Say "Hi!" Sunday II

I'm participating in Say "Hi!" Sunday hosted by Three P's in a Pod again this week! :) I like this because it's a very simple blog party, and it's a fun way to find new blog friends. It's really not complicated . . . at all . . . just hop on over, link up, visit some other links, and say, "Hi!"

I decided that on my blog, I'm going to combine this little party with a Scripture every Sunday. Because Sunday should be about rest and fellowship and worship and the Word!

This Sunday, our chaplain spoke on these verses from Romans:

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Romans 12:9-13 (NIV)

I also love the way the Message puts it:

Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.
Romans 12:9-13 (MSG)

Getting ready to hit the sack! Another Monday is nearly upon us :)

<3,

Say "Hi!" Sunday

This is my first Sunday participating in Say "Hi!" Sunday hosted by Three P's in a Pod

It's really not complicated . . . at all . . . just hop on over, link up, visit some other links, and say, "Hi!"

That is all :) Have fun!

<3,

Happy Blogoversary to Me!!!

It's hard to believe that I started on this crazy blogging journey 3 years ago today! It's crazy to look back through my posts and see all the twists and turns life has taken since May 23, 2008! It really is a "great adventure!"

Thanks for making this a fun place to be for the past three years!

<3,

The 2010 "I'm thankful for . . ." Challenge!

I got the sweetest e-mail the other day from Cheryl over at The Bz's House that Love Built encouraging us to blog daily during the month of November with specific things that we are thankful for.

Now, as I'm sure you're well aware by now, my internet/blogging/facebook usage being as sporadic as it has been for the past few months, I just saw this e-mail today. But I figured, better late than never, so for the rest of the month I will be blogging about all of the things that I'm thankful for :)

Join us if you'd like! Check out this post to read Cheryl's explanation of the challenge!

<3,

Blog Hop '09!!!

Just the other day I was thinking to myself how long it had been since I participated in a fun blog party! Then, there I am, browsing the twitter/blogosphere, and I run across Blog Hop'09!

I'm so very excited, and I can't wait to make a whole bunch of new blog friends!

First I've gotta get all gussied up in my "Blog Hop" attire:



Austin's hoppin, too:


Okay, so those pics are actually from the New Year's Eve Sock Hop we attended this year, but I thought they were just perfect for the occasion!

If you're visiting for the first time as a part of the Blog Hop, feel free to poke around! the great adventure is most well-known for ~ My Husband Rocks! ~ Fridays! But we've got a LOT going on in our lives! We're in the midst of a total re-build on our house, and we love to travel! This year already we've taken a trip to Cozumel and Colorado (where my family, and part of Austin's family lives), and we're heading back to Colorado in the next few weeks!


Happy to have you here! Hop Away! :)

~ My Husband Rocks! ~ Birthday Bash: The Battle We Face

Today our second guest blogger takes the stage! Heathahlee of Butterfly Genes has graciously agreed to share with us, and let me tell you, this post is downright convicting! Heathahlee is another blog-friend who has been there from the very, very beginning. She was commenting on the blog even before MHR and she jumped on the MHR bandwagon from the very first week! She is insanely multi-talented, in addition to writing, she has music in her heart and loves to serve the Lord with that gift (check out this post to see what I'm talking about), and she has an adorable Etsy shop here! To read about the origins of her blog name, click here! Enough prattling from me, I give you Heathahlee:

The Battle We Face

I recently read the book, "Every Woman's Battle." It is about the battle in our minds and our emotions. How often do we compare our husbands to someone else? Another woman's husband...a co-worker...a family friend. We start innocently enough...

"I wish MY husband would send me flowers for no reason like Mandi's does. He's so romantic! I wonder what else he does for her?"

"Dave is such a good dad to his kids! Kylie is so lucky to have a husband like him. I wish my husband took more time with our kids."

"Why won't my husband pick up his dirty underwear off the floor??? I have asked him to a jillion times! I'm sure Mike does...his wife brags all the time how neat he is."

What we've done is opened our hearts to someone who has no business being there. That's dangerous territory. We must, as 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, "...take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." If we don't do this, we are setting ourselves up for misery at best, and the ruination of lives at worst.

"What?" You may say..."I'm not having an affair! Good grief! How can these innocent complaints be anything CLOSE to an affair?" Well, they may not start out that way, but if you don't do what that verse says and nip it, nip it, nip it! you open more and more doors, until your heart is so hurt by what you've allowed yourself to believe (your husband isn't good enough to you, someone else would meet your emotional needs better, it's God's will for you to be happy, etc, etc.) that you are open to the very thing you said you'd never do. It's a slippery slope, and one that could be avoided if we would just "take captive every thought".

I know marriage is hard. I am married to my best friend...my soul-mate. We are so very close. I love him more than I ever thought I could love someone. But you know what? I've had to battle with this very subject. I have had to learn to take those thoughts captive. Even in my strong marriage the temptation is there to compare my husband with others. I can imagine how much easier it is when you are in a marriage where your husband is emotionally distant.

So, what are we supposed to do?

Matthew 22:37-38 says "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment."

As Shannon Ethridge says in "Every Woman's Battle," "While avoiding unhealthy emotional connections and relationships is important, it's not enough to guarantee success in keeping our hearts guarded against compromise. The secret to ultimate emotional satisfaction is to pursue a mad, passionate love relationship with the One who made our hearts, the One how purifies our hearts, and the One who strengthens our hearts against worldly temptations. The secret is to focus your heart on your First Love."

Letting your thoughts wander to one relationship is THE best thing you can do. The relationship between you and your Savior! Get in the Word. Read books on being a godly wife. Don't focus on what is lacking in your husband, focus on what is NEVER lacking in your Heavenly Father!

A few months ago I had to confess some thoughts to my husband that weren't healthy. I begged God to not "make" me tell him. But I knew the Holy Spirit only wanted the best for me and my husband. I confessed to him and asked his forgiveness. Thankfully he readily gave it. But I never want to have to go to him with that kind of confession again. And you know what? Ever since I confessed to him, it's been easier to take those thoughts captive.

Have an accountability partner that you trust will keep your conversations confidential. Someone who will speak truth in love. Just knowing I have the freedom to blurt out some of the things that go through my mind is so freeing. I am not in bondage to my thought life, and you don't have to be either!

So what if you do all of this? Will it guarantee your marriage will be better and your husband will be all the things you want him to be? Not necessarily. But your relationship with God will be so much stronger He will show you the next step. You can trust Him with the most trivial of things in your marriage...even dirty underwear!

I strongly suggest Shannon's book...get it here!

~ My Husband Rocks! ~ Birthday Bash: A Husband's Covering

Today we will enjoy the first of our guest bloggers!!! Sarah Mae at Like a warm cup of coffee is one of my oldest blogging friends. She has been there since the very beginning, in fact, she commented on my very first MHR post! She is also one of the most talented bloggers I know. Her series Marriage is Hard is chock full of great insight and wisdom. She has also written a great series called "Ex Prep" - Does your husband have ALL of your heart? She always delights and challenges me with her incredible depth of insight, and today's guest post is no exception, so without further ado:

A Husband's Covering

Life can sure beat us up sometimes. As if it isn't enough that we deal with our own lies and wounds, many times we also have to deal with attacks from the enemy. It is on those days that I am especially grateful for my husbands covering.

What Is A Husband's Covering?

For me it is a place of safe vulnerability. I am willing to give up myself and surrender to my husbands protection and wisdom. It is vulnerable because I am essentially saying, "here I am, I trust you to take care of me and make wise decisions on my behalf." It is safe because the Lord has granted a husband the special place of "head" over his wife. If God ordains something, I know I can trust it...I know it is a safe (albeit sometimes scary) place to be.

When we feel discouraged, we run to the feet of Jesus. But you know what, we can also run to the arms of our husbands (instead of our girlfriends) and let them help us. We need to be asking our husbands what they think, and then we need to be willing to accept their covering over us and heed their advice. I have found so much freedom in doing what my husband thinks is best. At first there was fear (what if he's wrong?), but now there is trust. I trust God, who put my husband over me for my good, to work things out for His glory.

Even when I'm tossed in the waves.

Even when I think I know what is best.

Even when his covering isn't quite perfect.

I choose to place myself in the safe, vulnerable covering of my husband.

Try it, if you haven't. It's turns out to be a pretty tranquil place.


"A head is given to a woman for protection, safety, and shelter. We must not run from the safety of our own head....The woman must cultivate a very high view of her head, both the position God has given him over her, as well as the authority God has given him. When woman adopt this high view, submission is seen in an entirely different light. Submitting to someone whom God has placed over you with loving authority is a relief, not a burden." Nancy Wilson,The Fruit of her Hands



www.likeawarmcupofcoffee.blogspot.com

~ My Husband Rocks! ~ Romance on a Budget ala Love, Actually

Click here to read about why I started MHR Fridays!

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Good morning, and happy Friday everybody!!! I hope that you have all had a fantabulous week!

Yesterday, if you were able to make it through my long ramblingness you found a link to Love, Actually! The adorable Cher has created a place to help everyone inject a little "romance on a budget" into their relationships! I LOVE it!!! So today, in addition to our "love ya hunny" shout outs to our hunka-hunkas, we're sharing our creative romance ideas!

The Note
One of my favorite, inexpensive ways, to be romantic is the ever-flexible, always appropriate love note.

I especially enjoy utilizing this tool when Austin is going to be away from home on a business trip, or when our schedules conflict so that we do not get to see each other as much as we normally do.

I know that this does not seem especially creative; however, the creativity comes in in the delivery factor. Sometimes, I make up a packet of little envelopes, one for each day, and sneak them into the top of his suitcase for him to find when he arrives at his destination. Sometimes I am even more diabolical and hide little notes in his pants pockets or in his shoes or in-between his toiletries to be little "I'm thinking of you" surprise reminders throughout his trip.

The reason this factors into the budget is it is always (almost) free! If your house is anything like ours, you have tons of random notebooks and pads of paper and note cards in any given drawer or shelf. And even if you want to make them very decorative and unique, you can buy some pretty paper on the cheap almost anywhere (think Dollar Tree, not necessarily Archivers :D).

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Austin had a super rocking moment last night - in a moment where I was showing off my not-so-rocking side, lol!

We purchased a new snowblower/lawn mower machine (I know that there is a much more technical term for this device, I just cannot think of it at the moment) this winter, so last night, since it is getting nice and the grass is growing, Austin was working outside switching it from the snowblowing functionality to the lawn mower persona. And I was putzing around the kitchen doing some dishes, folding some laundry, you know - girl stuff, lol! (j/k) when I discovered that even though I empty my lint trap out regularly like a good homekeeper, there is still a ton of lint that gets trapped inside the little cagey part of my dryer! Try as I might to get it out of there I could find no device small enough to reach down to the bottom and bring back up with it the offending lint.

My knight in shining armor (actually at that point it was slightly on the dirty side t-shirt - he had been laying on the ground working on the lawn mower) chose that opportune moment to be done working outside and come in to rest for the evening. Me being the always-considerate of his time wifey that I am pounced on him the second he was through the door with "How am I supposed to do this?" (imagine a sightly annoyed - yes - even a little whiny tone). At that point he could have said - "Honey, I'm hot and tired and would rather work on that later." But he didn't. He just got out his little drill, took a couple of screws out of the inside of our dryer and proceeded to vacuum out the inside! Not only did he not put me off, he did the job for me! - Isn't he great! :)

(I wanted really bad to take a pic of him with his head inside the dryer, but I thought he might not appreciate the angle too much :D)

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Be sure to check in with the other ladies who are bragging on their rocking hubbies today by clicking on the "My Husband Rocks Participants" button in the left sidebar.

And if you have not had a change to check out Love, Actually yet, scoot on over there and poke around a bit! :)

(if you would like to add the MHR Fridays button to your sidebar, use this code ).

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If you're not a blogger, but still want the world to know about your amazing husband (or wife, or husband to be, or wife to be, etc.) leave a shout-out in the form of a comment! If you're unable to comment, e-mail me at katylinvw [at] yahoo [dot] com and I'll add your shout out to this post!

As always, on Fridays From*me Tees will refund your shipping on any order of two or more items if you mention the great adventure and ~my husband rocks! Fridays~ in the "how did you hear about us?" section of your order form, so run on over there and check them out, too! Thank you From*me Tees!

Hope you all have a wonderful Friday, and a fantastic weekend!

Multitsking post - there's a lot going on people :)

DISCLAIMER: The following post is a long, rambling, and admittedly rather random piece of blogliture. I decided to post it anyway for the following reason: I always have dozens of ideas of topics that I would love to post about. So much so that I have pages and pages of notebook paper, and lined sticky notes from work of "post ideas" that have not ever made it to the screen. And all of the below topics are things that, if I allow myself to procrastinate, may become casualties of my busy-ness. That is not to say that there is anything particularly profound in any of them, they are just things that I am excited about, or need to get off of my chest. So, in addition to a short MHR Inspiration post, I give you - my stream of conciousness. I would like to apologize in advance if it is tremendously difficult to follow. I will make every effort to prevent it from being so

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5:16 Club
I have really fallen off the wagon - big and bad. I love the concept, I love the ladies who are involved, but I also deeply love the sleeping. Oh, how I love the sleeping!

That said, I have decided to put my best foot forward on this one, and give it another try. It has often been said, or read, that any action repeated over a span of 21 days becomes a habit, so, for the next twenty-one days, I am going to endeavor to rise and shine at 5:16 on the nose.

Any prayers and/or accountability in this area would be greatly appreciated.

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Spring Porch/Landscaping Project
Last night after we finished our delicious supper of leftovers :P, Austin and I were in our usual spots (on the couch) enjoying our usual post-supper activity (watching television), when he suddenly got the urge to go tear up our front porch. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, and it was a project we have been putting off for some time, so I joined him and we spent a fun-filled hour or so tearing up dusty outdoor carpet and rotting plywood that covered up older, more-rotted porch boards!


With a gorgeous weekend on the forecast, we are hoping that this weekend will consist of much more porch deconstruction, followed by the even-more-exciting re-construction, as well as (possibly - if we have time) some long-awaited landscaping!

(I am LOVING the hyphen this morning - really, i very-much am, lol)

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American Idol can dance, what!
Hi, my name is Katy, and I'm an addict.

I am totally in love with this season of American Idol and was happy as a clam with last night's results. When it was over, I said to Austin "I think this is the first season that I have ever totally agreed with the order of all of the vote-offs." So, kudos to you America, way to vote!

And that dance number at the beginning! Wowza! (Was I the only one who got the impression that they were lip-synching? No problem if they were because we all know that they can SANG, but it would take a LOT of breath control to dance like that and sing as well as they did, and I'm pretty sure they pre-recorded, but hey, I've been wrong before)

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Gotta Love This Weather
We have moved into that beautiful part of spring where the sun is out and the grass is growing and the tree are budding and the flowers are blooming! (For this weekend at least, I think it is supposed to rain all week next week, but I'll take what I can get at this point!)

You can tell we've been eskimos for too long, because the office starts clearing out at about 2:30 in the afternoon (except for those of us who are paid hourly, of course) and everyone and his brother has their motorcycle out and shined and is out soaking up the sun as quickly as humanly possible.

Our buddy Michael just purchased his first Harley, so we all engaged in a little post-work ride around the lake in the beautiful sunshine last night. I think I made it home in record time (shortened my 4 minute commute to about 2 and 1/2 - it's great when the lights/stop signs/traffic all align, lol!)

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Summer Supper Suggestions
I am starting to work on my meal plan for the month of May. Yes, I am a crazy person and I (loosely) plan our suppers for every evening of the month.

With that said, I am on the lookout for some quick and simple summery supper suggestions (I just love that alliteration :D). Any ideas would be appreciated - we're going for suppers that do not require the use of an oven, contain yumminess, and do not involve the purchasing of exotic (read "expensive") ingredients. Ready . . . GO! :) - Feel free to comment with your brilliantness, or e-mail me at katylinvw(at)yahoo dot com. If I get a lot of great recipes I will dedicate a post to sharing them with everybody! (Like how I threw in a bribe there?)

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MHR Inspiration #14 = Shout Out!!!!
I have made a new bloggy friend!!! Her name is Cher, and she has this brilliant blog Love, Actually Creative Ideas for Romance on a Budget.

It is absolutely adorable, and you must go and check it out as soon as you are able! Here's a blurb from her profile: "I grew up in Montana. Went to college in Utah. Recently moved to Boston, where my husband attends dental school. What began as an occasional hobby to impress my hubs has turned into an endless ambition to create romance on a budget...because every couple needs a little romance-therapy now and then!"

She has a TON of great ideas, and her site really fits in with the whole motivation behind ~ My Husband Rocks! ~ Fridays! :)

As a prompt for this week:

Include in your MHRF post one of your creative ideas for romance on a budget! We can all use a little romance from time to time, and right now is a great time to be sharing those budget ideas!

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Hope this wasn't too ridiculously random! Have a terrific Thursday!

Job Search Update & The 8 Things Thing! :)

NOTE: Tammy tagged me over the weekend, and I have been trying my darnedest to get this posted, so that is why all of the references to Monday, and the "Yesterday" section refers to Monday, btw, lol :)

Hello, and happy Monday, everybody!

Hope that everybody has had a fantastic beginning to this week! I had not one, but two job interviews today. I felt pretty good about both of them, and should have more info by the end of this week!

I was also tagged to play the 8 Things game by Tammy @ Encouragement for the Day! So without further ado, here we go!

Here's how to do this 8 THINGS thing:

Mention the person that tagged you (check). Complete the lists of 8's. Tag 8 of your wonderful bloggy friends. Go tell them you tagged them!

8 Things I Look Forward To:
1. Weekends!
2. Being a mom, someday!
3. Getting a new job
4. Landscaping our yard
5. Our Colorado trip in May
6. Finding a home church
7. Riding the motorcycle this summer
8. Bible Study on Tuesday!

8 Things I Did Yesterday:
1. Showered
2. Laundry
3. Picked up 6 pack and a pound from Taco John's
4. Took Austin's temperature
5. Fed the dog
6. Made brownies
7. Ate a spinach salad
8. Studied for my job interview

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:
1. Drive a stick-shift
2. Visit my family more often
3. Work from home
4. Speak several different languages fluently
5. Travel for a living
6. Have lunch with my hubby every day
7. Get amazon.com to work for me :S
8. Go to the She Speaks conference

8 Shows I Watch:
1. NCIS
2. American Idol
3. Law & Order: SVU
4. Psych
5. Monk
6. Deadliest Catch
7. In Plain Sight
8. Crossroads

8 Bloggers Tagged:
1. Katie at Three Blondes and a Redhead
2. fransmomma at The Frans Clan
3. Nikki at Project: Domestic Bliss
4. Denise at There's Always Room for One More
5. Heather at Dear Diary . . .
6. Mikki at The View From My Beach Chair
7. Jen at mommablogsalot
8. Mel at Super Tweak

Wedding Bells!

Last weekend, on March 21, 2009, our friends Tyler & Emma were married!

It was a beautiful ceremony!

Unity sand

Austin & me at the ceremony


Driving away from the church!


Austin got artsy while we were waiting for
the arrival of the wedding party

Time to cut the cake!

First dance!


The groom dancing with his mother, Dana,
one of my mother-in-law's best friends

Garter time!

To see the professional photos, go here.

We had a great time! It's always fun because you see so many people who you don't usually get to spend a lot of time with.


Alex & Chelsea


Kylie!

Carly, Mona & Anna

Mona, Dana, & Thelma (my mother-in-law)


The Three Musketeers
(Austin, Tyler - the groom, & Alex)

Austin & Me at the reception!
Yes, we totally changed in between!
It was a gorgeous day and
we wanted to ride the bike!

Thanks for reading, hope I didn't overload your picture appetite, lol!

100 Movies You Must See Before You Die

I got this from The Red Headed Mama! The movies I have seen are in italics!

The Yahoo! Movies editorial staff has created this handy checklist to track the 100 movies you must see before you die.

0-9
12 Angry Men (1957)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
400 Blows (1959)
8 1/2 (1963)

A
The African Queen (1952)
Alien (1979)
All About Eve (1950)
Annie Hall (1977)
Apocalypse Now (1979)

B
The Battle of Algiers (1967)
The Bicycle Thief (1948)
Blade Runner (1982)
Blazing Saddles (1974)
Blow Up (1966)
Blue Velvet (1986)
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Breathless (1960)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

C
Casablanca (1942)
Chinatown (1974)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

D
Die Hard (1988)
Do the Right Thing (1989)
Double Indemnity (1944)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Duck Soup (1933)

E
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Enter the Dragon (1973)
The Exorcist (1973)

F
Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)
The French Connection (1971)

G
The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather, Part II (1974)
Goldfinger (1964)
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1968)
Goodfellas (1990)
The Graduate (1967)
Grand Illusion (1938)
Groundhog Day (1993)

H
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)

I
In the Mood For Love (2001)
It Happened One Night (1934)
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

J
Jaws (1975)

K
King Kong (1933)

L
The Lady Eve (1941)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
The Lord of the Rings (2001)

M
M (1931)
M*A*S*H (1970)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
The Matrix (1999)
Modern Times (1936)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

N
National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978)
Network (1976)
Nosferatu (1922)

O
On the Waterfront (1954)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

P
Paths of Glory (1958)
Princess Mononoke (1999)
Psycho (1960)
Pulp Fiction (1994)

R
Raging Bull (1980)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Raise the Red Lantern (1992)
Rashomon (1951)
Rear Window (1954)
Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
Rocky (1976)
Roman Holiday (1953)

S
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Schindler’s List (1993)
The Searchers (1956)
Seven Samurai (1954)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Some Like It Hot (1959)
The Sound of Music (1965)
Star Wars (1977)
Sunset Blvd. (1950)

T
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
The Third Man (1949)
This is Spinal Tap (1984)
Titanic (1997)
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Toy Story (1995)

U
The Usual Suspects (1995)

V
Vertigo (1958)

W
When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
Wild Strawberries (1957)
Wings of Desire (1988)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Women On the Verge of Nervous Breakdown (1988)
The World of Apu (1959)

What do you think?

Ultimate Blog Party 2009!!!

Time for Ultimate Blog Party 2009!!! Courtesy of 5 Minutes for Mom!!!

Hello and welcome to The Great Adventure! Please feel free too look around. Make yourself at home! Our party menu includes BBQ beef sandwiches, cheesy potatoes, baked beans, broccoli, crescent rolls with apple butter or strawberry jam, and chocolate cake with vanilla-strawberry custard filling! :)



My name is Katy Lin! I'm a twenty-something, semi-newlywed who loves to read and sew and craft and scrapbook and travel and basically just love life! My family, which at the moment consists of my wonderful hubby, Austin, our spoiled black lab/rhodesian ridgeback, Diddy, and myself, resides in small-town Iowa. Austin and I have been married for exactly a year and a half and three days (tee hee). Our plan is to wait until we've been married for 5 years before we start having children. We are learning about being married and enjoying each other in the mean time :)

We both have great families. Mine includes my mom, dad, and two sisters who live in Colorado, where I grew up. Austin's parents - who are also fabulous in-laws, live here in Iowa, and his only sister Ashley lives with her husband in Illinois.

Every Friday, The Great Adventure hosts ~ My Husband Rocks! ~ Fridays. This post explains the motivation behind MHRF, as well as what it is intended to look like each week.

If you're interested, the following posts are a few of my favorite:

~ Our Engagment Story
~ Our Chipotle Baby
~ State Fair Fun!
~ Special Occasions

Now onto the prizes!

There are literally HUNDREDS of fabulous prizes that go along with this wonderful party! I'd be happy to win ANY of them, but my top three are:

~ Karmin G3 Salon Pro Hair Styling Iron from My Hair Styling Tools (INTL 8)

~ Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer from Moms Who Think (58)

~ Box of 10 Christian Books from Karla @ Ramblin' Roads (134)

My other top picks in order are:

19, 21, 22, 68, 119, INTL 60, 45, USC 9, INTL 15, 109, INTL 7, USC 27, 118, USC 50, 123, INTL 23, INTL 36, USC 38, 14, 39, 26, INTL 54, USC 47, USC 35, 99, 24, 55, 80, USC 14, 91, USC 66, INTL 63, 103, USC 17, 133, INTL 11, INTL 43, 130, 111, USC 40, 114, USC 15, 72, 15, 81, 7, 60, USC 21

But like I said, it would be an honor to win ANY of the prizes on the list

Favorite Movies!

I found this fun game over at Camy's Loft this weekend, and decided to play along. Here's how it works:

RULES:
1. Pick 15 of your favorite movies. Or movies that you have seen
2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them here for everyone to guess.
4. Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.

1.

Do we really suck or is this guy really that good? Shoot 'Em Up Different Dog

2.

The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino. You've Got Mail Jodi

3.

Is this a kissing book? The Princess Bride Laura

4.

Oh, your majesty, in America, it doesn't always mean to be quiet. Here it could mean "Wow, gee whiz, golly wolly"... The Princess Diaries ServinGsus

5.

It's a funny thing about comin' home. Looks the same, smells the same, feels the same. You'll realize what's changed is you.

6.

Do you believe in love at first sight? Nah, I betcha don't, you're probably too sensible for that. Or have you ever, like, seen somebody? And you knew that, if only that person *really* knew you, they would, well, they would of course dump the perfect model that they were with, and realize that YOU were the one that they wanted to, just, grow old with. Have you ever fallen in love with someone you haven't even talked to? Have you ever been so alone you spend the night confusing a man in a coma? While You Were Sleeping Jodi

7.

I can't believe I brought my real parents to our wedding Mr. & Mrs. Smith Amy

8.

D: Say it again.
H: I'm sorry.
D: No. The part where you said my name. Ever After Jodi

9.

You're not supposed to name it. Once you name it, you start getting attached to it. Now put that thing back where it came from or so help me... Monsters, Inc The Mrs & bigSIS

10.

Suddenly an unconscious Argentinean fell through my roof. He was quickly joined by a dwarf dressed as a nun. Moulin Rouge Friend Chick

11.

It was sort of sweet actually - I mean, I know she's an actress and all that, so she can deliver a line - but she said that she might be as famous as can be - but also... that she was just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her. Oh, sod a dog. I've made the wrong decision, haven't I? Notting Hill Jodi

12.

I've never been alone with a man before, even with my dress on. With my dress off, it's MOST unusual. Roman Holiday Melissa

13.

You are the twelfth in a long line of governesses who have come here to look after my children since their mother died. I trust you will be an improvement on the last one. She stayed only two hours. The Sound of Music Nanna K

14.

D: Cause the house always wins. Play long enough, you never change the stakes. The house takes you. Unless, when that perfect hand comes along, you bet and you bet big, then you take the house.
R: Been practicing this speech, haven't you?
D: Little bit. Did I rush it? Felt I rushed it. Ocean's Eleven The Mrs

15.

A melody is like seeing someone for the first time. The physical attraction. But then, as you get to know the person, that's the lyrics. Their story. Who they are underneath. It's the combination of the two that makes it magical. Music & Lyrics ServinGsus

These are in no particular order, just as they came out of my head! I'm really interested to see who guesses correctly :) Hope I didn't make them too hard, or too easy, lol! :) Guess away!



P.S. ~ If you decide to post your faves, let me know so I can play along with you, too! :)

Modest Fashionistas!!!

(Scroll down for this week's MHR Prompt)



Due to unresolveable camera difficulties beyond my control, my YDHTBFTBM (You Don't Have To Be Frumpy To Be Modest) Fashion Show pics are nonexistent, but be sure to click on the button above to check out all of the fabulous modest fashions on display! :)

Motivate Me Monday ~ Appreciating the Word

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been reading Francine Rivers's Mark of the Lion series as part of my 101 things in 1001 days list. It is a compelling series that I would highly recommend. The series follows early Christians in Rome, Ephesus, and ultimately Germania. I have posted my detailed thoughts about each book (A Voice in the Wind, An Echo in the Darkness, and As Sure as the Dawn); however, one of the common themes of the three books that struck me was the characters' appreciation for Scripture.

I was very convicted about the degree to which I take my Bible for granted. Most of the early churches shared copies of only one or two epistles, and sometimes copies of the Torah. The same is true for the persecuted church of today. How many whole Bibles do you own? Between the two of s we probably have at least six or seven, and to my shame I have sometimes gone for months at a time without cracking the covers! Why is it that it takes the threat of losing something before we realize how precious it is? It is not a dusty history book or a dry fairy tale - it is truly God's love letter to us!

Be sure to check in at Sarah Mae's place for some other motivated ladies!

It's Good to Be Home!

Happy Monday everybody! Just a quick post to say howdy and let everyone know that we made it all the way to Colorado and back intact :) I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!!! I will have pics and details of the trip up later this week!

Be sure to check in with Sarah Mae for Motivate Me Monday! I have some things that I want to post for this, but probably will not get it up until tomorrow; however a lot of other ladies have already posted! :)

Hope you have a fabulous final week of 2008!

MHR Inspiration #3

Christmas Gifts



Holy Moly, another week has come and gone, and next week this time will be Christmas Day! Can you believe it??!?!

Sarah Mae, one of my sweet blog friends and the founder of the 5:16 Club, has recently written a 4-part series entitled "Marriage is Hard."
~ * ~ Part One: Pursuing Godliness ~ * ~
~ * ~ Part Two: Advice From Wise Women ~ * ~
~ * ~Part Three: A Challenge ~ * ~
~ * ~ Part Four: A Refuge ~ * ~
She is a very talented writer, and a great example of a woman who loves the Lord and her husband and strives to be more like Jesus every day. I would encourage you to take the time to read each of these posts; however, our prompt this week comes directly from Part 3.

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Prompt/Theme for Friday, December 19, 2008

"This Christmas, give your spouse something eternal - a gift of affirmation:
Write your husband a letter that details (very specifically and genuinely) why you respect him."

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I know that in the state of our economy, we are all looking for inexpensive ways to show our friends and family that we love them during this Christmas season - here is a gift that will cost you nothing but the time it takes you to write it! (That and the paper upon which you write it, and the ink from the pen, or the lead from the pencil, lol!) And Sarah Mae is absolutely correct when she calls it "eternal." I am positive that this will be a gift that your husband will treasure forever. If you want to go all out and print it on fancy paper, or even mount it or frame it, that would be a nice touch, too :)

There are probably parts of the letter that you will not want to share with anyone other than your spouse, so if you would rather post some of your reasons in list form, that would be awesome as well!

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By way of reminder:

1) Writing to the prompt is not required. We are not really all about adding more rules and regulations, lol!

2) Writing to the prompt is not a reflection of trouble in your marriage. Anyone who is honest with themselves would agree that marriage is not always easy, and as such, creating a weekly post about the object of your affection, and sometimes frustration, can be difficult as well. The purpose of having the prompts, articles, and quotes in these posts is to help us to think about our spouses from a positive perspective - even when we don't feel like it.


Have a great day!

O Christmas Tree!

Tip Junkie's Christmas Tree Contest




The custom of erecting a Christmas tree can be traced to 16th century Germany, though neither an inventor nor a single town can be identified as the sole origin for the tradition; in the Cathedral of Strasbourg in 1539, the church record mentions the erection of a Christmas tree. In that period, the guilds started erecting Christmas trees in front of their guildhalls: Ingeborg Weber-Kellermann (Marburg professor of European ethnology) found a Bremen guild chronicle of 1570 which reports how a small fir was decorated with apples, nuts, dates, pretzels and paper flowers, and erected in the guild-house, for the benefit of the guild members' children, who collected the dainties on Christmas day.




Our Christmas Tree theme is snowflakes and snowmen, and my color scheme is white and silver and gold. :)



In 1846, the popular Royals, Queen Victoria and her German Prince, Albert, were illustrated in the Illustrated London News. They were standing with their children around a Christmas Tree. Unlike the previous Royal family, Victoria was very popular with her subjects, and what was done at Court immediately became fashionable - not only in Britain, but with fashion-conscious East Coast American Society. The English Christmas Tree had arrived!

Sparkling white and gold snowflake ornaments (thank you Bryce & Thelma).



White and silver "Let it Snow" ribbon garland.


Glittery gold ribbon garland.
~ * ~

~ * ~
Several paper snowflakes that I made last year complete the tree.


Our tree skirt is actually a lap blanket that we received from my grandparents as a wedding gift - I love the gold feathers! :) It's a perfect fit with the color scheme!

Be sure to check out all the beautiful trees at Tip Junkie's Christmas Tree Contest!