Dog Days of Summer

Since my life has been consumed by a puppy, I have nothing really new and exciting to report. Unless you consider getting 5 straight hours of sleep without having to get up and walk outside from your upstairs apartment with a puppy in the middle of it exciting. I certainly do. I never thought I would become one of "those people" (you know, the ones who say "sorry, can't go, I have to let my dog out"), yet I have. I love him dearly nonetheless though and I have determined that having him is great preparation for whenever I have children (bought or birthed...either one). He's a great guard dog already. Look at what he had trapped in the kitchen yesterday morning...
My friend Emily got this bone for him and she said that it's great for when I need to get something done and keep him occupied at the same time. Little does he know how much more fun chewing on it would be!

Hmm...Suspicions Confirmed

Snoozing

Lessons in Saying Never

So I'm notorious for saying "I'll never...". I've always done it. Apparently I'm a bit challenged because I haven't learned that inevitably I will eat those words. Allow me to share a few of my "never" statements...

1. I'll never stay in Dahlonega after I graduate. I made this statement at least a hundred million times throughout college. It was sometime during my 4th year after graduation that I finally came to terms with the fact that I really loved living there. So much so that I stayed another 2 years for good measure.

2. I'll never have a Facebook account. Um...guilty.

3. I'll never go to the University of Georgia. Interesting. It's my enrollment at the flagship university of the state that caused me to finally up and leave Dahlonega.

4. I'll never have an inside dog. Drumroll please.....

Cash the Wonder Puppy

Ok, I know that I'm partial, but he's awesome. Cash is a chocolate Lab who is 6 weeks old. And he's totally an inside dog. Well, except for of course when we're outside playing or learning the art of pottying in a designated outdoor area. It's especially super that I live on the second floor so I'm getting quite the workout. Here are a few more pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Hmm...maybe I should've named him Pete Sampras instead.

As for his name here is the origin of it:

1. The people that I got him from have the last name of Cash.

2. Johnny is ultra cool and legendary and with any luck, this Cash will be as well.

3. I love the show Men in Trees and there is a character named Cash. (Sidenote: I'm super bummed that the show has been cancelled.)

4. I'll be forking out lots of it on him.

I'm praying that he does a whole lot of this tonight in his crate.

So my long lesson in saying never is to never say it unless you really want it to happen. My next "never" statement will be something to the effect of "I'll never drive a red Volvo SUV." Stay tuned for puppy updates!

Baby Cousin Garrett

Isn't he precious?

And if my God is with me, Whom then shall I fear?

Being the "refined" Baptist that I am, very seldom do I get emotional in church. For the second Sunday in a row, my eyes sprung a leak during the song "You Never Let Go". Coincidence that it was sang at the church I attended last week and at a different church I attended this week? Maybe. But regardless, I obviously needed to hear it. Twice. And since things tend to happen in threes, I'm already preparing myself for next Sunday. Now, I'll be honest. All too often I find myself asking God the same question that Janet Jackson put to music years ago: What have you done for me lately? Shouldn't I have outgrown this stage in life by now? I mean, for the love of Peter, Paul and Mary, I've been a Christian for 16 years. I'm stepping out on a limb here, but I don't really think I'm alone in this. I often catch myself wondering why circumstances are the way that they are. I mean, what I have done in my life that is "so wrong" to warrant the fact that I'm 29 and still unmarried without kiddos when all I want to do is send my husband off to work each morning after eating a good hearty breakfast prepared by me and then pick the kids up after school to take them to soccer practice. (ok, so the hearty breakfast part might happen like once before it got really old) Truth is, we can all apply that question to at least one circumstance in our lives and ask it. And when we hear someone else ask it, we think it sounds really silly because most of the time, that person has done absolutely nothing to warrant the situation. What about this though? What if we responded to our circumstances absolutely believing that God is in them? (Um, no I do not come up with this stuff myself...it's what I learned in church today and it spoke volumes to me so hopefully someone else can benefit as well). Think about Joseph...as in the amazing technicolor dreamcoat one, not the one who took his wife who was great with child to pay taxes in Bethlehem. My life is a cakewalk compared to his. He did nothing to warrant his circumstances: being thrown in a well by his brothers, then sold into slavery, then accused of and imprisoned for the very act that he refused to commit. Yet, throughout the story, it tells of how the Lord was with Joseph always as this all unfolded over a period of years. That's the hard part I think. We are too accustomed to instant gratification. When I pray about something, I think that from the time I lay down to sleep after saying Amen until the sun rises the next morning is plenty of time for God to hear it and answer it, right? (No, I'm not that naive) And then when He doesn't answer our prayers in our time, we think He's doing nothing so we decide it's best to take control of the situation. Or maybe that's just me. But then I had another thought that put it all into perspective. Instant coffee is ok, but it's nowhere near as good as the real stuff that takes a little time to brew. (so I've been told, I'm not a coffee drinker) So if we'll wait for the good stuff in terms of coffee, shouldn't we be content to wait for the good stuff in terms of life?

Reunited and It Feels So Good

We all know what it's like to love something, right? We incorporate the things we love into our daily lives and they become familiar. Comfortable. And then sometimes for what could be a variety of reasons, the things that we love go away. If this happens, at first we miss it, but then eventually we find other ways to fill our time. We move on. We learn to love other things. Basic human nature at work. And then occasionally when all the planets are aligned just right and the wind is blowing out of the West, the opportunity arises for that thing that we once loved to waltz right back into our lives. Today was my day for that to happen...
Yes...I'm speaking of Step Aerobics!!! Too dramatic? I think not. Back in the day, I was a religious stepper. Since I played sports in high school, I had at least one PE course each semester (after the invention of the microwave, who needs Home Ec. anyway?) and Body Sculpting was my class of choice during my last two years. That meant Step three days a week for 45 minutes at a time. And honestly, I loved every minute of it. Of course shorty after graduation I moved to college and my main form of exercise was walking to the cold section in the back of Wal-Mart to pick up a roll of cookie dough. So, needless to say, I replaced my love of Step with a love of cookies. Again, basic human nature at work. One semester in college I registered for a 1-hour Step Aerobics class but I had to drop it because it required more written work than an upper-level psychology class. Ridiculous. Or perhaps that was just my excuse and I couldn't forsake the cookies. I've actually worked out reguarly since college but when I moved the Athens, the gym that I joined offers a bazillion different kinds of classes a week so I decided that in order to get my "full money's worth" I would take advantage of some of them. That was in August. And today, May 27th, I finally took my first Step [class]. Why did it take me so long to do something again that I once loved? Oh...there is a whole slew of reasons. First, I had the excuse of class at night. Weak considering they took up at the most 2 of my nights per week and they ended by 7:15. Secondly, this body is not what it was when it was 17. No, I'm not old, but things just start to hurt so much quicker now 12 years later. It certainly doesn't help matters that every young and tanned skinny minnie at UGA also are members of my gym. Finally, the truth is, I'm shy. Almost to the point that it's painful. I know, hard to believe if you know me, but I hate being in new situations when I'm all by my lonesome without a buddy. Nor do I like it when attention is centered on me in an environment where I don't know everyone. So I decided a couple of weeks ago that I was going to finally go to Step class, and since that decision, I've been psyching myself up for today. The big day. Last week, I made sure I was at the gym during the class time so I could observe while I was on the treadmill. Just to make sure I could do it. Um, I just ran a half-marathon but I was totally doubting my ability to do 30 minutes of Step aerobics? So, today I verbally committed by inviting my friend at work, Erin, to go with me. Unfortunately she had plans, but because I said that I was going to do it, that sealed the deal. I had to go. The closer it got to 5:30 the more anxious I got. What if the class was team taught by Jane Fonda and Denise Austin? What if the instructor asked for all first-timers to stand up and from somewhere in the back, a nice deacon brought me a jar of jelly as everyone had ample time to size me up? Hey I went to a new church once and it happened. Who would have thought you got jelly at a church? I suppose it could happen at a gym if it was sugar-free jelly. What if I couldn't keep up? As I'm turning into the parking lot, I'm praying to the dear Lord baby Jesus that I don't roll my ankle or tear an ACL or drop dead during basic right. Of course my anxiety level dropped as I walked in and heard someone ask the person next to her, "have you ever done this before?" The response: "No." Victory! So long story even longer...it was great. I'm definitely going back next week because it turns out that I still love Step Aerobics after an absence of over a decade (um, you know you're getting old when you can use a decade as a reference of time). But I'm most proud of the fact that I made myself step outside my comfort zone and do something uncomfortable. Did I survive? Of course. Did I remind myself that I am potentially missing out on so much because I prefer that which is comfortable and familiar? Yes. Will I remember this the next time I get "something new and different anxiety"? Yep. So...all that to ask, what is something good that you are missing out on? What's standing in your way? You? Well, it's your lucky day then because you can change that!

Torn Between a Fairytale and the Truth

So I've been doing some thinking. Yes, I am fully aware of the dangers that accompany such an activity. Just a couple of days ago I was on the receiving end of a "You're a great girl, but..." conversation. We've all been there at one time or another. It's a part of life that I've come to the conclusion that no one is exempt from. Well...except for maybe nuns and priests. And since we've all been there, we all know that it's not the most fun place to be. No worries. I'm not here for pity, people. In fact I've been spending my newly found free time doing what any other girl in a similar situation would do: listening to "All By Myself" on repeat while smoking countless cigarettes, drinking copious amounts of wine and recording my weight daily in a diary. NOT REALLY! Thankfully I'm not one to wallow, but I did spend a couple of days (yesterday and today) dusting myself off and getting back up though. Allow me to enlighten you all with how I coped...Ahh...the comfort in comfort food. Now before you all take up a collection to pay my Jenny Craig membership fees, I shared with 3 other people and there were leftovers. And contrary to the way it looks by the basket of cheese fries on the left, I did not break my french fry ban. Nothing could be so terrible to warrant that. Next, in order to restore my hope in happily ever after, I watched Enchanted. Because let's be honest, who doesn't love a happy ending? Today I spent my day doing girly things. I broke down and got my annual pedicure. I've seen one too many 20/20 specials about dirty nail salons to truly enjoy the experience but it's just a testament to the things a girl will do for pretty feet. And having pretty feet made for a much more enjoyable shopping trip. There's no therapy like retail therapy. Especially when there are mega-Memorial Day weekend sales! Jackpot. After a trip to the gym (eating fried pickles and mushrooms one day and shopping for clothes the next can create quite the paradox), I came home and did what I probably should have done first. Scratch the "probably"...What I should have done first. I prayed. Now, why didn't I do that first? Because I'm stubborn and I'm female. Being female, it means that I like to fix things myself. We women are fixers and we love more than anything to make things work. Maybe in my next 30 years I'll learn to go the appropriate route first in order to "fix" that which is broken.Then I stumbled across the series, Marriage by Design by Voddie Baucham on the Athens Church website. And then I started thinking. Before I go into my thoughts, I would encourage everyone to listen to this three-part series even if you're already married. Especially if you're already married.

I'm only one individual in a world of billions so really I can only speak for myself. But it seems to me that more often than not we are torn between a fairytale and the truth. We all want the fairytale. I know that I sure would take the fairytale ending behind door number 3 if I was making a deal with Monty Hall. Why? Because even though there is always a villain in the story, ultimately good prevails and the princess lives happily ever after with her heroic prince who has stepped in to save the day. And because our culture instills this in us from childhood, we come to expect this to be our reality one day. Prime example: Enchanted. It's a fairytale that comes to life. I am not for one minute saying that we should wipe out all things Disney or shoot Cupid down with an unloving arrow. I'm afraid that Valerie would no longer be my friend if that happened. I said it myself, I love a good story with a happy ending. However I think that the problem arises when the fairytale doesn't happen here in the real world and we don't know what to do. Ugh...I'm afraid that I'm not making my point clearly so it will be lost. And I happen to think it's a really good one so I'm struggling a bit as I write. The truth is though God does not promise us our fairytale ending. We are not put on this earth to live out our days doing only the things that bring us sheer joy and happiness. If that was the case, I would spend my days eating ice cream sandwiches and watching back-to-back episodes of The Golden Girls while maintaining a size 4 physique. If we are Christians, we are God's and we are here to do His work. Now, can and does doing His work bring us happiness? Of course! Are we destined for days of solitude? Nope. God himself said that it isn't good for man to be alone. Hence, Eve. But the last time I checked, the book of Cupid is neither in the Old or New Testaments. Nor is the kind of love present in the B-I-B-L-E that Cupid is so famous for bringing. Ok, it's there too but if we all think about it, those stories when it was the star didn't turn out so happily ever after. That kind of love is centered fully around emotion; our feelings. And let's be honest here, that kind of love feels good. But it is fleeting, and I'm not so certain that it's really love. However all too often because it's the fairytale we desire, we think if we don't have that kind of "love" then we've got nuthin'. In Deuteronomy 6, we are commanded to love God with all of our heart and all of our soul and all of our might. It doesn't say, "if it feels good to you, then you should..." According to my new friend Voddie, Biblical love (which is the true kind for those of you just tuning in) is "an act of the will accompanied by emotion and it leads to action on behalf of its object." And if we are to love God this way, doesn't it make sense for us to love His children (a.k.a., each other) in the same manner? Geez...seems to me like that is going to require some work. Which I think is another reason why we much prefer the type that Cupid brings. But Biblical love is essentially a choice that we make. That's not to say that there is no emotion in it. Emotion is there if you look. It's accompanied by emotion. Big difference between being accompanied by and being led by though if you ask me. If emotion is the accompaniment instead of the leading factor, then it seems like this kind of love is going to last much much longer. But because it's a choice that we make and not something that sweeps us off our feet, some of the glamour is gone. Truthfully it doesn't lessen it or cheapen it all. In fact, I think it makes it better. In the long run, I much prefer comfort to glamour, the truth to the fairytale, and if given a choice, I kind of think that Cinderella would too. After all, she was missing a shoe and her carriage turned into a pumpkin on the way home after a long night of dancing. Talk about unreliable and fleeting.

Just another day at The OC

One of the reasons why I enjoy my job so much is due to the fact that I'm surrounded by such fun and wonderful co-workers. It really makes for a pleasant work life. Despite the illusion of "walls", my workspace is quite public and open in a very high traffic area so often I get asked the important questions like "Can you help me with the copier?" or "Do you know where ________ is?". Today I had to complete a timed test for a certification and in order to keep people from bothering me, this is how my cube looked this morning upon my arrival at work:
From the looks of my desk, the caution tape is quite appropriate even without a timed test to complete. Thanks work friends for making my day easier!

My Day with Miss Caroline

So this day can be described in two words: Great and Mediocre. In this posting, I'm going to focus on the great part of my day. I got to spend some quality time with baby Caroline while her mama, Suzanna, went to work outside the home one last time for awhile. Oh what fun we had! Allow me to share a few highlights from the day. After her morning feeding, it was time for some exercise...Let's be honest, I don't like upper body work either. Needless to say tummy time did not last very long. Since it is my responsibility as an "aunt" to appropriately spoil her, we decided to leave that unpleasant exercise for when Mommy and Daddy got back home. Since she is 100% girl, it is only natural that Caroline prepare in advance for all of those future gab sessions with her best gal pals. So she did her tongue calisthenics next:Caroline has many fans. Two of her biggest are Eli the Elephant and Freddie the Firefly so they stopped by for playtime...When they resorted to chatting about the weather, it was time for me to entertain Caroline with song, dance, and witty banter:Apparently I need to come up with some new material or Caroline's humor is already far more sophisticated than mine. Or maybe, just maybe, she is three months old and needed a nap...Today was my first experience with swaddling blankets. Back in the day when I swaddled my Cabbage Patch Kids, it was pretty easy so I thought to myself, how hard can it be? These things come half wrapped complete with velcro. Silly me for not considering the fact that real live babies come with kicking legs and squirming bodies...

Ok, swaddling experts, Suzanna told me to leave one arm out because Caroline likes her fingers better than her paci so it wasn't as bad as it might appear upon first glance. While we had a few of these moments:

I am happy to report that the majority of the day was spent with moments like these...
Thanks Trice family for such a fun visit. I'm already looking forward to next time!