How we rang in the New Year...

I finished my sermon, I started and finished my 111th book of 2011 and then I watched Gilmore Girls on DVD. I have a very exciting life.

Marcus on the other hand did this...

He grew a Mr Potato head mustache haha (I told him this was going on the blog when he sent the picture).

Happy 2012 to you all!!

I learned a very important lesson last night...

just say no to muscle relaxers. Last night at around 1 am I got desperate for some kind of relief. My legs has been aching horribly all day long (this is actually pretty standard for me, but it was worse yesterday for some reason). I tried everything I could to fix them.

Hot bath = no relief
Tylenol = didn't even make a dent in the pain
Wrap my legs tightly in a blanket = I was desperate but nothing.

I was exhausted and in pain and so I stumbled to our medicine cabinet and saw some muscle relaxers. The instructions said, "Take as needed for muscle pain." So I decided this was such an occasion and I took one. A little while later I fell asleep the pain in my legs gone.

Here's the problem, 12 hours later (one in the afternoon), I still wasn't able to function as a human. The medication was still taking effect and I could not shake the drug induced haze that surrounded me.

I kept trying to move, get myself out of bed, after all I have a sermon to write, a newsletter article to finish, a book to read. Not to mention I just needed to get out of bed. (Thank goodness Marcus has the day off).

Here I am it's 3:46 pm. I don't have any pain but I'm pretty sure I could nod off to sleep any second.

Just say no to drugs, that's the lesson I've learned. Muscle relaxers are not for me.

Must.stay.awake.must.write.sermon...

Anyone have a similar experience? Is this normal to feel like a zombie 16 hours later? I don't hurt, but I can barely stay awake.

Library Love...

Last week, I decided after living in Mayberry for almost 6 months it was time to check out the library. I'm a huge book lover but I have had my reasons for avoiding it. (Mostly because a member of my congregation works there and for some reason that bothered me).

However, I decided to get over that weird little quirk of mine and so off Eli, Emerson and I went. The library is tiny, which I already knew, and the selection was minimal. Plus, there were books on the shelf that in my opinion should always be checked out. (Also a few of the books I checked out had never been read despite being the shelf for several years, poor lonely library books). Although considering 70% of the community I live in is Spanish speaking and there's only a few shelves with Spanish books explains some of this.

Emmy loved the library. She picked a few books of the shelf. Grabbed a chair and immediately set about reading them.

It was one of the most adorable things I've ever seen and had it just been her and I that day it would have been a very pleasant library expedition.  (I apologize for the picture it's from my cell phone).

Eli also had a great time. He found a stool with wheels on it...

He might have rolled himself all over the library. Maybe... I can't say for sure.

Anyways, Emerson was very excited at the prospect of choosing a few books to take home with us and when you let a 2 year old pick out their own library books this is what you get:
1. Maisy's Halloween by Lucy Cousins
2. El Comercio por Patria E. Gutman
3. Quique Duerme Fuera de Casa por Bernard Waber

A halloween book and two books in Spanish. I found her selections hilarious. Although I really don't mind reading to them in Spanish. Eli also grabbed a few books of the shelves, they were from the adult fiction section and he was just being naughty (this has been an issue lately) to avoid trying to figure out where they came from I just checked them out.

And, because I live in Mayberry as soon as I arrived home from the library, the librarian (the member of my congregation called me about something pertaining to the library). Oh small town living... it's weird, and there's no such thing as being anonymous.

Review: The Magic Room by Jeffrey Zaslow

Jeffrey Zaslow's newest book The Magic Room: A Story About the Love We Wish For our Daughters chronicles the journeys of eight brides who all purchase their wedding dress from Becker's Bridal in Fowler, Michigan. The book also chronicles the history of Becker's Bridal and the four generations of Becker women who have made that store their livelihood.

I'll be honest when I heard the premise of this book I could not figure out how he wrote a book about a Bridal shop. Where's the story? I imagined scenes similar to those we might see on television in the advent of popular wedding shows like Say Yes to the Dress.


I was pleasantly surprised that Zaslow offered commentary on marriage, history of Becker's bridal and some commentary on how the wedding business has shifted throughout the years, and finally the part I enjoyed the most was the chronicling of eight brides as they searched for their wedding dress.

Zaslow, chronicled not only their shopping quest but also background into the lives of each of the women. Who they were, who their families were, and what factors led them to the Magic Room of Becker's bridal. (The Magic Room is where the bride sees herself in her wedding dress surrounded by mirrors and under perfect lighting).

Each of the stories offered about the women were unique some full of loss, pain, heartbreak, others full of faith and love. Each culminating in the marriage and the beginnings of a new life.

Overall this was a really enjoyable read and I would recommend it. I appreciated the idea that in the midst of the wedding dress shopping, brides and their friends and family are doing so much more. They're preparing for a new life, a new future, and the histories of many generations of people are coming together.

However, my biggest critique is that the women Zaslow writes about are not a very diverse group of women. Yes, they're all different ages, some are entering into second marriages, but they are all part of the dominate, white, heteronormative culture. Perhaps this limitation comes from the location of the bridal shop in Michigan but I would have liked to see a broader diversity of brides.

To read more about Jeffrey Zaslow and to join in on some conversations visit  the blogher book club Magic Room Discussion.

Note: This is a paid review by blogher book club. However, the opinions expressed are all mine.

The Final Christmas Post...

Surely Christmas deserves three posts right? Well even if it doesn't that's what it got.

Christmas morning this year was different because Christmas fell on a Sunday and I had to lead worship. My immediate thoughts weren't really on Christmas but instead work.

Eli and Emerson went to bed so late on Christmas eve they didn't wake up until after 9 (much to Marcus' disappointment he was very excited about Santa).

Eli came out first and didn't know what to make of the scene in our living room. He held back and just stared at the toys.

Emerson emerged a few minutes later and slowly made her way up to the new toys, which then allowed Eli to go to. The trikes were the immediate favorite, especially for Eli he spent all day sitting on his trike.

They also both found a sucker in their stockings from Santa and were really excited to be allowed candy in the morning. Emmy kept saying, "Thank you Santa Sucker" I'm pretty sure the sucker and the trike would have been sufficient for both of them.

After discovering the suckers in their stockings. It was christmas so they were allowed to eat them in the morning (yuck). 

They got some new hats from their sunday school teacher. Emmy wore her new piggy hat for most of the morning. 

Eli is an aspiring photographer. He's obsessed with our camera and was even more taken with it when he discovered our tri-pod. On Christmas Eve he had the camera and kept taking pictures and saying, "Happy Birthday"

Christmas made me tired. 

New Sleeping bags from Gram and Grandad

Christmas dinner. After a bath we sat them on the counter and essentially spoon fed them real food. After a day of candy and cookies they needed to be forced to eat something of substance.

Eli wasn't really into unwrapping presents. He mostly wanted to eat candy and sit on his new bike. Emmy understood the idea of opening presents but she went very slowly. We were still unwrapping around 2pm.

Then we had Eli and Emmy lay down and watch a movie in hopes they would nap (they didn't). I did though :~).

It was a very nice Christmas. I'm so glad my in-laws could join us. 

More Christmas Eve...

I love traditions and I've been so grateful that Marcus and I have been able to create family traditions of our own while also maintaining some of the traditions from when we were growing up. One of the traditions from my childhood is that we have snacks and appetizers on Christmas eve. My mom figured out pretty early that with six kids making a full meal on Christmas eve was not worth her effort, since we were all too wound up to eat. Eli was particularly fond of the chocolate in the cookies. 

He helped himself to several cookies...

At the chocolate out of it and then moved onto another cookie. 

Our Christmas Eve feast haha.

In Marcus' family their family tradition was to get matching Pajamas on Christmas eve, and so that lives on as well. My mother in law was encouraging Emmy to jump off the couch it makes for some great action pictures.

She loves jumping

And Eli wanted to play too.

Our family in matching pajamas. 

We had a Merry Christmas...

 We had a really good Christmas.

My first Christmas Eve service as a pastor went really well and we had a nice amount of people.

Marcus' parents drove down to celebrate with us, which is always exciting for Eli and Emmy.

Emmy loved her Christmas dress and requested to put it on several hours before church. 

Eli had way to much chocolate on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The boy has a sweet tooth. 

 Emmy really didn't want Santa to come to her house, so we tried not to talk about it too much the night before. I didn't want her to be scared. She also insisted on a necklace because I had a necklace on for church. 

I'll post more tomorrow.

I'm so tired and my house looks like a tornado hit it, but it was a nice Christmas. 

We are blessed.