5K

I am running in a 5K this weekend. It won't be the Emma Creek Classic with my mom and sister and daughters, but it will be a local run supporting Big Brothers and Big Sisters and I get to run with the ladies in my lifegroup from church.

I'm excited about it. We're all staying in a hotel the night before, because it starts really early in the morning (there's also a half marathon option - maybe next year) and it's in Irving. I've been training for it with the lifegroup ladies - one of us is a wonderful but slightly insane degree in kineseology type who keeps us all working. She really is amazing - these are some of the most challenging but fun workouts I've ever done.

We've even been incorporating speed training; I'm generally opposed to speed training and have never actually tried it, because I'm a "get your perfect pace and then don't ever stop" runner. But I've been doing those fartleks (DID NOT MAKE THIS UP - it's a real thing; go ahead and google) and two minute sprints followed by 5 minute walk/slow jog patterns; AND I'm totally enjoying it.

The only bummer is that the t-shirt is bright pink (bad, bad with orange hair). Can't wait for it!

confessions

I am afraid of facebook and I don't know why.

I danced in the grocery store tonight because they were playing great 80's songs, and I couldn't help myself.

I have eaten more leftover Easter starbursts than any adult should ever admit to.

I danced in the parking lot outside of church with Grace tonight, because she was singing a catchy song and dancing too and I couldn't help myself.

I forgot to water my flowers on earth day.

I desperately need to read a book.

I want a dog.

I like eggplant olive hummus. I like all hummus. I have a real problem with hummus.

Right now I have wet clothes in the washer and dirty dishes in the sink...

Life Lessons

Recent Lessons Learned:

*Really Super Hot, freshly brewed Ethiopian Sidamo coffee (Mark's Brothers Big World, of course) is a much more pleasant sensation to drink than to feel seeping through my pants. An entirely full cup threw itself right out of my left hand and upside down onto my lap while I sat waiting in the eternal line to pick Emma up from school. I have this coffee snobbery thing against travel tumblers; I want to smell the coffee I'm drinking. I'm over it now.


*Never leave 3X concentrated laundry detergent sitting atop your washing machine. After the mega-spin cycle and a loud crash, I found my washer and dryer sitting in a blue lake ever-growing from the place where the spout used to be on my detergent. Any advice on how to actually clean that up would be appreciated. It's been several days and several mopping sessions and puddles of blue keep emerging from nowhere.

LOVE HUMILITY - LOVE IT!

Easter Fun

Passover

The girls and I went to an amazing messianic Passover Seder last night (Greg had Easter services rehearsal at church). A family from a lifegroup we've been visiting hosted it. They moved their living room furniture out to make room for three big tables for all the adults and kids to experience the meal together.

It was a lot of fun (including "silly Seder songs") - but what a meaningful time as well (complete with authentically spoken Hebrew and then English translation). We experienced the complete "long" version, but the kids never became bored - it was beautiful and the girls talked about it all the way home.

Emma said, "You know, Mom, how awful the maror tasted (representing slavery and sin) and then how the water and haroset (representing joy and freedom) helped but the taste was still there for a while. That's kind of like how Jesus forgives us, but we still sin and need His forgiveness until heaven." It was just cool to see them pondering all of the symbols and remembrances we experienced.

"This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD a lasting ordinance." -Exodus 12:14

"The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.' For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." -1 Corinthians 11:24-26

Grace's morning song

Grace sat down at her roll out keyboard and composed a song this morning. She wrote the lyrics too:

"O, Lord,
Do You like me?
If You do,
I like You too -
I mean, lo-ove You."

Here's praying that Grace will begin to scratch the surface of understanding how deep and high and long and wide is the love Christ has for her as she grows - and that indeed it is HIS love for her that compels her to love Him. May she grow to understand how it is evidenced in our celebration of Easter every year. May she know that He likes her too.

HAPPY 11TH BIRTHDAY, EMMA CAROLINE!

Part of Emma's gift this year was a cake decorated by a woman who owns a local Plano bakery. She has become a friend as we've talked start-up business together. It just so happens that she shares a birthday with Emma and was tickled to make her cake. She is a true cake artist, making each one custom and delicious. She asked a few questions about what Emma liked and made a cake that Emma loved.

We had Emma's favorite dinner of fish tacos. I gave her a pedicure after school, and Brian and Melanie, Hannah and Ethan came over to share cake and ice cream this evening. It was a good day.

We love you, Sweetheart!

Saturday scones

Emma's birthday is Monday - more on that later - but she requested a special breakfast this morning since Greg's at church really early on Sundays and Monday is a school morning.

We made some absolutely delicious whole wheat orange chocolate chip scones. I'm not trying to toot my own horn here; I had my doubts when Emma requested whole wheat. I love whole wheat anything, but scones? What about the tender, buttery fall-apartness - is that possible with whole wheat?

Our friend Jenny who came to visit from Kansas a couple of weeks ago is from a farming family who happens to grow some of the most amazing organic wheat I've experienced. She brought a whole big bucket of wheat berries for us to grind in our mill, and I'm here to tell you I am amazed at how it turned into fabulous scones with no white flour at all.

YUM! Thanks, Goerings!

A Day in the Life - One Woman's Marketing Story

I love our coffee. I've had the opportunity to experience Greg's freshly roasted coffee for years now, and I love our coffee. Seeing as how I also love meeting new people, talking about our coffee is the fun part for me.

Sooooo, I headed out to do just that two days ago. I loaded some samples and information into our cute company vehicle (a cream colored PT Cruiser) and ventured into the unknown. Even though I enjoy this process, I don't actually know what I'm doing just yet. I've had some great conversations with bakery owners and cafes and churches, but each one is a learning experience.

I drove to a particular retail possibility that I hope we can partner with, because we share many core values. Well, I drove to the intersection where it was supposed to be. Ginormous shopping areas were everywhere, on every corner hidden behind lovely landscaping and parking. I picked one corner and drove all around watching carefully (the shops, not the road) and found myself jarred by surprising speed bumps, honked at by fellow parking lot traffic, killing the engine as I stopped my standard vehicle too quickly.

Nope, not there. I tried another corner enjoying pretty much the same experience until finally I drove to the last unexplored corner of this surprisingly crowded for the middle of the day upscale retail area.

Right as I edged out into the center of an extremely busy, multi-lane intersection, I killed the engine. I don't know how I did it; I've always driven a standard as one of our vehicles. Anyway, as I tried to get out of there (I was blocking a lot of traffic), I panicked and couldn't get the thing going until the light was yellow. All I could think was, "I AM SO GLAD WE DON'T YET HAVE OUR ROASTERY SIGN PAINTED ON THIS CAR!"

But it was all worth it, because there was my intended destination - finally. I went in and told a bit of our story. The guys I talked to were great and quickly gave me the name and phone number of the woman I needed to contact at their regional office. They loved the humanitarian emphasis and were really encouraging - I walked out of there fully inspired. I promptly sat in our cute company vehicle and dialed the number.

After a few automated opening comments, I hear...

"Please say the name of the person you wish to contact." I said the name.

"I'm sorry I did not understand you. Please try again." I tried again.

"I'm sorry I still did not recognize the name. Please try again." I did.

"I'm sorry. I did not understand you..." Yes, four times I did this until I heard,
"Please spell the name of the person you wish to contact." I spelled the name.

"I'm sorry, I could not recognize what you spelled. Please try again." I tried again - four times.

"I'm sorry I could not understand you. I'll connect you to our operator." YES, finally!
My phone hung up.

I dialed again, this time saying the name low, then high, then loudly and followed the same procedure with the spelling until I was "connected to the operator" and promptly hung up on.

This time I realized that in the opening comments, my automated friend was telling me that I could say "operator" at any point in the conversation if I needed help. How had I missed that last time? As soon as I could I said, "operator"

"I'm sorry I could not understand what you said. Please try again."

"OPERATOR" "OPERATOR!!" "O P E R A T O R ! ! !" "O-P-E-R-A-T-O-R" "AAAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHHHHH!!" "FORGET IT!!"

Ring.

"Hello, the operator is currently unable to take your call. Please leave a message."
I'm going to try again in a few days.