Each week at UMin Sunday School a college student gets things started by giving the small groups a fun question to ask. One week Katie Snider asked everyone to share what their theme song would be-you know, the song that would play loudly whenever you entered the room or did something really rad.
I felt like a loser because I couldn't think of my theme song. It made me feel old and so uncool. Then, over Thanksgiving I was rockin out in the car to my all time favorites: Queen. It all became so clear.
Here's my theme song. Fits me perfectly.
Leave a comment and tell me about your theme song.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
the one with lots of goodies from Shutterfly
You know how the Keel family feels about photos. We love them. If we're friends on facebook, you know that Adam and I take about a zillion pictures of our little family. And while posting on the blog or facebook is fun, nothing can compare to the ultimate photo opp: the Christmas card. yay!!!
It's Christmas card season, which means I'm pumped each day to check my mail. I haven't gotten a Christmas card yet, but I know they're coming and I'm excited.
This will be our first Christmas card with precious Chloe Belle, and I simply can't wait. I'll be doing our Christmas cards this year with Shutterfly. I know I need to go ahead and order, but I can't decide on which one is the cutest! My top three choices are:
one
two
three
Which do you like best? I think I'll go with three because it gives me the option to write a bit, but how will I be able to only select two pictures of the beautiful Chloe Belle????
Shutterfly is perfect for holiday gifts. You can do cards, calendars (we're getting this one for Adam's dad for his office. good thing I know he doesn't read the blog, right? :), coffeemugs (which we're doing for CB's two great-grandads), and of course, their amazing photo books. We're doing a book of the lovely CB for each set of her grandparents. Couldn't be a better Christmas present in the world, if you ask me!
And, if you can believe it, right after the holidays will come Chloe's first birthday! Thinking of doing this Shutterfly invite for her little birthday blast!
I hope you're feeling inspired to go make a great photo Christmas card on Shutterfly. Just please remember to add me to your mailing list!!
It's Christmas card season, which means I'm pumped each day to check my mail. I haven't gotten a Christmas card yet, but I know they're coming and I'm excited.
This will be our first Christmas card with precious Chloe Belle, and I simply can't wait. I'll be doing our Christmas cards this year with Shutterfly. I know I need to go ahead and order, but I can't decide on which one is the cutest! My top three choices are:
one
two
three
Which do you like best? I think I'll go with three because it gives me the option to write a bit, but how will I be able to only select two pictures of the beautiful Chloe Belle????
Shutterfly is perfect for holiday gifts. You can do cards, calendars (we're getting this one for Adam's dad for his office. good thing I know he doesn't read the blog, right? :), coffeemugs (which we're doing for CB's two great-grandads), and of course, their amazing photo books. We're doing a book of the lovely CB for each set of her grandparents. Couldn't be a better Christmas present in the world, if you ask me!
And, if you can believe it, right after the holidays will come Chloe's first birthday! Thinking of doing this Shutterfly invite for her little birthday blast!
I hope you're feeling inspired to go make a great photo Christmas card on Shutterfly. Just please remember to add me to your mailing list!!
the one where I'm thankful
Sorry to have been an absent blogger lately. If you are anything like me, you get really frustrated when bloggers are silent. I get so sad when I get on Google Reader and I have no friend blogs to read, only super-achiever mommy blogs that generally just make me feel bad about myself because of my lack of crafting/sewing/baking/organic-growing abilities.
I intend to make up for my silence with lots of fun blogs this week. I hope it makes your Google Reader happy.
For my first blog I wanted to write about things I'm thankful for, but after a rather unpleasant day, I'm feeling very cranky. I guess there's no better time to make a list of happies, right?
This Thanksgiving season, I'm happy for:
1. a husband I adore, and 9 days of no work to spend with him.
2. a daughter who is super pleasant, super happy, and super beautiful.
3. returning home from traveling and crawling into my perfectly comfortable huge bed.
4. a plate FULL of scrumptious food.
5. friends who invite you into their home to provide you with rest, encouragement, and good card games.
6. playing in the dirt.
7. the opportunity to pour into the lives of college girls.
8. how the Word brings life to my weary soul.
9. coffee with old friends.
10. in-laws who take care of my wee one.
11. the comfort of resting in Adam's arms.
12. hearing from friends that are far away.
13. trying out a new recipe and having it taste great.
14. the community of God's people.
15. the constant provision of the Lord.
16. contentment in Him.
17. when I catch Chloe Belle's eyes and she bursts into a huge smile.
18. funny blogs.
19. my job.
20. the confidence that if all my earthly blessings were to fall away, I'd still be overwhelmingly rich in my Lord.
I intend to make up for my silence with lots of fun blogs this week. I hope it makes your Google Reader happy.
For my first blog I wanted to write about things I'm thankful for, but after a rather unpleasant day, I'm feeling very cranky. I guess there's no better time to make a list of happies, right?
This Thanksgiving season, I'm happy for:
1. a husband I adore, and 9 days of no work to spend with him.
2. a daughter who is super pleasant, super happy, and super beautiful.
3. returning home from traveling and crawling into my perfectly comfortable huge bed.
4. a plate FULL of scrumptious food.
5. friends who invite you into their home to provide you with rest, encouragement, and good card games.
6. playing in the dirt.
7. the opportunity to pour into the lives of college girls.
8. how the Word brings life to my weary soul.
9. coffee with old friends.
10. in-laws who take care of my wee one.
11. the comfort of resting in Adam's arms.
12. hearing from friends that are far away.
13. trying out a new recipe and having it taste great.
14. the community of God's people.
15. the constant provision of the Lord.
16. contentment in Him.
17. when I catch Chloe Belle's eyes and she bursts into a huge smile.
18. funny blogs.
19. my job.
20. the confidence that if all my earthly blessings were to fall away, I'd still be overwhelmingly rich in my Lord.
Friday, November 19, 2010
the one wondering who you are
So, I've never looked at my blog stats before. I never wanted to know how many people were looking at my blog, I felt it would be detrimental to my already rather big struggle with pride; either deflating it or encouraging it.
But, I entered this contest thingie to get free Christmas cards if you promoted on your blog, and you had to put down how many people visited your site each month.
The thing about my stats that most intrigued me was the visitors from other countries. I have lots of friends around the world. I don't know if this makes me cool, cause mostly I think about how it makes me sad. On the list of countries that have people visiting my site, there are a few I totally got because I have friends living there:
Australia
Israel
Canada
Malaysia
UK
Oman
However, there were some random countries. I mean, the countries aren't random, I'm sure they're super legit places to be. It's just that I don't know anyone who lives there:
Vietnam
Denmark
Russia
I mean, why in the world would you look at this blog unless you knew me??? So...to my readers in Vietnam, Denmark, and Russia: who are you???
But, I entered this contest thingie to get free Christmas cards if you promoted on your blog, and you had to put down how many people visited your site each month.
The thing about my stats that most intrigued me was the visitors from other countries. I have lots of friends around the world. I don't know if this makes me cool, cause mostly I think about how it makes me sad. On the list of countries that have people visiting my site, there are a few I totally got because I have friends living there:
Australia
Israel
Canada
Malaysia
UK
Oman
However, there were some random countries. I mean, the countries aren't random, I'm sure they're super legit places to be. It's just that I don't know anyone who lives there:
Vietnam
Denmark
Russia
I mean, why in the world would you look at this blog unless you knew me??? So...to my readers in Vietnam, Denmark, and Russia: who are you???
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
the one with a beautiful quote
Christians feed on Scripture. Holy Scripture nurtures the holy community as food nurtures the human body. Christians don't simply learn or study or use Scripture; we assimilate it, take it into our lives in such a way that it gets metabolized into acts of love, cups of cold water, missions into all the world, healing and evangelism and justice in Jesus' name, hands raised in adoration of the Father, feet washed in company with the Son.
Eugene Peterson
Eat this Book
Eugene Peterson
Eat this Book
Friday, November 12, 2010
the one when I'm a bad mom
I love blogs (thanks Jamie and Bethany). I have converted to Google Reader and I have a whole section of "mommy blogs." Almost all of them occasionally post about how they had a horrible mom day. It's usually because:
Today I feel like a horrible mom. It's because I have a mental list of things I'd rather do than take care of Chloe Belle today:
Anybody ever feel the same way, or is it just me?
- they fed their kids McDonalds all three meals
- they were angry, short, and frustrated and snapped at everybody
- they said a bad word in front of their kids
- they weren't feeling particularly loving
Today I feel like a horrible mom. It's because I have a mental list of things I'd rather do than take care of Chloe Belle today:
- lay in bed and re-read Harry Potter for the zillionth time
- take a nap
- lay in bed and watch a movie
- take a nap
- order a pizza and eat in while laying in bed
- take a nap
- lay in bed and read funny blogs, crafty blogs, friends' blogs (anything but serious blogs that would make me feel bad about myself)
- take a nap
Anybody ever feel the same way, or is it just me?
the one where I love etsy!
got little cb two beanies for winter. the monkey one is for her sock monkey themed 1st birthday party! can't wait till they get here!
Monday, November 8, 2010
the one when I learn
It's amazing how much being a parent teaches you about God. I feel like almost every little interaction I have with Chloe Belle is insight into the heart of my Father. Two little lessons I've learned lately:
#1 As Chloe Belle is growing and changing, my love for her grows each day. She's more verbal and extremely mobile, and more like a little person. I feel like each day I fall in love with her all over again. The other day we were driving and I stopped at a red light. I looked back at her to check on her. She's still in the pumpkin seat facing backwards. Often all I can see are her little feet kicking, or sometimes the top of her head. Stopped at the red light all I could see of my wee one was her little thumb hooked around one of her links. That's it: just a tiny little thumb. I teared up at the sight of it, overwhelmed by my love for that little thumb.
As I turned back around, I was completely caught off guard by this thought: If I am brought to tears over the love of my daughter just by seeing her finger, what is the magnitude of the love my Father feels for me?
I couldn't stop thinking about it all day, just pondering the depth of the Father's love for me. It was overwhelming.
#2 I love this new phase CB is in where she's pulling up and cruising around on everything. I don't love that she'll be walking in just a few weeks, but it is so much fun to watch her adventure and explore all the time. However, with crawling, pulling up, and exploring comes hardship. She's falling down quite a bit lately.
Her favorite place to go explore is the dog's area. She likes to bang on the crate, push around the big container of dog food, and of course, tip over their water bowl. I've been trying hard to discipline her to show her that this tiny area of the kitchen is off limits. Every time I tell her no, I think it just increases her desire to be over there. It's amazing how her little life is my big foolish life in miniature. Why do some sins remain so desirable when my Father has told me repeatedly to stay away??
Today CB was playing over in the dog area. Before I could get to her to pull her away, she pulled the dog food container down on her, falling on the floor and banging her little head against the hard floor. Man oh man did she scream.
As I comforted her, I knew that if she had only listened to my correction there wouldn't be this pain. And I knew that the same is true in my own life. How God would have saved me from heartache if I had only listened to His voice.
I love this parenting journey. I'm learning so much about myself and my God and having an absolute blast along the way.
#1 As Chloe Belle is growing and changing, my love for her grows each day. She's more verbal and extremely mobile, and more like a little person. I feel like each day I fall in love with her all over again. The other day we were driving and I stopped at a red light. I looked back at her to check on her. She's still in the pumpkin seat facing backwards. Often all I can see are her little feet kicking, or sometimes the top of her head. Stopped at the red light all I could see of my wee one was her little thumb hooked around one of her links. That's it: just a tiny little thumb. I teared up at the sight of it, overwhelmed by my love for that little thumb.
As I turned back around, I was completely caught off guard by this thought: If I am brought to tears over the love of my daughter just by seeing her finger, what is the magnitude of the love my Father feels for me?
I couldn't stop thinking about it all day, just pondering the depth of the Father's love for me. It was overwhelming.
#2 I love this new phase CB is in where she's pulling up and cruising around on everything. I don't love that she'll be walking in just a few weeks, but it is so much fun to watch her adventure and explore all the time. However, with crawling, pulling up, and exploring comes hardship. She's falling down quite a bit lately.
Her favorite place to go explore is the dog's area. She likes to bang on the crate, push around the big container of dog food, and of course, tip over their water bowl. I've been trying hard to discipline her to show her that this tiny area of the kitchen is off limits. Every time I tell her no, I think it just increases her desire to be over there. It's amazing how her little life is my big foolish life in miniature. Why do some sins remain so desirable when my Father has told me repeatedly to stay away??
Today CB was playing over in the dog area. Before I could get to her to pull her away, she pulled the dog food container down on her, falling on the floor and banging her little head against the hard floor. Man oh man did she scream.
As I comforted her, I knew that if she had only listened to my correction there wouldn't be this pain. And I knew that the same is true in my own life. How God would have saved me from heartache if I had only listened to His voice.
I love this parenting journey. I'm learning so much about myself and my God and having an absolute blast along the way.
the one with a little lemon
Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth.Here is the nugget. I feel bad for nugget, because I sure don't pay attention to it like I did when I was pregnant with Chloe Belle. I guess that's just the privilege of being the firstborn, huh?
I had a really hard time spelling privilege.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
the one where you'll wonder if you're smart
My husband shared with me an article about how religiously ignorant Americans are based on the results of a Pew Forum national survey on religious knowledge. Big surprise. However, this is a matter of interest for me, since I spent 4 1/2 years getting a Master of Divinity and I'm generally a nerd when it comes to this stuff. So, I took the abbreviated quiz. I'll have to be honest and say I could feel my heart beating like crazy because I was scared of getting a bad score. I got a 100%. Yay for me! I'm not a religious idiot. Wonder if you are?
Take the abbreviated quiz here and then read the article (the article mentions several of the answers so take the quiz first!)
If you take it, let me know how you did!
Take the abbreviated quiz here and then read the article (the article mentions several of the answers so take the quiz first!)
If you take it, let me know how you did!
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