Virtual Shopping

I'm not the world's best shopper. I am sometimes in the mood, but it usually wears off pretty quick and I can get quite impatient. I'm also not the best at choosing items. I can't even pick out the correct sizes. Dan comes in handy quite often to kindly let me know that those pants are still too big or to pick out great clothes for me. I discovered this site...it's GREAT! You enter your height, weight, hair color, etc. Then you can go shopping at home. I don't have to get impatient and I get to be daring at trying things on without taking the time to actually untie my shoes for the 10th time! I love it. I'm trying to get Dan do do one too because I think it would be funny. So far there is some resistance!

Now That We Got That Out

You know, sometimes it just feels good to vent. Yes, things could be worse and everyone's got problems, but when you are in the thick of your own problems they feel like they are the biggest problems ever. We know at this moment they are not and we'll get through it. I have to tell you though it does feel good to just write them all down, look at them, digest them, and then throw them away. They've happened and like I said before, it could be worse. Like I said in our last post as well we're so thankful for what we have, but darn it sometimes you need to vent! You have to let it out sometimes.

Which brings me to something I'm asking of everyone. If you could say a few extra prayers for a girlfriend of mine from high school. This just makes me feel so guilty for ever being upset about our own stuff. Our stuff is nothing compared to what they are going through right now. At 32 weeks she went in for a check-up on her baby. The cord had wrapped around the baby's neck and she was born stillborn. Her parents named her Alexis Justine. If you could lift up some prayers for her mom and dad. They struggled in the past to even get pregnant and to have their baby taken from them is just so unimaginable at the pain they are experiencing. Thank you.....

Cursed

I guess 101 brings us to the fact that we are cursed. We are either horrible, horrible people, God hates us, or we just can't catch a lucky break. In the past however many months if you can name something that is "bum" luck then we've experienced it.

-both cats almost die or have to be put to sleep in the move (3 full months of absolute torture)
-we had vet bills like mad
-the day of closing we found out we had to come up with 8,000 extra dollars to put down on our house because of the economy at that time
-Riker has been having health issues, which equals more vet bills
-we had to replace half of our upstairs carpet from Suki
-furnace goes out in our brand new house
-Dan's phone broke
-my windshield cracked for no reason
-we lived in a mold infested death house for six weeks on an air matress with sporadic hot water and electricity
-three days before our house in Bismarck was supposed to sell the deal fell through
-the water heater went out in that house
-my dad broke his back
-my job sucks
-Dan's wallet and checkbook got stolen at a lock-in at CHURCH!
-I can't eat wheat and dairy my two favorite food groups
-I have to have surgery
-Dan has to go to Honduras right in the middle of Lent season
-the garage door opener in our new house quit working
-Dan's car battery died/then it wouldn't start and he needed quite a few repairs
-one of the first random strangers I met in town asked me if we were nuts for moving away from Bismarck, ND-this is after half of this stuff has happened

Maybe this is God's way of telling us that we made the wrong decision. Maybe we are cursed. I honestly don't know. So this post is because I can't lie. I can't sit there and post some post that says oh, look at us....see how happy we are because the truth is right now life sucks! But then again we do have some good things.....

-our cats didn't die
-we aren't going broke and can handle two mortgage payments
-I have a job
-sometimes everything breaks at once and it's just the luck of the draw
-we have each other

I know this list isn't as long as the other one, but I refuse to sit back and see the negative all of the time. The truth is I've been through a lot worse and this is NOT the worst. This is life and sometimes it's hard, sometimes it's ok, and sometimes it's wonderful. It may seem like EVERYTHING is going wrong, but it's really not. It's all in how you look at it....RIGHT?

Waiting for this stink of a season to pass!

100 Posts

So the only way I can tell this is blogger tells me this is our 100th post. Since the world celebrates special numbers I thought why not celebrate 100 posts. Hope you have enjoyed our 100 things! I wonder what 101 will bring?

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

Ha! I found some chocolate I can eat. The other night we had Pastor Audrey and her husband Don over for dinner. I melted chocolate and cut up strawberries for part of our dessert. I couldn't have the chocolate and it made me really grumpy. So I've been on a mission.....must find chocolate that I can eat or one's head will explode! I found something and it wasn't at the store the last time so either they are adding products to their health food section or they knew I was desperately in need of this! I made a cake for Valentine's Day complete with chocolate frosting. All gluten AND dairy free! It's actually pretty good. I even got the memory in my head of my Great Grandma Selma's chocolate cake...............ok, maybe it's not that good, but Dan actually liked it and said he'd eat it again. PTL....seriously because he has provided and my head is now saved!!! It's so good that I'm eating it RIGHT now, as we speak, for breakfast! Mmmmmm........

Waiting

Waiting for spring
Waiting for doctor's visits to pass by quickly
Waiting for vacations and/or mission trips
Waiting to see if Meeko will finally beat his infection
Waiting and hoping that work will be better next year

Waiting, waiting, waiting......how is it that we so quickly get caught up in the waiting game? I am at the moment. I'm waiting for so many things. I wish I were not. I wish I were enjoying this very single moment. I remember my old roomate and friend Brian, who died in 2005. He was always living every single minute. He, of course, had his down times too, but he was always up for an adventure. He knew his life would be short. We don't know that, but it's a possibility. You get stuck always looking ahead instead of being in the now. The funny thing is you can fall so easily into the waiting game, but it's just as easy to climb your way back out. I'm going to stop "waiting" and instead try to live right here in the present in HOPE.

Hopeful for a beautiful spring
Hopeful and brave for no fainting at the doctor
Hopeful to enjoy our time together before our trips
Hopeful and postive that Meeko is so close to being in the clear
Hopeful that work can be better maybe even this year

Yikes!

Registration Confirmation for: What's the Rush?

Fargo Marathon - 2009

Dear Leigh,

Congratulations! You are now registered for Fargo Marathon - 2009. Please check the event's official website for updates: http://www.fargomarathon.com


So, some girlfriends and I are officially signed up and ready to go to run the Fargo Marathon. Pam, Jenny, Cody, and myself are going to brave this together. There is NO WAY I'd run a marathon or even a half-marathon, but I thought 6.3 is a good challenge. As it's now the 6th of February that leaves almost exactally 3 months to train. This will be interesting as my body tends to just shut down after 3 miles. I'm not sure why. I can do triathalons and swim, bike, and then run, but after just 30 minutes of running I'm beat. You'd think that if I could do 30 minutes of running after 10 minutes of swimming and 50 minutes biking that I could just do more of running. We'll see if we make it....Wish us luck! Hopefully I'll still be blogging after May 9th!

The Bachelor

Since the very first episode I felt like Melissa will be the one that "The Bachelor" (Jason) will pick. She just seems his type and more importantly has been far from all of the back stabbing and nasty behavior that has gone on between the rest of the women. Don't think for a moment that this post is just for me......the last episode I was unavailable to watch. I called Dan, talked to him for a few short moments before he preceded to tell me....oh, oh...gotta go the commercial is over!

He is down to 4 girls.....
Molly-I get an eerie feeling about her. Don't trust her although I think she'll be in the final two
Jillian-very down to earth and fun, but don't see the connection
Naomi-very sweet, but it's obvious she doesn't quite seem to be 100% sure she's ready

So there you have it....That's my and I think if I remember right (our) prediction.