Love, H.

Naughtiness and other words that rhyme

2012-02-17T05:41:00.000-08:00

This morning, while I was singing to the dog,* I discovered that Lucy's last name just happens to rhyme with the word "Naughtiness" and in my opinion, two words that rhyme are all you need for the makings of a perfectly good song.

It went a little something like this,

"You love Lucy ****, You love naughtinesssssss!!!!"

And in case you were wondering, they're best friends.

That baby and this dog were my Happy Thoughts this morning.

Love and I think it's a hit,
H.

*While I know that sentence sounds strange, singing to the dogs is part of our regular routine. Try it. You'll like it.

2 years, 48 seconds

2012-02-17T05:25:00.000-08:00

Here are all my Macbook "Photobooth" photos in one short, little film. 98% of them are me...with my dogs(s). Either way, it just makes me incredibly happy to see 2 years worth of photos in 48 seconds. So many good memories.

I love this blog because it is always a place I can go to uncover my buried treasures. Hard drives will crash....disks will re-format*....but this one little space remains.

*I don't really know what that means.

The song is Hurry Up, Let's Go by The Shout Out Louds

Love and there is always something to celebrate,

This is not about anything

2012-02-13T19:32:00.000-08:00

   I have learned that I get very satisfied over seemingly small things. I get a lot of satisfaction when, for heaven's sake, things work the way they are supposed to work. We recently bought some drain un-clogger for our bathroom sink. It was probably backed up b/c of my at-home dye job / haircut. It worked like a charm, and I was just so pleased. It was weird and funny at the same time. And also enlightening as in, "Ok. This is something I've learned about myself..."

   Maybe I find it so satisfying because those things are also evidence of God's hand at work in our lives...? Small Things.

   Sometimes, I think I need to hire an interpreter. Someone who can take what I mean to say and say it in a way that makes sense. I picture him looking like this...

...pushing up his glasses and saying, "I think what you mean to say is..."

And then everyone will shake their heads knowingly and say, "Oh, that makes SO much more sense."

If you know a cat that can rock a pair of glasses and is looking for a job, send it my way, I guess.

Also, I want to live in a world where dogs get fun dip.

There were thousands of image results for "nerd cat." Just another reason why.I.love.the.internet.

Love and fill in the blank,
H.

I want to live in a world where ______________.

Blogher.com Featured Blogger

2012-02-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

I'm super excited to be blogher.com's Featured Blogger on their LIFE homepage. Joining up with the Blogher Team has been a really awesome experience. If you've dropped in via* Blogher, then I'd like to offer you a Merry Welcome!

With that being said, let's get this party started.

Sometimes, I see things online and I just whisper in my head, "Dear God. Thank you for the internet."

Please see below.

This last one had me cracking up because about 2 posts ago, I expressed my extreme pleasure after our weekend plans fell through. What can I say? Sometimes a gal just needs a plan-free weekend.

What makes you thankful for the internet? Babies wearing fake mustaches? Cat videos on youtube? Do share!

The above photos came from iwastesomuchtime.com. I"m not going to link it because....
you will.
you will waste.so.much.time on that site.

Love and I'm really sorry but also not that sorry
and
you're welcome,
H.

*how do you say it? "via" with an "ee" sounding like "see ya" or "via" as in "try ya"? I say it "vee-ya" That's just the phonics nerd in me.

Copper.Mahogany.Brown.

2012-02-12T17:03:00.000-08:00

Mates of State played in the background. She considered her options as the music played on...

I always wanted to be the face in front of me
debating a life sucked out the energy...

and then

with the precision of a sniper and the serenity of a buddhist monk, she decided the time had come to take matters into her own hands. And all at once, it felt as if a weight had lifted.

......

and because everyone loves a good "after" shot.

Redish. I'm a fan.

What music is giving you courage these days? What's been on your "to do" list for far too long?

I say, this week....let's do it.

And then tell us how it goes.

Love and a box is way cheaper than a salon,

Good Cold Quiet Slow

2012-02-09T19:44:00.000-08:00

Noel looks oh-so-good in black & white.

Heaven forbid we let her have the spotlight. I had every intention of making this a no-Scarlett- post because it seemed only fair, but then I found this picture, and I just couldn't resist. On a scale of 1-10, I love those dogs an 11. To the tenth power. Squared.

Our weekend plans have been cancelled so the next 48 hours just got blown wide open. Is there any greater feeling than that of a plan-free weekend just lying in wait ahead of you?

Hooray and stuff like that.

These are good and cold and quiet and very slow days.

H.

Something I Haven't Even Told My Mom, Part 2

2012-02-03T03:08:00.000-08:00

The last post I wrote that was entitled Something I Haven't Even Told My Mom got a lot of hits. I'm guessing you guys like Big Fat Juicy Secrets just as much as the next guy.

I can't say I blame you.

However, I am sorry to tell you that this is a post about a box.

This box currently contains 1 set of safety plugs for electrical outlets, 4 toddler spoons, a bottle brush, 4 child-sized tupperware containers, and a green teething ring.

These are things you would use if you had a baby.

Before you go getting All Excited, I must tell you, we are not starting a family until Tim has been working consistently for quite a while (thankyouverymuch).

It amazes me, the amount of people who scoff at this decision.

Baby before job just seems wildly irresponsible. A baby is an investment. For real, yo.

So, the truth is, when I start to get really sad and feel like Tim is never going to get a job and we will never have our debt settled and the entire candy industry is replacing jelly beans with the lima variety, I go to the store and buy something from the baby aisle and put it in the box.

Because the box represents hope.

I picture Tim working someday. I picture us finding a new normal and then completely shooting that new normal to hell by introducing it to a crying infant.

I can't explain it. Really.

All I can do is chalk it up to my age and my instincts.

We're all just animals in the end, aren't we?

Sometimes, before Scarlett lies down, she turns around and around in a circle. She doesn't know why she does it (trust me, I've asked). It is just Something She Does.

Sometimes, when I am lying on the couch, I just want a baby on my chest.

There. I said it.

It is something very animalistic. I can't really explain it.

It reminds me of that Mary Oliver poem from a long time ago.

You do not have to be good...
You only have to let the soft animal
of your body love what it loves.

It is proof that God still works miracles. Even for little-old-baby-ignoring-me.

Today, I was Praying Loudly in the car, and I said, "I don't know why any of [this] matters. We both know we (Tim & I ) are just going to do whatever You say anyways."

And I'm thinking God got a pretty good chuckle out of that.

In the past month, I often found myself sighing in exasperation, "I'm just done." as in "Not Going to Worry About it Anymore."

After a while, I started to feel crummy about that attitude. It wasn't a gracious, "It's in God's hands" statement. It was something more akin to the suggestion made by Job's wife, "Curse God & die."

Ok. Not REALLY.

However, today, as I was looking for a white flag to raise in the oversized purse of my brain, I realized that maybe that was just the beginning of a Soft, Slow, Surrender.

I think there is a big difference between Surrendering and Giving Up.

Don't you?

And I feel better now.

Every Friday, Casey asks what's on our hearts.

So...that is what's in mine. This Thing That I Have Yet to Tell My Mother and this baby box and the hope that someday we'll need whatever's in it.

Love,
H.

The Things You Only Hoped For

2012-01-31T18:38:00.000-08:00

I was still in My Church Outfit. That is the mark of a busy day when you realize it is 8 o'clock at night, and you are still in your tights and boots and dress. It is funny- you know- church culture. When you grow up in The Church, you learn, at a very young age, that you go to church and you eat lunch and then you go home and change your clothes and everyone takes a nap.

Am I right?

So odd was it, that I was still in my church clothes, that one of my friends even made mention of it.

Me. In my church clothes.

We had People over.

That's right. People.

To watch wrestling.

Meh. Wrestling.

I snuck away for a minute. The t.v. was loud. Our voices louder.

People. Wrestling. Church clothes.

I longed for a minute to myself.

And then I remembered 1,000 Sad Things.

Being dateless. Being house-less. Moving home after college and feeling Very Alone.

Here I was- with a house full of people and Entirely Too Much Food, and I couldn't help but pull on my Skinny Jeans*, think about this quote and be grateful.

Source: wanelo.com via Holly on Pinterest

With that being said, do you remember how much I hate January? Today is the last day of January.

It hasn't been so bad. Thanks be to El Nino or Global Warming or Whatever Phenomenon has bequeathed us such a Mild Winter. Today, we saw the low 60's. Huzzah and whatnot.

Tomorrow is a new month. Let's celebrate.

How do you feel about the January/February transition? What's you got to celebrate, hm?

*I never thought I'd get into the whole Skinny Jeans Revolution but my word, are they comfortable.

Love,
H.

Time Travel Tuesday

2012-01-24T17:26:00.000-08:00

It is Tuesday, right?

Tim found this online....

which lead me to this Christmas song (hence the need for time travel)

which in turn lead to this....(make sure you watch for the cute ending!)

Not gonna lie. Sort of inspired.

Love,
H.

You are the prize

2012-01-21T07:06:00.000-08:00

I'm not the one who originally said this, although I really wish I was. This quote was made by a man named Lee the Pastor and can be found in Tara Leigh Cobble's newest release, Orange Jumpsuit.

   You might remember last year, I read her second book and it prompted me to pray a prayer that changed my life in a way that I could never have imagined. In fact, we are still navigating through those changes. But I am trusting in God that we will have a happy ending. Maybe not a happy ending, but an ending that will prove to be "enough."

This year, her third book as inspired me to spend 2012 focusing on God. It's that simple and yes, it's just that complicated. All rolled in to one.

   Anyway, it is interesting because you'd think this quote only applied to single women, but I find myself trying to live it's truth everyday. I try to look at Tim and say to myself, "You are not his mother."

   And then, last week, I noticed he was gathering his things for the gym while still wearing his slippers. Trying desperately not to be *that* wife, I refrained from reminding him to grab his tennis shoes.

   He is a good husband. And because of that, I'm not going to tell you how the story ended even though it's pretty funny.

You can probably guess.

   With that being said, you should read her books. You really should. It feels like you are reading one long email from your best friend.

Go here for the down low. http://taraleighcobble.com/#/home

Love and no more swords,
H.

Wonderful

2012-01-19T03:30:00.000-08:00

It was the obvious choice, really. Our town only has a handful of actual "sit down" restaurants. Fast food, 2 chili parlors (because, in case you didn't know, Cincinnati is famous for its scrumptious chili), and then this place. I guess you would call it a diner. Known for it's grilled cheese, breakfast bar and good pie. Neither one of us were in the mood for chili and we wanted to sit and chat for a while.

Process of elimination. We were eating here.

We turned the corner. As I followed the hostess to our booth, I noticed her right away. She looked exactly the same as she had in high school. Sweet. Quiet. Pretty. She recognized me and we exchanged greetings. It was good to see her again.

She was with a man. I was with my mom.

Not that there's anything wrong with being with your mom. Quite the opposite actually.

But, you know, when you run into so and so from high school, you kind of want to be on the arm of a handsome, young doctor.

You know.

I swallowed my pride and we exchanged small talk. Her family is fine. Work is good. Life is busy.

We parted ways and returned to our respective 'dates.'

Later, she was ahead of us in line to pay the bill (diner-style).

We approached the check-out counter and the cashier asked, "How was everything?"

To which My Acquaintance replied day-dreamily, "It was wonderful, thank you."

"Wonderful?" I scoffed (in my head).

That seems like an odd way to describe your experience at [insert name of restaurant here].

Words like, "Okay." and "Fine." seemed more fitting.

It wasn't until years later that I would understand her response.

It was wonderful because she was in love.

I didn't understand until years later, when I met Tim and started speaking the same language.

Love and how handsome is this guy?
H.

Linking up with Casey

Time Travel Tuesday:Dec. 25th

2012-01-17T02:44:00.000-08:00

I know I'm way late on the whole Christmas theme, hence the need for time travel.

This is what Christmas Day looked like for us. 6 adults, 6 dogs, one baby and lots of good food.

Our hearts and our bellies were full.

If you look closely, you will spy my favorite childhood ornament, "us" circa 1985, a Santa statue carved by my dad, and my grandpa's homemade card (Can't find my Christmas cards I just moved Merry Christmas 2007 Love you all Pop)

Love,
H.

Father Time or How we spent New Year's

2012-01-09T19:26:00.000-08:00

I am hereby declaring this Time Travel Tuesday. This is the part where I tell you about The Stuff You've Missed otherwise known as The Stuff I've Neglected to Blog About.

This week? New Year's. Oh. New Year's.

I am going to be 100% honest with you. Last year at this time, my husband had just lost his job and to tell you the truth, that left a bad taste in my mouth all year even though I tried really hard for it not to.

I just couldn't shake it, and I was ready to see 2011 pack its bags and go.

In the middle of December, we found out that Tim's best friend (who happens to play for these guys)

had booked a show near Cincinnati. This meant we would get to spend The New Year with one of our best pals (the one with sunglasses), listening to some fantastic tunes and partying "with the band" like make shift rock stars.

Or something like that.

On the way to the show, I caught sight of something brown floating above my nose, reflected in the windshield.

Spider.in.my.car.

Spider in my car.

Tim squished it against the ceiling, and I saw it fall and then we couldn't find the body anywhere.

And I knew, in my heart, that 2011 just wanted one last dig.

Spider carcass... in my purse.*

Well played, Twenty-Eleven. Well played.

But we had fun anyway. We stayed up entirely too late and squeezed as close to the stage as we could possibly get and the music was so loud, I could feel it re-set the rhythm of my heart. Do you ever feel that?

Good Vibrations.

Exactly what I needed.

The next thing I knew, I was singing at the top of my lungs with a huge smile plastered on my face like the huge cheeseball that I am.

I love that my life has become surrounded by so much music.** It is 99% my husband's doing, but it's a blessing for me, nonetheless.

Love, resolutions, hope, and all that cliche' New Year's Stuff,
H.

*Later, Tim found the carcass hanging from his hat when he went out the next day. Gross. Better him than me, I suppose....seeing as how he used to kill bugs for a living. Karma's kind of a jerk that way, I guess.

**The Band is called Our Hearts Hero. Their Christmas Album is super fantastic. You'll want to listen all year. See for yourself.

One Thousand Gifts- A Guest Post

2012-01-01T16:24:00.000-08:00

I was leafing through some emails- Things I Knew I Needed to Get to- when I stumbled upon my friend, Carmen's guest post submission. In one giant sweep of emotions, I knew without a doubt, that this needed to be my first post of 2012.

We've got plenty of time to catch up on my blogging hiatus (everything's fine) and Life Lately.

Thank you for this post, Carmen. Happy New Year to you all.

This is a Guest Post as part of a series on Good News here at yourstrulyh. Please email me at holls_y@hotmail.com if you are interested in participating.

via

Good news. I’m so glad that Holly picked this as her guest posting series because, doesn’t the world deserve more good news? Isn’t the world starving for good news? I’d say so.

I blog at Life Blessons, where I’ve tried to make it part of my mission to take time to share more of this good news, whether it’s celebrating what I’m learning in my faith, what I’m mixing up in my kitchen, or even just taking a leisurely stroll with my husband through the woods near our house where we say naught a word but simply drink in the scenery.

So as I contemplated what to write for this series, I started thinking about the fact that good news is all around us—if only we have the eyes to see it, to notice it, to embrace it.

It reminded me of Philippians 4:11-12, where Paul writes, “I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation…”

The fact is that Paul had to learn these things. They do not come naturally to any of us. If we want to find joy in our life—to see the good news swirling all around us—we have to learn how to do it.

In the book One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp decides that the way she is going to learn this is by keeping a list of all the things she’s thankful that God has given her each day. His little gifts of sunshine and a warm griddle and the dancing moonlight. Little things. As I read through this book and her list, I kept waiting for the big stuff she’s thankful for. The revelatory ones.

Honestly, I started to scoff a bit at all the little things that made her list.
Then I read this: “The miracle of eucharisteo, like the Last Supper, is in the eating of crumbs, the swallowing down one mouthful. Do not disdain the small. The whole of the life—even the hard—is made up of the minute parts, and if I miss the infinitesimals, I miss the whole.”
Learning to seek out an attitude of gratefulness in even the smallest of things… I hadn’t realized how important that is. Because there are always small things for me to be thankful for: the artwork on the wall that makes me smile, the healthy pumpkin-oat muffins I made for breakfast, the cardinal that skips along outside the window. We need not wait for the big things to give thanks, to see that there’s good news waiting for us at every turn.

It reminds me of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas story, when it says, "The Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day."
Yes, seeking out the tiniest of details and seeing them as gifts from God and thanking him for them helps my heart to grow bigger, each and every day.

“Joy is always given, never grasped.
God gives gifts and I give thanks and I unwrap the gift given: joy.”

— Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts

Carmen lives with her husband in Georgia, although she misses home-sweet-home Ohio and all her dear best friends there, including Holly! She chronicles what’s going on in her life—the lessons and blessings of it, what she likes to call her “blessons”—at Life Blessons.

Love and anyone who uses the word infinitesimals is okay in my book,

Something you've probably never seen before

2011-11-29T19:48:00.001-08:00

Holy Smokes.

I was looking for something reminiscent of this.

In an attempt to capture that sentiment, I "Google Imaged"the words "animals in a hurry" and came up with this.

Love. it.

In short, we're busy. Too busy to blog, that's right.

Life is weird right now. Good, but weird. There is clean laundry everywhere and no hangers. I'm living in a house 1/2 full of pumpkins with christmas decorations waiting in the wings.

Tomorrow is the day. It all gets put in it's proper place.

Fingers crossed.

Today, our kindergarten aid was putting up a snowman bulletin board. I caught the curve of the orange carrot nose out of the corner of my eye, and said, "For a minute, I thought that was the beak of a turkey!"

Shows how much I know.

Oh, and by the way, stop whatever you're doing right now (cause we all know you're multi-tasking while you're reading this).

Just stop.

And go see the new muppet movie.

At one point, I actually could have cried.

Love and what day is it again?
H.

And if you've seen the snail/motorcycle thing before, I probably owe you a dollar.

photo: funnypk.com

Small Talk

2011-11-19T07:09:00.001-08:00

The weather here has been gorgeous. We are actually getting "a fall." Some years, it seems as if our weather is in the 70's...and then it is miserable and rainy/sleety for a month...and then it's winter. The same was true for last spring. 40 degrees....then 6 weeks of rain/sleet...then 90 degrees. Bah.

Then there are days when I need the heater in the morning and the AC at night.

But this year?

Thanks be to Autumn.

This morning, I asked Tim if he wanted something delicious for breakfast. I suggested french toast. He decided on (homemade) breakfast burritos from the freezer.

He is (sometimes) easy to please. He is a good husband.

And then he sang The Saturday Song. We are convinced that Scarlett knows exactly what day Saturday is. The Saturday Song is what keeps her on schedule. She must have a mental calendar of some sorts, lest the days blur together. It's hard being a dog.

I decided on French toast cause I'm culturally diverse like that. Bananas and berries included.

I would like to open a restaurant that serves only french toast. I would call it The French Toastery because adding "ery" to things just makes the food sound that much more delicious, in my opinion. But then I could only think of like, 3 kinds of french toast.

And then I drank coffee from my favorite mug which looks like this only this picture is old and you can tell because I'm up and dressed in this picture and I'm not up and dressed today because it is 10:30 on a Saturday plus I dyed my hair sort of red which I think I forgot to tell you and it is more sort of brown than it is sort of red in this picture and that's how you can tell it is an old picture. I think.

My mug says, "Hello."

Well, not LITERALLY says, "Hello."

Although that would be cool. Kind of like The Sorting Hat in Harry Potter.

It is written on the front. The word, "Hello."

In case you can't tell. Cause sometimes, it looks like it just says, "Hell." Which is funny but probably not as cool.

I beat the Adventure Mode on Plants vs. Zombies, and I'm fully aware that's the most exciting news you'll hear all day. Maybe all week, even. If you are looking for a good way to waste every spare minute you have at night, plants vs. zombies is it.

We are supposed to bring a dessert to church tomorrow. I like that our last name is at the end of the alphabet because that means at potlucks, we always end up being asked to make a dessert. No can of baked beans for us! I'm thinking salted caramel bars. What say you?

An entire Saturday, and my only responsibility is to bake something delicious. A good day in my book.

I am listening to sad music right now.

Sometimes, on sunny days, I like to listen to sad-sounding music.

Noah & The Whale- Old Joy
The Shout Out Louds- Go Sadness
Deathcab for Cutie- Passenger Seat
Over The Rhine- Latter Days

What's your Saturday looking like?

Love,
H.

Hit the Brakes

2011-11-13T18:50:00.001-08:00

Sometimes, I read someone else's writing, and I say to myself,

"Self, that is exactly what I've been feeling. In fact, I couldn't have said it better mySELF."

Example A.

Thanks be to Layla.

And now, I shall go play MarioKart. Because we keep saying we're going to play, and yet- we never do. I mean, come on guys. Those banana peels aren't going to hit themselves.

Wait, you mean you aren't supposed to hit the banana peels?

Love, and you coulda fooled me.
H.

It's getting hard to be someone, but it all works out

2011-11-08T19:46:00.000-08:00

Husband of Mine,
Do you remember when we drove up the coast of California during the dead middle of summer and the whole world smelled like strawberries?

Good. Because I do, too.

And I am holding on closely to those days.

Love and if I were a color, I'd be blue,
H.

No Need to Convert a Believer

2011-11-06T14:57:00.000-08:00

When Tim and I first met, he was living in a rental on the outskirts of town (a.k.a. middle of now where). On Sundays, we would throw open the windows and nap. And life was easy. Probably the easiest it will ever be.

I can remember lying awake with the sunshine pouring in and absolutely not wanting the day to end.

A few weeks ago, we had some unseasonably warm weather. We napped with the windows open and the breeze blowing through the curtains. When I woke up, I absolutely could not stop taking pictures.

I think back on Those Early Days before we were married as if now, I can hear the voice of God saying, "Just you wait, it's about to get So Good."

Love,
H.

Completely Intertwined (a guest post)

2011-11-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

This guest poster is one of my best pals. Her strength and amazing outlook encourage and inspire me.

I started to put things in bold/italics to emphasize some of the great points in her piece...and then I wanted to put EVERYTHING in bold/italics. It's that good.

Thank you dear friend o' mine. A thousand times, thank you.

"Good News"

I have found that good news, along with many things, is defined differently with the ebbs and flows of life. Things that are good news to me in my current stage of life...I'm gonna define that as the things worthy of telling someone else...are things that I wouldn't have given a second thought, or even considered something negative, not that long ago. But I am reminded daily that no matter how bad the circumstances are, there are pieces of "good news" in every day - you have to just change your perspective.

Currently, my marriage is a complete and utter mess, with me doing everything possible to save it and not getting much back in return. Here's a few tidbits of good news that I've had in the past few weeks - remember, this is stuff I've actually been excited to call and tell someone.

1. My husband let me touch his leg in church.

2. He's actually answered my phone call today.

3. He entered our house, sat down, and stayed for 5 minutes.(My husband moved out in May.)

4. The divorce papers he told me I'd be receiving today didn't come.

   Now, some of you who read this probably are thinking how sad all of that is. And, let me tell ya, I could easily think that too. But I make a conscious choice on a daily basis to change my perspective. And let me tell ya, those four things listed above were all pieces of good news, things I celebrated. I have to say, I am not always a cup half full kinda gal. But I'm learning with God's help, that although that might not be my natural tendency, it doesn't mean I can't choose to be that way. It is so much easier to wallow in your sadness and give yourself a million "woe is me's". And ya know what, sometimes life just sucks...no other way about it. Trust me, I have lived some of that since May.

   Honestly, though, I can tell ya, life is 100% easier when you choose to look for the good news in your own circumstances. So if you are low in "good news," change your perspective on your life circumstances and try again. The good news is in there, I promise.

   This might sound super cliche, but to be truly happy, healthy, and whole, you, with God's help, have to be positive and at peace with life's circumstances. I don't mean that in a way where you don't want there to be changes, because trust me, I want my circumstance to change more than anything and I pray for that continuously. I have found that hope and trust are completely intertwined. The more I trust God to move, the more hope I have. And we have to remember that God always moves...not always (or ever) when we want, but He never fails to be right where we are right when we need Him.

Hallelujah!

Source: get-thinspiration.tumblr.com via Cassandra on Pinterest

This guest post is part of a series here at Yours Truly, H. The theme is Good News. Please email me at holls_y {at} hotmail(dot)com if you'd like to participate!

How to Fix Your Monday in One Easy Step

2011-10-30T16:34:00.000-07:00

Friends. Tomorrow is Monday. And Mondays are hard.

Here is my attempt at saving Monday's reputation.

I can't give you a day off, warmer weather or a longer lunch break, but I CAN give you...

a tiny baby in monkey pajamas!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How about two more?

How about DOUBLE THE BABY IN MONKEY PAJAMAS!

You're welcome.

I am such a nerd/madly in love. I have looked at these photos over. and over.and over.

Love and do they make those p.j.'s in my size?
H.

2011-10-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

The other day, I realized that I love this season because the flowers from the summer and the autumn foliage are starting to overlap. We haven't had much frost yet so our front porch is an eye-catching mix of pansies, impatients, gourds, and tiny pumpkins. Not to mention all those maple leaves.

I wanted a totally different color for some of my fall things. This year, I went with purple. Hooray! (Yes, I just hooray-ed purple. Ha.)

My parents ~~have~~ had a tiny red shed that looked like a miniature henhouse/barn. Man, I loved taking pictures in front of that thing. However, the years and the weather have not been kind to our dear shed so my husband and my dad ended up tearing it down while my father had a new one built (for the record, this one does NOT look like an adorable red henhouse. Boo for modern upgrades).

However, the craft/antique store near my parents' house took the leftover shed-wood and made these adorable black crows. Hooray for small town-living (where people 'find out' you tore down your shed) and new-things-out-of-old-things!

Love and Christmas is next!
H.

Soul officially lifted

2011-10-29T11:39:00.000-07:00

In some ways, this fall has been like a breath of fresh air. Being a school teacher, the start of the school year and the changing weather is sometimes accompanied by a busy schedule and a fair amount of stress.

I don't know if it is the changing of grade levels, other differences at work or positive life changes, but I have fallen in love with this season. In many ways, it feels like a weight has lifted.

However, I also greeted October with a nagging feeling of dread for reasons I'm sure I will get to later.

Lately, my soul has been lacking. Have you ever felt like your soul needed something, and for the love of Pete, you can't quite put your finger on it?

This morning, I looked at Scarlett, and Scarlett looked at me, and in that moment, I knew that our souls needed a Pumpkin Spice Latte (me) and a trip to The Dog Park (her).

I was right.

I hope you guys had a great weekend.

Love,
H.

My husband lost his job, and the beat goes on.

2011-10-21T02:43:00.000-07:00

Good News: If the above title has you scratching your head, you might want to go here before you read the rest.

You're welcome.

Lots of you have asked, off and on, about Tim's job search. It's sweet. Really.

For a long time, we have felt that Tim was eventually "supposed to" get to the point (career-wise) where he would be able to make his own hours. This would give him the flexibility to spend time with the kids we don't have (haha) and expand his role with college/career ministry in the church. It was something that was important to us, but not something we anticipated happening in the near future.

And then Tim got laid off.

I have honestly been putting off writing this post for a long time. Sometimes it takes a lot of effort, you know, to get it all down.

And then I read Steve Jobs' Stanford Commencement Speech, and it was fascinating. In short, he gives details about how dropping out of college and getting fired from Apple helped him in the long run. How x couldn't have happened without y...and so on.

And it reminded me of us.

So. Here we are. Where is "here" exactly? Our plan? Oh. Is there a plan?

For now, Tim has been painting houses and staining decks, and it's been pretty lucrative. He has a few other church-related things on his schedule, and then the next step involves substitute teaching and selling life insurance (which involves "leads." I promise we won't ask you to buy life insurance. Ha)... among the other fantastic business ventures he has rolling around in his head.

And we are at peace.

This plan? It's working. God is helping us to connect the dots.

Our prayers have consistently been centered around Tim finishing school and paying off our credit card debt. We are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in terms of our credit card debt.

Friends. We're close. We're very close.

And finishing school? The picture speaks for itself.

Just this week, a friend and member of our college/career sunday school class was having car trouble, and Tim was able to spend the day helping him get parts and fixing the problem (cause he's so awesome and handy like that)

....not something he would have been able to do had he been working a regular 9-5. Further proof that flexibility in his work schedule is important for his specific ministry.

Our most recent prayer has been for firewood. You guys. Our house is heated with propane and DANG propane is expensive (hence the majority of the credit card debt), and firewood helps us save money like you wouldn't believe.

Yesterday, Tim put a painting bid for a historic property not too far from our house.

What was lying in the front yard...?

Oh...nothing really...you know...just...

tons and tons of seasoned wood.

Tim recently got a phone call from the homeowner - he got the paint job AND the wood is ours for the taking.

Life is weird sometimes, but the beat goes on.

Love and anyone got a wood splitter?
H.

This is Part One of a blog series here at Yours Truly, H. The theme is Good News. If you are interested in guest blogging your own Good News, please email me at holls_y {at} hotmail.com. I'd love to hear from you!
Linking up with Casey

A Half Birthday Post

2011-10-15T18:19:00.000-07:00

My husband and I are exactly 1 year and 1 week apart. Did you know that? It's really fun. I like having our birthdays so close together. I like to think of this here blog as a scrapbook of sorts, and I realized I NEVER posted pictures of my husband's 30th birthday last year. Sigh. Last year, April was lost on us.

Seeing as how we are roughly 6 months away from celebrating once again, I thought showing these pics. at the 1/2 way mark would be appropriate.

We had an "Open House" of sorts for several friends and family. It was fun making tons of food, and seeing people we don't see nearly as often as we'd like. I went with a "rock and roll/music" theme. All the clowns were booked. Just kidding.

Looking forward to many more birthdays ahead.

Thanks for sharing this space with us.

Love,
H.

Blessed are the feet that bring good news

2011-10-12T18:58:00.000-07:00

Friends. Bloggers. Countrymen (women?).

I am proud to announce that Yours Truly is now accepting guest post submissions. I'm really excited about this new venture, and I can't wait to see what comes of it.

The theme is, "Good News." Go ahead and get creative. Tell us your new favorite recipe (i.e. Good News: The Garlic & Herb cous cous* was a hit!) or just something new you've learned along the way.

Please do try to keep it "family friendly" or I will wash out your mouth with soap. Don't think I won't.

Include a photo or 2...or 3 if you like!

For the love of Pete, please use spell check/watch yo' grammar. Unless you think I might think it's funny. Then anything goes. Cause you know, this is all about me, right? I'm kidding. This is about you and how awesome you are with your adorably-adorable good news.

Can't wait!

Here's my good news.

Tim's third eye/double nose implant/mouth reduction

was a rousing success!

Thank goodness for modern medicine!

If you're still interested in submitting even after I gave that ridiculous example, please email me at:

holls_y [at] hotmail {dot} com

Love and I'm ready whenever you are,
H.

*the auto correct turned "cous cous" into "cows cows." How much do you love that?

Have Raccoon, will carry kitty.

2011-10-02T15:35:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about my sister is how much she cracks up at animals. When I first introduced her to Pinterest, we stumbled upon this little gem in my parents' computer room. She laughed non-stop for about 10 minutes.

Source: iruntheinternet.com via Holly on Pinterest

Raccoons on Pinterest? Oh, she was hooked.

One of my boards on Pinterest is labeled, "Stuff Heather's going to love..." The other day, I realized about 75% of those pins are just animals doing funny things...like this...

Source: bellflower.elfle.com via Holly on Pinterest

Who doesn't love that when they're thinking about Monday?

So, here are a few pins that may give you some insight into our hilariously weird relationship. The last one's my favorite.

Source: ffffound.com via Holly on Pinterest

Source: weirdimals.wordpress.com via Holly on Pinterest

Source: imgfave.com via Holly on Pinterest

Source: imgur.com via Holly on Pinterest

Sorry for the lack of posts. My schedule has been off lately. It's weird how you can sometimes feel as if you are doing nothing and everything at the same time, right? Sometimes, you just want to choose watching Restaurant Impossible and eating delicious chili with your husband instead of blogging, right?

Love and I guess they're ALL my favorite,
H.

A Must See

2011-09-30T12:43:00.000-07:00

   I caught this through the magic of Facebook. You must watch it. You must. I cried like a baby. Here is a description of the video.

I was born deaf and 8 weeks ago I received a hearing implant. This is the video of them turning it on and me hearing myself for the first time :) Edit: For those of you who have asked the implant I received was Esteem offered by Envoy Medical.

   Later, the technician asks, "Do you want to hear your husband...?" At about 1:21, you can hear (I assume), her husband chuckle. I can't imagine hearing Tim for the first time ever. My husband has such a great laugh.*

   I hope this brings you hope or comfort or at least a smile. Yay. It's Friday.

Love,
H.

*One time, Tim accidentally dialed me while he was in another conversation. The voicemail he left was about 10 seconds of him going, "Yep! ........" And then laughing. Of course, I saved it.

A million ways to be kind

2011-09-20T17:31:00.000-07:00

I have mentioned Meg Fee probably about a million and one times. President of the Meg Fee fan club. Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes. I don't know how I found her blog, but Her Story is a Long Story.

Then again, who's isn't?

Here is a tiny glimpse of what she's written about health, food, and body image lately.

i also worked out that sometimes going to the gym just isn't in the cards. and so i get a massage instead. because there are a million different ways we can be kind to our bodies. and because when i'm ready i do return. and the pulsing and the squats and the pain of it all--well, my body likes it, even if i don't.

I think what hurts us- what really hurts us is the inability to forgive ourselves.

I skipped the gym. I ate that donut.

So then we are horrible to ourselves. At least I am. There is this now-or-never mentality.

I ate a donut during Sunday School Hour and now my whole ~~day~~ life is ruined.

...Really?

What I love about Meg's post is that she is honest and she is brave and she is kind.

And her kindness makes me want to show kindness. To myself. To others.

You must read it. You must.

Love,
H.

18 days later

2011-09-20T03:37:00.000-07:00

Here are our September Goals, but technically, I think they are our September 19th-October 19th Goals. You know.

Stick to an agreed upon budget for personal items this month (guitar parts, clothing, craft supplies)

spend 50 minutes a week studying spanish (Lo s i ento por el retraso)*

memorize the books of the bible (Holly)

start/keep up with a “Healthy Living Journal” (Holly)

pay off ½ our credit card balance

*Sorry for the delay (because these goals are late!)

(but my computer keeps auto correcting it to "sent" grrr!)

What are some of your goals this month?

Love,

Dear Future-Maybe-Son,

2011-09-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

   I know, it seems, I spend a lot of time writing to your sister. It's only because I know in my heart that you will be wild. Don't get me wrong- you will be polite. You will know how to sit and listen during story hour. You will not (I repeat- NOT) watch wrestling. You will say please, excuse me, and thank you.

But you will still be wild.

   I know, when it comes to you and your letters, I have to choose my words very wisely so as to not lose your attention. You see, in my experience, sons are not like daughters. This blog, for you, will be a passing glance- where as your sister, I imagine, will pour over the pages much like girls like to leaf through their mother's yearbooks and try on their wedding dresses.

With that being said, I'll make this snappy.

At this point, you probably think I'm kind of yucky. Not in a "gross" or disrespectful kind of way, but more like, "I can't believe my parents are kissing/ my-mom-is-a-girl-and-girls-have-cooties."

However, right now, I am still kind of cool.

You're going to have to trust me on this one.

Unfortunately, this story will just reinforce my yuck-i-ness, I'm afraid. But there is a point. And we will get there in time.

   You see, the other night, I waxed my toes. That's right. Help me remember, on your sister's 5th birthday, to remind her that whatever hair you shave, you better be prepared to maintain it for the rest of your ever-loving-life. This warning cannot come soon enough. At one point in time, I thought my toes were hairy. 15 years later, I'm thinking they probably weren't that bad.

Sigh.

So, I waxed. It did not end well. My toes were covered in sticky, warm goo. And fuzz.

That's right. Like brown-bath-towel-pajama pants-fuzz.

So, I had to ask your dad for help. Is there a more humbling experience? I don't know.

Nothing worked. Fingernail polish remover. Rubbing Alcohol. At one point, I wondered what cold, harsh-smelling substance was being sprayed on my feet only to realize your father had a bottle of Tilex.

I suggested peanut butter. After all, it works with gum/hair/clothing, right?

The logic was sound.

We were willing to try anything.

Surprisingly, It worked (my money was on the nail polish remover). And I am forever grateful.

So, sweet child o' mine, I want to encourage you to be A Man. Be protective. Be resourceful. Put your arm around her waist when you are crossing the street. Walk her to her car. Call her back. Call her back. Call her back.

But also be sure that you are sensitive and silly and gracious enough to spread peanut butter on her toes when she is in desperate need of some un-stick-ing.

And don't breathe a word during the process.

Love,
Mom

Oskar's List

2011-09-11T05:14:00.000-07:00

   I know the internet will be overwhelmed with blog posts, tweets, and Facebook status updates about 9/11. I definitely do not want to be overly dramatic (because I didn't lose anyone on that day), but I absolutely dread this date every year. Not that anyone actually looks forward to it, but the feeling seems to get worse as I get older.

   This time last year, I had just finished reading Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close which is about a boy named Oskar who loses his father in the attacks on September 11th.

   To put it bluntly, after reading it, I got a little obsessed. I can remember spending the better part of an entire day finishing the book and then researching facts about 9/11. Watching youtube videos. Looking up documentaries. The list goes on.

   I started trying to list really obscure things that would have been in the buildings at the time. It sounded like something Oskar would do. Someone had walked in the office and put their lunch in the fridge. I bet someone had a houseplant on their desk.

Man, I love a good houseplant.

And listing things made me sad.

   It was sort of sick. Really. Not sick as in "twisted" but sick as in maybe not that healthy. I guess I was trying to re-grieve if that's possible. I don't know. I think, perhaps, I was trying to make the whole thing more relatable. I have always had a hard time wrapping my head around all of it.

   I woke up this morning with a lot of hope. I love Cincinnati. I love Ohio. I adore this country. I know we've had our mess ups. Plenty. But I believe we are a nation that always roots for the underdog. We are still a nation "under God" whether people want to believe that or not. The Bible is full of characters who have screwed up and afterwards been rescued...redeemed.

I think we are a nation in waiting. We are waiting to be rescued by Jesus.

This weekend, I'm going to light a candle, say a prayer, and be grateful.

Be near, O God.

Source: fortheloveofprep.tumblr.com via Holly on Pinterest

Love,
H.

I'm guessing it's a lot

2011-09-10T08:41:00.000-07:00

I remember asking my mom once for some tips on being a frugal housewife. In short, she said it's not as hard as some people think it is.

She said, "We [our family] quit eating out so much. I made things from scratch. I quit running to The Sundry Store* every afternoon on my way home from the bank* to get silly things like chips ahoy cookies."

I had to laugh at that detail. She did not simply say, "To get cookies...." She said, very specifically, "To get Chips Ahoy Cookies."

Ha. I wish everyone could be best friends with my mom. Wednesday, I told her I was on my way to the dentist**, and she then proceeded to tell me about how she had to get her tooth pulled the day before. She did not spare any details. She used words like root and nerve. I absolutely loved her for her horrible timing. Good thing my dentist has a dog.***

Anyway, I didn't really "get it" until just recently, and when I say recently, I mean a few days ago.

She said she made things from scratch.

Sigh. Do you realize the price we pay for convenience?

I'm guessing it's a lot.

We love to make homemade pizza at our house. The other night, the tube of dough fell to the floor and cracked. By the time I used it, the air had gotten to it and the consistency was all off.

Guess what, I made some from scratch and it probably cost a few pennies. I'm not even kidding.

I recently made breakfast burritos using a recipe from The Simple Dollar and man, they are yummy. They save me so much time in the mornings, keep me feeling full, and are pretty good for you, to boot. I even had one for lunch today.

I'm excited to find more "from scratch" recipes and see how much cash it can save us.

Huzzah. What recipes are you liking these days? I'm looking for a way to upgrade my pizza crust recipe. We weren't 100% satisfied. Suggestions?

Up next for us? Homemade, taquitos for the freezer! The store bought ones are expensive AND DEEP FRIED! Yikes!

Love and I do not know how to make a long story short, but I do know how to make a short story long.
H.

*The Sundry Store was a little pharmacy/grocery store in town. I miss places like that where you can run in for milk and take a 2 minute walk through the parking lot as opposed to now where you have to trek 5 miles all the way through Wal-mart. Also, my mom worked at Key Bank for like, 17 years before she got hired on as office staff at The Middle School. All her math genes somehow got lost in the shuffle between mom & fetus. She's a whiz, and I got' nothin'.
** No cavities
***That's right. My dentist has a dog. 2 to be exact. Sophie & Ruby. Those gals are pretty much the only thing that keeps me from shaking in my boots the second I walk in the door.

Hey, Must be the Money

2011-09-05T20:08:00.000-07:00

Or

What do Barak Obama, The Situation, and Justin Bieber all have in common?

I'll explain in a minute. But first, an anecdote, or something like that.

One way Tim makes me want to be a better person is that he is constantly looking for ways to make money. I don't mean that in a "holding-open-his-coat-full-of-stolen-watches" kind of way. I mean it in a good-work-ethic-and-incredibly-rescourceful kind of way.

   It is so much easier for men to "make a quick buck." I mean good money. By painting/staining decks, he can make almost twice the amount I clear as a teacher in the same amount of time. I'm not even kidding.

   People will pay good money if it means they don't have to climb on the ladder in 90 degree weather themselves.

   All I can tell you is that I have this nagging feeling that I should write. If I can get some kind of compensation for the time and energy I put into this blog then so be it. I have heard people say, "I don't blog for money." But I think the truth is, that's like a Minor League pitcher saying to the Majors, "I won't play baseball for money."

Obviously, we are bloggers because we are writers. It's what we do, and more than likely, what we love. If I can get paid to do something I a.) love and b.) am going to do anyway - then why not?

So I chose to put ads on the blog through Blogher Publishing Network.

I'm actually really excited about it, and I hope you are too!

Here are 3 blogs I read that are published by Blogher. Their morals are good, the content is awesome, and I just trust these women to make good, ethical decisions with their corners of the blogging world.

Reagan's Blob Hooray

Cjane

LifeBlessons

During the application process, I was really relieved because there was a section in the (online) paperwork that let me indicate what I did not want to advertise. I really respect Blogher for giving their writers that sort of freedom.

Here are a few products/topics I did NOT want to advertise, among other things:

politics, cosmetic surgery, alcohol, diet pills/supplements, and lima beans.

Another reason why I went with Blogher is because they value community and want to help women in the blogging world connect with one another, and I really dig that.

If you're interested in getting more involved with a network like Blogher, I'd encourage you to do the research or feel free to contact me with advice/questions/concerns.

I know the revenue probably won't buy us a new house or expensive appliances, but if it can put some gas in the car or add to our savings account then, by golly, I'll take it.

This was probably the most boring post ever. I realize that at the end of the day, probably no one cares what goes on the side bar in terms of ads/no ads. I just really appreciate having readers, and I wanted to take a second to explain the new ads. Thanks for hanging in there.

Maybe next we'll make t-shirts. The possibilities are endless.

Here we have Obama sporting the ever-patriotic, ever-professional white polo with a monogrammed H just below the left shoulder. Right over his heart...awww....

Who doesn't love a shout-out from The Situation?

Ah...Biebs. Thanks for reading.

What do you think? We're still playing around with the fonts. Oh my gosh. You guys. This took me so long to make. Who wants to help me start a clothing line?

Love and have you tried Lipton's new Mango Passion Fruit tea? It's so refreshing!

Here is a list of things I was kidding about:
There was not an option to endorse lima beans. Had there been one, I still would have checked, "no."
It took me 2 minutes and 30 seconds to "draw" those t-shirts. Do not be fooled.
I'm not really starting a clothing line.
I'm totally kidding about the plug for iced tea. Don't you know me at all by now? I don't know if such a thing exists, but man it sounds delicious. **

**Lipton did not pay me to mention their make believe product, but it would kind of be cool if they would.

Oh yea, and the answer to the question above? What do they all have in common? Um. People who's photos will never again be posted on this blog.

Thanks, Thanks, a thousand times thanks. Here's to bigger, better things ahead.
H.

Let's Call the Whole Thing Off

2011-08-28T17:10:00.000-07:00

The other day, I was walking into the bank, and I had a passing thought,

"I should just clear out our entire bank account."

Ha. I had to chuckle at the thought of poor Tim's face looking at all the zeros in our balance.

Then I thought, I could leave because, technically, my car is in my name.

I want to be very clear here before you start worrying about how this story is going to end.

I was not upset. I was not mad. I was not unhappy. Quite the opposite, actually.

I just had The Glumps.

They were the 14-year-old-boy Glumps where all you want to do is lie on the couch playing xbox, ditching your responsibilities, and eating someone else's hot pockets.

You don't want to go to The Post Office.

You don't want to return that skirt you said you'd return 3 weeks ago, and you CERTAINLY don't want to spend money paying down your credit card debt.

Yowza.

I imagine the 14-year-old-boy- Glumps look a little something like this.

Anthony Michael Hall photo courtesy of nerdarama.com

I was thinking about Going Somewhere. Anywhere. At that point, New Mexico sounded pretty good to me.

Yick for responsibilities. I say, Yick.

Bring on the xbox. (Ok. We don't even have an xbox, but I think you know what I mean).

Then, I walked out to the parking lot and saw a man wearing a t-shirt that simply said

submit to it.

That was all it said.

I simultaneously wanted to hug him and punch him in the face.

I started thinking about Proverbs 31- what God has said about being a good wife. I don't think it is "easier" to be a husband.* I just think it is less detailed. Less complex.

Love me.
Lead me.
Provide. Protect.

Whereas being a wife? Holy cow. There is an entire section of The Bible dedicated to helping women understand how to be good wives.

Be resourceful. Work hard. Get up early. Be generous. Be wise. Be prepared. Manage your time.

The list goes on.

Submit.

Oh yea. That's right. I know there are a lot of women out there who balk at that word. Submit. Before Tim and I got married, our pastor at the time (who is awesome), said that when you submit, you pledge your allegiance to someone or something.

And I really loved that.

But I also think it is about giving yourself over to something that is greater. Running a household. Being responsible. Going to the stupid Post Office at 4 o'clock the evening before a major holiday.

photo source

Boo.

It's about acknowledging that being a wife and having a good marriage is dang hard. You will drown in the details of those verses.

Unless you are willing to sacrifice.

Unless you know how to submit.

Which I am, and I do. I guess.

Love and some days are better than others,
H.

P.S. A note for Tim:

I am not moving to New Mexico because gas is expensive. Plus, I would be terribly sad to wake up with no tiny beasts weighing down my covers and you are the only one who knows how to make The Best Omelet Ever. And I would miss you.

And there are scorpions in New Mexico and (pardon my grammar)but I ain't havin' none of that.

*For the record, I think being a Husband is way harder than being a
wife because when the zombies attack- let's face it, Tim Young and his ferocious white beast will totally be the ones climbing out of the
attic to get more chips & salsa. Unloading the dishwasher, I can handle. Fending off The Undead? No thanks.

Oh, Sure.

2011-08-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

I can't remember exactly where we were when the conversation took place, but in my brain, I remember we were shopping...or getting fast food...or waiting in line somewhere...

When I asked my Sweet Sister...

"...do you care if I put Lucy on The Blog...?"

She responded with a simple, "...Oh, sure..."

To be polite. Maybe? Like the kind of response you would give when someone asks you if you like their new, hot orange, velvet curtains.

However, "Oh...sure..." was all the permission I needed.

I cannot tell you how much I love this kid. I have joked that the only thing I can compare it to is having a crush on a boy. I think about her all the time. I just want to be near her. Always. I can't stop talking about her when I get home from seeing her. If I had a textbook covered with a brown grocery bag, I'd probably scribble her name all over it (did you guys used to cover your textbooks that way?) It's ridiculous. Really. Is this what it's like to have your own kid?

Really?

So, for you, on This Sunshiney-Late-Summer Saturday...I give you, Mad Scientist Hair.

Love,
H.

2011-08-25T18:19:00.000-07:00

Hello. I've missed you. I always forget how much the start of the school year makes you feel as if you've fallen off the face of the earth.

Busy. Busy.

Kind of like this.

Only with puppets. And singing. And shoes that light up. And individually wrapped packages of Chips Ahoy!

It's fun. Really!

Anyway, thanks for sticking with me.

Today, Lucy and I are here to tell you that I am guest blogging at Life Blessons, and Holy Cow am I excited.

I am excited because Carmen is awesome. She makes me want to be a better blogger/wife/friend.*

So come on over.

Love and when someone asks you to watermark the photo of their baby, you don't ask questions. You just watermark it.
H.

*Here's a little fun fact. Did you know Carmen and I lived together the year before Tim & I got married? Did you also know that our anniversaries are 367 days apart?

Well, now you do. And yes, there will be a quiz.

The Simple Dollar

2011-08-14T14:01:00.000-07:00

Today, I just wanted to share a website with you all that I'm really loving. It is called The Simple Dollar. It features things like book reviews, inexpensive recipes, and financial advice that is EASY TO UNDERSTAND. Hallelujah forever and ever, Amen! I'm really enjoying this blog. He even gets down to the nitty-gritty details of life like- get this- the frugality of paper towels!

You can read more about his journey (overcoming $20,000 worth of credit card debt) and how he plans to stay debt-free under the tabs "my story" and "about." He also had great advice in the side bars, too! Take a minute to explore!

The Simple Dollar

Just thought I'd share.

In other news, we just moved a lot of our money from savings to pay down our credit card (but left $1,000 in our emergency fund per Dave Ramey's suggestion).

I'm really, really excited, but also a little nervous. Praying this is the year we pay our card off.

Pray for us because according to Murphy's Law, tomorrow something really expensive is going to break. Haha.

Any good financial tips or web sites? Any small victories- financial or otherwise?

Look how excited Scarlett is. If she weren't so gosh dang adorable, I might ask her to start earning her keep. (For those of you who may be new to the blog, this is known as A Scarlett Ball). Still trying to figure out a way to make a profit off all the extra hair she sheds. Genuine Scarlett Hair Sweater, anyone? What about a blanket?

Love and pinching my pennies,

August Schmaugust

2011-08-11T17:31:00.000-07:00

Today, I am going to tell you about our Family Goals for August. When we welcomed a new month, the thought just kind of occurred to me, "Hey- we should start setting some goals each month." I think this would be a cute family tradition when we have kids and a pretty fun blog series/link-up, to boot...if I were ever feeling ambitious enough. Yikes.

I hesitated to post these, lest I sound all, "We're perfect and adorable and these are our goals this month." However, seeing as how one of our goals involves NOT eating dinner on the dusty coffee table while watching Pawn Stars, I think it's safe to say that the facade/illusion of us being "perfect" and adorable is officially shattered.

My spelling is atrocious tonight. Sigh. Here's to trying to be more better. Or something like that.

Our eating-out budget this month is $75 ($47 spent so far on a meal after Tim's softball game, dessert and sodas while watching a friend perform at open mic night, and a picnic dinner from Subway)

Pray together everyday (I give us a B+ for this one so far. We do this at night and need to find a solution for the nights when I go to bed/fall asleep before Tim does)

Physical Activity 3x a week (don't ask)

We will eat at the dining room table 2x a week (This would involve us cleaning off the dining room table first...always a work in progress).

What are your goals this month?

Love and trying really hard,
H.

While we're on the subject of us not being too terribly perfect, I would file these under "out takes."

Party of Two, Please.

2011-08-06T11:04:00.000-07:00

A while ago, we took The Girls to my parents house just for fun. Cause that's what we do. We take my dogs over to my mom and dad's to say, "Hi."

Lord help us all when we have children. ((insert colon/parentheses smiley face here))

When I grabbed the leashes, they got SO EXCITED.

This is probably the cutest thing you'll see all week.

Go ahead and admit it.

If you don't have a dog, you should get one. Or Four.

Then you can take them over to other people's houses so they can admire the cuteness firsthand.

Love and you're welcome,
H.

What you kids are calling it these days

2011-08-04T10:54:00.000-07:00

Dear Future Maybe Daughter,

Right now I am going to tell you about a boy I somethinged. I use the word somethinged because I don't know exactly what we did. Dated? Maybe? Well, there you have it. Right now, I am going to tell you about the last boy I dated before I met your father.

I used to be afraid he would read All This, but now? There is no fear. Barely a passing thought as my fingers click clack across the keys.

We dated when I was roughly a year out of a very sudden and nearly tragic accident. Maybe you've heard the story about the time I was hit by an out-of-control van when I was stepping off the sidewalk? Maybe I've squeezed your hand super-incredibly tight while we are trick-or-treating or walking in the parking lot.

Forgive me. Some of it still stays, and I guarantee the craziness over such things is only because I love you to bits & pieces and don't want to see you hurt.

Moving on.

I was about 8 months or so out of therapy for PTSD. We ventured to a baseball game, this boy and I.

Even though I had made a full recovery, my nerves were shot. I had the reflexes of a blind cat. Everything made me jump. Needless to say, the crowded city on a game night was quite a stretch for me at the time.

I remember he bought me a bottle of water. It may as well have been a diamond. Swoon. Swoon.

In the midst of all this, my shoe broke right down the middle. Which is probably why I never let you buy flip flops from Target. For that, my love, I will not apologize. A good pair of flops is hard to come by, and in my experience, you are barking up the wrong tree at Target. Old Navy. Please.

Do these stores even still exist? Or have the aliens taken over? Please say yes and then no.

He fiddled with my shoe for a second, and then shook his head. Frustrated. He handed it back with a simple, “I can't get it.”

So. I limped. I came out of that winter still feeling Rather Crumbly and Broken. This just confirmed my crumbly brokenness.

Oh the limping.

I hobbled down Main Street. Past the gentleman selling t-shirts. Over the bridge that crosses the highway. And all I could think about during that game was the fact that I would have to limp all the way home...or at least it felt like it.

With that being said...

Sweet Child o' mine. It is my honest hope that you marry a problem-solver.

Your father is one of the most resourceful men I know. Along with my father, both of my grandfathers, and your Uncle Dan.

I know, with all my heart that your father would have found a way to fix that shoe. Some duct tape. A paper clip. Something.

And he also would have sprung for peanuts.

Love and please choose wisely,

Mom

2011-08-02T10:24:00.000-07:00

If you didn't read my last post, you may want to take a second and do that.

Thanks. You're welcome. Thanks.

In my last post, I was kind of a Simplicity Nazi. Perhaps.

I told you we are not doing enough. And we aren't.

While Tim and I were in Guatemala, we helped a team build a bath house for a local Bible Institute. We also visited an elementary school as well as Remar Orphanage.

While I was gone, I couldn't help but feel this absolute sense of urgency.

Urgency.

There are children in an an orphanage right now that need new shoes, y'all.

They need shoes.

I'm not even kidding.

What are we doing about this? Seriously? What are we doing?

More importantly, what are we going to do?

Sigh. It is hard to understand, and it is hard to explain. It's not your fault. Really.

I'm just praying that that sense of urgency sticks around. That it.sticks.around. And that I can convey it to other people, too.

I think, right now, my question is how do we reconcile It All? I'm struggling. Sort of. Really.

One definition of the word reconcile is to make peace. And I loved that. Really.

How do we take the experiences we've had and come back and watch HGTV and shop for new school clothes and make brownies and ride in nice cars and still, for the love of Pete, try to come back and do something good for the rest of the world?

How do we make peace with between the world we've come from and the world we've come back to?

Holy smokes, I am still looking for those answers.

I think one answer lies in knowing what, exactly we've learned.

We need to stop giving 2 craps about what each other is wearing.
Everybody is somebody's uncle, son, daughter, sister, neighbor, etc.
Lots of things in life are universal: soccer balls, giant bubbles, gum, and sidewalk chalk included
Animal noises are incredibly helpful when trying to overcome a language barrier with kids. Gato? Perro? Vacca? We very well could have “mooed” together for hours and would have been perfectly content.
Did you read number one?

I think another answer comes with using our time wisely. Yet another struggle I have. Honestly. Seriously. Forever and ever amen.

I waste a lot of time reading blogs. That may sound like a mean thing to say, but it's true. For every “this is making me a better person and helping me pursue other interests” blogs, there are 10 “What I wore/did last weekend/ate for lunch” blogs just waiting in my Google Reader.

I don't know. I came home and did a lot of “unfollowing” and “unsubscribing.”

It was hard. Really. It was. Some of them were blogs I've been reading for years. Good blogs. Nice blogs. Adorable blogs.

But they really aren't making me a better person.

Lots of give aways. Lots of posts looking for sponsors. Random crafts. Fashion. Like I said, GOOD BLOGS.

However, what if, for every random crafty, "what I wore" blog I read, I spent 5 extra minutes doing cardio?

Or reading The Bible? Or calling a friend? Or chatting with Tim? Or volunteering somewhere?

What do you think would happen?

What do I think would happen? Well, I think it would friggin' change my life.

For heaven's sake, here's to hoping it does.

Dear Goodness this has been one long, random strung-along post.

I hope I didn't sound mean, self-righteous, over-the-top, or nonsensical.

Do you ever feel like there are Things You Just Have to Get Down?

Well, this was just one of them...or 7.

Love and back to your regularly scheduled program,

What I did over my summer vacation OR Guat's up?

2011-07-30T22:23:00.000-07:00

Eee Gads. In case you haven't noticed, we've been gone. Holiest of all Holy Cows. We've been gone.
I wish I could tell you when we're going to be out of town, but land sakes, my record player is a hot commodity.

Telling people when we're not home = Someone's going to steal it

I'm convinced.

All joking aside, Tim and I spent the week in Guatemala with a team from our church and a few others.

One word?

How about seven? How about a million?

Amazing. Inspiring. Humbling. So very much fun.

The list continues.

They are, as Jonathan Safran Foer would say, stories the mouths can't tell fast enough.

It's a beautiful country. Really.

I came home and almost immediately set to work. Writing. Cleaning up This Space. Cleaning OUT my Google Reader.

And then I was just stumped.

I got stuck.

So, here I am in my pink and white polka dotted p.j.'s with a belly full of take out and a clock that reads well past 1am. Struggling to get It All down.

Tonight, I realized that I just keep waiting for lightning to strike. Some wave of inspiration. Some magic light bulb moment that will help me convey the whole rip, the whole story in just the perfect light.

And I don't think that lightning strike is ever going to happen.

This is what I know so far.

Tim and I are called to lead a simple life. I'm not saying I don't want a new camera...a new ipod...the list goes on.

I'm just saying that I went to get a new cell phone (I was due for an upgrade and having technical issues with my old one) and the choices about knocked me down.

Us Americans? We love our toys. I ended up with A Little Guy, and I actually love it. He is not “smart.” There is not an app that will tell me how much plaque is on my teeth or when we need to buy bread.

But he keeps things simple, and right now, we're really into that.

This trip opened our eyes to things like simple living, further missions work, and international adoption.

In all honesty, no one should give 2 craps about what we wear. Pardon my language. But for realz, ya'll. I am guilty of this. I am guilty.of.this. There was a point in time this week where all I really wanted to do was go home and paint my toenails. OPI's Bogota Blackberry, to be exact. What this says about me, I'm not sure.

I'm kidding. Kind of.

I'm not going to tell you that I came home and shut off our cable and quit wearing make up. I'm not. I'm not going to tell you that I threw my Favorite Coach Clutch out the window or that I donated my car to The Goodwill.

But I am going to tell you that as a society and as a community of believers, we are not doing enough to help people in poverty, and we need to do better.

Isn't that just what you wanted to hear on your Saturday Night? That you are not doing enough?

Ha. My apologies for the abruptness, but not for the message in general.

I better get off this soapbox lest you see up my aforementioned pajamas.

I saw Guatemala...you saw London, you saw France, you saw...well. Nevermind.

Love and enough for now,

The Story of Scarlett

2011-07-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

   Three years ago today, Tim and I traveled to a gorgeous farm in Indiana to go look at two tiny puppies named Mitzie and Tonka. I had seen their photos on Petfinder.com earlier in the week, and I'm sure the woman fostering them thought I was crazy. I think I called at like, 8am. Ha. Desperate, much? Well, dog ownership is a lot like finding The One. When you know, you know.

   For some reason, I had it in my head that we needed a boy. A husband, so to speak, for our Dear Noel. Knowing what I know now, Noel would have had NONE of that business. Noel, a wife? Goodness no. She is much too independent and fabulous for such nonsense.

   We spent some time with Tonka, but he was pre-occupied. The garage...the grass...other dogs. I remember he ran. A lot.

   And then it happened.

Tim crouched down and clapped excitedly, trying to entice The Boy to come have a chat.

From the corner of my eye, I saw a streak of white lightning.

It was Mitzie. His sister.

Tim petted her gently and she nuzzled up close.

It was love.

After a few minutes together, we decided to name her Scarlett for her orange-y/ Red spots.

And then she proceeded to both pee and vomit on me on the way home in the car.

Still love.

Happy "Gotcha Day" to Scarlett Clementine.

We love you lots and lots

and lots

and lots.

Love and do we know how to pick em' or what?
H.

2011-07-24T13:56:00.000-07:00

How many times do you think you have said good-bye in your entire lifetime? Have you ever thought of that? 10,000 maybe? A million? Surely not. How many good-byes do you think you have left? Ee Gads. Hopefully not that many.

I wanted to say, "I am terrible at good-byes."

But do you know anyone who says, "I am awesome at saying good-bye. Good-byes are awesome."

Surely the answer is no.

For this particular good-bye, I cried. In fact, I was a borderline mess. It was the kind of thing where you have said your good-byes and are now talking about last-minute everyday mundane things and yet your voice is still shaking.

As if I'm delivering The Worst News Ever instead of simply telling my mom how to water my houseplants.

I'll WaTer ThEm BeFore I LeaVeeeee......bUt ThEy MiGht....NeED....it...Agaiiiiiinnnnnnnn................

Friends. I don't want to brag, but I used to be a traveling genius, especially before I got married. Ok. Not a genius, but still...I was pretty good at it.

Taxis in Las Vegas. The D.C. Metro. LAX. The back of a pick-up truck in Central America.

And I don't remember ever shedding a tear upon my departure.

You see. It is easy. It was easy. It is easy when you have so little to lose.

But now, I am married. There is a tiny baby niece and two of our own fur-babies.

Truthfully? I wanted to apologize. I was embarrassed.

However, I would rather cry because I have everything to lose than cry because I have nothing to lose.

Love and sometimes you just need a minute,
H.

Source: theothereugene.tumblr.com via Holly on Pinterest

2011-07-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

Source: etsy.com via Holly on Pinterest

Just so you know, I have a little post-it on my Macbook that lists all the music I want to download eventually. Who has that kind of time? Yikes. Really. Soon. Very soon. I thought it might be fun to share. Given that this is still "inspiring things from Pinterest week," I thought the post-it and the "button" were fitting. What do you hope to download in the coming days? Do tell.

Love and a mighty fine list,

P.S. I just noticed I put "Modest Mouth" instead of Modest Mouse. Ha.

2011-07-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

I spread my arms out wide, making the letter T with my body as if I was about to perform some kind of magic trick. The water looked like glass before me as I stood in the dark, taking in my surroundings. The turquoise sky, the stars, the moon.

Our longtime family friends recently purchased a fix-er-upper not too far from us. The first thing they "fixer-ed up" was, of course, the gorgeous in ground pool. What smart friends I have, I tell ya.'

So, on this night, I found myself surrounded by friends. Some of whom I have known for 25 years. Some for 20 and some for, "I don't remember life without them." That's how long.

It was a somewhat spontaneous gathering. Earlier in the evening, text messages were sent. Voicemails left. Calls made. Several of us just seemed to land there. One by one, we filed in. We came to explore. To be together. To celebrate. At this old-new-house. Pizza was ordered. Greetings exchanged. Playlists were set.

It was a wonderful night, and I feel so lucky that so many of us have landed here- in this city, barely half an hours drive away from any one of us. Most of us even less than that.

As we chatted about swimming, I decided that I have a new rule.

When the opportunity presents itself, S W I M.

For the love of Pete, get in the pool. None of this, "Do I want to get may hair wet?" "I'll get in if you get in..." "Do I want to drive home wet?"

Yes. Yes you do. God made leather car seats for a reason, now get.in.the.pool.

How many opportunities do you get to swim at night? Especially in The Midwest.

From now on, the statement will not be, "I'll get in if you get in."

From now on, I will proclaim, "I'm getting in. Who else is with me?"

Needless to say, a swimsuit was found. A towel was borrowed which left me here. Staring at the water, breathing in the faint scent of chlorine and feeling completely at peace.

For the first time in a long time, I truly believed that everything- everywhere is eventually going to be o.k.

Source: tumblr.com via Andie on Pinterest

Source: woolgatheringandmiscellany.tumblr.com via Holly on Pinterest

Love and more night swimming,
H.

2011-07-16T07:25:00.000-07:00

The upcoming week is jam packed, and I know I won't have the opportunity to blog. I debated about what to put up here (as I desperately wanted a "theme"). Call me crazy.

A quote I found on Pinterest has just stayed with me. I couldn't sleep the other night, and it just came to me.

This week, I am going to post The Best Advice Ever.

Well, not necessarily advice, but just things I've been finding inspiring these days.

This one I am hearting so much. I almost want a tattoo. A tattoo, I say.

Source: etsy.com via Holly on Pinterest

This has been a tough summer. Not necessarily tough. Just busy. It has been hard to relax. If you have ever lived with an extended period of time not-working, you know time fills up fast, oddly enough. There are trips to take and family-members to visit. Closets to clean. I'm not going to tell you about all my August Anxieties or my excuses or my List o' chores.

I'm just going to tell you that I'm grateful. I have time off. I have time off, and I plan to hug & kiss Lucy Jess more than she has ever been hugged and kissed in her whole life. I want to stay up late and write and write and do more writing and turn up the music and bake a pie and sew something new and watch movies and eat outside and go to the dog park and take walks.

I have some time off.

I'm grateful.

Love and what I have is enough,
H.

If you are the praying kind, please pray for us this week. All good things, but we're still going to need it.

Love & I'll tell you later.

Happy Anniversary

2011-07-12T16:36:00.000-07:00

Source: None via Holly on Pinterest

I want to wish the happiest of all happy anniversaries to My Guy. Three Years. Wow. I can't even put into words how much I love This Kid and being His Wife so I'm not even going to try.

I am so very glad I married you. Forever and Ever Amen.

Here's to 3 more years times infinity to the 10th power squared.

Love Always,

Holls

Dream Wagging

2011-07-11T13:12:00.000-07:00

You Guys. This is a quick video I took on my Macbook of Scarlett dream-wagging. She is wagging her tail in her sleep. Is that not the cutest thing ever?!?! Seriously. So cute. What do you think she is dreaming of? I think in her little doggie brain, she is dreaming, "I LOVE EVERYONE!!!!!!' A little part of me melted inside. I'm not even kidding.

On my screen, it is showing up as two videos. Not sure the reason, but why mess with a good thing?

Love and thanks for watching 21 seconds of my adorable dog,

Our Future Kiddos Chapter 81

2011-07-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Small, Creative Genius (es),

I was thinking about you tonight. Right now, your Father and I are in our Early Days. I know we will look back at these days, or nights, rather and think things like, "Gosh, we were so young." Even if it doesn't seem like it right now (Eee Gads, your father is now in his 30's!).

Tonight, I sewed my first skirt. While it looks like something Courtney Love would wear to the Grammy's it is an attempt, nonetheless. In case you aren't up on your mid-90's Rock Stars (why would you be, really?) Here is a picture.

While I was showing your father my (ahem) masterpiece, he said, "Here. Have a listen to the song I'm writing."

And it was a good song. A great song. Even if part of the lyrics included phrases like, ".....and I don't know what goes heeerrrrre......" and "....pre-chorus...I haven't written yeetttt....."

I loved it. I loved it because it was US being most like ourselves. Creating. Persevering. These are simple joys, but they are good. No matter how they turn out.

And while I want you to grow into your own little being, I hope you'll also want to create along with us.

Love and in desperate need of a seam-ripper,
Mom

Linking up with Casey

2011-07-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

Can't.

Stop.

Looking.

At.

Pinterest.

Seriously can't stop.

Let's pin together. (Holly Bierly-Young)

And then we'll both have ridiculously messy kitchens. :)

Love and hamsters eating cheez its on pinterest = really poor time management,
H.

Who can resist? Really?

Source: thatcutesite.com via Holly on Pinterest

L loves S

2011-06-30T20:57:00.000-07:00

Even though it was 9 o'clock in the morning, it felt Very Early. I did everything I possibly could before getting dressed. I ate a bowl of Cheerios. I fed the dogs. I checked my email. And then, I could put it off no longer. We were leaving for the beach at 9:30, and my clock read 27 minutes after.

For the first time in almost 10 months, it was time to put on my swimsuit.

Bah.

That's right. Bah.

Ready to toss on my cover-up, I glanced in the mirror to make sure nothing was sticking out in weird places or had mysteriously gotten lumpier or yickier or flatter or rounder over the winter.

In passing, I thought, "Hey, this looks kind of good." It's a cute swimsuit, if I do say so myself. It is a fire engine red one piece with a halter top, a gathered waist and wide bottoms- just like the 50's.

And I almost wanted to deny it. "This does not look good." In fact, I almost felt weird for thinking it did. I'm not saying I walk around thinking I look terrible all the time.

I'm just saying I worry about what the world is teaching us. You know, The Things We Don't Realize.

I'm not knocking reality t.v. I'm not. Really. That is not a battle I'm willing to fight.

I like my Clean House and my Hoarders and my America's Best Dance Crew just as much as the next guy.

I just wonder if shows like American Idol, America's Next Top Model and The Bachelor are teaching us that we have to fit into an extreme.

We're either Amazing or we're terrible.

We're either Gorgeous or homely.

We're either "pretty" and worth fighting for or "pretty" and bat-bleep-crazy.

Example A. I'm assuming this girl didn't "win."

source

Can't we just be in the middle? Really? It sounds strange, doesn't it? Or better yet, can't we just be in the middle- yet fill our lives with people who make us FEEL like we aren't? Can't we be their Carrie Underwood or their Tyra Banks or their whatever-girl-has-gotten-the-last-rose-on-The Bachelor?

Yes. I'm saying yes. Yes we can. I pray that's true in my own life, I pray I'm that kind of woman for Tim, and I'll pray that same prayer for you, if you'd like.

Tonight, on our way out the door, I told Tim, "There simply aren't enough pictures of just the two of us."

Without missing a beat, he assumed the position like all good husbands do.

Click-snap.

Upon inspection...

"It looks good." I replied.

And you know what? It did.

So, here we are.

My Luke Skywalker.

His Scarlett Johansson.

Love and there are about 1,000 images on Google for "Girl crying on The Bachelor." It's just sad. Really.

H.

Linking up with Casey.

2011-06-30T05:11:00.000-07:00

Having a bad day? Here. This will help. :)

Love and fast forward to 1:45,
H.

Everybody Needs a Bosom for a Pillow

2011-06-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

Love and fast forward to 1:35,

Sushi for You...shi

2011-06-25T12:56:00.000-07:00

   One of the funnest things about being married is falling in love with something only to find out that your spouse also loves it!

Enter: Sushi!

   Over time, I've discovered a small circle of pals who also love it. However, I'm fully aware that part of the appeal has to do with Dancing Wasabi, our favorite Sushi place. On the outskirts of the city, there is a teeny, tiny neighborhood called Mt. Lookout that seems as if someone took a sprawling town square and squished it like play-doh. The traffic is horrible. The buildings are super close together.

And we happen to love it.

   Dancing Wasabi is in the heart of this little nook- of- a- neighborhood. They feature 1/2 price sushi on a regular basis along with some good tunes and an inch and 1/2 of elbow room. Whenever I'm there, I always swoon over the couples sitting at the little sushi bar looking very trendy and urban. It just looks like fun. Right?

The other night, 5 o'clock hit, and we had no plans.

I raised my hands like an evil genius who has harnessed triple molecular energy (or something like that) and proclaimed, "Tonight, we will have 1/2 price Sushi!"

Ok. It was more a suggestion than a proclamation, but I think you know what I mean.

You guys. It was an absolutely perfect evening. We had no trouble parking. Traffic was light, and the weather was gorgeous. We hit the door, and a small man with a mustache waved his hand and said, "You can sit at the table....or...you can sit at the bar."

I tried to play it so super cool...like, "Sure, yea...I guess we'll sit at the bar..." Like I'm so inconvenienced by the mere thought of sitting at the bar with its...its...interesting things to look at and its coziness and good proximity to the bathroom. How dare they suggest we sit at the bar?

I was overjoyed. Overjoyed, I tell ya.'

So, we sat at the bar and had fried rice and way too many Philly rolls*. I didn't take too many pictures. I know some places are weird about restaurant pics. Like, BLATANT restaurant pics. and I didn't want to upset my new best friends at Dancing Wasabi.

Here's a few I did manage.

You can kiss a sheet of paper and hang it in the frame. How cute is that?

I don't know what it was about that night. Other than sitting at the bar***, and finding good parking in Mt. Lookout, of all places, nothing overly-spectacular happened. However, it was one of the best dates we've had in a long time, and we do have some good dates. :)

Love and some ginger on the side,
H.

*Did you know that some sushi is COOKED? Overall, we prefer the cooked stuff. We watched an episode of Monsters Inside Me that changed our lives and our stomachs forever. Next time you're feeling brave, you should try it! Here's a link to an article you might find helpful! California Rolls & anything "tempura" (or deep fried) are among our favorites!

**I'm sure my 3rd Generation Nazarene parents would be horrified to know I celebrated "sitting at the bar," so I feel a need to tell you that it was a bar that specialized in SUSHI. I did not imbibe. Plus, I just wanted to use the word "imbibe."

In case you wanted to know...

2011-06-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

   These are the most comfortable shoes I think I have ever owned. I already told Tim I'm getting ~~another pair~~  3 new pairs and saving them for the fall. Since chasing 5 year olds all day is the new name of the game, these puppies will be my first day of school shoes. Maybe with khaki's and a polo.

   Yes. I'm getting my game face on for the first day already. There is no celebration like preparation. Or something like that.

   I bought them at Payless. I love it because the style name has the world "Ahoy" in it! I used to avoid Payless, but I think the store overall has come a LONG way! They are currently having their buy one get one 1/2 off sale. I think there's a pair of boating shoes calling your name! I know they are shouting my name pretty loudly!

Click here to get your own!

*I know this totally reads as a "sponsored" post, but it's not- I just love my new shoes. I think good, comfy AFFORDABLE shoes are hard to find- so when I find a pair, I have to announce it to the world. Yes. My clock reads 10:43, and I'm STILL wearing them!

Love and a pair in every color,
H.

Craftsperation!

2011-06-19T16:05:00.000-07:00

   Our church is putting together a quilt that represents the families in our congregation. We have a quilt hanging in the foyer from years ago- I think Heather & I were in Elementary School at the time (?).

   It is neat to look at the old one and see how we've come full circle. We've gone from watching our mom put together a square for our family of four to sewing our own squares for our respective families!

   This is a huge part of the reason why I slacked on blogging so much this spring.  It doesn't look like it would take that long, but yowza! It was pretty time-consuming for a newbie like me. It is kind of a crummy picture because I took it on Tim's phone, but you get the gist.

   Embroidery/counted cross stitch is something I've really gotten into lately. I think it is currently one of my favorite hobbies. I didn't use a pattern (except for the lettering), and I think my favorite part is the little bird's nest! ***Editor's Note*** I added 3 eggs because I hope we have 3 kids someday, but don't tell anyone else, ok?

   Here are some links to some embroidery blogs I'm currently loving, the site that provided my lettering, and the book that sparked my interest in cross stitch! The funny things is, I found both of these blogs by Googling, "Cool cross stitch" in an act of desperation. I was tired of only finding grandma-esque patterns, and I'm totally loving these two sites! Delving more into the online cross stitch scene is definitely on my summer-to-do list!

www.feelingstitchy.com
http://sewlovelyembroidery.blogspot.com/
Free Patterns Online

Miss Wooly's mini-cross-stitch book
(sorry about the color/quality of the photo, that's all Amazon gave me to work with!)

What have you been working on lately? Any other stitchers out there?
Love and what's next?
H.

Tips for Buying Your First Home

2011-06-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

Here are a few things I jotted down about first-time home ownership! I am not an expert, by any means. However, these are some "if I knew then what I know now..." ideas that I've been sitting on for a while. If you're starting this new adventure, then I hope you find this post helpful! Feel free to email me with questions!

In your mind, picture how much storage space you think you'll need and then multiply it.

By 100.

Just kidding. Kind of. All joking aside, think about how much storage space you have now vs. how much you think you'll need in the future. This is a biggie. Take it from the girl who bought a house with no linen closet. If you have a linen closet, give it a big hug. A good linen closet is not something to be taken for granted.

A house comes with lots of extra "stuff." When we bought our house- an artificial Christmas tree, 2 lawnmowers, 2 ladders, 'nice' suitcases, and a piano (we inherited from Tim's grandparents) all followed suit shortly after. Having a house means you are an adult. Sorry. Maybe you should have been sitting down for that part. This means you're going to get some grown-up stuff. Stuff no one bequeathed you, loaned you, purchased you, or expected you to have when you were in an apartment or your parents' house. You will also be required to use words like "bequeath."

Know what you'll be doing there. Do you plan on having kids in this house? Do you want to do a lot of entertaining? Will you be getting a dog? From what I understand, babies take up a lot of space and dogs NEED a lot of space. Is there a big yard? Is there a big enough eating area for a high chair? Is there ample parking for when friends and family come to visit? Is the master bedroom upstairs while all the other rooms (and possible nursery) are downstairs or vice versa? You don't want to constantly be traipsing up and down the stairs every time you need to get to your wee one.

Don't get caught up with appearances. I'll admit, our house is a bit odd looking. When we pulled into the driveway for the first time, Tim's first response was, "...No..." However, once we noticed the big maple tree in the front, the open floor space, the fancy light fixtures, 2 FULL bathrooms, and the huge backyard, we were hooked. We've had fun landscaping and re-doing the driveway. I think the exterior of our house has become like those squishy-faced dogs. So odd-looking that you can't help but love them.

Think about the small stuff. We have a front door and a back door (nifty, huh?). With no garage and no basement, we have to work super hard to keep our front yard picked up. Things like sidewalk salt, potting soil, wood-cutting tools (for the wood stove that is located right next to our front door) and other items we need for the front of the house all have to have a place. It would be nice to have a side entrance with a covered porch or deck area where we could neatly stack things in a corner somewhere. Things like this may seem minor, but several seemingly small annoyances could add up to one big, fat NO when it comes to what you want in a home.

   Location is another seemingly small detail that could mean BIG things. Our road is not a through street. I love it because it's quiet. I hate it because there is only one entrance and exit...and we are within walking distance of the Catholic church. You'd have better luck trying to get Taylor to cover a song with Kanye than getting out of our road after Mass on Saturday. Bah!

   If you've got a house in mind (and it's empty), take a look at the yard after it rains. If it's collecting lots of water, this could be a sign of a drainage problem- which could mean bigger issues in the future, especially if there's a basement.

Ask yourself, "is it move-in ready or MOVE IN READY?" We ended up adding some things to our house when we moved in...or at least within the year. A garbage disposal, a ceiling fan, an outside water spigot, a dimmer for the dining room light, hardwood floors, new blinds- those may seem like small details, but the expense adds up after a while.

   Something else you need to consider is how much work still needs to be finished? We looked at a house we really liked, but the sellers had bailed on the unfinished downstairs bathroom. It was unsightly and a bit of a mess. As busy newlyweds with no plumbing experience, that was a project we knew we weren't ready to tackle.

Be brave. We ended up saying "no" to several houses I LOVED. Unfortunately, buying a house is no time to be optimistic. Yes, that crack will get bigger. No, that family of possums living under the porch won't agree to pay rent. No, that horrible scent you smell isn't "coming from outside." Get to the bottom of it. Divide & Conquer, whatever you have to do...and then be prepared to say no.

Be realistic. If you have student loans, if you are driving the same car you drove out of college, if 1/2 price sushi is your idea of a night out then good for you. I think we're soul mates. Don't get me wrong, there is a small percent of 20 somethings who are making BIG BUCKS and swaggin' it up in million dollar townhomes. However, for every high rollin' newbie, there are 5 who made the same types of purchases and are struggling to make ends meet. Sure, they've got 5 bedrooms, but they've only got enough money to put furniture in one. Oh, that in ground pool you see? It's empty because they can't afford the chemicals to treat it.

How much fun is that?

   Chances are, you're looking for your starter home, and that's great. Don't let that get you down. Websites like Google Advisor have great home loan calculators that can tell you, roughly, what your monthly payment will be (don't forget about things like taxes, insurance and interest!)

   Your realtor may try to get you to look at a few houses that are somewhat out of your price range. Remember, at the end of the day, they've got commission on the brain, and you can't really fault them for that. However, stick to your guns. You'll get your laundry shoot/walkout basement/moat filled with crocodiles eventually! Remember, your starter house will also have a lot of good qualities that your next house won't! You'll miss those when they're gone. Trust me, I'm already mourning the loss of our giant maple tree!

Don't be afraid to negotiate. You'll be surprised by what sellers will agree to- especially if they've been sitting on the house for a while. When we bought our house, we insisted that the leaky fridge be fixed and inspected. My best friend from college purchased a condo with a really sweet fish tank/wall-insert-set up. She not only landed the fish tank and gorgeous accessories- she also go the fish to go with it!

Look at the foundation. We found a house I absolutely loved. Hardwood floors. Garage. Large Windows, quiet street... and a big, fat crack in the foundation of the basement. I wanted this house so badly, but in the end, we decided against it. A crack in the foundation wasn't something we were prepared to deal with, and no amount of hot glue or duct tape was going to fix it.

Consider the source. Our house is heated by propane. For the love of Pete, propane is expensive. If you are heating with propane or fuel oil, make sure you have a hefty amount in your savings for when the time comes to have your tanks filled. Unfortunately, my friend, this means adding money to your savings all year long! I know it's hard to fathom when it's 98 degrees and sunny outside, but eventually, the world is going to get quite chilly again. To the best of my knowledge, our company didn't have any kind of payment plan or even billing when it came to filling our tanks. We now use electric baseboard heaters, space heaters, and the wood stove, and we're much happier.

For the love of Pete, know what you're doing or find someone who does! Tim constantly amazes me with his knowledge when it comes to the business-world. He uses words like equity, A.P.R., and Escrow. I teach little kids how to read. Ask me the difference between zaner-bloser and d'nealian, and I'm your girl. I don't know about home loans. Do the research or find someone to help you along (a trusted friend or relative, not someone who is trying to make a buck off you). You won't regret it!

If you are the praying kind, then by all means, pray. Tim and I had a specific price in mind. When our realtor asked our price and called the sellers, the first words out of Tim's mouth were, "We should pray." One of my favorite memories of those early years involves us kneeling together at the foot of my bed praying that the sellers would take our offer at a specific price. It hasn't been an easy road, by any means, and I don't know what the future holds, but (fingers crossed), I think we found a winner.

Love and don't forget a good home inspection,
H.

My Sentiments Exactly

2011-06-18T05:54:00.000-07:00

source

Love & Record Player = top 5 purchases ever,
H.

2011-06-17T07:45:00.000-07:00

Click the photo to find out my next possible career move. Just kidding. Kind of.
You have to scroll down to get to the good stuff. I can't get that random space of nothingness to go away. Thoughts?

Love & html is my nemesis,
H.

Blessed Trinity or something like that.

2011-06-16T06:28:00.000-07:00

I have had a few thoughts sticking with me lately. The other day, I read an email from Focus on the Family. I have no idea how I got on their mailing list, but I heart James Dobson, so I'm good either way.

In this newsletter, it said, in short-

Accept Reality.

And I just really loved that. The other day, I was driving home from work wondering, "How is it that I have been 'out' of school for 8 days, and I'm STILL driving all the way to Georgetown?"

Out of nowhere, I just started breathing deeply, and repeating my own combination of God, Dr. Phil & Oprah.

I accept reality....

The Lord is working in my favor....

I will live in the present...

I am at peace...

I think it was the equivalent of my "Lord, I've gone crazy." prayer.

But you know what? It worked. I felt, significantly better.

I have accepted reality.

The Lord is working in my favor.

I am living in the present

and I do have peace.

You should try it next time you are feeling extra distressed. It worked like a charm.

Love and this is so going to be our kid someday,

H.

Linking up here

source

Wish I was Here Wednesday

2011-06-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

Mark my words, in the next 48 hours, Tim and I will read in our new hammock. And, there will be pancakes involved. And probably some kissing, but you didn't really need to know that.

Did I mention that OliviakCarter is lovely?

source
Love and I imagine it's hard to eat pancakes in a hammock,
H.

On knowing Your Moment

2011-06-13T08:56:00.000-07:00

In case you didn't know this, I am moving to Kindergarten. In case you also didn't know this, moving a classroom is like trying to move a small country. There are 1,000 things. 1,000 times 1,000.

After a week of cleaning/packing/unpacking/cleaning, believe it or not, I'm better now.

Circa...one week ago....

   There is something very emotional about cleaning out a classroom. I fell in love with Tim in that room. I moved out of my parents' house in that room. I went from "Bierly" to "Young" in that room, and I don't know that I'll ever be back. I pitched and sorted all kinds of things- things from college, things from my early years of teaching (or am I still IN my early years? Please say yes). Things that really, truly needed to be sorted and pitched. But they were still Things.

You know?

I'm excited about the idea of teaching kindergarten. I'm nervous. I'm excited because I love to read, and that's what we do in kindergarten. We learn to read. Words like look. go. see.

I see a...

I see a...

I

SEE.

Think of all the things those kiddos will see in their lifetimes, and I will teach them how to get it all down on paper.

However, in these anxiety-filled early days of getting used to my new position, I go from a day-dreamy state of...

"I will teach them how to read."

to a panic-stricken...

"I will teach them how to read!?!?!?!?"

   It's not that I don't have confidence in my abilities. I do. It's just that I'm very aware that we have a lot of work to do in a 9 month school year. Very aware.

   I have come to realize that whether it's pre-school music class or 11th grade chem. lab, teaching is a lot of pressure. It is hard, and it is important, and it is hard because it is important.

source

Yesterday, I thought to myself, "I am going to put on a record and clean the kitchen." In The Young House, when the mood strikes to CLEAN THE KITCHEN, you take advantage of it. Honestly, that mood doesn't come about very often. Sometimes, it gets done because it needs to get done* and sometimes, it decidedly...doesn't.

The first few measures of Hey Jude rang out, and at that moment, I very well could have cried Lake Huron.

But I held it in.

I held it in because I knew that if I started then I might not ever stop. And dinner wasn't going to cook itself. Isn't it funny, how we can sometimes control it like that?

Or so we think?

Stress. The truth is, change is stressful. Even the good kind.

This morning, I got in the shower, and I thought to myself, "Now would be a very good time to cry." I thought it was My Moment.

But, it was too late. The tears were, as Sabrina Ward Harrison would say, "stuck too far down."

And they have yet to come out.

So, Dear-Future-Maybe-Daughter, I encourage you to cry. When Your Moment presents itself**, take it. Because, "I'm crying and I just can't stop." is a whole heck of a lot better than, "stuck." Take it because, the truth of the matter is- Yes, my love. Eventually, you will stop.

All my love,
Mom

*Sometimes, I like to use the word, "done" even though I know it is supposed to be the word, "finished."

**And in case you were wondering, Your Moment will appear when you are alone or with someone you have trusted and loved for a long time. Be brave. Be bold. Do not cry when you don't get your way at work or your boyfriend won't hold your purse at Target and claim it is "Your Moment." That's a lousy excuse to behave badly. Do not abuse the incredibly cathartic "thing" that is Having a Moment. Then again, I'm sure I'll have raised you better than that.

A year ago on Yourstrulyh

2011-06-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

Click here to find out what I was up to a year ago to the date! Interestingly, so much of it still rings true.

Love and some things never change,
H.

Happy Saturday!

2011-06-11T06:08:00.000-07:00

You're welcome. I think the music is cuter for the 'bing' video, but 'grandma' couldn't figure out how to embed that one. Youtube to the rescue. Anyway, take your pick.

Love and I heart dogs,
H.

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/time-lapse-puppy-to-full-grown/20nf23ew?rel=msn&cpkey=ed102a58-b2f2-453f-ab08-fa749f85a8ab%7Ccats%7Cmsn%7C

Something New

2011-06-09T20:21:00.000-07:00

No time, no title

2011-06-03T17:11:00.000-07:00

   Long ago, I read a book called Letters to my Daughters by Mary Matalin. Recently, I listened to it on CD during my daily commute. I love Mary Matalin. Truly. I do. She worked as a White House Advisor for Dick Cheney, among other conservative, Republicans. She has two daughters, Matty & Emma, and she is married to Ragin' Cajun, James Carville who is, decidedly, A DEMOCRAT.

   Sometimes, when I really like a book/movie/real,live person, I get a little obsessive. I Google it/them. A lot. I cross reference and ask around and wikipedia the heck out of everything. It's super nerdy, I know.

However, I have been sitting on this quote all evening, and I couldn't help but share. This is Mary Matalin, on juggling marriage and politics.

   Since leaving the White House, I feel that I'm finally nurturing our marriage. We never talk politics—I believe what I believe and I think he is utterly, totally, completely wrong. But we agree about everything else. We run and work out together, we're food snobs, wine snobs. Recently we went to pick out cabinets, and then I went back and spent a half hour looking at knobs. I told James last night, "I'm in nirvana."

   There are days where I feel as if I'll make it. I can feel my grip loosening- just a little and then there are days where I fear I am absolutely, positively losing my mind.

The worry and the stress and the excitement of late August/Early September can be fantastic, if you let it be. It's all, "I've been up since 4am, this is my 8th cup of coffee and my 3rd phone call in 2 minutes, let's get this party started."

Whereas, the END of the school year is very much the opposite.

   The end of the year is very, "Walk out the door with my keys in my MOUTH, one shoe on and my hands full of 4th quarter reading grades, birdseed (for a project, of course), and a banana (for lunch, of course). Fishtail into the parking lot, drop keys, birdseed, and...other shoe on otherwise cluttered table...where's the attendance envelope? Where's the attendance envelope?

Where.is.the.attendance. envelope!?!?!?!

   Have you seen Diary of a Wimpy Kid? You should watch it. The kid's kind of a brat, but if you can get past that, it's cute. The movie starts with The Older Brother announcing that the poor main character is late for school. I have looked all over the interwebz for a preview or a video or a picture or what, but I just can't find anything. Well, get it on Netflix and watch the first 3 minutes or so...life right now is kind of like that.

source

Love and 34 Diagnostic Screening Measures to grade,
H.

Love and so NOT a hoarder

2011-05-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I posted my last grades for the 4th quarter.

Grades overwhelm me. Almost always.

Dear Grades, Let's take a 3 month break, mkay?

That reminds me of the beloved Friends plot where Ross & Rachel take "a break."

Ross always yells, "We were on a BREAK!"

Who else is with me?

There is a large basket of clean laundry next to Scarelett's bed. Part of a fitted sheet has toppled over INTO her bed so she is laying on the sheet...that's in her bed. It reminds me of something you would see on the show "Hoarders." It kind of makes me chuckle but in that "if you don't laugh, you'll cry" sort of way.

She does not have her collar on because she got a bath. Whenever her neck is naked, it always makes her look even more wild, I think.

Tim came home from his game still wearing his softball uniform.

Yowza.

Who doesn't love a man in uniform?

Love & for the love of Pete, would somebody clean this place up already?
H.

Blue Friday or Hashtag Overdose

2011-05-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

Today, I woke up at 7:10am.

I usually LEAVE the house around 6:45.

Yowza.

Today, Tim saw our neighbor's dog get hit and killed by a passing ambulance.

And today, I found out some sad & terrible news about someone we love.

I can't explain the grief and the ache that comes along with the realization that your life is holding true to All the Statistics.

Ache. Ache.

Today, I cried.

And I spoke into Tim's chest and said, "I think I need Mexican food. Lots and Lots of Mexican food."

So, we ate at our favorite place and even ended up with our most beloved waiter (he calls me Senora).

I drank obnoxious amounts of diet coke and bit as many tortilla chips into the shape of California as I could manage. I felt a little bit better.

But only a little. I didn't even finish all my rice, and I always finish my rice.

Like I said, ache. ache.

ache.

After thinking about that poor dog this whole crummy day, I hugged and hugged on Scarlett until she finally looked at me like, "Lay off already, would ya' Ma?" And I made her promise to stay out of the road (not that she is ever off leash in the front yard, anyway). Noel, of course, wasn't having ANY of it so we just loved on each other from a distance. It works for us, I think.

For you, on this sticky, Blue Friday- I am posting one of my favorite text message exchanges EVER.

Recently, Sweet Heather Marie and I had a conversation about Twitter/Facebook hashtags.

She just didn't get it. It just wouldn't click. I jokingly feigned disgust (even though I just found out about them about 6 months ago from a girl in my COLLEGE AGE Sunday School Class, no less).

I think sometimes I think I'm cooler than I actually am. Sigh.

Anyone else have this problem?

It went a little something like this:

(After venting loudly to her about a disagreement Tim & I had regarding a mutual friend's alma mater- which shall remain nameless-)

Me: So, I was wrong [she] totally DID go to [that one] High School! #eatinghumblepie

Heather: I'm SORRY #suckswhenyourhusbandisright

Me: Excellent delivery! You nailed it!

Heather: Thank you! #iamsoawesome

Me: lol #hopeitsgenetic

Heather: #gettingcarriedawaywiththis

source

Love and people posting Instant Message/Text convos. is usually my pet peeve,
H.

OR

Love and I hope you were as amused as I was,
H.

Arachnids, Al Qaeda and other stuff God loves

2011-05-19T20:04:00.000-07:00

It started out as a joke, calling them by Old People names. Something to build rapport and add a little pizzazz to our days.

Walter...Stewart...Gertrude...

And then there was Olive.

Tiny, pig-tail wearing Olive.

Olive, who on this chilly spring morning surprised the heck out of me by befriending a neighborhood spider, of all things.

In my experience, the grace period for a classroom insect is about 45 seconds. After that, the mortality rate increases dramatically. Too many tiny hands and heavy feet, all wanting to capture it and take the customary trip outside to let it loose- a glimpse of freedom for both the child and the newly rescued friend.

On this day, I was extraordinarily impatient. There is no swinging pendulum of excitement when a child finds an insect in the classroom. Spider, cricket, (gasp) cockroach, it may as well be a full grown monkey- it's all the same to them.

I had but on thought, "Let's.get.this.over.with."

"Come on, Olive. It's already dead."

To which she replied, "No. It's not."

She was not rude or disrespectful.

It was gentle. Full of hope.

You see. Olive saw something I didn't.

I just didn't know it at the time.

"Well, then it's almost dead."

My tone was short. There were baskets of books everywhere from the chase that had ensued, and now 16 children waited in the background with math journals open and just a scoopful of focus to last us the rest of the day.

We had, so to speak, bigger fish to fry.

She poked and prodded a little bit more until this pile of hairy legs and limbs was resting at the bottom of her pencil cup. Perfectly still.

Yet, she handled it so delicately- at one point, when the poking and prodding seemed ineffective, she grasped it with her tiny fingers- with such courage for someone so small- as if it were a cricket or a roly poly or a ladybug- something deemed "harmless" by adult's standards.

Strange as it may seem, it was the most beautiful thing I have seen in a long time.

And it got me thinking about Osama. I know he's been dead for weeks, but something about his death has just stayed with me. I am not the only person I know to have felt this. It's an odd feeling.

The news at our house unfolded as one of those "yell-across-the house" conversations. Tim in the guitar room and me in the kitchen- slicing strawberries and (probably) listening to records. At 11 o'clock at night, no less (if that gives you any insight into our lifestyle right now).

Sigh. My memory fails me.

But I do know the first words out of my mouth were, "Ha! Ha-ha! Finally" like a child who has just witnessed a bully getting punched.

Or something along those lines.

And then, a twinge of guilt, of uneasiness- unrest? That, I remember well.

I'm not going to tell you that I don't feel satisfied- like justice was served. I do. I think what goes around comes around.

Always.

There is part of me that is grateful. For karma and whatnot. For closure.

However, I cannot imagine the heartache of losing a son as God did when Osama died. My son who had not only strayed, but also my son who brought evil and havoc and such misery into the lives of my other children.

Surely, no one feels heartache the way God does.

The older I get, the more I realize that we have absolutely no grasp on reality when it comes to how much we are unconditionally, infinitely, unendingly, bravely, hopefully, amazingly, unarguably

Loved.

Sigh. Such loss.

With that being said, as hard as it is to fully understand sometimes, we are all children of God.

Spiders and Terrorists included.

Today, there was a spider in my bathroom. Large. Brown. Fast & Hairy. The fastest thing on 8 legs this side of the Mississippi. Or something like that.

I couldn't help but think of Osama and Olive and The Spider. *

So, for the first time in (ahem), 29 years, I saved a spider. I did not run. I did not avoid the bathroom. I simply breathed deeply and listened to the voice of God.

I channeled my Inner Olive.

And then I did a little grossed-out-jumpy-dance when it was all said and done. It's the thought that counts, I suppose.

Thanks, Olive. to you, I bestow 10 minutes of extra free time. Use them in good spider-saving health.

Love and I think Olive and The Spider sounds like an adorable Children's Book Title,
H.

Or

Love and Olive gives great hugs,
H.

* Please make no mistake- I compared Osama to the spider to show that God loves creepy, crawly bad guys just as much as He loves second grade girls. Not in an attempt to prove that they both should be set free/spared.

Whew. I feel better.

Love and so NOT a terrorist,
H.

It's raining cats and dogs

2011-05-17T18:59:00.000-07:00

Eee Gads. It is cold in my neck of the woods. And rainy to boot. Meh. The truly sad part is- IT HAS BEEN LIKE THIS FOR WEEKS.

Here. This will make you feel better.

source

http://www.flickr.com/photos/devlyn/919754971/

http://icanhascheezburger.com/

Love,

You and You and You belong to me

2011-05-08T18:48:00.000-07:00

For my birthday, Heather gave me a card to end all cards. It was amazing. It made me cry. Seriously. How can you top that? How, I ask. How!?!?

One of the lines read,

"And we know what only sisters can know-

that sticking together works for almost anything life can throw at us.

That we belong to each other in a way that we can never belong to anyone else..."

And honestly, that line has been rolling around in my head ~~all day~~ ever since.

So, I know that technically, this is supposed to be a post about Mothers, but in my heart, I know that line is true for so many of My Loves.

So, here's to Belonging to lots of different people in lots of different ways.

I am loved in a way that overwhelms me. In case you didn't know it, or don't feel it right now-

You.Are.Too.

With that being said, my mom is, hands down, the most selfless person I know.

Stumbled upon these two photos tonight, the last of the two made me cry. I am the tiny one with no hair.

Happy Mother's Day.

Love and that was the first time we met,
H.

Drafts Part One

2011-05-02T18:55:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I was scrolling through some of my old blogger drafts, and I found a post about why I'm thankful for socks and also one entitled "There is not a zombie in your bathroom."

Can you imagine? These posts that never saw the light of day, or in this case, your screen?

Unpublished.

You're welcome.

All joking aside, I've got a-thousand-and-six papers to grade.

Up next, a post about what in the world I've been doing with all my no-time-for-blogging-time and a piece about The Special-est Day Ever.

Oh yea, and we both had birthdays and went on a road trip. And I planted a garden.

I think you're all caught up.

All that, and my husband discovered Rebecca Black's song, Friday. In Chinese, no less. I'm not going to put a link up because it's just too terrible.

He keeps going, "Shing-shing-ay!"

And it's raining here. A lot. Like, things are under water that I have never seen underwater. You know, roads and stuff.

File this under: Things that should have stayed Drafts.*

If this were a piece of artwork, I would call it Dogs Plus Thunder Equals Sad Face

Love and random Asian lyrics in my head,
H.

*Or, I cannot believe I actually hit "Publish."

This is what I've been sitting on lately

2011-04-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

The American Food industry has taken us hostage. It has bombarded our arteries and kidnapped our loved ones long before their time. It has bullied it's way into our budgets, our pantries, and our belt loops. It has reared it's ugly head for far too long.

My name is Holly Bierly Young, and I'm fighting back.

Who else is with me?

Love and being kind of overly dramatic,
H.

OR

Love and I promise I went easy on the cheese,
H.

2011-04-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

Today is my 29th birthday. I walked a 5k with my sister in the rain and then I held Lucy (covered in a dry blanket of course) for a good long while.

Life is good.

Love,
H.

2011-04-12T15:56:00.000-07:00

She said she usually cried at least once a day not because she
was sad, but because the world was so beautiful & life was so short.

brian andreas

I just can't get enough of that wily brunette. Re-blogging from that corner of hers.

Love and more love,