Afternoon in the City & Evening at Wrigley...

Yesterday we spent a mid-week afternoon in the city. After wandering about for a little, we had dinner at Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Co. Ahhh...fabulous food! Highly recommended.

After dinner we caught the 'L' north and headed towards the Addison stop. When we entered the subway, we were a bit uncertain which track we needed to be on & began looking for a map. Within seconds, upon looking across the track to a view of white/blue/red jerseys & hats we decided we could skip the map, it was obvious the direction of the Cubs game :)

The weather was simply incredible; a great night to spend at the ballpark. We had been given tickets from a friend of Blake's and our box seats were up high behind home plate; a great view of the game. The game itself was a bit boring (only 5 hits and the Cubs lost 2-1) but it was a nice mid-week break from the 'ordinary' and fun just to be together.

Whatever You're Doing (Sanctus Real)...

I've heard this song playing on the local radio station several times throughout the past few weeks. As the radio played in the background of my days, on several occasions I thought, "Wow! This song is good. I wonder what it's called?" and realized it was the same song that caught my attention time & again. I looked up the lyrics and realized WHY. The words (at least many of them) were echoing my heart. I often find listening to music more impactful than reading thru the lyrics so here's a link to listen/view the music video if you'd like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06AgY5Xoavw. AND...if any of you would be willing to offer assistance on how to post the actual video right on my blog (instead of only the address link) I would love help in figuring this out for future posts. Thanks!

"Whatever You're doing inside of me. It feels like chaos...but somehow there's peace. It's hard to surrend to what I can't see; but I'm giving in to something heavenly." Zechariah 13:9 says, "I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, THey are my people and they will say, The Lord is our God." What an illustration of God's grace & love as He allows us to feel the 'chaos of our lives' so we may more confidently declare, "The Lord is OUR God!"

It's Me, I'm Back...Again!

It has been a hectic week or so but I am back...back to my home computer that is. I spent last week at my parent's farm in Metamora. From sun-up to sun-down (or at least it felt like that at times!) I worked alongside my parents: schucking & freezing sweet corn, blanching & slicing peaches, baling hay (actually, I only drove the tractor thru the field instead of working the rack), picking up sticks/branches from a hefty windstorm, mowing the farmyard, setting up a booth at the State Fair, etc. Whew! By the end of the week, I was exhausted! I think God knew what He was doing when He hooked me up with a physical therapist instead of a farmer!

On Saturday, my 'little' sister coordinated a family baby shower for us & Alexander. A good time was had by all! Here's a picture of my sis, Brenda & her husband, Mike along with Blake and I. And I double-pinky swear, we did NOT attempt to coordinate our outfits. Kind of crazy, huh?

This is a picture of a diaper cake made by my cousin (at least, its the top portion of the cake). It was pretty amazing what all she included in this fun & functional creation. If you squeeze the puppy's nose he barks & pants. With all this cutting-edge technology I am hoping perhaps this will 'count' as a real puppy for quite some time before Alexander (along with his Daddy) starts begging for the REAL thing.

Ten Commandments for Beating Busyness...

I am finding myself in a bit of a 'writing slump' -- it's not for lack of thoughts swirling about my head/heart but I am fearful that if I try to compose some emotional/inspirational post right now that everything will come forth in a nasty mess of words & emotions and frighten you all away. So, until I can get a handle on all of that, I am going to share some practical advice I read in Focus on the Family magazine recently.

Spending a week in the much slower-paced Mexican culture this past week only accentuated the rapid rushing about of our American culture. Most of us are busy, busy, busy. And while it is acceptable to be going about the work of God, without clearly defined priorities it is hard to discern which choices are best & which are best left alone. The following quotes got me to thinking: "The really idle man gets nowhere. The perpetually busy man does not get much further." (Sir Heneage Ogilvie) and "The whole point of getting things done is knowing what to leave undone." (Oswald Chambers).

And then this list challenged me to make priorities which bring honor to God. Entitled "The 10 Commandments for Beating Busyness." THOU SHALT:

1. connect heart-to-heart with your family each week
2. let the Holy Spirit lead you
3. be fruitful & productive, not simply busy
4. take rest seriously -- for me this is huge 'ole CHECK; I take my sleep VERY seriously!
5. use all your vacation time every year
6. commit your time off soley to non-work activities
7. have fun at least once a week -- this one shouldn't be hard but I definitely have room for improvement
8. eat regulary, preferrably sitting down -- my Mom quotes this one OFTEN, specifically the 'sitting down' part :)
9. exercise regularly
10. use technology to gain time NOT consume it

Lots on My Mind...

While the weather outside is somewhat calm, a lazy summer day, inside (my heart & mind) feels a bit more like a whirlwind. I hope to post more details later but right now I cannot put much into words.

I simply wanted to let you know that my 'blog absence' is due to us being in Magdalena, MX for the past week and ask for your prayers that my hubby quickly recovers from whatever illness he picked up while there.

I thought, too, I would share with you my favorite picture from our week at the orphanage, my friend Gwen getting up-close-and-personal with a tarantula the girls found nearby our dorms.

Blueberry Pie Recipe...

It's fresh blueberry season; at least that's the case in Indiana. I bought 10lbs a few weeks ago and have been making yummy treats for family & friends. One of my favorite recipes - easy & delicious - is a fresh blueberry pie.

3/4 cup water

3 T. cornstarch

2 T. light Karo syrup

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup blueberries (fresh)

1/2 pkg. unflavored gelatin (moistened)

5 cups blueberries (fresh)

Cook the first 5 ingredients until thick, blue/clear looking. Moisten gelatin with just a dash of water, add to the mixture & remove from heat. Cool. Add remaining fresh blueberries and pour into a baked pie crust. Chill at least 1 hour.

If you have a favorite blueberry recipe, feel free to share in the Comments section. I hope to get another box or two before the season is over and would love to try something new.

My First EVER Baby Shower...

This past Saturday was my first ever baby shower! I felt like THE MOST loved person in the world. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! to each & everyone who came...who rejoiced with me, cried with me, laughed with me (and will continue to do so) on this journey to little Alexander.

The hostesses out-did themselves with amazing decorations & fun games/devotions/readings & fabulous food! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! for sharing in my life in such a manner that you orchestrated the details of this event in such a way that was SO...well, so me! Your kindness was evident down to the smallest of the details.

The gifts were incredible & much appreciated. Blankets & bags. Sippy cups & safety stuff. Mattresses & sheets. Toys. Outfits. Bibs. Diapers. And books...how I love books! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! for your generosity & for helping us to prepare our home for the day when our little Alex comes to live here.

EXPLANATION FOR BELOW PICTURE. Blake was out-of-town for several days at a conference in Atlanta so I hauled all the gifts in and arranged them in the nursery so he could share in the fun/excitement of the gifts we received when he returned. I figure I will find appropriate places for each items closer to the date when our little occupant will be moving in :)