Help Me Out Here

There's two things that every Midwesterner will tell you.

1. We talk normal.


2. We have no accent.

Here's what they might not tell you...we're secretly intrigued and jealous of everyone with an accent.

It doesn't matter where you're from in the US, you'll likely entertain us for hours just by talking...because I also think we're easily entertained (we have to be, trust me.)

Now, if you happen to have a foreign accent...well that's even better! We eat it up. For real.

Saturday I posted this video. It happens to be Jake and I talking, and so our future exchange student, got to hear our voices for the first time.

She wrote this:

"AWw. So cute :)I got to hear you speak as well. You speak amazingly well.
Now I'll never be able to talk to you on the phone. I speak nothing like
that...I must sound more like Fez on "that's 70 show"

Love Julie with the horrible accent"

CRACK ME UP! Have I mentioned I love her?!? Because she entertains me to NO end. I love that she says I speak "amazingly" well. It's a relief...after all, I have only spoken one language my entire 31 years of life ;) I'm also guessing that after reading months of my mediocre writing she may have been guessing I'd sound, well...more like an idiot than I did ;) It would have been a logical conclusion.

So, here's the deal. I need your help. I've been telling Julie how everyone is going to LOVE her accent...even if she sounds like Fez from That 70's show...especially if she sounds like Fez ;) But apparently, just like a real daughter, she does not believe me. Imagine that.

Help me out. Tell her how much we love accents. Tell her how disappointed we'd all be if she came and had NO ACCENT!

Tell her I'm right. Because really, real or pretend, moms are basically totally right on most everything most of the time. Am I right?!?

I think I'm right.

Julie, embrace that beautiful accent. Maybe you can try to teach me some Norwegian, and then I can butcher it with my Midwestern-non-accent and entertain you ;) And, don't you dare try to practice speaking English without and accent...I'll be severely disappointed if you step off the airplane sounding like and Iowan :)

Oh, all of you could also mention that she should definitely, most positively, call me on the phone. Soon.

OK, I'm done. For now. Did I mention Julie has a blog? And it's in English? Head on over and tell her hello, or howdy, or whatever it is you say from wherever it is you are.

Thanks so much!

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At His Finest...

Jake came into the office to show me his new skill (keep an eye on the feet.)

In case you have a hard time understanding him (while viewing him sideways because I can't for the life of me get it to turn) here's the highlights:

• He attribute his abilities to being 8 years old and having 6 numbers in his name.
• One of the many reasons this kid cracks. me. up.
• I've given up trying to convince him otherwise...good luck to the preschool teacher next year.

Enjoy & Happy Saturday!

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I Have a Favor to Ask...

I promise I'll try to stop talking about "feeds" and other nonsense...as soon as it's fixed.  Turns out I have 2 blog feeds and only one (the one that has about 5 people subscribed to it) transferred and the other was deleted.  So, I just made a new feed and yeah I'll lose some people, but I'm trusting they'll find their way back :)

So, if mine have not been updating in your reader lately go ahead and re-add my blog into your reader like you did the first time...except now it should have a valid feed again.  Make sense?  

Sorry for the extra work!  I promise it'll be worth it.  Kidding...I can't promise that.  BUT, I can totally bribe you.

If you haven't been getting my blog updates this week, and you go through ALL THE EFFORT to un-subscribe me from your reader and then re-add me again, leave me a comment and let me know and you'll be registered for a $5 gift card to Starbucks...because apparently it's only worth a measly $5 to me :)

Frankly, I think FeedBurner and Google should be handing out $5 gift cards...but who listens to me.

And, if for some reason this blog totally disappears because of my messing around with codes and stuff...no worries.  I'll find you and tell you...somehow.

Update on Life:  Going good.  Weather:bad.  Family:healthy.  Coffee:  Been drinking Folgers:  Yuck.  Running:  Good and sore.  Friends & Family:  Lot's going on, big stuff, praying hard.  Jesus:  So incredibly faithful...and EVERY TIME we go through the Easter story, even parts of it, I cry.  Can't help it.   Weekend:  YAY!

Next week's posts have GOT to be better.  

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Making Me CRAZY.

If you happen to subscribe to my blog via a reader, then you are likely not reading this.  It seems that the problem has nothing to do with my feed, but something to do with feedburner...either way I have no idea how long the problem is going to last.

What I do know is that I'm not the only one experiencing this problem, and yet that doesn't help to make me less irritated by it. ;)  90% of my readers only come when my blog updates in their reader...without the updates...goodbye readers.

If you happen to be one who goes through the work to actually click on my blog...you get to read this boring post :)

If this problem is ever fixed, I'll be sure to let you know...if it's not fixed soon, I am likely to go throw a hissy fit.  Kidding...sort of.

Oh technology...I love you when you work and hate you when you don't.

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O Baby!

Today I'm joining in my bloggy friend Rach's fun little carnival. Head on over to join in or check out more baby mugs.

Funny thing...when you start going through old pictures...all sorts of memories come up. I've now got plenty of pictures of myself for future posts. I think they will be titled When Bad Hair Happens to Good People, and subsequently Poor Fashion Choices, followed by Wow I Used to be so Young and Gawky Looking. Good times.

Oddly enough, some things never change. I have baby pictures to prove it.

If only the cuteness of double chins and dimply thighs lasted longer.

This is the exact same pose I take at restaurants while waiting for the server to bring my food.

Obviously I got my wild streak out of my system very early on. And really, what goes better with a cowboy hat than a belly?!?




Still one of my favorites: Eating, talking, laughing, all with my mouth WIDE open.

Easter. Man I wish I knew what year this was. I'm pretty sure I meant that look to say, "Dude...are you kidding me with this hat?!?"And lastly, my dad and I. Or is it my dad and me? Hmmm...tricky stuff. Anyways, this is one of my favorites...plus it shows my dads permed hair ;)

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Dumb Feed

Something is wrong with my blog feed and I can't get it to publish in readers.  I think others are having the same problem...my fix from yesterday was only temporary.

No clue what to do, I'll just wait it out for now!

Thanks for your patience!

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Instead of Going Through the Motions

I had trouble with my blog feed yesterday, a super smart bloggy friend told me to delete my RSS button...and she was right! So, if your blog is not being caught by the feed readers, that may be why.

Also, I'm contemplating setting up a running blog so that the topic doesn't over-run this blog, it will be more of an online journal, of training and stuff I'm learning. Any thoughts? 

Lately I've been feeling a lot like I did when I first became a Christian.

There was a insatiable hunger to learn everything I could about my new Savior. I bombarded those around me who had known Him longer, who knew what they were talking about. Experiencing His forgiveness freed me in a way that made anything seem possible. It's as if I caught a glimpse of just how big He is, and I knew He had big plans.

And then regular, everyday life continues...and years go by, and I find myself continually fighting against apathy. Against putting God in a tiny little box. It's a constant battle. Maybe people reach a point of spiritual maturity where they don't battle this....or maybe it's human nature, and battling it is just part of having faith.

What I do know is this: He is bigger than my apathy, and He will not be put in a box. The second I call out to Him, He shows up...shakes my heart up again reminds me of who He is, what He's done.

And right now, I just can't get enough of Him. Learning new things, understanding old things. Standing back, in awe, as He moves in the lives of people around me. He's always doing it...I just miss seeing it sometimes. Not this time.

This song has been blasting through my iPod for the past few days.

No need to explain why.

I don't want my life to be defined as going through the motions. As a wife, a mom, a friend, a believer...heck, even a runner...just OK is not enough...I want His all consuming passion inside of me.

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