Highs and Los

Why is it that extreme highs are sometimes inevitably followed by depressing Los? This week has been a whirlwind of high moments and lo moments. Jumping up and down to shaking with tears. I guess it is just part of life. We will have tears as well as we will have joys. Today is Lo.

Last night we found a house that we totally love!
http://mc740.yourkwoffice.net/listing?listing_id=4040751 a few pics from the realtor

But today there is car drama and there is back pain and a sleepless night did nothing to help.

It seems that I have a serious case of brain, heart and body overload. My mind is exhausted from thinking of solutions and ideas and scheduling, my heart is overwrought with emotion, the depression of changing plans and chaos and my body is so weakened and hurting that I feel like an 80 year old woman instead of 24.

Please Pray for Kyle and I both for strength and courage as we carry on with the damage control of the wreck and buying a new car and as we deal with my healing or finding the problem so I can be fixed. And also as we embark on the housing adventure and into the unknown.

In an attempt to lift my mood and remember some good times, I will finally get around to posting a link to the Groundhog's Day gift that I had made for my friends in celebration of our little holiday. It is a little 5x7 photo book celebrating a decade of friendship and our special day. They all received it and opened them on Groundhogs. It was a fun surprise and I enjoyed making the book. Here is a link to share: And a little plug for shutterfly.com who I pledge my photo book business to forever!
http://community.shutterfly.com/gallery/post/show.sfly?fid=9b4545aeeaf66f085a35192c066983e3

While I am at it: Here is a link to the 8x10 wedding book we made for each set of parents as a Christmas gift.
http://community.shutterfly.com/gallery/post/show.sfly?fid=ef829bad9e61e65f6043d6a4fd915050

Well, that was kind of fun. How bout some more fun? It seems that the more I blog the better my mood becomes today. Just sitting here is lifting my spirits. It is a slow week for us here at the firm - a lot of projects going on but no deadline - also a Friday so it is just one of those kind of days where I find myself with little to do to keep me occupado.

Something I just thought of for fun! Inspired by some Thursday Thirteen perusing I did yesterday. Other people have such cool blogs! It always make me want to improve mine!

Leslie's Wish List (or things I would buy if I had a $1,000 dollars to spend for fun)

1. The Blackberry Pearl - very cool......




2. Clinique Happy Heart Perfume! I love this scent and I used to wear it but haven't for a while. Maybe it's time for a new scent!
3. O..Coach, how I pledge all my purse buying to thee... The new Optic Signature, "Carly". I am so in love with yellow these days!

4. Ooh, I love a gorgeous heel! Nothing makes me feel more like a little diva! Tomorrow night some 4 of my good friends and I are having Girl's Night Out with a movie (Fool's Gold) and dinner...and LOTS OF CHATTING!! I can't wait! I will have to pull out some girlie heels for the fun night as my budget doesn't exactly scream Designer Shoes at the moment. O, shoes...

Well, that was fun and very therapeutic even if it wasn't real shopping. Do I smell Retail Therapy? Good wishes of a happy and relaxing weekend to everyone. Kyle and I are parking cars for the Strawberry Festival, car haggling, meeting with lawyers and hanging out with friends. Relaxation might have to wait for us!

Peace-

Thirteen Things That I Know About Myself

1. I know that there is a lot more to me than what I make the effort to show and share with the people I am with everyday. I have thoughts that are so BIG! and dreams so HIGH! and I think that some people I consider good friends would be shocked to know that I am a writer, a poet....

2. I know that I am completely and totally blessed with what the Lord has given me. I live in Florida with my husband, 1,000's of miles from my best friends and family and I am entirely content. I know the gifts that I have been given and I feel it acutely when I wake up in the morning (well, most mornings...)

3. I am so very very shy. Although I am confident and have been called outgoing. The truth is that until I become totally comfortable in my surroundings, I can be a total wallflower.

4. I make up my mind very fast. Not that I am close minded - just that I am instinctual. I know basically from the get-go exactly what I am going to choose or do in any situation. I go with my gut. I have ulcers because of this I think, but I know that my gut is connected in some way to my heart and it is generally the best course to follow.

5. I eat to feel better. It can be healthy or unhealthy. It can be a lot or a little. But the term Comfort Food holds deep meaning to me.

6. I read a lot. And I mean..a lot. I am generally in the middle of several books. I read fast and I enjoy it and relish in the time. But, my retention value is rather small. So, I keep books because I could reread them the next year and enjoy them even more the second time.

7. I am honest. I do not lie and I do not put up false characteristics. I am who I am and I will tell you who I am if you want to know.

8. I am the biggest scaredy cat in the world! When my husband leaves for work, I check the door two different times in the 30 minutes before I leave for work myself. I walk back into the living room when I hear a noise that ends up being my fish tank or my fish playing in the rocks. I am literally fearfull of my own shadow.

9. I am impulsive. As a shopper as a decision maker and as a judge (this is not a good quality in all respects clearly).

10. I care about today a lot more than tomorrow and the next day. I have a fear of building all this hope and preparation for the future and forgetting to live in the present.

11. My Childhood, Teenage Years and Early Adulthood could easily be shifted into the reasons why at least 26 self-help books were written.

12. Music is healing to me. It could be Norah Jones in the background during a bubble bath, Third Eye Blind on my way home from work with the windows down and my hair blowing in the breeze, or it could be my WOW worship CD on my way to work. It relaxes me and puts me in a happy or content mood.

13. Who I am and how I am percieved by others is the most important thing to me. I cannot bear being misunderstood, mistaken, or misinterpretated. I like to be in control. I like to know what people think of me and how they feel about me all the time without asking them.
I work way to hard at it but it is really an enormous thing that I obsess over, not for their acceptance but just so I know that they know that this is who I am. And I generally want them to like who I am and want to be around me. That is my hope.

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House Hunters

4:15 pm - leave work and go to Chiropractors office
4:45 pm - POP! SNAP! "Your back is out of alignment and you are basically one big mess..(doctor paraphrase)"
5:15 pm - on the road again heading towards Plant City aka: home.
5:45 pm - arrival at said home, Grab husband, talk to neighbor who thinks that we know each other and that I own an SUV just like hers. WHAT?!..all this as we are trying to get in the car to leave.
6:02 pm - arrive at first home to view with our real estate agent.
6:20 pm - leave first home - OPINION: negative.
6:25 pm - arrive at second home to view
6:50 pm - leave second home - OPINION: moderately intrigued but really one more bedroom than we need and smelled like previous owner had cat. Meow!
6:55 pm - arrive at third home to view
7:25 pm - leave third home and bid farewell to agent till next house hunt adventure.
OPINION: good. Number one on the list for the moment.

Well that about sums it up. We looked at three homes and out of the three, the last one was really the one we liked the most - not to mention had a MUCH better price tag - which also accounts for some of our affection as we see the possibilities for improvements with the initial savings on the overall cost. Very Exciting! We are looking at three more on Thursday and who knows! we might just find the perfect home.
Tune in next time for HOUSE HUNTERS! Part Deux

L. Hall

"His blessings are made new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness!"

All I can say is WOW. I am just in total awe this morning of the Lord and I just feel so truly blessed and at peace. Not that everything isn't still hectic and crazy..it just seems like the world is swirling and twisting and turning around me and I am standing still in the midst of it, undaunted by the chaos. The past few nights as I have laid my head on the pillow, closed my eyes in prayer and surrended all the stress to the Lord I have been amazed by the effect on my mind.
If you have read yesterday's post then you know that we are going through a few headaches at the moment. After work and my Chiropractor's appointment, I was to meet Kyle in Lakeland at a car dealership to look at a car that we had found this weekend. We were very interested and it was in our price range. Before Kyle could get there, another salesman we had talked to a few days earlier called and told Kyle that something had just come in that he thought might just be perfect for us. Kyle checked out the details and decided that it might very well be a great deal. So as I am driving to one place, Kyle calls and I redirect my path to another dealership. We see the car and it is in great condition with low low mileage and a price they are willing to work on. Stubborness gets me for quite a while and I am quiet - fighting myself inside over what I want and what would be the best choice for us. Finally as we are negotiating and talking over the car, God just gives me this peace and amazing strength (and believe me, it takes amazing strength as an independent do it for yourself kind of girl to do this) to look my husband in the eye and tell him that if this is what he thinks is best for us then I am behind him 100 percent. (Wow! Even as I am writing it the little feminist inside me is screaming!) I truly felt like God was working on my marriage at the moment - helping me put my trust in my husband's decision. He was working on me and my character, my obedience to God, he was coming at me from every angle and I was receiving this amazing peace and I just put it all in God's hands and prayed for him to ease my husband's mind and make a good clear decision knowing that whatever he decided - I was completely supportive. I was a little shocked at myself the whole time as we went through the motions but the more time that passed the more excited and supportive I felt because I knew that there was a reason why this all happened. It was a better deal. A more reliable and affordable car in the long run. A better decision in everyway possible. God just shoved my thoughts to the side and said THIS IS IT. Here is what you need to do today. Listen to me and I will make sure you and Kyle are okay. (enormous sigh of relief)
After we shook hands and made the deal (waiting around several more hours for paperwork, etc.) Kyle asked why I agreed and I told him that I had prayed about it so much and I just felt that I was supposed to trust him. He smiled at me and said with a sigh, I prayed about it too and I feel like this was the answer to our prayers. It was such an awesome experience even though we were in a car dealership for 4 hours with stale popcorn and car salesmen. Although they did buy us dinner, Yo Quero Taco Bell? and that won us over completely.
So that is the reprise to yesterday's blog! I love that I have that documented! The work he was doing on my heart over the last few days.
I take for granted the magnitude of God's power and his love for us and how when we put our faith in him - he will direct us in the right path and we will be safe and sound in his arms.
I feel fearless now as Kyle and I are looking to go house hunting and I just know that everything is in God's hands! And it is just the most refreshing, comforting and amazing thing I have ever known!

Happy Tuesday!

Mondays

"Hope is not a granted wish or a favor performed...... It is a zany, unpredictable
dependence on a God who loves to surprise us out of our socks." -Max Lucado

Kyle and I have been laughing the past weekend about the twists and turns that we go
through in this life. Not just the changing seasons of our lives but those big earthshaking WAMMO! flip everything upside down changes.
Most of you know by now although I have not blogged about it that I was in a car accident last Saturday (the 16th). I was on my way to the post office to pick up some wedding photos I had ordered and as I am making a left hand turn (with a green arrow!) a fellow citizen plows into my driver's side door. I must obstain from posting pictures as frankly... it is just too depressing. I loved my little Ford Taurus (nickname: Millie, as in Thouroughly Modern Millie - starring Julie Andrews..anyone?). Even when we went to the tow yard to empty it out I cried just looking at the smashed in side that is apparently unfixable. So, here I was going to the post office - ErrrkkK!! and now I have a smashed in car and a aching head. 15 minutes later I was on my way to the Emergency Room via a lovely ambulance. I suffered minor head trauma but no cuts or anything, just a nasty bump so I was released after a CAT SCAN determined that my brain was fine and functioning according to normal. Kyle and I were in a state of shock - here we are newlyweds looking at buying our first house and paying off my car with our tax return, dealing with the seemingly typical drama that come from family and life and BAM! a life change.
I say a change because on so many levels it makes you reevaluate when you have a brush with danger and drama. We force ourselves not to talk about the what if's - what if he had hit me 6 inches more to the left - would I even be here? What if I hadn't ran that errand this morning.
Suddenly things just start to seem petty or meaningless that you have been obsessing over constantly. This has really made us sit back and look, or more like get down on our knees and pray that I am safe and that we have insurance and that we can handle this if we take it one day at a time.
The major kick happened on the following morning when I got up and could barely move from soreness, the effects of whiplash apparently. So I am sore and achy and having neck and back pain and then on Thursday SNAP!! my back pain intensifies by like 98% and I am basically stuck in bed with a heating pad in between doctor's appointments and my chiropractor's adjustments.
Now I am fully medicated and attempting to function at work - while at the same time worrying about Lawyers, Cars, houses, Pain, my husband taking care of everything for me, How is all this distraction affecting our jobs? Ache Ache Spasm of Pain...I could go on and on.
And then last night as I layed in bed I just gave up- it is too much to handle, so I did what I should have done in the first place and just prayed, Lord - here it all is, everything on my mind. Please help me make some sense of it.
And this is why Kyle and I were laughing this weekend as he drove his medicated wife around looking at cars totally exhausted with the stress of everything. We got up early and went to the first service at church and heard a great sermon on Ecclesiastes. Basically saying how everything in life is meaningless without God (this is super paraphrase mode). As we are driving we start talking about there being a reason for everything and why sometimes things happen so that other things can happen...and we were just awed by the Lord. We see that he is working in our lives and although we are anxious about the future and aching over sore bones and muscles at the moment - we know that there is a plan and someone that knows better than we. We are so grateful that I am alive and that we have the means to fix the dilemma and we are just praying for patience as we work thru all the paperwork and hope for the best.
I don't know how much sense that all makes but maybe if you can weave in and out of my random thoughts and ideas..you can get what I was trying to say.

Have a good Monday

Waiting for Wednesday

Just a little Wednesday poem/ song courtesy of Lisa Loeb, my favourite rainy
day artist. As I am currently driving a rental car, I have the glorious luxury of
a CD player in which I am currently playing all my faves. If you know the song then you
can appreciate the melancholy tone.

Waiting for Wednesday, my stomach doesn't hurt enough,
pain always is the sign.
Waiting for Wednesday, no proof of mine exists,
so l don't have to take it back.

Don't want to show you good-bye,
show you good-bye.
show you good-bye.
show you good-bye.

But you're waiting for Wednesday.
Waiting for Wednesday.
Waiting for Wednesday, I pray you'll put me on the spot.
I do believe you, that you'll love me that you'll leave me.

What will I do when you come near to me?
you'll put me on the spot.
You've been doing this a long, long time,
not that you're better than me,
but that you do it a lot.

Now I'm waiting for Wednesday,
waiting for Wednesday,
waiting for Wednesday,
waiting for Wednesday.

I'm gonna show you good-bye,
show you good-bye,
show you good-bye,
show you good-bye.

Now I'm waiting for Wednesday,
you're back from out of town,
the West is dry, your mind is clear,
and I don't want to be here,
I don't want to be here,
I don't want to be here,
to show you good-bye.

and I'm waiting for Wednesday,
waiting for Wednesday,
to show you good-bye.

By Lisa Loeb

Some pics from our week of holidays...

I made Kyle a cake for his 25th birthday!

Kyle opening his cards and presents
My flowers that Kyle sent me for Valentine's Day

Something New from BloggyLand...

Thirteen Things I love about My husband, Kyle 1. He is typically easy going and adventurous 2. He is the most fun person to surprise 3. His laugh and his smile 4. He is intense when he really believes in something. 5. He is smart about money and finances 6. He looks great in a suit! 7. He loves me as much as I love him - Which is so so so much. 8. He believes in me. 9. He is a new christian who is coming to know the Lord better 10. He gets super excited about little things 11. He agrees to avoid chocolate because I am allergic and it can cause a reaction if he kisses me after eating it. 12. He took 800 pictures on our honeymoon to Hawaii. 13. He loves Chinese food and insisted we order some to our hotel room on our first visit to NYC.

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

me & my valentine

I love you sooooo much babe! Happy Valentines!
Love always,
Leslie



glitter-graphics.com

Am I Rare?

Your Personality is Very Rare (INFP)

Your personality type is dreamy, romantic, elegant, and expressive. Only about 5% of all people have your personality, including 6% of all women and 4% of all men. You are Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Perceiving. Your Linguistic Profile: 60% General American English 10% Dixie 10% Midwestern 10% Yankee 5% Upper Midwestern You Are 40% Impulsive You're a pretty stable and serious person. You don't take things lightly.This doesn't mean you can't have fun - you just have fun responsibly. You definitely have a spontaneous side, but you only let loose when it's appropriate. Your Vocabulary Score: B You have a zealous love for the English language, and many find your vocabulary edifying.Don't fret that you didn't get every word right, your vocabulary can be easily ameliorated! The Keys to Your Heart You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free. In love, you feel the most alive when your lover is creative and never lets you feel bored. You'd like to your lover to think you are optimistic and happy. You would be forced to break up with someone who was insecure and in constant need of reassurance. Your ideal relationship is open. Both of you can talk about everything... no secrets. Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment. You think of marriage as something precious. You'll treasure marriage and treat it as sacred. In this moment, you think of love as commitment. Love only works when both people are totally devoted. ...Because quizzes are fun! Happy Wednesday! Go here to take fun quizzes too! http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindofamericanenglishdoyouspeakquiz/

For Kyle:

glitter-graphics.com





Happy 25 babe! I hope you have a fabulous day! I love you sooooo much!

Takin' Care of Business.....

Well, it is Saturday and as I seem to never be able to sleep.....I was up early and ready to start the day. At noon I am feeling pretty accomplished for a Saturday. So far today we have taken my car to the shop to get the tie rods fixed so it will stop squeaking everytime I turn. We have had lunch and also gotten my oil changed. I finally got myself in gear and ordered all the pictures that my Mom took of the wedding and the days previous-Now I will have all the memories packed into 3 different albums! I tried the walmart online photo center for the first time - we will see how it works out! I was impressed that the photos were only 9 cents a piece to process and still cheaper than going to the store even after adding the shipping cost! Technology Technology..... I also got around to picking out and ordering some pictures for this large frame I had bought forever ago b/c I thought it would be great for wedding pics. After that I was on such a roll that I finally made a decision about our enlargements and went ahead and contacted the photographer to put in the order! Whew!
In between all of that my Mother called in a color consultation for a painting project she was doing and I talked her through it via the webcam..technology again!
In a little bit I will be sneaking out of the house to go pick up my sweetie pie's birthday gift and then its off to Brandon for a dinner out with some friends to do a little pre-birthday celebration at Jo-To's ( our fave little japansese grill and sushi bar..yum!)
Well, thats all I got for now-
Lots of love and have a fabulous weekend friends-

L. Hall

My Shockingly Amazing Completely Exciting and Super Dull Relaxing Weekend.

Friday started out semi normal, a stress free friday at work thankfully casual in my blue jeans. I rushed home, slapped on some lipstick and was back out the door and on my way to Brandon for a girl's movie night with a side of Barnes and Noble. My friend Amanda and I did this last weekend and had so much fun we went again! This time we dragged our friend Quinn along and we got our popcorn, nachos, icee's etc. and watched "Over Her Dead Body" with Eva Longoria and Paul Rudd. It was a little corny but really cute and afterwards we went to Chilis and then to Barnes and Noble where I searched desperately thru the magazines for a picture for a new haircut and Mandy and Quin picked out a book that we are all going to read together. I had recommended The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks to Amanda the week before and she absolutely loved it and is set on beginning to read a lot more. We had so much fun talking about the book that we decided it might be fun to read another. So we have the book picked out and we are pretty excited! After a fun filled night of girl talk I collapsed into bed exhausted.
On Saturday I went to my hair appointment and got a fresh new look with some highlights. It was a little tragic at the end - I spend an hour in the bathroom with scissors getting my new bangs perfect. I dont know why but I have such a hard time saying anything at the hair stylist if I am unhappy. Anywhoo- I fixed it and I love my new do! It is pretty different but still long. Just a bit more fun!
We had a very much delayed Christmas party for Kyle's work Saturday night in tampa at our favorite Italian restaurant, Maggianos. It was delicious and lots of fun. Afterwards a few of us cruised the mall and being the shopping diva that I am..I found a great deal and gave more of my hard earned cash to Ann Taylor Loft (sigh).
Sunday was pretty low key and that evening we went to our friend Brandon's for a little Super Bowl Party. We had fun and half watched the game while playing alternating boards of Mastermind (Amanda's new obsession and recently purchase ebay treasure). It was fun and we ended up home late and very sleepy.
This morning came much much too soon.
So that was that.
A Happy Groundhog's Day was had by all the groundhog's scattered about. Although separate this year, we burned up the phone lines with calls and text messages. Everyoen seemed to love my little surprise this year, a small 5x7 photo book filled with pics and stories of us (via my new obsession, Shutterfly.com) Love you girls!

Happy Monday!

L. Hall