this is so stinkin funny!

okay, so i know it is a bit late, and some of you may have already seen this, but you have to see it!! check it out, and make sure you turn up the volume!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?userid=5c8c4f17a74f8aa90a3db31G06123108

and on another merry note, my friend sharon just got engaged! congratulations to her and her fiance jeff!

'tis the season

it was the most wonderful time of the year this year ... arguably much better than last Christmas. john and i have been through so much this year, and we agreed that this Christmas was one that found us older and wiser. God has burned away much of the chaff in us both personally and as a couple, and we are excited to see what the new year brings. and although we had new eyes and new hearts to see and experience this holiday season, some things still remained the same.

we saw my family just before Christmas:

we watched our video from last year on Christmas Eve:

we exchanged gifts on Christmas morning after
reading about the birth of Jesus:

and we had Christmas dinner - although this year it was on the china that my mom gave me. we were able to relax, watch movies, and enjoy the celebration. we did, however, spend some time talking about the condition of our world and all the people who were not able to celebrate. the older i get, the more i feel a call to worldly affairs like AIDS and hunger and genocide. this year my goals are to become more energy efficient (use those spiral lightbulbs!) and to contribute more of my time and money to causes i believe in. i pray that God would show all of us how we can give of ourselves to others in 2007.

merry Christmas and happy new year!
lindsey

into the west ...

john just got home from a three day trip to colorado. he went to tour a wind turbine farm for work, but he also got to do some skiing while he was there. he took a bunch of pictures and videos for me so i could feel like i was there - isn't he so sweet? - so i thought i would share them with you guys.

he made the trip with 5 coworkers from the edison program. my anti-social husband has found some great friends at ge, and he was able to spend some time with them on the trip. he was especially excited about seeing tapan who moved to houston a couple of months ago. we both love tapan and miss him a lot. on the wind farm tour, they got to climb up to the top of the turbine (which stands at 300 feet tall) and john actually got to climb onto the outside of it! i am glad he didn't show me what it would be like beforehand because i am terrified of heights! but my husband - he's brave.

stopped on the slopes for a photo op

the wind farm at sunrise

stately, aren't they?

from left to right: murray, tapan, eric, jessi, john, and ed

john on top of the wind turbine - aaaaahhh!!!

also, i have had a lot of verbal guesses on the hair in addition to the comments on the blog ... as soon as i get a good picture i will post it!

peace,

lindsey

give thanks with a grateful heart ...

john and i went to ruffin for thanksgiving. there were 27 people in my parents' house, 9 of them being children. it was a zoo. we surprisingly had fun, though, and it was nice to see my aunt janet and grandmother as well as my parents and my sister and her family. here are just a few pics from the day.

3 month old colton - such a sweet baby!

look at his little hat!

emma and her uncle john

aunt lindsey with the kiddos

avery being silly with his kool-aid mustache

and then the most drastic news of all ... i got my hair dyed, and it is completely different. any takers on the color?? i'll take some votes and then post a pic.

hope everyone had a great thanksgiving.
lindsey

okay, okay ...

so i have been awol for a little while. life has been a bit of a mess lately. most recently, i missed two days of work this week due to a helluva sinus infection. i get them about twice a year, and i was due. so i spent three straight days in my bathrobe on the couch staring listlessly while making shameful attempts to breathe through my nose. ugh. and i developed two "blemishes" (translation "zits" for all you guys who don't understand girl talk) yesterday, and that will never make a girl happy.

but despite health issues, i have just been in a bit of a funk - ergo, my lack of writing. it's sadness, if you will ... being blue, feeling down. i think i am in a season of being acutely aware that i am not in heaven. someone once quoted me john donne - "eden runs through our veins." i think about that statement often; it makes a whole lot of sense to me. for as long as i can remember, i have felt as though life just isn't right. from global and national social causes to specific relationships to internal struggles, i have always known there was something off, just off, about our reality. at times i can evade this truth - i watch entertaining television or movies, i laugh with my husband, i play with my dogs, i sing to the top of my lungs - but other times it covers me like a blanket, soft at first, then weighty and wet and smothering. it clings to me like my own skin and refuses relief. it's all over me as i write.

i was watching oprah the other day ... not something that i would normally say, but as i explained before i was on the couch. her cameras went into a high school and taped what they called "challenge day" where 64 teens were confronted and challenged to break down barriers based on race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, appearance, religion, and more. they were encouraged to talk to other teens who were different than them, first through silly icebreakers and then through small groups. they were encouraged to be honest and real - something difficult for adults to do. they were told to finish this statement: "if you really knew me, you would know ..." they were able to tell each other their deepest hurts, their honest feelings, and they were even able to see that they were all more alike than they were different, sparking confessions, repentance, and forgiveness between them. it was amazing to watch. what was even more astounding, though, is that when i thought about how i would finish that sentence, i wasn't sure that anyone who knows me would expect to hear what i have to say. i think that most of the people in my life would be surprised, even shocked at some of my answers. according to ford, bold means taking risks, but according to God, bold means being vulnerable. so here goes ...

if you really knew me, you would know that i am sad a lot.
if you really knew me, you would know that i hide most of my true feelings.
if you really knew me, you would know that my marriage is not always happy.
if you really knew me, you would know that i am scared of what people think of me.
if you really knew me, you would know that i am politically minded.
if you really knew me, you would know that i am not as tough as i appear to be.
if you really knew me, you would know that i enjoy acting more than singing.
if you really knew me, you would know that i love my friends more than i can express to them.
if you really knew me, you would know how much i want to serve God.

i am sure the list could go on. these were on the forefront.

grace and peace to whomever is reading this wherever you are ...
lindsey

Real

"what is Real?" asked the rabbit. "does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the skin horse. "it's a thing that happens to you. when a child loves you for a really long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"does it hurt?" asked the rabbit.

"sometimes," said the skin horse, for he was always truthful. "when you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"it doesn't happen all at once," said the skin horse. "you become. it takes a long time. that's why it doesn't happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have been carefully kept. generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. but these things don't matter at all because once you are Real, you can't be ugly, except to those who don't understand."

-"the skin horse tells his story" from the velveteen rabbit

oh, that i could be REALLY loved. that i could be broken and allow God to smooth my edges. that i would stop carefully keeping myself from others ... from life. Jesus, help me to see. help me to become ... and to be at rest in the process.

swimming with God knows what ...

here are the pics from our vacation to orlando. enjoy!!

Flash slide show at onetruemedia.com

humanity and tv

i am addicted to a number of television shows. that's right ... i am admitting it. i would like to say that my passion for current events and global causes eradicates any desire i have to participate in the drama that is hollywood and entertainment, like i am just too much of an activist, too busy volunteering and attending protests and writing my congressman to watch the boob tube. but i can't - i can't. i want to know if meredith is going to choose dr. mcdreamy or the vet. i want to find out if abby and luka are going to survive this baby trauma. i want to see who will become america's next ... top ... model. (sidebar: i would also like to know why janet jackson wore casts on both of her perfectly healthy arms during her today show performance. that family is just wierd!)

so what is this obsession all about? why do i emotionally salivate every time i pick up the remote control? i think the answer lies in the reality of the human condition - we want to know and be known. not only do i want to find out what meredith is going to do, i want to know what she is thinking, what she likes to do for fun. we could go shopping and do lunch, lamenting about men and what they do to our hearts. we could laugh about how dark and twisty other people think we are and admit if they only knew how really bad it was, they wouldn't want anything to do with us. even more so, they would be scared.

but i only get thursday nights. for one hour on thursday nights i get to know her a little better. it's sad when the hour is up and i know that i have to wait another week to find out more. it's a reminder that my heart is hungry for connection, even if it is with an imaginary, television character. (so sad.) and then it hits me ... maybe the reason i like this relationship so much is that i don't have to give anything to it. and when i do offer my two cents, it's not like she can hear me (because if she could hear me i think she would listen.) no, this relationship is one where i can just take and not have to offer any of myself. and that, my friends, is the other reality of the human condition - we are selfish. thankfully, i have the opportunity to know the One who is most selfless, who teaches me what it truly means to be in relationship - not for my own pleasure, but for the glory of God.

i have given myself a reprieve about the ambivalence of being an activist that likes tv. i think it has taught me that it is okay to be human. i am allowing myself to truly experience hunger for relationship, and i am learning to accept grace for my selfishness. thanks for being a part of that, meredith. see you thursday.

celebrating life ...

this weekend, john and i celebrated my 30th birthday by inviting our close friends over to grill out and relax. for me, it was a bit bittersweet. don't misunderstand - i am looking forward to my 30's. i feel that i have reached a major milestone in my life. i feel that i will have a newfound respect from people who are older than me. but more importantly, i feel that i am coming into my own. my skin is feeling a bit more comfortable to wear. the weight and power i have always given to the opinions of others seems a little less ... well, weighty. i feel more alive than i ever have. and in all my years, i have never felt the full power, love, and beauty of the Spirit of God surrounding me as i do today.

to all of you who joined us - and to those who were there in spirit - thank you for bearing witness to the work of God in my life and for being the manifestation of Jesus Himself to me in so many different ways. my heart is full of love for you.

i couldn't get my pics to post, so if you want to see some, check out both sabrina's and addison's blogs. they have some great ones posted there.

remembering 9/11

i can't believe it has been 5 years.

may we never forget.

may God bless and keep the family members and friends of the 2, 973 lost that day.

check it out!

so for those of you who have been following our extreme makeover - backyard edition, we have completed all of the major projects and are down to the final touches. john and i worked all weekend on the decking and the gazebo. and here it is! the arial view is a little dark because it started raining just as we finished, but it is awesome to compare it to the pics taken just a week or so ago.



isn't it great? and we have it done just in time for my 30th birthday soiree! i can't wait to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

introducing colton luke ....

john and i just returned from a weekend of visiting with the fam in lady's island, sc. my sister and her husband had baby #4 this week, and we went to see them and help out with the transition of bringing baby home. it was great because i really got a chance to serve my sister and her family - there is a lot of laundry and cleaning to do with 4 children - and i got to spend some individual quality time with her, the children, and the new baby. baby colton did not like the camera much - i think the flash annoyed him as it does most people - but i got a few cute pics of him. here are a couple of the handsome little guy:

he was such a good baby. the only time he cried was when he needed food or a diaper change. we never even heard him when he cried during the night!

on saturday, john and i took the other 3 kids and went to the park and to the burger king with the indoor playground. we got some really good shots of them:

bret on the monkey bars

emma on the spider

avery on the spring car

aren't they precious?? our time with them was priceless. i always take away such large amounts of love from those little guys.

recovering ...

i have realized that john and i are extremists. we moved into our house and had every box unpacked in 2 days. we got engaged after 3 months of dating and married after 5 months of engagement. our latest venture has been our backyard - an extreme home makeover if you will. what some people would do in 4-5 years we are trying to do in one. here is a photo of our backyard in march:

you can see the freshly laid sod and newly planted flowers. by july, we had finished the sod for the remaining 2500 square feet, put up a fence, and designed a layout for the backyard. hence the ariel view in mid-july:

in just one month we have now completed several projects including digging out and planting two very large flower beds that had three 10-15 foot trees, making our stone path (seen here) walkable, installing a sprinkler system, and laying a stone entrance in front of the gate. Here are some after shots:

it has been pretty incredible. now we are just recovering from the stiffness and sore muscles that come along with all that hard work! next up, installing decking and our gazebo on the 12x12 bare space in the lawn. we'll keep you posted ...

happy birthday to john!

my awesome and incredible husband had a birthday yesterday, and we celebrated by grilling out and playing a little poker. chris, andrea, tapan, chad, john, and i all ante-ed up with chad (of course) raking in the big winnings. we topped off the celebration with a boston cream dougnut birthday cake for my hubby. i just want to say that i love him, i love the day he was born, and i love living my life with him. happy birthday, baby.

utah

recently john and i joined chad, jeff, and kristin in a trip to utah for cj's wedding. we had a blast. no other wedding (except ours of course) could compare to this one. we had never been out west before, so just seeing the rocky mountains was incredible enough, but the whole experience was great. we stayed thursday night with cj and becca - who we had just met and we loved her right away - in salt lake, and we went downtown for lunch and tours. john and jeff were on the lookout for polygamists as soon as they stepped off the plane, but their search was fruitless. apparently the "big love" takes place on the outskirts of town. on friday we went up to alta, which was about 45 minutes towards the sky. once we found the lodge, we discovered that we were literally staying on the side of a mountain. the rehearsal dinner was outside on the patio, so we sat among the mountains and had a relaxing time with friends.

on saturday, we went with jeff, kristin, and chad to snowbird where we took a tram up the mountain. mind you, we were already at a high altitude, but the tram took us up an additional 11, 000 feet! we had to stand up on the way up the mountain, and the tram didn't feel all that stable, so i was freaking out. but once i got my feet on the ground, i was able to enjoy the spectacular view. here are a couple of pics from hidden peak:

it was breathtaking. on saturday afternoon, the wedding took place on the lawn at alta, so there was a beautiful view of the mountains during the ceremony. the wedding party looked awesome against that backdrop. the reception was gorgeous, and the bride and groom were off to scotland for their honeymoon. many thanks to the travis family for taking care of us and making us feel so welcome.

a loss for words ...

for this to be our first entry, it's going to be pretty lame. most first entries are pretty lame, right? anyway, this is our step out into cyberspace. hope to talk soon.
lindsey