25 Things About Me

I was tagged to write 25 random things, facts, habits or goals about myself on Facebook. Since it took awhile to come up with some "new" facts, I thought I'd also post them here. Happy reading!

1. I really like to travel. I’ve enjoyed Europe but really like China because it’s so different and the people are really hospitable. I’m also a big fan of tropical, relaxing vacation spots but…
2. I’m afraid of sharks. I tried to overcome it once by scuba diving. It was interesting but I’m not inclined to do it again. The shark fear is still strongly intact.
3. I like Facebook but prefer blogs. I’m holding out hope that blogging doesn’t become passé anytime soon.
4. Even though I’d not want to do it again, I’m thankful for the “in sickness and in health” trial that Mr. Wagner and I have already gone through. Not only do we have a beautiful little girl to show for it, I am blessed by how seriously my hubby took those vows.
5. While I respect that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, no one can convince me that life doesn’t begin until birth. After having a baby 3 months early and seeing how perfectly formed she was even then, there is no doubt in my mind that life begins at conception.
6. I absolutely love waking up to see our Little Miss' smiling face in the morning. Of course, I wouldn’t mind if that came about an hour later each day but regardless…
7. There’s nothing better than being a mom. I don’t understand talk about how much moms have to give up for their kids. That may be true but it’s only to gain more than we could imagine. Totally. Worth. It.
8. I live in the present. I do believe in planning for the future but I don’t want to be a “I can’t wait until…” dreamer who loses sight of the blessings of today.
9. I actually enjoy running, it’s a great excuse to be outside. However...
10. I wish I enjoyed running even more because I sure could use the extra calories burned!
11. I’m OK with turning 35 (gulp!) in a few weeks but am thinking I won’t be feeling the same about future birthdays. I can remember my parents at this age!
12. I’m not at all embarrassed to order a “non-fat, half sugar-free vanilla, half sugar-free hazelnut” latte. I do recognize that it’s sort of high maintenance.
13. I’ve been known to walk a couple of miles through Beijing in the rain just to get the above mentioned coffee.
14. I’m not the best at getting to know a lot of new friends because I’m like a Labrador Retriever, I stick by those I’m already close to.
15. I truly enjoy my job and feel blessed that I can continue my career but would love to be a SAHM. Having been career-oriented for so long, I never, ever thought that would be the case.
16. I am a bit too opinionated and stubborn but am usually willing to admit when I’m wrong (though with the first two short-comings it can take awhile for me to recognize!).
17. I’m better at written than verbal communication. I have a tendency to speak before I think so the ability that writing gives to “edit” words and responses can come in really handy.
18. I like change. Not too much but enough to keep life exciting.
19. I wish I’d learned to sew and quilt but now it seems like it would just be a lot of work.
20. I’m thankful for Jesus and His grace even though I’ve done nothing to deserve it.
21. I love to read and have a hard time putting down a good book once I get started.
22. Horses are the coolest animals ever.
23. My brain stops working past 9 p.m.
24. I’m up way past my bedtime and will pay for it tomorrow.
25. I’m too wordy!

Weekend Recap

We had a really fun mini-vacation in the central part of the state with the Bronson, Booth and Curtis families. Samantha ("Sam") did a great job coordinating our weekend getaway to celebrate Robert's 30th birthday. Robert had no idea we would all be there so it was extra special to get to surprise him.

We've all been friends since our college days, having been part of the same group at church. It's such a blessing to have close friends that we've known for so long and can now share parenthood with. Children do change the dynamic somewhat however all three kiddos (and one bun-in-the-oven) were terrific!

We did a little off-roading in the snow, hiking, lots of relaxing, game playing and of course, eating! Wish I'd taken more pics. For now, enjoy a glimpse of our trip over with the Little Miss and her good friend Logan. Pretty darn cute!

We are already looking forward to our next trip with everyone...now, where or where to go?

P.S: For more pics, go here. Thanks Sam!

Fabulous Friday

It's February (I hope you already knew that by now) and almost Friday which is Fabulous!

Fridays are one of my favorite days of the week (in addition to Saturdays and Sundays). Fridays earn the honors of being extra likable for the obvious reason; the weekend is just around the corner! I've been anticipating this Friday like a breath of fresh air as we have a lot to look forward to:

1) Over the mountains and through the woods we go
2) Family, friends and fun times to be had
3) A special 30th birthday to be celebrated (if only it were mine)
4) Games of Spades to be played (polls project the women will win)
5) The out-of-doors to be explored!

We hope you all have a Fabulous Friday!

There's Just Something About It

There's just something captivating and soul-stirring about a daddy singing songs with his little girl as she gets ready for bed. Talk about melting a woman's heart as she listens to her two favorite superstars! American Idol may not be ready for "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" or "Jesus Loves Me" renditions but what do they know? My oh my how I love thee.

A Woman's Way of Recuperating

Do you ever just have one of those weeks? You know, THOSE weeks, the ones that seem to last…and last…and last? The kind that zap every ounce of energy that you may have had at the beginning and by the end, you’re surviving on every last drop of caffeine that you can find.

This week, and last, have been THOSE sorts of weeks. Nothing extraordinarily bad has happened (PTL!), and life really is good. The energy sucker right now is that work has been a bit rough (to say the least). As a manager, it’s hard when your budget and major projects get cut and you have to share the bad news with a team that you care about. I do enjoy my job but this part, oh boy, not so much.

This lack of energy calls for extreme measures to recuperate; Shopping trip here I come!

My mom is up for a visit and we are taking the Little Miss to the Big City tomorrow for an outing. I’m not actually planning to buy much, I'm just convinced that the mere presence of a mall will help (there’s something about the XX chromosome combination and the need to just browse a store from time to time). Dessert at the Cheesecake Factory can't hurt either.

Happy Friday to y'all!

(Ummm...Honey? Where did you hide my credit card?)

Candles, Candles, More Candles...and Cake

Check out the glow. Really, there is a cake under there.

Happy Birthday greetings this week to my dear Mr. Wagner and his twin bro "Q"! Happy Birthday as well to my own dad (a.k.a., "Papa")! We won't mention that he's turning just a year younger than the twins in years combined. Oops, did I already publish that comment?!

Speaking of birthday cakes, it's official. Janelle and I are registered for a half marathon at the end of June. What in the world does that have to do with cake you ask? Only that I've eaten a slice of the above pictured cake two nights in a row, making me extra thankful that the race is still 5 months away. Let the training begin...hooray.

"How Did Her Hair Get So Curly?"...

...asked our friend Sophie (4 years) about the Little Miss and her super curly 'do.

"That's how God made her," I answered.

"She must have been really still," Sophie replied.

Apparently Sophie's mom tells Sophie that she has to stand "still" if she wants to get her hair curled. Sophie naturally assumed that the Little Miss had to hold still for a long time in order for God to fix all her curls. I love kiddos and their logic. Too cute.