"Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving,
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms."
Psalm 95:2
Thanksgiving this year was a wonderful celebration with friends and family - including all of the traditional elements, and a few new additions. Turkey, mashed potatoes, pie...and soup. We're petitioning to my parents to start a new holiday called "Soup Day" after this year's Thanksgiving, when after having a fabulous traditional turkey dinner with the in-laws, we had varieties of soup at my parent's house. It was the perfect balance of holiday food!
Then we slept little, shopped a lot, and decorated like crazy for Christmas (because clearly, Thanksgiving is partially the celebration of the beginning of the Christmas season).
But sincerely, it is a blessing to have a day set aside to remember to be thankful. We are a blessed society - and a blessed people. Me more than most - so, here are some things I'm thankful for, and desire to remember to be thankful for...because we truly are blessed.
1. My Family - all of them...
2. My Husband - though under the umbrella of #1, he gets his own category. Rob is the best and I learn more each day how privileged I am that he is choosing to spend his life with me.
3. Friends - like family, those kindred spirits who choose you to do life together.
4. My Country - freedom, democracy, capitalism, and those who fight to maintain our country which was built on biblical principles for the glory of the Lord.
5. Jobs - the ability to work and find satisfaction in doing something valuable
6. My Home - a place to call our own - which God clearly provided for us almost a year ago - is truly something to be thankful for.
7. Food - it's the best and I love it.
8. Silliness/Fun - we have been created to be unnecessarily fun and have humors reflecting the Lord Himself (just look at the duck-billed platypus) - pretty legit!
9. Sleep - as a particular source of joy for me, and the reminder of our daily dependence on God.
and most importantly...
10. Christ Himself - the source of all things that we have been given. The provider of all things, Christ is our Savior, who put aside the privileges of His deity to come to earth, live a sinless life, and die on our behalf...exchanging His perfection for our imperfection, so that we might be eligible for eternal life with Him through faith in His sacrifice. I will never fully understand, but remain overwhelmingly thankful.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Chum.
Found out VERY recently that "chum" is chopped up fish thrown in an ocean - which I had heard before, but thought was a joke.
I feel like I should've googled that one.
I feel like I should've googled that one.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Big News.
Well, we feel like we should officially announce that Rob and I are pregnant!
We're only 9.5 weeks, but everything looks good right now and we're basically tired of not being able to tell people. So, at the end of June, Lord willing, we will have our first child!!!
We're calling it Chum. On Monday, we were able to go to the doctors and see Chum through an ultrasound. It's the size of a green olive - but (go figure), Chum was being uncooperative during and moving around during the ultrasound...so, we got a couple of pictures, but they're not the best. Chum basically looks like a blob - but a blob that has a head, abdomen, and strong beating heart!
So, "Hello, Chum." And don't worry - this won't be a pregnancy blog. But we'll keep you updated with any big developments.
We're only 9.5 weeks, but everything looks good right now and we're basically tired of not being able to tell people. So, at the end of June, Lord willing, we will have our first child!!!
We're calling it Chum. On Monday, we were able to go to the doctors and see Chum through an ultrasound. It's the size of a green olive - but (go figure), Chum was being uncooperative during and moving around during the ultrasound...so, we got a couple of pictures, but they're not the best. Chum basically looks like a blob - but a blob that has a head, abdomen, and strong beating heart!
So, "Hello, Chum." And don't worry - this won't be a pregnancy blog. But we'll keep you updated with any big developments.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Country Music
In the past few months, we've been listening to a lot of country music.
Here's the epic problem with country music. It all fits into one of three categories:
1. Likable - catchy, fun, charming even.
2. Obnoxious - annoying, poor grammar, offensive subject-matter, or grinding "vocals" (i.e. "I'm pretty good at drinking beer" - "Lover, Lover, Lover...you don't treat me no good no more")
3. Sob Story - designed to either make you weep in 3.5 minutes or feel like a monster for not weeping in said 3.5 minutes (i.e. the one about the old guy who has watched his whole family die because he's outlived them. Major buzz kill.)
Bottom line, for every great country song, there are several bad ones...but that hasn't seemed to stop me from changing the station to country, just to check what's playing, every 20 seconds as I drive anywhere.
What are your favorite country songs?
Here's the epic problem with country music. It all fits into one of three categories:
1. Likable - catchy, fun, charming even.
2. Obnoxious - annoying, poor grammar, offensive subject-matter, or grinding "vocals" (i.e. "I'm pretty good at drinking beer" - "Lover, Lover, Lover...you don't treat me no good no more")
3. Sob Story - designed to either make you weep in 3.5 minutes or feel like a monster for not weeping in said 3.5 minutes (i.e. the one about the old guy who has watched his whole family die because he's outlived them. Major buzz kill.)
Bottom line, for every great country song, there are several bad ones...but that hasn't seemed to stop me from changing the station to country, just to check what's playing, every 20 seconds as I drive anywhere.
What are your favorite country songs?
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Paul McCartney
In college, I developed somewhat of a "Bucket List." I haven't taken it very seriously - as the list itself is safely filed in an old computer that may or may not even work.
But I've just thought of something that I MUST do before I die that I should probably start actively pursuing.
I must see Paul McCartney live in concert before I die...or before he dies, for that matter. To be honest, there's a timeframe I'm working in with this one - he may not be a Bill Cosby who still performs in his seventies (who, by the way, is still great - though getting a little forgetful).
A friend of mine recently lent me an awesome Paul McCartney CD recorded live in New York City. This initiated my need to see him in real life. Unfortunately, Paul isn't performing in America anytime soon - but is twice this month in Sao Paulo (which I wish I would've known about - since we have great friends who live there...I would totally fly halfway across the world to visit friends AND see Paul).
At one point, I did tell Rob that if Paul McCartney autographed my body I would get it tattooed. And I would. He's the only person alive who fits in that category - so please don't worry that I'm some kind of celebrity obsessed weirdo who would permanently mark myself with someone's autograph. But for Paul I would.
If you hear that Paul is performing in America - particularly on the East Coast - please keep me posted!
Is there anyone who's autograph you would get tattooed?
But I've just thought of something that I MUST do before I die that I should probably start actively pursuing.
I must see Paul McCartney live in concert before I die...or before he dies, for that matter. To be honest, there's a timeframe I'm working in with this one - he may not be a Bill Cosby who still performs in his seventies (who, by the way, is still great - though getting a little forgetful).
A friend of mine recently lent me an awesome Paul McCartney CD recorded live in New York City. This initiated my need to see him in real life. Unfortunately, Paul isn't performing in America anytime soon - but is twice this month in Sao Paulo (which I wish I would've known about - since we have great friends who live there...I would totally fly halfway across the world to visit friends AND see Paul).
At one point, I did tell Rob that if Paul McCartney autographed my body I would get it tattooed. And I would. He's the only person alive who fits in that category - so please don't worry that I'm some kind of celebrity obsessed weirdo who would permanently mark myself with someone's autograph. But for Paul I would.
If you hear that Paul is performing in America - particularly on the East Coast - please keep me posted!
Is there anyone who's autograph you would get tattooed?
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Blog Awkwardness
There's an awkwardness with blogging. It's the whole social networking mentality that what we're thinking or have going on in our lives is so special that everyone else must want to know about it.
We struggled on the decision whether or not to blog for this very reason: do people really want to know what's going on in our lives, or is that super arrogant?
Basically, we came to the conclusion that we'll throw it out there, and it's up to you to read or not to read.
We're no more exciting or interesting than anyone else. But everyone blogs, and with friends and family all over the country (and world), we'll do our best to keep you updated on our life...and as the reader, you choose what to do with it. Hopefully we won't come across as though we think we're somehow particularly interesting, but that we'd like to stay connected with the world. Just take it with a grain (or several grains) of salt.
We struggled on the decision whether or not to blog for this very reason: do people really want to know what's going on in our lives, or is that super arrogant?
Basically, we came to the conclusion that we'll throw it out there, and it's up to you to read or not to read.
We're no more exciting or interesting than anyone else. But everyone blogs, and with friends and family all over the country (and world), we'll do our best to keep you updated on our life...and as the reader, you choose what to do with it. Hopefully we won't come across as though we think we're somehow particularly interesting, but that we'd like to stay connected with the world. Just take it with a grain (or several grains) of salt.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Blog Titles
Okay. So, Rob and I decided to start a blog.
We quickly found out, there's a tremendous amount of pressure in coming up with a blog title.
Some people have the gift of coming up with creative titles for books and movies that don't exist, but would be funny if they did. I do not have that gift. While I have zero credibility on the subject-matter, it seems as though it's relatively easy to think of blog entries, capturing your own thoughts and experiences. But coming up with a name to define the compilation of thoughts and experiences...giant pain in the buttocks.
From our brainstorming, here were our top contenders for blog titles...but ones we ultimately rejected:
Eventually, Rob thought of "Hello, Chum."
When we were at the beach a couple of years ago, as we walked from the beach to the beach house, a nice normal looking family passed by on bikes. They were the really cute nuclear family with little tennis outfits and visors, biking together on their family vacation. As they came toward us on their bikes, the young son cheerfully yelled (yes, in a scary old man Brisith accent - think pirate) "Hellllloooo, Chum!"
It was funny - and the kid's parents looked super embarrassed, as though their crazy British pirate kid had lost his little mind right then and there.
Lacking the social graces we needed, our whole family burst out laughing - loudly - at the chum kid. Since then, we have had a great affinity for this expression and that particular memory.
Seems fitting for a blog title - a cordial greeting to all of our chums who are graciously spending their valuable time reading the compilation of our thoughts and experiences.
We quickly found out, there's a tremendous amount of pressure in coming up with a blog title.
Some people have the gift of coming up with creative titles for books and movies that don't exist, but would be funny if they did. I do not have that gift. While I have zero credibility on the subject-matter, it seems as though it's relatively easy to think of blog entries, capturing your own thoughts and experiences. But coming up with a name to define the compilation of thoughts and experiences...giant pain in the buttocks.
From our brainstorming, here were our top contenders for blog titles...but ones we ultimately rejected:
- DeGrooters - Too simple. And pointed.
- A Day In 'D' Life - My personal favorite, because of the Beatle connection with the "D" incorporated. Rob said it's been done. He's right.
- Rooty Tooty Fresh and DeGrooty - Another winner, but long. And, we didn't want to be the Tooty DeGrootys. Not how we want to be thought of.
- D's Days - Again with the "D", but think Jamaican accent.
- DeGroot Salute - We're not really saluting anything. It just rhymes.
Eventually, Rob thought of "Hello, Chum."
When we were at the beach a couple of years ago, as we walked from the beach to the beach house, a nice normal looking family passed by on bikes. They were the really cute nuclear family with little tennis outfits and visors, biking together on their family vacation. As they came toward us on their bikes, the young son cheerfully yelled (yes, in a scary old man Brisith accent - think pirate) "Hellllloooo, Chum!"
It was funny - and the kid's parents looked super embarrassed, as though their crazy British pirate kid had lost his little mind right then and there.
Lacking the social graces we needed, our whole family burst out laughing - loudly - at the chum kid. Since then, we have had a great affinity for this expression and that particular memory.
Seems fitting for a blog title - a cordial greeting to all of our chums who are graciously spending their valuable time reading the compilation of our thoughts and experiences.
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