Happy Valentine's Day!!

What a fun day-my dentist office rents out a local skating rink and invites all the kid patients to attend a skating party! My niece is a patient and so she couldn't wait to go to "MeMe's Skating Party". I swore I wasn't going to skate but when she looked up at me with those big blue eyes, what was I to do when she asked me where my skates were???
She did so great-we skated on the carpet for quite some time actually and finally made it out on the rink. You know how skating (especially if you aren't any good) makes you feel a little wobbly and unsteady? Well, every time this would happen to Abby, she would get so mad, throw her fists down, and say, "MeMe, STOP TRIPPING ME!!" I couldn't stop laughing each time she said this because she honestly thought I was tripping her and making her fall. Thankfully, I always had her by the arm and so if and when she did fall, it was VERY lightly! We had SOOO much fun-even though I don't think that we even made 1 full lap around the rink! Oh well, maybe next Valentine's Day!!

What Makes My World Go 'Round...

I have always felt that my life has been recorded through music. Name a situation and I can name a song that takes me to that part of my life. I can remember dancing to "Elvira" on the record player growing up. Laura & Amy & I used to have a whole dance choreographed to "Walk Like an Egyptian". Just the other day, Neil Diamond was on Oprah singing "They're Coming to America" and instantly I rushed back to long road trips in the suburban and watching Laura in Drill Team. I can't tell you how hyper I was dancing around the house. I will never forget the road trip to California with Amy & Brian listening to Grease and Garth Brooks the whole way and back. Mariah Carey's X-mas CD can be played YEAR round at my house and Christina Aguilera's "Come On Over" is a song that when I hear it-I just can't sit still. Even Jessica Andrew's song, "Who I Am", gave Laura & I confidence when we didn't seem to have any. This post could go on and on...I have NO musical talent but I seem to love all kinds of music...Hearing a good song or listening to a great cd can bring me out of any funk-I can dance for hours, enjoy sunny weather, or let tears fall. I can be moved so much just by our incredible worship at church and the songs we sing. All of that to say that I have found my song for "now". The words hit me like a ton of bricks when I listened to them...It has brought me a little peace and solace in the recent unsteadiness. To listen go to http://aaronshust.com and go to the "listen" tab. It is an awesome song!

My Savior, My God by Aaron Shust

I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned
I only know at His right hand
Stands one who is my Savior

I take Him at His word and deed
Christ died to save me, this I read
And in my heart I find a need
Of Him to be my Savior

That He would leave His place on High
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my Savior

My Savior loves, my Savior lives,
My Savior's always there for me
My God: He was, My God: He is
My God is always gonna be

Yes, living, dying let me bring
My strength, my solace from this spring:
That He who lives to be my King,
Once died to be my Savior

A Reason to Rejoice

After being so sad the last few weeks, I just wanted to post something happy-if not for myself-for everyone else who has had a bummer of time lately...
One of my best friends, Mallory, delivered a healthy baby girl today! Audrey Beth came into this world at 4:59pm weighing 6 lbs 15 ounces and 19 and 1/4 long! I get to see her tomorrow after work and I can't wait. It is amazing what joy a little baby can bring. I am so glad that God brought her safely to her parents and big brother! What an answered prayer and a source of hope!

My Fours...

Four Jobs:
1. File Clerk at Hamilton Title (I think I was like 15 and it was some temp work for 2 weeks)
2. Babysitting Age 12 thru the present - my favorite! I love all of my nieces and friends kids!
3. Dental Girl-Jeff Duncum gave me my first real job in a dental office the summer in between my two years of hygiene school. Made some incredible friendships and met Brad thru it!!! Thanks Jeff!! Now I have been a hygienist for almost 5 years!! CrAzY!!
4. Independent Consultant for Arbonne! This job is lots of fun-I just want more time to work on it!

Four Movies:
1. Father of the Bride
2. 13 Going On 30
3. Life is Beautiful
4. Count of Monte Cristo - this is about the ONLY movie Brad will watch with me-he loves it!

Four Books:
1. Gift of an Angel - my favorite book to give as a gift
2. Anything Nicholas Sparks
3. ummm...out of books...People Magazine
4. Kraft Foods Magazine - LOVE it!!

Four Places I've Lived...I have basically lived here all my life but I will get creative...
1. Dallas/Richardson-born and raised
2. Abilene, TX for 3 years at ACU
3. Wichita Falls, TX for 2 years for hygiene school-I loved"Wipitar"
4. Plano, TX and I NEVER want to leave this area-not a mover; don't want to become one!

Four TV Shows:
1. General Hospital (I should be watching it now but I am blogging instead)
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. Alias when it was good-now I love the reruns.
4. LOST

Four Vacations/Travel Destinations:
1. Honduras
2. Guatemala
3. Lithuania
4. Hawaii-Oahu, Maui, Kauai (Keep in mind I STILL haven't even been to Austin, TX!!!)

Four Websites I Visit Daily:
1. Hotmail
2. Arbonne email site
3. My blog:I keep thinking if I keep looking at it-it will have written itself!!! (hasn't yet)
4. Google - I'm always looking for something

Four Favorite Foods:
1. Pizza
2. Raspberry Italian Cream Sodas
3. Seafood - cooked the BEST salmon the other night...I will post the "recipe".
4. ICE CREAM!!

Four Places I'd Rather Be:
1. On a Massage table
2. Getting a Manicure
3. On a date with Brad
4. Back in Maui with my whole family doing any of the previous three and pretending that the last three weeks were just an unpleasant dream.

Four Prayers: (I'm adding this one...)
1. For the Poes and their move, the adjustments, the business, living with inlaws, etc
2. For the Fouts and their move, Lane's job, the kids preschool, friends and a church for them
3. For all my friends that are pregnant: Mall, Tiff, Alyssa, Wendy, Lauren, (and any others I am forgetting)
4. For Laura, Todd, and their two precious babies. For definitive answers, strength, wisdom, safety, love, and comfort!

Nothing like a "list" to get me out of the blogging funk! Like Kristen, my heart has been so heavy lately-too much sadness, change, and uncertainty. Sounds like so many people are feeling that lately. Oh to the year ahead!