Best Day Ever: Ice Cream Date

Today definitely made the top 5 list of my favorite days...I surprised my 6-year old nephew with an ice cream date. This was the first-time just he and I have gotten to hang out since his baby sister was born (over a year ago). This quality time was long over due.

Around noon I cut out of work early really excited about the afternoon ahead.  I made a stop at home to change and grab a bite to eat and then I was off to my brother's house for the festivities to begin. Unfortunately, my brother was laid out on the couch sick, but my sister in-law was there to give me what I needed to pick up my nephew from school.  This was my first time going through a pick-up line at an elementary school and so I wasn't quite sure what I was doing. Fortunately, the people who work there do know what they're doing.  I was also a little worried that he would get into the wrong car because he normally rides home with a neighbor.

I pulled up to the curb and spotted my little man.  When his name was called he started walking towards his neighbor's car (who happened to be the car in front of mine), but then he looked up and spotted me, Auntie Alison, in the pick-up line.  At first he was confused, but then his little face lit up with surprise and excitement and the best smile ever.  He was doing a mix of hopping and running towards my car.

When he was secured in his seat belt the questions began flowing...

"What are you doing here?!" "Did my mom say it was ok?" "What are we going to do?"

After he had all of his questions answered I gave him a packet of silly bands that his mom wanted me to give him. If you haven't heard of silly bands, google them.  He then bestowed upon me the girly colored silly bands in the packet. I am now the proud owner of 4 of my very own car shaped silly bands in pink and purple.

We then headed off to my mom's office (aka Nana) for a visit. My mom works at my church, and my nephew used to go to pre-school there, so he had some people he wanted to see.  We made our rounds and passed out hugs and kisses. The best part was he kept saying "I'm just so happy" and was spontaneously singing "If You're Happy and You Know It..."

When visiting hour was over, we headed off to the local ice cream shop for a treat. In the car on the way there he asked, "Can you pick me up from school every Wednesday?" I desperately wish my answer could have been "Yes". We also talked about our family, and how one day I hope to give him some cousins to play with. I told him that I have to get married first and he told me that means my last name wont be Hunt anymore more. I told him I didn't like that and he said "Well, maybe when you get married you can tell him to change his last name to Hunt!?" I said "Baby, it doesn't work that way" and he said "I know." We were both a little sad we wont always share the same last name.

At the ice cream shop we made our selections (He had mint ice cream with gummy bears and I had coffee ice cream with chocolate chips), and found a table and sat down to enjoy our snack. As we sat there we continued our conversation. The topics included, among other things, mean girls in his class and what we should do after we eat our ice cream.  We also made silly faces at each other. It. Was. Awesome.

Up next on the agenda was a healthy dose of wii playing.  Little man got to play all of the games he wanted without having to watch out for his baby sister crawling around or being interrupted because she needs something from one of the adults he was playing wii with.  This is what you call heaven for this 6-year old boy.

The best part of the day was all of the spontaneous hugs and "I'm so happy" statements and the fact that when I asked him what is his all time favorite thing to do in the world, he answered "Spend time with you and Nana." Melt. My. Heart.

Today I realized that his love language is definitely quality time and I intend to give it to him as much a possible.  He is an amazing older brother and is so content that it is easy to forget that he needs some special attention too. He amazes me with his generosity, his kindness and his love for his family.  He is one of my biggest inspirations.  I love my little man!

Radical by David Platt

Today I received an email from WaterBrook Multnomah publishing's Blogging for Books program about the book Radical by David Platt. They asked me (and other bloggers) to read the first chapter and post my thoughts. His book is about his search of living a radical life of belief in and obedience to Jesus Christ by stepping away from the self-centered American church and moving towards a life of sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel. 

 

What Platt proposes in chapter one alone is nothing short of radical. I can see where he is coming from and it takes a supernatural amount of faith to live the radical life he talks about.  Without having read the rest of the book, I think he is heading in the right directions.  I can definitely tell he is still searching for answers (which he readily admits) and for the reader that likes a good adventure, this book is for that person. While I agree with a lot of what he says, I think it is important to use discernment because not every person's "Radical Life" will look the same.  For some it may mean literally selling everything they have to give to the poor and for other it may mean remaining single to devote their life service and the Gospel.  I think it is more important to take away the heart of what Platt says and ask God to show us through scripture how to be radical in our relationship with Him. I'm definitely curious to see where Platt lands at the end of the book.

 

 WaterBrook Multnomah is offering chapter one for free by visiting this website: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/2010/04/20/sneak-peek-radical-by-david-platt/

 

They are also offering "The Radical Question" (a small companion guide to Radical) for free! You can go to this website to have your copy mailed to you: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/RadicalQuestion/

 

If you would like to learn more about Radical by David Platt please visit: www.RadicaltheBook.com

 

Family Lessons

Last weekend I spent an afternoon at my brother's house catching up with him and playing with the kids.  At one point during my time there I was playing with A, my 6 year old nephew, and I noticed he had a blister on the palm of his hand.  I asked him what happened and this is what he told me...

 

"Well, one day on the play ground, I was swinging on the swings to get a tan..."

 

I didn't hear much after that because I was laughing so hard!  He was swinging to get a tan. What six year old says something like that?! A; that's who. He is one funny kid. Although I thought it was funny, he did NOT think it was funny that I was laughing.  When I apologized and said I was laughing at what he said and not at him he replied, "Well, you were just a little bit." Ouch, right? I sometimes forget that when kids say funny things they are usually serious about what they said. Apologies and an ice cream date are forthcoming for the little guy.

 

Later that afternoon he challenged me to a wii boxing match. Going in I knew I would lose because kids are now bred with some gene to beat adults at wii games.  What I did not anticipate is actually injuring myself. I texted my older brother D the next day reporting said injury and got no sympathy. He replied "That's why I don't wii box! lol".

 

Also, can I mention that my 13 month old niece, S, out ate her brother at lunch? I am amazed and baffled because A can put down some serious food! A is getting close to 4ft tall.  Pretty sure he will be towering over me by the time he's in high school.

 

Lessons learned that afternoon:

1. A good way to tan is to swing on a playground

2. Don't take for granted the tender feelings of child.

3. No amount of exercise will prevent a Wii boxing injury when the need to win outweighs adult common sense.

4. Older brothers still act like older brothers even in adulthood. ;)

5. A baby in a growth spurt can out eat just about anyone.

So Random

Pardon the randomness, but I've got lots going on in this mind of mine...

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Last week I had my last training session with my personal trainer.  It was sad to say goodbye to her.  After training twice a week for 12 weeks, she has become a staple in my life. It hurts when staples are removed!  Let's hope I can keep up with workouts without her.  Fortunately, she's emailing me all of the workout plans we did during our time together!

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I don't like to use my ipod when I workout. As a matter of fact, I don't like to listen to any kind of music when I workout.  It ruins my focus. Plus, I like to work through my day as I'm beating my body into submission exercising and music only crowds my thoughts.

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This next link is honor of my bff, Shelby.  She has a thing for leggings but not everyone share's her love. http://uiucnopants.com/ is a blog dedicated to those people who wear their leggings as pants.  According to Shelby there are rules for wearing leggings.  I'm pretty sure these people are not following the rules!

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I've been praying for this girl, recently.  She has given so much of herself to others and right now she needs us. In a major, miracle needing way.

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I'm about to finish the Twilight series again...I hate to admit this is my 5th time reading the books. I'm an adult who loves Young Adult Fantasy/Sci-Fi novels. Hey, it could be worse. At least my favorite books aren't Harlequin Romances!

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Speaking of the Twilight saga...did you know a new Twilight novella is being released on June 7??! It's titled The Short Second LIfe of Bree Tanner and it's about one of the "new born" vampires that was created by Victoria in book 3: Eclipse. It was originally supposed to be included in The Twilight Saga: The Official Guide, but it would have doubled the size of the Guide. Another trivia factoid for you is that the actors who play Victoria, Bree and Riley in the Eclispe movie read the novella.  Which means we will get to know more about their side of the story in the movie!  {You can actually read more about that at www.stepheniemeyer.com.}

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Like you couldn't already tell, I'm such a book nerd. So, of course there are many I want to add to my personal library. Last year I got into the habit getting all of my books from my local Library.  The ones I loved I added to my wish list on www.amazon.com, but the wallet is tight yall! So my wishes have remained just that.  Here's a link to my wish list {Hint, Hint}

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Wednesday is Administrative Professionals Day and I just found out I get to do something really fun that day! I love my job!

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Had enough randomness? Ok, Ok. Before I go though, here's a link to my Madrid pictures ;)

Book Review: Never Say Never by Lisa Wingate

When it comes to Christian fiction I am usually pretty wary of what I might find between the covers. Mainly because most Christian fiction books are romance novels set in another time period 200 years, or earlier, in the past.  So, what made me pick this book for review? Why did I give Christian fiction another chance?

1. Never Say Never by Lisa Wingate is set in modern day.
2. While there is some romance to the plot, it is not the all consuming topic.
3. I like try things again because, you "can't judge a book by it's cover!" har har ;)

I read it, and I liked it, but I didn't LOVE it. I think the reason I didn't love it is based on the expectation I had of the plot.

{Possible SPOILER ALERT!}

Let me back up a bit and start with what I did like about this book...

• Lisa Wingate is actually a good writer!  I also liked how she dealt with some real issues in the content. The main character, Kai, came from a not so great home life, and Wingate clearly showed the affect it had on Kai's life and her inability/unwillingness to truly connect with people. 
• There was romance, but she wrote in such a way that did not stir emotions or fantasies or unrealistic ideals. Unfortunately, most Christian romance novels I have read are almost as bad as the secular romance novels. You know what I mean...a harlequin romance just minus the explicit scenes.  
• The story had a good moral about taking care of those in need.

Alright, now on to the items where I felt a bit let down...

• While the characters in the book clearly went to church, and were religious, I didn't get anything about their relationship with Jesus.
• Kai questions her beliefs through the memories of her little brother, but at the end of the book there was not a resolution about where she stood about her faith.
• I would have liked more of the story to focus on her love interest, Kemp.

So, on the scale of  Bad, Eh, Good, and Excellent...I give it a "Good".

This book was provided for free by Bethany House Publishing for review and it can be purchased at any online book retailer. :)

The Ancient Gates

...Since the very first time I read Psalm 24 I've had a fascination and a curiosity about those ancient gates and doors. Where do the gates lead? Who should open them? I wonder what those ancient gates looked like? What I did not understand was how they necessarily related to worship. More specifically, how the gates related to my personal worship and relationship with God....


To read the rest of The Ancient Gates visit www.exemplifyonline.com to read the April issue! (psst....it begins on page 56!)

Intentional

Well, my blog went dark for a time, but I have good excuses. Really, I do!

I was in Spain for a week for my job and a couple days of sight seeing. Stories will definitely be coming on that experience! Fortunately, I found an incredible airline tickets and my mom could afford to go with me too!

I've been busy making some new friends. They're absolutely precious. For real. Definitely an answer to 3 years of prayer!

I have a new personal trainer that's been torturing helping me twice a week to get strong and healthy (and beach ready!).

Celebrating my nieces 1st birthday!
Before Cake...

After Cake...

Spending time with this little man....my 6 year old nephew. Yall he's gonna be tall....real tall.

Can you tell he loves his sister? Look at that smile....makes an Auntie proud!

Planning my first adult/non-family/non-couch hopping vacation with some friends from college.  We're cruising to Cozumel and I cannot wait to get to this beach!

And last but not least...writing for Exemplify Magazine over at www.exemplifyonline.com. A new issue comes out on Saturday!! Make sure to subscribe (it's FREE) and each month the magazine will be delivered right to your email inbox!

So, while I've been busy, my blog has definitely been on my mind, and I've decided to be more intentional with what I do here...i.e. actually posting! ha!  I don't want to just write about what keeps me busy...that's what twitter is for. So, keep your eyes open for more meaningful (at least to me) posts around these parts.

Love-love: A

Laughing @ Myself

I am particular about the way I do most tasks. I know this about myself, but I did not realize I was so transparent about it! Sometimes I think God uses people to show me my peculiarities so I can get a good laugh at myself.

The other day I was fixing my tea in the break room at work and I got into a conversation with a coworker.  Our positions work in orbit of each other and we don't usually have much cause to interact, except the few minutes we spend in the break room in the mornings.  That day I was fixing my hot tea and was going through my normal routine, and out of the blue she asks if I am the only girl child in my family.  I tell her that I am, and go on to explain that I have an older brother and 2-step sisters that I gained as an adult.  I didn't know what prompted the question and so I said, "Why do you ask? Is there something about me that gives it away?"

She just shakes her head, laughs and tells me that everything I do is done "just-so".   I immediately knew she was confronting my strange compulsion to be particular and had laughed right along with her.

Sometimes I need to have a good giggle at the parts that make up the sum of who I am as a person.

What parts of your sum do you need to laugh at today?

And the Winner is....

On Monday I reviewed Matthew Paul Turner's book, Hear No Evil and gave you the chance to win a free copy. Well, according to the fine people at www.random.org the winner is....


Colin Mansfield!


For all the rest of you that didn't win....BUY it!  Seriously; you will not regret spending the money on it.  I'll even make is super easy for you with direct links to the book at these online stores:


www.waterbrookmultnomah.com {the publisher}
www.amazon.com
www.christianbook.com
www.barnesandnoble.com




And, the FTC is making me do this next part...This book was provided for review and giveaway by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Tuesday's Trio - Twitter Edition

This week's Trio is all about my favorite twitterers tweople twits people who use twitter.


JesusNeedsNewPR - He's just so dang funny! I may not agree with everything he says, but at least he believes what he says,and lets be real, he's pure comedy.


Snowhite197 - She's my favorite foodie on twitter. Even better, she posts food pictures. I would pay good money for some cooking lessons with her!


JClayville - #1 Hilarious; #2 Real, Real Honest; #3 cutest kids EVER.


Follow them. Now. Right now before you forget. ;)