On the Road Again.

It's that time of year.  Everyone is in the festive, holiday spirit, busily decorating trees and putting up lights on their homes.  People are braving the weather and the crowds to shop for that perfect gift for their special someone, and some are planning to give back to those in need, all the while making time to spend with family and friends.  I love everything about this holiday season of the year, except one thing....

TRAVEL.

Now, I want to state for the record that I absolutely LOVE my family and my in-laws.  No questions about that.  And I would climb mountains to see them...but...

When does all the traveling stop?  I realize tradition states that newly-wed-ish couples must do 99% of the traveling to see various and sundry family members, and said couple is absolutely expected to travel if they have previously chosen to move to a town away from their hometown.  I realize this.  But when does it change?  What I mean is this: I know that somewhere along the line, my own mother stopped dragging us to my grandmother's home for our "main" Christmas celebration.  I know this happened, because most of the traditions and memories I have of Christmas happened at my own home.

So, does the expectation of travel from your family stop when you have kids?  Or does it not happen until the kids are old enough to start realizing the concept of tradition?  And, why do I bother decorating oh-so-fervently for the holiday if no one comes here to see it?  Not to mention attempting to start traditions with just me and my husband...we are too busy trying to fit everyone ELSE into our holiday plans that we don't really have any kind of tradition other than those springing from our individual childhood memories.

Let me close by saying that I love to see all of our family.  I love going to Terri's house to see just how much we are alike in our decorating nuances (and secretly stealing ideas for next year....!).  Holding hands and praying over our Kern Christmas, Les singing numerous carols, watching some sort of Christmas movie late into the night all curled up on the couches together.  Likewise, I love going to my own home to participate in the tradition of the advent calendar, the white powdered doughnuts on Christmas morning, watching "It's a Wonderful Life" on Christmas Eve, etc.  My Christmas would not be complete without these things, but I wonder when it will be OUR time to create tradition?

Just some musings as I listen to my wonderful husband staple our Christmas lights up on the house in the 20 mph winds....what a tradition!  ;)

Please come see them.

;) 

A Letter:

Dear God,

Thank you for him:

And them:

Also, thanks for these people:

For these lovlies, too.

You've given me all I need, and the thanks goes to You.

Thank you,

Erin

PS: I almost forgot.  Thank you for this place, and please never take it away:

Pack of Rats.

For Christmas this year, Russell and I decided to do something a little different.  If given the choice (and the budget), we would both choose an experience over a tangible gift for any occasion where gift-giving exists.  Thus, this year we decided to become season ticket holders for the Tulsa PAC.  For a very reasonable price, we get to go to five different Broadway shows throughout the year.  This is the gift that literally keeps on giving, plus we both enjoy this venue very much.  (Isn't he so secure in his masculinity to admit this...hehe!).

Our first show of the season was today: The Rat Pack.  It was very different from anything I've seen in awhile.  I would describe it as more of a variety show than a musical.  The actors playing Frank, Dean and Sammy were incredible, and the 15 piece band backing them up was outstanding.  Very enjoyable date today!  

Here we are getting ready to head out to see The Rat Pack.  (I am really trying to take more pictures of the things we do as I feel life FLYING by...but I have got to get a better camera.  Ours is awful....)

At this point, we have resorted to taking pictures with our phones...didn't turn out great either, but, hey, it is reserved for posterity in any case.

Waiting on my love to bring me a Mr. Pibb before the show begins.

All in all, I am very glad we chose this as our gift to each other for Christmas.  It should be a fun year!  Merry Christmas to us!  ;)

PS:  Russell took this picture while driving (don't get me started on THAT lecture), but I had to show you...have you ever seen a car this tiny in the U.S.?  They are not uncommon at all in Europe where street/parking space is much more limited, but here...in the flat lands of Oklahoma???  I don't think my lanky husband could fit in here if he tried!

PPS:  If anyone has an recommendations on a reasonably priced and highly functional digital camera, please share.  I am desperate...

Ugliest Things I've Seen In Awhile.

Gag.  Say it ain't so...

Furry Crocs...for the colder months, I assume.  YUCK!  So sorry if anyone is in love with Crocs, but I find them to make women's feet quite clunky and duck-flipper-like.

I am disappointed in you, Target.  Shamey shame.

On another note, Glam Housewife, I saw this super cute Christmas tree skirt and thought of you.  It would match your shower curtain perfectly!  ;)  

The End.

Love Actually.

Thank you all for your kind words, thoughts and prayers for my gimpy husband.  He is recovering slowly, but he is recovering...that's the important thing.

During these past few crazy days spent in and out of the E.R. and the hospital room, it has been made keenly aware to me what the word "love" actually means to me.  Now, don't get me wrong; I love a good, sappy love story as much as the next.  However, the longer I'm married, the more I realize how I feel about the word "love."  During this scary time, for me love actually means...

-hobbling to the E.R. in the middle of the night with a scared and hurting husband draped over one arm, all the while thinking, "What if....what if....what if...."

-almost having a heart attack when a confusion regarding insurance coverage made it seem that we'd have to pay CASH for an E.R. stay, surgery and follow-up care in the hospital.  (Cleared up now...be still my heart!)

-being told that this was a routine surgery that would take about 30 minutes.......and at the 2 hour mark, wondering if, at that moment, something horrible had happened, if he might be gone.  True fear, right there, even for just that one moment.

-spending the night in the noisy hospital holding his hand and helping him hobble to the bathroom.

-droves of family and friends who love us and care about us, armed with food and hugs.

-laying in bed for two straight days watching only the movies he wants to watch.  That's love.  ;)

-sponge baths.  Enough said.

Not to sound trite, but I believe that love is an action, it is a choice, it is a lifestyle.  I choose not to believe that love is a feeling, because feelings come and go.  I choose to love, because he loves me.  I am no hero, nor am I an expert in love.

But events like this weekend remind us to make that choice all over again.

Appendix Out.

Please pray for Russell.  His appendix burst yesterday early in the morning, and he had surgery to have it removed.  The doctor said it was the worst case he had ever seen, and Russell will have quite the recovery ahead of him.  Apparently, his appendix was not in the normal spot, plus it was surrounded with old scar tissue from something (?), and it was seeping the yuckies all inside him.  He can now walk, so that is a plus.  

Please say a prayer for him as he is missing quite a few tests at school, and he is nervous about all of the school he will miss.  He needs to just rest and be peaceful right now.

Thank you for your prayers!   :)

PB&J.

A couple of weeks ago, our small group from church decided to do a short-term mission project that was a.) within our budget, and b.) within our community.  What are a bunch of newly-ish-weds to do for a mission project?  We made copious amounts of PB&J to pass out to the homeless and hungry in downtown Tulsa.  We knew this wouldn't change the world, necessarily, but that wasn't the point--we were to do something small scale and local...thus, PB&J!

Here we are at our house making said copious amounts of PB&J.

And here's the group downtown across from the BOK Center...right before we were asked to move to a different spot.  Apparently, even though the transportation center is closed on Sundays, we STILL couldn't give out free food on their property.  Geez!

All in all, it was a really humbling experience.  We were all out of our "comfort zones" as we attempted to make conversation with these people without sounding haughty or over-zealous.  I mean, what do you really talk about?  That was the struggle at first, but after we got a bit more comfortable in this situation, we were able to strike up a conversation with two men who were either brothers, cousins or best friends...we never really could tell.  One of them was an amazing artist who whipped up a sketch for us on the back of our sign.  The other man kept us company all afternoon, helpfully describing and introducing each person who walked by to pick up their sandwiches and lemonade.  We were able to pray together, talk, laugh and, most importantly, open our eyes a little wider to the needs surrounding us each and every day.

A part of me felt a little presumptuous to think that handing out a few sandwiches would even matter.  I mean, I feel sometimes that if you are going to attempt to make a change in the world, you must have to devote your entire body, soul, life and checkbook to doing so.  However, this showed me that even small, seemingly insignificant chances to do something good are also good.  I don't know what I'm saying, really.  I just didn't want to think that I could whip up a few sandwiches and then check "do good" off of my to-do list.  However, every small thing counts, I suppose.

Anyway, it was an interesting day...a good day.

 

A PB&J day!  :)

PS--Thanks to those of you who sent well-wishes this past week!  I'm feeling a bit better, and I will be venturing into the world again on Monday.  This whole bed-rest thing is waaaaay more boring than I thought it would be!  ;)

Bed Rest.

Yep. Bed rest for at least four days. Could be a ruptured disk. Could be something called a sciatic nerve (what...???), could just be a pinched nerve.

But the good ol' doc gave me some loopy pain pills, so I probably shouldn't be out and about attempting to influence the minds of the young and impressionable.

So, I'll stay parked on my couch for the next four days, which will be hard...because of this beauty:

We traded in the treadmill for a smoother, non-knee-grinding elliptical machine. We got a great deal, and Russell worked so hard to put it together for me...and now I can't use it.

Yet....

TLC & HGTV, here I come!

Back Out.

So, I have thrown out my back.  SERIOUSLY.  Like an old lady.

An old, old, OLD lady.

I literally have to walk bent halfway over holding my thighs.  I can't turn to the left very far.  I can't reach for anything without shooting hell-fire pains coursing through my spine and legs.

What the crap???!!!

All for some new hair color.

You see, I went to a friend's house to get some color foiled in for the fall (dark mocha, caramel, mmmmmm pretty!), and when I started to stand up after getting my hair washed out, something snapped in my left, lower back.  OUCH!

This was a week ago, but it is getting worse.  

On a related note, I suspect my pharmacy student husband to be attempting to use me as a lab experiment.  He has been suggesting all kinds of remedies, pills, treatments, explanations, etc. to heal the old lady within.

Nothing has worked.

Now, this is not to say that he is not a brilliant student who is making tremendous grades in his doctoral program that I could never, would never want to be a part of (the science/math part, that is).  I just think that HE thinks he is a witch doctor or something.

And now that song is stuck in my head.  "I told the witch doctor I was in love with you.  And then the witch doctor he told me what to do.  He said oo-ee-oo-aa-aa, ting, tang, walla walla bing bang...."

This post has been very stream of consciousness.  My apologies.  

It could be due to the amazing amounts of Advil, Ibuprofen and Aleve coursing through my very constricted body.

Ouchie.