at work

I've poured hours, days, and weeks of energy
 into this program lately

You might wonder what I do at work-?

Well...

I do a lot with spreadsheets, and international money transfers, and bank accounts, and spreadsheets, and global church leaders, and spreadsheets, and a high powered data base, and spreadsheets, and email communication, and spreadsheets, and office meetings, and spreadsheets...  and...

QuickBooks.

...

[I've never been known as the Mac of the family...

it's not unusual for me to have 10 Excel spreadsheets open at the same time at work--

and, yes, I use them all.]

ps- just for the record: I definitely enjoy my job and find it stimulating and fulfilling-- even if it sounds boring to everyone else in the universe.

Mom's Peaches

Mom knows how much I love Michigan fruit, and she generously canned peaches for me while I was in Zambia last summer.

This winter, my roomies and I have thoroughly enjoyed Mom's canned peaches.

yum.my!

ps- this is our color-coordinated calendar:

purple = Sara

red = Susanna

blue = Sharon

green = me

black = all.

got it??

colors

Last weekend I took a flying (literal) trip home to Michigan to host Betsy's bridal shower with my sisters.

I left our Pennsylvania house at 4am Friday, and returned Sunday after 11pm.
It took me half of the week to recover!

I don't know how to be a maid of honor, and feel quite inadequate at throwing parties, but
Betsy insisted that the Saturday event was one of her life highlights.

When Amy and I brainstormed ideas for the party, we explored party game ideas that included a pinata, the game Twister, and rolls of bubble wrap...

We chose COLOR for the party theme,
since Betsy loves colors.

We chose a few of Betsy's favorite foods and snacks for the meal:
mac 'n cheese (yes, from a box)
finger jello
fish crackers
gummy bears, and
funfetti cupcakes with colored sprinkles

Of course we served colored straws with the punch,
and handed out mini packets of Betsy's favorite snacks for prizes.

We decorated with crepe paper and balloons,
and used colored markers for a fun game about Betsy's life adventures.

and...
I was so busy being the sister and hostess that
I don't have any other colorful pictures to share!
:)

The End

Snow Day!

the empty pan I brought home from work tonight

Happy first day of Spring, all!

It was ironic this morning to have a snow delay at work...

especially since today was a scheduled end-of-winter lunch party at the office!

To celebrate my snow morning (and because I have a hunch this might be my final snow delay for many months-- even though we recently had four morning weather delays during one work week...),

I decided to bake a pan of cinnamon rolls to share with my coworkers.

I pulled the buns from the oven and slathered them with icing just before rushing out the door.

My office-mates loved the treat so much...

the pan never even made it to the break room! 

I'll have to make another pan one of these days...

to share with my roomies who smelled the yummy goodness bake this morning,

but

who never had the pleasure of indulging in

that

warm, sticky,

cinnamon

goodness.

PS- One thing I loved in Zambia was baking treats for neighbors, friends, and colleagues who thoroughly enjoyed a special little yummy surprise now and then.

PPS- One thing I love in Michigan is when my little sisters bake cinnamon rolls...

for me :)

home is a place with...

...yummy salads... 

[and people with whom one can share such salads!]

Pikes Peak

Pikes Peak from Garden of the Gods visitor center

Sara and I played tourists for a day after our training in Colorado.

We had a fun trip on the Cog Railway even though the train can't make it 

all the way up to Pikes Peak in winter months due to all the snow.

a little stop on the way down

so many incredible views

near Inspiration Point--
Inspiration Point was the view that inspired the songwriter to pen America the Beautiful!

just look at that blue sky!

It was a special privilege to visit Colorado.

Certain

To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, 

we do not know what a day may bring forth. 

This is generally said with a sigh of sadness, 

it should be rather an expression of breathless expectation. 

We are uncertain of the next step, 

but we are certain of God.

~Oswald Chambers

Garden of the Gods

Last Saturday Sara and I visited Colorado's famous Garden of the Gods.

Gorgeous.

We Went to a Castle (!)

It was amazing.

(don't you think so?)