Boots and Bread

I am now the proud owner of a pair of Hunter Wellies (www.hunterboots.com)- the same boots worn by the Royal Family when they go hunting and galavanting in the English hills. I received my Pumpkin Wellies in the mail on Thursday and immediately put them on and took them out to dinner- Jason came, too. Aren’t they great? Gosh, I love my orange Wellies!

And today I ate the last piece of the most delicious whole wheat bread that Gabe (Naomi’s younger sister) baked and sent with Naomi from North Dakota. Ever since last Saturday, I have been enjoying a slice drizzled with honey each morning, so it is with culinary sadness that I post this picture of the last slice of the award-winning bread that Gabe made for us.

Thanks for the bread Gabe! I sure do wish I could pick up another loaf at my local grocer’s….perhaps you should begin on-line ordering!

Feeling Sad Today

Our dear friend Naomi went back to North Dakota yesterday and ever since I dropped her off at the train station I have been feeling sad. It was so nice to have her here and it is so sad to not have her here anymore. But as Grandma always says, "You have to leave in order to come back." While those words are little consolation for the gloominess of an empty den, it's nice to know that someday (hopefully soon!) we will see each other again.

Here are some pictures that Naomi took on her new camera and sent to me from her time here in Chicago.

We went shopping one afternoon and Jason and Naomi looked for shoes

I baked cookies and Nome took this very artisitic photo of them cooling off

Naomi took some pictures off our living/dining room- isn't she good at taking pictures?





Here is a picture of Jason and then me and Naomi after our last dinner on the eve before Nome's departure


Jason took this picture of Naomi and I outside in a winter snowfall- do you think we look like sisters? We had a great time with you, Nome! Come back soon....or we'll see you somewhere between here and NoDakia!

Guest Blogger: Naomi

Born, raised, and now living again in North Dakota, I am definitely a country girl at heart. But I've got to admit...when I got into town on Friday night and rode with Simple Guy and Girl in the city, a part of my heart felt right at home.

That "home" feeling certainly has something to do with the fact that I have been here countless times over the years to visit my very dear friends. When Simple Guy first moved down here, Simple Girl and I would road-trip almost every month or so to come and visit him. And since my two dear friends conveniently started sharing a home and a last name (what a great wedding!!), I've made a point to spend at least a week with them every year. Needless to say, the city has become more than familiar...a second home almost...and when I'm here, I realize how much I really have missed it.

And although it certainly plays a significant part, I think there's more to that "home" feeling than just being familiar with the shops, streets, and the buildings in this city.

What really makes me feel right at home here is the company of friends who have become family. Friends with whom I share a deep and rich history. Friends with whom I can sit, year after year, reminiscing about the past and dreaming about the future. Friends who know me well and love me still. Friends who challenge me and encourage me. Friends who speak the truth in love. Friends with whom I strive to follow and serve Jesus Christ. My very dear friends, Simple Guy and Girl.

You both make this city "home" for me. I love it. And you.

A Practical Christmas

You know you are getting older when all you want for Christmas are practical things. Simple Guy and I were thrilled with our gifts this year….they were very practical! Between the two of us, here is what we received:

· 2 beautiful chartreuse green leather boxes to go with the others I have at home for storing my cards to sell
http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?searchId=11986939&itemIndex=2&CATID=237&PRODID=70902

· Bulgari Aqua cologne….wow, this smells amazing!

· A great-looking black wool waist coat that is a throw-back to the 50’s and a nod to Jackie O’s great sense of fashion

· 2 pairs of crafting scissors to use when cutting delicate ribbon for my cards (Simple Guy is very excited about these because that means I will no longer use our Wusthof kitchen scissors) and 4 rolls of my special crafting tape

· Aveda products: Beautifying Oil- a lovely oil to be used anywhere on the body that is great for dry elbows and other rough patches of skin; Tourmaline Eye Cream- a miracle worker; and a Shampure-scented candle
www.aveda.com

· A handmade tea set

· A lovely multi-functional “satellite” bowl from MoMA
http://www.momastore.org/museum/moma/ProductDisplay_Satellite%20Bowl_10451_10001_11866_-1_11515_11518_null_shop_

· A Dolly Parton CD for Simple Guy and a Shane and Shane CD for me- both have already been opened and listened to

· Candles from Restoration Hardware- these burn so well, nice and even

· A fancy brown headband

· A handsome Bosca leather wallet engraved with Simple Guy’s initials
www.bosca.com

Thanks to everyone for the great (and practical) gifts!

Merry Christmas

This really is the most wonderful time of the year. The lights, the food, the festivities, the music……it all comes together one time each year and makes for the most magical existence for all of us.

I love Christmas more than any other holiday. As a child, I loved it for the obvious reason of getting presents. But now that I am older and know the true meaning of Christmas, I love it for the only reason I know will last all the remaining years of my life: it’s the time to celebrate the birth of The One whose death ransomed the lives of us all.

Merry Christmas to you!

Fully Alive

The other morning I ran errand and did something I have not done in a long time- put in a favorite CD and drove down 94 with the music as loud as I could take it, taking in each lyric and feeling like each song was written for me. One of the songs that came on has a line in it that I just love: “The glory of God is man fully alive.”

Think about that. God is glorified when we are fully alive. Alive in the sense that we are not burdened with the troubles of this world- big and small; we are not living in guilt or staying angry; we are not enslaved to lies, food, work, etc. But alive in that we are free of anger and extend forgiveness; free of guilt and ask for forgiveness; free of the pursuit of things like fast cars, big houses, and designer clothes to make us happy; free of only thinking of ourselves, but rather seeking to serve others; free of wanting, but rather being content with what we have.

I am glad to be alive. I am thankful that I just now got to take a breath…oh, and there’s another one! I do take my days for granted, but today I am so aware of what a gift it is to be alive.

Simple Guy: Part II

I get a kick out of Simple Guy. Our life together is scarcely dull, but rather filled with impromptu singing and dancing, lists of things to do, and shared mochas from Caribou and lattes from Starbucks. I feel so blessed that our journey started out on a long and winding path of being friends for over 7 years before we began to date. I believe that it is our strong foundation of friendship that keeps us having so much fun and enjoying each other’s company.

Sometimes, in the quiet of my heart, I thank God for the chance just to know Simple Guy; to know this man of honor and integrity; this man of virtues; this man of abundant joy; this man of compassion and tenderness; this man of God. Just to know him is a blessing, so you can imagine how it must feel to be married to him!

Honey, the world is a better place because you are in it. My life is better because you are in it. My cup overfloweth.