Stillness.

"Be still and know that I am God."

Ps. 46:10

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.."

Ps. 37:7

We had a wonderful, wonderful Christmas. We spent the 23rd and Christmas Eve at Aaron's parent's, enjoyed the Christmas eve service with them and then headed to my parents for Christmas Day and the day after. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with family, celebration of the birth of our Savior, and we got some wonderful gifts. The Wii from Aaron's parents and my cookbooks from mine topped my lists. Be looking for some posts on my new cooking adventures!

But can I tell you a secret? I love the time after Christmas before New Year's almost more than Christmas holidays. When I was a child, the post-christmas absence of gifts and family was always a let down. All the excitement was gone and what did you have to look forward too? Now, I find the slower pace, lack of pressure to cook, buy and go a welcome reprieve. I want to hole up in my house and read, plan, reprioritize and organize to my little hearts content! My mind is spinning with ideas and thoughts of things I would like to do or do differently in the coming year. Right on cue, our lesson in Sunday School this morning was on learning to be still before the Lord. Priscilla Shirer, in her study "He Speaks to Me" used the example from John 6: 10 where Jesus, as he's about to feed the 5000, told the people to "sit down" so they could be fed. I have a hard time sitting down. But I have an even harder time stilling my mind. In fact, it seems like the stiller my body gets sometimes, the faster my mind goes. But, as Priscilla said, sometimes God needs us to sit down, and be still, so he can fill us up. More than I need anything, sometimes I just need to be filled. We run and go and do on empty so much! We end up settling for the leftovers and overflow of what God gives others instead of what He tells us personally. So, in this time of year, I'm trying to learn a little about stillness. And hopefully, in the coming year, I'll be able to find time for some stillness as well. I hope you do too! What do you do to find time to be still before the Lord? How has he worked through that time for you?

Baking and...mugs??

For me, growing up, Christmas included LOTS of baking. My mom literally starts in October, makes cookies or dough that she can freeze until closer to Christmas and bakes, and bakes, and bakes. I enjoy baking, but don't particularly relish starting in October. Mom gives most of her cookies away as gifts. I mean, come on folks. In keeping with the "unclutterer" theme from the last post, cookies are an excellent idea. Once you eat them, you no longer have anything to try and store! Really, how many Christmas mugs do you need? That said, since I wanted to make cookies as gifts (and I needed a lot of them for Aaron's sunday school teachers) I had to be a little discerning about what recipes to make. (Because I DIDN'T start in October...) Requirements were: 1. Taste good. 2. Make a lot in one batch. 3. Fairly uncomplicated recipe (read quick)

4. Look pretty without me having to spend hours decorating with icing.

I ended up with these three. Maybe next year I'll add a fourth. These are a little more complicated, but I love that they are red and green. Sound yummy too. I'll let you know. Anyway, these are what made the cut this year. The first two are tried and true favorites from the past year or two, the last a new addition for this year that will DEFINITELY be added to the list of "must bakes" each year.

1. Chocolate caramel cracker bars. Yummy. I love chocolate and caramel, these also have a hint of peanut butter. Can you go wrong with that combination? I submit that you cannot! Best of all...no bake. :) So easy and fool proof. You can get a batch done in 30 minutes!

2. Gingerbread cookies. I scrimp a little on the ginger, too much gives them too much "bite" for me. Now, I know I said "don't spend hours decorating with icing" was a requirement. I get around that by always baking them in snowflake shapes, and decorating is easy with simply white royal icing, as opposed to making it into twenty different colors and spending hours making intricate shapes.

3. Peppermint chocolate kisses. You have no idea how ecstatic I was to find this recipe. I have looked for a peppermint chocolate cookie recipe for the past several years. I've always felt a little let down by peppermint bark (not enough peppermint flavor, chocolate not quite right etc.) and other cookie variations that were too complicated, made too few and took too much time (i.e. peppermint sandwich cookies) or just weren't what I was looking for. These are AMAZING. The peppermint meringue is light and airy, practically melts in your mouth. Add the melted chocolate to the bottom and the crushed peppermint and you have a trifecta of chocolate peppermint goodness. They are adorable as well! Oh, and did I mention that one batch makes about 100 cookies?? Check, check and check!!

Now, I know I ragged on mugs. But, in defense of all mug givers out there, presentation is half the gift. So, I bought some white bakers boxes that were just the right size for what I needed. Aaron worked his photo shop magic and make a cute card. Add a pretty red ribbon and you have a lovely gift!

I know it's a little late...but Christmas caught up with me! I hope you had a good one!

Lately loving...

It's the Monday before Christmas. Despite all my best efforts, I still feel like I have a million and a half things to do. It doesn't help that I slept till 10:30 today either. Oh well. It's not like I have to go to bed early tonight.

My husband has made himself "scarce"...he doesn't like to hang around when I'm in "work mode". My primarily task oriented personality takes over and I can get very ummm...businesslike...when there is a lot to accomplish. I actually LIKE doing most of the tasks, baking, wrapping gifts...it's the extra laundry and getting the car serviced and things like that thrown in there that turn my mood a little sour. I'm trying to work on it. Which is why I'm here! I decided that doing a few extra fun, unnecessary things that I enjoy today and don't take up a ton of time will help my mood. So, here are a few things I'm really liking right now.

*This blog. Unclutterer. I really dislike clutter. I'm beginning to dislike it more and more. Buying a home and having a house and yard to maintain has taught me that you actually have to MAINTAIN those things. Who knew, right??? And while I enjoy those things, I've realized it can become a slippery slope from owning these things to things owning you. The blog really makes you think about what you value in life and working to make the "excess" as minimal and streamlined as possible. As a Christian, obviously you have to put on God's lenses here and focus on what He would have you value in life too. I'm pretty sure it isn't "stuff". Plus, in this economy, clutter is a huge waste not only of time but resources as well. Aaron says we don't have clutter. Suffice to say we have very different views on what clutter is. :)

*My sister-in-law sent me this. Awesomeness, with no clutter, and FREE. If you still have presents to wrap...check it out!

Now...off to check a few things off the to-do list. Have a great, productive, day!!

Another year older...

Does not necessarily mean another year wiser I've discovered. My birthday was actually yesterday and after all the well-wishes from so many people and a drop in visit from another far-off friend on Wednesday, I realized more than ever how much I have to be thankful for. I post a lot of times on things I see that I want or think are pretty. But, in reality, I have a lot to be grateful and thankful for already. So, in honor of my 28 years, here are 28 things (or people) I'm thankful for. Please note that these are in no particular order!

1. God. Or rather, the fact that not only did He love me enough to send his son to die for me and my sins that one time, but he constantly pursues a relationship with me and works in my life. The greatest joy and adventure I can ever think of has been my relationship with God.

2. My husband. He loves me, leads me, thinks I'm beautiful without makup on and in a sweatshirt, puts up with me and brings a lot of humor, joy, and information into my life. I can't imagine life without him!

3. My Daddy. They say we all get our view of God based on our fathers. He has always been there to love me, guide me and correct me and consequently I expect the same things from God. I am confident I would not be the person I am today without his leadership in life. I also can not remember a day in my life that I did not see my father sit down and read his bible. He was the fifth grade sunday school teacher who had us memorize the books of the bible. (He still does that by the way.)

4. My Mama. Words can't ever really begin to describe how daughters feel about mothers, but I'll try. She is the most serving, creative, loving, kind, smart, beautiful woman I know. We always have a good time together. I learned so much from her over the years. Not just how to sew and cook, but how to be submissive to your husband and serve your family, and to just get in there and try something sometimes! There also hasn't been a day of my life I didn't see her sit down to read her Bible. That says a lot!

5. My Granny. I'm really thankful for all of the kind, loving and smart grandparents I was blessed with. But my Granny is the one I've still got the pleasure of enjoying this side of heaven. She's a hoot, loves me more and thinks more of me than I really deserve (that's what grandparents are for right?) and has spoiled me exceedingly in my 28 years. Life would not be the same without her. I love, love, love laughing with her, talking with her and just spending time with her. And, sixty years down the road, if I'm doing as well as she is I will count myself VERY blessed.

6. My father-in-law, Dan. I would not have my husband without his parents, nor would he be as wonderful as he is if his parents were not the wonderful people they are. I'm so grateful that he had Dan as his guide and example in life. He is a godly, kind, loving, brilliant man who has always put his family first. And, he has always made me feel like one of the family.

7. My mother-in-law, Claire. While I would never dare to compare my mother to my mother-in-law, because they are two very different women and each wonderful in their own right, my mother-in-law is the same in all the essentials if you ask me. She is also godly, loving, understanding, creative, and serving. She has made me feel welcomed into her family. She also gets credit for making my husband into the wonderful man he is today. I always enjoy spending time with her!

8. My wonderful siblings (natural born and in-laws:) John, Jennifer, Kirsten and Mike. You are all great people that I enjoy being around. Not everyone can say that!

9. My adorable and fun nieces and nephew. They just bring so much joy to life and keep us adults from becoming sticks in the mud!

10. The friends I've accumulated thorough out life that have somehow managed to remain my friends! Aaron and I have been blessed to maintain friendships from states away, move to another state and still manage to find more people who love us, accept us and care for us. They have been there for me through weddings, moving, being away from family, and moving again. They pray for us and encourage us. Spending time with them and talking with them is often just what we need to regain a little perspective on life and give us the boost we need to face the challenges ahead.

11. In addition to that, I have to say, I'm thankful for the internet!! It makes it so easy to keep up with people! Information is so easy to find, and it can also, if used correctly, help you reduce clutter! Think about it, encyclopedia sets are now almost obsolete, you can store movies and pictures online...it's amazing! Plus, there is the added benefit of online shopping. I love the fact that I can sit in the quiet and comfort of my own home and, with a little pre-planning, have just about whatever I need delivered to my doorstep. It beats fighting crowds and driving to stores any day of the week!

12. The priviledge of leading bible studies. I really enjoy doing it and getting to walk alongside other women as we take on the great adventure that is the Christian life. I am always pleased and surprised at who I get to know and how they teach me and bless my life. It's amazing!

13. My education. This has just hit me recently, because I've seen what life can be like without it. I'm not just talking about college (which, I'm VERY grateful for) but even basic high school education that a lot of people lack.

14. Books. For all my talk about reducing clutter, I'm having a hard time switching to a "kindle" or similar thing just because, well, I think I need an actual book to hold! But beyond that I am very fond of the written word, and it's power to take us places, teach us things and connect us to people and provide us experiences we would never be able to have otherwise.

15. My granny's farm and the fact that I got to spend all summer every summer of my childhood there, playing, reading, walking in the woods, swimming in the creek, helping take care of the cows and being the carefree child sometimes it seems like you can only be on a farm. To have that uniterrupted time to spend with my Granny and Papa was also a wonderful blessing. It is still a refuge to me. I wish I could find the time to get there for an uninterrupted week and try and recapture some of that carefree childhood!

16. My job. Well, both my jobs. In this economy, who isn't thankful for their jobs? But I'm doubly blessed to have two, that I also happen to enjoy (for the most part).

17. My kitty cats! They are so much company and entertainment, and they make home feel that much more like home.

18. My home. Not only is it shelter, but it is comfortable and happy. I agree with the Ikea commercial it's "the most important place in the world". God really blessed us with this house.

19. My iPhone. I have digressed to some shallower thanks, but cut me some slack folks! There are 28 things on this list! In all seriousness, I was running the other day, after dusk (mom, my neighborhood is safe and it gets dark at 5:00 for crying out loud!) and I had, in one small piece of equipment, my music, my phone, and a flashlight. Really people! It is probably the best piece of technology we have ever bought. It even has a kindle app to ease me into the digital reader world without having to pay $300 for an actual Kindle! If you have one or get one, you'll know what I mean.

20. The Bible. God's LIVING word to us. You can read the same verse a million times and God can still use it to teach you something different. You can spend your whole life studying it and never plumb all it's depths. It's the greatest love story ever told. Need I say more?

21. All the amazing people growing up who took the time to teach me about the Bible, and how to study it for myself. Sunday school teachers, Jeff, Malea, my parents, thank you!

22. Coke zero. Again, superficial I know, but definately worth mentioning. Tastes almost like the real coke minus the 180 calories per can. Nothing will ever top a real coke, but Coke zero is a blessing for those of us who are "calorie minded".

23. The fact that I live in America. Regardless of how you feel about the current politicians in office, we still live in a free society, where we feel safe saying what we feel, doing what we want, working towards whatever job we so desire, and practicing the religion we believe in. Not only that, but even amid our current economic state, we are still the most prosperous nation on earth. Few people around the world are able to say even half of those things.

24. I guess I should say my health? I mean, I'm still ONLY 28, but aside from allergies, I really have no health problems. I have all my limbs and faculties about me. Those are all very very important things we take for granted on a daily basis.

25. I'm very grateful for the time I had in Texas. I learned so much there. The job I had gave me so much experience, and the time away from family really "knit" Aaron and I together as a young married couple. God really used that time to prepare us for other things and teach us some important things about himself that we probably would have been to distracted to realize had we not been that far away from the familiar. The friendships we have from there are also a blessing. But, I've already talked some about that... :)

26. The trip to the beach we got to take this summer with my parents and Aaron's parents. It was so nice to just relax and get to spend an entire week with them uninterrupted and with no one worrying about the house or demands of everyday life. I fully realize how rare it is to have parents on opposite sides of the family who get along, much less are willing to spend a week with each other in a condo! I heard my dad tell some stories I never heard before! It's one of those trips you'll always look back on with fond memories.

27. The invention of the DVR. Again, another superficial thing, but to be able to record TV shows (like idol, Glee, Smallville, and various other shows) and watch them or re-watch them whenever I feel like it practically commercial free is a wonderful wonderful thing. Aaron and I are to the point now that we wait to start watching a show we've recorded until it's almost over just so we can fast-forward through the commercials.

28. That I have so much to be thankful for! I've had so many great memories and experiences and met so many great people in my humble 28 years. It makes me look forward to what future years will bring! I know not what the future holds, but I know who holds the future. He has a plan to prosper me! One of my favorite verses: I am still confident of this, I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord. Be strong, and take heart, and wait for the Lord. Ps 27:13-14

Whiteport

I discovered this little gem of a store today. An entire store based on a white color palette...when do I move in?? J/k! But seriously, I am adding one of these to my wish list. You know the one...the one where you put all the things you would get if you had a million dollars? But since you don't, and probably won't ever, you resign yourself to being happy that you know those things just exist in the universe somewhere. I keep a running one over at anthropologie as well. Are you generous and have around $900.00 to spare? If so, my birthday is this week. I'd love to meet you! Please, and Thank You. Just in case you were wondering, it's called a "vintage bus scroll" and would look lovely in just about any room of your home!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

We managed to squeeze in decorating this past week. It makes me happy to see the house all festive! Next on the list...the smell of christmas cookies baking. Yumm.... I hope things are nice and "Christmasy" at your house as well!

Quote

This quote from the song "flesh and bone" by Matt Maher has been running through my head since I heard it earlier today. I had a conversation with a co-worker yesterday. It came up that I am a "pastors wife". She asked me if I felt a lot of pressure to be "perfect". My answer was that I certainly feel like I'm held to a higher standard, and I'm conscious of that. But, shouldn't all Christians be? I also try very hard to simply be myself and let others know that God has to work on and in me as well. Matt seemed to sum it up pretty well.

"I'm dying to believe, I'm trying just to show, that we're less than perfect, more than flesh and bone."

new...

So, Aaron and I never watched American Idol for like the first four or five seasons. Then, one year I was home sick while they were doing all the auditions. To kill time, we watched all the auditions, then, well, we were hooked. The first season we really got into was the David's battle. Archie vs. Cook. This past year, we were really pulling for Kris Allen. I liked him from about halfway through the season. Every week his talent surprised me. Now, I'm not knocking Adam Lambert's talent in any way. The boy can sing. But, his style was very not me. Plus, Kris was something of an underdog. I always felt like he didn't get enough credit, so I was super glad when he won. Not to mention, I had a tiny crush on him. :) What can I say. I like the dark haired, guitar playing type. Especially this guy...

Anyway, the one thing I don't always like so much about idol is that you have to wait what seems like forever for the winners to release their albums. Today Kris's album was released! Yeah! New music to listen to while driving for the holidays! Pretty good. It even helped make cleaning the bathroom today a little less dismal.

Into the woods...

Okay, so I've been checking my "fall list" off one by one. This past weekend Aaron and I finally got to go camping. We went for the first time back in college with a great, albeit varied, group of friends.

Aaron has been back several times since then, but I haven't been able to. This weekend we braved the cold...and it was a COLD Friday night, for a beautiful saturday in the woods. We could not have asked for better weather on Saturday, and the break from the day to day grind and time away was something we both desperately needed. There is something about nature that just points my soul back to God and reminds me of everything truly worth something in life. Here are some pictures from our weekend...

As you can tell, there were some steep climbs. But the ending views were totally worth it.

It took yours truly a little while to warm up!

We went home happier, refreshed and ready to face the week!

Wonderful Weekend

It has been a wonderful weekend! We started off with a quiet Friday night, and the new Smallville episode was quite good. Saturday, we had friends over for Halloween. I don't know about you, but to me, Halloween is one of those holidays that is just no fun without kids. Our neighborhood is just what I always imagined trick-or-treating would be. Tons of kids, running house to house, people having parties, there was even a golf cart pulling a trailer full of hay bales with kids jumping on and off at different houses. So, using that as a lure, we invited our friends April and Doug and their kids and my our friends Michelle and Kenny. Michelle brought her daughter Julie along too. We had a great time carving pumpkins, trick-or-treating and generally hanging out. There were plans to roast marshmallows and make s'mores, but sadly the generally damp weather literally put a wet blanket on those plans!

Carving pumpkins.

Pumpkin carnage.

The finished products.

My little guy is on the left. Funny, I cleaned out three large pumpkins, but only ended up getting to carve one of the little guys. Oh well!

Aaron's masterpiece. He had to go show everyone up!

Julie and little Gabe.

Gabe keeping an eye on the grilling outside for us. Poor Doug grilled hamburgers and hot dogs in the drizzle while Aaron finished his masterpiece of a pumpkin. Thanks Doug!

My homemade pretzels. They are yummy! I just discovered this little goody a few weeks ago. For the recipe, go here.

We have here Annie, Woody (minus his hat) and Buzz from the lovely Toy Story. Preparing for the great trick-or-treating or as Grant (Buzz) thought, "going to get halloween".

To further emphasize my point that we get tons of trick-or-treaters, this is what we started with. I bought the big tootsie roll mix bag and the hershey's mix bag with reeses, kitkat, hershey bars and whoppers. I always buy candy I really like because in my experience, there is always a lot left...usually. Not here ladies and gents. We were out of this before 8:00pm. I went trick-or-treating with Doug, April and the kids. Aaron stayed home and passed out candy with Kenny and Michelle. There was apparently one little guy who did not have the appropriate trick-or-treating etiquette for Aaron. The kid banged and banged on the door, then didn't even say "trick-or-treat" or anything just stuck his bag up in the air. Then he saw a Reeses cup in the bowl and said "Oohh, Reeses! And went to grab it." Aaron pulled the bowl back and said, "Excuse me, but I give you the candy." To his credit he gave him two Reeses, but followed it up with "See, that's what happens when you ask." Life lessons from trick-or-treating at the Hill house. Just trying to make the world a better place folks...

April and me. Horrible picture of me.

Our crew at a house. We had to coach Grant on his trick-or-treating etiquette. At first he was banging on the door until it opened, and then he wanted to go in the house. After telling him to just knock once, wait for the door to open, and then say "trick-or-treat!" he did really good though.

Gabe wasn't too sure what it was all about. He knew one thing though, he wasn't going to let go of his bucket of candy!

Grant did really well, but got tired after a little while. April and I rotated between who would carry him for the last two blocks. He wanted his "cup". Poor worn out Buzz...

Me and my buddy Grant at the end of the night. I think I was more worn out than he was!

So, Halloween was a hit. Today was great as well. We got an "extra" hour of sleep, and I really enjoyed Sunday School and church this morning. I got a good nap this afternoon. The sun came out today and finally dried things off a bit, and with it getting dark earlier, Aaron and I decided to put the fire pit to good use. So, we ended the day roasting marshmallows, and talking over the fire outside. Here's hoping this is the start of an equally great week!

the cleaning sickness.

Ladies and gentlemen, there is something wrong with me. Seriously. I came home today after working and set to work on my usual weekly house cleaning routine. I picked up randomly strewn objects and put them away, and started dusting. After dusting in the dining room I happened to look out the door onto the screened in porch. I thought, man, I need to sweep and wipe the furniture down out there. So I open the door to go do those things, when I notice how nasty the door is. So, I clean all the panes of glass in the door and wipe down the outside. I'm so pleased with the results of that effort that I decide to clean all my windows. An hour later I'm on a ladder, precariously perched trying to get to the top of my bedroom window. I had to actually tell myself that clean window panes were not worth a visit to the ER, and that I needed to stop. Besides the fact that if something did happen, Aaron would probably report me missing before he looked on that side of the house for me. (It's all hidden in trees and shrubbery). So, I stopped. Well, I stopped cleaning the windows. I also cleaned the bathroom and dusted. Here's the crazy part. All of that gives me the most wonderful sense of satisfaction...that I may, MAY actually be able to report that perhaps I enjoyed this process?! What is wrong with me!

A Day in the Life...

Today was one of THOSE days. So, I thought I'd share. Maybe it'll make you feel better about YOUR day!

5:00am- yes, AM. Alarm goes off. I have the best intentions for getting up, exercising, doing bible study and prayer time with God. Unhurried, unrushed, and starting my day off calm and collected, ahead of things. Sadly, a warm, comfortable bed + flannel sheets+ good dreams+ a snoring husband= turning off the alarm and falling back asleep.

6:00am - into bathroom. check weather on iphone. decide what to wear. usual shower/dressing/getting ready routine ensues.

6:45am- out of bathroom, feed cats, do about 30 minutes of bible study.

7:15am- out the door to work.

7:25 am- arrive at work. check in, check mail box, boot up computer, look in purse to get cash to pay for breakfast in the school cafeteria. I'm super glad that the one day of the year when I had no groceries and decide to buy breakfast and lunch, they are serving sausage biscuits! Realize that my wallet is in fact, not in my purse. Also realize that I left it in my hospital work bag from Saturday. Realize I drove around all day sunday without my license. Brilliant. Thank God for the protection there.

7:35 am- swallow pride and go to cafeteria, get yummy sausage biscuit and ask the nice cafeteria lady if I can pay her tomorrow. Thankfully she understands. I go enjoy my biscuit.

7:45 am- the morning business starts. check work email, a few students filter in to tell me about their wounds from the weekend...bumped heads, bruises, etc. I send them on to class.

8:30 am- begin the lovely lice checks. I have 12 to do...over the course of the day I only get 8 done. I clear none of them. Grrrr.......

10:30am- worn out from lice checks...unable to force myself to call another student up for one. Decide to start calling all the absentee's. Have to send the document to the network printer 5 times before it acutally prints. Each time I have to walk back and forth between the lounge and my office.

11:20am- done calling absentee's. In between I've seen a few sick students. None so sick they needed to go home. Go to cafeteria to get a lunch...opt for the salad with sliced peaches instead of the pizza. Again, very grateful to the cafeteria lady for being understanding and taking a rain check for my meal! Eat lunch.

12:00pm- Pass out meds, give breathing treatment.

12:30pm- do one more lice check. Another student comes in just as I'm finishing up. While she rests in the clinic, a lady I spoke to over the course of my absentee list calls back to apologize for being "rude". She expresses concerns over the situation of the student I called about. End up having to have a meeting with principal and counselor over getting the social worker involved.

1:15pm- finally call the mom about the lice. She tells me basically that I don't know what I'm talking about, that her physicians office told her that the lice shampoos kill the nits. I tell her that I'm sorry, the physicians office is misinformed. She tells me to check online. I tell her I have, and that I'll send information home from a few websites I've been to.

1:25pm- Triumphantly print out information from the CDC website backing me up. Highlight key phrases for her. Take information to students classroom and put it in her notebook marked "from the nurse."

1:30pm- take care of several lost teeth, one who was pulled probably a little to soon in an effort to make sure it came out at school so she would get a tooth necklace. Count up numbers of visits for the day and the number of students out with flu, email to my supervisor, hand out a few afternoon meds, and shut down my computer in an effort to speed up my exit later.

2:40pm- have to go to a classroom where a student tripped, fell, hit her knee and now apparently "can't walk". Hmmm....knee is slightly red, she is currently sitting in the desk crying. Give her an ice pack, assure her she is not seriously injured and that her knee will be fine. Note home to her mom about what happened.

2:45- to van duty. The next thirty minutes ensue with lots of: "Can I use the restroom?" "Can I get some water?" "May I go to the library?" "What's wrong with the fish?" "Can I look at the fish?" "Can I borrow a pencil?" "Tell him to stop looking at me!" My responses included but are not limited to: "No, you may not." "Yes, you may." "Every day you ask me for a pencil. When are you going to remember that you need to bring one? No you may not borrow it." "No, you may not borrow it, stop asking me." "Sit down." "Talk softer." "If you don't want him to look at you why did you sit directly in front of him?" "The fish is dead. No, I don't know why." "No, you may not go to the library, stop asking me."

3:30pm- home to pick up wallet and head to wal -mart for groceries.

4:00pm- get to wal-mart. realize that I left my list sitting on my desk at work. Frantically try to make a list of what I remember was on the list. The fire pit I wanted, and they said was in stock, is not in stock. Lovely.

4:15pm- good friend calls, talk to her while I shop.

5:00pm- check out, head home. unload car. Aaron gets home, helps. Buy fire pit online, have to pay way too much to get it here by saturday.

5:30pm- start on dinner. chicken pot pie! All is going well until the crust. I used the flour for the double crust pie and the shortening for the single crust pie. Brilliant again Natalie. Make it work, (It was too late to add in the additional shortening). Pray for a decent crust. Clean up kitchen, sweep kitchen floor, pack lunch, clean up mail, sit down for a few minutes.

6:25pm- eat. Aaron leaves afterwards to head back up to the church to make phone calls.

7:00pm- start dishwasher. finish cleaning up kitchen.

7:15pm- hot bath, finish bible study from this morning I couldn't finish then. Amazingly enough it's on budgeting your time and making time to seek God in prayer. Make mental note to actually get up at 5:00 tomorrow. Pray. check email, read blogs. Blog myself.

8:30pm- call in to this "webinar" thing I signed up to do at work on healthier options for school fundraisers. (i.e. not cookies dough or chicken biscuit sales). Find out the call is not toll-free. Disconnect! Finish blog...turn out lights and go to bed early. Thank God for a productive, disaster free day. Pray for a better one tomorrow.

Good night!

Aaron and Natalie...

Okay, so I want to post, but don't have the energy or inspiration to post anything super deep at this point. My friend Renee recently did a "list" on her daughter Bailey that was super cute. Today my friend April did a list on her and her hubby that apparently she found on someone else's blog and is making it's way around the internet. While I always desire to be original and creative and new, this seemed fun. So, I'm jumping on the list wagon! I always enjoy reading these anyway. Hopefully you will too.

What are your middle names?

Aaron's is Matthew, mine is Bailey. I did not have a middle name growing up. Mom wanted to name me Natalie Edna, after her grandmother, but my dad vetoed that. After that I don't think they could decide, and mom didn't have a middle name until she got married, neither did her mom before her, so they just didn't give me one. Bailey is becoming a popular name though, so I guess it was a good last name to have become my middle name.

How long have you been together?

We dated three years and have been married five. Eight total. Man!

How long did you know each other before you started dating?

Almost a year. We had mutual friends, (I almost dated his roommate, he did date a girl who had become one of my best friends...still love her by the way...) then finally became friends, and then started dating. The story is kind of funny. Aaron wanted to ask me out in the fall of our freshman year, but he did it in a round about way to where I ended up saying that "I didn't feel like God wanted me to date anyone right now." Which was the truth! We got together when God was ready for us to.

Who asked who out?

Umm...he didn't really ask me out, he asked if he could kiss me. :)

Who made the first move?

It's kind of funny, again...you can totally tell we were 19. We were at a big concert in Atlanta called "music midtown." He kept me from being run over by a group of too hot mosh-pitters and then to stay together to weave through the crowd he held my hand. After there was no crowd he didn't let go of my hand...

How old are each of you?

27. I'll be 28 in December though and Aaron won't be until May.

Did you go to the same school?

We went to, and met, at the same college.

Are you from the same home town?

No. I'm from Warner Robins, Aaron's from Augusta.

Who is the smartest?

Definitely Aaron. He's probably the smartest person I know!

Who majored in what?

Aaron: Rhetoric in undergrad, Christian education in graduate school.

Me: Nursing.

Who is the most sensitive?

Me. I care a lot about what people think of me. My moods are easily swayed by the moods of others, and I tend to take on their concerns. It's not too hard to hurt my feelings. I'm not going to say Aaron could care less, because that's not true at all, he does care a lot about people. I think he's just more secure in who he is and things roll off of him easier. Over the course of our marriage he has taught me to be a little more thick-skinned (a necessary thing in ministry) and I have taught him to be a little more tactful. (Also a necessary thing in ministry!)

Where do you eat out most as a couple?

Chick-fil-A. We also order pizza in a lot.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?

Texas.

Who has the worst temper?

That would be me. Most people are surprised by this. When you really get to know me, I can get mad quickly, but if Aaron gets upset and raises his voice...you better check yourself!

How many children do you want?

I would like two. Aaron wants more like four or five. I figure we need to have one, and go from there....:) Either way, we both are looking forward to a family some day.

Who does the cooking?

Me! I enjoy cooking. Aaron is good at heating things up.

Who is more social?

I'm an introvert. Aaron is an extrovert. Therefore he is more social. However, again, over the course of our marriage he has become less social and I have become more so.

Who is the neat freak?

That would be me. Hands down! Clutter and disorganization stresses me out. While Aaron likes and appreciates cleanness, it isn't nearly as necessary for him as it is for me. (Sometimes I think he likes and appreciates it because I'm easier to live with when things are clean and in order.)

Who is the most stubborn?

We are both pretty stubborn but in different ways. Aaron will argue a point with you until he is blue in the face. I'm happy to agree to disagree. But, if it comes to doing something I'm going to fight to do it the way I want and make it work.

Who wakes up earlier?

Me. I rarely sleep past nine and start to turn into a pumpkin after midnight. Aaron could stay up until the wee hours of the morning and sleep until noon. Needless to say we hardly ever go to bed at the same time.

Where was your first date?

I guess our first official date was a picnic in Warner Robins.

Who has the bigger family?

We have the same size immediate family. Two parents and one sibling of the opposite sex who are each married and have two kids. Aaron has the larger extended family. His mom has four siblings each with multiple kids. My mom was an only child...both our dad's just had one brother. We are very blessed that both of our families are good, fun, loving people.

Do you get flowers often?

I buy them for myself pretty often, but Aaron hasn't bought me any since my first day of nursing five years ago. Probably partly because I buy them for myself. He does other sweet things for me though.

How do you spend the holidays?

We try to split them evenly between each of our families. We see each of them for part of each holiday and we are trying to alternate which family we actually spend Thanksgiving day and Christmas Day with each year.

Who is more jealous?

I think Aaron. He wants to protect me. I take it as a compliment when other women check him out! What can I say, I trust him.

How long did it take to get serious?

Since we were friends before we started dating there wasn't much "casual dating" because we already knew each other. We were exclusive the whole time we dated, but we didn't start talking about future plans until about nine months after we started dating.

Who eats more?

Aaron. He laughs at the portions I eat...

What do you do for a living?

I'm a school nurse. I also pick up shifts on an as needed basis in the ICU at the local hospital. I don't want to loose my clinical skills. Aaron is the "Pastor of Involvement" at a Baptist church. His job is help people get involved and connected into the church. He focuses a lot on small groups (sunday school, wednesday night discipleship classes) and ministry teams.

Who does the laundry?

I am the one who remembers it needs to be done every week, sorts it and washes it. Aaron is very good at helping me fold it and get it put away. Which is the worst part of the laundry if you ask me!

Who's better with the computer?

Aaron, hands down. I know how to do things on it, but Aaron knows how the programs actually work behind the scenes and how to trouble shoot. He's also a photo shop genius, is very creative with graphic design and he loves fonts. Yes fonts. We'll be out in public somewhere and he can tell you what font this certain sign is printed in.

Who drives when you are together?

Aaron most of the time. He's not one of those guys who always has to drive though. He likes for me to drive him sometimes.

What is "your song"?

"Drops of Jupiter" by Train, "I'll be" by Edwin McCain, "Smile" by Chris Rice and "Tell her this" by Del Amitri.

I'm so blessed that the "hottie" from my theatrical heritage class, first semester freshman year of college fell in love with me, and still loves me after five years of marriage. I love him more now that I did on our wedding day five years ago. We are opposites is just about every way possible, but God has used him in my life to help me become a better version of myself. You rock baby!