Not Irish...

Monday Ben and I marked our 13 year wedding anniversary.  I tossed around several sentimental ideas for blog posts...but who am I kidding, I'm just not very sentimental.  Or gushy. I love him, I think he's the best, and it's been a crazy-fast 13 years of goodness.  It works for us.


Monday morning (anniversary day) I got a call from Ben while I was watching Jake at swim lessons (or as Jake calls them:  Pool Lessons) that the cement guys had shown up.  We both said to each other, "HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!"  Seriously, it made our day.  


That's how we roll.

Later that day, Ben was out chatting with the cement guys, and came in to tell me that it sounded like the foreman guy had an accent...it's no secret I'm totally enamored with accents.


Remember Julie?  And while I'm sidetracked for a moment, did I tell you all that Julie is coming back from Norway to Iowa on August 1st to go to college near by me?  Seriously, have I mentioned this, because I can't remember...


Back to the other story:  So yesterday Ben was home on break and went out to talk to the cement guys again and I tagged along (because it would be weird for me to go chat it up all on my own, after all) so I could listen to his accent.


While him and Ben were discussing whether or not the old wall to the basement may or may not cave in, I couldn't help but blurt out, "Where are you from originally?!?"


I, in all my infinite knowledge of accents, was guessing it sounded Irish.


He's from Yugoslavia.  


And he has quite the story of how he arrived in America...and it made me think (again) how everyone has a story.  I just wish mine had a cute accent to go with it. ;)


That's my story.

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Only Boring People...

Source: piccsy.com via Sarah on Pinterest

I've said this to my children approximately one hundred bajillionity times so far today.


If only they thought I was as clever as I think know I am.


I found this on pinterest.  Of course I did.

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Hooked

Last week a blog friend turned facebook friend introduced me to Pinterest.


Oh. My. Word.


I can't even come up with words to describe how much I love love LOVE this sight.  I am hooked.  


Many of you are probably familiar with it already...I'm the last to know about cool stuff sometimes. :) But, in case you are like me...you should go check it out.


It's visual organization to the extreme...and I love it.  


And it's simple.  WAY simple.  


Do you love it?!?

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Two Dollars

It's Friday.


{Deep inhale...deep exhale}


I'm so glad.  I love you, Friday.


Anyways...I do have a point to this post.  Sorta.  Last week, at the crack of dawn, I was lamenting to my running buddies about how sick I am of my summer tank tops being so low-cut.  I rarely wear tank tops alone...unless it's 100 degrees out (because my triceps are, well...missing), but I do wear them under low cut t-shirts and dresses in hopes of maintaining some sense of modesty.  I am not a fan of the cleavage.


(I  just had to actually click on spell checker for "options" on how to spell cleavage because I tried several versions that didn't work...see, not a fan ;)


So I came up with a genius plan.  At least it seemed genius at 6 am.  My plan was to shorten the straps of my tank tops, just tack them a little with the sewing machine.  Easy peasy.  Turns out, not. so. easy.  The material on tanks is streeeetchy, and doesn't stay together when trying to cram it under the sewing machine pedal thingy.  I thoroughly ruined about 3, and the other 3 look terrible, but I decided to wear them anyway.


But here's the good part.  Wednesday I ran into the local CVS (and by local, I mean 10 miles away) to get some {insert item I can't remember} and passed the seasonal stuff only to find THESE:

The neckline is PERFECT!  When I look down while carrying around a one-year old, I see no boobs.  Yipee!  Even better, they're $2 a piece.  TWO.  Yeah baby.


They do run a little small...which then made me think maybe they're made for a 10 year old...but I don't care, I'm totally wearing them.


Hello, my name is Sarah, and I buy tank tops at CVS.  


Good times.


Enjoy your weekend lovely blog friends...I'm heading to IKEA with some friends...perfection.

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We Over-complicate Things...

Recently Ben and I have had the opportunity to do some pre-marital counseling with a couple.  It's our first time doing the entire counseling together.  After the first time we met with them, Ben and I looked at each other almost giddy with excitement.


Pre-marital counseling is fun.  Really fun.  Generally, we do more marriage counseling than pre-marriage...just because most of the people around us are already married.  Marriage counseling and fun rarely go together.  Most of the time is spent with two people not-feeling very loving and trying to convince the couple that they can, in fact, repair the damage that's been done...pre-marital counseling involves trying to equip two people head over heals in love,  to avoid the damage in the first place.  One couple is in the valley, and the other, at the top of the world.


In pre-marital you've got two people who are desperately in love, and blissfully hopeful about their future.  They're open to ideas, cautions, and plans.  They want to do whatever it's going to take to keep the loving feeling they have.  They're listening.


I like when people listen.  I especially like giving counsel to people who are actually listening.  As I look at ministry...from my perspective as the pastors wife, my hardest part in it is trying to minister to people who want answers, who want direction, who want to change...but most of the time they are not genuinely listening.  


It didn't take me long in ministry to realize that I was only going to offer advice or counsel when asked...and even then I'm not sure they're always hearing what I'm saying. ;)  


And through all the counseling...there's one lesson that God keeps pounding into my heart:  It is so, so much easier to avoid the pitfalls of life, than it is to get out of them.


It's true in marriage, and it's true in life.  


I think we make life more difficult than it needs to be sometimes.  Is life full of hard stuff?  Yep, for sure.  But do we add selfish over-dramatics to it as well?  Often.


I came across this verse this morning:  Micah 6:8  "The Lord has told you what is good.  He has told you what He wants from you:  Do what is right to other people.  Love being kind to others.  And live humbly, trusting your God."


Sounds like a pretty good verse to build a healthy, godly marriage and life on. Nothing fancy, nothing complicated...just a matter of doing.  That verse is going on my fridge.  Today.

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Inspiring Me Lately

Ok, so this makes two posts in one day...does that make up for the past few months? heh heh heh.  Anyways, in my previous post I explained what Inspiring Me Lately is.  


Let's get this party started.  I'm kidding, I don't really talk like that.  Or maybe I do...


Have you ever come across a blog and liked it SO much that you really did feel like a stalker?  I mean really did?  Because you just couldn't stop reading it?  Man, I sure hope so, otherwise maybe I really am a stalker...


So, I came across the blog Funky Vintage Lovely several months ago.  I adore it. April's style, her little shop, and her home decor style has sucked me right in.  Literally.  And, when she blogged about a certain skirt she had got from an Etsy store, I fell in love.  And ordered the skirt.  


It's my favorite favorite FAVORITE skirt.  I want this red one too.  But alas Dave Ramsey would not be pleased.  Let's not tell him I bought the yellow one, k?  Our secret.

I'm sorta wishing I'd cropped my head out of this picture.   It turns out, that when I try to have my hubby take my picture, I feel all awkward and it shows...terribly...even worse than this grainy pic in the mirror.  I'm working on it.

So, needless to say, Funky Vintage Lovely is Inspiring Me Lately.  Hugely.


And, before you leave...do tell if you've ever stalked a blog...and then tell me which one...because maybe I want to stalk too!

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I'm Inspired...Easily.

When it comes style and decor, both in fashion and home, I am very un-original.  Some people are able to dream up plans, ideas, and then put it together and it's fabulous.  I can't.  My mind is just not hard-wired that way.  But, I know what I like when I see it...almost immediately.  AND, I'm super good at copying. *wink*  


Sometimes, we just have to embrace who we are and go with it, right?


I chuckle whenever someone asks if I mind if they get something like I have...because how could I mind?  I likely stole the idea from someone somewhere in the first place.  Or, I can say it nicely and say I was "inspired" by someone else's idea...yeah, let's go with that version.


With the remodel/building project going on I have been seeking out inspiring ideas like never before.  The internet does not disappoint.  I  have found a plethora of good stuff, and I'd like to start sharing it with all of you.  So...I'm gonna start a little segment I like to call Inspiring Me Lately so that I can share some of it with you...in case you're copy-ers...like me.


And, just as a sort of disclaimer, I want you to know I read a vast range of different blogs.  If l link to someone, I'll be certain to let you know what it is I'm inspired by, don't assume I agree with everything.  Because there's some gals with some amazing sense of style who's beliefs I don't line up with, and there's some amazing women of faith who's style is not my inspiration.  Make sense?  Clear as mud?  Oh good.




PS - I have a new blog design in the works, it won't likely debut till August sometime, but it's cute, and bound to inspire me. :)  (I'm not creating it, of course...I mean have you seen my HTML skills?  That's what I thought.)

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