WILMM: warm hands

WILMM reason #9

I love sitting next to my boyfriend. I love it even more when he casually puts his hand on my leg and leaves it there. I can feel the warmth of his hand through my jeans. Constant. Steady. Reassuring. A quiet declaration of love.

As I write this I lay on my tummy opposite the love of my life. He is breathing deeply, slowly, soothingly. His hand rests on the heel of my foot and I think to myself that I don't want to do anything to move. As he moves and fidgets in his sleep his hand finds my foot again, and I smile. Even in his sleep, he loves me.

I cannot wait to marry this man. To enjoy the warmth of a hand rested on me every night, not just during stolen quiet moments of napping.

WILMM: long car rides

WILMM: reason #8

I love spending time with my boyfriend. Some of my fondest memories revolve around long car rides. When we went to South Dakota this past summer, that was one of my favorite parts of the trip. It's so wonderful to have the one you love sitting right beside me. If I fell asleep, it was him I woke up to driving. If the radio was on it was him that I was singing along with. When there was something I wanted to share, it was him that I shared with. I treasure those times.

On Friday night Jason and I drove to the desert for his grandparents 50th wedding anniversary. I love that drive, especially at night. We drove back home late last night and the whole time we just talked and talked and talked and talked. I love those drives because I learn so mch about my boyfriend. I am constantly amazed at the humbleness and genuinness of my beloved. He is painfully shy around those that he doens't know, and even those that he does, he would rather sit and listen (for the most part) then say anything. Becuase of that there are so manyt thoughts that never get voiced, that I never get to hear or learn about. Long car rides are perfect for this becuase it's just he and I and he can ramble and sort out his words and say things the way he wants to without feeling a timed pressure. I love the intimacy of it. I love long car rides. I love him.

WFMW: cheap and easy gift ideas

I love homemade gifts. I think that they have a lot of personality and they show how much you care about the person that you made it for. Christmas is coming up fast so here are some of the websites that I have found with ideas that I really like.

Heirloom Ornaments- I haven't actually tried this yet but I really want to! http://genealogy.about.com/cs/holidays/p/ornament.htm

Cutest tutu's EVER! My little cousin is getting one for Christmas :) I don't know why but my link doesn't like to work, however, if you click on the "vermillion rules!" thing that pops up and then look to the right you'll see the extremly detailed tutu tutorial
http://vermillionrules.blogspot.com/2008/12/extremly-detailed-tutu-tutorial.html

Family Rules Canvas- super cute! Love the idea! My Big Lots has canvas for CHEAP, so check there if you plan on making one!
http://lindseycheney.blogspot.com/2009/09/family-rules-canvas.html

Set of leaf prints- ok, so maybe you would gift this to yourself- but I love it! This is definatly something I'll be doing in my house. I love how great she made it look!
http://asoftplacetoland-kimba.blogspot.com/2008/10/if-you-cant-afford-it.html

Stamped tea lights in CUTE box- These are the perfect gifts for those people that you want to give a little something but not break the bank- I'm going to be giving these to my co-workers this year.
http://inkingaloud.blogspot.com/2009/09/3d-tuesday-challenge-i-burn-for-you.html

I stole this from Kristin so if you read her blog avidly then you've probably already seen them.

Personalized family trees- She freehanded her trees- I'm NOT that creative. I googled tree clip art, found a couple that I liked and then printed them out on cardstock. I cut out the tree and used the remaning paper for a a stencil. I used a brown paint pain and just "colored" in my tree.I also bought a leaf punch and just punched my leaves out of scrapbook paper. Then I coated it all with some glossy modge podge. My canvases are really thick, so I won't frame them. They came out really cute!
http://wearethatfamily.com/2008/12/homespun-christmas-gifts-ii.html

Stamped coasters- she used stamps but since I don't own any stamps and I wanted to do monogrammed coasters I bought some letter stencils at wal-mart (I think they were four bucks?) and a bottle of black paint that can be used on stone (a dollar something) and then some acrylic matte gloss sealant stuff (3 bucks or so). Mine turned out really nice! I do like the stamped look though.
http://allthingsheartandhome.com/2009/06/03/adorable-little-coasters-diy/

Perspective

I'm taking a statistics class right now. The last class that I need before I can transfer from my junior college to a four year to earn my BA. Math is not my thing. Apparently statistics isn't either because I'm not doing to well. I was laying in my bed last night stressing out, thinking about how I needed to pass this class and how it would ruin everything if I don't. Ya'll, I wept. As if someone had just died. Laying there, wallowing in self-pity asking God why, WHY did he have to make it so hard for me to comprehend math?? (Pathetic...I know)

And then I get in the car this morning. My climate controlled car. I turned on my radio and I'm listening to Kay Warren speaking on aids and orphans and death. And she's getting chocked up and crying because aids and oprhans and death...they matter. I'm listening to her story of meeting a mother in Africa with aids and she asked the mother what she wanted prayer for. And Kay said she was expecting her to say something like medicine, or money for hospital bills. Do you know what she said? She said pray for my children, because after I die no one will want to take care of them.

ouch.

All of a sudden whether or not I pass this class is not even in the picture. I bawled my eyes out over this stupid class. When's the last time I cried over the fact that all over the world children are alone and dying and hungry and no one cares? When is the last time I wept for the mother who was dying of aids and couldn't provide for her family? When is the last time I bawled my eyes out because of the thousands of children in foster care in the United States who are waiting for a home?

Perspective. It speaks volumes.

WFMW: Autism friendly movie theatres

I work in a k-2 autism class. Autism is near and dear to my heart. I'm always thrilled to find out about things that benefit or help families or those with autism. I was thrilled to learn that AMC has partnered with the autistic community to provide those kids with a sensory friendly environment- and still be able to watch movies on the big screen! According to AMC, "The program provides a special opportunity for families to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment [if you've ever been with an autistic child while they're stemming in a public place you'll know why this is important] The auditoriums dedicated to the program have their lights up, the sound turned down and the audience members are invited to get up and dance, shout or sing!" [ever been to a movie with an autistic child as they latch onto that one phrase and repeat it a jillion times or ask you questions repeteadly? A place where they can freely talk and not get glared at, yay!!!!]



For a list of theatres that offer this awesome program check out this link! http://www.amcentertainment.com/Programs_and_offers/Programs/Sensory_Friendly_Films/

what are friends for?

I've been sick since Thursday with a fever, cough, sometimes aching ears, and now a cold. I had told my best friend that I would join her at a Guy Fawks (I didn't know who he was either, he tried to blow up parliment on Nov 5th, ever watched V for Vendetta? It talks about it briefly in the beginning) party yesterday. Ya'll, I've felt like dying. But, I felt a little bit better yesterday, so I got up and got ready to go with my friend to the party.

However, this was no normal party. And not just because we made things to burn later. Or because there was an odd assortment of people present. Very odd. The real reason it was special was because he was supposed to be there.

He is my friend's crush. Whom I have never met. And we all know that another friend's approval is important when considering a guy. Well he didn't show up. So, we made our little effigies (mine was an ant) and staid long enough not to be rude.

Then we went to bjs. I tried to cough up a lung (or two), ate, talked and just had a fun time. And that's what friend's are for. To go to weird parties that you would never normally go to to meet the boy that the friend is interested in so that you can pass approval, to moan and complain and wonder why said boy didn't show up as you leave the party, to decide that hummus, pretzels, pita bread, and carrots are not a real meal and to go to dinner after.

Oh, if I could make a book that contained only pictures of the things that my friend's and I have done and been through... but, after all, what are friends for?

WILMM: hands

Why I love my man reason #7

Last night my boyfriend and I went out to dinner with his precious 93(?) year old Great Grandma Kay. I feel like every time I see my boyfriend with his great grandma I fall in love with him all over again. The way that he acts with her is the perfect picture of his character. Quiet, sweet, tender, helpful, loving.

I wish I could have taken a picture of his hands with hers. His hands, young and strong, his hands that rub my back when it hurts, carry in 50 pounds of dog food, play tug of war with my dog. Those same hands that gently help his Great Grandma out of the car and eagerly open doors for her. Her hands, small and fragile, wrinkled skin from years of raising four sons, mixing cookies for her church's bake sales, holding grandkids in her lap, folded in prayer. Oh, how beautiful their hands are together, his and hers. I fall in love with him all over again.

WFMW: Christmas count down- wrapped books

Today's WFMW is a themed edition talking about the holidays.

Everyone knows that the wait for Christmas is hard for kids, and my parents knew that too. To ease the waiting for Christmas, and to build a family tradition, my mom bought (and gathered) an assortment of Christmas books (My two favorite were the Jolly Christmas Postman and The Tale of the Three Trees). She wrapped 24 books and every night as a family we would gather around the basket she had put the wrapped books in and the three of us kids would decide together which book to open. After we opened it we sat and read it together.

My mom used the same books every year, but even though we had read the books it was still exciting to unwrap something. As the years passed we would always try to figure out which books were our favorites and open them first. It was a lot of fun. :) Last year my mom put the books out unwrapped (all three of us kids are over 15) and I was like, "you didn't wrap them!?" She just looked at me and was like, 'honey, I didn't think you would need them wrapped..." I have lots of fond memories of doing this and it really did make it exciting to count down to Christmas :)

splinters

I got a splinter in my finger today. I'm not quite sure how but I am sure that it hurt. It's amazing to me how our body is designed to warn us of things that should not be there. It was not a very big splinter, in fact, it was quite small. A tiny little piece wedged right underneath the skin of my pointer finger.

I was thinking about what a big impact that little tiny piece of wood or whatever it was (I have a feeling it might have been a piece of wheat from a project I had been working on) made. It rendered that finger almost useless. Sure, I could use it, but it hurt to do so and I avoided using it all costs.

Isn't that what happens to our souls as well? Splinters. Sin, lies, gossip, envy, rage, hate, lust, wedged in our soul. And isn't it amazing that our very soul can cry out and tell us of the splinters of sin that we are embodying, just as our flesh can tell us of material splinters?

I looked up the definition of splinter. The verb is what hit me. "Veb 1. Splinter- withdraw from an orginazation or communion." (thefreedictionary.com/splinter) Isn't that what sin does? Our sin wedges it's way between us and God. It breaks our communion with the very One who made our soul.

I was quick to remove the splinter in my finger. I didn't like the way it hurt, didn't like that it disabled the use of my finger. Why then, do I not quickly remove the splinters in my soul? The things that disable my soul from being near and hearing God?

I was alone when I found the splinter in my finger. It was in my dominant hand. It was not easy to remove it and I thought to myself, "I wish someone was here to take this out for me." I have someone willing to remove the splinters from my soul. Over and over again, He will take them out, and not only will He remove them, but He will heal the hole that they have left behind. I have a groove in my finger now that will take time to heal. I have holes in my soul that need to be dealt with.

Oh Lord, help me to forget not to neglet my soul. Help me to recognize those splinters when they come and run to You for their removal.

WILMM: pumpkin carving

WILMM reason #6 Pumpkin carving

The first year that my boyfriend and I started dating we carved a pumpkin together. I've always enjoyed carving pumpkkins. We didn't do it last year, and this year I wanted to. But with a twist. I wanted to carve a cow. :)

I tried. By myself. It failed miserably. I told my boyfriend about it and then I had to leave to babysit. When I got home my boyfriend had a huge pumpkin sitting on the table and a drawing. You know, so that the pumpkin would be structurally sound. Those were his words. "I drew a plan so that it will be structurally sound." Only a boy. :)

Well, he was right. It was structurally sound (hehe, it always makes me smile when I think of him saying that!) We carved it and let me tell you, our cow pumpkin rocks! :) Even more so because we made it together. How I love him! :)