Thursday, April 28, 2011

Our Easter Weekend

This past weekend was a fun one. Friday was spent with the hubby and we went to the Good Friday service at church that night. Afterward we went to a Chinese restaurant and it was yuuuummy!! I love Chinese food and I hadn't had it in a while. Kyle will have to take me back there sometime. :)

Saturday we woke up early and headed to a Toyota dealership. Kyle had found a 2010 Scion XD on AutoTrader and I thought it looked really cute. It only had 11,000 miles on it and was reasonably priced. We went to take a look at it and I really liked it soooo. . .we bought it! :) It doesn't really feel like mine yet. I can't drive it yet but I will be as soon as I get my license so it'll feel more like mine then. Kyle is pretty pleased with it too and likes driving it. As soon as I can drive it he won't be allowed to anymore! lol

Saturday night Kyle and I went to see Quo Vadis' production of Fiddler on the Roof! It was really good! Kyle doesn't like musicals but even he enjoyed the show. It's a whole different experience when you see one live than watching one on TV. Seeing one live makes you realize how tough it is to sing, dance, and act like that! I love seeing musicals and plays and I hadn't seen one in a long time so I had a lot of fun. I can't wait to do it again!

Sunday was Easter and Kyle and I went to church. Afterward we went home and got ready to go to the family gathering at the park. We took our dog, Trudy, with us. She doesn't get out of the house hardly at all so we thought she would enjoy it. I think she did but she was also nervous around so many strangers. She is such a pretty dog that everyone wants to pet her but she wasn't too sure about it. She did alright though. I think it was good for her. We were also able to "test" how she would react to a potentially threatening situation. I was squatting next to her petting her and talking to her when a ball bounced by next to us which startled us both. Then a guy came running after the ball which looked to Trudy like a guy running at me. As he ran by she lunged at him and nearly got him. I yanked her back and she immediately became submissive. She is such a good dog. It scared me and everyone else who saw it happen but she did just what she should have done. If a guy comes running at me and she feels like it's a threatening situation then she needs to attack! We now know that she'll protect us and that's a good to know.

It was a nice weekend and now it's over. I'm halfway through a busy week and even closer to being done with the semester! I have about 21 things left on my to-do list and they will be checked off one by one. I can't wait until I'm done!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

It's Almost Over

I hate being stressed out. It makes me unpleasant. I have two more weeks until the semester is over and I am so ready. I'm tired of doing homework and playing catch up. This semester has been so crazy and out of whack for me. I don't like it. It's almost over. It's almost over. It's almost over.

Kyle and I have been looking at our finances and creating a budget. This is the worst time possible to be doing that. It only adds to my stress. Seriously, this past week has been unpleasant for me; just ask my husband. Poor guy.

We need to buy another car by June which instigated the budgeting. I'm all for budgeting and spending our money wisely but it's a stressful and often upsetting task. I'm definitely all for buying another car since I will need one this summer but that too is a slightly overwhelming task as well. Figuring out what we need, what we can afford, and choosing a reliable car has been less than fun for me. I think it's mostly because of school sucking the joy and life out of me at the moment but also, I've never owned a car before so I don't really know what I'm doing. Kyle knows more than I do, thank God, but it's still a bit confusing for me. I'm at that, "whatever, I don't care anymore" stage; just give me something that I can tolerate, gets me from point A to point B, and won't leave me stranded.

I'm planning on taking a summer class in June. I know, I'm fed up with school and I want to take a summer class, it doesn't make much sense. However, it does make sense when it's one of the four remaining classes I need to take and it's ONLY offered during the summer this year. Though it will be very challenging to be at class at 8 in the morning and even more challenging to sit in class for four hours, it only lasts for five days. I can handle that. . .I think. . .

Next semester will be very different. One class will be from 10:45am to 1:15pm on Mondays. My other class isn't even being offered but I think I'll be able to do an independent study with the professor. My last class will only be offered on the five Saturdays in October from 8am to 5pm. Weird, huh? It should be a fairly easy going semester though. I need that! I'm a dang senior after all!

Well, I need to get back to the homework. . .I have some research to do on Roman education and I also need to practice my lesson that I may or may not give tonight. I hate not knowing! It's almost over, it's almost over, it's almost over, it's almost over. . . . . . .

Monday, April 11, 2011

Dream a Little Dream

Last night the hubby and I spent hours looking at houses online. There is a house for sale nearby that we thought looked cute on the outside. I got online to see if I could find it just to see what the inside looks like. That started a long search for different single-family houses and townhouses in the area. We aren't seriously looking right now but it was fun to look and get an idea of what we like and can possibly afford. It'll be helpful for when we really are ready to move out but for now, it's just fun to dream. :)

Tomorrow I have an exam in Roman World and Kyle and I both have an exam in Hebrew tomorrow night. I'm so ready for school to be over with. We only have four more weeks but it feels like forever at this point. I still have so much to do and I'm getting pretty close to the burn out. I should count my blessings though because it could be worse. I'm doing well enough in Hebrew that I don't have to take any more quizzes. I'm almost caught up in Roman World. My other two classes are going pretty well. It really could be worse. However, I'll still be dreaming of summer. . . ;)

Friday, April 8, 2011

No One is Laughing at God

No one laughs at God when bad things happen. However, it is funny how God uses bad situations to get our attention. And it's funny how, even those who never talk to God otherwise, pray and pray for God to do something when their world is falling apart. You see it in the movies if not in "real" life. A man's wife is on her deathbed and he, at his breaking point, slides down the wall in utter despair and says, "God, I know it's been a long time but if you could just do this one thing for me I'll do anything." God is treated like a miracle dispenser just sitting around waiting for people to call on Him every now and then. And that promise to "do anything" is eventually forgotten about because life goes on and God isn't needed anymore.

Christians do the same thing. I do it. I face stress (and just life) all the time but forget that God is even there to help. I try to handle it on my own. It's not till I'm facing something so out of my control that I realize there is no one and nothing to turn to but God. After forgetting His presence and having not talked to Him in weeks or months I finally go to Him in prayer. It makes me realize that I don't just need Him now, but always, and that I need to remember that He is there even when things are good or simply "normal."

Regina Spektor captured this concept in a song.  Listen to it here.

Laughing With by Regina Spektor

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God
When they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one laughs at God
When the doctor calls after some routine tests
No one's laughing at God
When it's gotten real late and their kid's not back from the party yet

No one laughs at God
When their airplane starts to uncontrollably shake
No one's laughing at God
When they see the one they love hand in hand with someone else
And they hope that they're mistaken

No one laughs at God
When the cops knock on their door
And they say we got some bad news, sir
No one's laughing at God
When there's a famine or fire or flood

But God could be funny
At a cocktail party when listening to a good God themed joke or
Or when the crazies say He hates us
And they get so red in the head you think they're 'bout to choke

God could be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus
God can be so hilarious

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God
When they've lost all they've got and they don't know what for

No one laughs at God
On the day they realize that the last sight they'll ever see
Is a pair of hateful eyes
No one's laughing at God
When they're saying their goodbyes

But God could be funny
At a cocktail party when listening to a good God themed joke or
Or when the crazies say He hates us
And they get so red in the head you think they're 'bout to choke

God could be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus
God can be so hilarious

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war

No one laughing at God in a hospital
No one's laughing at God in a war
No one's laughing at God
When they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
We're all laughing with God