What Irritates Me Most!

Let me just preface this blog entry by asking for forgiveness up front!
I am currently writing while in my irritated state and could easily say something that might offend someone, though I just look at it as an honest rant. I am also not speaking of any one person or group of people specifically, it's more aimed towards people as a whole (based on my past experiences). So, again, please don't be offended, I just need to get this out before I internally combust! lol!

I'll admit that I am easily irritated. These days it seems like there is at least one thing or person that irritates me on a daily basis (and no, I'm not talking about my husband!). What I'm most frustrated with this WEEK is all the people around me who are so completely against commitment of any kind. What's the deal? Why is it so hard for you to choose to commit to something? Is it because you're afraid something bigger and better might come along that you'd rather pledge your allegiance to? Is it because you're a lazy person? Is it because you don't understand what friendship really means? Or maybe it's just because you're selfish. I know that we all have busy schedules and there are many things on our plates these days, but come on, gimme a break! You are no more or less busy than I (even without a job) and you are certainly not an exception to the rule! We all need to take a break and have a little fun once in a while! Sometimes I'm actually quite amazed. It appears that those people who seem to stay the most busy are the one's who have no problem at all committing to things; but those who aren't as busy can't ever seem to commit. It's like when I ask someone to do something 1 month in advance and they look at their calendar and see that nothing is planned for that date, but still say "I'll have to get back to you about that" (usually followed by a "no"). Sometimes I just feel like saying "get over yourself and learn how to commit to something for once in your life!" I will own up to the fact that I am a Type A personality, so commitment comes easily to me b/c I take everything so seriously. But you don't have to be like me in order to understand what commitment is all about. How do you expect to maintain relationships if you never commit to anything? "I can't . . . " is something I often hear from my friends . . . why? why "can't" you?

The people I am closest to, the people who truly matter in my life and have made their presence known over and over again, are the people who have taken the time to be a part of my life . . . to commit to me and to our friendship. These are people that check in on a daily basis (or close to it). These are people who want to know what's going on in my life and how to best be there for me. How can you ever expect to earn that kind of relationship if you're not willing to invest??? I don't have time for people in my life who are not willing to be committed to me - that was called "high school" and that was over about 10 years ago! I walked away feeling like I was moving on to a more engaging and fruitful part of life, and that did not include wishy-washy, half-committed friends. There are too many serious journey's that life takes you through to be so capricious with your heart, feelings, emotions, and relationships.

I am an event planner (by hobby). I love to plan things and be social! But lately it seems like the more events I plan, the more disappointed in people I get. So, I've decided to just take it easy for a while. Chris made this suggestion to me earlier in the week and I have finally come to grips with it. It seems against my nature to do so, but maybe if I back off a little, I won't be irritated so often anymore! lol - we'll see!

Again - this was just a highly built-up rant, so please don't think I was talking about you in particular, and please don't be offended! But sometimes, we really just need to hear the truth about ourselves!

Party Like A Rockstar!

We had a birthday party for Chris with our family and friends over the weekend. We had a great time! Everyone came over to our house for pizza and cake and then we headed to the bowling alley (where we proceeded to get our butts kicked!). I made Paula Deen's Butterfinger cake for Chris b/c that's his favorite candy bar. It was quite yummy! Here are some pics from our party!

When Love Takes You In

I know you’ve heard the stories
But they all sound too good to be true
You’ve heard about a place called home
But there doesn’t seem to be one for you
So one more night you cry yourself to sleep
And drift off to a distant dream

Where love takes you in and everything changes
A miracle starts with the beat of a heart
When love takes you home and says you belong here
The loneliness ends and a new life begins
When love takes you in

And somewhere while you’re sleeping
Someone else is dreaming too
Counting down the days until
They hold you close and say I love you
And like the rain that falls into the sea
In a moment what has been is lost in what will be

When love takes you in everything changes
A miracle starts with the beat of a heart

And this love will never let you go
There is nothing that could ever cause this love to lose its hold

When love takes you in everything changes
A miracle starts with the beat of a heart
When love takes you home and says you belong here
The loneliness ends and a new life begins

When love takes you in it takes you in for good
When love takes you in

I'm a HUGE fan of the Chapman family, they are considered heroes in my eyes (even prior to the recent tragedy) because of their heart for adoption and the program that they've started (Shoannah's Hope) for couples like us. When Steven Curtis wrote this song, it touched my heart on so many levels. I've always known that I would adopt at least one child, even prior to knowing about my infertility issues. So when I hear a song like this, it just affirms it in my spirit even more. I'm so excited about the possibilities of sharing my life and love with children around the world that so desperately need to belong. I hope the journey begins soon!

The Winery at Iron Gate Farm

Check out the TV spot that my in-laws snagged to promote their vineyard and winery. It's so great and I'm so proud!
http://www.irongatevineyards.com/irongatevideo.html

F-U-N with Photo Retouching!

I used an internet-based program to retouch some of my favorite photos. You could spend hours doing this (and I did). Hope you enjoy!

Chris Turns 30!

Well, it has finally happened . . . Chris is now the big 3-0! He has joined the ranks with our fellow friends and has been officially welcomed into adulthood! He says it's no big deal being 30, he wasn't dreading it or anything. I, on the other hand, tossed and turned all night the night before the big day thinking that he was breathing his last breaths of his 20's. Imagine how much emotional and psychological damage I will suffer when it finally is my turn! YIKES! Good thing I have 3 more years to go :) We are having a big party for him on Saturday, so not much "celebrating" has happened yet, but I did make him a very special birthday dinner. It was very special because I cooked red meat.

I was raised by Vegan/Vegetarian parents and have only slightly strayed since my days of living at home (I will now eat chicken and turkey), while Chris was raised on a farm (more or less) where they ate meats of every kind. So when he married me, he had to forego his love of meat! Well, red meat and pork at least :)

So when I cooked him steak for dinner on his birthday, he was very surprised and VERY happy! Our menu was as follows (recipe's generously provided by Ms. Sandra Lee): Blue cheese buttered ribeyes (only we used Sirloin b/c it was WAY cheaper), horseradish mashed potatoes, steamed green bean, mixed salad w/ oil and vinegar dressing, and french bread on the side. Even I can attest that it was ALL very yummy!!! If I had no discipline in the area of my eating habits, I could very easily have been swayed over to the "dark side" and continue eating steak. I took a couple of photos of our birthday dinner together. More to come after his party on Saturday.

And the Love Continues . . .

Saturday morning, we woke up and I fixed Chris a special Vday breakfast (heart-shaped pancakes). We then packed up the car, dropped the girls off at the kennel, and headed towards Mebane. Chris' mom, Debbie, owns a vineyard and winery and was putting ason a special event for all the lovers in the area last night. It was called a 'Wine, Roses, & Romance" dinner. She had a catered 4-course meal (very much unlike what we had the night before!), a live musician, and dancing. It was a blast! We went to together as a family and had so much fun together!

Valentine's morning breakfast :)

Chris' sister, Dana, anad her husband Josh. They are currently 18 weeks preggers with a baby boy! YAY!


We found a little corner of the room beside our table that was perfect for some intimate dancing :)


Havin' some fun!


Debbie and Gene, Chris' parents and owners of the winery.

Enjoying a glass of "Dixie Dawn" - mmm, yummy!

The Harrell's and the Herman's

long-stemmed roses for the ladies at the dinner :)

the guests were all having such a great time!

mom and son

mom and daughter-in-law

A quick photo-opp before dinner was served

Love is a Mystery

Last night Chris and I attended the Love is a Mystery dinner hosted by our Sunday School class. We weren't really sure what to expect. All we were told was to show up at 7:00 for a 4 course meal. So, that's what we did. The atmosphere was adorned with reds and pinks, hearts and candles, etc. There was soft music playing in the background and a 5-star wait staff ready to serve our every need. We were seated by couple according to our place cards, 3 at each table. Everything as was anticipated and expected, and then we were handed our menus. Hmm, I'd never seen a menu quite like this before. The food choices were as follows:
Nature's Plug
Snow on the mountain
Cupid's arrow
A chip off the old block
Popeye's delight
Heart strings
Chris Harrell's past time (yes, my notorious husband actually made the list!)
A small raise
A roman mix-up
"Are you ready for the summer?"
A square soda
Jack and mac
Seedy character
Lover's delight
Exotic blubber with a twist
Sticks and stones
We were then instructed to write down on the opposite side of our menu the order in which we would like to be served (4 items per course, 4 courses). The funny thing is, our utensils were included in this cryptic list, so we had to be very careful and methodical about our choices; otherwise, we would be left with no utensils to eat our food with. AND, you weren't allowed to carry any items over into the next course. So, if you were given more than one utensil at a time, you were screwed :) This, of course, happened to me on my second course. I was given a knife, a fork, cubed cheese, and olives. Hmm . . . at this point, I'm thinking that I haven't eaten anything that required utensils yet, so 2 more courses left and somewhere in there are entree type foods. To ease the suspense, my 4-course meal went as follows: Course 1 - spoon, peanuts and carrots, Caesar salad, meatballs; Course 2 - knife, fork, cubed cheese, olives; Course 3 - bread, crackers, sliced pickles, toothpick; Course 4 - spaghetti with meat sauce, chocolate brownie with whip cream, jello, Hershey kisses. If you'll notice, that lat course did not include ANY utensils. It was very interesting. We had LOADS of fun with our friends. A small food fight even broke out between tables - to be expected with our crowd :) Anyways, the atmosphere was pleasant, the company was terrific, the service was extraordinary, and the food . . . well, the food was . . . interesting :) I was able to steal a few snapshots in between all our fun. Hope you enjoy them.

Secrets and Opportunities

Okay, there are two things that I'm going to admit to today that I don't think I've ever told anyone before.

As much as I know I shouldn't, I very much want to get a tattoo of a little butterfly on my hip. I know, it's CRAZY! I've always done the grandmother test on myself and agreed with the outcome (that I cannot see myself as the kind of grandmother with a tattoo). Maybe it's the nearness of summer approaching, or the adrenaline that rushes through me when I listen to Jason Mraz's song called "Butterfly", but it's definitely something that I now find myself desiring. I have some great friends (and family) with tats and I just think that they are SO cool. If I got a butterfly tattoo, what do you think it would say about me? hmm . . .

Secondly, I've always loved the British culture and language. There's something about it that is jut so fascinating to me. I watch all the British sitcoms on PBS and never turn down a British film when in theatres. I've recently discovered, while reading the book "Confessions of a Shopaholic" that I unconsciously read aloud in a British accent :) Sophie Kinsella (author) is British herself, which is why I probably relate the two, but when I open my mouth, I take on the character of Rebecca Bloomwood and am no longer plain, boring, American Melody Harrell (giggle, giggle).

I thought it was time that I shared these two secrets. I think they're kind of funny and maybe it gives you better insight into all my complexities :)

Recently, I was reunited with the public library! How did I ever forget that it existed! I guess it was all too easy to just order a book on Amazon and have it forever (which I probably didn't need for that long to begin with). Wednesday, I took a little drive to our fair library, located in quaint little downtown Concord. I love downtown Concord. It has some of the cutest shops ever! Antiques, bakeries, boutiques, bistro's,, creameries (mmm), art galleries, library, and a tea shop - what more could you ask for? PLUS, it's located in the heart of the historic district, so you're surrounded by gorgeous turn-of-the-century homes and gardens. Did I mention that I LOVE it there?! The weather has been so idyllic this week that it seems as if it was just calling my name, inviting me to take a stroll along its cultured and ancient sidewalks. How could I resist? :)

First stop - Public Library. New library card (check!), new DVD to watch (check!), new CD to listen to in the car (check!), and a new book on order (check!). Mission accomplished! 3 types of entertainment all at my disposal for FREE! Whoohoo!!!

I begin my walk down Union Street. First I pass one of my favorite boutiques that sells all things polka dots, striped, and girly! Then I pass The Bead Lady, a quaint little shop where you can create your own jewelry. One day I'll get to that . . . :) As I cross the street, I am stopped by a sign hanging right in front of my eyes. It says "Audrey's Once Upon A Time Boutique" - Audrey's baby boutique. OMIGOSH! I immediately called Chris and shared what I had found. This was all too exciting to me for 2 reasons: 1. It was named after a woman with the name of Audrey, and 2. it was a baby boutique. Kind of obvious, I realize, but the thing is, when God does decide to bless us with a baby girl, we will name her Audrey (after the classic Ms. Hepburn). This isn't a name you see very often anymore, so it's very sacred to us. Also, as I've shared in the past, I dabble in hand making baby items. So you see, this place was so neat to find b/c of those two parts of my life combined into one. I laughingly told Chris that it was a "sign" - lol, whatever that means! I walked inside the store, had a look around, then I met Audrey. She was super nice, very friendly. We talked for a few minutes. She shared with me that she was named after Audrey Hepburn as well and that she has 2 sons which took her 4 years to conceive. I already feel a connection with this woman, when on my way out I notice some familiar fabric on a shelf. She explained to me that she has hired a woman in the community to hand make baby items for her to sell in her store. So, yesterday I sent Ms. Audrey an email with my "Homemade Baby Items" portfolio (if you will), and asked her to take a look and me know if she would ever be interested in displaying any of my inventory in her store as well. I'm still waiting to hear back, but it was fun just putting my stuff (and myself) out there to see what happens. I'll keep you posted :)

In the meantime, listen to "Butterfly" by Jason Mraz - it'll open the door to you into my secret world :)

Check It Out!

I was divinely inspired today to start a new blog specifically about what the Lord teaches me on a daily basis. This is such a pivotal time in my life where God is revealinng so much of Himself to me that it just made sense to share it with the rest of the world. Not only is this a good means of holding me accountable to meeting one-on-one with God each day, but it's also a great way to share God with others (as my "readers" extend beyond close friends and family). Hopefully you will find a greater depth of insight through this new blog!

http://meditationsoftheheart.wordpress.com/

A Good Ol' Fashioned Butt-Whoopin'!

I'm in the middle of a new Bible Study called "No Other Gods" by Kelly Minter. At first, I wasn't too interested. It seemed like surface material and I just kept hoping that it would get deeper. Boy, did it! Last week posed the question "Why Idols?" and addressed our identity, need, pain, silence and fear. Two days that week (need/pain) included the stories of Sarah and Hannah in the Bible. Both ladies wrestled with infertility and waiting on God to deliver them. Whoa! How relevant to my own life right now! The hardest lesson there was acknowledging that God had chosen to close Hannah's womb, on purpose, for a season. Practically speaking, God purposely brings pain and suffering into our lives for a reason. So often we believe that we can handle our life circumstances in our own strength. For me, I believed that if I just went to a doctor who performed certain procedures on me, then I wouldn't have any more trouble getting pregnant. Clearly that was a lie I was telling myself. Kelly writes "I cannot think of anything less satisfying than having myself as the big answer to everything." Thank goodness I do not have to rely on myself to get me through the difficult times in life. Thankfully I worship a God who willingly takes on those burdens for me so I do not have to carry them alone. In addition, He has a perfect plan for every one of those difficult situations that I'm faced with in this life. "All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to HIS purpose" (Rom. 8:28). This is a promise directly from God Himself. Psalm 84:11 also promises that "The Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless." So why do I tempt myself with doubt and disbelief? Clearly, He has my best interests at heart. I need nothing more.

That was just what I learned last week! This week had revelations of its own. This week we discussed the topic of lies. Behind every false god is a lie, deceit, intimidation,, a door we've left open, and a prowling lion (waiting to seek and destroy). There were many things that Kelly said during this week's lesson that really made me think about the lies that I choose to believe everyday. Lies can be three things (as demonstrated by Eve in the Garden): 1. "Good for food" - meeting our physical needs, 2. "Pleasing to the eye" - meeting our emotional needs, and 3. "Desirable for gaining wisdom" - meeting our mental and spiritual needs. In regards to Eve's story and the deceit that she fell under, Kelly writes "Place me right in the middle of the garden where an angelic devil whispers sweetly in my ear while that piece of fruit shimmers in the sunlight, and my choice sadly becomes the same as Eve's." If we're honest, I think that most of us give in to the luring deceitfulness of Satan's lies. He wraps them up in pretty packages making it difficult for us to turn away and easy for us to accept. She goes on to boldly state that "Satan will tell us what's true, but he never tells us the truth." He manipulates the truth, twists it to meet our desires and wants, but doesn't necessarily always lie. The truth can be found in there somewhere. So we need to be ready and prepared, putting on the full armour of God, knowing His truth and standing on the Word. There were two things that stuck with me most this week. The first is a quote she relayed on behalf of a friend who is serving on the mission field in China, upon a recent trip back to America. "If it be any encouragement to you all, this is what I saw, especially in America: pain (deep, private, unanticipated, suffocating) met with stubborn hope (white-knuckled clinging to Him, rock-bottom conviction that His offer of Reconciliation (the cross) is the only viable option, and a willingness to risk believing that Redemption is not only something that means we get to go to heaven, but something that He is passionate to carry out now, in specific life situations, to make things show His brand of beauty - in which a healed relationship or person can reflect more glory than one who never knew brokenness.)" Secondly, she directs our attention to the story of Hezekiah and Sennacherib (2 Chron. 32). In short, Hezekiah's faith was put to the test, and Sennacherib and his men taunted him and tried to lead him to doubt in His God. Ultimately, Hezekiah and God both proved faithful in the end. Kelly writes "Regardless of the circumstances, it takes confidence to believe that God is going to protect and take care of us as we wait in difficult situations." Amen!

CLEARLY I needed to be reminded about these things as it has been easy to wallow in my self pity and unfortunate circumstances lately. But God will have none of it. He says to "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you." Guess I just needed to be reminded of that! So, thanks God (and Kelly Minter), for kickin' my butt and helping me remember all this!

I Have Seen the Light

Chris and I went to Lowes over the weekend and bought a new dining room light! We were so very excited to be getting rid of the tacky gold light that has been there since we moved in. Our new light matches our dining room perfectly and also goes very well with the lights we have in our kitchen (that are very similar in nature). Here are some snapshots of our new addition.


In other news, I received a phone call from Cannon School yesterday informing me that they offered the job to another candidate and that person has accepted. Now this was very sad news for me to hear because I really wanted THIS job :( I've never had to compete for a job before and I've never been turned down for one either. I had a great interview, a high recommendation from my old boss (who incidentally is a close friend of the family with whom I interviewed), 3 stellar letters of recommendation, and my easy and outgoing personality. I thought for sure I had it in the bag. They affirmed all the same things on the phone with me yesterday, but the candidate that they chose had one thing I did not . . . experience in the college counseling field. While I know this would have been something I could have learned quickly, their immediate need was to find someone who could just step right in with little hands-on training. They have assured me that they were very pleased with me and that my resume will remain on file in case other jobs open up at the school. I'll be very honest . . . I was heartbroken. I've never wanted a particular job so bad in all my life. This one seemed SO perfect. But there's peace in knowing that if this wasn't the job for me, then there's something out there even better. It's difficult for me to imagine that right now, but it is true. Ever since my lay-off in December, our prayer has been that the Lord would bring me the perfect job (for me). When I say "perfect", I don't mean monetarily, I mean a job that is ideal for my qualifications and passions. One that I will enjoy going to every day. One that will enrich my life and fill me with a sense of pride and success. One where I would be valued. So, no we're back to playing the waiting game. Waiting on God to present to me the right opportunity at the right time. He will provide! "Lord, not my will, but YOURS be done."

How Much Is Your Marriage Worth?

As previously mentioned, Chris is reading "The Love Dare" with the guys in his accountability group. Each day has been something new and wonderful that we've been able to experience together. It starts out with simple dares such as tell her something encouraging or thoughtful today, or call her just to say hello and tell her you love her. Then, as each day progresses and you get further into the book, the dares become a little more exposed and poignant. One day, Chris was dared to ask me what 3 things are about him that frustrate me the most. He was also challenged to compile a list of the positive and negative attributes about me and do something very specific with each list. Each day he is challenged (and held accountable) to build on the previous days dare. For example, one day he might be asked to find a distinct way to compliment me throughout my day. Then the next day he is dared to do the same thing in addition to a new dare. The point here, obviously, is to become so familiar with this kind of treatment towards your spouse that it literally becomes second nature to always honor your spouse each day with this type of behavior. I would like to be the first to attest to the transforming power of this book in our marriage. Those who know us well know that we have been down some difficult roads over the last 6 years. We've had to go through things that you would never wish on anyone. And as a result of all that, we've had to work really hard at our marriage. But we've never been in such a great place as we are right now. Now, I will certainly attribute much of that to the fact that Chris' new job allows him to be home a lot more. But this book has added a whole new dimension to our relationship. Nowadays, Chris calls several times a day just to check in with me and see how my day is going, or will say "I Love You" countless times for no obvious reason, and (my personal favorite) will spend extra time each day just snuggling with me in the bed at the beginning and end of our days while giving me back rubs until I fall asleep. Hello personal attention!!! This is amazing! There are many ways that we give and receive love, but these last few weeks, it seems as if Chris has been a student of my love languages and has filled my "lovin' tank on a daily basis. How would this kind of attention NOT revolutionize your marriage? And, of course, as a result I aim to be more respectful and submissive to him in response to his treatment of me. It's a new found rhythm that we're operating on and I can't believe that it's taken us this long to understand how a successful, functioning marriage is supposed to be. At least we're here now and I encourage you to take the leap and read this book as well. After all, we have committed the rest of our lives to our spouses (that incidentally God ordained just for us), so why not do all we can to remind that person of exactly how and why we love them so much. So the real question is, how much are you willing to invest in your marriage? Is it worth your time and efforts to revolutionize your relationship? Even if you've failed in the past (and we all have), there's no reason why you can't begin now. I "dare" you to take the leap and watch where God takes you together.

Old Skool Music

Today I was adding new music to my playlist (on the right side of the page). The more new music I added, the more old music I remembered and I got SO excited! Now, don't be discouraged by the new "old" music, I realize that it may not necessarily match who I am now, but many of the old skool tunes remind me of my life as a dancer (many years ago). I used to have so much fun choreographing and dancing to this music - it was fun, it was upbeat, it was hoppin'! Even though I'm not dancing anymore, every now and then the mood still strikes, and while Chris is at work and I'm home alone, I often put on an impromptu dance recital in my house (usually while I'm cleaning). It motivates me to keep going, as cleaning itself can get a little boring after a while :) Hope you enjoy the new "old skool" classics!

Let It Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Last night, before going to bed, Chris and I spent about 30 minutes just watching the beautiful snow fall so gracefully from the sky and blanket the world around us. It was so peaceful. When we woke up this morning, we had 2-4" that piled up overnight! First thing I did was jump out of bed, throw on some clothes, and run outsisde to gallavant in the snow! I took a couple of pictures for your viewing pleasure :)

Super Bowl 2009!

Last night we invited our good friends, Rob & Kelly, over to watch the Super Bowl. What an exciting game! We were all cheering for the Cardinals (aka "the red birds" - just for you, Kel :)), but sadly, they were overtaken at the very end. Oh well :( We had such a blast just hanging out! Here are a few pics of our time together.

Here we are just chillin' before kick-off with the puppy dogs :)

During half-time, Rob ventured to the garage and dressed up in Chris' paintball gear . . . Kelly couldn't resist! She loves a man in uniform . . . lol!

Yummy snacks to munch on during the game. Sadly, there's still a ton left over!!! Any takers???