Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Monday, May 19, 2008

Babies!




Here they are! Our adorable babies that inhabit the pond behind my apartment. Matt took these awesome pictures. I love the fact that I can just step out on the balcony and watch so many creatures in action. It's like our very own petting zoo!

On Saturday, Matt pointed out the baby geese that are also out there! They haven't been in the water but just kind of wander around the grass, looking for food. The babies are cute, though I don't care much for adult geese. They can be kind of mean, and they're trying to take over the pond, and I'm siding with the duckies. There was also a big, beautiful blue heron out yesterday. I was sort of afraid it might go after some baby ducks. If that had happened, Mr. Blue Heron, your rear would have been mine.
Much of the weekend was spent peeking out the window every few hours to see what the animals were up to. But we did get a lot of other stuff done too. Friday night we went out to Holland and then decided to eat downtown at the New Holland Brewery. I had a fantastic burger and the best chardonnay I've tasted. It's from the local Fenn Valley winery so I'm going to have to see if I can get us some more.

On Saturday, Matt and I joined our friends Dave, Melissa, and Scott for a 5K walk called "Stomp Out Stigma." It's designed to educate people about mental health and treatment. A cause I very much believe in. After the walk, we went out to eat at The Grand Coney, a local place with amazing food. I had a yummy omelet and English muffin toast. Other Saturday activities included running errands, cleaning, organizing wedding stuff, and doing a little work at the office.

On Sunday, we went to church and then I enjoyed a nice long nap. Oh, how I love naps! I did a little more work, dusted, organized the closet (and made room for Matt's stuff), printed menus for our wedding reception, worked on some DIY projects, started packing for the honeymoon, etc., etc. I feel very good about what we've accomplished.

My mom will be in town today and staying for almost a week! I'm off work after tomorrow. Can't believe I'm getting married this weekend! Woo hoo!

Friday, May 16, 2008

I Am Thankful ...


Every so often I like to make a list of things I'm thankful for--just to keep it all in perspective and to remind myself how blessed I am. Today I am going to share my list with you:




I am thankful for:




1. My really cute new notecards from Papyrus (they're thank-you cards for wedding stuff).


2. Getting to dog-sit the PAWS dog, Daisy, in my office the other day (a really sweet black lab!).


3. Spring weather. This is my favorite time of year. I just hope it holds on for the wedding.


4. My facial the other day--pure relaxation. This was a splurge for the wedding. I'd never had one before, and I would highly recommend it.


5. Sleeping in (this one is always on my list).


6. My mom. She's pretty cool to say the least. And Matt--for obvious reasons. They are my best friends.


7. The baby ducks in the pond behind my apartment. They are the tiniest little duckies I've ever seen in the wild. They swim around and explore and are about the size of a rubber duckie. I'm tempted to live in the apartment forever just so I can see them every spring.


8. The awesome HUGE clock my colleagues gave to me at my work shower yesterday.


9. Handwritten letters.


10. My brother's chocolate lab, Oscar.


11. Getting married next week!


12. Being able to say I'm getting married next week!


13. Homemade strawberry jam on my PB & J.


14. Watching The Office on Thursday nights. Made better by the fact that the next day is Friday!


15. Gilmore Girls on DVD.


16. Driving with the windows down.


17. And so much more! This is just one installment. Maybe I'll do a regular post, like "Thankful Thursdays" or something.


18. Oh yeah, I'm thankful for my blog readers too!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

People Who Are Too Much


There are a few people in my life who are too much. And by too much, I mean very generous and kind. I love their too-muchness. It reminds me that people can be good even when life hurts.

One of those too much people is an author of mine--Karen Spears Zacharias. Karen is an extremely generous, tenderhearted woman. She's a talented writer from the South traveling the country to impart her wisdom to other students and writers. Though she's an author I'm supposed to edit, I very humbly realize that she has more wisdom than I, and I relish the opportunity to learn from her about writing and about life.

Things I love about Karen:

She is real. She doesn't put on a certain "author" persona or have a big head.

She is socially conscious, involved in her community, and generous with her time.

She is near to God. This is evident very quickly after you read her writing or talk to her in person.

She is very accessible as a friend. I've never met her in person, yet I know I could call her up at anytime or show up on her doorstep for a glass of iced tea (if only I liked tea; sorry to you southerners). But for Karen, I would drink all the iced tea in the South.

What has made Karen a too much person for me? Her generosity has overwhelmed me. Ya know when I was leaving for Lake Placid to compete at the Adult Nationals? She sent a lovely flower arrangement to work for me, with a note telling me to skate my heart out. And now, 10 days before my wedding, she sees the pretty clutch I posted about last time and sends me a note that it's in the mail. What? No way! How cool and kind is that? I'm planning to carry this on my wedding day. It will add a bright splash to my outfit and remind me of Karen--and of how I want to be like her in my life and in my marriage.

And lest you think it is only tangible gifts I'm overwhelmed by, Karen has been a sounding board to me from day one. I always wonder how much of my personal life I should share with an author. Usually, I just don't know if they will care. Many of them are so busy that they don't have time for the personal relationship of author/editor. But I do like authors to get to know me as another person, not just someone at a desk. Well, I took a chance by telling Karen all about myself, and I immediately received a wonderful response. All through my planning process and her writing process, she has been more than ready to email about weekends, fun tidbits in the news, or even just to ask what my momma's dress for the wedding looks like. She cares about other people so deeply and vividly and makes me want to care about others the same way.

So, Karen, I know you can't make it to the wedding next Saturday (though if you did show up, you'd have a place set for you), but here is a toast to you and your friendship and for showing me that people can be good.

Much love,

Becky

P.S. Check out Karen's blog: http://www.heromama.org/
And order her book Where's Your Jesus Now? It's fabulous, if I do say so myself!

Friday, May 9, 2008

Purty

I am in love with this clutch purse. It is handmade by a member of etsy. If you don't know etsy, you must become acquainted, but then again, be prepared for hours of your life drifting away into Internet land. This is a really fun site where buyers and sellers of handmade goods can go and, well, buy and sell stuff. I've found many great things here and bought a few of them. This purse is from seller muchachak. And while I haven't bought it, I'm still considering it. But then I did just get a new swimsuit for the honeymoon today ... perfect excuse.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Sneaky




My friend Sarah tagged me. I'm guessing it is a sneaky way to get me to update the blog. I guess I'm a lapsed blogger. I'll keep trying though if anyone is still reading and will stand by through my lack of blog commitment.
Anyway, here's the tag thing, and then I'll give some updates:
I am: ready for lunch.
I know: that I will have PB & J (my favorite!).
I want: to get married right now.
I wish: it was our wedding day now.
I hate: mean people (I know, I know--hate is a strong word).
I miss: my mom.
I fear: too much.
I feel: mellow (except I have to pee).
I hear: the heating/cooling system.
I smell: like my perfume, shampoo, and deodorant.
I crave: chocolate
I search: for cute shoes.
I regret: not much.
I love: Matt.
I ache: for a puppy and a cat.
I care: about lots of stuff.
I always: drink coffee black.
I am not: skating right now. Bummer.
I believe: in a great God.
I dance: a lot. I love to dance. But not at dark, smoky, crowded clubs. I love to dance at home, or at a wedding, or on the ice.
I sing: at church and in the car.
I cry: when I feel overwhelmed.
I fight: to protect those I love.
I write: about memories I don't want to forget.
I win: at love. I am blessed.
I lose: sleep when I won't get off the Internet.
I never: pass up the chance to pet a puppy.
I confuse: skating moves sometimes.
I am scared: of snakes (ditto, Sarah). Terrified is more like it.
I need: rest.
I am happy about: getting married!
I hope: I make it to the Olympics.

Kinda neat tag, huh? Anyone reading this? Consider yourself tagged (Anne, this means you! :)

Okay, so Lake Placid was wonderful. Sometime I will devote a post entirely to that (though I've included two of my pictures at the top of this post). The highlights included: getting violently sick in Niagara Falls (never eating chicken tenders at the Hard Rock Cafe again ...); seeing the Olympic torch, ski jump, bobsled run, ski hill, and of course, the ice rinks!; skating on Olympic ice; skating pretty well; hearing my name announced by an official announcer from U.S. Figure Skating; meeting new people; the hot tub at the hotel (affectionately named "The Grotto"); Hercules (our new doggie friend); Leslie's "Blue Moon" routine; walking up the hill to the competitor party in the snow; singing at the top of our lungs on the way to the Price Chopper; Total Eclipse of the Heart--'nuf said; getting to wear a competitor badge and feel like a rockstar; getting Tide in my eye the night before competing and talking myself through it by saying I could get by with one eye; the Scoob; throwies; seeing the ice on the first day of competition and getting teary.

It was a wonderful trip that I will remember always. There's something magical about Lake Placid, and aside from that, it was one of the best things I could have done to take off for a week right before the wedding. It put a lot of details in perspective, and being isolated from everything else really helped me to relax.

And the exciting news!! Next year, Nationals are in our hometown!! So I'll be competing again, hopefully at the Gold 1 level.

Okay, wedding things are going well, though I'm starting to feel the pressure of crunch-time. I'm so excited though. I have my final dress fitting tomorrow, a hair and makeup trial on Saturday, and a bachelorette party on Saturday night. Special thanks to Kara and Nicole for organizing that. We're ordering food tomorrow, and flowers are pretty much all taken care of and specified. I still need to finish making programs, make a seating chart and placecards, and lots of other little things, but in 16 days, we'll be married! We cannot wait! And then it's off to Jamaica for a week! Thank you to all who have followed along with these plans. I appreciate all of your interest. Hopefully I'll post again before the wedding; if not, there will definitely be pictures afterward!