Quarterly Check-in: Booklist

So in order to reach my goal by the end of the year, I was hoping to be halfway there by now. These three months I read 32 books! So my total is 58 for the year so far.
Sunday at Tiffany's by James Patterson
Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick
Time's Arrow by Martin Amis
A Rogue of My Own by Johanna Lindsey
One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell
Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell
Money by Martin Amis
The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Ends of the Earth by Tim Downs
Four Blondes by Candace Bushnell
Trading Up by Candace Bushnell
Arcadia Falls by Carol Goodman
The Romanov Prophecy by Steve Barry
Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert
Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Ghostwalk by Rebecca Stott
Tell-All by Chuck Palahnuik
Changes by Jim Butcher
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Surfacing by Margaret Atwood
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
Born to Run by Christopher McDougall
Just Take My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood
The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer
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Waiting for HP

Kinda can't wait to watch this in November.. plus my beau told me he'll wear HP glasses and sport a lightning scar.

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:)

Happy Birthday weekend to my guy - I'm looking forward to celebrating it some with him!

Wanderlust

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I recently learned that my roommate is going to Europe tomorrow - she'll watch her brother graduate in Scotland, spend a day in London, followed by a family trip through Northern France. Happy for her and a little jealous :) Can't wait to see her pictures!

3 E's

Live with the 3 E’s - Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy

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"Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people."
-Ephesians 6:7 (NLT)

Happy Weekend!

On KLove this week, they have a contest for getting your dad on a cruise ship. To qualify, you have to list 7 things that describe your dad. Every time it comes on, I try to think of how I would describe my dad. The words I've thought of are: Corny (so good at "Dad" jokes), Reliable (always answers when I need directions, AAA number when I lock my keys in my car, or make me smile when I'm frustrated), Knowledgeable (was/is always able to lecture or discuss intelligibly on a vast breadth of topics), Caring (listens when I'm upset, or excited), Geeky (it's great being able to call him about computers or cars, or listen as he enthuses about his game :) ), Changing (I'm so thankful my dad is a Godly example for me - showing what can happen when God is given control), and Romantic (might be weird to say, but I love seeing the things he does for my mom, like holding her hand, making the coffee, calling her pet names, and getting things that she needs. Great example, plus he shows us kids love in little ways too that mean so much).

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This weekend I get to practice my golf swing:
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Shop with my sister and mom for my sister's wedding dress:
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Attend a wedding with my sweet mother (the couple will have very athletic babies):
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Celebrate Father's Day (hopefully coffee and dessert)!:
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Celebrate one of my best friend's birthdays!:

Smile

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A smile is a curve that sets everything straight. -Phyllis Diller
Of all the things you were, your expression is the most important. - Janet Lane
I just like to smile, smiling's my favorite. - quote from ELF

I think I like these chairs now:

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Words To Live By

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I cannot hear what you do not say

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Have you ever wished you could just read someone's mind. Ever seen wheels turning, and wish you could just know what they were thinking? I spent some time this morning thinking about the reasons things are they way they are. First of all, some thoughts are hurtful. Sometimes the first word or phrase that pops in your head would crush someone's confidence or is honestly wrong. Having a few moments to rephrase it or realign your thinking is nice. Honestly, I love the work that goes into communication sometimes. You have to ask, you have to share, you have to choose to notice and listen. It's interesting to me to observe what works for a couple, or a set of friends. I feel as though families and networks of friends are set up to be an example for our relationship with Christ; that it shows the many levels of love, and serves as practice to communicate in the most important relationship in life.
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Ugh

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I got my first migraine in a while yesterday. Complete with an aura. I've been sipping Diet Dr. Pepper and munching on saltines and applesauce for most of the last 24 hours. I watched the Bachlorette at a low volume, quite a treat, and sported my sleep mask around the house, neighborhood, and a grocery store. I think right now, more than getting through these three days and maintaining a certain level of productivity at work, I'm concerned with why?? I got my first migraine in high school, during soccer practice. I was concerned when I suddenly and increasing lost my peripheral vision in one eye. I would routinely get migraines that year and through the beginning of college, mostly without auras, until it finally stopped. I know migraines can be triggered by hormones, stress, or certain foods, but I don't really feel as though any of those should have played a big role in this one. My current theory is a strenuous workout. On Sunday, I got the opportunity to participate in a super speed Triathlon, completely 10 lengths of a pool, just over 6 miles biking, and 1.5 miles running. I kinda went into the event without much training, and with a borrowed bike from my generous sister in law, but had a lot of fun and really tried to push myself to feel tired at the end. Maybe if I have any other sort of event come up, I'll be a bit better prepared!

Fresh Air

Happy June! How time flies. The long weekend did me good. I got to watch plenty of Ultimate Frisbee and soak up some vitamin D. I've been oddly extremely tired recently, and some of that has shown in some slightly drastic emotional outbursts. It's amazing the impact our attitude can make! It's so important to have the habits and discipline in our lives that we need to keep good attitudes and easy going joy accessible. I'm so thankful for being held accountable to my actions, and ultimately the stuff that's going on inside. Praise!

I truly do love the little things in life, the ironies, the moments of everyday magic. Why not notice what life is made up of. Why not choose to focus on the things that matter and the things that make you smile? You are a beautiful you.

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“ Whatever comes,” she said, “cannot alter one thing. If I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside. It would be easy to be a princess if I were dressed in cloth of gold, but it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it. "

-Frances Hodgson Burnett (A Little Princess)

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