Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Our Personalities

Last night at our small group we all took the Myers Brigg personality test, which I had never taken before. I had taken one back at CCK - the one that tells you whether your Melancholy, Sanguin, Phlegmatic & Choleric, but not this one.

I really enjoyed taking this test cause the results were really quite accurate. There are 4 separate categories and it will show your percentages in how you tested.

Like mine for example:

Between Extroverts or Introverts - I tested 100% Introvert.
Between Sensing or Intuition - I tested at 79% Sensing.
Between Thinking or Feeling - I tested at 79% Thinking.
Between Judging or Perceiving - I tested at 89% Judging.

SO my final result was listed as a ISTJ - The "Examiner" /Primary Function is Introverted Sensing/ 12% of the population

Jason's came out as:

Between Extrovert or Introvert - he tested 53% Introvert. (so really half & half)
Between Sensing or Intuition - he tested at 58% Sensing. (again almost half & half)
Between Thinking or Feeling - he tested at 95% Thinking. (no halfway there!)
Between Judging or Perceiving - he tested at 74% Perceiving. (here's where we're opposite)


SO Jason's final result was listed as a ISTP - The "Craftsman" /Primary Function is Introverted Thinking / 9% of the population

Then they gave us a profile of what these types of personalities look like. Some of you may be bored reading all this, but I think our families might find it quite interesting. As a matter of fact, I'd love it if anyone who reads this blog takes the test themselves and then posts thier results in the comments section!

You can take the test for free by creating an account and clicking here.

The "Examiner or Duty Fulfiller" - My personality profile:


"As an ISTJ, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you take things in via your five senses in a literal, concrete fashion. Your secondary mode is external, where you deal with things rationally and logically.

ISTJs are quiet and reserved individuals who are interested in security and peaceful living. They have a strongly-felt internal sense of duty, which lends them a serious air and the motivation to follow through on tasks. Organized and methodical in their approach, they can generally succeed at any task which they undertake.

ISTJs are very loyal, faithful, and dependable. They place great importance on honesty and integrity. They are "good citizens" who can be depended on to do the right thing for their families and communities. While they generally take things very seriously, they also usually have an offbeat sense of humor and can be a lot of fun - especially at family or work-related gatherings.

ISTJs tend to believe in laws and traditions, and expect the same from others. They're not comfortable with breaking laws or going against the rules. If they are able to see a good reason for stepping outside of the established mode of doing things, the ISTJ will support that effort. However, ISTJs more often tend to believe that things should be done according to procedures and plans. If an ISTJ has not developed their Intuitive side sufficiently, they may become overly obsessed with structure, and insist on doing everything "by the book".

The ISTJ is extremely dependable on following through with things which he or she has promised. For this reason, they sometimes get more and more work piled on them. Because the ISTJ has such a strong sense of duty, they may have a difficult time saying "no" when they are given more work than they can reasonably handle. For this reason, the ISTJ often works long hours, and may be unwittingly taken advantage of.

The ISTJ will work for long periods of time and put tremendous amounts of energy into doing any task which they see as important to fulfilling a goal. However, they will resist putting energy into things which don't make sense to them, or for which they can't see a practical application. They prefer to work alone, but work well in teams when the situation demands it. They like to be accountable for their actions, and enjoy being in positions of authority. The ISTJ has little use for theory or abstract thinking, unless the practical application is clear.

ISTJs have tremendous respect for facts. They hold a tremendous store of facts within themselves, which they have gathered through their Sensing preference. They may have difficulty understanding a theory or idea which is different from their own perspective. However, if they are shown the importance or relevance of the idea to someone who they respect or care about, the idea becomes a fact, which the ISTJ will internalize and support. Once the ISTJ supports a cause or idea, he or she will stop at no lengths to ensure that they are doing their duty of giving support where support is needed.

The ISTJ is not naturally in tune with their own feelings and the feelings of others. They may have difficulty picking up on emotional needs immediately, as they are presented. Being perfectionists themselves, they have a tendency to take other people's efforts for granted, like they take their own efforts for granted. They need to remember to pat people on the back once in a while.

ISTJs are likely to be uncomfortable expressing affection and emotion to others. However, their strong sense of duty and the ability to see what needs to be done in any situation usually allows them to overcome their natural reservations, and they are usually quite supporting and caring individuals with the people that they love. Once the ISTJ realizes the emotional needs of those who are close to them, they put forth effort to meet those needs.

The ISTJ is extremely faithful and loyal. Traditional and family-minded, they will put forth great amounts of effort at making their homes and families running smoothly. They are responsible parents, taking their parenting roles seriously. They are usually good and generous providers to their families. They care deeply about those close to them, although they usually are not comfortable with expressing their love. The ISTJ is likely to express their affection through actions, rather than through words.

ISTJs have an excellent ability to take any task and define it, organize it, plan it, and implement it through to completion. They are very hard workers, who do not allow obstacles to get in the way of performing their duties. They do not usually give themselves enough credit for their achievements, seeing their accomplishments simply as the natural fulfillment of their obligations.

ISTJs usually have a great sense of space and function, and artistic appreciation. Their homes are likely to be tastefully furnished and immaculately maintained. They are acutely aware of their senses, and want to be in surroundings which fit their need for structure, order, and beauty.

Under stress, ISTJs may fall into "catastrophe mode", where they see nothing but all of the possibilities of what could go wrong. They will berate themselves for things which they should have done differently, or duties which they failed to perform. They will lose their ability to see things calmly and reasonably, and will depress themselves with their visions of doom.

In general, the ISTJ has a tremendous amount of potential. Capable, logical, reasonable, and effective individuals with a deeply driven desire to promote security and peaceful living, the ISTJ has what it takes to be highly effective at achieving their chosen goals - whatever they may be.

Famous ISTJs:
Thomas (Christ's disciple)
U.S. Presidents:
George Washington
Andrew Johnson
Benjamin Harrison
Herbert Hoover
George H. W. Bush


The "The Craftsman or Mechanic" - Jason's personality profile:


As an ISTP, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you deal with things rationally and logically. Your secondary mode is external, where you take things in via your five senses in a literal, concrete fashion.

ISTPs have a compelling drive to understand the way things work. They're good at logical analysis, and like to use it on practical concerns. They typically have strong powers of reasoning, although they're not interested in theories or concepts unless they can see a practical application. They like to take things apart and see the way they work.

ISTPs have an adventuresome spirit. They are attracted to motorcycles, airplanes, sky diving, surfing, etc. They thrive on action, and are usually fearless. ISTPs are fiercely independent, needing to have the space to make their own decisions about their next step. They do not believe in or follow rules and regulations, as this would prohibit their ability to "do their own thing". Their sense of adventure and desire for constant action makes ISTPs prone to becoming bored rather quickly.

ISTPs are loyal to their causes and beliefs, and are firm believers that people should be treated with equity and fairness. Although they do not respect the rules of the "System", they follow their own rules and guidelines for behavior faithfully. They will not take part in something which violates their personal laws. ISTPs are extremely loyal and faithful to their "brothers".

ISTPs like and need to spend time alone, because this is when they can sort things out in their minds most clearly. They absorb large quantities of impersonal facts from the external world, and sort through those facts, making judgments, when they are alone.

ISTPs are action-oriented people. They like to be up and about, doing things. They are not people to sit behind a desk all day and do long-range planning. Adaptable and spontaneous, they respond to what is immediately before them. They usually have strong technical skills, and can be effective technical leaders. They focus on details and practical things. They have an excellent sense of expediency and grasp of the details which enables them to make quick, effective decisions.

ISTPs avoid making judgments based on personal values - they feel that judgments and decisions should be made impartially, based on the fact. They are not naturally tuned in to how they are affecting others. They do not pay attention to their own feelings, and even distrust them and try to ignore them, because they have difficulty distinguishing between emotional reactions and value judgments. This may be a problem area for many ISTPs.

An ISTP who is over-stressed may exhibit rash emotional outbursts of anger, or on the other extreme may be overwhelmed by emotions and feelings which they feel compelled to share with people (often inappropriately). An ISTP who is down on themself will foray into the world of value judgments - a place which is not natural for the ISTP - and judge themself by their inability to perform some task. They will then approach the task in a grim emotional state, expecting the worst.

ISTPs are excellent in a crisis situations. They're usually good athletes, and have very good hand-eye coordination. They are good at following through with a project, and tying up loose ends. They usually don't have much trouble with school, because they are introverts who can think logically. They are usually patient individuals, although they may be prone to occasional emotional outbursts due to their inattention to their own feelings.

ISTPs have a lot of natural ability which makes them good at many different kinds of things. However, they are happiest when they are centered in action-oriented tasks which require detailed logical analysis and technical skill. They take pride in their ability to take the next correct step.

ISTPs are optimistic, full of good cheer, loyal to their equals, uncomplicated in their desires, generous, trusting and receptive people who want no part in confining commitments.

Famous ISTP's:
Charles Bronson
Tom Cruise
James Dean
Clint Eastwood
Burt Reynolds
Keith Richards
Charlie Yeager
Frank Zappa

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

I have to teach Banks this!

I saw this video and only wish I could teach Banks how to do this!!



And a quick shout out to my parents -Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!!

I love you and miss you!

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Competition and Me Don't Mix

Those of you that know me well....know that I have a problem with competition. Or maybe I should put it this way, there are very few people brave enough to sit down and play a game of Monopoly with me. Here's the deal - I hate to lose. I grew up playing basketball and volleyball and I had a real issue with losing or performing badly. I expect that when I put my mind to something I should win. Therefore, when I do lose - I don't lose well and I really don't like the person I become or the way it makes me feel. So now for the most part I'm fairly non-competitive unless the stakes are hard to resist.

For example - I've been participating in a weight loss contest for the last 10 weeks. I had fooled myself to think that I was only participating and it was not a competition. It wasn't supposed to be about who lost the most weight or how fast, but rather we each had a goal of losing 10 pounds and then those who made their goal were entered into a series of drawings for cash prizes. Well I sit here now 10 weeks later, 10 pounds lighter and with zero cash prizes. Why do I feel like I lost a competition? It was after all, or at least supposedly, a random drawing. A lot of hard work, a lot of self-discipline and I'm not content knowing I've lost the weight, I did it to win. To win the prize. And instead what I receive is what all participants receive, whether they lost 2 pounds or 20 pounds we all get a freakin t-shirt. Sorry, but I'd rather have Park Place for $100 or Boardwalk for $500 - those were pretty awesome prizes.

So yea, I'm upset and I've taken it personal. And I'm remembering all the reasons why I've chosen to be a non-competitive person. I just can't handle it. If it was about losing the weight, I would have joined a club or taken out my pilates videos - but it was about the money, the wonderful little cash cards that would have given me a little freedom in being a little frivolous.


I think I'll go eat a donut now.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Pictures From Jason's Birthday

Jason & I just before heading out to dinner at the Bonefish Grill.
He's reading the card I gave him.
Yes, I know - lame I wraped it in a blanket, but it was heavy and awkward!!
He likes it!!
Jason's very happy with his Eddie Bauer edition of a Horseshoe set.
Big kisses and then we're off to dinner!

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Happy Birthday Baby!

Since I'm under strict orders not to make a big deal out of the fact that TODAY IS JASON'S 37TH BIRTHDAY, I'm going to attempt to get it out of my system on this blog!

Today my man turns 37!!! He has a wonderful relaxing day all planned out for himself. Starting the day early at 9am, he's meeting with his rep at BMI. Then he's off to a massage at 10. After his massage he's planning on spending a few hours on the golf course by himself to think, relax and unwind. At 2pm he has a chiropractic appointment and then after that he plans to soak in a nice hot bath at home. I'm planning to take off early from work and meet him for dinner around 5. We're going out tonight, since he has the night off and I've told him, he's supposed to choose where he'd like to go (but I think he still has yet to decide). I'm really excited that he has a wonderful day all planned for himself, he works so hard and very much deserves a "pamper-Jason-day". I'll try to remember to get a picture of us before dinner tonight!

Congrats sweetie and Happy Birthday! I love you!!!

Thursday, March 06, 2008

Some Strange Weather...

Last week the weather in Nashville went from 70 degrees one day to snow the very next!! You literally have to watch the forecast or you could end up dressed for the wrong kind of weather!
When it snowed last week, my friends from work and I decided we'd run outside and get some fun pictures - it doesn't snow very often here and when it does, it doesn't really stick around for very long. They turned out pretty cute - so I thought I would share ;-)

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Two More Books!

I finished two more books this weekend -

1. Hedges: Loving Your Marriage Enough To Protect It
by Jerry B. Jenkins.

Jason and I received this book from Jason's parents as a gift and I just got around to reading it. It was great practical advice on how to form boundaries around your marriage in order to protect it. Practical examples were given on how to relate with others in the proper settings, physically, emotionally ect... I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it to married couples of all ages!

2. Praying Hyde: Missionary to India
by Basil Miller
Mission books aren't typically what I enjoy reading - but I had been encouraged by Pastors Rick & Cindy Stone to read this when I was trying to understand more what it meant to be gifted with intercessory prayer. Even though the missions part was completely fascinating and inspiring, it was the details on his prayer life that I really connected to. It reawakened a desire to pray more - and not the loud crazy ranting & raving type prayer I'm used to - but personal, heart-seeking prayer-closet type prayer. I highly recommend this book and its actually a quick read, I finished it in two days.

Matthew 6: 1-8

"Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

"So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

"But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

"When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

"But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

"And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.

"So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him."

Monday, March 03, 2008

Awesome Pranks!

My mother-in-law Sherry Keith sent me a link to this video below where a group of over 200 people gathered at Grand Central Station in New York to pull off a 'frozen in place' act. This group's name is called Improv Everywhere and they stage these type of pranks all over New York City.

This video is crazy, check out the reactions from the unsuspecting onlookers! So cool!



You can click on this link to view more videos from Improv Everywhere.

Friday, February 29, 2008

Happy Leap Day!

I hope everyone is hanging in there in what appears to be a very nasty cold & flu season! I've been doing my part to take my airborne daily, wash my hands regularly and drink plenty of water. So far, so good.

Tomorrow Jason & I attend our first marriage seminar, "Love, Sex & Marriage" by a well known author & inspirational speaker, Joe Beam. He's featured on the country music radio once a week in the mornings and I've often heard him answer many difficult questions with such wisdom from a Biblical perspective. He's also been a guest at our church a few times to preach when Bobby was out of town. I'm so excited and some friends of ours from church will also be there with us. I'm looking forward to it, I think it will be both encouraging & challenging, but yet lots of fun too.

Other fun news - on February 21st, Heidi & Aaron Powell welcomed thier beautiful new little baby boy into the world, Aiyers Gideon Powell! I so wished I was there with them during all the excitement. Aaron was great about texting a bunch of us the progress of the delivery. I can't believe he's a dad now! Time is flying!

It seems like so many of my friends are beginning to grow their families - Karlee is expecting a baby girl in July; Katie Hallstrom, who's also due in July, will soon find out what she's having; Vanessa's expecting a baby girl in April and looks so adorable with the tummy getting bigger every day; and Kate Barnette recently found out that she too is expecting sometime in September. Its an epidemic I tell you! I'm so excited for all of them and its hard to believe we all grew up together and have seen various phases of each others lives.
I also just recently got pictures from my friend Genesis of a wedding we all went to last month for our friends Melanie & Ryan Sutton and then of the super bowl party we had at Matt & Amy Walter's home. They're kinda fun and thought you all might enjoy them.
Jason & I at dancing at the wedding.

My friend Genesis & I at the wedding.
Steven & Genesis DeLong
Amy, myself & Alicia watching the super bowl - well sorta. Let's just say I was more there for the relationship, rather than the football ;-)

Monday, February 25, 2008

Diets Suck

At the beginning of the new year, my office began a weight-loss contest. Whoever was interested in participating had to form teams of 4 people and then each person on that team had to lose a minimum of 10 pounds each in a 10 week period. It's not about who loses the most, so don't get all freaked out that I'm starving myself silly. That's a pound a week, which isn't all that terrible. And I felt like it was a reasonable goal. 7 weeks into this freakin thing and I'm only 4 pounds down. I've yo-yoed like crazy! I thought I could do this whole thing with having a cheat day every now and then (ie. super bowl party), but I have since discovered that I lose all control on my cheat days and gain back in ONE day what took 4 weeks to lose. It absolutely sucks. So now I'm having to go total hardcore and cut out ALL sweets (like the little hard candies I like to suck on and my bag of chocolates to help with cravings). I'm also cutting out more carbs and adding more protein, fruits and veggies to my diet....and I know, I know, I should probably get exercising too. What really sucks, is the moment one decides they're going to start a diet, all you can think about is DESSERTS! I wake up and think about donuts, at lunch I want cookies, dinner I'm thinking about ice cream - its out of control. And yet even when I wasn't dieting, I didn't eat all that in one day, nor did I probably even think about it as much as I am right now. I literally began a list of what I wanted to bake once these freakin 10 weeks are over.

So why am I putting myself through all this you might ask? Because if our team succeeds in losing 10 pounds each person, we'll be entered for a drawing to each win one of 33 $100 gift cards and then one team is entered into a drawing where each team member could win a $500 gift card!!! Of course it came down to winning money, why else would I be doing this? Sure, I want to be summer-swimsuit-ready, but not at this rate! It's only February for crying out loud! I think I can do it, I just need to stay strong and not give into temptation. Deep breaths. Only 6 pounds to go, and I can do this!!

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

My Country Family!

All growing up, I have always looked up to my older cousin Tina. I can remember her wedding back when I was a little girl and that huge white hoop dress she wore and the little flower girls that got caught underneath it. I remember the empty pop cans that filled their getaway car after the reception, the bridesmaid dresses and the basement where the reception was held.

I would say my favorite Christmas ever, was the one my family spent out in Montana on my cousin Tina's diary farm with her family. The snow was several feet thick, the ice accumulated on the inside of the windows, we drank fresh milk from the dairy, had her delicious home-cookin, rode the snowmobiles in the fields, and warmed ourselves by the hot pellet stove - so many fond memories. Then years later when I was a teenager and just learning to drive, my friend Vanessa and I headed out to Montana for a couple weeks during the summer. I would say that's when my love for country music really kicked in. She started me listening to Billy Ray Cyrus & Trisha Yearwood and took me to my first country music concert with Joe Diffe and Collin Raye.

Well now that I'm all grown up and have a husband and house of my own, I was able to return the favor and offer up our home to have cousin Tina and her daughter Amanda and her boyfriend Jonathan as guests and come stay with us for a few days. It was kinda surreal actually, because a lot of time has come & gone and now we can sit down as adults, women and wives and relate on the same level. There was so many things I was able to learn about her that I just never knew when I was a kid. It was just the coolest thing to be sitting with her talking more like friends, rather than adult to teenager. I absolutely loved it and we laughed a ton. God's brought her through some tough places and just listening to her stories has built my own faith. I still very much look up to her and admire the woman God's shaped her to be. And now with her kids grown and out of the house, she's gone back to school to finish her college degree! She just amazes me and I'm so proud of her! (these pictures of Tina were taken when Jason & I were driving out to Tennessee and had stopped in Montana to stay with them for a couple days.)

We showed her around Nashville a bit and of course took them down to the honkey tonks on Broadway. But the main reason for their visit to Nashville was because Amanda has been accepted to the University of Mississippi Law School and she wanted to take a tour, plus she was able to audit a class at Vanderbilt Law School here in Nashville. There are a few different law schools in California, Texas and then in Mississippi that have all accepted her and she's trying to weigh her options for deciding which to go to. Amanda is just stunning and an absolute sweetheart and selfishly I hope that her path to law school leads here so that we'll have family in town and be able to hang out. Plus, it will also give Tina & Phil a reason to come visit!

It was literally a whirlwind of a trip and even though they were here only for the weekend, Tina was able to stay a couple more days with us which was really a blessing. And I loved that I was able to spend my valentine's with her, since Jason had to work that night. After talking for 3 hours that night, we finally headed to Mortons for dinner and sat at the bar eating lots of yummy food and drinks. It was so much fun!

I like a dummy didn't take my camera out once, but I know Amanda was able to get a picture or two, so I'm hoping I can get a copy of hers to post up eventually. But for now, here's a picture of Amanda & Jonathan that Tina had sent me, back from Amanda's soriority spring formal at Pepperdine last year. Aren't they an adorable couple?
We'll miss you Tina, Amanda & Jonathan! Thanks for staying with us!

Straight Up!

So one of my favorite artists growing up was Paula Abdul..."Straight up now tell me do you really want to love me for-ev-er, uh oh oh....are you just having fun?!" I used to rock out and dance in my room to her songs all the time. More recently she's been a judge on American Idol for the last like 7 or 8 years. After her 15 years or so away from the music scene, she has just released a new single. Her new single was just released and the music video's not too bad!

Dance Like There's No Tomorrow

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Lots to Share

So these last five days have been packed full of fun things with my family in town from Montana and I will be going into further detail when I get more of a chance, but I have been super slammed at work this week - so please hang tight!

But until then - let this preview for the upcoming Indiana Jones 4 movie hold you over!!!!!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Celebrity Sighting

Was shopping at Target the other day and saw Jack White of the White Stripes in the kids section.... He actually lives here in Nashville and comes into Mortons all the time.

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

A Tennessee Tragedy

Well folks, if you haven't already heard, we got one heck of a nasty storm last night. For the first time since moving to Nashville, I got to hear the tornado sirens blaring from outside the house, and let me tell you, they are not a comforting sound. I could tell when I was heading off to work yesterday morning that we were probably going to get a storm, only cause it was so humid outside and close to 70 degrees. Not exactly your typical winter weather. Sure enough by the afternoon, the talk around the office was of the coming storms and to stay safe at home that night. Thankfully, and I mean THANK GOD, Jason was off from work last night and home with me. I would have been a nervous wreck if he wasn't there to hold my hand, literally. We were sitting at home watching American Idol when the news interrupted and warned us of the coming storms and with them the threat of tornados. We didn't really think to much of it, till I noticed that the red area on the Tennessee map in the left hand corner of the screen was inching toward Nashville. So we finally flipped over to the local news and watched intently as many counties reported tornado touchdowns, severe weather damage, destroyed homes and expected arrival times of the storm heading our way. For us, it was more built up expectation than anything else - other than some quite frightening thunder and lightening, and a power outage that lasted half the night, our neighborhood was relatively untouched. But others were not so fortunate. One friend from work had the roof of her garage ripped off from the wind alone. It was a nightmare of a storm and destroyed many homes throughout a number of states. Hopefully, the last storm we'll have for quite a while! But thank you to everyone who's called and left us messages that you were praying for us, we very much appreciate it! Please continue to pray for other families in our city during this horrible time. God bless. (Check out the lightening reflected in this Nashville building downtown!)


February 2008 tornado outbreak
(From Wikipedia article)


The February 2008 tornado outbreak, also known as the Super Tuesday tornado outbreak, was a deadly tornado outbreak affecting the Southern United States and the lower Ohio Valley from February 5–6, 2008.

The event began on Super Tuesday,
while 24 U.S. states were holding primary elections and caucuses for both Democratic Party and Republican Party presidential candidates for the upcoming 2008 United States presidential election. Missiouri, Illinois, Arkansas and Tennessee are states among the affected regions where primaries were held. The approaching of the severe weather forced some polls to be closed in advance.

At least 93 tornadoes have been reported. The outbreak has produced several destructive tornadoes in heavily populated areas, most notably in the Memphis metropolitan area, in Jackson, Tennessee and the northeastern end of the Nashville metropolitan area. Reports suggest that at least 57 people have been killed in the outbreak by severe weather (at least 56 by tornadoes) across five states and 19 counties, with hundreds of others injured. Several other unconfirmed reports of fatalities have come in as well and those numbers may increase or decrease as new reports come in. The outbreak is the deadliest in the US since the May 31, 1985 outbreak that killed 76 across Ohio and Pennsylvania (and also killed 12 in Ontario, Canada). It was also the deadliest tornado outbreak in Kentucky since the 1974 Super Outbreak. In Arkansas, the 13 fatalities is the most since 25 were killed during the Benton, Arkansas Tornado Outbreak on March 1, 1997.

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

1 Down, 11 To Go

So I've been doing a little tracking of staying on top of my New Years Resolutions. Since its the first year I've really taken them seriously, I've made a list of all my goals and then I update the list on how I did each month.

So here's a little status update (to keep me motivated and accountable more than anything!)

1. Journaling - I wrote in my journal over 10 times in January, not a bad start. 2. Exercise/Diet - My work is holding a weight-loss contest where we're supposed to lose at least 10 pounds in 10 weeks to qualify for some serious cash prizes. 4 weeks into the contest and I'm down 4 pounds!! As exciting as this is, all I can think about is that delicious coconut frosted donut down the street at Shipley's Donuts and baking ridiculously delicious desserts that I find on different blogs. Oh and I don't normally like yogurt, but after trying a bunch of different kinds, I discovered Breyers Smooth & Creamy in Peaches & Cream and Strawberry - they are so good! I can't wait to find the Strawberry Cheesecake flavor!
3. Honesty - I've had a chance to be able to speak honestly a number of times these last few weeks with family and friends about what's really on my heart. At times its been scary, fearing the response - sometimes its been really positive and other times...well I guess we'll see.

4. Read the New Testament - I've read Matthew 1-6! Kinda pitiful I know, so February will be much better!

5. Pray Out Loud - The Lord really spoke to me actually about this in Matthew and I feel a peace about praying out loud when He provides opportunties, but really being more concerned with praying alone to Him, because this is what He truly desires.

6. Read 20 books - One down, 19 to go! I finished The Choice by Nicholas Sparks and IT WAS SO GOOD!! I so recommend this book if your looking for a cozy sweet love story to curl up to with a blanket and hot cup of coffee.
7. Get The House In Order - I've been working my tail off on the guest room. It's almost done being painted. Jason put up beadboard and trim, so my job has been painting it all white. It's getting there!! And we also finished the living room, which was a big accomplishment!

8. Finish Repunzel - yea not so much.

9. Invitation Business Up & Running - I'll work on this when our office is all set up properly, which will happen once the desk is all sanded & ready to move from the front porch back into the house :-)

This last week has been a trying week for me. See we have this fun little leak in our roof that is causing water to drip through the ceiling in the office. And due to a lack of time & some financial constraints, we haven't been able to get it fixed yet. These kind of things really stress me out - so I literally just have to stay away from that part of the house so I don't see it, because if I look at it, then I dwell on it for hours working myself up into a frustrated frenzy.

Then last Wednesday Jason got into a head-on car accident with an elderly woman. I guess she didn't see Jason coming and proceeded to turn in front of oncoming traffice, pulling out in front of his truck. I was on the phone with him and he had to put the phone down to try & slow his truck in time, but all I heard was him yelling in the background and then a big crash. It sounded much worse than it was and thankfully they're both fine. The truck is a little damaged and it took a while for the cops to show up and fill out the report, but other than that - everything turned out ok, which really is a blessing from God.

We also had a wonderful time at our friends Super Bowl Party Sunday. Jason spent two days working on a pulled pork chili and by request, I made my Molasses Cookies with Pumpkin Fluff. Yummy! So you can imagine the diet went out the door that day! There were probably 12 of us there and we had so much fun!! I am so blessed with the friendships that we've made through our church - I just love'm!
So I guess other than the leak and the accident, it wasn't too bad of a week and it did end on a great note ;-)

Friday, February 01, 2008

Puts Things Into Perspective

I was roaming around on MySpace and came across this video on Loree Rowland's page, so I took a few minutes to watch it not really knowing what to expect.

It sobered me quite a bit - and it definately puts things into perspective.

Take a few minutes out of your busy day to appreciate how big God is.

Thursday, January 31, 2008

We Can Only Hope

40 Schools in Williamson County of Tennessee closed today in ANTICIPATION of snow. Are you kidding me!!??? Reports are there MIGHT be a wintry mix coming across Williamson County so they just went ahead and closed the schools JUST IN CASE! I remember a day in elementary school sitting at my desk watching thick snowflakes fall from the sky accumulating all over the ground, walkways and railings...thinking to myself....I wonder if they'll ever let us leave school early because of all the snow? Ooohhh no, we didn't leave early that day and I believe the next day we got to come in maybe an hour late! It was a lot snow for Seattle at that time and yet even then, we toughed it out and the parents trekked through the wintery weather to pick up their kids at the regular dismissal hour. It's cracking me up that here in Tennesssee, where apparently the last time they had snow that accumulated and did anything at all to this city was like 6 years ago!! So now people get so freaked out at the idea of a big scary snowfall that they close schools because something MIGHT happen!

Here's what our forecast looks like with our local news:

WSMV Forecast
Rain likely this afternoon and evening, thundershowers included. Might see changeover to snow late tonight.
THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy with rain and isolated thunderstorms especially late in the day, winds east 5-10 mph. HIGHS: Nashville-46, Lawrenceburg-46, Dickson-46
THURSDAY NIGHT: Rain expected early with a change over to snow/rain mix late, winds south 5-10. Snowbird may well fly on Friday morning. LOWS: Nashville-32, Altamont-30, Dover-30

So the schools closed....makes total sense right? Oh and note to self - look up what the heck "Snowbird may well fly on Friday morning" means. Snowbird? Is this for real?

Friday, January 25, 2008

And The Countdown Continues to May 22

Jason hasn't seen all three prior Indiana Jones movies, so we'll have to make a weekend out of it before the 4th one, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" comes out on May 22nd!! These are some of my all time favorite movies ever!