#11: A Friend and some Caffeine

After work today, I snagged up my good ol buddy Heather from her nap. It was a nice afternoon of returning horrible shoes to Target, browsing through the bookstore and chatting over some coffee drinks.
I love when we both have a bit of free time to just hang out and catch up on what's going on in our lives.
Even if we can't hang out for hours anymore, it sure is nice to get those few moments here and there.

On a side note: This year Heather and I will be best friends for 16 years!

On a different side note: It took me like 10 minutes to figure that out. For some reason I couldn't figure out when I was in 4th grade (which is when we met). Me and math don't mix....

#10: New Shoes Again...this is becoming a habit

Those shoes I got from Target were HORRIBLE! I'm pretty sure the cut on the back of my heel will take a while to heal. Needless to say, those monsters went right back to the store.
So, I headed to Payless to see if I would have any better luck. I got these little things. I'm not sure how I feel about them just yet. I think the damage was done from the other shoes. My feet just hurt!
So maybe I'll give these ones a few days to see if they will fair any better.
I sure hope so, otherwise my poor husband will have his share of sore feet in his hands every night (isn't that why we get married anyway...so our husbands will rub our feet and pamper us?)

#9: Date night with Hubby

The Hubs and I went out on a little date! It was two-fold. We were really hungry, and we were celebrating! For one thing, we both have jobs now. Not that I particularly want to have a job. It's great being a housewife. But we celebrate what we can when we can. We were also celebrating the fact that we were both off on the same day and could hang out. Oh, and I guess we were celebrating that we have money in our account now to do stuff like this. Overall, it was a night of celebration.

And I must mention the bacon on that burger! It was probably the BEST bacon I have ever had in my life. I am not lying. It was thick, it was juicy and succulent, and the taste was incredible! Oh my gosh, give me a plate of that bacon and I am a happy camper.
It's food like bacon that keeps me from being a vegetarian!

We also headed to the store so I could finally get some comfortable shoes. I tried wearing tennis shoes last time. Apparently those are not allowed. I really don't understand. We are allowed to wear practically anything (even sandals, I think), but we cannot wear comfortable shoes like tennis shoes. Weird.

Anyway, I found these at Target for only $16. They are very comfortable and look cute too. So, win win!

#8: Attempting to be Healthy

This was my dinner. Yum! I've got some scrumptious grapes, and some awesome veggie straws. Also, some kind of roasted turkey meat with cheese on a pita bread sandwich. Delicious! My friend Kristin introduced it to me. She claims she's going to make a healthy eater out of me. Well, today she did it!
Also, I made a banana smoothie. That probably wasn't very healthy. It has 2 bananas, 2 cups of milk, some vanilla extract, sugar, cinnamon and some hot chocolate mix. Mmm Mmm Good!

#7: First day of work

 Today was my first day at my new job. I am an assistant manager at Christopher and Banks (in the mall). It's a pretty sweet gig, if you ask me. It's only part time, so not too many hours a week. Something I can handle, considering my desire to do the 'housewife' thing. Plus it's an assistant manager position, so I get paid more! Can't beat that.
Today, however, I learned a very hard lesson. Shoes matter! I'm not entirely sure what I was thinking this morning when I left the house. I've had jobs where I've been on my feet all day. Working in a hospital is proof enough that shoes matter. But for some reason, I thought it would be okay to wear heels to work.
For one thing, anyone that knows me understands that me and heels do not go together. I'm uncoordinated a lot of the time. I lose my balance a lot in heels. It's quite comical.
Anyway, lesson learned. My feet hurt so bad! But I sure looked cute and professional today!

The Cookie Factory is where I ate my lunch today. It was okay. Mostly I was excited to sit down for awhile. Turns out, you can bring your own cup and they will fill it for 50 cents. How fun!

#6: 7 Things He'll Never Tell You

I finally finished a marriage book! I made a list of goals that I wanted to accomplish before I turned 26. Reading at least 5 marriage books was one of them. I have started about 4, but I had yet to finish any of them. Until today. 

This book by Kevin Leman is...well, it wasn't my favorite book out there. A lot of the time I felt like he was making excuses for men to act like jerks and to be insensitive. But for the most part, the book had some really good insight. And I can honestly say that I learned quite a bit about being a better wife. There are a lot of good points in this book that I will incorporate into my marriage.

However, I will still probably ask and insist that my husband comes with me to things that he doesn't really want to go with me to. And in that case, Kevin Leman, I will say that he is honoring me as his wife  by supporting me in what I want and need. We need a little give and take here (if you're confused, you'll have to read the book. Chapter 6).

Anyway, if you're interested in gaining a little insight into your hubby (and the little boy that he still is), go ahead and read the book. There are some really great things in there. But if you're anything like me, be prepared to argue with Dr. Leman on one or two points (out loud worked well for me).

#5: Thrifting

Today I got to go thrift store shopping with Heather and Kristin. I had $20 to spend, and I think that I did pretty good. I also had a gift card to Kohls that I got for my birthday. I was able to get 3 sweaters, 2 shirts, 2 pairs of shoes, some weights and some unmentionables that only the cashier and my husband get to see. All in all, a fabulous day!

Oh yeah, I also saw that crazy little yellow vehicle in the parking lot. It looks so fun! I know it's an energy efficient car (it says "electric" on the side), but I just don't think I would feel safe in it. Heather and I did notice that the owner seemed to have quite a bit of space in the back (a secret compartment, maybe?), because he had several bags of groceries and had no problem getting it all in.

Addicted to Experience

Unlike many people I know, I love change. I thrive on it. I love to experience new and different things all the time. I'm constantly getting bored with the same old things, and I want to go do something different. This is probably why I love moving and I love travelling. My family makes fun of me because I move all the time. They say I am like my grandma, which incidentally I guess I am. She moves quite often, each time claiming it is her last. But if she's anything like me (or, I guess me like her), she knows deep down that it won't be. Maybe my grandma also suffers with the desire for new and different experiences.

This is not always a good thing. I have had several jobs. Too many to count on my 10 fingers. I usually quit because I hate the work, and I can't imagine spending my days doing something that I just loathe. I'm always cautious to get a new job because, for one I fear that I will hate that one too. And as much as it may seem like it's no big deal for me to quit a job, I really don't like it at all. I feel like a failure for not sticking with things. I'm also cautious about getting a job because I fear that once I take this job, another better one will come along. I'm still waiting for my dream job!

My brother recently offered Phil and I his house. It's a cute little house. About the size of what we live in now, only it is so much nicer. There is laundry, there is a bathtub, the kitchen is totally new (and not in the dungeon), there is a huge back yard (maybe I could finally get a dog), and there is a garage. The only downside is that it is in Pawnee. I, for one, do not want to live in Pawnee. Plus, it is a lot further of a commute to work for Phil.

I want to move so bad. I want to move because it's new and it's different. It will be a fun experience. Phil isn't so sure. He's thinking about all of the inconveniences, like moving all of our stuff, unpacking everything, setting it all back up, etc etc. I am completely the opposite. I think it would be fun to have a new place to decorate, a new place to put all of my stuff. I am excited! I want to do it so bad. I love change!

I guess we will see what comes of this. Being addicted to experience and change is not really compatible with the married life all the time. I guess that's what compromise is all about.

#4: Donkey Kong Ritual

Okay so...I didn't actually take this picture. I forgot to bring my camera with me today. I just got it off of the internet. I would have just taken another picture that represents my day, but the truth of the matter is....this is really all I did today.

Kristin and I have been addicted to Donkey Kong since she bought it a couple of weeks ago. It's such a fun game! And it's awesome to get to hang out with Kristin and have such a blast. We yell and scream, we throw things and kick and punch the air. Her cat Sassy freaks out and runs away from us, but not before clawing our legs. It's a great time! We usually end up getting pizza and we eat like animals. Yes, it's a great time and I'm glad that I get to go over there every couple of days to partake in this Donkey Kong ritual.

#3: Sunday Breakfast with Dad

Breakfast at Ihop has become a tradition over the past few months. Every Sunday morning, after church, Phil, my dad and I will go out to breakfast. Recently my dad's fiancée, Kim, has been joining us. It's a fun time to see each other, chat and have a good time. I love Sunday morning breakfast!

#2: Grocery Shopping

Today was rather significant in the Kemp household. It may not look like it, but we went all out in grocery shopping today. This table full of groceries will last us about 2 months!

It was great day, actually. We went to Starbucks (or 5 bucks, as Phil likes to call it), got yummy coffee, and chatted about finances and the pros and cons of moving into my brothers house.

After that, we went grocery shopping and then came home and made some pizza. Yes, a fabulous day indeed!

#1: Eat, Love, Pray

This is my first photo post thing because...well, I've been reading the book for several months (I try to read more than one book at a time sometimes) and I just watched the movie.

Unfortunately, the movie wasn't that great at all. It was rather boring. I was very side-tracked the entire time. The movie definitely didn't do the book any justice. But isn't that what everyone says?

There's a lot I could talk about when it comes to the book, but maybe I'll leave that for another day- when I'm not rushing to get out the door.

Photo Project 365

After viewing one of my friend's blogs, I decided that I'm going to also do the photo project 365 things. A photo a day for a year. This should be fun. I love taking pictures, but I hardly ever do it.

This little project is 3-fold:

1. It'll give me the opportunity to take the pictures I never actually take.

2. I'll become a better photographer.

3. I'll have a memory of my entire year in photos. I can look back on any day and say "oh yes, this is what I did on that day." I think it'll be neat.

Here's another part of number 3, or maybe it's my number 4. I watch a lot of crime TV shows and movies, so I'm often unrealistically worried that I will be framed for murder or some crazy crime. In my mind I think that this photo project will maybe come in handy for me because some day I'll need an alibi. And I can just go back to my blog and be like "BAM! Here's a photo of me doing such and such on such and such a day. I didn't do it! I WAS FRAMED! (dun dun dun)".

Originally I was going to wait until the beginning of March, so that I'm not just starting on any random ol day. But...I think random works for me. Also, I fear I may forget in that short amount of time. So I'll start either today or tomorrow (depending on how lazy or spontaneous I feel).

I'm an Israelite

These past few months have slowly returned to normal. I don't feel quite as obsessive as I was just a few weeks ago. I feel a little bit more normal, and I don't cry nearly as much. Praise God for time! I think it's true, that time does help to heal wounds. I also think that it is the Lord's grace that also heals are brokenness. One thing I know for certain is that through tragedy, I always draw nearer to God. Whenever everything falls apart and I'm left kneeling on the floor with my shattered heart in my hand, my God is kneeling there with me. We embrace and he takes my broken heart and slowly and ever so gently begins to make it whole again.

Sometimes I feel like an Israelite. I read about them throughout the Old Testament and I criticize them "Why are you constantly forgetting? How is it possible you are turning your back again? Oh, so now that you're in a real bind you're gonna seek God?" And now, as I think back I realize that I am that way. Things are going great, every thing is on the up and up. I've got my life together and I've got things figured out. Where is God in that equation? Oh, he's up there somewhere, but I'm not really focused on that. I have so much to do! There are jobs I need to apply for, the house needs to be cleaned, dinner needs to be made, I need to spend time with Phil and my friends and my family. I need to read my books and write in my blog. I definitely need to check my email and update my status on facebook. There is so much to do!

And BAM! Tragedy strikes and I'm knocked to my knees. It's hard to breath. Has my lung collapsed? No, it's my heart...it's been broken. So what do I do? I turn to God. "Father...I messed up. I forgot about you. And now I'm in this big mess of sorts. Won't you please rescue me?!"

Yes, I am an Israelite. I am constantly forgetting my God when things are going great. It's shame and it's a tragedy. I don't want to be this person anymore. I want to constantly seek God. Not just when I'm desperate. I want to learn and grow through all of life's phases.