28 Days And Counting!!!!

I'm so unbelievably excited for our upcoming Oregon Beach trip!!

And I thought I'd post some pictures of the Hudson Beach House where we'll be staying just 5 minutes south of Lincoln City and not far from Depoe Bay in Oregon.

First - here's a shot of the map. The red dot is where the house is located. (*Family, you can email me and I'll send you the address if you want it)

Here's what the house looks like on the side facing the ocean:

Here's a couple pics of the living area, which is the upstairs of the house with all the windows:

Here's what the kitchen & dining area look like:

They only had one picture of the one of the three bedroom upstairs and one of the three baths.

Here's the description they give of the house:

Hudson's Beach House is located just 5 minutes south of Lincoln City. Situated in a quiet neighborhood this home will soon become your favorite vacation spot! The main living area is located on the second floor, providing wonderful ocean and surf views from the spacious living room, dining room and kitchen. Warm yourself by the fire while watching whales spout or playing family games. Each of the three bedrooms has a glass patio door to backyard decks - the perfect spot to enjoy morning coffee and warm yourself in the sun. The master bedroom has a king bed, large walk in closet, a very large bathroom with a shower stall and a separate, deep jacuzzi tub to relax and unwind in. Second and third bedroom have Queen and Double beds, respectively. Hall bath has a tub/shower combination. Kitchen is fully equipped for all your vacation cooking needs. The lower level has a large room with two twin beds and a new sleeper sofa, laundry room and 1/2 bath. Roll-a-way bed in master closet suitable for a small person. Nearby beach access just a block away.

Hopefully these next four weeks will fly by! I can't wait to see everyone, I miss you all so much!!

A Veggin Weekend

This weekend was wonderful. It was everything I needed it to be after such a long week. Jason and I caught up on some much needed sleep and time together. He got home early Friday from a slow night at work and we watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. He hadn't seen it before and we wanted to watch it before seeing Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Saturday we enjoyed some sweet tea and warm sunshine as we sat on our front porch playing Mancala, before he had to head into work that evening.

Sunday, Joe Beam preached a great message on the book of Ruth at church and afterward Jason and I walked around Loews for garden ideas and then Cool Springs Mall for a little lunch and shopping. That evening we met up with our friends Chad & Tabby, and Jeff Hooper and his son Cade and headed to the Watertown Drive In to see a double-feature: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Ironman. We had such a great time and really enjoyed both movies quite a lot!

Monday we both had the day off, so we decided to use some gift cards we'd been saving and headed out once again to see yet one more movie, Prince Caspian and then have dinner at TGIFridays. A lot of people actually had the same idea we did, because it stormed pretty hard most of the day. We ended the 3 day weekend, hanging out at Barnes & Nobles sipping hot coffee and browsing landscaping magazines. When we got home, it was still fairly early so we curled up on the couch to read for a bit before heading to bed. We put no expectations on the weekend and just played everything by ear, and it was so relaxing for the both of us. (I know can you imagine, me with no expectations...)

Tonight Jason has a softball game, but the forecast is for more storms, so we're not really sure if its going to happen or not. Either way, we get yet one more evening together which I'm very much looking forward to.

Oh and we bought our tickets to Oregon for our family trip! Yea!! Now its actually starting to sink in that we're going and I'm starting to get really excited. 31 days to go and I'm already wanting to write out my packing list. I asked Jason last night, "what do you want to bring on our trip?" and he started laughing at me. This of course coming from the man that packs literally an hour before we're supposed to head to the airport. Don't worry honey, I'll be sure to pack "Huckleberry Finn" for ya!

oh AND! to clear up the mystery here....the anonymous person who felt compelled to correct both mine and my sister's spelling errors in a rare comment, was actually my scrabble-addict of a husband. He's one of my "ghost readers" who stays quite current on the blog, but never actually comments....till now. Thanks my love. ;-)

No Way!

CNN posted this article about a West Virginia woman that had suffered two heart attacks and had no pulse or brain activity for more than 17 hours! Then after the family says their goodbyes, and the tubes were all removed, she WOKE UP AND STARTED TALKING!

Click here to read this crazy story!

Somehow surviving...

This week has been a long and hard week for me.

Saturday - I got threatened by a car full of redneck girls on my way into a grocery store. For some reason because they were parked in front of the entrance, which is where I was headed, they thought I was looking at them, so they proceeded to call me out cussing and screaming. I seriously thought I was going to get my butt whooped that night.

Sunday - Actually a pretty nice and relaxing day. Jason and I enjoyed lunch with our friends after church and just lounged around and talked for hours. It was very relaxing. Then he was off that night as well, so we chilled at the house.

Monday - I found out that I was getting my wisdom tooth out on Tuesday rather than Thursday, so I was rather nervous all of Monday thinking about it. Thankfully the season premier of the Bachelorette and Dancing with the Stars kept me distracted that night.

Tuesday - The wisdom tooth finally came out. It's been something I've been putting off probably close to 8 years. What could have taken 20 minutes turned into over an hour appointment cause the dentist kept waiting for the splotchiness around my neck to go away (now we all know that doesn't happen). Of course I was nervous, he was going to shoot me with needles and yank out my tooth! He had an odd sense of humor, and thought that making light of my nervousness was somehow going to help the situation when in all reality it made it worse. Don't make fun of someone when their freaked out, it only freaks them out more! He was very gentle though and by the time he actually pulled the tooth it went really quick. And I didn't feel a thing, though the noise was horrendous! For some crazy reason I thought because I was awake through the whole thing, I could recover quick and go into work that afternoon...yeah not so much. The amount of blood and drool - holy crap. I'll spare you the details, but it was so gross. And after taking care of my sister Kris through her recovery a couple years ago, you'd think I would have known what to expect. Denial my friends, lots and lots of denial.

Wednesday - REALLY BAD DAY. And not at all because of my tooth (or lack thereof I should say). I really have had no bruising or swelling at all. But I had made a really bad decision to take my pain pill at work on a completely empty stomach, something I REALLY don't recommend. So I spent a good 3 1/2 hours in the bathroom stall at my office dizzy, trying to keep from blacking out and dry heaving. This is a major deal for me, cause I haven't puked since I was 10. No joke. It was a nightmare and I just wanted to get out of there. When I felt strong enough to leave, Jason came and picked me up from work and I hightailed it home, to which I fell asleep for the rest of the afternoon.

Thursday - Better day. I went into work and took it really easy. Still pretty nervous though since Wednesday was so awful and I didn't want to get stuck in that situation again. But I stayed busy the whole day and was mainly just tired. I went off all pain medication, which is fine, cause though my jaw is a bit sore, its bearable.

Friday - I'm doing so-so today. I'm a bit dizzy again and am trying to drink lots of water and I had some toast for breakfast. I don't know what the deal is, but I want to start feeling better soon! I'm looking forward to the 3 day weekend, lots of resting and time with Jason. I think it will be just what I need to get back on my feet.

SO far turning 30 has not proven to be so great, what with getting over 2 virus', blood work, a wisdom tooth being pulled and getting sick at work. God is seriously testing me and as long as he gives me the strength and grace to get through it, I know I'll be ok. But I'M REALLY ready for this season to be over with.

It's Not Brain Surgery

Me: Honey, did you get my text?

Jason: About your dentist appointment for your wisdom tooth being moved?

Me: Yea. I swore they said it was going to be on Thursday, but apparently they scheduled it for tomorrow, Tuesday. (*big sigh*)

(long pause)

Jason: Are you ok?

Me: (*moan*) yes. I guess its not as bad as brain surgery.

Jason: (*giggle*) See, just think about that and it won't seem so bad.

Me: But it might as well be.

My dad sent me this email and it was definately a trip to watch!

El Caminito del Rey (The King's pathway) is a walkway, now fallen into disrepair, pinned along the steep walls of a narrow gorge in El Chorro, near Álora in Málaga , Spain .. The walkway has gone many years without maintenance, and is in a highly deteriorated and dangerous state. It is only one meter in width, a! nd ; ;over a 700-meter fall, and over time it has also lost its handrail. Some parts of the walkway have completely collapsed and have been replaced by a beam and a metallic wire on the wall. Many people have lost their lives on the walkway in recent years. After four people died in two accidents in 1999 and 2000, the local government closed the entrances. However, adventurous tourists still find their way on to the walkway.

Book Update

With the beautiful weather outside in the upper 70's and low 80's, I'm beginning to crave good summer books to read. Some friends of mine started a book club, of which we haven't been doing so well at completing our first assignment - Pride & Prejudice. I get so easily distracted by the other books on my shelf that have I've been longing to read instead.

I've always enjoyed reading. Sometimes just the idea of picking up a new novel with a hot cup of coffee and curling up on the couch is more enjoyable than maybe the book itself. My love of books comes from my parents. My dad has always enjoyed reading - though he doesn't always have the time to read a whole lot. As way back as I can remember, Dad would sit me on his bed, pull out the Childrens Treasury of Literature, open it to the next story, lift it to his face and take a big sniff from the inside of the book, and then read to me while rubbing his knee in a circular pattern. I would be lying if I didn't say that I've often caught myself doing this very same ritual when starting a new book. I love the smell of the pages in a new book, there's something so comforting about it. As a little girl, my mom would take us to the library and we would literally fill up a box of books that we wanted to check out. Going to the library was like taking me to a candy store. I picked out as many as we could fit in that box and then once we checked them all out, we would head to the beach with books and blankets in hand and read in the sun watching the ferries go by. Those memories are some of my fondest.

I often think of those times every time I start a new book. I'm grateful to my parents for encouraging this passion of mine. I've learned so much about life and who I am just through reading.

So on with the books I've recently read:

The Pilots Wife by Anita Shreve

It was so good!! I absolutely loved it and had a hard time putting it down. It's an easy read and I really recommend it. I look forward to trying some of Anita Shreve's other books.

P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

Yes this is the same book the movie was made from starring Hilary Swank. I actually have still not seen the movie yet, but the book was really good, though a bit too long. I'm going to rent the movie soon to see if its anything like the book.

Currently Reading:

Simply Christian by N.T. Wright

I've been working on this book for-e-ver. It is anything but simple. But I experience this horrible guilt when I can't finish a book. I think in my whole life I've only not finished maybe 5 books. I honestly equate it as a sin of some kind - I can thank my dad for that, along with coloring the pages of my coloring book in order and never jumping ahead. I try to read a chapter a week, and go really slowly with no other distractions in the background. Its one of those books you find yourself re-reading paragraphs 2-3 times before moving on.

As It Is In Heaven by Niall Williams

I picked this one up at a little bookstore down the street from where I was serving Jury Duty back in Seattle a few years back (I believe the King County Courthouse had me on speed-dial). Anyway, it was kind of a grab & go situation and I'm finally getting around to reading it. It's very poetic in its writing style, but a bit weird too. Just when I'm about to get bored with it, then something will happen that keeps me going out of sheer curiosity. Not really one I'd recommend, but there are some beautiful lines every now and then.

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

A classic I know, but I never find those very easy to read. It helps I've seen the movie, cause I can track with the author a bit better. Honestly I find the writing style a bit random and get easily confused which character is talking to who. I am glad it was chosen for our girls bookclub, cause at least I can say I've read Jane Austen. Now if I can just finish it.

My list of summer reads is ever growing, so I need to finish these up asap so I can get started on those!! I can't wait till our family trip to the Oregon coast over the 4th! I'm for sure packing some books for the flights, drives and beach!!

Birthday Pics

The girls went to use "the bathroom", but this is what they were really up to.

My small group posse (left to right)

Matt & Amy Walter, Genesis & Steven DeLong, Jason & I, Alicia & Ben DeRienzo.

God really answered a huge prayer of mine and Jason's to bring some quality, genuine and Godly relationships into our lives.

Genesis & I during dinner. The girl's got me lookin super pasty.

We've only recently been getting to know Matt & Amy more, because they were actually living in Ireland when we first joined Harpeth. But we hit it off with them right away, they are so fun and such a sweet couple.

Amy & Alicia at dinner.

My girls at dinner - the boys were at the other end of the table.

Me and my hunny.

Some cards & a cute picture Alicia gave me of us girls at a wedding.

The beautiful bouqet my parents sent to my work!!

Awww!!! I feel so loved :-)

Ohhh....my parents were SO right on this one!

I have been counting down the days since January for the release of the 4th Indiana Jones movie, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull".
I grew up on Indy. I LOVED Indy. I wanted to be an archaeologist when I was a kid because of these movies.

All growing up - I had repeatedly seen "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark"
and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade".
But THIS one, "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" was a definite no-no in our house.
So I never saw it. (Yes, I was an obedient child.) I remember my dad saying something about it being pretty evil and gory. Well I figured as part of building the anticipation for the May 22nd release of the 4th Indy movie, I would rent all three and watch them with Jason. Turns out he's never seen the 2nd or 3rd one. So we snuggled up Sunday night to watch "Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom" for the very first time. I was pumped. After all, I'm an adult now, I can handle it.

OH MY WORD.

Jason and I looked at each other halfway through this movie and we were like - WHAT THE HECK! Now I see why our parents wouldn't let us watch this movie. Good call mom and dad.

DO NOT SEE THAT MOVIE.

It was so horrible. I was sick to my stomach from all the raunch, bad acting and evil crap thrown in. It totally bummed me out. Thankfully we still have the third one to redeem the whole series - but what the heck happened with #2??? What were they thinking??? Here I thought Indiana was family friendly!!


If #4 disappoints....I seriously might cry.


15 days and counting.

All Growed Up.

Sorry everyone I've been so sporadic with my posts lately. To catch you up, my birthday was a mix of emotions - excited, blessed, anxious, scared, exhausted... the morning started out great when I was surprised by my friend Brooke at work with a huge giant donut in the shape of a "3-0". My friends all joined me in the kitchen and we had coffee & donuts together. (Brooke has a picture of this that I'll post when I get it from her).

After about an hour at my desk, I still felt pretty awful and decided to call my doctor again to give him the update. Dr. Tai had me come in to see him that afternoon and thankfully Jason having the day off said he would come with me in case there were to be needles involved...yuk. For those of you that don't know - needles and me have a tendency to not mix well. I'd been sick for 2 1/2 weeks with this costochondritis crap and was starting to feel new symptoms in my neck which was making me nervous. Dr. Tai and his intern examined me and said they really felt they needed to do some blood work. Awesome, on my birthday. But Jason was there, so really it was the best time to do it. I told Dr. Tai - "Get all you can now, cause its the last time your going to get it for a while - so stock up and test the crap out of it". When the lab tech first walked in with her plethora of tubes, I got so freaked out. I asked her if she would mind I take my little "happy pill" and come back in 30 minutes, which she had no problem doing. So I sat there with Jason trying to chill and praying this half a pill I had taken would do its thing and do it fast. 30 minutes later she came back - and I was much calmer to where I was no longer jumping off the examination table. I am proud to say, that I stayed conscious through all 6 tubes of blood she took - yeah victory!!! I have a history of passing out and oftentimes going into a convulsion, which makes me VERY leery of needles altogether - they call it a vaso vagular reaction. But I was good and when it was over gave Jason a high five and thanked my highly skilled lab tech Joanna. Oh yes, her name will be going down in the chart. At one point, Jason was so impressed with Joanna's skillz, because apparently she was switchin' out these tubes one-handed (as he later - MUCH later - told me) and then he started to ask her "how many of those...." to which I immediately interrupted with "STOP!! I don't want to know - don't you dare finish that question!!" And thank God he didn't ask and she didn't answer.

Around 5pm, I get back to work and discover a huge beautiful bouquet of flowers from my parents that I had missed receiving while I was at the doctor! They are so pretty and now sit on top of my fireplace where Banks can't eat them. (Again, I need to get a picture posted of them!) And when I got home, there was a large box sitting on my dining room table. I didn't know where it came from, and Jason says to open it. IT WAS MY TIVO!!!! There wasn't a card attached, so Jason explained it was from the Frees family~!!! I was freakin out, jumping up and down!! And then I had to sit down to catch my breath. I really wasn't trying to hint at anyone for a TIVO when I blogged about it (Addie ;-)) - I was really just setting a goal for myself and letting y'all in on it. But I was so blessed and excited!! Then Jason gave me a super sweet card and a gift certificate to Old Time Pottery so I can get my fix of shopping for the house!!

Hours later I was able to still go out with my friends to Bonefish for dinner and they totally blessed me with some fun gifts and a great time. They even chalked my rear window in hot pink with "Happy 30th B-Day!". It was awesome. My mantle is filled with cards and flowers, and I feel so blessed. 30 wasn't so bad after all. :-)

On Thursday I worked a half day, per my doctors order and later received my blood results that I had tested positive for mono. Seriously, what the heck. I rested all Thursday afternoon, stayed home all day Friday and layed low all weekend. Turns out, after we found out this lovely news, Jason told me that he had planned a surprise weekend away in Alabama at a beautiful B&B for my birthday, to which we had to cancel since I was sick. I was so bummed out. A weekend away would have been so perfect. But since Jason had already taken work off, he was home with me which really kept me from going insane after being cooped up for 4 days. I literally was climbing the walls with cabin fever. He was so wonderful by cleaning the house, cooking, working in the yard, watching Indiana Jones movies with me...I loved having the time with him. Now I'm back at work going r-e-a-l-l-y s-l-o-w so I don't burn myself out. So there's the latest - hopefully I'll get pictures soon to post from my birthday. Thank you to everyone for being so sweet and all your phone calls and cards - it really made what could have been a depressing birthday, actually really great.