I've moved...

The bloggin' is now taking place over at peanut-gallerie!

twenty-ten

Jake and I had a group of friends over for snacks and champagne on NYE, then we headed out to the Level 3 Lounge to ring in the new year!!

Me, Chels, Jake, and Andrea

Had so much fun with my girls!!

Another year, another long list of resolutions. To start the new year, I've had 3 days off in a row to get a head start on that list!

*Fill my picture frames with pictures of people we actually know. (upon Jake's request) I've already begun!

*Read more (again, I've already begun- starting with '10 Steps to Financial Wellness.')

*Make devotional time with my husband a priority.

*Learn something new-possibly sewing or knitting.

*Vacation someplace new...thinking LA. But only if we can get in a Lakers game.

*Work out at LEAST 3 days a week. Even if that means Pilates during naptime!

*And to love Jake more....he made me say that:) jk

Out of the mouth of babes...

Paige (22 months)

Molly (4) & Finn (7)

I'm a nanny and my kids crack me up. Here are some of my favorites:

1.) Molly: "How do you itch your lip when you're not supposed to put your fingers in your mouth??"

2.) Molly: "Karlee, why don't you have toys at your house?"

Me: "Because I don't have children yet, so there's no reason to have toys."

Finn: "Well why don't you birth some, you mammal? You're not just gonna lay an egg, ya know!"

3.) Molly: "My mom was really mad last night."

Me: "At you?"

Molly: "No, at my dad. She cut his head off."

Me: "She CUT his head off?"

Molly: "Not for real, Karlee. It's just something you say when a person yells at another person."

Me: "You mean, BIT his head off?"

Molly: "Oh yeah, bit. I'm so silly" :)

Stay tuned...

Compromise.

Maroon 5 said it best; "It's not always rainbows and butterflies, it's compromise that moves us along." I've borrowed that line more than once. I can now honestly admit that compromise does not come easy for me. But, of course, being married has forced me to work on it. And I have. For example, I am a white-Christmas-light-kinda-girl, and Jake is ALL about the colored lights. As far as he's concerned, the more red and green...the better. We argued about how we would decorate our Christmas tree months before it turned December. Being the woman of the house, it just makes sense that I would get my way and have a beautiful green tree, adorned in white lights and coordinating ornaments..right??? Wrong. Our tree is multicolored. We have everything from Michigan football ornaments to hot pink, sparkly ornaments with my name written ALL over them:) And it works. The day Jake started decorating the house I was working late, he called and and said he had purchased garland for the mantle and staircase. I was picturing crisp, green garland, wrapped in white lights and when I got home....I was greeted with bright red and silver garland, wrapped in colored lights. Jake was so pleased with his decorating that I couldn't help but enjoy it as well. Pick your battles right? Arguing over Christmas lights may seem insignificant, but if you start your compromises small, the big ones will come a bit easier. Let this encourage you, especially you married folk, to let the other win once in a while:) I did it. And Lord knows, Jake does his share. Maybe next year I'll get my white lights!!

Hopefully everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. My day was filled with family, food, and furry friends. We surprised Mom with a puppy as her early Christmas present!! He is to die for.

Here are some "Yummy-Day-After Combos", thanks to my friend, Stephanie!

*Peanut Butter & Cranberry Sammy - Use the leftover cranberry sauce instead of jelly to make a peanut butter and cranberry sandwich. It's even better than the PB&J!

*Turkey Roll-Ups - Take slices of turkey, put some stuffing on the inside, roll them up, add some gravy, and heat them in the oven for about 10 minutes. They're amazing!

*Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream - Instead of eating the same leftover pie for days, scoop out the filling and mix it into some vanilla ice cream. Add cinnamon, then refreeze it. So good!

RUBIES

I have this fascination with rubies. It all started on Monday night, April 23rd, 2007. I was in the "beginning" stages of my first relationship..and the going was rough. (I'll save that for a later blog.) I was crying out to God, in the midst of feeling unimportant and taken for granted. I felt like I should read over Proverbs 31, and remind myself how I hoped God would someday view me. Give myself something new to focus on, as a young, christian woman. And that maybe..just maybe, I would find my worth in Him, rather than a tall, dark, handsome man:) I read each line for the millionth time, and as I finished, these words came to me, as if God Himself had written me a letter.

You're of far greater worth than rubies, not only for what you say and do, but because I fearfully made you. I see your heart, I formed your future. No one could love you as purely and passionately as I do. You could never be devalued, because you are precious in my sight. You're stamped with a purpose; spoken for. I'm your Savior, Redeemer, Healer, and Provider. Don't search for someone to take my place. I look at you, daughter, with complete adoration. You're more than anyone could ever hope for.

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Proverbs 31:30

Now here I am, two and a half years later; married to that same man. As wonderful as he is, he's only human, and there are days where I continue to find my worth in the Lord. The Lord who created me just the way I am- "Stubborn, strong-willed, independent" and so much more! Never forget, ladies, no matter who you are, where you come from, or what you've done, you're stamped with a purpose; SPOKEN FOR.

love,
karlee

Whoever thought this is where I'd be at 22; Married, in school, full-time nanny. Friend, daughter, sister, aunt, neice, granddaughter...the list goes on and on. There are so many things I still desire to be and wonder if they happen to be included in God's plan for me. Someday I'll be a mother, basking in the sweet, sweet smell of a baby of my own. One with a wild name, destined to be a rock star or something notably interesting. I hope to be an aunt to many more babies whose names end in "N". Children I love so dearly, I wonder how I could ever love my own more than they. I'm in school to be a Respiratory Therapist, wanting to bring hope and health to the elderly in their sunset years, and the delicate infants housing under-developed lungs. This is a feasible goal. But how about all of the other labels I long to land? For instance, writer. On "my list of things to do before I die," is write a book. To jump in feet first, full of imagination and clever wording would be a heartfelt novel that would grab readers by their shoulders and shake every emotion loose. Also, boutique owner/designer. Whether it be unique home furnishings or handpicked vintage garments, I would use high-end fabrics, and rough metals and metallics. The shop would either be named Peanut Gallery (long story) or Rubies (my fascination with rubies will be explained in a later blog.) Believe it or not, there is more I long to accomplish, but for this moment in time, God wants me to do the best with what I've been given. A wonderful husband who loves me more than I deserve, an amazing family who's supported the woman I am today, and a future full of unknowns! My encouragement to anyone reading this is, don't put yourself in a box. You may be a stay at home mom, but that's not God's only plan for you. He places desires in our hearts to be watered and eventually bloom. So, dream, dream, dream, and it will all happen in His perfect timing. If He were standing here next to me I'm sure he would say, "Delight yourself in me, and I can assure you, little girl, I will give you the desires of your heart!"