Our weekend getaway

We just got back from New Hampshire. We went to our usual place (the same place we went for our anniversary last year) and it was amazing! We had an awesome package. It was nice to be there in the winter and see the beautiful mountains all snow-capped. It was freezing yesterday. Seriously. The temperature was one degree Fahrenheit at 11:30 am. And the wind chill put it at least 20 below. OUCH! It took our car 45 minutes to start (hooked up to the innkeepers' SUV).

Yesterday because it was so cold we went shopping at the outlet malls. And Bryan let me drag him around for like 5 1/2 hours! :) What a guy! Then we had an excellent fondue dinner (and reisling :) ) at the restaurant at the inn.

Today we went snowshoeing here and it was a ton of fun! (I think next time I want to try cross-country skiing.) We met some really great people on our tour and had a blast. Then we came home to our baby kitty, who while we were gone had a great time playing with his new friend Simba. (And even though Simba is at least 3 times his size, and they were at Simba's house, Nino was total Alpha kitty. That's our boy!)

The kicker: my back didn't bother me at all this weekend! Being stress free and lifting free really helps I think!

Ice Skating Photo Diary

Bryan and I finally tried out the ice skating rink on campus last weekend (I think it was last weekend). Here are some pics:

Posing by the post. The girl that took this picture was just learning how to ice skate, and she almost got taken out by a not-so-great skater right after she snapped it.


Here's me relaxing for a minute:
And me "in action"(which sort of looks like me relaxing, but only because I recently discovered I am not really great at ice skating):

And here's my pro-skater husband, taking some quick turns while I snap his picture:

Church today

Church today was amazing. We had a guest speaker, and he walked us through the first eight verses of chapter two of Nehemiah, explaining that he had Perspective, a Plan, and a Purpose. (I usually despise those "Three P's" or "Five Q's" sermons as a genre, but this was actually pretty cool. This guy was so energetic; and the P's actually did help me remember the sermon (it did help that I heard it in two services...). I guess maybe I'm just opposed to the "Five Q's" and filling in the blanks on the cute little handout in the bulletin...). Anyway, it was a really convicting sermon. I really need to focus on keeping my focus where it should be (getting the right perspective), on figuring out where God wants me (finding my purpose) and making it happen (getting a plan). I think this lesson applies in a general way, and in each specific way as well, if that makes any sense. I honestly have had a pretty good idea about being called to a particular people for a long time, but I know it's not time for that yet. I need to take some proactive steps to get myself prepared for when it is time. (I have no idea when that will come, or where exactly it will be, or whatever...).

One of the things he said that impacted me the most was when he asked if people know we are Christians. I have friends who nobody can doubt are Christian. But if Bryan wasn't in seminary (that's a dead giveaway), would anyone know I am? How am I different? And more importantly, how am I striving to be different, in my everyday life?

The other cool thing that happened today was that I got to sing in church again. That was a lot of fun. And at the last minute of the second service, KF changed the last song (to one of hers), so it was totally unrehearsed. And it was awesome. I really love that she is so open to change, so flexible, and I totally think God uses that in our worship time.

Speaking of KF, she's leaving in May; she got into a doctoral program in CA. Which makes me incredibly sad. I can't believe I am reacting this way, but it's really hard for me to let her go. We have spent a lot of time together this fall, usually two evenings a week, plus Sundays, and all along I knew she might be leaving, and I know that this is a great opportunity for her, but at the same time I am so torn about it. And I'm writing run-on sentences! I wrote her a congratulations card and cried while I wrote it! It was all mushy and gross, and I can't help it! Maybe it's because she is such a Bostonian, and like KN said, she had this hard outer shell that was hiding this very soft underbelly. I love the underbelly. And I love that I'm privy to the underbelly. I know there are still four months before she goes, but I am really not taking this well. Maybe it's hormones. Eh.

Long-awaited New Years Eve Pics

First we went to dinner at Ma Soba (yummy!) and posed for pictures! Bryan and me:

John and Kelli:

Then we went back to J&K's house for some good ol' karaoke. Bryan did some singing (and of course, in true Bryan karaoke style, the shirt came off right after this picture was taken...)

Kelli is apparently the Queen of Karaoke. I knew this before but had never seen her in action. Well, it was awesome.

John and Kelli did a duet of "Build Me Up Buttercup" that was pretty cute to watch:

After karaoke, we headed to the T to get to Government Center to watch the fireworks over Faneuil Hall. And of course posed for pics on the train. John rubbing his belly:
Kelli and me:


Kelly and Tyson:

The girls:

Cutie Pie:


The finale:

Happy 2007!

Want some news?

Quick family news updates:

• Bryan has officially finished his Spring semester, and is temporarily working at the Coop again.
• My January term class (Church and State) is awesome.
  
• Nino's getting huge. He had a play date with Churchill on Saturday and a sick day yesterday, but have no fear, he's pretty normal again.
  
• 2007 has been good to us so far. . .

More later.

This is so cool.

iPod + Cellphone + Internet = AWESOME. Click for the story.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

We're home from our pretty whirlwind tour of Oklahoma for Christmas. It was nice to see everyone, but it's good to be back in our own space. Here's some highlights (in no particular order):

• Got our little Nino! He's so adorable! He's a great source of entertainment, except when he wakes us up in the morning by attacking my hair. We're working on that. He weighed 2lb 5oz at the vet on the 21st, but I think he's bigger than that now. And his fur is already getting darker. But he's a bucket of laughs, and so energetic!
• Got to see family. It was pretty crazy at times trying to schedule everything, but we did it. I wish we could have spent more time with some, but unfortunately time was not always on our side. Oh, the joys of blended families...
• Didn't have to see the one person I really didn't want to see. That took some maneuvering, and a little bit of God's grace since she's living in Enid now.
• Had a lot of Mexican food. Yummmm! And twice it was at El Chico's - not my favorite food, but the service was nice (lil bro is a waiter there!)
• Got to relax a little bit. :)
• Uneventful flights, even with the kitty on the way home. It was kind of funny when we were in Cincinnati on our layover - we had to get lunch and the cat needed to eat too, so we were juggling Chick-fil-a, Nino, Nino's food, Nino's water, etc., passing things back and forth. We felt like pros by the end of it, and we had to laugh because it made us think of what it'll be like when we have kids.
• My favorite gifts: knife and cutting board, and the spa gift certificate Bryan got me (and John got Kelli one too!)
  
• Bryan's favorite gifts: Nino!! :)

We spent new year's eve with our John and Kelli, and Tyson and Kelly. We went to Ma Soba for dinner and then did Karaoke at J&K's place. Then we went to Gov't Center to watch the fireworks with 500 of our closest friends. :)

I have a lot of hopes and dreams for 2007, but mostly I just wish to be as blessed as I was in 2006, the year that brought me significant physical healing (OK, so it brought the injury too... but we'll ignore that), a realization that I can do this lawyer thing, a great feeling of freedom, closer relationships, and a renewed awe for the majesty and grace of God.