Reflections on March

Sorry I'm a little late, but I really want to write this blog, because I finally finished my "real" book!

March was great. It actually brought the beginning of Spring (who knew?). The snow melted away, the grass is bright green, and the plants around the apartment grounds are budding. I'm looking forward to some flowers (hopefully) outside our windows since we are on the first floor.
And as for Spring, as some of you may know from a certain Facebook status, I saw two birds enjoying eachother's company. ;) ;) Ladies and gentlemen, it's really Spring.

Books I Read:
The Host by Stephenie Meyer - that's right, the Twilight lady. I really enjoyed this sci-fi book. Meyer said in an interview that The Host is sci-fi for people who don't like sci-fi. Although the premise of the book is aliens, and the imagery is incredible, the story is really about personality, independence, and a conflict between two.......souls.
The Oath by Frank Peretti - I started this one of Robert's a while back, but I finished the last half of it a couple of weeks ago. Very good book, but too much to say here. If you want a review, ask me about it. :)
Anne of Avonlea by Maud Montgomery - another book I finished this month. A little slow, but still sweet and charming as ever.
Stalin's Children by Owen Matthews - This is the one I'm proud of, because it's nonfiction. It is a history of Russia under Stalin through the experiences of 3 generations of Matthews' family.
Boris & Martha Bibikov were separated and imprisoned during one of Stalin's purges. This left their two daughters, Lenina (12) & Lyudmila (3) orphaned and eventually also separated for many years during famine, disease, and WW II. Both daughters survived and Lyudmila grew up to fall in love with an Russophile Englishman - Mervyn Matthews. Lyudmila and Mervyn became engaged and were then separated for 6 years by the iron curtain before they were reunited. These are the author's parents. Neat huh?
Sorry that's a long synopsis, but it's a really good book if you enjoy Russian culture/history.

TV/Movies:
I've watched several movies I'd seen before this month, so...meh. The important one is:
The Big Bang Theory (Season 1) Highly recommend if you haven't seen it. Especially if you've got any nerd in you, or even know any super-nerds. (No Mom, it's not about evolution, just physicists.)

Things I made:
Hurray! We got a nice slipcover for our couch, (see the before and after photos HERE. Yes, that's the same couch ) so I needed covers for our throw pillows. I'm very happy with the way they turned out. :) The solid sides are blue corduroy and the other sides are just a cotton print.

Notable Events:
Josh Bruning moved to Cedar Rapids - yay! and we got to have dinner with him and his parents that week.
We also went to a really fun games night with our Sunday school group that was held at the Rockwell Rec Center (quite a place), including Dodgeball, WallyBall (Volleyball in a Raquetball court), and swing dancing! among other things.

Prayer Requests:
-My parents have found a house that they are going to buy in North Richland Hills, TX (nearer to my dad's church) instead of Austin, and are moving this month as well as selling their house.(sniff sniff)
-Papa has decided to move out of Austin and in with my parents in NRH (instead of the other way around), and HE is moving this month too.
-Also that my mom would be able to find a job in Ft.Worth/NRH as icing on top of the wonderful cake (house) God has given them.

But right now Robert's parents are in town and we are thrilled to have them! :D
(well not RIGHT this moment; I'm not that bad of a hostess)

The End. Whew.

The Night Before Easter

What if right now you were mourning? aching. raw. in shock. For the 3rd day after losing your pastor or father or sibling or best friend?

I know I have been raw and aching over a loved one before. Not even someone I spent every day with for 3 years. But someone innocent. Someone who made me ache.

Jesus' followers were aching and empty. Their world was black. They didn't know it was the night before Easter. For them it was just Day Two/Three. Just another day of getting out of bed. Getting stuff done. Breathing in and out. Trying to hold it together. Raw and speechless towards God. Just trying to cope, to breathe, not understand.

Many a time I have tried to get Jesus' death. A horrific, disgusting, unimaginable death that no one should die. But no matter how hard I try, it's still so far away. Sometimes it really hits me, but even then I know I'm not truly getting it.

Raw Emptiness, though. We are friends. I can get the ache and emptiness of Jesus' friends. And like I said, I didn't spend every day for 3 years with her. I don't have to live every day knowing that she suffered. Because she didn't. Jesus did.

They didn't know it was the night before Easter.

Hold on Mary. Thomas. Peter.

Sleep one more night. Go to Him in the morning to care for His body and wash it with your tears and sobs.

Hold on. Tomorrow is Easter.

My Baby

My baby's all grown up.

And when I say grown, I mean GROWN.

No more fuzzy baby Daisy. She's a wrestling, barking, shedding (and pooping) machine.

Wasn't she a cute baby though?

Now.....not so much. ;)

Pi Day

In the name of Pi,

3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209

ok, I'm done.

In case there is ANY doubt, I definitely don't have pi memorized past "3.14." That's all you need to know in high school math.

I was first introduced to Pi Day (March 14th if you haven't caught on yet) my second semester in college, when Robert's roommate made a pie for Pi Day. I knew then that this was a "holiday" I could get behind. I don't really have any great attachment to pi, considering my math education stopped at Pre-Calculus, and even that is spotty. I'm just here for the pie.

I'm very proud of my little Pi Pie (teeheehee), but I think next year I'll try to step it up like the pies I saw on Google images. However, we didn't eat pie at 1:59 am/pm on March 14 like you're SUPPOSED ;) to; we just had our pie at nine o'clock or so.

In case you missed it, Google also celebrated Pi Day with a very nice "Google doodle" as they're apparently called.

If you missed this shining opportunity to make a pie AND be nerdy, you can make up for it on Pi Approximation Day - July 22nd (22/7).

I hope everyone had a wonderful Pi Day on Sunday, I know we did!

In-Laws

Let me start off by saying that I love my in-laws. I think they are wonderful.
However, they are pretty hard to live up to.

an abandoned tank in Laos - summer vacation
(no historical markers, no tour guide for war relics, just a field full of family fun)

I have been trying to figure out why I feel so utterly unexciting in comparison to my in-laws, and I have narrowed it down to 3 major reasons. There are many more, (like, They're crazy!) but these are the pretty all-encompassing ones.

#1. They are missionaries. That right there could be the whole list of why they are exciting and I am not.

Robert & Daniel - Indonesia

#2. They lived/grew up in exciting places. ie. Borneo (Indonesia), Malaysia, Laos. The jungle.

You could feel the bump when you flew over the equator and everything. ;) (poor Mr. Whiting's gullible passengers...)

Carolyn, Robert, Daniel, & Michael

#3. When you go to boarding school, you get in all the possible family adventures you can during Christmas and summer break.
This principle transitioned into college perfectly, and since Michael and Carolyn commute from home, they are in a perpetual state of Whiting family adventures. They go skiing, white water rafting, geocaching, and recently visited a ghost town.

Daniel & Robert - skiing in Idaho

So, I think you get the idea. Fortunately, I have gotten to spend quality time with them doing boring run-of-the-mill things to compensate. I have eaten cereal for breakfast with them; I have complained about homework with Carolyn (not that she EVER complains); I have enjoyed brotherly banter with Michael; I have listened to Larry snore during cheesy movies at home :D
and I have had wonderful heart-to-hearts with my dear mother-in-law, Linda.

Notice anybody missing? That's right. Daniel. The only time I have spent with Daniel was during the wedding, which anybody who's gotten married knows doesn't really count for getting to know someone. Sorry Daniel. Thus, all I know of Daniel is from pictures and stories. And when you tell stories about your big brother, you don't tell stories about the time that you did a puzzle together, you tell stories about swimming in a cave together!

Daniel & Robert
pretty self-explanatory

See, last night at dinner, Robert was telling me that he got to talk to Daniel yesterday, and giving me the highlights. Robert was telling me that Daniel now has time/energy to cook real food again (as oppose to Bachelor Ramen), and the following conversation ensued.

Becca: "Stop. Daniel buys groceries????"
Robert: "Yah?"
Becca: "I feel like I've just been told that my favorite super hero drinks milk."
laughter from Robert
Becca: "No, you don't understand. I can picture Daniel scaling a cliff, or climbing a bridge, or swimming in a cave, but I can NOT picture him pushing a grocery cart through WalMart!"

I mean, maybe riding a grocery cart through WalMart (there is a picture of this somewhere too.) But walking through produce (choosing something blue and spiky), or worse yet - canned food (completely devoid of imaginative opportunities) is just completely beyond me.

So here's to my distant, super-hero brother-in-law,

Enjoy your produce!

February

February was a good month. No matter that I still can't spell it, despite being the month of my birthday for....my entire life. Here's my monthly recap of things I did and enjoyed this month!

Books I read:
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer - I admit, it was really really good. I thoroughly loved it. I think it's pretty much impossible to make into a movie, so have fun with that Kristen Stewart.
Anne of Green Gables by Maud Montgomery - completely charming. I finally broke down and read the girlhood classic I had been missing, and was pleasantly surprised by Montgomery's humor. It's like the original Junie B. Jones!

Movies I've seen:
We haven't really been watching many movies as much as last month, although I've watched a few at home to spare Robert the cheesiness.

Ballet Shoes - based on the book by Noel Streatfeild, I broke down and watched it because Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) suggests it in You've Got Mail. It was cute, fun for young girls.
Firefly - Robert and I have just finished the series. I've seen them before, and everyone has recommended them to him because he's a SciFi fan. We thoroughly enjoyed it of course, although we could do without the dragging theme song!
Lost - more lostness, more drama, more cliffhangers (do NOT watch this ever, Mom. You'd hate it.) We're tired of certain characters never learning, but I still kind of want to finish out the series for a sense of completion. (Which ONLY the series finale will ever bring I'm sure.)


Notable Events & Blessings:
-a Super Bowl Party + 3 days of snow
-a romantic Valentine's Day
-a wonderful birthday
-The dogs got sick and I had to take them both to the vet, (not notable) BUT thanks to our Financial Peace classes, we had the Emergency Fund to take care of it! (very notable!)
-We are pretty much permanently attending New Covenant Bible Church.
-Robert got to go skiing on Sunday with a group from church.
-Robert's dad, Larry, is working hard in Haiti and his health (hydration & sleep) is good, and he will be home (Idaho) soon!

AND drum roll please......
- I blogged 6 times in February!

We have had a wonderful month, but hopefully March will bring us some spring! It is forecasted to be 35 today and 36 tomorrow, so I am overjoyed. I am ready to go outside in only one layer of clothing, not three! Also, I am trying to kick it in to gear, and I intend to have some good WeightWatchers news by the time I give you March's recap. :) Please pray that I find a job: where I can have consistent work hours (1 car) and where I can be with people (I'm slipping off my rocker as of late).

I love everybody!
Have a wonderful March day!

Call me a Hawkeye

I'm so exciting!!!!!!!!! Today I got my letter from the University of Iowa informing me that I have been classified as a Resident. Do you know what this means???? This means I only have to pay $6,824 a year for tuition and fees. Do you see now why I am so excited?

I don't think I've actually been admitted to the university yet, but qualifying as a state resident is the major battle in my opinion. Apparently, the only way you don't have to live in the state for a year is if you can prove that you moved to the state for reasons other than education. In our case, Robert's employment was the kicker - paper work on when he was offered the job, when he started, his full-time status, and that we cross our hearts and promise we are going to file taxes in Iowa. Enough with the nitty gritty legal forms though. That's no fun to read. What is fun to read? Pictures! ;)

I'm thinking that if I am going to go to school here I should probably go visit. Ya think?

"U of I" is in Iowa City, about 30 or 40 minutes South of where we live.

Not that I will be sporting a jersey any time in the next decade, but here's the mascot.

Whoa....it just occured to me that my school colors will NOT be blue and yellow/gold for the first time in my LIFE.

I'm impressed. Hawks are actually vicious looking. No more settlers or stinging insects for me! ;)

Drum roll please........... I just read online that they have the biggest library in Iowa! Now that is how college is supposed to be!

(Recognize this picture?)

I'm actually quite excited now! Not just about saving money - about actually going to school there. I'm so glad I have a weak mind and I know how to talk myself into moods.....

I guess I'll worry about the nightmares of getting lost (pictured in every college movie) later.

For now I'm just ecstatic that I will be paying $7,000 instead of $22,000! (the going rate around here)

I'll be sure to let you all know when I actually get accepted. Either that or come crawling back with a shameful retraction. :(

Have a wonderful day!