What I Learned-February

I had so much fun writing last months “What I learned” that I thought I would jump on board again this time!  February really felt like a short month and yet I definitely feel like there were a lot of big learning curves as well as fun things to learn too!

1. The Olympics are my favorite, but I learned that I do have a limit of watching…I eventually hit the: “We need to do something else!” stage!  But all in all, I loved being able to see the athletes and the competition.  Plus, my husband likes them too! Even Boaz loved all the times he got to either “watch” or sleep on us.

Boaz is so high maintenance.

2. There are SO many baby options for everything. I’ve started bookmarking a few things and my Pinterest page is growing!

3. This baby loves to move and I am in love with baby feet.  One of my favorite ultrasound pictures definitely was the one with cute little feet.  Not too surprising because I have always taken feet pictures wherever I travel.

Speaking of, I’m ready to be back in Africa… 🙂

4. I definitely have a bump and people have noticed. Maternity clothes are around the corner.  Not yet, but definitely soon!

Oh and how cute is this picture with my husband.

5. My limit of handling winter is getting shorter.  I am longing for walks and runs outside.

6. It’s okay to spend money to take care of me (even when I’d rather spend the money elsewhere!) and to do things afraid. I definitely had to be open to making this decision and to God’s promptings.

7. Downton Abbey turned into a perfect thing to watch while on the treadmill with Boaz! And I will say that I was thankful for a “happier” ending than last season.

8. Communication is ever a learning process, but worth the hard work.

9. Even though February is a “short” month, we totally used all of our grocery budget to make good food early in the month.  Next month, I might need to spread things out a bit!

10. This salad dressing is delicious. 

11. The book of Numbers hasn’t been nearly as hard to read as I thought it would be this time around and I am loving reading Romans this month.  (I’ve been using this plan since I think July last year and have been more or less reading a day or two or three at a time.  I love getting to read out of 4 different books each day.)

12. Baby names are hard to pick!  But I am loving all the potential names and options…I may or may not be a name hoarder.

What did you learn this month?

What’s Up Wednesday

hearing Boaz crunch on an apple that I deemed too old for me to eat

seeing the book of Luke and my DSM book

thinking that I’m ready for spring and to be able to go outside!

doing bible reading, breaking free, and a final exam

looking forward to seeing sigur ros, going to virginia, and planning another vacay

feeling content and happy to have Boaz home

touching the wooden chairs my grandmother made

missing africa and friends

thankful for being able to sleep in, cereal, pretty wedding pictures, marriage, friends, sunlight, mountains

excited about going to the mountains again

coming up easter, spring, and ally & levi coming home!

something old the shorts i’m wearing that i love

something new a super soft liberty sweatshirt that i got for free

something blue Boaz’s chew toy

5 Minute Fridays!

Here we go…joining in late on the party since I am finally done with a week of class and am waiting at the airport for my flight home!  5 minutes of writing, no editing, no perfectionism…just plain fun free writing allowed on one little word.

Cherished

Cherished. I can list all the things that I currently cherish, but something that I have cherished puts me smack dab in the middle of a dream daying reverie as I sit here in the airport with the sun shining down on the fresh coat of snow.  This week reminded me so much how I have cherished the friendships and people that I met in Greece.  Oh how I absolutely loved getting to spend a week with four of them and room with them while we all dove headlong into diagnosing and assessing.  God has so wonderfully blessed me with friends literally around the world and across the country.  We each came from a different part.  My little bear from Arizona who squealed and had SO much fun in the snow since she’s never seen it like this.  My North Carolinian mama acorn bear who drove us around and added all sorts of southern fun like ya’ll into my vocabulary plus she gave us all these fun nicknames.  My little hummingbird from Florida with her cute little pregnant belly.  Plus, me, the one from Minnesota who talks in her sleep and makes a nice little dinosaur squeal.  We’re all different and all from different backgrounds, but all able to relate and encourage and build each other up.  In the midst of crazy coursework, He’s blessed us with sweet time together before sending us back out.

Welcome to Africa, love

Snowflakes dust the deck

Welcome to Africa, love

Summer is winter

*(In)Courage challenge to soar and create beauty: Write a haiku. Head over there and join in on the fun!

Turning

Turning the calendar to August, the eighth month, means many things…

1. Next Step summer interns leave on Thursday.
2. Outreach Season ends
3. This next week means performing a skit at LaunchPad assemblies to promote the after-school discipleship classes we teach since classes start up soon.
4. My parents come this month.
5. Term 4 starts
6. 125 days until the internship ends.
7. New beginnings
8. 30 day shred
9. Memorizing: Romans 12:1-2, I Corinthians 6:19-20, Proverbs 15:32-33, I Corinthians 9:25-27
10. Saying hello to self control and discipline to turn the other way from sin
11. Saying good-bye to July and hopefully winter soon
12. Missing one of my best friend’s weddings
13. Hope and expectancy for what’s to come
14. Tearing down walls
15. Meteor showers

Brrrr

Cold weather in Africa? What? Yep. I even saw frost on the ground when I ran this morning. Not to mention the ridiculous winds. I felt like the wind almost blew me over a few times. Can I have summer back?