A few thoughts (my daybook)

photo courtesy of basykes

Outside my window...a beautiful fall evening…oh how I’m loving the cooler and dryer weather.

I am thinking...how much I miss card making…it’s been a little too long of a hiatus. I think I shall start on Christmas cards soon! :)

I am thankful for...the nice walk/run that I had this evening, soaking in the autumn air.

I am wearing...black (of course) comfy pants, a tank top, and comfy slippers!

I am remembering...that I need to ship something to my mom tomorrow…hmm…

I am going...to go do my quiet time in a bit…it’s been awhile

I am reading...Tim Keller’s Prodigal God – excellent and eye opening for sure – I’ll have to write about that one at a later time…

I am hoping...to package the batch of black beans I soaked and cooked so that I can freeze it before I get to bed tonight

On my mind...I really need to go to bed earlier

Noticing that...there’s a lot I have to be thankful for in my life

Pondering these words...allow me to do my quiet time, and I’ll get back with you :)

From the kitchen...thinking about making taco salad for dinner tomorrow night with the grass fed beef I bought on sale and the organic black beans that I soaked and cooked last night!

Around the house...I’m enjoying the fall décor that I have put out and arranged. I’m resisting the temptation to run out to Hobby Lobby or Joann’s for a couple more fall items…I just love how homey and tranquil my house feels…makes me want to make pumpkin cookies!

One of my favorite things today…having a few accomplishments at work during this hectic time of the year.

*love*

....and where did the Springtime go??

Photo courtesy of lepiaf.geo

It's summer time and it is way too hot! I was born and raised in Texas and I still can't get used to the summers here. I was in Hobby Lobby the other day and walked by their seasonal items, and they already have fall and christmas stuff out! I guess I shouldn't be surprised by that anymore. Even though I think retail stores could wait just a TAD bit longer to put all the fall stuff out, not to mention CHRISTMAS stuff, it just reminded me of the season I get to look forward to. Fall is probably my favorite time of year, so looking at all the wall decor and pumpkins, etc...I could just taste it! But alas, we must get through summer first...

This summer has been great so far. First off, I got a full time position in the same department I've been working in for 5+ years, which I'm very happy and thankful for. I started that June 1. It is helping us out financially, and I'm so thankful for God's goodness and faithfulness throughout all of this. So, I've been adjusting to working full-time and re-prioritizing things at home. Things are getting better though :)

June 12 - 20 was a VERY busy time because all of my family was in town. We had a Noack (my dad's side) family reunion the 14-15 and it was a blast. We had it at Lynn Creek Park over at Joe Pool Lake. It was warm (and crazy crowded!) the first evening, but on 15th there wern't many people there, and it was crazy windy! It made the outdoors bearable but made eating a little bit of a challenge :P It was a fun day of catching up with family, launching balloons all day long with an awesome water balloon launcher my bro-in-law made, and playing games like aggravation (a family favorite!). The rest of the week was a lot of fun hanging out with all my siblings and their families. It's a blast when all 5 of us siblings are toghether and I always cherish those times because it doesn't happen often. Usually only once a year! The next that we'll all be together (hopefully!) will be next summer out in Estes Park, CO!! We're getting a huge cabin and I am very excited about that :)

The rest of June was busy in general -- working, trying to get my work outs in (eek..), and just spending time with the hubs! And here were are and it's July already! I can't believe we're half way through 2009 already. I guess it is true that time goes by faster as you get older...
This week our friends Kendra and Isaac are in town from Estes Park, CO so we're going to get together with them, and then my friend Lauryn is in town from Georgia and I'll be hanging with her this weekend! Then Tim's folks will be in town next week. In a few weeks Tim and I will be heading out on a road trip to Estes Park to visit Kendra and Isaac for a few days. I can not wait to be up there in the mountains!! It's gonna be a blast. Then less than a month after that I'll be flying up to visit my best friend April in North Dakota! She'll have just had her 4th boy and so I'll be helping her out since her husband is deployed with the Air Force. That's going to be really fun as well :)

I'm thankful that I'm having the opportunities this year to visit friends and family across the country. I love to travel and I don't usually get to do it much, and this year alone I've been able to go to Wisconsin to visit my sister, and then go to Colorado and North Dakota! I told Lauryn I need to save money to fly out to Georgia, so I'll have all my close girlfriends covered for the year :) haha...not sure if that'll happen, but one can always hope right?

I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July weekend! I'm happy to have tomorrow off and catch up on things at home. Maybe I'll even get a little card making in this weekend... :)

*love*

Under the weather

Photo courtesy of SubZeroConsciousness

Lemon-Honey Tea
(courtesy of my wonderful mom)

6-8 oz. boiling hot water
1 Tea Bag (flavor of your choice)
Lemon Juice (start with 1-2 tsp, and add more to taste)
Honey (to taste)

1. Boil water in teapot
2. Pour hot water in your favorite mug and steep your tea bag
3. Add honey and lemon juice, take tea bag out, stir
4. Relax, breathe in the steam, drink, enjoy, repeat as needed

Boy have I been sick. Tim and I have both had colds the past week or two, and it has not been fun. I was out of commission most of last week and spent a lot of time in bed or laying down on the couch watching too many movies and T.V. shows. Needless to say, my brain turned to mush. It was actually nice to be at work yesterday and I enjoyed working through some of the financial reconciliations I needed to do (amazingly enough). I think my mind needed to be stimulated.

During all of this I found out last Monday that my Aunt in New York (my mom's sister-in-law) passed away suddenly due to a heart attack. It was a total shock to us all since it happened so quickly. I was unable to fly out there, but thankfully my mom and dad were able to fly out on Tuesday, my sister, Holly, drove from Wisconsin with her 4 children and my sister, Beth, flew out as well. So at least we had a good representation there. I'm glad they were able to stay with my Uncle and keep him company as he is now adjusting to living life without his wife. I was able to speak with him on the phone and he was in good spirits and was so thankful for the hope that he has that she is in heaven with the Lord. Praise the Lord for that hope and the comfort that He is able to give us through these tough times.

So back here at home, I missed out on our typical Valentine's day festivities. I was at my worst on Saturday, so I was laying on the couch all day long. Tim was very busy delivering fruit bouquets, so it was just me and the kitties all day. Tim came home and surprised me with a pretty bouquet of flowers, some dayquil, and went out and got chick-fil-a for dinner :) We're going to have our Valentine's Day date sometime this week yet, which actually will be better since we won't have to wait in line at the resturaunt and deal with crowds of people. I am a little bummed that we couldn't go out on the day of because it is me and Tim's first date anniversary. 7 years ago, we went on a double date with my best friend, April and her (now) husband, Adam. We went to P.F. Chang's and I can still remember our conversation (mostly) and the excitement of getting to know this guy. Oh and I was nervous...I think we both were...but I knew there was something special about him. After dinner we went to Cafe Brazil in Deep Ellum for coffee and stayed there for awhile, then we dropped off Adam and April and he took me home. We sat in his car and talked and talked and talked until about 2am. To this day, Tim and I can still sit and talk for hours about anything and everything. OH, I love this man :)

Well, I could could go on and on, but I must stop here for now. I'm embarrased to say that it is 11:50 am and I am still in my pajamas. That's the dangerous thing about not going to work till 1:00! So, I am off to get ready for the day, grab some lunch, feed the kitties, and then off to work.

*love*

25 Random Things About Me

Photo courtesy of butler.corey

I wasn't sure what to blog about today, and really I'm not in too much of a writing mood. I'm recovering from a migraine that I had today. It was SO not fun. So I'm going to post 25 random things about me! This type of thing has been circling around facebook the past week or so, I already had it typed up and posted there and I figure I'd post it here as well!

1. I am working for the same non-profit organization that I got my first job at when I was 14. I work for SIL International (associated with Wycliffe Bible Translator's) and ever since I was 14 I have worked as a Switchboard Operator, a kitchen helper at the Dining Hall, a Cashier for Books n' More, Janitorial (for 3 whole days!), and a Data Entry Clerk/Office Assistant for the International Academic Bookstore (5 years and counting).

2. I've been married to Tim for almost 4 years now and we live across the street from my work in a little place called Sunset Acres, which is the neighborhood (primarily for missionaries/students) that I used to romp around with all my MK friends back in junior high. I never thought in a million years I would actually live there.

3. We have a cat named Maya (one of a million other names -- Tim and I can't agree on one) that we picked up off the street, and a couple months after that she had 4 kittens. They are 12 weeks old and very cute. And yes, we still have them. If you want one, let me know!

4. I went to 4 different colleges. As a pre-nursing major I spent one year at Texas Tech, then one year at UTA. During all this I took ssome classes at Mountain View/Cedar Valley college. Then one day a lightbulb came on and I realized I was terrible at science and that Nursing really wasn't my calling. So I went to Dallas Baptist University, majored in Christian Studies/Educational Ministry, and minored in Psychology and loved it.

5. I want to go back to graduate school to get my masters in counseling. (you can send donations to........)

6. I have 14 nieces and nephews and another one on the way!

7. I have a gluten/wheat intolerance (aka Celiac disease). I've had it since I was 19 and I am unable to eat wheat, rye, barley, and several other things.

8. Due to my gluten intolerance, I've gotten very fast at scanning food labels and determing whether I can eat it or not.

9. No, I do not have a "glucose-intolerance".

10. I make homemade cards and love it! I have a blog where I post pictures of them: http://sarahcarpenterdesigns.blogspot.com
I hope to start selling them one day.

11. If I drink bottled water, I am never able to finish it. But if the bottle of water was poured into a glass, I will drink it all.

12. I've lived in Dallas, TX my whole life, with the exception of the one year in Lubbock.

13. I really want the experience of living outside of the rat race that is Dallas, preferably in another state such as Nebraska or Colorado.

14. I've decided I'm not much of a phone person anymore. I enjoy face-to-face communication a lot more :)

15. I am a coffee snob. I try to only buy organic, fair trade coffee, and it must be medium or bold. I'm lucky to work with a bunch of coffee snobs as well!

16. My favorite weeknight meal is seasoned black beans and rice. Sometimes with meat, most of the time without but always with some shredded cheese and crushed tortillas chips.

17. I do not separate my laundry (with the exception of towels....most of the time). I wash with cold water.

18. I'm terrible at remembering birthdays and even worse at keeping up with anniversaries. I do try though!

19. When I was in high school I went on a 2 week mission trip to Guatemala which was an amazing experience!

20. I know God has called me to be a part of ministry of some form, but I'm still seeking Him as to what the specifics are on that :)

21. When I get in the car, the first thing I do is lock the doors. I can't help it.

22. I really want to go on a mission trip again, and I look forward to the opportunity because it's something Tim and I can share together. He hasn't been on one yet.

23. In high school, I was in a girl band called 'Pierced Forgiveness'. We broke up after about 2 weeks.

24. Tim and I enjoy walks at the Joe Pool Lake dam, except I kind of get a little freaked out because I saw a rattle snake there this past summer....I hate snakes.

25. God has blessed me with a super amazing family and awesome friends. I am incredibly thankful!


So, now you know a little more about me. If anyone follows this blog, or just has hopped on over, I encourage you to fill out 25 random things about you, post your link in my comments, and see what you can come up with! It's fun to read other peoples randomness :)

Only one more day till the weekend and that makes me happy. Tim has band practice tomorrow night, so I'm going to take the opportunity to grab some take out and rent a movie. A little alone time is a necessity I think. Just me, Maya, Brother, Sister, Super Sad Eyes, and the One We Don't Speak Of (those would be all the kitties).

*love*

mmm...wraps!

I just had a really yummy lunch and I just had to share it's wonderful goodness with you. Just a little tidbit about me, I have a wheat/gluten intolerance, in that I am unable to eat foods with wheat, rye, or barley (there's a number of other items, but those are the main ones). At some point I will write a post about all that, but not today. Anyways, usually for lunch I will have a sandwich using millet bread with dijon/mayo mix, cheddar, and smoked turkey. I have that A LOT! It's not that I'm sick of it, but I need more variety. I always see these ads for wraps and they look so delicious! Usually they're made with whole wheat tortillas or regular flour tortillas. As I was browsing blogs, I came across this recipe over at Gluten Free Mommy for a Turkey Pesto Wrap. The tortilla used is from Food for Life (LOVE this brand!) and it's a Brown Rice Tortilla. This thing has cream cheese (I used light), it has pesto (best thing ever!), it has turkey, it has AVOCADO. Oh avocado, how I love thee. And I added sprouts which are incredibly good for you. I had no idea how good they were until I read this article, plus they're really cheap, only $1! This wrap is incredibly tasty and I will be making it often! I can't wait to experiment with other fillings....hooray for more gluten free options!! I should've taken a pic for those who love to look at food pics, I know I do! I'll take one next time I make it (which will probably be tomorrow!) and post it on here :)

I'm so glad it's the weekend. It has been super cleaning Saturday today! Between Tim and I we've been able to pretty much clean (and I mean REALLY clean) the house in about 3 hours. There are still a couple more projects we need to do such as clean the tub, clean the coffee maker, and go through the house with a black light and clean kitten 'oopsies' in our house. I don't think there are that many because they're pretty much litter trained, but kittens will be kittens after all.

After all that, I think I will make some Taco Salad or Winter Soup for dinner, and then Tim and I can relax and watch a movie or something :)

*love*

Things to work on in the New Year

I love new years. It's fresh and it's new. It's the ability to reflect on the past year and see the things that were wonderful, and the things that were not so wonderful. The not so wonderful things are what drives me to want to do better the next year with the help of God. I really don't like the whole 'resolution' thing because it never lasts. I don't know if it's psychological or what, but I find the word 'goal' to be a better term. Setting goals for myself just seems to work out better in my mind. So without further ado, here are some goals I would like to accomplish in 2009: (most of these are things I will work on for the rest of my life, but ya gotta start somewhere :)

• Be consistent with my quiet time/prayer time/bible reading. I know that God deserves my attention way more than I give Him and I honestly crave and desire that time as well! This also includes praying for people when I have said that I will pray for them.
  
• Be submissive and obedient to the Lord and listen to Him above all else each and every day.
  
• Be a better helper and wife to Tim -- there is ALWAYS room for improvement!
  
• Be more proactive! This includes church, small group, volunteering my time, duties within my home, keeping up with birthdays, etc.
  
• Keep my house clean and presentable -- you just never know when someone will drop by, plus I enjoy my home much more when it's clean. I also think it's important to have a tranquil environment when Tim comes home from work each day. It keeps me sane, thus keeping him sane :)
• Exercise 4-5 days per week, not just to lose weight, but for my health. I am 24 years old, and I lack energy a lot of times which I'm sure is due to inactivity. I want to be strong and feel alive!! For the other 2-3 days, I still want to be fairly active.
• No credit cards! About a week ago I took them out of my wallet so that I wouldn't be tempted to use them. We're currently going through difficult times, financially, like many others we know, and I do not want to be reliant on credit cards. In a lot of ways I feel that takes away trusting in God to provide for us in all circumstances, even the ones that seem impossible and nothing is impossible with God!
• Be debt free. This probably will not happen this year, unless things drastically change with both of our job situations (which is always possible, who knows!) but I would like to make a huge dent in that debt.
• Live a more simplistic lifestyle and learn to live with what we have.
  
• Tithe and give to a ministry that that the Lord places on our hearts. We have never been very consistent with tithing, but I know the Lord is working on me and Tim's hearts in this area and we want to be obedient and better stewards with our money.
  
• Limit my time on the computer and the TV -- these are very easily time wasters, and I have better things to do with my time
• I enjoy reading and want to read several books this year. The ones I am starting and hoping to finish in the next couple of weeks are: The Reason for God: Belief in the age of skepticism by Tim Keller and Love and Respect: The love she most desires; The respect he desperately needs by Emerson Eggerichs. I started Love and Respect awhile back, but never finished it, so I think I'm going to start it over and actually finish it this time! I'm terrible when it comes to sticking with one book and finishing it. I start reading about 2 or 3 different books at once and never finish any of them. Anyone else do this? I hope to stop doing that and actually complete what I've started.

I could go on and on I'm sure, but these are the main things I would like to work on this year and for the rest of my life! I have to remember that through all of this I cannot do any of it on my own. I must continue to lean and rely on my Lord and savior for all things and look to him for guidance in all that I do.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

*love*