Abandoning the blog

Blogging is just not doing anything for me anymore - sorry guys!

I've decided to just start actually using facebook more than 3 times a year. I'm better at the shorter posts anyway, and what I really want to do is stay more on top of what is going on in the lives of those I don't get to see that often. Blogging just seems to not fit right now, especially considering that I never can find the time to write much of anything.

Going forward, please add me as a friend on facebook, and I will try to post more updates and pics there. I'll leave this blog active for a while in case anyone wants to save the links to others' blogs.

See you on facebook! (And maybe around town if you live in the Twin Cities.)

:-)

Living room updates

I went shopping today! And I had lots of fun. :-) Aren't those some great pillows? Yay for IKEA pillows! Check out the updated living room along with the new furniture we got a while ago:

Thanks to my mom for the new lamps!

Also, I would like to report that we have found a new home for all of our old furniture. :-)

Along the Mississippi

Matt and I decided to take a break from work today to go on a bike ride. What a wonderful day for a ride! Warm enough that we didn't need coats, yet cool enough that we didn't sweat much at all. We saw some gorgeous houses and rode along some great trails. We were glad we headed northwest instead of our typical direction of southeast. Riding along the river was much more interesting that what we've done before. It was so serene up there - so much so that it almost seemed that we were much further from home. It was definitely a nice break from work.

Time for some self-reflection...

Hi all - it's been a while! Sorry!

I just finished up with my last major project of the semester. All that remains is a one page reflection paper, which I know I will put off until the last minute. :-) Yay for freedom from class work! And, my group did pretty well on our final project, so I'm happy with how the semester has ended. Good times...

So, regarding the topic of this post... I had yet a 4th opportunity to take the MBTI this semester, and this time, I got to do the expanded version (Step II). Yay! I love this stuff.

Anyway, I was really looking to confirm whether there were any facets of any of the dichotomies that were clearly out-of-preference for me. I suppose I was looking for more evidence or clarity. Let's just say that self-knowldge is very important to me, and I can't help but think about this stuff.

The good news: I found two facets (Planful vs. Open Ended, and Methodical vs. Emergent) where I was out of preference, and this information helped me to clarify why I have always struggled to identify with one of two types (ENFJ or ENFP). I spent the last year or so thinking I was more of an ENFJ, but now I strongly identify as a Planful, Methodical ENFP. Love to make plans and follow methods, but in general, I hold to them loosely. Other than that, I am in most ways a run-of-the-mill ENFP. And if you know anything about the MBTI and ENFPs, you can probably understand why I love thinking about this model and how I fit into it (among other things...)

:-)

Is there anyone else out there reading this blog who has any interest in this topic? Just curious...

Thoughts on blogging

I haven't really had many deep thoughts that I want to expose to the world on my blog lately. I've been reading posts that others put up more than adding my own posts, and I have kind of noticed that many of you out there seem to be going really deep in your blogs.

I confess that the thought just crossed my mind that maybe some of you read my shallow posts and start to think of me as a shallow person. Hopefully that is not the case, but anyway... I am contemplating the possibility of dropping the whole "blogging-about-personal-randomness" thing, if that makes any sense. I'm much more of an "in-person" person. I'm starting to feel like I am only keeping in touch with some people through their blogs. How sad is it that these thoughts are even coming to me? Something must be amiss.

So, my other thought is that if I want to blog, I should try to blog about something other than the activities of my day, since my daily activities are just not that interesting. (Hence the lack of posts as of late.) I will let this simmer a bit more and see what comes to me... And even though I'm down on the whole blog idea right now, I'll still keep you "posted" on any further thoughts. (And there goes my lame sense of humor again...)

Done with my first assignment - woohoo!

So this semester, I have 3 assignments - 1 key concepts facilitation, 1 paper, 1 group project. Typically, I end up with one of the last dates for the key concepts facilitation, but this semester I lucked out. My group was the second group to go. And, we kept it low key, so I didn't have to spend too much time putting together information for a paper or a power point. Gotta love facilitation in groups! I definitely am comfortable just talking "on the fly", so I was happy that I got the part with the least "planned" talking points. :-) Good times... And now I am so ready for the weekend!

Chemistry!

Matt has been brushing up on his chemistry knowledge in preparation for testing out of his chemistry pre-req for nursing school. What fun! I really hated chemistry while I was in college, but I think that's because I hated going to 7:30am labs. Now, though, I'm excited to re-learn with him. Hmmm.... "chemistry" while studying chemistry.... Does that make me weird?

My 3rd Two-Year-Haircut

Before:

After:

It's melting!

On our way to World Vision today as part of Extend Grace day with the church, Matt noticed that the temperature was in the 40s. So, we decided that it would be a good day to wash the cars and put on some wax to help keep any remaining salt from damaging them any more.

We got home, and first of all, I decided to clean off the driveway a bit. Man, did I have to hack away at the ice, despite all of the melting. Part way in, I decided that it was too hot for a sweatshirt, so down to a T-shirt I went.

Gotta love shoveling ice in a T-shirt. Oh, and our cars look a lot better now. Whew! I'm so excited for springtime!

From my Uncle Pete, a US Airways pilot...

Pete's thoughts: http://investorbustours.com/commentary/71/

The "Booty" Carving

Josh and Maggie brought gifts back for friends and family from Kenya. Maggie said she had wondered to whom they should give this one. Ultimately, she decided that the "booty" carving was meant for Matt and me.

Josh, Maggie, and their two boys Matthew and Caleb were here with us for a week (Jan 5-11, 2009). I had to work during the day, but Matt spent good time with them going sledding, skating, ice fishing, visiting other friends, etc. Then we had quality "down time" in the evenings. Good friends, good times...

Freedom from shopping

For those of you that talk with me regularly, you know that Matt and I have had an interesting winter so far with some major changes, specifically adjusting to living on a reduced income. Matt is currently in process of changing career directions, so it looks as though the reduced income is here to stay - at least for a while. A year or so ago, I don't know if I would have been ready for this much of a change, but I have been pleasantly surprised with how God has been able to use this to change my heart.

Matt was never a big spender, but I used to be so addicted to shopping. Scrapping supplies, things for the house, etc. - you name it - I bought it. Probably every other day or so I would stop somewhere (typically Target or Archivers) to look around, and I would almost always end up buying something that I didn't need. I wasn't spending more than we were earning, so I didn't bother to slow down or realize how much I was focusing on getting the next new thing, whatever it may be.

While Matt's spending habits have stayed mostly the same, I am so grateful that I have been forced to cut back. It has helped to break my desire for "stuff" that much more. I feel more free from things in this world now. I am at a point where if God called Matt and me to sell everything and go, I think I could happily do so.

Anyway, all this to say that when the going gets tough, God does good things. And I've got some free time before the spring semester starts, so I figured it was time for another post. :-)

It's done...finally!

It's finally done, and it only took me a year to complete. It's my first, fully-finished yarn project... My new scarf!