I want to ride my....

My new helmet came in the mail... Spent a pretty penny on it since I've got to ride my bike on the freeway in order to get anywhere. I love "my" bike.... A hand-me-down from my father-in-law... who rode it in France way back when they were stationed across the lake. She's seen a lot of life. And this season... she's seen a lot of dust. I'm not a hard-core cyclist who enjoys riding in the rain. I'm the kind of girl who likes to take the bike out on a Sunny Sunday afternoon and ride the 10 miles to the ice cream shop in the neighboring town... or take it out early in the morning to ride the 5 miles to work on a Sunny spring/summer's day...

We haven't had any of those yet. I want to wear my new helmet. But people think it's weird when I'm not riding my bike. Hopefully the rain will let up and my bike (and my body) will see the sunshine again.

A day at the park

As I've mentioned in the last few posts... I spent a few days at the park when we had a brief showing of sunshine. I can't believe how beautiful and relaxing it was - so glad I brought my camera with me. Knowing it's only February 14th makes me a little sad because I know we have been deceived. Spring will not come back until June, so I'll relish the few breaks we get here and there.

Also... realizing today is February 14th - I am thinking I should be posting something "heart" related, or perhaps something I created that's super cute and pink.... But I've never really been that fond of this day. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love flowers & going out & and being spoiled just like the next girl... but this day holds too much meaning. Too much pressure. Too much money to greeting cards... 

The other day I mentioned to our middle school and high school students that Valentine was a name given to martyred saints.

"Huh?"

No one had a clue what I was talking about. Way to go Hallmark. Way to go.

Where has the time gone?

Man, I really missed a few days there... I guess I needed it though. While the husband was away over the weekend I spent probably over 6 hours at the park with the puppy. We had a great time. And, I kid you not, there was a time - after 2.5 hours walking the trails at Fort Steilacoom Park and snapping photos with my D90, that I just sat down on a log in the middle of an open field. I shut my eyes and felt the warmth of the sun on my face... I haven't been that relaxed in MONTHS... What a blissful moment that was. Then a few preteen boys rounded the corner and I heard one of them shout - "Man! This would be a great place for a zombie apocalypse!"... My kinda kids. I couldn't help but laugh.

So... I'm catching up here with what should have been up a few days ago - my project 366. One of the things I'm learning in this process is I need to take photos with a little more variety... Otherwise at the end of the year I'm pretty sure I'll just think that all I did was snap pics of the dog and stare at the cello. I'll work on that for this coming week.

Finally... Friday - February 3rd - it was desperately needed (as you can see)

All project 366 photos taken via instagram! @chrisklas or online here!

A sign you're getting older.

Scrabble.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the game growing up because it was always the one my mom and her sisters pulled out at every holiday get together. Had I wanted to join in it would have been an embarrassing venture as my mom's skills at scrabble are borderline ridiculous...

Once when I was a young 6th grader I was asked to go to a smashing pumpkins concert with a boy I liked... (that's right... smashing pumpkins) I knew my parents wouldn't be keen on the idea of sending their 12 year old daughter off to a concert like this - let alone with a boy they didn't know and who was 3 or 4 years older than me. Nevertheless I was determined to try. So, I went to the store & bought a scrabble-dictionary-tear-off-calendar-thing. And presented it to my mom in an effort to sweeten her up. I hadn't even asked about the concert yet but I pulled that thing out of my bag and handed it to her with the sweetest smile I could muster and all she said was: "No."

Like I said, she's a smart woman. (I get that from her)

I'm gonna spend a lot of time playing games and relaxing this weekend as the husband takes a screaming load of high school students up to the mountain and I'm left with a quiet house, an unopened back of coffee beans, and a beagle. It's some MUCH needed quiet time after an incredibly confusing & stressful week. 

and... let's not talk about how when you look at that second picture, the letters I scattered on the table clearly read FAT loud and clear. It's the first thing I see every time I look at this picture...

But let's consider that if this were boggle it also says FAINT... as in "I detect a faint-ness of guilt for having not kept my diet/exercise goals this year"

A mother's love: Sneak Peak

I took a little hiatus over the Holiday break - mostly staring at the photos of my sister-in-law and her newly adopted piece of perfection: Elijah. She was sick the day we took photos of my brother so we caught up when they came to visit on Christmas Eve. I couldn't be more thrilled to offer them this gift. More to come in Friday Photo Shoot.

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Bokeh Babe

 Who doesn't love babies? And Bokeh?... what could be better?

More of my adorable nephew because I just can't get enough... Full version of his photo shoot in this week's "Friday Photo Shoot"

Thankful Thursday

Today I don't have much. I am just thankful for second millionth chances & lattes.

(photo courtesy of instagram: chrisklas)

and I have the house to myself when I finally arrive home at 8:30pm tonight... Maybe I'll be thankful for bubble baths.

This little light of mine...

I've come to the conclusion that I'm weak. And so are you.

I get burnt out. And so do you.

I'm educated... I'm smart... I'm outgoing... energetic... married to an awesome man... I've got all of that - but it doesn't cut it. I try to be an example and I try to be the person that I want students to look up to (working in ministry) and yet... I don't see fruit - I don't see any growth... Then, I realize it's because I don't see and fruit or growth in MY OWN LIFE. 

It's come to my attention that in order to be an example for others - I've got to follow the ultimate example on my own FIRST. Then, ministry won't be a "job" or something to check off my proverbial "to do list" - rather it will be a natural outpouring of my relationship with Jesus Christ. 

I can only be a light to others if I've got the light shining THROUGH me... from the inside out.

Second photo... I finally had a weekend where there wasn't much going on and I had FREE TIME on my hands (who knew that even existed??)... So I was getting a little bored and decided I would discover new things in my camera. This is the first of many "multiple exposure" shots I'm sure I'll be putting up as long as Christmas lights are hung.

Instagram!

So - I have to confess... I'm not sure what this whole "instagram" thing is all about... A friend told me I needed to join - so here I am... now what do I do? (I don't even tweet and I've got an instagram account?)

I suppose it's all about a way to share your photos "on the go"... Even faster than blogging! So. I've joined. Find me if you like (chrisklas) and are a fellow "what do I do with this thing" instagram user.

Do you instagram?

This week in pictures:

Finding Beauty in the little things with:

Christmas Bokeh

Yesterday after work...

1. Buy a table-top Christmas tree (because my place is too small and the beagle would probably chew on it all day anyway) CHECK

2. Decorate the tree (That's the sharpest tree I've ever had... I have battle scars) CHECK

3. Munch on some dark chocolate covered Kettle Korn. CHECK, CHECK.... double CHECK

4. Tend to the sick husband. CHECK

5. Run two loads of laundry. CHECK

6. WISH that the dishes were done. CHECK

7. Play "Oh Holy Night" and "Jingle Bells" on the Cello. CHECK (and was pretty proud of the sound I was creating)

8. Grocery shopping. CHECK (first time in about a month.... what has my husband been eating??)

9. Sit down and have dinner at 9pm.... CHECK...

It was all worth it though - My favorite thing to do is sit on the couch in front of the lit up Christmas tree... It begins now and I can finally enjoy the season...

Future of Forestry

Yesterday I blogged about needing rest...  A little time to perhaps ENJOY the Christmas season... Then I took the hubs and a good friend out to the Future of Forestry Christmas Tour. (Tickets are STILL available for this Saturday's show in Seattle if you're a local. They are s.t.i.n.k.i.n. awesome...) 

At one point during the set it was said that they created this tour so that you could "be with God in the empty spaces. December is the busiest time of year and often we try and jump from one song to the next and move right along." This show was riddled with "filler music" and "space enough to feel involved"... I love that line. Sometimes we get so consumed doing, doing, doing, that we don't really feel like we've DONE anything. Often what we need is a little time and space to feel like maybe we could do something significant or HEAR something significant - but we never allow ourselves to stop and listen.

Future of Forestry's Advent Christmas tour is known for the "Little Drummer Boy"... One of my favorite moments in the show and this year I finally caught it on film. 

Who decided that the Little Drummer Boy offered a tiny little drum beat to the Lord and then that was "good enough"... If all you've got to offer is a drum - Why not give it all you've got?

Rest

(warning: I do a bit of complaining in this post... I'll probably have to ask forgiveness for that later...)

How is it that you can be home all day - doing not much of anything and still not feel rested?

We've had a few whirlwind weeks and they aren't over yet... 

Two weeks ago - my husband was calling in sick, achy and feverish.

Last week it was me... sick as a dog.

This week - back to the hubs. I'm doing everything in my power to not let it make the full cycle. 

Even in ministry you get weary and find little rest. Something comes up and someone asks you to do something and you say "Yes"... because you want to be helpful, it might be fun... no one else will do it if you don't say yes (I use all these excuses often)...

There's no rest for the weary. That's what they say. And yet,  I , WE have to turn to this verse. God calls us to rest. Even the Lord rests. In Genesis he rested... in the Gospels, Jesus rested. It's wholly Biblical - so why, of all places, do we get overworked in the church?

The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few... I hate to make this analogy - but even in the church you see 1% of the people doing 99% of the work... 

And - just so you don't think I'm complaining about all the work I am doing... I say all of this on behalf of the hubs... who could use a break. 1. Because I love him and 2. Because I'm tired of him being sick haha...

Happy Monday to you.