i promise i'm not opinionated

but, for the sake of everyone's sanity, i came up with a few guidelines for the gym:

Please wear appropriate attire:
• a bra is required. this is NOT OPTIONAL- even if your top comes with a shelf bra and especially when it doesn't
• a shirt is required
• shorts that cover your butt cheeks are required
• jeans, polos, and flip-flops are not okay
• cowl-neck cashmere sweaters and oversized jewelry are not okay


There is such a thing as too slow:
• If you can play your Nintendo DS while walking on the treadmill, you’re going too slow. Or if you can talk on your cell phone the entire time
• If you are on level one of the elliptical and only going 2.0 miles per hour, you are going too slow
• If you’re on the bike and going negative miles per hour you might as well go home
• Less than five minutes spent on a machine provided you no benefits


Things I should not see while at the gym:
• Lifting your shirt to rub your stomach in the mirror
• TMZ or the history channel
• Children running around wildly


Other notes:
• Strong odors are offensive.
• Not working out is not okay- if you are just going to bounce up and down on the yoga ball and take pictures of yourself with your legs in the air then go home
• When a boy glances at the treadmill of the girl next to him, increases his speed to match hers, and then ends up falling off the back, it is hilarious


*side note: i have moved my workouts to the morning and have found it a lot less frustrating. i just need to start going to bed earlier to make up for losing sleep in the morning.

speaking of frustration: i may never be allowed to shop at target again... last week i bought and returned four pairs of headphones. i'm not picky, i just don't want ones that fall out of my ears or are uncomfortable. and, to make matters worse, i spent tuesday night adding a ton of music to my mp3 player and on wednesday morning it died after half a song. luckily, best buy took it back (i just bought it in november) and they had a pair of headphones megan recommended that actually work. so, after fours days of irritation i have a working mp3 player and headphones that don't fall out of my ears.

random side note #2: if carolyn sends me the pictures she took when we went skiing i'll post them, but don't hold your breath.

my day today was so impressive i think it deserves some recognition:

• Got up at six and worked out

• Took a nap from nine to eleven

• Made beef taco nuggets for lunch then cleaned my apartment

• Took a nap from three to four thirty

• Worked on my BSF and made snickerdoodles

• Now I’m about to prepare a Sunday School lesson for tomorrow (gotta love last minute notification) and then GO TO BED!

Thank you, Smitten Kitchen, for the best brownies I've ever made:

http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/01/best-cocoa-brownies/#more-5631

I may never make boxed brownies again.

What makes this recipe so perfect?
1. it has everyday ingredients
2. it took just the right amount of time (long enough that i got to feel like i used my kitchen but no so long that i got impatient)
3. they are absolutely delicious

a season of change...

to make a long story short, last week i got wind of a potential opportunity to change job roles and move back to dallas.
lots of stress ensued as i didn't know what i wanted to do. i prayed about it, talked to other people about it, tried to ignore it...

yesterday i still didn't know what i wanted to do and i knew that i had to have a decision by today. being slightly ocd and needing to feel like i have a little bit of control over my life, i decided to make a decision. i cut my hair.


i took these pics right before work this morning (hence the scarf and coat since it was snowing)

four inches off the front:



it is just longer than my chin:

he took 6-8 inches off the back and stacked it. it looked a lot better when he styled it, but i'll eventually figure it out.

it is not easy to take pictures of the back of your head





in case you were wondering: i've decided to stay in boston.

i can't really explain exactly why i decided to stay except that i didn't really have a peace about leaving.

God is in control and i am here for a reason.

we'll see what happens next...

Psalm 46:10 - "Be still, and know that I am God."

so simple, but why is it so hard?

a texas christmas...

I went home to texas for the week of christmas. The last time i was home was for 2 1/2 days in May. This time I got to stay for almost eight days. In summary: I had a wonderful time. It was nice to wear shorts and a t-shirt for a couple days. Dad, mom, and I went to Cabellas (greatest store ever). Lindsey and I went to half price books. I got to catch up with Radhika. I got to see my boys and give them piggy backs around the yard. Phil, Megan, and Haley all come home (great game nights). Last but not least, I ate TONS of great food (sushi loco, sonic, chicken fried chicken, mercardo juarez, blue bell) <-- that list right there gives a whole lot of insight into why i have a weight problem.

Best of all, I had eight days of NO WORK.

I was too busy having a great time to take many pictures, but i took a few on Christmas.

I asked for a WARM Christmas, not a white christmas (the 26.6 is the outside temp):



Brax in the hat I got him:

Brock in his new camo blanket (he really wanted a snuggie but Nate would've killed me, so this is as close as i came):

brax:

brock:

gator golf, curtesy of phil:

lincoln logs. i should've been an engineer (except that ry and i spent forever building the houses and then brax knocked them over five seconds after we finished):

best. game. ever. duck hunt with a duck that flys and you shoot it down:

stealing ice cream while making ice cream snow men:

finished product. almost too cute to eat:

in all his new texas gear (meg got him the sweatshirt and i got the hat):

i. LOVE. these. boys. LoVe!

it's beginning to feel like winter...

if you know me, you know my favorite thing about winter is mint. i love mint. mint m&ms, candy canes, peppermint mocha, peppermint icecream...
my fridge is officially ready for winter:

and, allison gave me a box of candy canes last night...YUM!

on thursday we had a record high of 60 degrees. apparently that is unheard of in new england in december. not that i'm complaining...

but, all that changed yesterday. last night we had our first real snow. i say real snow because it snowed in october but it wasn't all that much nor did it last too long. last night we got about two inches.

my flowers may not make it...

LESS THAN TWO WEEKS 'TIL TEXAS!!!!!!!!

Psalm 103

1 Praise the Lord, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 He does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14 For he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 The wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children-
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts

19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Praise the Lord, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
22 Praise the Lord, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, O my soul.