! Jason even witnessed me crying at the end—always a sign that I enveloped myself in the storyline. :)

Winner #2: Beyond the Blue by Leslie Gould
This is an emotional and beautiful story about two women, one an American who lost her mom in the Vietnam war and one a Vietnamese who lost everything but her mom during the same war. The story brings their lives together when the American woman decides to adopt children from Vietnam. The Vietnamese woman becomes a mother who chooses to give her children a better life than she can provide. You can only surmise what the resulting storyline is—a poignant look at international adoption from both the birth mother and adopting mother’s points of view. It became one of those books I could barely put down!

I love finding good books—especially those that seem to touch my heart and mind in some way. For now though, it’s back to boring old textbook reading...

honeymoon & the new year

Hello in 2008! The year is off to a great start. Our honeymoon was better than I ever thought my honeymoon could possibly be! Our cabin nestled into the Smoky Mountains was beautiful and we thoroughly enjoyed our surroundings of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I’ve posted a few pictures below.

the beautiful Smoky Mountains

Gatlinburg Aquarium "Tennesea"

beautiful!

our favorite spot "in" the cabin ;)

Now it is back to the “real” world. *sigh* It hasn’t been too bad though. We finally were able to put our signatures on the closing papers of the Holland house (wa-hoo!); my two grad classes and Jason’s three college courses start up this week; and we celebrate Jason’s 28 years of life today. :)

Yup, 2008 is starting out with many blessings.

anticipation

The title of this post encompasses a couple of things on this snowy Michigan day...the first being a trip with my husband to the Smoky Mountains--aka our honeymoon! :) We will be leaving Sunday to take a road trip down to Gatlinburg, Tennessee where we will spend a week exploring the mountains and all the town has to offer. A little cabin is where will be lodging and cozying up in front of the fireplace. We're both very excited about our little adventure! And I'm sure I'll have plenty of pictures to post as one of my Christmas presents was a cute little digital camera. ;)

The second anticipation I have is that of the year 2008. Honestly, in reflection this has been one of the fastest years of my life. I still have to hesitate before I write '07 on my checks! (or maybe that's just old age...) I actually am kind of glad I started this blog one year ago as it will be a good "diary" of the things I've lived and learned in this past year--and in years to come! Worst of 2007? A sad & personally challenging event at work... Best of 2007? Marrying my best friend. :)

Overall? God has blessed me greatly and I am thankful that He decided to call me His Child.