summer in denver!

Unfortunately, it snowed here two. days. ago. I'm pretty sure we're done with that though (gosh, let's hope so!).

In celebration of today's 80 degree weather, I'm declaring it summer in Denver. To mark this momentous occasion, mom and I went for a 10 mile run (in the morning before it got too hot) and Burke and I played in the backyard all afternoon.

And I made my favorite outside-in-the-warm-weather treats: shaken iced tea and lemonade with a pump of raspberry and two pumps of valencia (starbucks syrups courtesy of kiji) and edamame with chili powder and garlic salt. Random, huh? But that's what I used to take to the pool as treats when we lived in the apartment and I had a pool and the tradition has continued. Just making these two things puts me in a good mood.

Let's hope this weather of glory sticks.

ps- So you know, I didn't take either of those pictures, just found them on google images.

moderation

So I gave up sweets for a month. Not because of lent or anything like that, just because of the sugar binge that had been my life since, oh, I visited jord and drew at the beginning of february and cleared out their candy drawer.

Anyhow, giving up sweets is hard for me. I love them. However, it's been a good month for a bunch of reasons. I don't feel like I would bleed maple syrup if you pricked me- that's one reason. I lost a couple pounds (though the goal was more detox than weight related). The best part of the whole month, though, was realizing how many sweets I eat purely out of habit. I figure, "It's sweet and I like sweets, so I should eat it," or worse, "If one cookie was fabulous, two cookies will be wonderful and three cookies will be heaven." Those things just aren't true.

I'm hoping that my newfound realizations that I should eat sweets in moderation, and only if I actually want them, and stop after a couple will extend into the months to come. Then this month won't have been in vain. In the meantime, bring on the cupcakes... err, cupcake.

escalators

Papa L. introduced Burke to escalators at DIA recently... and now my small fry can't get enough of them! When he sees one, he points and oohs and encourages you toward it (obviously, in the case of the picture above, this encouragement wooed his dad right onto the escalator)... Funny kid!

the first 100

Did you know that when a new Chick Fil A opens, the first 100 customers get free food for a year (52 vouchers for free combo meals)??? Adam and I have been wanting to do The First 100 for awhile- we LOVE Chick Fil A, love free stuff, don't have room in the budget for fast food (though I'd argue Chick Fil A goes in a different category than 'fast food'... semantics- haha!) and are totally up for a night of camping out in a parking lot to achieve such a thing.

So, at 8:00 yesterday morning, we arrived at Denver's latest and greatest Chick Fil A, unpacked our tent, cards, books, magazines and snacks and settled in for 22 hours of waiting. Since we'd never done this before, we weren't aware of the festivities that accompany said camp out... there were games and free chicken and 4 square and even a dj! Even better, we made all sorts of new friends (camping in a parking lot with 100 strangers will do that). Burke joined us for the first few hours and then spent the rest of the time at Lita and Papa's house right up the road from us.

The best part, though, was this morning when we showed our #12 and #13 wristbands and were handsomely rewarded with a box full of free Chick Fil A vouchers! YAY for delicious free food!

There's a sign up the street from our house that says, "Coming Soon: Chick Fil A." You can bet that in a few months we'll be up for round two of The First 100! Let us know if you want to join us... :)

not there yet

I know I wrote a couple months ago about sanctification and how encouraging it is to know that I am not the same as I used to be.

And then lately, there have been a couple not-so-subtle reminders about the miles and miles I still have ahead of me.

A little background info (I promise- it's pertinent)... My senior year of college I lived with the most fabulous group of girls. These girls were (and are!) silly and lovely and serious in their pursuit of Jesus. However, for whatever reason, I didn't take full advantage of some of those relationships. I think I chose to play a role in that group that closed me off from a lot of the growth that those relationships might've provided... I chose a role of exuberance. And selfishness. I was terrific at talking (about myself) and being excited (probably mostly about myself as well) and not great at listening or encouraging. And I regret that so much, y'all... Because I've gotten to know a few of those girls better since graduation (I know, ironic, since we now are scattered all about the country) and LOVE them. They are voices of encouragement and strength and perseverance to me. Why, oh why, didn't I take advantage of this sooner?

And so, now, I try to be very careful about playing that role. Some people are fantastic and humble when they play the exuberant role in a group- just not me. I want so much to be a listener and an encourager and to shed that former part of me. Which is why it is so rough on me to see that not-sanctified part cropping up again and again.

I'm sorry if I have run over you lately in my exuberance or selfishness... Sorry if there has been more talking than listening or less sensitivity than you've needed. It might be awhile like this, but I'm working on it (or rather, the Lord is). I'm just not there yet...

giveaway at kojo!

Kari at adam'sblankie has generously offered a boutique sushi bibbie and burpie set (seriously, could it be cuter? and sushi? right up my alley!) to giveaway over at the kojo blog. If it can't be me (and it can't, darn it!), I'd love to see one of y'all win. Head on over and make a comment to enter. :)

everyday stuff

I am a next-big-deal type of girl... which means, unfortunately, that it's supereasy for me to get caught in the trap of living just waiting for our next 'big thing,' or our next trip, or the next holiday, or the next time I see my family. However, God keeps teaching me (over and over again) that, really, while my everyday life is much more common, it is also much more important. The little minutes and everyday little stuff are really my life... And there is so much to be thankful in that category of little stuff!

As I was running, I was making a mental list of everyday little stuff that I am so thankful for:
-"spring green"... there is not a better color in the world than the vibrant green of plants coming back to life
-burke's babble
-runs with my mama
-sonic
-dear, sweet friends to learn from and live life with
-our little HUD house... God's provision in such a tangible, visible way
-being married to my best friend

mini-date night goodness

Adam has had 4 exams in the last week and a half (with another on Wednesday and one of Friday). Needless to say, we haven't seen each other much lately.

However, last night, he took a little break from Physiology and Immunology and Microbiology and Pathology (too many "ology"-s) for a mini-date night. We decided to stay in (a function of time, or a lack thereof) and put together a dinner of gloriousness: homemade falafel pitas with yogurt sauce, wingstop fries with my brother aji's special sauce (ranch + frank's red hot sauce), and the most delicious cosmo's EVER (using our friend kimiko's recipe). I debated publishing said cosmo recipe because I think we might enter it into this summer's Ludwig Family Drink Competition... but it's too good not to share.

Kimiko's Cosmos
1 shot vodka (maybe even a shot and a half)
1 shot 100% cranberry juice
1 shot simple syrup
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Splash grand marnier
Shake and serve.

I have to say, I like the whole 'gather-things-we-love-to-create-a-dinner-of-deliciousness-mini-date-night' idea. You should try it. You'll like it too.

happy easter!

gorgeous place setting courtesy of my lovely mom-in-law

Our Redeemer lives! Thank goodness that the Lord, in his mercy, chose to send a replacement to receive the judgement that I should've received instead. Happy Easter dear ones!

persevering

There are days that I come home from a run refreshed and energized and feeling like I could keep running and running.

And there are days like today where my body says I. am. not. running. After which a battle ensues where I try to reason with my heavy feet ("we did this yesterday, remember? it wasn't that bad then... it won't be today either") and subdue my muscles that are balking at the idea of any sort of movement. Usually I lose this battle and shorten my run or take a break and walk for awhile.

Today, however, I pushed through the sucky lack of motivation... or coordination... or energy... or something. And I have to tell you, I was pleasantly surprised. Turns out that sometimes persevering is just what my body needs. Sometime after the dreadfully terrible first mile, we figured out a compromise, my body and me. Albeit, my run was more of a shuffle (that was part of the compromise) and it took me a solid few minutes to catch up with and pass a man on a walk... more accurately an old man on a stroll... But we finished a few miles and are going to call that success for today.

I wonder how productive I could be if I pushed through my lack of motivation for the rest of the items that stay at the bottom of my to-do list?

for adam

This picture (at the science spectrum in lubbock) makes me laugh. Maybe someday, when adam is a real dentist, we can frame it for his desk.

the little things

before

after

You know how great it feels when you finally get to something that you've been meaning to do forever??? I have that feeling about our newly reorganized under-the-kitchen-sink area. I know it's weird that this stuff delights me so much. But it does. It's the little things, friends.

surprise down time

the oh-so-fluffy product of the tutu crafting

A canceled trip to the mountains (because of weather) = surprise down time for the gentry's. This never happens for us y'all, a wide open weekend I mean.

A glimpse of what I did for the last couple days:
Final four. Crafting (and not for an etsy order, just the regular, old, gift-for-a-friend and decor-for-my-house type of crafting). Friends over for dinner (the ones we were supposed to go to the mountains with). Kettlecorn and diet root beer. Twice. Sweet Home Alabama. Coffee with a sweet friend. Quality time with Burke. Tutu crafting with some girls. 27 Dresses. Hot peppermint tea. Screenprinting. The Office and Grey's (online). Glory, pure glory.

a king of circumstances?

Last week at church, our pastor Hunter was talking about how, throughout the course of history, God's people have continually been looking for the wrong kind of king. In the time of judges, the people asked Samuel to find them a king. They wanted a king like all the others they could see- one who would pursue military gain on their behalf. Then later, in the time of Christ, the Jews were expecting and looking for a king who would come, defeat the Romans and give them political power. Much to their surprise, the Messiah would come to bring a different kind of victory and power.

I've thought alot about this this week... Mostly because I feel like my priority when I ask the Lord to intervene in my life is almost always to change my circumstances. I, too, am looking for a king that will tailor my life to be as pain-free and enjoyable as possible. To me, that doesn't mean military gain or victory, but instead translates to financial stability, security in shaky times, fulfilling relationships and health- essentially a little buffer of comfort on all sides in my life. Rarely do I seek the Lord asking him to bring about the circumstances that would most benefit my character- just the ones that would most benefit my own happiness or security.

Ironically, the times of my life where my circumstances were the most unstable were the times where I drew nearest to the Lord (isn't that how it seems to go?). Remember how much I worried about selling the flip house? I was on my face in prayer every day about that. And actually, the ripple effect of praying so often for the flip house stretched out into all sorts of other areas of my life. My time in prayer expanded to include other things, and since I was talking to the Lord and reading God's Word constantly, He had an opportunity to develop in me patience and trust that wouldn't have come in a time of security and stability.

I'm not inviting struggle or suffering to an otherwise pretty even, unrocky season of our life. But I am praying that I would become a person who delights in our Good King as He brings about victory and blessing in ways that seem upside down to me, and that my priorities would begin to mirror His as I seek His hand at work in my life.

ps- Here's Hunter's message in it's entirety in case you want to listen too (just click on 3/29).

hail the conquering heroes!

Two of Adam's favorite parts of dental school: the people he's met and the chance to play IM sports. Isn't it lucky for him that those two things combine into an IM volleyball team that we love spending time with? Even better, his team won their division championship Wednesday night (see the white-sweatshirts-all-in-a-row? That was part of their prize)! YAY!

charles david fabulousness

Do I need these shoes?

Here are the pros:
-they're charles david, which always reminds me of the middleeast
-they're only 20 bucks (including shipping)
-I feel like they would go with lots of neutral-y outfits
-they'd probably make some plain-ish sundresses a little more dressy (I have lots of solid colored sundresses)
-they remind me of those j crew flats that I love love loved last winter... remember those heid?

And the cons:
-the 3" heel
-I can't decide if I need shoes like these anymore now that I mostly wear flats or Uggs
-do I need shoes that make things more dressy? I mean, I live in colorado and don't work outside of my own house...

Any thoughts?ps- They have green or blue too.. but I think the 'bronze' at the top are most versatile, don't you???