Giveaway Winner!!

It was so great to read about your words and your goals for the year!

The winner of the Crazy Love book giveaway is....

JENI

Congrats!!!  I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did!  I will take it to work and send it home with your husband!

As part of my focus on giving I am planning on doing more giveaways this year so, be watching!!

Little Known Facts About Me

I a relatively new friend and she learned something about me the other night that surprised her.  It sort of got me thinking that there are probably a lot of random little known facts about me so, I thought I would share some with you.  Maybe you already know some of this or maybe you will learn something new!

I used to be EXTREMELY shy!  (I know this is shocking to most now, but I didn't come out of my shell until college!)

Because of my shyness - growing up I was a bookworm - all I did was ready and study - I was a NERD!

I went to see New Kids on the Block in concert in high school with my bestie and her mom.

In high school, I drove a red VW bug - (I loved that thing) until I bought a Monte Carlo.

I used to faithfully follow the local hockey team - I went to every home game and then traveled to games outside of Kansas too!

I used to hang out in the pits at the race track when my uncle raced.  My job was usually to help clean off the mud after hot laps or to fetch tools or tires, but once I helped change a flat tire during a yellow flag in the middle of the race!

I could change my own oil if I really wanted to, but I choose not to.  I love the fact that my parents didn't have a boy because it gave my sisters and I the opportunity to spend time with my dad learning about cars!

The only "car" I ever want to own is a Chevy Camaro.


I can drive a tractor - in fact I used to Antique Tractor Pull and I have winning plaques to prove it!


I love vintage things.

I have 2 college degrees and I am a certified Medical Records Designee (yep - told you I was a nerd!)

I remember numbers well - I still have part numbers memorized from when I sold office & concession supplies - thankfully a lot of them are gone, but I am afraid some of them will NEVER leave my head!

I crochet, craft, and scrapbook.

I am scared of mice and bugs!

I am currently irritated by the loud party going on at my neighbor's house - I don't want to be able to hear their music when I am in my house and have my TV on - ugh!

I love racing - I prefer dirt track or NASCAR, but like drag racing too!

I took this pic when I attended my second NASCAR race!

Hope you enjoyed these silly facts about me!

Remember you only have one day left to enter the giveaway for the Crazy Love book!  Click here and leave a comment to enter!

Good luck!

One Word & a Giveaway!

Last week I blogged about picking one word for the year than making a resolution.  After lots of thinking and lots of prayer I finally discovered my word for the year:

GIVE

Give of my:

time

talents

money

Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.  Deuteronomy 15:10

In his book Crazy Love, Francis Chan says:  "We are each given different gifts and talents by our Master.  The thing that matters most is how we use what we have been given, not how much we make or do compared to someone else.  What matters is that we spend ourselves."

This book was amazing!  My book club read it and we had some awesome discussions about it.  It challenged me.  I want you to have of your very own copy of the book!  If you have already read it then maybe you know someone you could give it to.  

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below telling me what your word for the year is.  If you don't have a word for the year tell me what one of your goals for this year is.

One winner will be chosen by random draw on Monday, January 31, 2011.

I can't wait to read about your words and goals for the year!

  

Girl's Day Out

For Christmas my dad wrote my two sisters and I a letter.  We opened the envelope and read the words "you owe me."  It sort of caught me off guard because who gives a Christmas gift that says "you owe me?"  But, when I opened the letter up completely it explained that we each owed our dad a day of shopping with our mom.  We were given money to take my mom shopping for new clothes.  But, there was a stipulation on the clothes.  They were NOT to be OLD LADY clothes!  We all got together this past Sunday after church and headed out.  To be honest, I wasn't sure how this day was going to go - you see - my mom and sisters are NOT shoppers.  Me? I am!  And I taught my niece Korrine to be a shopper too!  The two of us could spend hours shopping.  When Tennessee gets older, I will teach her how to shop too!  Until then, she was content in her stroller or by being carried by one of her aunts.

For the first part of our trip my mom sort of just followed me around, but once we got her in the dressing room and then out modeling for us, she loosened up and had fun.  Check her out striking poses:

 Nana and her two granddaughters

 Korrine wanted to make sure she got pictures trying on clothes too!

There weren't any pictures taken of my sisters or I trying on clothes.  Tennessee got an outfit too, but you don't really try clothes on babies.  I am sad that we didn't take a group picture and I don't have pictures of Barb or Liz from the day.  They were there, but Barb was the shutterbug this day!

We had such a great day - we even let the boys join us for dinner.  We really need to have days like these more often!  Though, I don't think my dad will give us money every time we want to do it!

One Word

I know it is mid-January, but I still have thoughts on the new year.
I used to make resolutions, but they were always broken before the January was over.

I was reading Heather's blog over a Blessed Little Nest.   Heather was talking was talking about instead of making resolutions she picks one word to focus on for the year.  You can read her post on that HERE. I thought hmmmm  that's a cool idea, but that is as much as I thought about it....then.  I listen to K-Love which is the Christian radio station and they have been talking about picking out one word for the year as well.  Every single morning on the way to work they were talking about this.  It got me to start thinking about it more.  I have decided to choose a word for myself.  I think it is a great idea to have a focus for the year.  My only problem is that there are several words that I have been thinking about.  Since I only decided several days ago to pick a word I am not putting any pressure on myself - although I do have a goal to choose a word by the end of the month.  So, I am praying about it and we will see what word God leads me to.  I will share when I figure it all out.

Do you have a word for the year?  Or do you make resolutions for the year?

My New Hat

I don't usually wear a lot of hats.

Most of the time I keep my hair really short so, if I do wear a hat it looks like I don't have any hair!

But, my hair is longer now and I just couldn't pass up this hat!

I ordered it from Carisa.  You can find her at A Little Knitting.  She is VERY talented!  She makes these brim hats in all sorts of colors.  She also makes newborn hats and kids hats.  Go check out her blog and look at all of the pictures.  You can ooohhh and aaahhh over all of the cute babies modeling her hats.

Below is a side view of the hat.  

 You can order your hat plain or with very pretty fabric flowers.  I ordered mine plain because I have vintage brooches that I wanted to use.  I figure I can change them out to add different colors and even some bling - I love my bling!  This green flower brooch was my grandmother's and I have been saving it for just the right time to wear it and I think it looks great on my hat!

I love my hat and I have gotten lots of compliments on it!  Thanks Carisa - I will be very stylish this winter!

Now - go check out Carisa's blog and order a cute hat for yourself!

A week not on the go

I haven't blogged all week.  It's not because I haven't been home - I have been home all week.
I have had errands to run after work, but they don't take all evening.
I had friends over Monday - we have a Bachelor watch party every Monday - love those evenings!
The rest of the week I spent reading, crocheting, and cleaning.

I have been reading a book for my book club - I plan to share about that in a post all it's own.
I crocheted 2 scarves in the last week and a half and I have "orders" for 4 more - none of which are started - I was going to start those tonight, but they got trumped by playing cards with friends!

Then there is the cleaning - you would think that I would keep my house clean since I am the only one here to make it a mess, but I have a habit of making piles to be dealt with later and then all of the sudden later is here and I have lots of piles!  And well, the house has to be clean for book club!

So, I guess all of those things trumped my blog.  Speaking of being trumped - I really need want to get some stuff done before going to play cards so, I guess the blog is being trumped one more time.

I will share about my book club and show you the scarves I have crocheted too!  Then there is the word for the year too that I have been thinking about a lot as well - maybe by the time I write about that I will have chosen my word!

What did you do this week?

1-10-11

It's the 10th so it is time for another list of 10

Today is just a random list of 10 thoughts I had today

1.  I loved that I got to catch up with a friend this weekend.

2.  I hate snow

3.  I hate driving on snow and ice

4.  I am thankful that I have an SUV with 4-wheel drive for driving on snow and ice

5.  I dislike meetings

6.  I work with a good group of people

7.  I am excited that I am on my last 10 days of hormones!

8.  I am excited to start book club again on Friday night

9.  I heart my nieces and nephew and the stories I get to share at work

10.  I love my Monday night Bachelor watch party with friends!

I hope you had a good January 10th!

Come to Jesus (Untitled Hymn)

This song came on the radio on my way to work and on my way home today.

It touched me - I sang along at the top of my lungs!

One of my hopes for this year is to go to Jesus more - He deserves my all - after all He gave His all for me! I am not worthy.

Come to Jesus and Live!