Thirteen Things I'm Loving Doing this Summer!

Work is continuing to be so stressful, so I decided to purposely focus this Thursday Thirteen on the things we've been enjoying doing in the beautiful weather to de-stress:

1. Bike riding! I especially love going out and exploring early in the morning on the weekend (and if my hubby can join me, all the better!)

2. Walks by the river:)

3. Light mocha frappucinos at Starbucks after the aformentioned walks;)

4. Tending to my flowers:)

5. Enjoying some tea and a devotional on the deck!

6. Going for a country drive (we went to the Berry Barn a couple of weeks ago:)

7. Walks around the neibourhood.

8. Cruising with my sweetie in the PT (even if it is only to go and groceries tonight!)

9. Earl's patio (if you can get in?!! ..ok, so we haven't gotten in yet, but we will!)

10. Bar-b-quing!

11. Visiting the new dry pond in one of the parks nearby, sitting on the bench and enjoying each other and the children playing aorund us:)

12. Enjoying the deck (after all our hardwork painting it) with my hubby and some homemade iced tea after he's done work on the weekends.

13. The sun on my face, wherever I am (especially after a hard day at work while I'm coming home!)




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Can You Believe It?!!

This weekend I heard about a group that may file a lawsuit against Starbucks?!! Their grounds would be that some of the food/drinks they serve are high fat/calorie (I believe this group was targetting KFC first?). Now, I am just in shock about the idea of this lawsuit because I've been someone who has had to watch what she eats her whole life and I have never been anywhere where the people have been more accommodating in terms of providing nurtrition information on what they serve and in terms of suggesting alternatives to bring a drink in line with the carb, fat and calorie goals I have. It's one of the reasons I *LOVE* Starbucks so much, I can order my caramel macchiato with no fat and no sugar and it STILL tastes great! (and it isn't full of aspartame or artificial fats!) So I'm hoping this is just a vicious rumour that was misheard. I *LOVE* Starbucks! :)

Who'd a thunk it... I AM - Wonder Woman !!

Wonder Woman 75% Superman 60% Spider-Man 55% Green Lantern 55% Robin 52% Supergirl 50% Catwoman 40% Batman 35% The Flash 35% Iron Man 35% Hulk 20%

You are a beautiful princess with great strength of character.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

Thirteen ways I was spoiled for my bday last weekend:

1. For the first time since we've been married, my hubby and I both had my bday off:)

2. My inlaws had us for a bday supper the night before (FIL even made his special garlic shrimp) and kept our daughter overnight so we could go out on my bday:)

3. Les took me to dinner at the Granary:)

4. And it was lobsterfest...so I had lobster:) (...and some particularly good wine:)

5. And afterward we went to the movies and saw a romantic comedy:)

6. And we had not one, but TWO trips to Starbucks that day (one in the afternoon and then a nightcap after the movie:)

7. Speaking of Starbucks, at work on the day before my bday, my staff surprised me with a grande caramel macchiato (no fat and sugar free) at coffee break:)

8. I still can't believe they remembered exactly how I like it:)

9. They got me a piece of banana loaf with it (and I ate it...thus breaking my carb limit in a 2 hour window:( ...but it tasted good:)

10. I broke my eating plan a couple of other times on my bday weekend, like on the morning of my bday when my husband served me breakfast...a cinnamon bun fresh from the bakery...YUM! (Someone said that the calories and carbs don't count if it's your bday, right?!!) ...anyway I'm trying to be extra good now this week..

11. My darling daughter gave me the most beautiful card...the sentiment of which was that no matter what she's sure of two things: God's presence and my love (I'm so GLAD she is secure in that:) ...she also gave me the Busy Mom's Guide to Prayer which she had seen me look at once (very thoughtful of her to remember that:) ...I'm SO looking forward to using it:)

12. My in-laws gave me a "Classic Goddess Pedicure" from my favourite day-spa! I wonder what a "Classic Goddess Pedicure" involves?!! (I know about the pedicure part...but the name of this one sounds so indulgent?!!:)

13. My husband gave me an amazing card and thoughtful gifts as well and totally doted on me all weekend! Boy do I love that MAN! :)




Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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We have such a cool small group...

Last night we were supposed to finish the study we've been working on at small group. Last night was also the Stanley Cup final. It was going to be hard to miss it and go to small group (especially for my hubby), but that was the right thing to do...so imagine our surprise when we got to the group and the game was on?! So we didn't get the study done...but we did have a great time together followed with some prayer...we have such a cool small group:)

Today is the fourth anniversary of when my handsome hubby first kissed me. It came one day after my birthday:) And in the days and weeks and months and years since then I have grown more and more in love with him! Today I celebrate my genius of a husband, the husband that he is, the father that he is...and of course, that first kiss:)

Thirteen reasons I haven't posted since last week's Thursday Thirteen:

1. I tried to milk the weekend for all it was worth as I wasn't looking forward to going back to work on Monday.
2. When I went back to work, in addition to the pressure and stress I had expected, there were unexpected 'surprises'.
3. One of my staff is off on an extended sick leave again.
4. I can't hire a temporary person to fill in as we just have week to week notification from this staff member's doctor...as we have to keep her job open for her.
5. I'm hoping she gets better very quickly, but based on the reports I heard along with my own brief encounter with her, I suspect it will take much longer. (She is, of course, in my prayers)
6. So all my staff, who were already strained, are being pushed even further. (They are in my prayers too!)
7. And there were quite a number of things added to my plate to cover as well this week...only there really wasn't room on my plate for them...
8. And apparently, last week, in my absense, the big boss made life pretty difficult for several of my staff.
9. Turns out he made it difficult for staff in other departments too.
10. And now they are not motivated to do extra to meet with these challenges. (And I've been trying my best to encourage and motivate them.)
11. As a result of the staff out on leave and this motivation issue, not as much progress has been made on a big project that the big boss is focused on. (We're fighting fires people!)
12. I'm afraid of his reaction when he returns on Monday...even though I've done my best...unfortunately it is out my control and I can only do what I can do.
13. Last night when I did have some time to myself, I spent it outside with a cup of tea and my Bible talking to God about this all. I'm not 100% certain of His will on this, but I am 100% certain of His love and of how faithful He has been to me. So if you think of me, send up a prayer or two...thx:)



Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Thirteen Good Thoughts about Our Trip to Starbucks on Wednesday:

As I mentioned in my last post, Les and I have a few days off together this week. We're not going anywhere, just getting things done around the yard and spending some time together, but we have made allowances to take a few trips to Starbucks together this week, so here are some good things about Wednesday's trip...

1. As we worked in our yard in the morning and early afternoon, planting trees and painting the deck floor, the thought of going to Starbucks when we were finished was great motivation!
2. When we got there one of the Barista's, who was on her break outside, got up and walked toward us to tell us that the other day when we had popped by and found that that they were temporarily closed due to a pipe break, that they were still able to take business by the drive-thur and that when she saw us pull up, she had started to make our usual orders. When we had seen the sign about their problem though, we had carried on, not thinking the drive-thru would be open, but it was so sweet that they had actually started to make our order. I apologized for the inconvenience, and the Barista responded that it was ok, she loves my usual so she drank it!
3. When we went inside, several staff greeted us and asked us how we were:)
4. I ordered my caramel macchiato with no fat and s-f vanilla (mmmm:)
5. Les had a venti sumantra, some skim milk and an expresso brownie...which I got a bite of:)
6. I dipped a low-fat vanilla almond biscotti in my macchiato (mmmmmm:)
7. We got to sit in the big comfy green armchairs (I even curled my feet up:)
8. One of the Barista's came over and asked if we would do a coffee sampling with her.
9. We said sure and it turned out that she was sampling the new Brazilian blend that Les and I had been talking about on the drive over. We had just been saying that we wondered what it was like and that if we didn't notice it as one of the brews of the day soon we might ask them to make a french press of it so we could try it.
10. It had a wonderful nutty flavour and no bitterness. We'll definitely be buying some beans for at home.
11. The Barista made it in a french press, which is our favoured method of brewing regular coffee at home.
12. We enjoyed relaxing in our cozy chairs with our beverages and talked away!
13. Les says we're going back tomorrow! :))



Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Well this week my husband and I actually have a few days off together, which is not so common as he works shiftwork and I have a desk job. And so far we've been quite busy... We've been painting the deck, purchasing trees, tending our yard, going to doctor's appointments, and we've even fit one trip to Starbucks in there so far (...hoping for another one tomorrow after we plant those trees;) We just got back from a huge bike ride where Amanda tackled the hills with a new resolve...definitely worthy of the ice cream treat we bought her on the route home:) When we got home, we fertilized the lawn and gardens and are just about to tuck Miss Amanda into bed. Then Les and I are going to have our very own well earned treat...sushi:) I wish every week could be like this one!!

Me - A Fluffed Up Rabbit?

A funny thing happened when we got the mail the other day. The spring newsletter for Breakforth came and it had an amazing article in it from Brian Doerksen that spoke to my husband quite powerfully. So Les read it aloud to me, and God definitely was saying some stuff to both of us through it (...I will share more about that another day). But then when he was finished and I was thinking about what he read, I flipped through the newsletter myself and stumbled upon an article by Ken Davis. Ken was not someone I knew much about before last year's conference, but during his main-stage presentation last year, God used Ken to remind me that "He ADORES (me) you." So with that thought in mind, I read Ken's article. It started out like one of those funny little stories that get emailed around that has a mushy point at the end. Only the point at the end wasn't mushy, but it was something I needed to hear. It wasn't a comfortable thing to hear and yet my soul took comfort in it. Now I need to figure out what, if anything, God wants me to do about it...or if He just wants me to be and see what He intends to do about it. Here's the article... (oh, and don't worry, I haven't been fueding with any neighbours lately, and I certainly haven't been fluffing up any rabbits?!;)

A woman happened to be looking out the window of her home one day. She was horrified to see her German Shepherd shaking the life out of the neighbor’s rabbit. Her family had been quarreling with these neighbors; this was certainly going to make matters worse. She grabbed a broom and ran outside, pummeling the pooch until he dropped a rabbit now covered with dog-spit — and extremely dead.

After a moment’s consideration, the woman lifted the rabbit with the end of the broom and brought it into the house. She dumped its lifeless body into the bathtub and turned on the shower. When the water running off the rabbit was clean, she rolled him over and rinsed the other side. Now she had a plan. She found her hairdryer and blew the rabbit dry. Using an old comb, she groomed the rabbit until he looked pretty good. Then, when the neighbor wasn’t looking, she hopped over the fence, snuck across the backyard, and propped him up in his cage. No way was she taking the blame for this.

About an hour later, she heard screams coming from the neighbor’s yard. She ran outside, pretending she didn’t know what was going on. “What’s happened?” she asked innocently. Her neighbor came running to the fence. All the blood had drained from her face. “Our rabbit, our rabbit!” she blubbered. “He died two weeks ago, we buried him - and now he's back!”

Had the neighbor poked the rabbit or tried to play with him, she would have discovered
the truth: The rabbit was dead. And playing with a fluffed-up dead rabbit isn’t much fun.

The same is true with fluffed-up dead people. One of the disadvantages of living in an affluent society - meaning most of us - is that it’s too easy to get dead and buried before we’re dead and buried. We clutch our material possessions and social status tightly. We’re afraid to take risks, stand out in a crowd, or do anything that could make us look different. In a world of people whose first priority is to maintain the status quo, simply looking alive is too dangerous.

I once spoke with a news anchorman who hated nearly every aspect of his job. When I asked him why he didn’t quit, he said he’d come too far to turn back now. To search for something more significant in life would mean taking a pay cut and relinquishing a few job perks. So every day he gets up and heads for a job he hates, so he won’t lose what he’s gained. And just what has he gained? It sounds like a fluffed-up dead rabbit to me. All over North America people remain in jobs they hate so they can buy stuff they don’t need to impress people who don’t care.

God created you for so much more than that. Could it be time for you to take a deep breath and really live again? Take some risks. God's plan for your life was never about being propped up in a cage. I’ve met dozens of people who finally trusted God and made their escapes. Some changed jobs; some changed attitudes; some took the initiative and summoned up the courage to live out their convictions. There are some who are living with fewer financial resources than before, but they’re experiencing an excitement and a renewed faith they never knew was possible. The renewed fire in their lives leaves no doubt they’re alive.

Jesus is about life. If you feel as if you’ve been shaken, hosed off, and propped up to dry, chances are it's time to take a look around. God wants you to live. People will be delighted an amazed that you’re back.
“He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose”. -
Jim Elliot

This is an excerpt from Ken Davis’ book, Lighten Up!

Your Grace is Enough

On May 2nd, I blogged a definition of grace that we recently looked at in my small group, it went like this:

If your friend punches you in the face and you decide not to
retaliate...that's MERCY.

If your friend punches you in the face and you
decide not to retaliate and you tell him that it won't affect your
friendship...that's FORGIVENESS.

If your friend punches you in the face
and you decide not to retailiate and you tell him that it won't affect your
friendship AND you buy him an ice cream cone...that's GRACE.

So this was the definition in my mind at Church tonight when we sang, "Your Grace is Enough"...only, not too far into the chorus, it struck me that the word "enough" wasn't ENOUGH to express what God's grace is. It's MORE than we deserve, it's MORE than a simple pardon, it's MORE than we can possibly fathom, and it certainly IS MORE than ENOUGH!

Thirteen Pretty Perennials in my garden:

(Busy busy week here, so it's going to be a quick list today, but I chose to do perennials because I had aweful luck with them the first year I tried, but this year I have been so pleasantly surprised at what's already blooming:)

1. Delphiniums
2. Chasta Daisies
3. Roses (ok, these aren't perennials, they're bushes, but they still return to bloom each year:)
4. Purple cone flower
5. Phlox
6. Salvia
7. Lilies (my friend Alana shared these with me from her garden last year and I think they will actually bloom this year:)
8. Irises (another plant shared with me by Alana...it didn't bloom last year, but I'm hoping it's established enough to bloom this year).
9. Painted Daisies.
10. Tulips (although they are done blooming now)
11. Obedient plant (this is what they look like as someone in the comments mentioned they hadn't seen one before)
12. Pink Nancy (got this at the Church perrenial sale last year and already I've been able to divide the plant and share it in other parts of our beds...I'm sure it has another name too.)
13. A purple flowering plant that I can't remember the name of right now, but when I get the chance to go out into the backyard tonight, I will update this with it's name)
**update* I went outside and there's no tag in the ground, so I still can't place the name of that plant, but I noticed that I have several other perrenials that I haven't already listed...dianthis, violas, aruga and chives.





Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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