whatever

winter sunset

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it has been reeeeally cold here but then suddenly there will be a 65 degree afternoon here and there.
this was one of those.
sometimes you have to rush out and soak up as much of it as you can.
(squeezing that inbetween laundry and dinner prep and everything else)



talby went out just as the sun was setting and shouted for me to come see her flip she has perfected.
she has worked for years on it!
woo-hoo!!

as soon as the trampoline springs start squeaking the neighbor dogs show up in our yard.
they love my little girls.




talby pretends she has a ball and they wait and wait for her to throw it.
she and annie play with them a LOT!






so silly.

as we were taking these pictures craig pulled up from work.
that is my favorite part of the day.
all my people under one roof for the night.... yes.

 

the stoves are still being sponsored!!
YOU are AWESOME!

we only need 15 more stoves to reach $5000!! 

that is totally doable in three days!

it's INCREDIBLE that it's up so high already!

you guys are the best best best! 

i am dying to see one of these stoves in real life and be able to share my stories from Haiti!!

the more i read about Haiti... the more i am falling in love.

FIFTEEN STOVES.

three days.

be a SUPER STAR today! let's make a difference!

we can change things in the world!
WE CAN!
we can change children dying from toxic smoke.... we can.
 

SPONSOR A STOVE CLICK HERE.

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ok....i have crazy long list to check off today.
all the last minute things that i need to pack and have copies of, etc.
i made two more freezer meals last night and two more this morning.
i am feeling prepared i think.

we will see how i feel tonight.... yikes.

 

 

wowza!

well.... how awesome are you?

i was not sure i could meet my goal of 50 stoves...$1000.

and as of NOW we have raised $4230 and sponsored 211 stoves.

THAT IS SO AWESOME!!!

 

let's keep this momentum going! 

:)

we have five more days.... let's hit $5000!!!!!  i bet we can!!

thank you to everyone who gave so far!
the adventure project thinks you are so cool. 

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this fake commercial was on Saturday Night Live last week.
i thought it was very funny....

 

also The Lumineers were on!!!!
they were so so SO goooooooood!
did you see it?
you should go over here and watch  and then watch this one too!
they are pretty dreamy to listen to. 

 

i meant to have my craft weekend post up and ready today.
but it's not gonna happen.
i have been so busy....very happily busy... all good stuff.

how about some instagrams from the past week-ish?  

annie loves to go to the thrift store with me.
i told her she could pick one thing only..... i wish she would have chosen that couch!
instead we came home with that valentines bear from 2006.
i know it's 2006 because that is what is on the bear's foot.

my favorite mug.


kimberlee's coffee cake....it was totally delicious.


many monrings look like this over here.


i went back to the mall last week and the gold shoes
that were completely covered in gold glitter were 70% off!  
score. 

annie shouted "MOM pleeeeeease can i get one of these?! They are only $39.99!!"

only???

 

ran five miles by myself.... well, me and the avett brothers and mumford & sons.


tulips.
they are so nice on the eyes.


talby found these in the bathroom and wanted to know WHY? 
Why do we have them? Whose are they? What are they for? Where did they come from?

(they are a mold of craig's teeth...fascinating right?)

a vase of dr.seussy flowers were sunny and nice during this FREEZING week we have had.
 

so cold.
going running in this cold weather is quite something.
frozen thighs no matter how far we go.
but the reward will be endurance when the weather improves.... right?
i hope so.

i love this breakfast.
cutie...greek yogurt... granola... coffee with LOTS of half & half.


cleaning at the craft house is always pretty decent because it's all so pretty to see.


i steal my husband's socks for cold running.... they are just better.


on friday we did our run and then gathered at my friend's house and helped her prepare 25 meals for her freezer as a birthday gift to her.  :)
the gift was helping it get accomplished.
she is super organized so we did what we were told and it all worked out great!
that is my favorite way to cook... "just tell me what to do"

i chopped and chopped and chopped.


then i put together calzones.
it was a lot of work but so worth it!  it's a GENIUS way to cook meals.


saturday morning i snuck in some time under a blanket with coffee and my book.
the sun came up and became too much for me sit there anymore.
but i will take that sunshine anytime!

i took sean to his basketball tournament for the day... just the two of us.
he had three games and i really enjoyed it all.
it has been SO MUCH fun to watch my kids improve in their sports this year.


after sean's three games we went to scott's game at our old high school gym!
it was very surreal to be there as a grown up... as a parent... of a HIGH SCHOOLER?!
so weird.
and lots of the same people sitting or standing in the same place they did when i was in high school?!!

i am reading The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out.  

it's wordy but so far it's reeeeeally good.

"for grace proclaims the awesome truth that all is gift"

sunday night swimming.... yes please.
craig and sean spent almost the whole time wrestling.
why do boys do that so much?

talby organized all annie's babies for her so annie had to feed them all before going to bed herself.


and this morning.... we ran 6.17 miles in 17 degrees.
it was HARD.
but it's done. THANK GOODNESS!


then we met AGAIN but this time at the craft house and we made freezer to crock pot meals!
we made 6 recipes all together and bagged them in freezer ziploc bags!
awesome.

touching all that raw meat all day was kinda gross but i think we will all happily eat it.

i will definitely blog the recipes we tried and show more pics of that soon!
i honestly can't wait to do it again!

and now i am stinkin' tired.

i am going to bed.

 

thanks again for the stove sponsors!!!

you are RAD!

if you haven't given yet and you want to... CLICK HERE  and it will tell you how.
it couldn't be easier.

 

twenty nine.

i kind of threw everyone for a loop when i just casually mentioned i would be traveling to Haiti next week.
as in... everyone.
my own mother texted me within minutes "WHAT!? WHY don't you tell me these things?"

all day my friends were texting me asking "how did i miss this?"
they didn't.

i think i had mentioned it to three people. 

total.

it was a coping mechanism.
i knew it was coming but i also knew i had a very busy month and needed to get through it one thing at a time.  
so craft weekend january is done and now it is time to think about going to Haiti.

i am nervous deep down.  for my heart to break.  for my world to be rocked again.
but i am not scared.
i am aching in my heart already because once you SEE and KNOW... you see and know.
it doesn't go away.
you can't UNSEE it.... and that is major. 

so here we go.

i am going with Becky Straw and Jody Landers. (they are the two women in the video)

i have not met Becky yet but i am stoked about finally getting to meet face to face.  

Jody was the team leader from the trip to Sierra Leone, Africa a few years back (so sad that it's been years)

there are a few others going along that i will meet there too.

we will be documenting stories and photos of the stove vendors that are part of The Adventure Project.
i am SO excited!!
i don't have any idea even where to begin with the emotions in my heart about it all.
i feel like i cried my way through africa.... it was a lot of crying.
and i hope i can be a little more composed on this trip.

hmmmmm.

pray for me ok?  
that i will have a servant's heart and mind.  
that i will see what God wants me to see... not necessarily with my eyes.  
that i would listen when i need to listen and keep quiet when i should.

and that there will be no speed boats.  (just kidding)

 

i would LOVE to reach my goal of 50 stoves sponsored in the next 7 days.

i would actually truly love to exceed my goal and i would really like your help.




i need 29 more stoves sponsored to reach my goal.

each stove is a $20 donation.

twenty dollars.
that is.... a disney dvd.  a new cardi from target.  ONE earring at anthro.  

twenty dollars can provide so much good!

{{{sigh}}}

 

Give a Stove this Holiday - The Adventure Project Campaign on Vimeo from The Adventure Project on Vimeo.

 

twenty nine more stoves.

 

i am fully aware that a stove won't change the world.

(but... will your cardi?)

i am not trying to "save the world."
i am trying to help where i can and when i can.

the leading cause of death is from breathing smoke while their mothers cook their meal?! 
oy.

lets help to change this.

 

thank you for helping reach my goal of 50 stoves.

if you sponsor THREE stoves your name is put in with all the others who sponsored 3 stoves and we will draw one name to win a trip to Haiti!  
seriously?!
you would get to see it all with your own eyes.
i get to help pick the winner!
wouldn't it be so rad to see that YOU won?!
life changing. 

but one stove is awesome.
it's super amazing.

and so much better than a cardi.

(that says a lot coming from a cardi collector....)

 

SPONSOR A STOVE TODAY.  :)