Yay!

I love the feeling of relief you get when you think you're going to have to replace something and then you fix it!

Tuesday morning our disposal made a new noise as I turned it off. I was in a hurry to get out the door since the roads were icy and I knew I'd need a little extra time to get to work so I didn't think much of the noise. Mike was sick that day and emailed me later at work saying that the disposal wasn't working. Great.

Yesterday, I didn't feel like messing with it. I figured we'd have to take the whole thing off, mess with it and then have to buy a new one and that was not a reality I was ready to face, so I ignored it for just a little longer.

This morning, I asked my Dad about it when we were talking on our way to work (I talk to my Mom and Dad every morning on my way to work) and he said there was a hex-key hole in the middle of the underside of the disposal and to 'open' it as doing so would free anything that might be stuck in there. SO, I came home, laid down on the floor and stuck my head under the sink to find the hex key and while under there, saw a little red button on the disposal. At that point, I figured it couldn't hurt to push it so I did, got up, flipped the switch and heard the glorious noise of a working disposal.

I was quite proud of myself, even if I just pushed a little red button. :-)Yay for not having to buy a new disposal!!!

25 Random Facts About Me

Everyone else is doing this so I'm jumping on board. :-)

1. I love God
2. I want to chase tornadoes, just once.
3. I relate to this quote way too well: "When I'm confronted by someone I get tongue tied and my mind goes blank. Then I spend the rest of the night tossing and turning over what I should have said." (Meg Ryan in 'You've Got Mail')
4. One of my favorite college memories is cooking dinner and watching 'Gilmore Girls' with the Buffalo Gals (as we were nicknamed by security) even though we had a fast-approaching deadline.
5. I can spend hours in Target and Michaels.
6. My biggest annoyance right now is that I cannot find something for above my couch.
7. I rarely buy anything (other than gas and food) unless it is on sale or I have a coupon.
8. I have given up on finding real gelato in America. If you haven't been to Europe, don't tell me that gelato here is good, I won't believe you.
9. I wish I had a green thumb.
10. I am so much like my parents, it's scary.
11. The best meal I ate in Europe was a bratwurst from a street cart in Berlin.
12. I love cooking for people and hope to be even half the cook my Mom is.
13. Chocolate. Enough said.
14. It took me almost 4 years to fall in love with my husband. (Long but good story, that Mike still teases me about.)
15. My best friend and I were born 1 year, 1 month and 1 day apart and we are TOTAL opposites but I can't imagine not having her in my life.
16. I love cold weather but hate being cold.
17. Children are my passion. I miss working with them.
18. I wish I had enough stories from working with children to write a book but am thankful I don't because the stories are too unique to truly "protect the innocent". :-)
19. I wish I played the piano and had taken dance when I was little. (Yeah Mom, you kinda told me so but thanks for not forcing my stubborn little self)
20. I love old hymns.
21. I can't wait to go to Europe with Mike.
22. One of my favorite things to do is watch baseball with my Dad.
23. I want to visit every MLB park.
24. I love traveling.
25. I'm ready for spring.

Tall Black Boots and the Inauguration

Beyond the fact that yesterday's Inauguration chants were for Obama and not the USA and the fact that hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent on who knows how many inauguration balls, the thing that surprised me most was that Joe Biden's wife wore knee-high boots for the event.

I'm no Stacy London but I'm pretty sure tall black boots were not the appropriate footwear for such an official and regal affair. Silly thing to notice and nit-pick over, I know, but it bothered me.

Harper Brown

I'll be honest, I've gotten sucked into "blogworld" and Kelly's blog is one of the most fun blogs I've found - she's from AR and since that's where I went to school, I guess my "connection" to her comes from there.

She and her husband just welcomed their first little girl, Harper Brown, last night and she is very sick. I've never met Kelly, her husband or anyone who knows them but they need prayers and what better way to get all the prayer warriors going than to but it out in blogworld. :-)

Bare Wall, Blank Mind

Now that Mike and I have curtains on our windows (thanks, Mom and Dad!), our next mission is to find something to go over our couch and after months of thinking and looking, I still can't find something that makes me say "that's it"! So, I need YOUR help!

I don't want something too predictable, want something that has some kind of sentiment to it (a neat picture a friend took, something that represents a place we've been together, you get the idea) and depending on the cost, I'm open to multiple pictures/items. I've seriously considered asking Kathee, a crazy-talented girl I used to work with if she might do something for us but I don't have a clue what I would have her do...

So, if you have an idea for what I can put on that big blank space of a wall over the couch in the picture below - let me know, please! :-)

(your help is VERY much appreciated.)

How Great Thou Art

When Mike and I left Red River, we saw one of the most amazing things in God's creation. The sunrise was AMAZING and while there is no way you can capture God's true greatness through a camera, here are a few pictures to give you an idea of how wonderful He is.

There's No Place Like Home

Mike and I just got back from almost two weeks in the mountains with my family for Christmas. We had a great time, enjoyed LOTS of snow, hit the slopes and relaxed. I also got to see my wonderful college friend, Becca - I took a picture of us but haven't gotten it off my camera so I'll post that later. Here are some pictures of the highlights! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and pray that your 2009 is wonderfully blessed!