Best. Apples. Ever.

So, I was hanging with my mom yesterday, and she introduced me to the most amazing piece of fruit I have ever tasted in my life.

Honeycrisp apples.

Seriously. If you haven't tried one, go do so. Right now. Mind you, you may want to split one with a friend, because these babies are as big as grapefruits, (and as I did some research, are a man-made cross-pollination), but, boy, are they delicious. Perfect texture, perfect sweetness. So good that I didn't want to ruin them with peanut butter or caramel.

I'm so happy that something so healthy can be so yummy!

NaNoWriMo...I'm Doing It!

Don't mistake the exclamation point in the title for enthusiasm. It's more of a, "What the heck am I getting myself into?!"

NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, is a way for aspiring authors to attempt to write the novel they always say they will but never get around to doing. (Sound familiar?) It provides accountability, kicks in the pants, and encouragement to just go for it and finish that novel...IN ONE MONTH.

I've signed up, made a profile, and am staring at the website with apprehension. Novel planning. Daily word counts. Sweating over a keyboard. Eek!

Weirdly (or not so weirdly), I've often done my best writing under pressure. So maybe this will be appropriate pressure to get myself out of my writing rut caused by grad school and start doing something I once loved and that I believe that God gifted me with to use for Him.

 Pray for me! Here is the website, if you are interested in what NaNoWriMo is all about. http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/dashboard

Organization Attempt!

In an effort to be a good housewife even with a full time job, and channeling my inner elementary school teacher, I have made the chart below to keep myself organized. Tidy-up can mean anything, from cleaning the bathroom to vacuuming to general de-cluttering--I'm basically letting it happen on as-needed basis. For every job complete, I will put a sticker (I love stickers!) in the appropriate box. This will be placed on my fridge. Sunday does not have any chores because that day is for Jesus (though it's not like I won't do a devotion on Sunday). My goal is that if the whole thing is filled up for a week, I will treat myself to a reward; I'm thinking a new book. Prayers for this working for me are appreciated!

PS: Can I also be excited that I figured out how to save my chart as a picture to include on the blog?? :-)

Just Keep Swimming!

Well, I still have my job. Thanks for the prayers. I did not get the letter of reprimand, so now it's just a matter of keeping up the good work and improving where I still have weaknesses. One of those is developing more friendly working/social relationships with people, which is something I am not good at it. I tend to approach a job, sort of keep my head down at it, and then go home. It just doesn't work in this office, and makes people think I'm stuck up, and then a know-it-all if I do end up saying something, particularly if I express an opinion. Maybe I just shouldn't express any opinions. Sigh. Now, how I balance that without participating in conversations that I know I shouldn't participate in as a Christian is the big question. We'll see how it works out.

Cooper is job-searching yet again; his internship ends on November 19. We are praying for something full time so I can eventually be the stay-at-home wife/potential future mom. It may be out of the state, which is sort of scary but exciting at the same time. But God has brought us through this sort of thing before so I know He can do it again.

Otherwise, life moves along and we do our best to be obedient and faithful to the Lord, even if that's not in any flashy way. We're really pretty boring. But I trust the Lord is using us. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

Musicals and Mayhem

I've been a long while in updating...sorry about that! As Hello Dolly approached opening weekend, we had non-stop rehearsals. It was pretty intense. But now it's over (sad/happy thing), and some pictures of the fun (thanks Alia and Cooper!) appear below. I would like to audition for something else in the future, though maybe not with FLOC; not super interested in the doctrinely-weird Jesus Christ, Superstar that they're doing next.

Another reason I haven't written much is because I've been really stressed out with work. Without getting into too much painful detail (though many readers may already know the circumstances as I sent out family/close friends an email about it), I've been given a letter of warning, which is the first step in deciding whether to fire someone. I've been working my tail off and praying to correct what I'm doing wrong (not a big sin issue or anything, I'm mostly just not very cut out to be a receptionist...which reminds me of a great Pam quote from The Office: "I just don't think many little girls grow up dreaming that they will be a receptionist!" ). Needless to say, I need prayer to do well at my job and be Christ's example in everything I do. If you think of it, please pray for me.

In general, life is a bit difficult at the moment. I'll just be real about that. It seems like one of those seasons fraught with little trials and little frustrations that sort of add up and can be overwhelming, but I'm comforted by the grace of Jesus, His unconditional acceptance of me, the knowledge that He is in sovereign control and has ordained these trials, and it doesn't hurt to sing to myself a verse of my favorite hymn now and then (Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken):

Man may trouble and distress me
'Twill but drive me to Thy breast
Life with trials hard may press me
Heaven will bring me sweeter rest
O 'tis not in grief to harm me
While Thy love is left to me
Oh, 'twere not in joy to charm me
Were that joy unmixed with Thee
  
And crying on my sweet husband's shoulder always helps too. :-)

Me after the show, in my flapper-like ensemble. These photos are in no particular order.

Sunday Clothes! My dance partner, David, was really nice and kind of reminded me of my Pop-Pop.

Heather and I, as Harmonia Garden entertainment, carrying a large boar's head on a platter. Mmmmm.

My tango partner, Kevin. We really deserved that trophy all along. :-D

The cast on stage for the finale ultimo/bows.

It takes a woman/all powered and pink/to joyously clean out/the drain in the sink...

Before the Parade Passes By

Dancing waiter blurs! I'm one of those blurs, getting to resurrect my ballet skills (or what little ever existed of them)

The courthouse scene...It was all Mr. Vandergelder's fault.

My dear friend Alia and I, old roomies, and we got to be "twins" in the show.

During our first attempt at this shot, Brian, aka Cornelius Hackle, added himself to the picture.

Alia, Brian, and Suzy (Dolly) got a funny bit.

My favorite dance partner, Cooper.

More Parade

Dancing with a tray...I am twice the age of the rest of the corps de ballet. :-)

My Parade moment

Zion Adventures

Well all, Cooper and I are back in one piece from our camping adventure in Zion National Park with our extended-ish family: the Lanting/Vaughan/Young/Fitt clan. All in all, it was a successful, fun, and (mostly) relaxing trip. I had a lot of fun, though I am very glad to be home, showered, and looking forward to a soft, comfy bed tonight before reality commences again tomorrow. Here are some highlights of the trip:

As soon as we got into the park (for FREE, I might add, since Cooper works for the park service), we happened upon this big horn sheep...

...and its baby!

Cooper and I at the trailhead for Angel's Landing. We are hiking to the top of the rock that is sticking up behind us. GULP.

The views were great the whole way up. It was very hot though; we started the hike too late. Here is one of my many breaks in the shade.

Cooper has a tendency to go off-trail and explore.

Walter's Wiggles, the name for the crazy-steep switch-backs right before you get to the saddle, are notorious for how strenuous they are. I had the idea of wiggling at the end of each switchback as a motivational tool.

They frequently warn people not to do this hike if you are afraid of heights. There are good reasons for this.

A lot of people stop here. The sign reads: Strenous climb. Narrow route with cliff exposures. Hazardous during thunderstorms, and ice/snow conditions.

And in case you weren't deterred by the previous sign, this one a few yards ahead says that since 2004, 6 people have died from falls on this hike. The number six was changeable. GULP again. We were not deterred.

Cooper got this shot of me contemplating my insanity.

One of the drop-offs. I'm feeling a little vertigo just looking at the picture.

Praise God, someone had the brilliant idea of anchoring chains on the trail to the summit in the worst spots. I held onto those blessed chains for dear life. Seriously, if you don't know where you're going after you die, don't hike this trail!!

Cooper, of course, my hiking hero, cool as a cucumber for both of us.

The summit! We made it!

Picture proof that we survived.

Back on the lower ground the next day, taking a short trail with my adorable 7-month old niecey-poo, a cheerful camper.

It's gorgeous there.

We spent lots of time in the river near our campsite. This is Aimee pushing around one of the two-year-old twins in a floaty toy.

4-year-old Elijah on the crocodile.

Anne, my favorite 6-year-old.

The rope swing that both adults and kids tried.

Daring Peter!

I eventually tried it too. I was worried I wouldn't have time to plug my nose before the plunge. I'm not good at that breathing out of my nose thing under water. Fortunately, I did.

Crazy husband.

Anne splashing Cooper

Caleb, my brother-in-law, and wonderful Kale'a!

Grace and 2-year-old Ransom.

Aaaack! She's so squee-worthy!

Julie, Laura's (my sister-in-law) mom, and 2-year-old Berea, one of the twins.

Aimee with her nephew and youngest camper, Judah.

Anne is a good big sister.

We ran out of coffee and had only whole beans, so Andy and Aimee (Laura's brother and sister), grind them up. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Evening at our campsite was just lovely...it finally cooled off!

A last hike the night before we left. Me, Caleb, Laura, and Mike (Cooper took the picture).

Zion sunset.

The only thing we did that I don't have pictures of is tubing down the Virgin River outside of the park. I went on this trek thinking it would be a gentle float, but the minor rapids caused me once to lose my tube, and the second time to get dunked under for a few seconds, coming up coughing and sputtering and very bruised. According to those who went with me, I fell off backwards and head first, so apparently God was keeping me safe as my head was just fine. In fact, both my hat AND sunglasses stayed on through the whole ordeal! I really ought not to worry that He is watching out for me, and yet I do so often. Ed Young, awesome guy, suggested I end the trip there, walk with him up to the road, and wait for the rest of the party to finish up. I agreed, and despite some epic leg and knee bruises, I had fun tubing, and hope to try it again with more realistic expectations.

PS: To those readers of this blog who were on the trip and would like pictures, you are free to steal them from here, but I have many more that I have not added for the sake of space that I will send to you all in an email.