Home Again, Home Again!

Jono and I are traveling to Hutch today to see MY FAMILY, who are fresh from the east coast, and HIS FAMILY, who we get to stay with.

Excitement abounds!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Reading Again!

There are so many wonderful things about being done with our wedding. Being married, obviously, ranking up at the top. I could go on an on about the things that are so great, but for now I won't...mostly because I'm sure I'll run out of material soon and need it as a back up.

("BTDubb", I'm still having wedding nightmares, as recent as last night. Why me?)

The one thing I want to mention, though, is that I'm reading again. I recently realized that except for a book I read when I was supposed to be planning the wedding, I hadn't read anything since the last Harry Potter (which, if you happen to have forgotten, was released on July 21st!). That means that (basically) within the last YEAR I have read only two books.

I'm so ashamed.

In my defense, I had two jobs all fall semester and was planning a wedding all spring semester.

But now I am joyfully back into reading. I started with a book I never finished that I bought at the library book sale. The Hiding Place...

Wait. I've been out of school for too long. I can't remember the proper way to reference a book. Italics? Underline? Quotation marks? Please, someone save me from my ignorance.

Anyway, back to what I was saying. The...um... the book that will now be called "the book" so that I don't make any further citation faux pas. I haven't finished it yet, but it has been a wonderful read, though filled with depressing themes. Corrie and her family are not what most would call "missionaries," but only because most people don't understand what "missions" truly is.

Every morning after Jono has left for work I have about 30 minutes to either get pretty or read. I always choose read, and I'm always sorry the 30 minutes are up. I think I've only got a couple chapters left, so I feel safe recommending this as an inspiring read.

Soon I'll be done, and I'll need more reading ideas! Please leave a comment with 1 or 2 or 7 of your very favorite books.

Have a great day!

Firsts For All

Magen has been working hard at getting in "firsts." So, when I achieved a couple myself, I thought I'd share them with you.

For the first time in ever, I marinated something. And I liked it! Also for the first time I made kabobs! And, it just so happens that the chicken on the kabobs was what I marinated. But it totally still counts as two unique firsts, ok?

Here's Jono sticking kabobs on the grill. You may take notice of the packages on the porch behind him. Thank you, Fed Ex, for leaving our valuables back there without letting us know. We appreciated that.

I'm so proud.

Jono wanted to add way more chicken than the recipe called for, which ended up being great. As he said, "there's never enough MEAT!"

Those boxes marked "Fragile" on the back porch? Yeah, they had some of our china in them. Thanks, again, FedEx!

Did I mention that we've already received two other packages with broken valuables in them?

Ok, onto a more favorable subject. After stuffing our gullets with kabobs, we made our way to the park to practice volleyball with other members of the church. They are in a parks & rec league this summer.

You can't see him right now, but he really is mind-numbingly handsome. Just take my word for it. See the awed expressions on Micah and Sam's faces? They think so, too.

Poor Barb. Rocky just didn't see her there.

(I love this picture. Don't judge me.)

I managed to get some pretty fun pictures, and I discovered something valuable in the process: hiding behind my camera saves me. Seriously! Nobody was saying, "hey, camera lady, why don't you put that thing down and come play!" I've found my excuse for staying out of the game, and I can use it all summer (because, really, who doesn't want a picture of themselves leaping into the air? They couldn't have that without yours truly)

Flipping sweet high five, guys.

Micah and Sam never lost their awed expressions, and Schumm just falls down before him. What a guy!

Have a wonderful day!

P.S. A more complete set of vball pictures will be available soon for your viewing pleasure.

My Most Embarrassing Moment (from that summer)

The following is a story that several of you may already know. I just can't help but disgrace myself further, though, so I have to make sure you ALL know.

Two years ago I was staffing at good old Kansas Bible Camp. That year they decided that each week camp would end on Friday evening (instead of Saturday morning) and that families would be invited for a picnic supper right before everyone was dismissed. There are many, many ways into the camp building. Those of you who have worked at KBC will remember that one way is a stairway near the pool that enters at the bottom of the steps to the girls dorms, and is one entrance to the Blue Room. To get to this stairway you walk through a semi-narrow path between the pool fence and part of the camp building. Are you envisioning this? Because it's an important part of the story. Ready?

Fine, I'll just show you.



So, this particular Friday evening just after the family picnic supper we were headed back to the building from the back yard area. I was following a crowd of people who were headed to that very same stairway to get to the chapel for the last part of camp. I was behind Micah and Paul, who were talking with each other. We got to that narrow portion and suddenly Micah and Paul stopped walking, turned to face each other, and kept right on with their conversation. At first I tried to get around them, but it wasn't really working. I could have gone back, but people were starting to build up behind me. So I decided to just be patient.

For all of 10 seconds.

Then (because life just isn't complete until I make an idiot of myself) I open my mouth. And to Micah and Paul I loudly ask "Why are we BOTTLENECKING here!?!"

Let me stop here for just a moment. I want to remember what life was like before this event. Because I really can't think about it without wincing and curling up in my chair like a baby. There used to be happiness and roses all the time, I think. There were pink bunnies who never ate our flowers and chocolate flavored trees. I think I vaguely recall never getting pimples or toothaches. Ah. That was the life.

Back to reality, though. Where was I, anyway? Oh...yeah...

"Why are we BOTTLENECKING here!?!"

A millisecond after I uttered these words Micah and Paul parted enough for me to see up ahead. On the stairs, about halfway up, was a rather large woman being assisted (slowly) up the stairs. The person who was helping her turned, looked me in the eye and said in a distressingly facetious way "Because there's a HANDICAPPED person on the stairs, TAKING UP OUR TIME AND SPACE!"

I think I managed to mumble something about talking to the boys in front of me, and not her. But then I ran away. And hid under a ping pong table.

Facebook For Beginners

My dear (and very intelligent) friend Magen has just joined the world of facebook. She now has many glorious opportunities open to her. She can spend her mornings getting up to date on all the relationship happenings. She can spend her afternoons looking at the pictures people have posted of their new dog, their favorite spot on the couch, or (most frequently) themselves. She can fill her evenings with the comforting feeling of knowing exactly what her friends are doing RIGHT now, thanks to mobile status updates. Magen, congratulations, and we'll see you in 10 years (but we'll keep up on what you're doing, don't worry).

Now, Magen is really, truly, honestly brand new to dear old FB. To follow are some of my favorite quotes of hers as I was helping her get things started.

magenranae: i just joined facebook and i had 5 friends before it'd even let me see my profile!

magenranae: what are your privacy settings?

magenranae: and gosh! tons of emails

magenranae: "when someone sends me a message" is that the private message? do i want that? if it's that pressing, wouldn't they just email me?

magenranae: do i really need emails for: Tags me in a photo, Tags one of my photos, Comments on my photos, Comments on a photo of me, Comments after me in a photo
won't it show all that stuff on the page?
magenranae: Replies to my discussion board post? this is waaaaaaay more than i ever thought of!
magenranae: how bout these? Tags me in a note, Comments on my notes, Comments after me in a note, Posted Items On Off, Comments on my posted items, Comments after me in a posted item, Video On Off, Tags me in a video, Tags one of my videos, Comments on my videos, Comments on a video of me
hehe i'm almost done :)

magenranae: ooootay
people must check fb pretty regularly! it's crazy how many notifications i've gotten and i don't even feel set up!
so, if i reply to someone's wall post... do i write on YOUR wall? not my wall?
magenranae: when i reply to your wall post... do i click on wall-to-wall? or write on yours? or does it matter?
magenranae: and is it normal to reply to every wall post?

Ok, helping her do this has made me really realize how out of control and different FB is from its wonderful, humble beginnings. Remember how we loved it so much more than myspace because of the simplicity and the lack of annoying ads? Gone.

Also, it made me laugh because other humans within 57 1/2 years of magen's age already know how to use FB.

So, you all should make her feel welcome in a true facebook fashion (by bombarding her inbox with emails from them, of course!)

Sorry, Magen, I couldn't resist! I'm not clever enough to think of new things for my blog. :)

Everyone Should Get To Be Themselves

I really believe that. It's the key to real relationships and contentment. Plus, it's just plain fun.

Many people might think that women should be ladies, but I find that this isn't always practical. I've heard of women spending the first months of their marriage jumping out of bed early to brush their teeth and put on makeup. I've heard of them leaving the room whenever certain bodily functions are about to become apparent. And maybe these people are the nice wives, the good wives, the wives that remind their husbands daily why they fell in love with them.

I'll never be one of those wives.

I can't do it. At least, it's very difficult for me. I'm just not a lady.

I burp and, er, "pass gas" without holding back (when it's just the two of us). And if, by some miracle, my dear husband doesn't hear it, I inform him loudly. "Husband! I tooted!" "Husband! I burped! Did you hear my burp?"

You think I'm kidding, don't you? Just ask the man. The poor, dear man.

And growing up with two older brothers did NOT help this situation. My threats seem to come straight out of a jr. high lunchroom. "If you don't stop that, I'll put boogers on you while you sleep!"

Really. I said that.

And I've only worn makeup for about 1/3 of the days we've been married.

I told you I wasn't a lady! But you know what? I'm me. And I happen to like being me. And Jono and I laugh and giggle a lot together. AND he still loves me, because he knows exactly who "me" is.

Life is good.

I Welcome You With Random

Thanks for joining me! Sorry for any inconvenience of switching to a new blog. Let's just blame Blogger for that, shall we? It's so much more fun to blame someone else.

I'll start with an idea that I got from Magen's blog (which she got from Jessie's blog). I'm not real original around here, if you haven't noticed. But for some reason you're still reading this right now, which must mean one of two things:
1) you're bored out of your mind
or 2) you really don't care if I'm original or not.

And, frankly, I'm ok with either option.

So, here we go!

7 weird/random/bizarre/unfathomable things about me that you may or may not have known!

1) I used to bite the bottom out of my ice cream cones before I finished my ice cream. I'd cry and my dad would clean up the mess wondering why the heck I was such a dense child.

2) After "the talk" with my mom, my only response was "you've GOT to be kidding me!!!"
She likes to tell that story now, especially.

3) I started life with no sense of humor whatsoever. My family used to say that they were going to make large signs that said "Rachel, it's a joke" just so I would catch on. I guess I was a little too literal.

4) When I was younger I had very long hair, and I very much hated to brush it (it hurt!). The result was a very knotty bunch of nasty hair that I would wear down without shame. Once I was playing in our front yard when some teenagers drove by. One yelled out the window, "COMB YOUR HAIR!"

5) When I re-met Elena (the first time didn't count. I was in grade school...and I don't remember it) I bit her on the shoulder. We didn't know each other at all. It was the beginning of something beautiful.

6) I got stitches in my knee after crawling over a bunch of staples that my dear siblings Beth and Joel had carefully placed all over the floor (facing up).

7) When I was little I would sneak into my Sunday School class and lick the play dough. I realize this is disgusting now, but then it was a salty treat. ;)


Have a super fabulous day!