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well...and that it a YAHOO!!!
Its spring!
our Community Life group that we are part of from Grace. (Ryan and I were made famous on the church's website, you can check it out.
Seriously, without them our lives in Newton would just not me the same.
So anyway, the point of this little story is to tell you about our Monday night.
We made fondu. Have you ever fondu'd? If you haven't you should.
If you have you should do it again.
We love it!
So much yumminess its hard to stomach. (ha ha. I love a good pun on a Friday.)
We had 5 fondu pots, 36 dipping sticks, peppers, snap peas, beef, shrimp, broccoli, cauliflower, summer squash, zucchini, crusty bread, tempura, chocolate fondu, cheese fondu, oil (for the meat), angle food cake, bananas, and strawberries.
And only 14 people to eat it all.
But eat it we did.
All of it.
.
I love the smoke in this one - Jon is really working hard. Makenzie kept asking for "More meat!" And I tried to get Ryan to smile, but he was a little to involved with all his dipping sticks in one pot.
It took every table leaf (we have 5) and an extra table to accomodate all the food and the people.
It was stifling.
It was so good.
And really it was pretty fun once we figured out the limits on one outlet...oops.
I think everyone had plenty to eat. Its one of those things that kind of sneaks up on you because you are eating slowly waiting for everything to cook.
*Side note: There is a guy on a motorcycle outside my window and he is wearing a Viking helmet with giant horns and silver beads wrapped around one of them. He is covered in leather, and his bike has fringe. Thank you big window at work! And thank you motorcycle man for driving by over lunch so I could write about you.
Then we played Family Feud. (which I always thought was spelled fued...but now I know...which reminds me of Bill Nye the Science guy videos in middle school - think deep, booming, God-like voice from the heavens, "Now you know!"
The boys won.
Twice.
They always win.
Its irritating.
Oh well, its probably better that they do. Girls (in most cases) are better sports about losing anyway. Plus we wouldn't want to hurt their manly pride by kicking their rear ends.
So we loose.
Yep, we are going with that.
It was a good night.
And because I promised a picture. Here is our house with its new rock. We really need spring. Our house looks blah.
Have a good day!
contemplative. It happens every once in a while.
Actually, it probably happens more than you would think, but this time you get to hear about it.
I am longing for something.
Perhaps it is cabin fever. I am craving more sunshine and outside time.
(Can you say beach? Dang, I miss you.)
Perhaps it is sugar. I have been doing a great job avoiding the sweet stuff for the last few weeks, but a couple of times, the cravings have been strong. (Like when I saw this photo again.)
Sweet glazed goodness...oh I am getting distracted...moving on.
Perhaps it is a child that I haven't yet met. Sometimes, my heart sees a little baby from a far off place. A little baby not even born yet, but there is a plan. A child whose mommy can't take care of it. I wonder when it will be God's desire for me to finally meet that little person that I have been thinking about for years and years.
Some folks who are farther along that path are these folks.
Tami over at gathering peeps
Paige over at fly 2 his heart
and Gail, who will return home with precious Jude, from Ethiopia, tomorrow
at A Journey to His Heart.
Perhaps it is an adventure. Now I know all of you just said to yourselves, "life is an adventure, Lindsay." I know you did, I can really almost hear you saying it.
And I must say, I agree. But I also think that there are times in life that we intentionally seek out an adventure, something that challenges us.
Definition: ad.vent.ture - noun
1. an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous experience or activity: her recent adventures in Italy. (literally that's the example the Oxford American Dictionary gave...hmm...)
2. daring and exciting activity calling for enterprise and enthusiasm: she traveled the world in search of adventure (again that's it - word for word...again...hmm...)
*Disclaimer - This is in no way a slam or a dig to my current lifestyle, because, frankly, its nice. And I like it.
However, there is a longing. A longing to do something. A life altering, perspective changing, on your knees seeking direction type adventure. Perhaps.
Or perhaps, I just need spring to happen.
Either way, I am praying for something BIG. Something new. Spring can do that to a person, did you know that? New flowers, new life, tiny, little babies to welcome into the world, sunlight and warmth ... Spring an adventure in and of itself.
But then so can, Italy. Or Peru. Or Africa.
needs a laugh on Monday morning.
This is Emily. My sister-in-law who is a sophomore at k-state. She is Ryan's youngest sister. You can find his other sister, Kelsey, here.
So anyway, here's the funny part.
She just got back from Italy. (that's not the funny part.) I'm sure it was lovely.
And because she went to Italy, and she felt bad that I didn't get to go. She let me post this picture of her.
really come to any major conclusion about the discussions addressed in Tuesday's post, other things in life have been occurring and I have been neglecting them.
First, we finally (seriously) decided on a location for this Christmas present. Its been in Ryan's xtera since December. Yep that's the kind of people we are. : )
It really changed the house. I think. Its kind of dramatic. Yard Picture to come...I forgot to take it. Oops.
Next, I am working on a secret project that almost everyone actually knows about that I will post pictures of later this week. I am excited to see how it turns out.
Third, Ryan tilled the garden. Yep that's right, its the time of year to put our plants in the ground. Its hard to imagine considering the snow we are "supposed" to get tonight.
Honestly, I am over snow. I am normally a snow/winter lover. I love my winter clothes. I love coats and hats and gloves and scarves. But I also just like the weather.
However.
I am done. (at least until next August, when I will be done with hot.) Just thought you should know how I really feel about the subject.
Oh, and we are taking a poll. I need your suggestions. What should we plant? (Read: What would you like to receive because we never can eat it all?)
Please leave your opinions on what makes the best garden variety vegetables in Kansas where it freezes in May. (Let's pray it doesn't happen.)
Then, I have been totally, unconditionally, unashamedly absorbed, literally, in March Madness.
It happens every year. I love it. I love how unpredictable it is. And that everyone and their dog (Finley doesn't have a bracket, but that would be funny) tries to predict it.
Currently, in our pool I am 4th. Not a bad position to be in, right?
But the "One Shining Moment" is coming and let's just say the spotlight won't be on me.
Georgetown...Marquette...Vanderbilt...
Need I say more?
And fifth, and finally, Finley. We are nearly at our wits end.
He is making us crazy. Its like all the sudden he turned into a 6 month old puppy again.
He is eating everything, jumping on people, and general not listening to any instruction what so ever.
Like, this week, he chewed up a bottle of cough syrup (luckily he didn't drink any - we could tell because of the giant pink puddle), a book, the plastic part of a tape dispenser, a box of tea, a tube of white frosting, and and a sock.
On one hand, we have been very careful not to leave anything out - period. He will eat it if he can get it.
Its bad. He is unable to listen in any way - like beyond normal. Way bad.
We are open for any wisdom, non-wisdom, thoughts, comments, support groups, etc.
one of those weeks where I feel like I have so much to say, but no idea how to say it.
Have you seen or read the book about men being waffles and women being spaghetti. Well today, this is definitely what my brain looks like.
I would say often, I am a waffle kind of girl. I like things in their boxes. I like to color in the lines. I like to cut my waffles on the lines and eat them in their neat little squares...
So, personally, I don't experience this feeling very often - the feeling of not knowing what I am thinking or how to say what I am thinking.
Not that any of you would have thought I have trouble saying things. Because its definitely been obvious since I was a very little girl that talking would not be a problem that I would ever have.
Not talking, now that might be a problem. As evidenced by my very first kindergarten "report card", it was a slight problem.
Now I don't know how you were graded in kindergarten, but I was graded with numbers.
One being the best and four being the worst (well, I don't think my kindergarten teacher would have ever called anyone the worst at something, she was way to nice for that. Mrs. Hutchinson, you were so stinking cool and quite frankly you still are.).
I was a good little student at age 5 (well mostly 6), and I received mostly 1's and a few 2's.
However.
Talking was on the report card. I think maybe it even said excessive talking. It was good to get a one in that category - meaning very little excessive talking.
I got at least a 3. Probably a 4.
Not that any of you are surprised. If you were surprised that I talk a lot when I started this post, you won't be now. I told you I didn't have anything to say, but proceeded to enlighten you with a long story about how that almost never happens along with a random point about spaghetti and waffles.
Well, anyway....
Thanks for sticking around while I process all my thoughts. I will be posting soon on the brain waves that are oscillating back and forth up there.
(Thank you Physical World 101 and Dr. Larry for the correct verbiage for that sentence, because I am pretty sure that waves oscillate.)
I will leave you with a funny little picture of me graduating pre-school. Wasn't I a stunner?
see this girl!
She's been in Africa for 27 months.
That's a long time. We missed her so much.
I also wanted to say thanks for letting me come visit you and have the time of my life in South Africa.
