I haven't posted in 6 months. This means big news...

...I know you all are probably thinking, "Humph. She hasn't posted or commented on a blog in 6 months. Why is she suddenly rolling out of her blogging stupor?" Well I've give you the honest answer. I probably won't be out of my stupor for long - I just wanted to pop out and give you all some news. 

What news could that be, you ask?

 Only the news that I'm getting married!

Meet Alex... 

Remember this post? 

"...Yay for new friends!", I said. 

Heh heh. That handsome guy in the plaid shirt right there in front really was my new friend....we've been writing each other ever since they left in March. 

We're getting married, Lord willing, on December 29th of this year. 

I can't fathom how God has blessed me. I truly believe with all my heart that God has provided me with this man.

He's the godliest, funniest, cutest, most considerate person. He makes me better than I am on my own, and is completely beyond everything I ever even imagined and wished for in a mate.

God is good. 

a mug shot

Some things just make me smile. Even the little things add up and make a whole lotta happy.

Like this mug...

...it was a birthday present from Julia a few years ago. Almost every morning I fill it with coffee or tea. It either hangs out on the table as I do my morning chores, waiting for me to pass by and take a sip, or sits next to me as I read a note or two from friends.

Isn't it funny how something as small as a special coffee mug can help make your day that much better?

It has a spot in my suitcase...it's comin' with me!

_________

We leave in 2 1\2 weeks! We have to be out of the house next weekend - how weird is that??

:)

Blog designs

This is such old news by now, sorry lovely people! :) Thanks so much to all who entered my blog design giveaway - I truly enjoyed messing with y'alls blogs. All of you were so wonderful! The perfect blend of knowing what you want, and working with my inefficiencies.

Here are the blogs I was able to work on!

This is the lovely Bonnie's blog

The wonderful Marie

The precious Marli

The sweet Melissa

And last, but not least, the cute Naomi

So there you have it! Giveaways are so fun. :)

happy weekend!

It's true

I think it's time for a liittle update on what's been happening around here! :) I still plan on doing a post on showing you the blog designs I've been working on, even though that's old news by now.

Let's see....

We had these guys here for two weeks. They helped teach classes, we passed out fliers, talked, laughed, ate, played football, and just had a great ol time! Yay for new friends!

~~~

We also...............booked our tickets.Yes, to move back to the States. 

We leave on April 25th. Four weeks, 5 days.

I thought I was so ready for this, and I am...but it's much more bittersweet than I even thought it would be.

I'm so excited to get out and be "back"...around people and being able to do things. At the same time, I'm a bit nervous. We've been here for so long, we each have out little comfort zone, and the thought of starting completely over somewhere is a little intimidating, I have to admit. 

~

I'm so excited to see what God has planned for us. There are good things in our future, I'm sure.  Please keep us in your prayers as we move!

AtE: Episode 4

Sorry for the delay in getting this up!

This episode is the "What would Luke look for in a girl" episode...enjoy!

We'll get to the rest of your questions in the next installment. 

:)

A {very} good life

Most times I don't post very often because my days are exactly the same. I'm not just saying this, I really do. I get up, shower, eat breakfast, clean up breakfast, clean the house. Do laundry. Bible study. Lunch, clean up lunch. Work on some project or something until I exercise in the afternoon. Clean up from the workout. Cook\help with supper. Clean up supper. Free time, then go to bed. Wake up and repeat.

While I like to write articles sometimes to help myself and others, that's not what my blog is really for. I use it for the unimportant little things of my everyday life - not for serious articles or topics. But since my days are always the same, often times I don't feel like I have anything to post about.

Have you ever noticed that I don't talk much about my personal thoughts\feeling on this blog? Strange, I know. I'm a very outgoing person and being around\talking with people is one of my most favorite things ever. At the same time, I don't like to have my personal struggles, feelings and thoughts put out there for everyone who comes to my blog to read. My raw emotions laid bare for anyone in the world to read through.

I love sharing the good things, the happy things - I don't like dwelling on the bad. One of my pet peeves are people who are total downers. We all know some, or at least know of some. Somehow we know every single struggle and frustration and anger they have going on. I try to stay away from that as much as possible.

Life is GOOD. But sometimes I slip, and I might start to forget. :I miss my sister. every night I hate going to bed alone-sometimes I cry because doubts creep in and I wonder how long I'll have to do so. my hair is thin. do people think I'm chubby? I wonder if friends care as much as they say when keeping in touch doesn't seem to be that important to them. I get frustrated because I want to do more varied, useful things in my life. :

We all have thoughts like these....you might not have the same ones as I do, but every one of us has concerns and worries that can threaten to steal away our peace. 

When I step away and take a look at things I deal with sometimes, you know what? I realize just how small they are and just how blessed I am. :my sister is blissfully happy with a wonderful husband. God will bring about what's the very best for me in His timing, and will help me through every struggle along my way. there's nothing I can do about my thin hair, so just get past it. I eat healthy and exercise very often, trying to keep myself in good shape - I will never ever ever be a size 2 - at my height, if I was ever a size 2 I'd probably be in a coffin. I understand that people get busy and can't just hang around online all the time. i'll have freedom to do more things soon, and what I've been doing has taught me discipline among many other things:

Yes we all have concerns, but don't let them steal our peace. Let God be your Comforter. Let Him help you. If you try to deal with everything on your own, things won't go very well. Realize that you have things to work through, but don't dwell on them. Go to God and his Word for guidance, but don't dwell. Get out and help others - cook, bake, make cards, visit people...

When we're doing our very best to live a righteous, peace-filled, trusting in Him life and helping others to the best of our ability, we'll have a GOOD life.

Smooth sailing never made a skilled sailor. 

The background on my laptop at the moment is a quote from Marilyn Monroe. Don't get me started on Marilyn herself, because I think we all know about her, but I really like the quote.

  "Keep smiling. Because life is a beautiful thing and there is so much to smile about."

Life is beautiful. Life is a miracle. 

Let's celebrate it!

AtE: Episode 3

Hey all! We apologize for the video going up a bit late. We had an interesting question to discuss in this episode...

Continue to leave questions and subject matter!

happy weekend!

A reminder

Hello Lovelies! 

Just a quick post to remind all of you that are on for a blog redesign - I need you to email me your stuff as soon as possible so I can get started! 

I can be working on them simultaneously, so don't worry about what number you are on the list, just send me your wish list. 

To refresh your memory on what I need, look here:  

~

happy monday!

AtE: Episode 2

Today we answer a couple of questions and talk about accidents

(Luke: "Linz, no! We're not doing it over because you think you looked ugly!")

Keep subject matter and questions coming!

~

happy-almost-weekend!

Giveaway winnerz!

It's time, it's time! Time to announce the winners of the blog design giveaway. 

Thanks to all of you who entered - I wish I could give the win to all of you! 

But wait...i can. Since I had only 4 people entering my giveaway, I thought: "You know - I have plenty of time to make headers and blogs...it's not costing me any money...there's only four...they can all win!" 

So to all my blog lovelies who entered the giveaway, here's what ya do:

(send me an email at lilndzy@aol.com telling me all the things below)

1. If you want just a header or a whole redesign.

2. If you want an entire site redesign you'll have to give me your info that let's me get into your blogger dashboard.

3. Tell me what you want your site to generally look like: Color schemes, text-only header, picture header, what genre of font you want in your header (fun, or elegant) - the works!

4. If you want a picture header\anything with pictures you have to send them to me.

I'll start with the blog lovely who entered the giveaway first, and work on down!

Bonnie

Marie

Marli

Naomi

Dear Experts: Episode 1

We were going to get this up on Wednesday, but were having technical difficulties. 

Enjoy! 

Hold onto your hat, because we get to hear Luke from All Things Manly in this video!

Keep sending us your questions and topic ideas!

Bloggin awards

(Hurry, go enter my blog design giveaway here, and don't forget to comment\email questions and topic suggestions for Ask the Experts!)

I feel so loved :')  Journey with Joy and lowercase letters  "awarded" me the Liebster blog award, and Girls Love Fried Pickles gave me the Versatile blogger award. Y'all shouldn't have...*scuffs foot*

I would list all the rules, and go on a tagging spree, but I'll skip it this time since these awards have been going around for a while now, and I'm pretty sure it's made it's way through my readers.  If you're reading this and haven't done it yet, then I tag you!

7 things about me:

1. Even though I only have to wear my retainers one or two nights a week, I usually end up wearing them every night. I just got into the habit.

2. I had this whole post typed out, but our power went out in the middle of loading the pictures so I lost it all, and now I can't remember the 7 things I had put down.

3. At the end of the day, sometimes I'll pile all my hair on the very top of my head and clip it. It looks ridiculous, but it's comfy and out of the way. 

4. I love aprons, but I almost always forget to put one on when I cook. When I do, it doesn't make a big difference, because if I get flour on my hands, I usually brush them on the back of my pants without thinking. 

5. I think hot chocolate is the best.

6. I have the bad habit of chewing on the inside of my cheek. 

7. Even though I'm tall, I still love to wear heels. 

~~~

Tell me what you've been up to this week!

happy weekend!

Giveaway! ...and an into to "Ask the Experts"

Before we get to the lil ol' vlog down there, it's giveaway time! It's a blog header\blog design giveaway. I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I enjoy doing it (as you can see by my constantly changing blog). 

 So you have a choice whether you'd like me to make you a blog header alone, or redo the look of your whole blog! 

If you choose for me to redo the look of your whole blog, be forewarned that I'll need to be able to get into your blogger dashboard to make the needed changes.  So if you're not comfortable with that, stick with just a header. I'll do my best to get a look that you like! :)

To enter:(Giveaway ends Feb. 8)

-Become a follower of my blog and leave a comment telling me which option you'd like (mandatory)

-Share this giveaway on your blog, facebook or twitter (+1 entry for each)

Luke and I will be starting a weekly-sish series called "Ask the Experts", so like we said in the above video - leave comments or send an email with your questions or subject ideas! If you don't really have any ideas, don't worry - it can be something completely silly and fun...just use your imagination.

(I'm awful at vlogs. I had no idea what I was going to say...haha, how do y'all do it - I felt so on the spot!!! :D)

Crochet projects and your input

When I was about 10 and Mom and I were in a craft store, I was staring at all the colorful yarn lining the wall, and then and there I knew I must crochet. I got a hook and some yarn and a crochet book and happily left the store, most likely imagining all the cool and professional stuff I would make. :)  Weell, even following along with the book, all I learned was the single crochet. In a square.  I couldn't make out what in the world stuff like "sc1R, YO2, hdc in BLO, ch2, dc in FLO" meant.  But that didn't stop me from making all sorts of terrifying pot holders.  Only a grandma would lovingly gush over a horrible mess of yarn that looked more like an outline of the United States than a square, and tuck it near the stove for the next time she needed to grab a hot pan.  Eventually I saw just how awful my projects were and turned to other hobbies.


Mom and I were in the States a couple of months ago, and I was visiting with my friend Lur who is a crochet genius.  I watched her crochet for a while, and tried to remember just what was so hard about crocheting. So...yes. I got a hook and some yarn at a craft store, only this time I *scuffs foot* wasn't exactly the most optimistic about how my projects might turn out.  Thankfully, I saw that now I could follow a pattern and learn new stitches just fine!  My projects still might look like a 10 year old did them, but I'm loving it all the same!  Here are just a few stuff I've done lately:

A doggie\monster hat

Simple beanie with scalloped edges

I love hats! This is my favorite because it's a beret, and it's mesh, so it's not bulky.

Queen Ann's Lace scarf

:') A lil hippo.  I may or may not talk to it...

Whenever I'm able to get supplies easily I want to learn to knit as well, along with getting good enough at crochet to hopefully sell some stuff here and there.

~~~

I wanted to check in with y'all and see if you have any ideas of what more I should do with this lil ol' blog!  Is there anything you want to know about? Should I do vlogs more often? What should they be about?

Also, I want to do a giveaway, but since I don't have anything to actually give away at the present, what do y'all think about a blog design giveaway? I am by no means a pro, or even super good at it, but I love making headers, and makin' stuff look pretty!  It could be your choice of whether you'd like just a header, or a redo of your whole blog.

Tell me what y'all think!

~~~

happy weekend!

Things I love

...okay, I have to say it - I've been loving Pinterest. There are so many good ideas on there for just about everything imaginable. Plus pretty pictures! :)  I've been loving finding things like these...

So many pretty things, yummy recipes and ideas for crafty stuff!

All of us need a reminder sometimes to:

Eleven...

I was tagged by the awesome Melissa, so here we go!

Rules:

1.You must post these rules. 

2. Each person must post 11 things 

about themselves on their blog. 

3. Answer the questions the tagger set for 

you in their post and create 11 new questions 

for the people you tag to answer. 

~

1.  I think that there are enough serious things in life that we don't have to make more of them if we don't have to.  There are times to be serious, but in general - enjoy life to the best of your ability! Make sense?

2.  My new, Every Year Resolution is to read the Bible through completely in 6 months\a year.  I started this in 2011 and plan to do it from now on.

3.  I almost got a pet snake, but found Panya instead.

4.  Crocheting is one of my new favorite hobbies.

5.  I want to learn how to knit as well.

6.  I love to listen to music while I clean the house - it's always nice to whistle while you work!

7.  I've always thought it would be fun to have a tiny coffee shop or cafe. 

8.  One of my dreams is to visit the Mediterranean.

9.  When I stretch I can do the splits.  

10.  I'm afraid of heights.  Not the roller-coaster kind, but when I'm climbing on or standing on the edge of something high.

11.  When we, Lord willing, move back to the States, I look forward to little things like being able to text or call family and friends when I want to tell them something.

Questions for me:

1.  What was the silliest moment for you of the past year?

I don't know about the silliest, but Julia and I talking and taking awful pictures together while we were in TN.  It was a balm to my soul.

2. What Bible verse automatically comes to mind when you're having a bad day?

One of my favorites is Galatians 6:9 -"Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up".  It's so encouraging, and reminds me that what I'm doing isn't worthless..that it will do some good.

3. What's your favorite book?

Lame as it is, I don't think I have a favorite book!

(if anyone has some suggestions of ones you like, I'd love for you to share!)

4. What is one moment in your life that you knew Providence had a hand in the way it turned out?

When I was watching my sister walk down the aisle in her wedding dress,I knew that with the way everything unfolded it couldn't have happened on it's own.  

5. Who was a pen-pal you had before email became the main method of communication?

Wow, let's see...my cousin Rachel and I used to write letters.  But as for non-family, I used to write a girl named Libby Goins who went to Roundhouse years ago.

6. What's your favorite pair of shoes?

My cowgirl boots :)

7. What does your dream home look like and where is it located?

Something not too big..light and airy; lots of white with pops of bright color.  It would be located somewhere in the South.

8. Why do you blog?

I sharing random bits of info, and things about my everyday life. I'd like to give encouragement and humor to others.

9. What color are the sheets on your bed?

I have a white topsheet, and a colorful striped fitted sheet.

10. Where did you meet your spouse? If not married, where did you meet your best friend?

I met my best friends at PTP and Roundhouse

11. What's your favorite part of nature?

I love seeing how God designed every tiny thing, it never ceases to amaze me! Flowers have always been one of my favorite things.

Questions for you:

1. If you were going to learn a foreign language, which would you choose?

2. Would you generally rather read a book, listen to music, or watch a movie?

3. If you could learn any skill what would it be?

4. When you go to a restaurant, do you usually try something new or get the same thing each time?

5. What's your favorite book in the Bible?

6. What's something you never leave the house without?

7. You have a prepaid airline ticket to anywhere in the world. Where do you go?

8.Rice, potatoes, or bread?

9. How tall are you?

10. What is one of your dreams for the future?

11. What is your favorite song? What does it make you think of?

~

i tag...

Bringing Up Benjamin

I press on: Living For the Goal

A Glad Heart

All Things Manly

Journey with Joy

(...and I'd tag Marli and Memory, if they hadn't already done it!)

The best eggnog recipe

Happy New Year to y'all! Before I do my official New Year's post, I wanted to share this recipe with you...but first, I have this comic that shows you how I feel about eggnog...

 

For the past couple of years, I've been looking for a perfect eggnog recipe, because I love it, and anything that helps it seem more holiday-y around here is always welcome!  Last year there was the nog that was more like Egg Drop Soup than anything else.  But this year I found the one.


A word of caution: this recipe doesn't have you cook the eggs (= raw eggs), but I like to live on the edge so I just went with it. 

Separate the egg whites and yolks into two separate bowls. Use the bigger bowl for the whites, and beat them until fluffy.

Once the egg whites are fluffly beat in 1\2 cup of sugar

In the separate bowl, beat yolks until creamy then add another 1\2 cup sugar

Fold the yolks into the egg whites, stirring gently. Or if the raw eggs on their own wasn't wild enough for you, you can stir it roughly. Either way.

Stir in the milk...

...cream...

...vanilla...

...and spices.

Pour into a bowl or pitcher, and chill.

Oh yeah.

Ingredients:

6 fresh eggs

1 cup granulated sugar - divided use

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups milk

1 TB vanilla extract

1\2 -1 tsp ground cinnamon

1\2 -1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground nutmeg

dash salt

Start with these measurements of the spices, but you can play around with them to get the exact taste you want.  I ended up adding a few dashes of each one more than it called for, because I like to taste all the different spices in my eggnog.  Don't forget to add the bit of salt! If it's still too sweet for your liking, add just a bit more of the salt to offset the sweetness.