17 thank you notes for VBS finished.

6 more to go.

If I have forgotten you on my long list of thank you notes, please, know that I am extremely grateful for anyway that you helped out with VBS.  I really appreciate all that everyone did to make this year so special.  It seemed to go really well.  Photos of the madness here.  Thanks to Nancy Anderson for shooting such great photos of the week for all of us to remember.  And to the rest of you that helped out, Thank you, thank you , thank you, thank you for all your hard work!!!  I had so much fun and I am looking forward to next year (Olympic themed - how fun).  I promise to be better organized next year. 

Mom, start thinking about how we should train the teachers next year.  You probably have all your notes that I can just borrow.  I was actually hoping you could help out with teaching the teachers next year.  Think about it and get back to me.  Hopefully we can find other teachers and you and Dad can be in the same class next year (if you want to teach again :) However, even if you don't want to teach, I still think you would be an excellent trainer.  Again, think about, pray about it, get back to me... you have some time - ha ha).  

Anyone who has any input on what you would have liked to know earlier, let me know.  We will try to work on it for next year. 

Thanks again.  You are the best! I am SO SO SO thankful for everyone that volunteered.  And thanks to a great director, Jeanne.  :)  Thanks for all the time we spent together organizing this VBS.  I have really really really appreciated all your hard work.  I know it hasn't been easy, but it was so worth it in the end.  Thanks.

Also, we are looking for another co-director next year.  Let me know if you are interested.  The material suggests that the co-director becomes the director the following year and the director takes some time off.  That way the leadership is always fresh, but at the same time you have a year of planning under someone that has already run the system.  

Being in baby nursery once every six weeks makes me happy.  Leaving baby nursery once every six weeks makes me even happier.  :)  I like entertaining small children and then giving them back to their parents.   Babysitting for my niece and nephews used to be a lot of fun (it used to be because I don't have the chance to anymore).  We are supposed to make gingerbread cookies again this winter.  They are hilarious. 

I bought a dress at Macy's yesterday for $0.80.  It was $10.80 on the clearance rack and I had a $10 off any purchase coupon. YAY.  Jared and I then wandered in Hobby Lobby and I bought a bit of fabric (I wasn't impressed by their fabric sections at all... very small).  The woman who was cutting my fabric was grumpy; she was telling me about how it was her last day because they fired her (or when they told her she would be working a different section of the store, she quit... not sure they really fired her).  I don't think I'll be going back in there for a long time, too much junk and stuff I don't need.  I am trying to pare down the stuff in my life; there is too much stuff!!  I sold 3 books on half.com from college.  More than two years out from grad school and I still made over $400 on 3 books.  Not bad.  Not bad.  I wish I had sold more books.  Jared is glad they are not sitting by our front door anymore on my to-do list. 

I am thankful for friends and family.  We spent some time with Jamie, Dasha, and Lydian this week (thanks for the delicious food!!).   And we spent some time this afternoon with the Catalliers in their lovely house (seriously, I want the colors and painting in their house - I want to be artistic!!).   The food was awesome with them too.  I think it is funny about how much I want my food to be perfect when I invite people over (and I worry and worry about it not being good enough).  But when I go over to other people's houses, I just want to spend time with them.  I don't even think about the food; I don't juege it because it is just extra to spending time with them.  I will have to remember that next time I let the fear of not having good enough food stop be from inviting people over.  People make me happy.  I am thankful for friends!!

Something good (to be thankful for):

My eyes are still healthy and better than 20/20!  YAY!

I made the most amazing chocolate cupcakes stuffed with peanut butter frosting and topped with peanut butter frosting and hot fudge icing.

Jared's thumb is getting better.

The weather is cooling down.  Yay.  I love fall.  It is my favorite season!!!

We finally got around to meeting our neighbors.   

I have the best job ever!  I love it. 

My interns remain amazingly helpful.

 

Something bad (pray for me to have patience):

Insurance company is still billing me incorrectly.  Which means that they are charging me an in network AND an out of network deductible.  This means that I have to pay over a grand more than I would if I only had to pay my normal in network deductible. 

BOO!!  Boo.  Boo.  Boo.  boo.  boo. 

When I was growing up, I often wondered why my Dad spent so much time on the phone with insurance companies; I wonder no more. 

 

Jared's surgery is being billed as out of network, meaning that instead of paying 20% of his surgery, I get to pay 40% and a higher deductible.  Why doesn't the system just work like it is supposed to work?!?  Sigh.  I guess I am about to spend a lot fo time on the phone with these people.  Not cool! IT IS LISTED ON THEIR WEBSITE AS AN IN NETWORK OFFICE!!!!  And I am arguing the emergency room fees... Boo boo boo, United Health Care.  Boo boo boo. 

 

In other, much more happy news, VBS is going well.   Everyone is doing a great job.  I am so thankful for every one's hard work.  And I got to spend time with little baby Ivy last night.  She might be the happiest baby that I have ever met.  :)

VBS is going wonderfully, better than I thought it would.  Everything is running itself at this point; it is great.  It is better than work because I don't have to follow up with people as much.  Everyone is just doing what they are supposed to.  I love it. 

Today I went to the allergist.  My back itches!!!  Apparently, I am allergic to a whole mess of dusts and molds and ragweed and dust mites.  Boo.  Oh, and cats.  I am extremely allergic to cats, but I knew that from the way my eyes itch and my nose runs whenever I go to visit my parents.   They are trying me on clariton and nasal spray and seeing me again in 4 weeks.  Anyhow, if at that point I don't feel better, we will talk about doing allergy shots.  I am really thinking about doing the allergy shots and getting everything over with.  What do you think?   Have you had allergy shots?  And if so, what are you allergic to?  

Today at VBS we learned about the fall, how man used to be happy and holy, but he had to go and mess it all up.  :)   I guess allergies are part of that.  Boo allergies.  Also, one more question today... do you ever smell things and they remind you of something?  I washed my hands at the doctor today and they now smell like Uncle Bill's (Dr. Taylor's) office to me (more specifically the doctor's in dr. Taylor's office).  ha. 

A song, a recipe, and a question...

I reliezed again today that I adore Coldplay's music and I was going to post lyrics on here, but I it was taking too long to search for them and copy them. 

I also realized that I couldn't copy the recipe that I wanted to share with you because the website won't let you steal text from the pages.  Boo.  I will type it out some other time for you because it is the best peach crisp that I have ever made (I have made it twice now, it is so good).  If you invite me over I might make it for you because I have 156 (minus the 4 I ate for breakfast, so 152) peaches sitting on my counter and table right now (I counted :) yes ).  I could possibly make it glutton free ... I think it will still turn out.  The flour is only 1/4 and oatmeal seems to do just as well.   Anyhow, that recipe is coming soon too. 

Now on to VBS week.  I am so glad it is finally here.  After it is over it means I can start planning vacation time for me. 

Tomorrow I am cutting the grass when I come home from work, VBS, work, and the gym (I might skip the gym).  When was the last time you cut the grass?  I used to cut my neighbors grass for two or three summers.  I am really glad I don't make my living cutting grass, but it was nice to get paid back in the day.  What was your first job? 

So, I was listening to NPR on the way home for lunch and I heard part of this interview with a democratic congressman.  He was talking about the tea party freshman in congress and he said something like this, "It is like they are on a mission to do what the people that elected them to congress want them to do.  They don't seem to care if they get re-elected or not."  He basically implied the entire time that they were so reckless and stupid to do that and that they were dangerous to the health of the nation because they were following the will of the people.  I just had to laugh.  *GASP* We would actually listen to the people that elected us?!?  ha ha ha. 

Does anyone want to attend the broadway shows in Salisbury with me???

Okay, so here is the deal.  I was to go see Cats and Riverdance.  I don't really care about Mamma Mia and Young Frankenstein, but since tickets are cheaper in sets of three or four and I wouldn't mind seeing either of them, I am thinking of buying a set of three tickets (you could convince me to go to all four, if you are going with me).  Jared does not like Broadway. :(  And he does not want to go to any of these shows (I mean, even Riverdance...?!? What?!?).  So, who wants to go to 2 or 3 or 4 shows with me?  Sarah, I wish you were here.  I hear the Civic Center is a terrible place to watch a Broadway play. Is it even worth it?  I don't have to drive two hours...  which saves a lot on gas...   

I have posted the schedule below.   Thoughts? 

 

2011-2012 Broadway in Salisbury Shows
Mamma Mia!             Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 5:00pm
CATS                        Monday, March 5, 2012 at 7:30pm
Young Frankenstein    Monday, May 14, 2012 at 7:30pm
Riverdance                 Thursday, May 31, 2012 at 7:30pm

Chinook Visit

Photos at the Daily Times of the Chinook visit at our plant!!!  The back of me is in some of the photos. And the back of me made the front page of the Daily Times.  Ha ha.  Article here.

reading... c.s. lewis

Two quotes from C.S. Lewis that from things I have been reading lately.  When you are sick you have the chance to read more books than normal.  :)  That may be one of the only good things about being sick.  Everything seems to slow down and there is more quiet time to enjoy. 

"The settled happiness and security which we all desire, God withholds from us by the very nature of the world: but joy, pleasure, and merriment, He has scattered broadcast.  We are never safe, but we have plenty of fun, and some ecstasy.  It is not hard to see why.  The security we crave would teach us to rest our hearts in this world and oppose as obstacle to our return to God: a few moments of happy love, a landscape, a symphony, a merry meeting with our friends, a bathe or football match, have no such tendency.  Our father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasent inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home."

I agree.   I am very thankful for all the wonderful things that God has blessed me with on this earth.  He is good.  Spending time with friends or family, enjoying music, and seeing beauty outside in nature is wonderful.   But this quote is so true, without the pain of sickness and not having everything that we think we desire, we would not long for heaven.  Praise God for sickness because it points us even more towards him.   Which brings me to my other C.S Lewis quote for the day, from the Last Battle.  It is from the end of the Last Battle.  I do love the Chronicles of Narnia so much (not those dumb movies that they have made about them... not to get off topic or anything, but I watched the Voyage of the Dawn Treader while I was sick... they ruined the whole book, the book is a 1000 times better... sorry, I just had to rant).  One reason I love the books is because I fondly remember my mother reading them to us as we went on camping trips.  :)

"Then Aslan turned to them and said: '...you are - as you used to call it in the Shadowlands - dead.  The term is over: the holidays have begun, The dream is ended: this is the morning...'
And for us thsi is the end of all the stories, and we can most truely say that they all lived happily ever after.  But for them it was only the beginning of the real story.  All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before."

Love Love Love!!  This description makes so much sense to me.  That is all I have for tonight.  I have to finish up a presentation for tomorrow at work.  Tomorrow, Lord willing, I will see all my family!!!  YAY!!!  They make me happy, even when they make fun of me.  I love them all very much. 

Pictures from life (stolen from facebook)

First I just wanted to say that being sick is getting REALLY REALLY boring.  Go away fever, go away!!   Second, I really enjoyed both my sister-in-laws random posts today and I tried to write my own, but being sick also makes you really really non creative.  So instead I offer you a random photo blog.  Photos are worth more than words. 

 Hope danced at the Salisbury Festival.  She is really good.  I ate kettle corn.   Anna had a bridal shower afterwards with lots of good food.  Yum yum yum. 

 Chicago sunset.  From April when I traveled out there.

 My spacious Hyatt Hotel room that has spoiled me forever.  <3 <3 <3 And the food was INCREDIBLE!!!!

 I just can't stay away from toys and engineering things.  How cool is the massive Ferris wheel built from Connects?  I saw this in Chicago.  It actually spun around tool.  Wow wow wow.

 Chicago.

 Proof that I was actually there.

Chicago.

Hope and I went to go see Toby Mac and Brandon Heath in concert.  Toby Mac is old.  But he still puts on a good show.  I enjoyed being there with Hope.  Hope is such a great kid.  I just thought I would tell you, in case you hadn't realized that.  You should spend some time with her.

 Aw, my beautiful sister and me.  Here we are front and center.  I taught her the skills of getting a close standing spot.  My Dad says I have a good worming technique to getting good spots.  Spread your elbows... That is the big secret.  No one likes bumping into elbows.  Second, if they give an inch, take two inches.  Make them uncomfortable.  They will move over more and you will soon be in their spot.  :)   

 Stained glass in Chicago.

 For Mama Cindy, here are all the Shelton/Wingo people in the New York Public Library.  The library is a little bit crazy. 

Oh, and here is a picture of Mike Huckabee and us.  What fun.

Sunday afternoon I was sitting on the couch reading a book, while Jared was taking a nap (I just don't get naps - they make me more tired), and I thought to myself, "I am really cold; I should put on a jacket. I bet Jared has turned the ac really low." So, I put on a sweatshirt and huddled under a blanket on the couch and kept reading my book.  When Jared woke up and saw me he asked if I was sick because he had actually made it warmer in the house than it normally is.  Yikes.  I took my temperature and it was 101.7.  Yikes again.  I took medicine, felt better, was really cold again, was really hot, and tossed and turned all night.

Monday, Independence day, we ran by the Shelton's early in the day to pick up some fabric for a Christmas quilt that we are making.  Jared treated me to a coffee smoothie at Rise Up because I thought it would perk me up.  I was feeling so tired and hot.  We came home and cut all the pieces out for out quilt.  Preview below.  Jared wants to change the light blue color to something else... And we might replace the yellow to all match.  The reds are scraps from Anna's quilt.  The quilt is based on a wooden puzzle that I have, called a Colorado puzzle.  We picked up the orange, dark green, and dark blue from Mrs. Shelton's collection.  The blue actually had a print on it, but it looks solid in that photo above. 

Christmas Quilt

Colorado Puzzle

Jared went outside to cut the grass and I started to read again.   Then because I was feeling particularly lousy, I went upstairs and watched tv.  I was hoping it would lull me to sleep.  Once again, I started freezing.  I had sweatpants, socks, and a sweatshirt on and I was bundled up under two blankets.  I checked my temperature again and it was 103.5.  I took 3 Motrin and sat on the couch in my delirious state until Jared came in from washing my car and told me that I needed to go to the doctor.  We went to Your Doc's In, but they told me I was a mystery.  My lungs were perfectly clear, my tonsils were great, my lymph nodes weren't swollen, but I was radiating heat.  I was so hot.  We stopped by my parents house to drop off some gifts for Sarah, that people at church had given me on Sunday.  Mom and Dad fed me English's chicken and sweet potato biscuits.  Last night again I tossed and turned all night, cold one minute and hot the next. I am sorry, Jared. 

Anyhow, that is how I spend my day off.  It wasn't the best holiday, but it could have been worse.  I could be throwing up or in pain.  I don't mind being cold.  Hopefully whatever this is will pass before Sarah's wedding. 

Happy wedding week, Sarah!!! 
I love you.

A few thoughts...

Yesterday when I went home for lunch, I brought my newspaper in, created my lunch, and sat down to read my paper in peace.  Normally I read the Wall Street Journal during lunch (thank you , Hannah) every day.  I look forward to it because it is relaxing.  However, I opened the paper bag and it was the Baltimore Sun.  What?!?  It was so disappointing.  I realized that I was so used to good writing.  I started thinking that I am really glad that my Mom taught me not only to read, but also to love reading. 

Thanks to Mom for teaching me to read. 

Thanks to Hannah for the Wall Street Journal.

 

Last Tuesday was my birthday.  It was one of the best working birthdays that I have had.  My office (3 interns, 2 full-time employees, and me) all went out of lunch.  We have so much fun together; more fun than should be allowed in an office.  Have I mentioned that I love my job?  I am very thankful for my employees.  I had countless meetings also that day, but they all went really smoothly (that is a huge blessing).  That night my Mom made me favorite foods and a dessert.  Yum yum yum.  Thanks again to Mom.  And on Thursday the engineering department took me out to lunch.  Yay.  Finally, on the weekend, we went to visit Jared's grandmother and go clothes shopping for me.  Jared took me to Georgia House for dinner that night.  It was a great birthday week.  :)

Thanks to my office, engineering, and Jared.

 

My job continues to go well.  I run around all day and never finish everything that I need to do, but I really enjoy what I am doing.  I even have started to enjoy working with some of the people around the plant.  Several of my projects have started to actually make money.  :)  That is always a good thing.  People are starting to work together instead of resist change.  That is another good thing.  This is a job that I never dreamed that I would have the chance to do; if a job could be perfectly designed for me, this would be it. 

 

Have a great holiday weekend.  I am looking forward to relaxing and actually cooking some meals.  Baking is about the only thing that I have had time for recently.  The grill is being used this weekend!  YAY!

New York, New York.

Jared was invited to sing on the Huckabee show this weekend (with Matt and their little band).  They treated us to a free hotel room right around the corner from Time Square. 

1.  After two minutes in a city I am ready to get back to the country (except maybe DC because the buildings are shorter and it seems cleaner AND the museums are FREE!!).  Okay, now I will make positive comments.  :)

2.  We walked from our hotel (Stay), through Central Park, to the Met museum of art (only $20 admission), to the Guggenheim museum (picture below - it cost $79 to view the art inside - WHAT?!?!  We just walked around the gift shop), and all the way back (6.5 miles according to google maps).  I would like to stop and say here, that I really am glad that Jared likes to do free things with me.  :)  Yay, for just walking around and looking at things.  It rained (and thundered - yes, mom, I was walking through the trees while it was storming, but there were talk buildings all around), but I like summer rain.  It makes me happy.  I only had one blister one my little toe after all that walking.  Yay.

3.  Mike Huckabee is super nice.

4. My favorite part of NYC is Central Park.  I don't think anything compares. 

5.  Dinner at B. Smith (go look at the menu) was incredible!  I had the fried Chicken.  Yum yum yum.  It was delicious.  The bread pudding was the most amazing bread pudding Jared and I had ever heard.  Jared really enjoyed his catfish too.   The broccoli was undercooked and had garlic butter drizzled on it that combined with my sweet potatoes for a very strange combination.  The sweet potatoes had too much seasoning in them (I think it was all spice... all I could taste of the seasonings and not the potatoes).   They also forgot Jared's corn bread and our server was a little scatterbrained.  Otherwise, we had a great experience. 

Happy Father's day, Dad!  I'm headed home now to wash clothes and clean my shoes.

Thanks to Sarah and Mom and Dad for all the blueberries!!!  What a great birthday present. :)

A favorite igrace song!

1. Poor sinner, dejected with fear,

Unbosom thy mind to the Lamb;

No wrath on His brow He does wear,

Nor will He poor mourners condemn;

His arm of omnipotent grace

Is able and willing to save;

A sweet and a permanent peace

He’ll freely and faithfully give.



2. Come just as thou art, with thy woe,

Fall down at the feet of the Lamb;

He will not, He cannot say, “Go”,

But surely will take out thy stain

A fountain is opened for sin,

And thousands its virtues have proved

He’ll take thee, and plunge thee therein,

And wash thee from filth in His blood.



3. The soul that on Jesus relies,

He’ll never, no never deceive;

He freely and faithfully gives

More blessings than we can conceive;

Yea, down to old age He will keep,

Nor will He forsake us at last;

He knows and is known by His sheep;

They’re His, and He will hold them fast.



*** I am hoping to get Jared to sing this with me someday... :)
It has been so encouraging to me over the pass year or so.  It is funny how hymns mean more to you at certain times in your life.  I love a bunch of hymns (probably hundreds - seriously). This is just one that I have been listening to often (I love the igrace version of this song).  Anyone want to play the accordian for me?!?  The music for this song is gorgeous too.  Praise God for his steadfast love and grace.

What my weeks have looked like recently...

Sunday - Church, lunch somewhere (lunch at parents or VBS planning), Evening church

Monday - Work, Gym, Grocery shopping, other odd errands

Tuesday - Work, gym, cooking for the week, cleaning kitchen

Wednesday - Work, dinner, VBS decorating

Thursday - Work, a few more errands and groceries

Friday - Work, gym, somewhere (not home)

Saturday - gym, finish up a few things for work, clean the house, a wedding, wedding shower, or VBS planning

 

*Work has been crazy.  I love it.  I have 6 people working for me right now.  So, I do a lot of planning what other people are going to do, answering emails and phone calls, teleconference meetings, and presenting to management on our progress and the support that we need.  I am also helping 7 other people with projects (that I am sort of in charge of, but they are supposed to be doing the leg work).  My office is more of a workshop then an office most days.  Today there are half made signs all over the place (organized of course, by color and size), four plywood boards with pictures of tools pasted to them (waiting on said signs to be attached to the top and then to be taken over and hung up), paper cutout of tools strewn across the intern's table and John's desk (mixed in with 1100 pages of data that they are entering in to the computer for one of my projects), boxes that were just delivered today that need to be organized and put away on the shelves, 1 bag of twizlers, 2 information towers (waiting on posters to e attached to them - so, they have information on them), and 3 energy drinks (interns love them - bleh).

 

I am really looking forward to August 14th.  I am planning a vacation as soon as it becomes less hot.  I have all my vacation days still.  :)  Hopefully, I can take most of those in the fall.  I love the fall. 

Yes, I am super busy between work and planning VBS.  I will blog again when I have time.  :)  I have been reading some interesting books (The Shallows (really interesting), Harry Truman (still...)) and listening to NPR (I look forward to listening to Fresh Air each day on my lunch break).  

Pi Day!

Happy Pi day!! 

 

Should I go home and make shepherd's pie or deep dish pizza? 

&

This looks so simple to make.   I saw it while browsing Etsy today (Etsy is highly inspirational). I think I might try my hand at making it.  I love ampersands!!  Also, I think I should try to make one out of Jared's sheet metal scraps. 

"I'm gonna move on up a little higher..."

 

- Thank you, Jared for making this be stuck in my head for the last two weeks.  I'm not complaining, but it is really weird how this song has kept all other songs out of my head. 

 

I requested a lot of books from the library this last week (isn't reading lovely?), but they still didn't have four of the books that I wanted.  Boo.  Also, "As Time Goes By" was checked out of the library.  What?!?  Who else is out there watching it?