Beka's Birthday Bash!

Last Friday we joined our small group to go bowling for Beka’s birthday. It was such a fun filled night. We came up will silly bowl names…John was “Bob the Bugman” and I was “Molly the Maid.” The first surprise of the night was that Kerri got off work & joined us for 100% participation! It’s seriously the first time that all of us were there.

We played the first game with 3 couples on one lane and 3 on the other, but the second game we played guys vs. girls. The girls won!!!! But…the guys gave us 300 pins and almost beat us anyway. :) I will say though that the girls were distracted by Jessica’s wedding book during the second game and didn't give it much effort.

After bowling we went back to Beka and Justin’s place to eat our fill in pizza, fruit and an amazing chocolate cake Beka made. I know what you’re thinking and she wanted to make her own birthday cake, but I did volunteer.

These people are such a blessing in our life. I know there is no way we would have lasted in Rochester if it wasn’t for this group. It’s hard to get plugged in when you move somewhere different and there was a time that I didn’t know if it was going to happen for us, but eventually it did and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

The birthday girl and her boyfriend ;)we now know why Kendall's shoulder hurts him so badly!Why is he always better than me at things!?Jess, Ashley, Beka & Kerrinot the score I was hoping for!The girls with their ballsthe boys with theirs...aren't they immature!? come on, where's your sense of humor!?!yay for the whole group! The Koens', Van Dalens, Harts, Turners, Pridies & FishersIt was as good as it looks!

James doesn't get much sleep in residency so you really can't blame him for falling asleep in the middle of our party! :)

go with the flow....

I realized something about myself the other day while talking with my friend Mandy. I'm not the "go with the flow" type. I want to be...and honestly I thought I was! It's kinda hard to face the reality that I'm not.

Here is the deal....I can "go with the flow" on occasion for simple little things like changing dinner plans or spending my Saturday differently than I originally thought. John is good at sporadic things and I'll often give into them at the cost of responsible things...even as simple as cleaning up the kitchen the next day so we can spend the last hour of daylight going for a walk or driving around town. You get the picture...little things that don't really matter. Because I've given in to these little things has given me a false sense that I'm a "go with the flow" kinda gal. HA!

Going with the flow for my life long plans---no, nope, for get it, not going to happen. Yes, I trust the Lord & know he will always provide for me. I know that his plan and his ways are better than mine. I know that he will be faithful even when I am faithless. I know these truths, but what I don't really know is how to practice them in my life--daily. I can do it sometimes, off and on, but to honestly to not worry about my life, where I'll be in three years, what I'll be doing and where the money is coming from to do these things--that is something I'm having to learn over and over again. I want a plan! And, when I have a plan, I want it executed on my time. That, my friends, is not going with the flow!

John and I are at a constant state (or so it seems) of confusion about what to do with our lives--do we stay in MN and buy a house or do we move back to the south or move somewhere totally different or just stay exactly where we are? It's like a disease that flairs up at random times making us feel the pressure...then it subsides for awhile almost unnoticed. It's side effects are draining & very exhausting. I'm trying to learn how to turn this nagging desire to have a plan over to the Lord, but it's a difficult task. I'm trying to learn that God will provide...that I can go with the flow and be happy in the now without the disease squeezing the life out of me. I'm trying...trying....trying, but I keep failing. It's not in my DNA to give over control. :) When will I ever learn the Lord's timing is always the right timing and his plans are better than mine...when!
I guess it's one of those things that you just have to keep learning over and over again. As soon as the light bulb goes off in my head and I begin to really place my life in his hands...my burdens in his hands...it quickly turns off and I'm in the dark again...starting all over. Lord help me learn!

Some lessons are harder to learn than others & those lessons vary from person to person. I'm thankful for his patients as I continue to learn this very lesson again and again. I'm thankful that I am not responsible for the how. I'm responsible for obeying God and living in him...that is it. He will provide the how and the when...sadly regardless of my timing. Waiting on the Lord is not a bad thing...if we're not "waiting" for something, we're just passing the time....waiting means expecting! I'm expecting the Lord to do great things in my life & I suppose I'll be ok with them happening on his time & within his plan....but a little glimpse of that plan here and there never hurt anyone right!?

Isa. 30:18 "Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait in him."

Eat 'em up!

Jax looks like a malnourished dog next to Raleigh these days. He hasn't really changed in weight, but she is quite the tubby chubby. I'm partly to blame for this. It seems John stopped feeding her 2 cups of food awhile back...when she was like 6 months old or something, but I have continued to do so until a few weeks ago. I had no idea we cut her food back now that she is full grown...the last time I checked John said 2 cups so that's where I've stayed. Anyway, she will eat whatever amount of anything that you give her & if she can, she'll eat Jax's food too! Jax on the other hand must be constantly watching his weight b/c there are times he just won't eat. I say he's for sure my dog b/c he would prefer to stay in his kennel on his warm bed almost any morning than get up to eat breakfast.

So, this Saturday Jax wasn't eating...again. I picked up a piece of food and threw it at him & told him he was anorexic. :) He ate it....so I threw another piece....he ate that too. So I then decided it would be funny to see if he would crawl forward for a piece...and he did (to my pleasure). Like many things to me, this became a game. John and I set out piece by piece to see how far he would crawl to eat his food one by one. When we ran out of space in the hallway we just put the rest of his food there (gold at the end of a rainbow if you will). Yes, this is totally lame, but it cracked us up & became another thing to keep up from laundry and chores....isn't that what Saturday mornings are for!?

This takes me back to when Jax was our only friend/entertainment in MN...and to think we almost didn't bring him!

HOBO

This is typically what I look like walking through our neighborhood when we take the dogs on a walk. I had John take the picture yesterday b/c he started shaking his head as I was putting my garb on and said, "oh...my little hobo!" It cracked me up! This is my mom's old coat I'm wearing & I love it!

Now I know some of you reading my blog wouldn't be caught dead looking like this & I honestly commend you for it! I wish I cared, but I sooooo do not. John swears if I'm ever a stay at home mom that he'll never see me in anything but sweats and pj's since I only get "dressed" for work. That's almost all he sees me in now & we don't even have kids! Now that I'm looking at the outfit, this is really not as bad as some of my others...imagine the same jacket and scarf with John's old maroon sweat pants...now we're talking "typical Lisa."

If anyone would like to put me on "what not to wear" I'm all for it! ;)