new things

First of all-- wow. Thank yall so much for your outpouring of love and support on my last post. You really don't know how much all the comments, emails, and texts mean to me. I'm not gonna lie-- I read back through them all daily. Sometimes I find that when I completely lack strength and hope and prayer myself...just to know that other people still have those things can bring me back to having it myself. Does that make any sense? So thank you.

And for the record...I most certainly do not consider it "creepy" to blog-stalk. :) I consider it being a silent friend...haha. But it is really fun when you come out of the closet, so thanks for making my day by letting me know who you are!! You guys encourage me to come out on some of the (MANY) blogs I stalk daily...look what a beautiful kum-by-ya circle we have made! Haha.

Alright, so. The rest of my week got better, just as I'd hoped. Not better like "surprise!! turns out I AM pregnant!"...but you know, just a regular amount of better. We spent several fun evenings with family and friends, which just makes everything feel better. AND!!!! (Here's where "new things" comes in)....

Remember this??

The china cabinet we bought back in June and planned to re-finish? Well, friends, it's been a long and slow process. Although, come to think of it, it didn't have to be. It wasn't really that much work...it's just we like to take 3-week breaks in between doing any work. So whatever. BUT. Once the weather got cold (remember, "cold" means like...60), Matt wanted to re-claim his spot in the garage, so that encouraged him to finish the cabinet so it could move out of his way. And this week-- this is what we have!!

Isn't it pretty?? It took about a thousand coats of stain because it kept looking too RED. We wanted to darkest stain possible (but not black), going for an espresso color...but it was more like..magenta. And side note: this was not even cheap stain! For once we bought the best-quality of something! Anyway, a thousand coats later it was a much more suitable shade, although still a little on the red side. We moved it into our dining room on Tuesday, which has led to the dilemma of a lifetime: How on earth to arrange the furniture in there so it doesn't look weird. Feel free to come over and offer an opinion. Now, you will notice that it's only the bottom half of the china cabinet. We haven't even touched the hutch yet, and may not get around to it til spring. That's okay though. The bottom part (can we call it a buffet? or what?) gives us plenty of MUCH-needed storage space (hello, kitchen with no pantry) and a nice top to decorate...so when we do the hutch, that will be nice, but it'll probably be awhile. We can fit both cars AND the hutch in the garage at once, so it's not really a priority, ha.

OK, next fun topic: Pictures!! Last Sunday, Matt and I had a little photo shoot at a park with our friend Diana. You may remember that a few blogs ago I mentioned we were trying to find a picture suitable for our Christmas card. I actually had TWO people (who are REAL photographers) volunteer to take our pictures!! So we met with Diana on Sunday and had a blast. (And we'll probably take Kristina up on her offer, too, at Thanksgiving!) I'll confess something: I LOVE having my picture taken. Call me vain, but I think it is so much fun. Maybe in my next life I will be a supermodel.

I've only seen a tiny sampling of the photos yet, but here are a few of my favorites (that probably WON'T be The Christmas Card...you will have to hold your breath for that one!):



Anyway, we had a lot of fun. If you are ever looking for a model for your photo shoot, please feel free to contact me. As you can see, I'm very professional.

And finally, another new thing: The Couch-to-5k program. I have decided to set a goal for myself, which is to be able to run a 5k. Don't get me wrong-- I've participated in 3 or 4 5ks over the last few years. But "participate" does not equal "run"! So since I've been working out for almost a year, I figure I can probably start trying to see if it's paid off. I have high hopes that I will be able to do this program, since I'm not exactly a couch potato...I DO work out regularly. I just don't run. (Unless you count the elliptical as running). This program takes 8 weeks, so that means I should be able to do the 5k by my birthday!! I am excited. I like having a goal, and I think this one is manageable. Except that I will probably eventually have to run outside, which I do not like. I like air conditioning and TVs and people watching. And seeing how many calories I've burned. I'm sort-of a princess when it comes to working out, I guess.

Well, enough of this Saturday has been spent in front of the computer. Time to enjoy the weather and the TV and do my first 5k-training workout!! Wish me luck, I think it involves running for like 30 consecutive seconds...