i really  hope my daughter never outgrows her love of playgrounds.
some people lose their youthful glee much too early...in fact, i don't see why you have to lose it at all.
something magical happens inside of me when i see a swing, a slide, or a merry go round. haaha
when i think about how rickety the playground equipment was when i was a kid, i am almost amazed that so many of us survived. some of those climbers were INSANE!!, and would never be considered "up to code" today...then again, my favorite climbers were trees, and i doubt those would be considered safe either.
while the kiddo & i were out and about we came across this beauty:

that's right, folks...a genuine "QUALITY ZOOM SLIDE"
now, i don't know how many of you have had the pleasure of zooming down one of these babies, but let me tell you...they are just as fast (or not, if you're wearing shorts) as they were in 1986.

today, the kiddo and i explored a part of the park we've never visited before. we were in search of an old meeting house and cemetery...it was kind of a spur of the moment decision to go there, it was such a nice day after a string of cold, rainy ones..i had to be outside! anyway, if i'd thought about it earlier, i would have looked up the park map, and would have been able to easily find the church. instead, i relied on my memory of what i'd viewed a while back...and ended up taking us on a nice ramble through the woods. instead of a straight 1/2 mile or so down a gravel path, we tromped along the mountain bike trail..we saw a bunny, lots of bees, and two does, who looked less surprised to see us than we were to see them. we never did end up at the meeting house..i guess we'll do that another day. :)

"God saw everything that He had made, and indeed, it was very good." Genesis 1:31

don't worry, i actually have pretty mediocre self esteem.

who can clear a nasty bathtub clog, replace a shower head and make a killer coffee cake, all in the same afternoon? yeah, it's me. no need to fret, i washed my hands. 

i really can do all things, through Him who strengthens me. :) ...even when clearing that clog made me almost toss my cookies, i pinched my finger while tightening the shower head, and almost burnt the coffee cake. heheh 


mmmm...

today i am thankful. i am reminding myself that i am thankful...i am in a rotten mood. probably because i haven't been sleeping well, allergies are kicking my butt (or my head), and things that i can normally just let bounce off me are piercing my armor. 

i am thankful for my family. most especially my awesome kiddo who i am blessed to enjoy spending time with. working with kids (and parents), i see so many people who genuinely love their children-but don't seem to really like them very much. my daughter has always been highly entertaining at the very least, and i am really enjoying getting to know the young lady she is becoming. she is w-e-i-r-d. and i am soooo glad. there wasn't much hope for her to be otherwise. haha. i'm also thankful that my sisters keep having cute babies for me to cuddle and spoil. being an aunt rocks my socks.

i am thankful that it rained today and washed some of the pollen out of the air and off my car. 

i am even thankful for the pollen. 

i am thankful for my job. and that my boss seems to like me. and that she asked me to come back in the fall.

i'm thankful that, even though i DO enjoy my job (for the most part), i have only FIVE more weeks of work until i get to take a break and spend the summer helping my sister out with her crazy little monster. :) BLESSED!!!!!!

i am thankful for my friends. especially the ones who make me laugh...also thankful for laughter. i need it. i think i am addicted to it. 

i'm thankful for the guy who held the door open for me at the dollar store this afternoon, and also thankful that the bag i was carrying didn't break until after i got to the car. 

i'm thankful for Ephesians 6:10-18 because it gets me through so much. what a blessing to have all those powerful tools. ♥ as soon as i am finished here, i am going to go read it again...even though i've been able to quote it since i was 6. on that note, i am thankful for junior bible quiz...even though it used to make me have anxiety attacks and i never actually competed because i was too busy throwing up in the trash can. heheh  the only question i ever answered because even practicing made me ill..."what does Golgotha mean?" and i am thankful for kenny brown, who whispered the answer to me. heheehh. 2 points to you, reader, if you know the answer without googling.

i am thankful for the crazy beautiful sunrise this morning, and that i was driving to work so i could see it. 

ok i am feeling slightly less grumbly now.

this is what makes me smile:

kids who run up to me and ask, "Miss Amy!!! Can I draw your FACE???" :)

i am so frustrated with people who are mean and nasty and who stereotype and judge others because of their physical appearance, intellect, social status, etc.
i have to repeat to myself, "in your anger do not sin." so often that it seems like i am shouting it at myself in my mind. reacting to situations that hurt other people in a right way is soooo hard for me sometimes. :/ especially when the people being so hateful claim to be followers of my Jesus.
i know that "beating" people with the Word is not the proper response but sometimes i just want to scream...

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Matthew 22:36-40

"You have heard it said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your Father is perfect."
Matthew 5:42-48

"Love suffers long, and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, it is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; it does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails..."
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

sometimes it's good to remind myself, too. i need to have love for these meanie pants people. and not grumble at them in my heart. or outloud....or on my blog, i suppose. i am so aggravated. grah. and sad. and that makes me mad.
how hard is it, really, to treat others with kindness and respect?!? i know i have been guilty of unkind words...so i will go shout to myself what i feel like shouting at others. and i will pray for them. and for me. and for all the people who were hurt by words or deeds today. :c

oh the joys of getting new toys. :)

i have never been a fan of putting apples in smoothies-they just don't break down the way most fruits do. (same with carrots.) so, upon opening my shiny new NINJA blender, i threw in 2 apples, 2 clementines, some oj and a banana. the result was sublime. there were still some bits of apple about the size you think of as in applesauce..but not many, and none as big as typical oj pulp. i was pleasantly surprised.

i am often overcome by the crazy intricate creations all around us. when i was taking anatomy and physiology, along with health and nutrition...it was ridiculous to see how perfectly we have been provided for. nearly every ailment can be aided by enjoying a fruit, vegetable, or other plant/nut/seed that contains whatever it is your body is lacking.

for example, my spur of the moment smoothie-there is a wealth of health benefits in that 30 oz pitcher..i'm just going to keep my fruit praise to the banana for now, or i'll be here writing all night. bananas are full of vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium and magnesium..as well as fiber.
B6 deficiencies can cause insomnia, irritability, and fatigue, eating just half a banana can help to boost your energy, and supposedly, your mood.
Potassium helps to regulate blood pressure and also helps to reduce any muscle cramping you may have after the spur-of-the-moment jog you enjoyed after that boost in energy you got from the banana.
Vitamin C is probably the most common vitamin you think of when healthy supplements come to mind. It is widely known for its ability to help strengthen the immune system, but C also helps to detoxify our bodies, and promotes cellular healing, removes heavy metals, destroys "bad" bacteria and viruses, and much more. One of it's most important and overlooked jobs is to aid in the body's absorption of iron, which is essential in proper oxygenation...oxygen is important. heheh. low iron absorption/anemia can cause fatigue, anxiety, irritability, sleepiness, tinnitus(ringing in the ears), constipation, heart palpitations, mouth ulcers, depression, hair loss, and more. no wonder Vitamin C is such a popular guy.. and i haven't even mentioned scurvy!! :)
Magnesium aids in body temperature regulation, detoxification, and helps to form healthy bones and teeth, by assisting in the absorption of calcium. Magnesium is also beneficial to many women's health issues, and works together with B6 to aid in the prevention of insomnia, constipation, high blood pressure, migraines, kidney stones, gallstones, and more. Magnesium is believed to prevent cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and may treat diabetes and depression. !!

it seems like beans aren't the only magical fruit out there. :)

"He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate-bringing forth food from the earth..." ps 104:14-16

today i am thankful for fruit.
and this is what makes me smile:

it never ceases to amaze me that, even when i feel so far away from God, He always finds a way to let me know that He knows what's up, and He loves me & knows what i need.

this matters: