Wordless Wednesday

Well, almost...

If you read one book from my 2010 reading list - read The Help.

Free Stuff on Tax Day

I know one person who is EXTREMELY excited for today. She's an accountant and has been counting down since January, at least. A few businesses are giving away some free stuff to celebrate this day.

Head to your local Starbucks with your reusable tumbler in hand and they'll give you free coffee.


For a free lunch {my economics professor was wrong - there ARE free lunches} head to a Taco Del Mar for a free taco.

PF Chang's is offering 15% off food purchases today.

Some Subway's are giving away a free cookie.

McCormick & Schmick's restaurants are celebrating the completion of 1040 forms with dinner entrees for $10.40 and drink specials. And on Friday, the restaurant is hosting Tax Preparer Appreciation Day--free dessert for accountants and other tax preparers. Diners on both days will also receive a $10.40 gift certificate.

Tax Free Groceries: Whole Foods stores in the South are rewarding customers with a tax-free shopping day.

One of my motto's is: "if it's free, it's for me" {take that economics professor}

Happy Tax Day!

Whidbey Island 1/2

After riding through the tulip fields on Saturday, we headed up to Oak Harbor for dinner at our friend, Nick's parents house. Nick was also running the Whidbey Island 1/2 Marathon. His sweet mom cooked a huge {delicious} pasta dinner for about 15 runners + support crew. ;) It definitely fueled the runners because I believe everyone accomplished their individual goals on race day!

I'm so proud of Garrett. He got a new PR of 1:36:37 coming in almost 10 minutes faster than his time last year and came in 35th overall of about 1400 finishers and 5th in his age group of about 80.

Mike wasn't far behind Garrett coming in just a few seconds after and also PR'd. These guys work so hard together and it showed today by their finishing times!

Dave and Geoff approaching the finish

and here comes Nick!

Dave with little miss Addie relaxing after the race!

Tulip Festival

On Saturday, Garrett and I decided to head up to Skagit Valley to see the beautiful tulip fields since Garrett was running the nearby Whidbey Island 1/2 Marathon on Sunday. I have been wanting to see the tulips in bloom ever since I moved up here. One March, back when we were dating, Garrett and I went up to see the daffodil fields but were too early to see the tulips in bloom.

Instead of going to see the tulips by car, I thought it would be more fun to go by bike. Luckily my neighbor let me borrow her road bike and Garrett made me promise to "practice" on the bike trainer on Friday night. The practice was successful but I was a little bit nervous because I haven't ridden a bike since I was a tween and I have never ridden a road bike. Mostly during my practice run, I learned never to brake too hard with my left hand because that could send me flying over the front of the bike and of course always wear a helmet.

I took a couple spins around the parking lot {with helmet, promise} and just like that it all came back to me. Although Garrett, after seeing me wobble around the parking lot, I think got more scared than I was to actually bike on streets WITH cars! Ha!

But turns out there were huge bike lanes on most of the streets we were on and the cars were sitting at a stand still because of all the tulip traffic = bikers win!

Millions of tulips! Don't they just make you want to smile and frolic through the field?!

I think they pulled me out of the winter blues mood I've been stuck in for a couple weeks.

Seriously though if you ever plan a trip to see the tulips, I would recommend touring by bike rather than car. I don't think I'll ever forget the sweet smell of tulips in bloom as we approached the first tulip field!

Stay tuned for the rest of our weekend update tomorrow!

Look who scored big time...

...at the library!

I never thought I would be so stinking excited to pick up books from the library, but yesterday I was! It only took about FOUR months to get The Help. When I made the hold request in January, I was number {approximately} 900 out of 900 on the hold list on about 200 copies so I just figured I would be waiting for a long long time. To my complete surprise, yesterday I got the email that it was on hold for me to pickup. I can't wait to dig into this book!

I'm also excited about the cookbook Now Eat This! {with Rocco's healthier Fettuccine recipe which I blogged about last month}. It's compiled of 150 of America's favorite comfort foods all under 350 calories. I browsed through it last night and it's definitely one that I want to buy.

Also, I am happy to report that I am rocking my 2010 Reading List! I have finished 6 of the 12 books! I am going to have to add more. So far, 2010 has been the year of reading for me.

Easter Skyping

We had a wonderful Easter. The highlight of my Easter {besides the amazing Church service and the most delicious eggs benedict} was Skyping with my ENTIRE family, even my grandparents, live from the Kelly's house! I brought the computer outside so that all the Kelly/Rinta family could say hello to the Owens/Smith/Limbaugh family!! It was perfect, thank you technology.

Hope you had wonderful Easter too!

*note: I am becoming translucent. Must get sun, pronto.

Hoppy Easter!

Yup, that's me circa 1986 (?) just stopping to smell the flowers!

I hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend!

Victory is on the Other Side of Failure

Firstly, I wanted to share this with you - if you have kiddos you have to check out this post by Darby at Fly Through Our Window {love her blog}. Such a great way to get kids involved and learning about Jesus' life, death and resurrection!

Second, I get these daily devotions from Proverbs 31 Ministries and really enjoyed this one today. Here's Friday's devotion:

Victory is on the Other Side of Failure

"The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.'" Matthew 28:5-6a (NIV)

Told by a teacher he was too stupid to learn: Thomas Edison

Fired from his job at a newspaper because he didn't have good ideas: Walt Disney

A music teacher told him he had no hope as a composer: Beethoven

Falsely accused, arrested, killed: Jesus Christ

The disciples of Jesus must have been shattered that Friday. For three years they followed the man from Nazareth. They watched Him heal the sick, restore sight to the blind, and even raise people from the dead. When Jesus said, "I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness " (John 12:46, NAS), they got it. Darkness enveloped the hearts of their countrymen. They needed a "Light."

Twelve ordinary men abandoned everything to follow Jesus: jobs, family, and homes. Not with regret, but with hope. Hope for the promise Jesus offered. Look where it got them that Friday. Good Friday, we call it now. But it was anything but good to them. Jesus was dead – they'd witnessed the crucifixion. Only 11 now, they must have gathered that night after scattering throughout the city. Other followers joined them to mourn the death of the man they loved, and the death of the hope He offered.

On Saturday, they still gathered. No one left - though they could have. They could have packed up their things and put this failed adventure behind them. Back to fishing, back to family, back to normal. But no one left. In spite of what appeared to be complete failure of this new kingdom, everyone stayed. Faithful.

Saturday inched forward to noon, dusk, and then evening. The beauty of the night sky didn't ease their pain. Perhaps they reminisced some. In hindsight, Jesus wasn't really what they were expecting. When the prophets of old foretold a king would come to rescue them, they figured it would be someone imposing, with power, maybe with chariots to whip their enemies into submission. Some took longer than others to readjust their expectations. But when God opened their eyes to the beauty of His plan, they bought into it with their lives.

I'm sure troubled thoughts stole their sleep that Saturday night. Finally, in complete exhaustion their tired bodies overtook their worried minds. Sunday morning dawned. I imagine some woke up hoping it was all a bad dream. Then reality settled in, like heavy summer storm clouds. Jesus was still dead.

Two women got ready first and went to the tomb. Expecting to find the body of their beloved Savior, God treated them instead to a display of His power. With a violent earthquake shaki ng the ground, an angel of the Lord came from heaven, rolled back the stone covering the tomb and sat down on the rock. Hello!

The angel looked at the women, and spoke words that transformed them from hopeless to hope-filled: "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee" (Matthew 28:5-7a, NIV).

Can you even imagine the celebration? It had only looked like failure. Instead, it was glorious victory! Hope wasn't dead. Jesus was alive! The disciples learned a lesson they would never forget: When God is involved, things aren't always what they seem.

Today we see problems and failures with the same eyes as the disciples. Even knowing that God is able to do things beyond what we can imagine, when we look at a "failure," we often only see an ending. God, however, sees an opportunity for a new beginning. As we celebrate Easter, may that truth nestle itself into our heart. With God all things are possible. He is risen!

Dear Lord, my heart is filled with thanksgiving and praise for You. How can I begin to thank You for sending Jesus, and for His sacrifice for me? Thank You also for the lesson that nothing is too big for You. Help me remember that truth when I'm facing what looks like failure. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Why didn't I think of this sooner?

I have about a million and one recipes I've saved from magazines or printed online. They have been awkwardly taking up all the space in my recipe box. One day I said enough was enough, I had to do something about my overflowing recipe box. I decided to do this:

ahhh so much better. Why didn't I think of this sooner?!

Legendary

That's what I think about John Mayer. He is legendary on the guitar. And on top of mad guitar skills he can sing. Last night we saw him live at Key Arena. I have to say this concert definitely made my top 5 best concerts ever list. Even though he only played one song {Why Georgia} from Room for Squares {I really wanted to hear Love Song For No One}, it was AMAZING!

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SETLIST
Heartbreak Warfare
Belief
Perfectly Lonely
Crossroads
Say
Assassin
Waiting on the World to Change
The Heart of Life
Dreaming With A Broken Heart
Clarity
Daughters
Why Georgia
Half of My Heart > Dreams

ENCORE
Who Says
Gravity

There weren't any of his notorious risqué comments, but this lady threw some undies on stage that said "John, come see my WONDERLAND"

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