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And now for the unpacking and laundering and daily stuff

July 14, 2009 by wranglerdani

Ah, vacation. We had a great time, and are ridiculously happy to be home, seeing as now we have several mountains of laundry to sort and a camping gear tower to clean and sundry other tiny chores built up, plus the fact that when you’re on vacation you imagine that you’ve magically sprung a new and fuller bank account, but when you get home you remember that no, you still have a tiny one, and oh shoot, now you have to pay for stuff.

But we had a blast. We are tanned and rested and can set up a tent in 1.5 minutes, give or take 10 seconds. We saw some gorgeous things, got silly in the car, appreciated the pioneer’s ruggedness in a whole new way and can’t wait to hit the trail again. After we’ve showered several more times and appreciated the ease of cooking on a real stove for a few more days, that is.

Also, check out a shot of our sweet rafting adventure here.

Posted in Great Outdoors, Home, Memories, driving, good day, the woods | Leave a Comment »

Road-trippin’

June 30, 2009 by wranglerdani

I realized I haven’t told all of you about this yet, (how rude!) but Adam and I are headed out into the Wild Blue Yonder (better known as Utah and Colorado) on Friday.  We aren’t backpacking, we aren’t breaking new trails, we aren’t actually being all that hard-core, (unless you consider fighting with a 37-foot RV for a camping space in a National Park hard-core. Which it totally is).

But we are going to hike and raft and camp and see pieces of Americana that we’ve never seen before, hopefully appreciate our wild places a bit more.  We’ve bought Doritos for eating in the car and Dinty Moore for eating in the campsites, and we plan to fill our giant ice chest with enough victuals to keep Adam happy for maybe half of our trip, after which point we’ll probably be setting up snares ala Bear Grylls.

In the meantime, we have work to do, laundry to wash, bags to pack, maps to memorize, plans to make. I better get to it.

Posted in Great Outdoors, Puke of the Brain, driving, the woods | 1 Comment »

Love turns the whole thing around… ..I know the heart of life is good

June 29, 2009 by wranglerdani

This song kept re-playing in my head this weekend.  It was a beautiful, stretching, grace-filled, joyful and challenging three days.

Rocky and Jennifer got married.  I had the girls over for pre-wedding chick flicks and homemade Pizookies on Friday night,  rehearsed and dinnered on Saturday, then had seven men chill, eat, shower and need ties straightened at our house Sunday.

After listening to plenty of wonderful and embarrassing stories at the rehearsal dinner, Rocky’s tears and Jennifer’s sweet smile were yet more evidence that this is marriage is a beautiful, wonderful thing – that life is so good and love is worth vowing to uphold.  I never would have thought, when I met Rocky three years ago, that I would someday be hosting him and his groomsmen at my house, and that my husband would be one of them – that they’d all be joking around and eating so many sandwiches that I had to go buy more bread mid-day, and I would laugh so much my cheeks hurt before we even got to the wedding. I got in touch with my inner Wendy, knowing that my husband would be hungry and automatically sharing my care for him with my new household of orphaned boys. By the time they finally left for pictures, I was covered in mustard (not really covered, but there was definitely some sandwichy materials in unexpected places) and had a half-hour to shower and actually get to the wedding on time. (Made it with three minutes to spare. I got skillz.)

Each wedding I’ve been to has been perfect for each couple, and this one was no different. Traditional, in love with Jesus through and through, complete with a fist-pump and a “Yeaaaahhh!” from Rocky and an excited grin from his pretty wife. I loved catching Adam’s eye in the ceremony, seeing his love for me and friendship with Rocky and the other guys come full circle – as they supported us five months ago, we are now standing up for them.

The wedding is just the beginning. As we dance and toast and laugh, we know that this is the celebratory opening to a life together, one that won’t always be filled with sparkles and flowers and impromptu hip-hop. But the heart of life is in the relationships that built up to these incredible moments, and I feel blessed to be part of it.

Posted in Faith, Love, good day, inspiration, men/women, weddings | 2 Comments »

There’s a mouse in my house

June 26, 2009 by wranglerdani

Or rather, in my vacuum cleaner.

People are coming over tonight, so rather then make them walk through our Cheeto-and-beer-cap dusted floors, (we eat Cheetos, and flicking beer caps with incredible speed and sometimes accuracy is one of Adam’s favorite party tricks. Don’t judge.) I decided to vacuum. I’ve never actually owned a real vacuum before, and certainly have never been good at said appliance maintenance. (Remember when Joey came over and fixed our very-beyond-dead vacuum at House 9? How we jumped for joy and were amazed by the dust and vacuum parts on our living-room floor?)

But despite my abhorrence for the job and general ineptitude, I was trying to vacuum today. Adam had assured me that the new filter would be great and all that, and that keeping it outside under the tiny porch is TOTALLY safe, even if it rains. I believed him.

Anyhoodle, I was vacuuming away, singing loudly, when I saw large <poofs> of dust billowing from my newly-filtered four-wheeled friend. Like the prudent housewife I am, I just kept right on vacuuming, thinking it would be totally fine, ’cause you know, stuff usually just goes away with no effort on my part. THAT’S WHEN I SAW THE MOUSE. Right there, in the place my vacuum just vroomed over. Grey and fluffy and oh-my-gosh-I-really-hope-it’s-not-dead-what-if-its-squished-into-the-floor-but-what-if-it-isn’t-dead-and-runs-under-the-bed-ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

Just when I was punching a frantic speed-dial for Nichols Family Pest Control (they have a really friendly guy there, his name is Adam and he kills creepy-crawlies on sight). I peered a bit closer and realized it was not a mouse at all, but a very large clump of crap from our super-clean house that had just been ingested into my awesome vacuum and belched out – an owl pellet of apartment leavings.

Laugh away – but I’m not completely hopeless. I can learn things from ridiculous situations (like, maybe it’s time to change out my contacts, since I was very geniunely fooled.).

Vacuuming Lesson #1 – At least it wasn’t a real mouse.

Vacuuming Lesson #2 – Dust bunnies sound cute. They’re not.

Vacuuming Lesson #3 – If you call your husband with a long question about the filter being very dirty and how the vacuum might be ka-put and then tell him you squealed at a Dust Mouse, he’ll laugh. Be prepared to realize that this is a very weird/funny/gross situation, and laugh too.

Except when you have to pick up bits of said mouse. That’s just icky.

Posted in Home, Puke of the Brain, bower, nesting | 3 Comments »

Things I think about while chopping up Crock-Pot-filling goodness

June 24, 2009 by wranglerdani

  • I like the name Julia, but I would never name my daughter that. People would call her Jul-YA, and that would drive me crazy. That’s not her name. Julia needs the “lia” at the end to be alluringly whispered, not a “YA” to be yelled.
  • Sometimes I wish I didn’t care about politics. It’s much easier, most of the time, to not get indignant or frightened or anything.  But I can’t help it. I get tears in my eyes and an icy hand around my heart when I hear the news these days, and I have to be opinionated to anyone who will listen.
  • Luckily, He’s Got The Whole World in His Hands. My worrying and opinions don’t make that any more or less true.
  • My husband loves Crock-Pot meals because he thinks they are incredibly tasty. I love them because I can throw a bunch of stuff in a pot and leave it alone for eight hours and he still thinks it’s incredibly tasty. This is what we call a Win-Win.
  • Grapes, peaches, Diet Coke with Lime, lemonade and Otter-Pops taste like summer.
  • I have great friends and family who tweet/share/internet-love my latest postings. It’s an amazing feeling to have people in your life who are so unselfishly supportive. Thanks, crew.
  • The Hubs and I went to CostCo together after work yesterday.  It’s been a long time since shopping was that fun. On our list: more cheese then two people should ever consume, an ice chest the size of a coffin and BEEF for Adam’s insatiable Texan appetite. Oh yeah, and a pizza. But that was kindof a last-minute – we-should-buy-a-pizza-they’re-really-cheap-oh-look-a-red-phone-like-for-the-White-House-but-for-pizza-let’s-order-one-and-eat-it-outside-and-revel-in-our-money-saving-abilities – decision.

Posted in Puke of the Brain, comfort food, inspiration, nesting, quirks | 2 Comments »

Hi Weekend. You’re so cool.

June 21, 2009 by wranglerdani

Yesterday Adam and I hung out through the gloomy, rainy afternoon, took pictures in the “rum-runner caves”, went to church and shot finger-rockets (yes, I’m totally serious, coolest church ever) ate Wahoo’s and saw Night at the Museum 2, giggling all the while.

Today we ate eggs and sausages and are going to lay on the beach for the afternoon. Hallelujah.

Posted in Home, Puke of the Brain, good day | Leave a Comment »

Why I bother caring about the Civic Duty shebang (not that you asked…)

June 17, 2009 by wranglerdani

I’m a Christian. (Awkward wave to the few people who hadn’t caught on yet. Hey-o!)

As such, I’m all about hope. I believe in a God who is bigger than our problems, loves us infinitely, and has a plan for our lives.  I also believe that this Life isn’t the end of road, and whatever may frustrate us here on Earth is quite small compared to Eternity. My view of the world has to grow broader as I realize how insignificant my life really is in the scope of, well, FOREVER.

I say all of that because there’s been a “Christianese” trend that’s been bothering me lately.  What I said in the previous paragraph is where many Christians stall out.  We love Jesus! Woot! Jesus loves you! Woot! Um… healthcare reform… Iranian protests… bailouts… um… did I mention that Jesus loves everybody? We’re going to Heaven! Let’s stick to that, because God’s not a Republican or a Democrat right? Right?  Christians, (in general) start a nervous giggle at this point. We feel that this civic duty stuff must not be for us – we’re just supposed to care about everybody while focusing on heaven, and we’re not sure how that fits into anything coming from the six o’clock news.

The trouble is, if God just wanted us to focus on heaven, He should have just made us into heavenly beings, who would never have to mess around with this Earth-bound nonsense. I’m not saying He made a mistake – but He put us here on Earth for a reason, and not just so we could be secure in our salvation and wish we were elsewhere.  I firmly believe that the things we do now and the way we live our lives is a pattern that will continue for Eternity. Do we want to be the kind of people who stand up for justice, speak truth into the fray and show true compassion?  I believe that Christians are called to do so, but too often we are paralyzed by fear of being found on the “wrong side” or pushing people away.  While a pushy and unethical approach to politics is distasteful no matter which side we’re on, we  must have courage to stand up for what’s right – in a respectful and approachable way – even if it is unpopular.

After all, God created us with this passion for our country, homes, lives and families – He’s given us gifts and talents, either to use in protection and advancement of truth in love, or to use elsewhere. We have choices. Often, Christians are afraid of “judging” and appearing to hold on to Earthly things.  Those are valid concerns, and we should definitely keep a close eye on our motives. But seeking truth, protecting innocent people and fiscal wisdom are all principles found in the Bible – why are we so hesitant to speak up when such a topic is raised in a political setting?  Christians need to use the brains, influence and talents God gave us  – for the betterment of others, for the sake of Eternity, for such a time as this.

Frodo: “I wish none of this had happened.”

Gandalf: “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

Posted in Faith, Ruminations, choices, current events, good question, ministry | 2 Comments »

Lessons from a Temp

June 17, 2009 by wranglerdani

Today I worked at Anthropologie for a few hours, helping with inventory. In exchange, I got $10/hour, the privilege of getting up before 4 am, an employee discount-for-a-day and a morning spent with one of my favorite people, Holli.

I learned some things today. Here are my gems of knowledge, pulled at random from a tired, brownie-and-Diet-Coke-fed brain:

  • I’m not an accessorizer. I really really really want to be. Does anybody want to help me with jewelry and bangles and headbands and purses and scarves and the seamlessness of it all? Because when everybody else figured out how to make extra dangles look incredibly alluring and effortless, I was either sleeping or living in the boondocks, and I’d really like to get caught up and out of my “brown belt, silver earrings” rut.
  • I stink at small-talk. I think I smiled awkwardly and said something incredibly non-memorable about 86 times today, in response to cutesy conversation from well-accessorized girls.
  • But organizing! Making pretty! Stacking! Swooning over the pretty-ness of things and storing away crafty ideas! THAT I can do.
  • Also, I have a great trigger-finger. As in, scan-gun trigger. As in, I really wanted to make Star Wars-esque blaster noises while scanning, but restrained myself.
  • The Ring is still enchanting when seen under stage-y lighting.
  • I’m pretty convinced that working at Anthropologie would be really fun. It’s so artsy and cutesy and oldsy and printy and so very laid-back and yet not totally gone-to-seed. I love the whole style of it, and understand why Holli says it’s the only place she wants to work.
  • But getting up and leaving my husband at 3:45 this morning was tough. I’m grateful that we get so much time to hang out, even with my weird schedule and his workingallthetime and the whole us-being-poor factor.  It’s still a beautiful life, and I am deeply grateful for it.

Posted in Home, Puke of the Brain, awkward girl, inspiration, job angst | 4 Comments »

The Haps

June 16, 2009 by wranglerdani

My shoulder is much better, thanks for asking. No more sling, but still a few Advil. I’ll take it – at least it moves now.

I’m starting a resume/cover letter editing side hustle. Need a red pen? I’m your girl.

Cassano’s is the best pizza in San Clemente. We ate there today with a friend and walked along the beach. Seriously. We walked along the beach today at lunch. Really. We laughed and talked about surf conditions like it was the most normal thing ever. Sometimes I’m amazed by my own life.

Adam and I played “20 Questions” while stuck in traffic last night and I totally owned him. Don’t tell him I said that.

Phil and Kirsten have a puppy. She’s adorable, and so are the Casalegnos, in their new mommy/daddy way. They are going to be great parents someday.

We’ve learned how to play “Whist” at the Nichols house. I feel very Dickens-esque.

I’m trying to use “downtrodden” as often as possible in my vocab. Thanks Brooke.

Dwight Howard let me down. Better luck next year, Shoulders.

Posted in Puke of the Brain, nesting, observations | 3 Comments »

I pledge to NEVER take my left arm for granted ever again

June 11, 2009 by wranglerdani

What up peeps.

My shoulder still hurts. Hot showers and four Advil at a time are the only things that make it better. My fella has to come home from a 12-hour work day and help me cook dinner, listen to me moan and try to make it better.  I am so thankful for him, but I feel awful about my pathetic state. OK. Whining over. After this. OW OW OW OW OW.

We accidentally set the coffee-maker to “Mild” this morning. Cuisinart, can we make a deal? Let’s call ‘em like we see ‘em. Instead of Mild, Medium and Strong, let’s say Weak, That’ll Do, and Hallelujah. Thanks.

I’m saying good-bye to my horseback kids this week, and won’t be seeing most of them again until September.  They’re all very cute with hugs and requests that I take care of their ponies, which of course I pledge to do, carrots and tip-of-the-nose kisses included. They also seem to think that my arm might actually fall off, tentatively touching the sling and telling me they’ll visit me in the hospital.

Left Arm, I love you. Please come back and swivel like you’re supposed to.

Posted in Home, Love, Puke of the Brain | 1 Comment »

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