On Hold

I'm on hold with my blog, if you haven't noticed.  I am considering a blog move...plus, as much as I want to write, the time and ability to do so is limited currently.  I'll let you know if that changes...

Not At Home

I am currently in the dining hall at college.  This is nothing new to me.  With eight years at Mizzou now, I have spent plenty of time in the dining halls--as both staff and student.  Today, however, I am in someone else's dining hall.  I am in a small liberal arts college in the midwest.  Funny, that's how ever research article I've read this year starts.  But, it's true.  This college has one dining hall compared to the multiples at my home.  It's gorgeous.  And quiet.  No bumpin music.  The lights are low.  It looks eerily similar to Hogwarts.  And I don't feel the least bit at home because it's not mine.  I should mention I am here for the hubs tonight.  His company is doing some competition and I am just here for the company.

As I start my second semester in my masters, I get asked a lot about what I want to do when I graduate.  Do I want to move?  What kinds of areas interest me?  Leadership?  Greek life?  Admissions?  Do I want to be at a small school or a large one?  I have to admit that I have absolutely no idea how to answer any of these questions but I'm working on it.  I will be doing an internship this summer at a different small, liberal arts college in the midwest.  I will get to see a variety of areas and hopefully get a better idea of what I want when I leave.

There are two parts to me in this regard. One part of me wants to strike out a new adventure.  Go far away. Try a different kind of school.  Expand my knowledge.  But that's not home.  The other part of me wants to march right back to the desk I left six months ago, put my name plaque back where it belongs, and go on as if two years didn't even pass.  That's home.

Sometimes, God calls us to stay home.  To be comfortable.  To expand ourselves right where we are and work in the mission he's already given us.  And sometimes, he calls us to strike out into the wilderness with only HIM as our guide.  I don't know what his plans are as of yet but I am looking forward to finding out.  Comfortable sounds pretty great but not necessarily exciting.  Explorations has plenty of excitement but no guarantees.  Show me your ways, guide me in your paths, O Lord.

I start a Bible study next week called Soul Satisfaction.  I can't wait.  I'll tell you more as soon as I know more. Until then, I'm  off to observe college kids.

Here's to home.

Snow Day!

Technically speaking, I am not sure I can consider today a snow day.  Nothing I had to do was cancelled.  This could be because, short of walking the dog and taking down the Christmas decorations, I had nothing to do.  But still, after five inches of snow, today has been a wonderful snow day.  I woke up late, watched the Today show, and took down the Christmas decorations.  Hubby and I headed to Kaldi's and I've been there ever since.  It's been warm, cozy, and delightfully snowy.

I am not one for New Year's Resolutions per say.  However, when I want a change in my life, I like to publicly declare it.  This is not because I want recognition but more because I want someone to hold me accountable.  So, I have 2 goals this year.  Number one is the same as last year...finish my Bible reading plan.  I will admit.  I fell off the wagon of the daily reading plan and just started reading helter skelter when I felt like it last year.  So, I have a new reading plan and renewed hope this year.  Along those lines, I also want to memorize more verses.  I find that the Lord speaks more easily to me when his words are close to my heart.  What better way to make them close to my heart than to read them every day and memorize them more.  So, here's prayin.  Literally, I want to pray more as well.  But anyway...

My second resolution is to continue budgeting and getting better at it for my family, as I have been for the past couple of months.  Prov 31 specifically talks about money management, and I hope to get better with that.  For 2010, however, I want to add to that budgeting by coming up with a retirement plan and contributing to it.  It is so daunting for me to even think about, but I know I am not getting younger.  And while retirement doesn't even seem like something I would ever want to do at this point, I have a sinking feeling that might change someday.  So, by next Jan I hope to be able to say I am making regular contributions to some sort of plan.

Tonight is the national championship.  While I never cheer for Texas, there's a first time for everything.  So, hook em horns.  But only for the Big XII's sake.

Here's to New Years and New Plans!

Day Two: Mission Relaxation

I recently went to a lovely Christmas lunch with my coworkers from my assistantship.  While at lunch, they encouraged me to take the five weeks off school to relax and enjoy myself.  I mentioned to them that relaxation was not something I do well.  Anyone who knows me knows that this is the case. I promised them I would "work on relaxing" over break, and they marveled at the idea of someone needing to work harder on relaxing.  Kind of oxy-moronish.  Anywho, that's what I am doing.  Yesterday, I finished Christmas cards, wrapped gifts, and did laundry.  Today will include more cleaning and reading.  My goal is to have everything so together by next week that I have no choice other than to relax. We'll see if that happens.

Any suggestions for good books or ways to lazily occupy time are requested.

Here's to relaxation.

Half Crazy #2

A couple of weekends ago, my family got in our big Suburban and drove to Memphis to run 13.1 miles. For fun. No, I am not kidding. We actually enjoy it. Here are a couple of shots of us running like crazy people.

Here we are running down Beale street. Mom and Pete would yell M-I-Z and we'd respond with Z-O-U.

This is actually before the race. You can tell because we look refreshed and not exhausted.

The race itself was amazing. All the profits go to St. Jude Children's Hospital. If you don't know about St. Jude, or if you are looking for a great charity this holiday, I would encourage you to check it out at http://stjude.org. Amazing things are being done there.

I promised after my first half that I would post my ipod playlist. So...three months later, here it is. It is way longer than the time it actually takes to run a half marathon, so I sometimes skip songs or start it a little earlier than the race itself.

Womanizer, Britney Spears

Kill the Lights, Britney Spears

Shut Up and Let me Go, The Ting Tings

Let's Get it Started, Black Eyed Peas

Hey Mama, Black Eyed Peas

Hands Up, BEP

Pump It, BEP (By now you know that not much inspires me to run hard as much as the Black Eyed Peas)

I Gotta Feeling, BEP

Radar, Britney Spears

Boom Boom Pow, BEP

Circus, Britney

If U Seek Amy, Britney

Mmmm Papi, Britney

Feel Good Inc, Gorillaz

Around the World Mix, Daft Punk

Smack My B*** Up, Prodigy

Shake, Ying Yang Twins

Gotta Get Thru This, Daniel Bettingfield

Breathe, Prodigy

American Boy

Live Out Loud, Group 1 Crew

Firestarter, Prodigy

Disturbia, Rhiana

Cupid Shuffle, Cupid

Barracuda, Heart

Just Dance, Lady Gaga

Spotlight (Moto Blanco Radio Remix), Jennifer Hudson

Boogie Shoes, KC & the Sunshine Band

See You Again, Miley Cirus

She Wolf, Shakira

Stronger, Kanye West

Killer Queen, Queen

Spiderwebs, No Doubt

Bye Bye Bye, *NSYNC

It's Gonna Be Me, *NSYNC

Girlfriend, *NSYNC

When I grow Up, Pussycat Dolls

Wait A Minute, Pussycat Dolls

Don't Stop Me Now, Queen

Give It To Me, Nelly Furtado

Harder, Faster, Stronger, Daft Punk

Somebody to Love, Queen

Take My Hand, Shawn McDonald

Don't Stop til You Get Enough, Michael Jackson

Holiday, Madonna

I hope some of these suggestions help. Yes, I have too much Britney. But it works.

Here's to a great run! Can't wait for the next one

FREE and Loving It!

Today is the first day of the first week of my five week break. I can't even tell you what this feels like. I woke up about an hour and a half later than usual today. I casually made in into my internship, spent five hours there, and casually left. The rest of today's to-do list includes:
Christmas cookies
Christmas party
and giving blood.

That's it! I might wrap a few presents. Heck, I might rap out of Christmas joy (though no one I know wants to hear that).

I am going to make it my goal to write much more often now that I am totally and completely free. I will try to update on our second half marathon, pictures included. But for now I am busy. Strike that, I'm not. And I wouldn't have it any other way!

Here's to relaxation!

Home (or maybe not) for Thanksgiving

I am comfortably sitting at my parents' place, on their couch, enjoying the barking of puppies and the laughter of the "men." I had to run some errands before I got to my parents' house tonight. In one store, I had a clerk ask me if I was "going home" for Thanksgiving. It struck me. Home? Well, my response was, "Well, my home is here. But I am going to be with my parents." I do not consider my parents' house my home. It is where my family is, but I am a big kid. I have made a home with my husband. Part of this may be because my parents moved when I was 23, and I have never lived at their current address or in their current town. But I've been opening the question to those around me...where is your home?

My mother says home is where she is now...

My dad says home is where he grew up...

My grandmother (in her 70s) says that home is the town where she spent most of her years but hasn't lived in a decade...

I find this concept interesting. So, where is your home?

Wherever it is, may you be at peace and remember God's blessings and wonder on Thanksgiving.

Here's to home.