I've been meaning to post this- my inlaws are having a house BUILT for them! Yippeeeeee! We are SO excited for them as I can think of no one who deserves it more!

Check it out by clicking on Janie's blog. She has been doing a fabulous job documenting the process.

In her words "God is so good"

For limited time only... an infomercial of sorts

Most people that read my blog know that Marcus and I have spent the last three months in submission to Tony Horton and the P90X routine. I feel a little crazy for posting PICTURES, half naked ones no less, but still here are some before and after shots with stretch marks cropped out... I mean I am not THAT crazy.

After:

Before:
So there you have it... YOU yes, YOU can look like this if you work your A$$ off for three months and not eat junk! only three EASY (but not cheap) payments and a gallon of FREE sweat can take you there!!! So what are waiting for?!

Ha. but seriously, my favorite part, and the most surprising to me, are my pectorals which are pretty BA and actually got bigger. The best part is how enjoyable it was having a "shared activity" with Marcus these last three months. We tried to do the work outs together whenever we could and celebrated one another's accomplishments.... and I hereby dare HIM to do his own post because he looks great!

Something even more treasured to me is that I just finished reading the Bible, beginning to end. I started that journey at the end of January following the 90 day reading program (woops!) but am still proud to have finished in about five months. I have been loving God's Word more and more these past few years and finally reading through non-stop has only deepened my understanding of His big picture and His holiness, and ultimately of His love for us all.

Marcus has been walking back and forth while I have been trying to formulate this post and even accused me of being long-winded! Can you believe that?! So I will sum up:

Open your Bible.

Put it on the floor.

Assume a Plank position over open Bible.

Start doing push ups while reading.

Don't stop until you have pecs,

don't stop until you are like Jesus.

Baby, you're a firework...

Happy belated Independence Day, gentle readers. I had way too much fun last night standing out in my very own driveway trying to capture the fruits of MANY neighbors' expensive hobby.

I finally figured out a small aperture and slow shutter makes for a nice exposure. I didn't use a tripod but experimented with holding the camera next to my belly while not breathing. I actually like the blur, it's very other-worldly.

Also, driving up the I-5 corridor on the 4th of July is the best of all worlds... crossing the trestle and looking at the intermittently smoky and sparkly panorama almost made me a bit emotional. Freedom is too wonderful for words sometimes.