Sunday Sermon #2

“We all pretend for a while or for a lifetime. But pretending is not living...I believe that God meant for life to take our breath away, sometimes because of the sheer joy of it all and sometimes because of the severe pain. To choose living over pretending means that we will know both.”
― Angela Thomas

Being thankful for my friends is easy....
telling them how much they mean to me is a bit trickier.
Here goes nothing...

I have so many wonderful friends.
I have a few hard-core sister/friends who have stuck by me
through years, COUNTLESS moves, time apart, arguments,
skinny, not-so-skinny, good, bad, and ugly.
There is something scary about letting someone in to your life,
so closely that there is no pretending.
And we all know how great girls are at pretending.
We spend our whole childhood doing it, and mastering it.
Heck, we pretended EVERYTHING.

Then we grow older, and realize that pretending takes a lot of work.
Figuring out who you really are takes a lot of hard work,
and can get a little messy in the friend department.

Being lucky enough to have friends next to you
when you come out the other side is a gift that cannot be described.

To those friends:

Lindsay
Cory
Sarah Jane
Jamie
Kacie
Laura

I appreciate you for loving me, and supporting me.



There are many honorary mentions from Spokane who know who they are...
(ok..want me to name names?? cindi, julie, melissa, ashley, jessica, sian, jacquie, lauren, jana, kelly, rachel, and more...)
They kept me company for weeks and weeks,
They shared their children, and their recipes, and their talents,
They took care of me when I was sick, sad, and post partum,
They taught me so much about what it means to me a military spouse.

I appreciate you for loving your spouses, and supporting me and mine.
I appreciate you for treating me like family, even when we were strangers.

Thank you for loving the pretend me,
AND the real me....
I am forever grateful for your love.

What would the world be without friendship?
xo, Ariel

Living in a shipping container?

Lots to think about here...
if you have a few minutes, check it out.
I think this idea of being owned by our things
is so true, and good to be aware of.

Only in California, right?!
I love it.


Thoughts?

xo, A

girl power....

and boy power too I suppose.

This subject has been on my mind and heart so much lately,
as our girl has been struggling with how people perceive her...
people making fun of her clothes, hair, mole, etc.
and how do we teach her

she IS good enough
she IS smart enough
she IS perfect to us

and GOD made her this way.

It is a battle I did not know I would face so early on,
but Paige is struggling at 5 tiny years of age with all of this.

As girls, I think we have had it so much harder in this way,
living up to this perfection in our minds,
and the perfection we perceive from others.
I was so blessed to be raised by a Mother that fought so hard to
build us up
when the whole world tried to tear us down.
I am trying so hard to be that Mother for my daughter,
but it is hard.

I want her to know she can do ANYTHING
I want her to know she can be ANYTHING
and that we will love her all the way.

If Justin and I can do nothing else but build our daughter up
and raise our son up right,
then we will feel accomplished in life.
I want our kids to be strong and kind.
I want our kids to be gentle and confident.
I want our kids to be hard working and generous.
It is a tall order, I know.
But it begins now.

I am only one, but still I am one.
I cannot do everything, but still I can do something;
and because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.
HELEN KELLER



You may notice a few faces in this video if you read this...
I love the message she shares, and the Mother she is.

Oh, and Justin signed up for another (and hopefully his last for a while)
100 mile race in February.
We will all be going....camping....freezing....
I will be documenting....
and as much as I hold my breath anxiously while he does these things,
there is much for me to learn from him
and his determination and drive.
He may be crazy, but I guess I love crazy.
This story drives him...moves him .
He watches it often, and I see that twinkle in his eye.
He wants to live a life worth living.
I know I have shared this before, but it is worth watching again,
and again.

xo

Take Two

2 things to share today...

I purchased some Covergirl goodness at COSTCO today...
(it was on coupon)
and I really like these lip stains.
Despite the reviews, I enjoy them and have purchased them
a few times.
The colors in the pack were Sassy Mauve and Teasing Blush
and it came with two moisturizing topcoats.
I am rocking the Sassy Mauve today, because I often feel sassy
after braving Costco with the kids.



Also, I purchased the Shea Moisture Organic Baby
Head-To-Toe Ointment for Mr. River's chapped face...
poor kid is having a rough go of it....eczema and chapped cheeks are
painful! (Face cheeks....not the other kid of cheeks!)
I wanted to try this, and although a bit more than I would normally spend,
you seriously need like a drop of it.
A little goes a LONG way, and it smells yummy...
in a hippy-dippy-trippy sort of way.
If you don't like the smell of Frankincense and Myrrh
or Lavender, Calendula, Rose and Chamomile...
then I would skip it.
But if you don't like those smells, you are kinda weird...
and you probably wouldn't like to sit next to me since I tend to smell that way.
OK.

Confession....
I am enjoying a bit of this right now

because I worked out
4 out of the last 5 days.
Holla!


AND....
if you want to really help yourself out after your workout,
ask Santa for a foam roller this year.
Justin and I just started doing this, and it really helps relieve
muscle soreness, and it feels good...hurts while doing, feels great after.
(and a little birdie told me it helps with cellulite??)

If you want to see a good routine for you and your foam roller,
check these gals out!
(Don't mind the intro...it was their "Back to School"
Britney Spears tribute...HA!)

I love Karina and Katrina, and I think they are so fun and inspiring.
They make me want to try harder, and put myself first.
Check them out at toneitup.com if you don't know about them.

That was more like 5 things...but
are you really surprised??
Didn't think so.
xoxoxoxo

Turkey Day Recap

*Our friends that were planning on coming over got the flu....Boo.
Big.Time.Bummer.Which.Left.Us.With.TONS.of.Food....
AND, I have been working out like crazy since to burn the calories
from my "Paula Dean's Grandma's Carrot Cake Recipe"....
which I had to eat twice my share of since friends were not there to.
Justin had his fair share too...who can resist that homemade cream cheese frosting?

*Lost my phone on our Turkey Day morning walk/jog/bike ride on the trail.
Yes...I brought my phone, in my purse, which it jumped out of, and....
since I am that crazy lady, I thought....well, maybe I left it at home?
Got home...and it was nowhere to be found. Called it a few times,
and a nice lady answered...she and friend saw it on the trail and took it home.
YEAH for nice people who lived close by and let us drive over to get my phone
on THANKSGIVING!

*Cranberry Conserve is awesome...but better when you can share it...it makes a considerable amount. Yes, it is still sitting in the fridge. Smells too good to throw away just now. Could be a great gift to a Cranberry Sauce lover in your life??

*Planning for a Fall 2012 Triathlon. It dawned on me the other day how good of shape I was in when I was training for the last one.....duh! Sign up for another one!

*Justin has been doing lots of cool "work" things lately...
I can't tell you any more or I would have to kill you (just kidding...well, maybe)
but take my word for it.
He is having fun.

*Twinkle, our Elf on the Shelf is getting around! He finds himself in some interesting places in this home...silly Elf! The kids are ALL ABOUT this little $29.95 piece of Christmas fun!!! Do you have an Elf?? What is their name??

xo

sniffles

hi.
we took our turn on the sick wheel..
and we are taking it slow this weekend.

just a couple things...
a new polish brand,
justin ran a race,
and I love you.





50 miles in 9:54, 7th place!!


See you soon!!
p.s.
2 hot mommies are days away from giving birth
to some seriously gorgeous baby girls.
I cannot wait, Jamie and Tricia!!!
I hope I can share their stories here!
xo

Sunday sermon

(two years ago...)
(two months ago)

I have seen this quote around lately, and I feel it is worth posting...
not in a churchy-type-way,
because you all know that isn't my style.
But, I wanted share it here because this is pretty much what I think is wrong with folks in general.
We teach our kids to worry about themselves...
and adults need to do the same...
especially the "churchy" ones!
Let's be nice.

"One of the marks of a certain type of bad man is that he cannot give up a thing himself without wanting every one else to give it up. That is not the Christian way. An individual Christian may see fit to give up all sorts of things for special reasons--marriage, or meat, or beer, or the cinema; but the moment he starts saying the things are bad in themselves, or looking down his nose at other people who use them, he has taken the wrong turning."- C.S. Lewis

Amen Brother Lewis.

This concludes our Sunday sermon.
xo- A

from the heart

Dear Michelle Pfeiffer,
Whatever you are having, I will take double...
Thanks.
She is 53 ladies!!!
Fifty freaking three...
love her!



And from one of my FAVORITE M.P. movies of all time...
one of my favorite scenes from I AM SAM...
from the heart.



Watch it.
smile.
Happy now?

I needed to smile tonight...
as I was up to my eyeballs in school "stuff"
an email came in saying Justin's Financial Aid was incorrect and miscalculated
and he isn't getting any for Spring....WHAT??
Ummm.....we are halfway through a Master's Program here...
this cannot be happening....
oh, and we owe the school money?
sure.
Yeah, we have that....not!

breathe.
smile.
This will all work itself out.
Why do these things happen when my husband is out in the woods??

breathe, and smile.
At least Justin is getting straight A's...

babies are healthy, roof over our head, food in the fridge.
breathe.
offering up prayers to the financial aid gods tonight among other prayers.
xo

show and tell

HAPPY THURSDAY.
I really cannot wait for this week to be over...
It is just one of "those" weeks, you know?!

Too much school,
Too much going on,
Checking out of the apartment...should be interesting,
Feeling funky.
I think the weekend will make it all go away.

SO, to take my mind off things for a minute,
I give you this totally random post about nothing important.
xo

1. I have no words for how beautiful I think these are. Seriously.

2. I am adding this to my Christmas list. I could not make this for under $100, and I think the colors are just right for our bedroom.

3. I just watched this , and I have to admit....even though it isn't the most appropriate song for a child (kinda bad), and NM isn't the best role-model (kinda out-there) I am BLOWN away. That little girl is something fierce.

4. Kinda wishes something like this would appear to hold all my fabrics so I can get my sewing space set up....

5. I think my new skincare may be working.....maybe.

6. They are priceless.






7. Pricey....but I love them. All from Anthropologie. I should seriously consider going to work for these people. Just being in the store lowers my blood pressure.







Cheers to the freakin' weekend.
-A

playing catch-up

Sneak Peek:

Thanks Grandpa Dave!

She is 5.

Birthday play dough gifts are amazing....he asks to play it everyday.

So excited it was his turn!

He is 3.



Cowgirls+Hats=Super fun birthday party for our friend!


Doubling up your hat is even cooler.

New yard cleaned and cleared, now we just need some grass.


Build A Bear Fun...Thanks Grandma and Todd!!!