Sunday, March 1, 2009

Funny Commercials

Thought I'd share some funny commercials. I'm not sure if these are broadcast around the country or just up here.... We can't decide which we think is more funny/revolting/awkward. This one....

Or this one....

Friday, February 13, 2009

Weather, Healthcare Policy, and such...

It has been a bit warmer lately, which is a big plus. Now, by New England standards "warmer" means that it is above 35. We even hit 50+ this past week and I walked home from work in a short sleeved sweater. The snow is gone (quite a feat after this winter) except for the gigantic piles in the back of some parking lots.

I'm more than 1/3 through my last semester of my Master's. My motivation towards my classes is so low that I haven't done any of the readings for 2 of the 3 classes. The one that I have done a few of the readings is quite interesting. It is on health care policy. So, if you know me, you know I'm interested in this. We've been reading about health disparities in the U.S. and about the health care systems in different countries around the world. I thought I'd post a link to a video series that we've watched done by PBS:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/

Outside of that, life is pretty status quo here. Jeremy's b-ball team finally won its first game this past Monday, I had a psuedo job interview this past week, we are preparing for a team from BMBC in March, and we are sorta weighing the idea of buying a condo rather than renting for another couple years before buying. Again, just sorta thinking about it.

Monday, February 9, 2009

A Brief Conversation

I thought I'd post a short conversation so that you could laugh and imagine what it would be like to sit on the couch and watch TV with us.

We were watching Jon and Kate Plus 8 during which J reports:

J:Boy, I can't wait to have kids!
C:I know.
J:No really. I can't wait.
(Commercial then comes on that show mom giving birth)
C:You realize that part comes first...before the kid.
J:That's you, not me. Plus, I've taken some pretty big dumps before so I know how it is.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Seeing Friends

So I was just reading my friend Meghan's blog which reminded me of the reunion that I missed this past week....Boston was a bit far from the DFW Metroplex. Sad. Here they are:
So, for the Boston or non-Baylor folks, these are all KXA girls. Stacy (second from right) was my first college roomate. We had a color coordinated room and matching Target bedding. We lived on the same floor as Ashley (far right) in Collins. We were definitely not the stereotypical Collins girls. I didn't know that Collins was the prissy dorm...I just chose it because there was a dining hall in the bottom (you see my priorities). All of these girls either did SING as a babboon with me or with a side pony tail or went to the hospital with me after a bridal shower when I broke my leg. Good, good times. And, all these girls have served to teach me what pursuing Christ looks like. I did get to see Lara and Ashley in Houston over our Christmas Texas Tour.
I do believe that a Boston in the Fall reunion would be a great deal of fun. :O) Hey, I can dream!

Monday, January 19, 2009

Christmas in Texas

Well, we've been back in Boston for a few weeks now. Here are some pictures from our time in Texas.
Christmas morning. Dad, sister, Sebastian the dog, and my sister's flowers from her boyfriend whose name is Jon Lennon. From what I hear, he sounds like a good guy. And one of my KXA shirts....it seems that things I left in TX have migrated to be worn by others. I had to trade her some shirts so that I'd have this one to be put in my t-shirt quilt that my dad is making for me.
After trying about 5 times to get me to look at the camera, I finally look up when Jeremy is snapping pictures. You can tell that I'm thrilled.

After a week in Big Spring, we moved onto Nederland. Here are some pictures from there:
Here is a few of those present at the New Year's Eve celebration. Funny story....we were out in the front yard/street watching some of the others messing around with fireworks when we realized that the artillery shell was going to explode without launching. Naturally, we all took cover. Jeremy was in charge of Emyle (little one in the picture) and he forgot to cover her. Oops. Fortunately she was just fine. I guess that really isn't such a funny story. We've got to work on his parental instincts. Still it is a good family joke now.
Jeremy and his grandma. She remembers us so that is good.
Me with Jeremy's grandpa. He seemed very upbeat this visit. Jeremy's other grandma, Dot, got out of the hospital when we were in town. Her record for time out of the hospital this past fall was 2 1/2 weeks, so hopefully we can beat that now. Since we've returned to Boston, she hasn't been back to the hospital.

We also got to see a couple of my really great college friends during which I learned from Jeremy that college Chelsea and Boston Chelsea have different personalities. We also were able to see Jeremy's good buddy, Jeff, and his wife, Sara. We will post those pictures soon.

Also, we have a couple videos of Jeremy dirt biking and me driving Pam and I through some serious mud on the 4-wheeler.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Walking to Church and Finding Bullet Part 2

Wow! So, I'm pretty sure the official count is about 18 inches now. It has stopped and the sun is out. I mean we saw a good amount of snow last year, but there is a serious amount of snow on the ground for one weekend right now. Last night for on our trek to church it was snow/sleeting and I think that the plows and shovels must have been a bit tired from a weekend of work and were taking a break as it took a serious bit of hiking to get to our destination. We regularly topped our snow boots on the walk. Good thing that we were in a good mood!

On the way home, it had stopped and the top layer of snow was frozen....so to make our walk better, we were picking up these huge slabs of snow throwing them to the other and punting them all over the place. Hey, you have to make fun of the situation...

When we arrived back home, we found Bullet again and sadly she was back in the same situation as before her first shoveling. Poor girl and poor us. She is clear again and hopefully will remain so for a while.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Finding Bullet

Bullet is our car if any of you weren't aware of her name. I named my car bullet way back in high school not because it drove like a bullet but because she was shaped like a bullet. Well, bullet is such a trooper, and her age is showing. Jeremy has done quite a bit of repair work on her in recent months.

Well, yesterday she was lost in the snowstorm... here is our chronicling of our efforts to dig her out.
Here we come! The before shot...
Jeremy's action shot.
My action shot.
Hello Bullet.

So, last night the news told us that the final inch count for storm #1 was 12.5 inches. Storm #2 has already started as it is snowing now with about 3 more inches before a switch to sleet and freezing rain. Sounds like we will be back out to find Bullet again soon!

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Brrrr!!

It's been about 23 hours since the first flake fell....

When I woke up this morning, it was 14 degrees with a windchill of -3. Yes, that is not a mistake on the (-) in front of the 3. Snow was blowing and coming down hard after lunch yesterday...it is everywhere. We went and walked the dogs in the afternoon yesterday (not smart if you are going for warmth I know...) and the 30+ mile/hour wind was stinging. But, the dogs enjoyed it. Billy was bounding around and Jeremy was sliding in the snow on the sidewalk. My best eyeball estimate is that there is somewhere between 9-12 inches out there.

Pictures later...we will have to dig out the car in a while....

P.S... Storm #2 will start in the morning with 3-6 more inches expected.

Hello winter...don't think we could mistake your arrival!

Monday, December 15, 2008

Insecurities

So, since I'm not doing school work this week, I have a chance to do some reading extraneously and catch up on things that were previously passed up. Tonight, I spent a bit of time catching up on blogs and got caught up reading Beth Moore's Living Proof Ministries blog (livingproofministries.blogspot.com). Ladies, if you don't occasionally scan/read this blog you should. Of course there is talk about things such as new shoes, family, her grandson Jackson (refreshing variety for a blog of a person in Christian ministry), but there is also a bunch of insightful posts and good nuggets of info for your walk. Anyhow...onto the topic of the night.

So, on December 4, she posted asking for women's comments on the issue of insecurities in women's lives. It requested autonomous comments and asked about how much of an issue insecurity is in reader's lives, the 2 main sources of insecurity, and if men was one of them. Anyhow, I was curious and so took a scan through the comments. Interestingly (and without prompt from the questions) many women voiced that other women played into their own insecurities...many said equally or more so than men.

I guess this isn't surprising to me. In my own life, insecurity isn't that big of a deal. It plays a role from time to time, but I wouldn't find it's source in Jeremy or other women. I guess for me each time the sources (if even an identifiable one) would vary. Personally, pride is a much more tempting state of existance...if I'm wallowing somewhere, 9/10 times it is being overly confident in my own abilities and not in my Savior's....but alas, that is a post for another day.


But, back to the insecurities and women....

In briefly thinking, we all play into this. Just recently with a group of women, we were discussing spiritual gifts. Someone brought up that some gifts are seemingly less glamorous, needed, and critically necessary than others. Now, these gifts were encouragement, service, mercy, etc...you know the ones that many women are traditionally more comfortable functioning in. Of course, I say "seemingly" less necessary, because we know from scripture that all spiritual gifts are necessary and that the larger body isn't as effective when those who naturally function in these areas aren't functioning and aren't empowered to function. But still I can agree with this person's statement, the stereotype is there...leaders and teachers are often portrayed as more "valuable" than encouragers and servers. Where did this start? Do we feed this belief?

Well, then there is the whole issue about how we view ourselves as women before God. There is a real lack of strong spiritual women when compared with the amount of women in churches as a whole who portray a culturally relevant yet accurate and meaningful picture of what strong and biblical womanhood looks like. I'm not saying all of us women should drop out of career world and storm the seminaries...in fact the opposite. But, I guess I'm saying that it seems that the big "C" church (like the larger one) sometimes get stuck on portraying biblical womanhood as 1950's "Leave it to Beaver"-esqueness. Many are left feeling competant in the world, but insecure with other women in ministry and the church...how do I measure up spiritually with the women here, the mold I'm "supposed" to fill..... There are a few good and relevant examples in some churches, but not nearly enough.

Then there is the whole thing about how the little insecurities take root and become enduring states of insecurity as weakness is vulnerable and among women can be a hush-hush (this is hush-hush among men too...) :O)...)topic. This gets me on my whole saga about the role shame plays in our lives...just ask if you are interested. Well, the reality is that Jesus the portrait of one who became vulnerable. There was a way created to become free in these things....but it takes us all to push and point and drag each other to the feet of Jesus... And it takes someone first being vulnerable...flinching first if you will.

Still chewing on this...but it is midnight and I have work in the morning.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

An Update

Hello world. Sorry we have disappeared. We are resurfacing... Let me catch you up!

We spent Thanksgiving here in Boston. I was a wonderful time. I guess our families (who aren't savvy enough to read our blog) shouldn't hear that we find that Thanksgiving up here is relaxing. Not that we don't enjoy our families, but find that the thought of flying home for a short holiday is stressful. So, we spent the day sharing food with friends: from church, friends of friends, and one guy from Jeremy's workplace. It was a nice day. Remembering how God has blessed us in the past year....we have been blessed a lot! I think Thanksgiving in Boston will be a nice tradition in the years ahead.

We do plan on seeing both families through the coming holiday season. It seems that this could be the last time that we see some of Jeremy's grandparents.

Both Jeremy and I have found ourselves quite busy in the past couple months. Jeremy has been really busy at work...which of course is a good thing...it means he has a job. :o) I've been buried in school stuff. As of today I have completed all coursework for the semester. Had one of those "not at Baylor anymore" moments the other day.... It isn't abnormal to bring refreshments to a final class. However, during this final class we had wine and a variety of fine Italian pastries. Don't get me wrong, it was good. Just made me giggle.

Jeremy was a bit under the weather for about 10 days around Thanksgiving. Turns out he has stomach ulcers and GERD. He's fine and is just starting to eat real food again without being nauseated. He had quite the scare though when he went to the urgent care clinic and he was informed that it was normal protocol for assessing his problems to have a rectal sample. He seriously asked, "Are you serious? Is this candid camera?" Before you call and ask, the clinic got what it needed for the diagnosis with a complete blood count...nothing else required.

Ok, so that is all for now. P.S. On Monday, I walked to work in 15 degree weather with a windchill of -2. Then, on Wednesday, I walked to work in around 60 degree weather. Wierd! To top off the wierdness....there is snow on the ground in Nederland, TX (Beaumont area) right now and none here. It is in the mid 30's here today...more seasonal.