Stalker

Do you know or have you met all the people whose blogs you follow? I haven't. Friends recommend this or that blog or I find a link to a blog or random blogs come up in a google search. Anyway, I read alot of blogs written by people I don't know.

Does this make me a stalker? I kinda feel like it.

A few months ago I saw this girl at the country club who writes a blog in Lubbock. She attends my friends' church and is good friends with one of my good friends' brother. Make sense? Good. Anyway, I walked on over and introduced myself and explained how I found her blog thru Party Perfect and then stayed interested because she lives in Lubbock and we know alot of the same people. She might be shy...or she thought I was a stalker. She said, "Okaaaay." And smiled. That was it.

I felt like an idiot.

Back in the fall I was leaving the grocery store and saw this man get out of his car with a little boy. I knew that I should know them but couldn't place them. Then here comes the mom and one of her adopted babies that she's been blogging about. I knew instantly who they were and were so surprised to see them in my neighboring town because I honestly thought they were from Arkansas or Tennessee. I thought her blog was one I found through Kelly's Korner or Bring the Rain and couldn't believe she was from Texas.

I smiled and continued walking. Then turned right back around and walked up to her. I said, "This is so random..." then explained that I read her blog. She was very friendly and introduced me to her family. Then we went our separate ways. (She doesn't put alot of personal information on her blog like where she lives or her children's names or the church they attend. So I won't connect you to her to keep her privacy.)

A few months ago I saw her again at formal fundraiser but I was upstairs looking down from the balcony when I recognized her but was too far away and too high up to speak. Can you imagine? Me yelling from the second floor? "Hellllloooo? You! Down there! I read your blog!!!"

I saw her AGAIN yesterday... She was at the same grocery store with her kids. AND I didn't say anything!!! I smiled and admired the cuteness of her kids, albeit silently, and kept going. That makes me feel like a stalker. Watching from a distance...

I'm not sure why I didn't say anything. I guess because I feel like I know alot about her and she's only seen/met me once and it was quick. in a parking lot. in the cold. a long time ago.

Anyway, it's stupid not to say anything. So I commented on her blog this morning explaining my 'situation' and apologized for not speaking and warning her that I would speak the next time I randomly see her.

What about you? Does reading random peoples blogs seem weird? Stalkish? Have you randomly met a one of these bloggers in real life?

Two Single Girls

I'm linking this post up to Kelly's Korner for her "Show Us Your Life - Singles". The point is for bloggers to use their own blogs to introduce "Singles" in their life and then link up to Kelly's blog so all the singles can browse thru the various posts. Kinda like Match.com. Apparently Kelly's blog has been successful. She's done this Singles thing twice and there's been one marriage and a proposal and maybe a few serious relationships. Anyway, I talked to TWO favorite Singles in my life and they said, "Why Not?" So without further ado, here's "All My Single Ladies"...


DISCLAIMER - I imagine that it will be mostly girls reading these blogs and then calling their single guy friends to check out this or that blog about different girls. I had a hard time "marketing" my cousins as dating material versus really great girl friends.

I'm introducing you to Katy and Amanda. Both of these ladies are my cousins. One from my Mom's side and one from my Dad's side. Which means that though they are both so much alike they are not blood related!

Amanda, me and Katy

They both are intelligent independent women in their early thirties. Both girls were raised in loving Christian homes in Texas and inherited a legacy of faith in Jesus Christ. Katy and Amanda both have an incredible sense of humor and the ability to laugh at themselves. Travelling, reading and movies are things that they both enjoy.

I could blabber on and on about all their wonderful qualities but I want to zero in on what makes them unique from each other and from other girls on today's 'Singles' posts.

Katy lives in Illinois but travels home to Texas frequently. All the kids in our family love their Auntie Kate who is never too busy to play with them. Katy is honest and creative. Her niece calls her "Fancy Fancy" as she's a fashionista by her own right. Katy is always up for fun and has great ideas for parties and get-togethers. She's a good hostess making people feel welcomed and at home. Katy gives the best advice whether it's for fashion, travel or how to deal with friends. She always seems to say exactly what I need to hear. Katy is a prayer warrior and one of those people that if I called and needed something she'd move heaven and earth to help me.

Amanda lives in the DFW metroplex and has impeccable taste and style. She quite possibly has more friends than any person I know. People love to be around Amanda because she is an encourager and always makes people feel special. She spoils her nephews and helps so much when she's around our kids. I often hang up the phone after talking to Amanda and realize I know nothing of what's going on in her life because she'd asked me dozens of questions and I did all the talking. She genuinely has a servant's heart and not only recognizes a need but sees that it's met. She too, is a prayer warrior and will drop to her knees whenever asked.

I can't begin to tell you how much I love these two chicas. I feel like these short descriptions are an injustice to them but I'm no author!


They deserve only the very best so losers need not reply. ha! But if you're interested leave a comment with your email and we'll be in touch!

New Look

So yesterday I played around a bit and gave the ole' blogaroo a facelift. I added the picture of the girls but I can't figure out for the life of me how to edit it and make it smaller. Maybe my teacher friend that is about to be out of school (and never going back in order to stay home with her baby, yea!) can fix it for me? Hello? Can you hear me?

I'm a bit uninspired to blog. It takes forever for me to add pictures and what's the point without pics, right? Anywho, I entered a giveaway today to win a blog makeover. Lord knows it's needed.

Good Luck to me.

Happy Halloween

Today is Halloween. It's on a Sunday. I guess Halloween has fallen on a Sunday during my lifetime but I don't remember it. I was hoping Jon would blog a list of possible Sunday sermon topics around Halloween but he disappointingly didn't.

We're not at church today. Chris is working and my upper lip has broken out in a joyous display of blisters. Lovely. I'm curious if anyone dressed up? Adults, probably not. Kids? Possibly.

I grew up in a home that didn't 'celebrate' halloween. We never went trick-or-treating instead getting to go to the movies. A rare treat! I did, however, get to dress up for school. Never as anything scary like a witch or a goblin. Just happy, cute costumes. A valley girl, a California Raisen, an old lady, an Ace of Spades.

Since Halloween wasn't a holiday in our house I was shocked by my Mother's reaction to a statement I made one night in our kitchen.

I was often holier than thou. Not something I'm proud of but I know I had my share of judgemental thoughts and words toward those less spiritual. It was in this spiritual (overly so) attitude that I declared to my Mom and sister the night before Halloween that, "I hate Halloween. It's the devil's day." Instead of my Mom declaring this fact along with me and insisting that we should pray for those celebrating this pagan holiday she totally shocked me.

Pounding the kitchen counter she firmly stated, "I rebuke that in the name of Jesus. THIS is the day the LORD has made. I will rejoice and be GLAD in it."

I was embarrassed. I made my statement knowing she would whole-heartedly agree with me but instead she convicted me. It IS the Lord's day. Everyday is the Lord's day and we shouldn't give any acknowledgement to anything or anyone declaring otherwise.

We don't celebrate Halloween in our home now. We participate. The girls dress-up, we go to carnivals and tonight we're trick-or-treating. We're not celebrating. We're participating.

DISCLAIMER: I know this comes across that my Mom and our home was uber-spiritual. Where my Mom is a Christian and a spiritual mentor in my life she most certainly isn't uber-spiritual in the weird tamborine shaking snake charming kind of way. She never had rebuked anything I said before. This is why, now, we laugh at this event in our life. It was meaningful and a life-lesson based on biblical principals. BUT it is funny! And we laugh about it every year and Mom blushes and laughs too! So today when Mom comes over for a haircut I'll answer the door and proclaim, "This is the day the Lord has made." She'll laugh and roll her eyes and then she'll kill me for posting this on my blog. Love you, Mom.

Three

Jencee: Is it time to go yet?

Me: No - we aren't leaving 'til 7 and it's only 3. So we have 4 hours before we can go.

Jencee: 3? That's like me!! And I'm almost 4...

Change of A Dress

I once received a card from a friend that had a clothes-line on the front with a variety of dresses hanging from it. The inside of the card announced her new address. She'd moved.

I just realized that I never told the blog world that we moved, AGAIN! I was just re-reading my New Year's 2010 post. I focused alot on my new home in Levelland. We'd moved in. Painted, carpeted, installed a gas log etc. I was so proud of my home. And proud that it felt like HOME for my little family.

Fast forward to May 2010. We moved again! To Odessa, Texas. Before Levelland we lived in Midland for 8 years but Chris mostly worked in Odessa. We moved to LLand for a great job opportunity with a bank we had been doing business with for a few years. After being there for 9 months Aim Bank decided to open a Loan Production Office in Odessa and asked Chris to run it. Soooo - here we are! We moved May 18. Our house in Levelland is STILL for sale ;( so pray it sells soon!

Our new house is soooo lovely! I L-O-V-E love it! We don't have any major projects - like carpet or knocking down walls. Just paint here and there. I hope to post pics of all the rooms as we improve! And it too feels like HOME. Like it's mine! And it feels permanent. My sister, Jennie, was recently here for a visit and as I was giving her a tour of our new home she said, "This is YOUR house. You realize that, right?" She new that it was a perfect fit for us!

Anyway, Odessa has been so good for us! We swam all Summer - when we were home! We've made lots of new friends and been able to catch up with some old ones. We really like being back!

More to come!

Pillows

I bought some pillows one day last week for my living room. I like them. They're not perfect but they basically with go with my stuff and they're bright and fun.

Since they aren't perfect I decided to go back to Target today to see if there was anything else that would work better.

I found something better alright. My pillows on clearance. At lease $5 off the price I paid.

I know at GAP that if you buy something and it then goes on sale within like 5-7 days then you can take in your receipt and get the credit back. I asked if they would offer me the same service.

Of course not.

But I was told that if I returned the original pillows that I would get full price back and then should just purchase the pillows on clearance.

I had a better idea. I had my original receipt in my purse so I thought I'd purchase the pillows on clearance and then go directly to the service counter and use the clearance pillows with the original receipt to return them.

It didn't work.

Shocker.

So, now I have two sets of pillows and will have to trek back to Target tomorrow to return the original set. Since they are light in color I haven't let the kids touch them so they ARE unused. BUT, I did Scotch Guard them already! Shhhhh. We'll just look at it like I'm doing a service for the next customer! Right?