some of my things.

i have a list (surprise) of all of my "best feelings in life". 

lately, i have had the opportunity to experience a lot of them and it has just been splendid.

1. walking through thrift stores and finding just what you never knew you needed.  and since my sister and most of my friends are young married couples- the victory of a good deal is something to worth sharing.

$.75 for an old school San Diego Chargers beer stein mug for josh. 

and three books that i cannot wait to relish in.

yes, i went in for mason jars and left without them. but $5 at the DI will still get you pretty far.

2. being there for a friend. i feel blessed that i have so many great friends in my life- particularly friends that trust me enough to tell me things, ask my advice, have me watch their dogs, their children, their houses, their plants (that's probably the most risky one) and whatever else. but the last night was a little different. gary had to have surgery again and has become a temporary invalid. well, knowing him- he will get bored and guyish and try to walk around and do things. so i loaded up with snacks, movies, stories and smiles and we just laid around and talked and watched movies ALL night long and it was great. it was nice to be able to keep gary company, help him out and to just be still and lazy with my friend.

3. to make up for some of that laziness... today madison and i met up for some rock climbing (she left her husband behind, so it was just us-- this is a big deal). i am amazed that i can even type right now because my hands are raw and my muscles are dead. but it was great. that is another great feeling- rock climbing. getting to the top, finding those grips, using all the muscles in your body to keep from dropping, the mental and physical challenge of rock climbing are definitely on my good feelings list (and the really good looking and extremely talented guys that approached us and asked if we wanted to join them for a climb and then dinner later- not too bad either... just sayin').

4. NPR has broadcasted 3 different times about running in the last week. they featured christopher mcdougall- the author of that book, born to run, that i mentioned before, along with several other experts and it is just fascinating. plus, i have met someone that loves npr as much as i do and it is a regular conversation topic for us. dad is proud.

5. though i have stacks of books that i want to read, i have been trying really hard to dedicate more time to my scripture study. i have some really good examples in my life of people that are so good at this and i see how it blesses them. i try to be consistent but there are times that are much better/worse than others. especially in this phase of life with school, work, friends, dating, working out, playing- it is so easy to get home late and just want to go to bed. but recognizing this has allowed me to prioritize a little bit better so that i am getting to bed at a decent hour with some time to spend with the scriptures before shutting off the light. it requires small sacrifices here and there, but just in the past two weeks, i have already seen a strength come from my efforts and i know that the Lord recognizes my desire and blesses my life and my study everyday.

i saw a quote the other day that said "a bible that's falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't...".

we are more than halfway through the week. b and i are going to the drive in movie with the marrieds on friday, yoga on saturday, meeting up with some more married people for lunch, 10 mile run, friend visiting for the weekend (the 24th is a big deal here) church, skypey time, and my laundry is already finished. things are lookin' good.