Normal?!

Is it normal to have so much love for one person that it overwhelms you like the ocean?!  

Is it normal to wanna eat him up cuz he's so cute and sweet and irresistible?!  

Is it normal to wish that there was someway to make that one line in his vows, about extending the contract, come true?! 

{'I promise til death do us part, and if i could extend the contract beyond that, I would.'}

Is it normal to cry because you love him so much and never want these days to end?!

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I guess if it's not normal, I hope that I am eternally abnormal.  

And the next time my little temper flares up and selfishness rears it's ugly head

I hope I remember the bottomless blessing that God gives me in him everyday.

Eleuthera Bahamas :: 2011

I Love

:: Late Night Date Nights with Hubs.

:: Pizza and Pop in a restaurant with bright green walls and balloons on the ceiling.

:: How kissy Hubs is on dates

:: All.Sunday.Long to be together.

:: Our 30 days of free Netflix.  Rocking our world, peoples.  Seriously.

:: Back rubs while watching said flix.

:: Encouraging text messages from my adorable Sister/MoH, Tiffy.

:: Hubs being so sweet when I have freak out moments

:: CLEAN BEDROOMS!!!  {makes me feel like i could conquer the world}

:: Finding new blogs that inspire me to my toes and are so beautiful to look at.  {which makes me consider doing some guest posts with my new favs.  wouldja like that?!}

:: My sparkly ring.  Still adore it.  Way to go Hubbers.  {i love you}

:: YOU dear lovelies.  Thanks for your encouraging words, comments, and for coming along for the ride!  I'm really glad you are here!

My Saturday M.O.

I really think I'm married to the sweetest, most darling, most hard working man ever.  

It's Saturday.  Our mostest favoritest day of the entire week.  And Kind Hubs is working his little tail off to get our budget further ahead.  Such a dear.

So I'm spending my day, alone at the house.

BUT lest you think I'm some bum-of-a-person-who-never-leaves-her-room

I DID finish this little project I've been working on for Baby Niece {which I will show you all later, as the Gorgeous Mama reads this blog too.  hi, Jessica!}

AND I ate lunch with Hubs at the house.

AND I did walk down to the grocery store and bought some perfectly delicious Snickers Ice Cream

which, maybe-just-maybe, I will consume completely to myself.

DUH.  Not in one day.  Can't believe you would even think that.  More like a week.  Ok.  Maybe three days.  Or two if I'm murderously craving something sweet.  But whatever.  That's completely beside the point.

Anywayza.  That's how I'm rowlin' on this sunny Saturday.  Now I'm off to watch a movie on my 30 day free trial of Netflix. . . haha!  Watch me cancel on day 29.  Take that Suh-ckers!!

And meanwhile I'll keep fingers, toes and eyes crossed that Hubbers get off early so we can go on Date Night.  Yee-heeesss!!!!!

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Happy weekend to you, lovelies, wherever you find yourselves!!

Of Dreams and Courage and Such

Last night Hubbers and I saw the new movie 'The Help' with his mom.  And I must say I liked it.  I must say it inspired me.  Must say it moved me.  The way one girl saw something and had the courage to follow her dreams in way that would bless others.

I have been thinking about dreams and hopes and aspirations and all those yummy things a lot lately.  A lot.  How do little kids always know what they want to be when they grow up?!  They have their high hopes of conquering the world and doing great adventures in it.  Then something happens between high school and growing up and getting jobs and becoming responsible adults.  

{Disclaimer.  This is NOT a plug for lazy adults who live on rainbows and butterflies and big pipedreams.  'Nuf said.  Ahem.}

How do we loose that childlike dreaming spirit of adventure?!  Why did I?!

Did I quit believing I could?  That God might have a special story for me?  Quit believing that I might touch someone's life in a way that He made for only me to do?!  Am I too busy scurrying here and there that I miss the opportunities that are under my nose?

So here I am in California.  No job.  No car.  No friends at my beck and call.  

It's almost like God has put me in this little corner with my Husband, my Bible, my trusty laptop and a handful of dreams that won't stop dancing around my heart and mind.

The question is do I have the courage to chase those for His glory alone?!

- - - 

PS.  Do you like seeing my little corner where I spend most of my days in our chronically unmade bed?! And isn't that gushing sunshine lovely?  Wait.  No.  That's my poor camera skills and an overexposed window.  Never mind.

PSS.  What are your dreams?!  If you could do anything with NO FEAR of failure, what would it be?  

PSSS.  Hello to all you lovelies who have started reading our little bloggity blog!  I know you are there. . . from Australia and Germany and Israel and Ecuador and of course the dear ole' USofA.  Welcome and I hope you've come to stay a while.  We'll be grand friends, I'm sure.  

xoxo

Top Ten Terrific Things

10. Watching Hubs and Bro create their calzones at our calzone bar for Monday night dinner.  Would you believe a little bit of dough and cheese with their MEAT?!
9.  Sunshine, breeze and a kiss of pink on my shoulders.  Mwauh.
8.  Bike rides back from lunch with Hubs and sweet father-in-law.  {I hated the flat tire, loose chain and squeaky brakes.}
7.  White Chili for dinner tonight.  Enough said.  How lucky am I to have a gourmet-chef for a sis-in-love?!  Luuuuuhhhhh-keeeee.
6.  My awesome little craft project that I am currently making out of that bowlful of newspapers!  Boooosh.

5.  Hubs and I beating mom and pops at Cribbage over coffee this afternoon.
4.  Visiting a massive Joann Fabrics this afternoon and feeling the emerging Craft-Goddess in me happy-dancing.
3.   Pinterest, pinterest, pinterest.  Seriously rocks my world.  {Wherever I am, really.}
2.  The twin bed that Hubs and I currently are sleeping in. . . because we can't bear to be separated by that crack between the daybed and the trundle.
1.  Getting hired on by my said-sweet-father-in-law to screw in drywall this afternoon.  WHICH translates into getting paid to send googley eyes at Hubbers for almost 2 hours!

Party Planning & Blog Revamping

So hello lovelies.

Whatcha think of the new blog design?!  Ya like it?!  Huh, yeah, huh, yeah?!

After our dinner of calzones, yummy apple dessert {thank you Jess}, and Lincoln Lawyer, I listened to the three Brilliants discuss theological topics that were freakishly above of me.  Meanwhile, I painstakingly redesigned Little Blog here.  Eeeshh.  Painful stuff.  Really wasn't a fan of how it started, to be honest.  

In other news, you may or may not have heard that I'm gonna be an Auntie in just 5 months!  Whoot whoot!  Since we are here before the big move of Baby's parents, I am helping to organize a baby shower in two weeks.  Double-Triple-Whoot.  Pinterest has been my amazing helper and I'm dying to put all my inspirations to life.  

AND because I spent too much time wandering around the house looking for my computer cord to post photos of the boys making calzones tonight {quite hilarious}, I've decided instead to post the dreamy ideas for you to enjoy with me.

source, source, source

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And for the other brilliant people who may or may not read this blog, do you know anything of coding and HTML for such blog design?!  Any great sites or books you may recommend.   It rather intrigues me how series of numbers and letters can make something to aesthetically pleasing.

AND be sure to click the follow button near the top of the page.  So much easier and accessible now that's it's visible.  {Dumb old spot before on the bottom.}

Ta-ta for now. . . I'm off to bed to rest my sore muscles from a run with Hubs and Bro tonight.  {Remind me W H Y I ran with former stars in the sport?!  Gaaaahh!!}

"let's pack up and move to california"

What's the most spontaneous thing you have ever done?!

Went on a camping trip under the stars?  Bought a gold fish?  Wrote a book?  Ate a bug?

On Friday afternoon, after a frustrating day of trying to think through plausible situations to make the money that is lacking in the lawn mowing business due to no rain, we bought plane tickets to California.  

{You see his dad has lots of construction work in LA and can always use a hot strong man to help AND we were already planning to visit in September so our return tickets are purchased!}

Hubs was awesome to clean the kitchen and house while I packed and less than 24 hours later we were boarding the plane.  Then we surprised the ba-jeebers out of his mom, brother and the lovely, pregnant sister in law.  Ahhh so happy to be back to this sunny place with the great family.

There was church on the beach this morning.  Then took this gorgeous fuzzy photo of Hubs and I.  

And in other news, it's cute how everyone is so excited to see him.  He has a real fan club here.  

Then to make a great day even better, we met up with Tiffany and Oscar for lunch.  WHICH, I might add, was a surprise for sister.  Her face was priceless.

- - - 

So here we are for the next month.  While Hubs works, I will go on nice runs in the sun and maybe even work on my tan {haha}.  We will have endless movie nights with our favorite brother and sister.  AND I may even blog about the adventures, if you like.

wishing every thursday was like saturday {and other important thoughts}

:: Hubs' work took the day off for a boating trip.  He took the day off to sleep in and spend with me.  It was like Saturday in the middle of the week.  Pure awesomeness.

:: The only thing tainting this awesomeness was my stupid early bus route.  Check in time: 6:25AM.  Ugggh.  

:: I hate waking up at 5:40AM and leaving the warm bed with said Hubs in it.

:: I love sneaking back home after said route and crawling back into bed with the sleeping man.  {Maybe, just maybe, an awesome make-out sesh followed.}

:: When Hubs says he'll watch a chick-flick with me, it's super maddening to you find your copy of 'Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' clawed to death by an imaginary cat.

:: Seester Grace turned 15 yesterday and I sang her a rousing rendition of Taylor Swift's 'When You're 15'.  You can bet your bottom dollar she was touched.  Best birthday present ever.

:: Hubs was sweet and dressed in green with me to honor said sister's favorite color.

:: I need to learn another mouth pose for photos.  Oooooooo

:: White wash cloths are dumb.

:: When I make this yummy dessert, I need to guard it with my life from my brothers and their friends.

:: I could eat Falbo Brothers' pizza til I die and I wouldn't even care.

:: Parents who have to ask a teacher to remove their child from the bus because he won't listen are . . . are . . . {words I won't say}.  Hello, Mamma.  You just lost the war on that one.

:: I miss my bestie, Tiffany.  Mexico, here I come.

:: When I'm achingly tired and kinda mad because 5:40 comes too soon, it's really adorable when Hubs rubs my back til I fall asleep.

Mercy Monday

Ok.  Be real with me.  Complaining is such an easy trap to fall into, yes?!  I was so inspired yesterday at church to live every second of every day, as if I literally attached to the Vine of Christ.  Living in this abiding-mode changes my outlook on life.

This is my attempt at thanking God for his evident mercies and grace in my everyday life.

- - - 

What about you?!  How do you see the God at work in your life today?!

Happy Monday, Lovelies.

State Fair

Yesterday I introduced Hubs to the epic-ness of the Iowa State Fair.  It rocked his world.  

It's rather ridonkulous how many people are scurrying around to buy the next fried food or stand in line to see that tiny baby pig that was just born.  It's like midwest awesomeness on every corner.  

{He was quite impressed, especially when he saw the 1200 pound pig.  Massive people.  Freakishly massive.}

Hubs was convinced this pig was smiling and wouldn't stop talking for a long time.  

And PS.  The biggest pig - weighing in somewheres around 1200 pounds - had it's own security guard.  For reals, how awesome is that?!

This boy was so incredibly happy as he tried smoked turkey legs for the first time.  It was his dream come true. . . eating meat like a caveman!  He was moaning in delight for a long time after

As we began our afternoon of fair exploring, I promised Hubs I would eat whatever food he bought me without complaining about weight gain, calories or being fat.  Wow.  Such freedom.  We ate and walked and perused and ate and ate and ate.  I had my running list of those perfect fair foods I couldn't go home without.

It was amazing.  Including that perfectly roasted ear of corn.  Dripping in butter and salt.  Driii - pping.

Of course lots of PDA.  We have lots to do in order to make up for lost time.  Seriously.

Do you know how stupid fair rides are?!  You seriously pay mucho dinero for such a short thrill.  Or in Adam's case, this ONE game he was sure he could win.  He KNEW the tricks of the trade.

Let's just I WASN'T cuddling up with that adorable Sponge Bob last night.  Boo.

Seriously best date day in a really long time.  I hope I never get tired of being with this boy that I love.  I hope we are eighty years old and tooling around the State Fair in our trandem scooters with blinking LED lights, while I eat my weight in cotton candy and funnel cakes.

House Tour: Numero Uno

My poor little bloggity-blog.  So neglected the last several days.  Never again.    Should I use the excuse that I've been too busy?!  Lame, I know.  

We spent our weekend hanging out with family and friends.  Lunch, Sunday afternoon, at the Mongolian Grill with an adorable couple we met through China.  Cutest people ever, guys. Whenever the Mrs has to leave town, her sweet Mr misses her so much that when she gets home there are piles of gifts for her.  How perfectly adorable is that?!  

Then it was straight to the park where we had our annual Chmelar cousins/aunts/uncles/grandparent picnic.  It was so hot but fun.  I came away completely inspired by my cousin who is preggo with baby three and she has a better body than mine.  Something about running making all the difference.  Guess I need to keep pressing into what I hate . . .

Monday night was a momentous occasion for us.  Our first overnight house guest.  One of Adam's good friends from college was trekking cross-country with all he and the Beautiful wife's things for there big move to MI.  Good thing he didn't mind our ultra-cozy, sleeping bag/blanket bed on the living room floor.  Humble beginnings, folks.  Very humble. 

Anywayza . . . here I am with the first half of the much-requested house tour.  I am still working through piles of {like I prefer to say in Chinese} dongxi(stuff) that is hiding in various corners of our downstairs. The upstairs, that you are about to see, will be rented out as soon as we can put a shower downstairs, a stove upstairs and fix the doors.  Tiny details, really.  So without further blubberings . . . 

The external exit in the backyard for our lovely renters.  {And no, our house is not sliding into the ground.  That's my mad photography skills at work.}

I have such glorious dreams for this porch someday.  Can't you just see an adorable little reading nook?! Or a tiny guest bedroom?!  I luuurve the wood siding that is still there.  Sooo yummy.  No.  Not the puke-pink colored walls.  Those are gross.

Through the old door is the second kitchen in the house.  Hence our ability to have two apartments.  

Through the wide door is what could be used as a dining/living room.  Don't the dark venetian blinds really set off the dark carpet that is covering my lovely wood floors?!  Hmm.  Something must be done to remedy this in the future.  {Crazy carpet people}

 

Down the long hall are the rest of the bedrooms and one bath AND this little servants' staircase that leads to the bathroom downstairs and further down to the outside or basement.

The bathroom boasts of one rickety, free-standing shower, a toilet that is currently torn up for a new seal and blue carpet.  {To which Adam marvels 'Why would anyone put carpet in a bathroom?!}  

The one saving grace of this bathroom are the floor-to-ceiling old storage cupboards.  Can I hear a hearty 'Amen', ladies?!  Ahhh. . . so much potential for organization in such a pitiful bathroom!

The first bedroom has this violet sponge paint and a guh-ooor-geous butterfly boarder.  Kaahh . . . I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.  Ok.  It could be worse. . . I guess?  Oh well.  Paint is such an easy, happy fix for most of my woes.  I completely adore the huge windows and all the light that spills in.

This last bedroom at the front end of the house has a similar puke color on the walls.  Do you think these people had some kinda mental problem or something?!  Seriously.  Makes me rethink white being the worst wall color.  Gosh.  

But You wanna know what I adore about THIS room?!  The massive walk in closet. . . complete with a window for lots of sunlight!  Yaay!!  Methinks Mommy and Daddy will steal this room when the Neesby babies force us to take over the whole house.  

 Thank you crazy owners, for leaving some of your furniture.  I have such high hopes for transforming these pieces into some kinda DIY awesomeness.   Then around the corner are this huge open staircase downstairs.  

I just Uh.Dore open staircases.  Especially when they have two stained glass windows letting light in.  Just to fix said puke-colored walls soon.   {PS. Do you see the little piles of stuff in corners?!  Toldyaso.}

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 There you have it peoples.  Your first half of the house tour.  Thanks for being so enthusiastically excited for us.  Such a big adventure we have embarked on.  I am excited to journal our way through it all and to have you here to celebrate the ups and downs with us.  Maybe along the way, we'll have to have some rockin' good house parties to celebrate the little milestones as they come.

Happy almost Friday people!  My favorite part of the week is almost here again.  Whoopie!!!