And then we went on vacation to Sedona and the Grand Canyon.
Aaaahhhhhh. Much better. It had been a few years that our family had gotten away with no purpose other than to be together. A couple of really awesome guys made it possible for us. Thanks, guys! You truly blessed our family.
Because I'm still not in the mood to write a full out blog post, I'm going to give you some bullet points of randomness floating around in my brain. Eek. That's kinda scary.
- At Christmas time we finally took Julie's advice and tried ugly steaks from Dickman's Meat Market. Oh my goodness. Deeee-lish! We took them on our vacation to grill at the cabin we stayed in in Sedona. They were perfect for our picnic in front of the giant red rock formations.
Oh Yeah. So good.
Seriously. Is that an incredible picnic view or what?
- I have a recurring shoulder issue. A friend of mine injured her shoulder when we were in college and a really mean stupid doctor told her if she lost weight it wouldn't hurt anymore. Do you know what is crazy? That is one of the main thoughts that swirls in my head every time my shoulder does its crazy painful thing. Well, guess what. I've lost some weight and my shoulder still hurts. It didn't work for me. Stupid doctor.
- Because of my shoulder/back issue, I've visited a chiropractor when I really throw it out. (No lectures about how you hate chiropractors, please.) When my shoulder went out right before vacation I tried to get in to see him, but he was booked. My wonderful strategic arranging wooing husband remembered a random conversation he had at a coffee shop, and voila, a new chiro. I really like her, but I'm afraid she's a new age quack. I can't quite discern if I'm being paranoid or if I'm being discerning, so I'm taking my time before I go see her again. She incorporates Chinese medicine which I think can be very legit because we are connected mind, body, and spirit. But, I would have more problems than just a hurt shoulder if I opened myself up to spirituality that doesn't jive with Jesus. Anyone that loves Jesus and understands Chinese medicine that wants to have a conversation, let's do it! Jamie??
- I'm going to make homemade laundry detergent and shampoo. I'll tell you about it soon.
- Politics are annoying. I got a recorded phone call that started like this: "Because you are a Christian voter, I know you will make the right decision when you vote because you care about the same issues I care about." Um, excuse me?
- I've been totally nerding out over Clifton Strengthsfinder for the last few weeks. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check it out. This is a great tool to help you better understand who God made you to be. I bought the kid's edition for Kyle and Esther. I can't wait for them to take the assessment!
- Leadership is constantly on my mind these days. Recently I read about a poll where 10,000 people were asked to give four characteristics they admired in leaders who had a positive influence in their lives. 1,000 of those people, 10%, gave the same words. That's nuts. What are your guesses? Purpose? Clear communicator? Humility? While those are great qualities, they were not the top answers. ~~Trust, Compassion, Stability, Hope~~ Put that in your book and ponder it.
Just one more vacation photo because it's just fun...
What have you been thinking about? I would love to hear about it!
6 important comments so far. What are your thoughts?
I just made homemade laundry detergent today!!! I'm trying it out now. Other homemade products (including shampoo and body wash) are on my list!!
I made homemade laundry soap...not sure if I like it, or if my boys clothes are just too dirty. I am going to use it till it's gone - I hate to waste anything. The batch I made said use a table spoon - not! I still use about 1/4 cup and fabric softner. I really wanted to like it too. Maybe it's better as a laundry booster. Sigh, let me know what you use maybe it will be a little better.
Love that Paleo meal! Your family is amazing. Thrilled you all got away.
so glad you got to get away!! love trips together. they are priceless. and last weekend, i was filing out a list entitled "Places I want to visit" and my first thought was Sedona, AZ. funny, huh? i just know it is so beautiful there. (and not TOO far from me...) i hate politics too. those leadership stats ARE crazy. i'm gonna think about that.
Thanks for sharing the thoughts swirling in your head. I had just checked over here earlier today to see if there was anything new I had missed, later you posted this...glad to see it :).
Things on my mind...what this year holds (excitement and challenges), saying goodbye to family (maybe only "see you later" if they come visit in March), pondering what makes a parent a parent (a good one)..'cause it sure is a heck of a lot more than just biology, and how can I be a better parent?
Just a few of the things swirling in my cranium. Love you friend, and your blog posts, and can't wait to catch up with you! :)
I don't answer calls from the political people for that reason. Also, a student told John today that he would pray for his soul after finding out he wasn't a registered Republican. Needless to say, it might be a long few months at school...
Glad you got away and had a nice, relaxing time. Hopefully your shoulder is feeling better. Let me know what you decide about your chiro because I've been increasingly thinking I need to find one.
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