I have some things to report:

1. The Morning Show on Kiss FM has been good lately. For awhile, I would turn it on and get annoyed because there were doing that Kenzie voice over thing everrrrrryday. But the past couple weeks have been funny. I laugh out loud J

2. When I hear people say things lately, the response I have in my head {to their comments} is “Worrrrrd, to big bird”. Do you think I should actually start saying this out loud?

3. I love Sharpie pens. The new ones. They are on sale at Staples right now, come in a 3-pack.

4. I’m trying to run a 5K. Running hurts my body. But I’m doing it for @NatalieJagers {and myself}.

::: greeting cards :::

i have to admit, i used peruse over the words on a greeting card and not think too much about them. but today, i received a card from my mother in law and really read the words on the card. i've noticed i have started doing this more with a lot of things lately...really reading or listening to things and deciding for myself whether i believe them or whether or not they resonate with me.

the card said,

"life comes with one simple guarantee-

God loves you.

Perfectly.

Unendingly.

And there's no better reason to hope than that.

I will say my faith has been tested as of late, and i find my heart deciding what it really believes and doesn't. i believe the words of the card are true. today i read this verse from hebrews on my break:

¹²See to it, brothers, that none of you has an unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. ¹³But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

so, long blog short, i confess my hardened heart and believe that there is not better reason to hope than in the love of christ.

today would have been mom's 57th birthday. wish she was here to celebrate and go to dinner...

i bet she doesn't wish to leave her new home though :)

B&N

Last night Scott and I went to Barnes and Nobles, just to go. I just love going to book stores. While Scott went in search of his next read, I sat down in the Interior Design section and looked through books. I could do this ALL night. I love looking at design books and being inspired by beautiful spaces and photography. A particular book, Dowtown Chic, had a delightful mix of emotion and design within its pages. I enjoyed these quotes from some famous and not so famous people, as they described the spaces and faces that filled them.

i'm alive. i swear. work + internship + a class + post 10 pm social life = little sleep and lots of time management. see you in may my sweet blogging world!

linds, you will have to keep up with our blog.

::: martha :::

l.o.v.e these images from martha's website. organized and clean spaces, with great color.

This morning:

Woods and I getting ready. Her for a big-wig law firm interview. Myself for regular court. We share a bathroom. A one-sink bathroom. Bitty I'd say. Music playing from the kitchen (her laptop and speakers).

Abby: Hmmm. What language is this?

Woods: Portuguese. I can change it if you'd like.

Abby: (Thinking I have no idea what she is singing). No it's fine.

Woods Walks into the kitchen. The music goes off. Walks back in the bathroom. Then music begins.

Abby: (Listening to the music). Is this Spanish?

Woods: Yes. I changed it for you.

Considering I studied Spanish and have a desire to understand it better, I acknowledge Woods' efforts. I found it hilarious she changed it from Portuguese to Spanish. I must say, I still prefer English speaking music.

modern family + scott

not only do they have the same exact sense of humor, they also have the same hairline!

he says it so well...

"Grief is like a long valley, a winding valley where any bend may reveal a totally new landscape...Sometimes the surprise is the opposite one; you are presented with exactly the same sort of country you thought you had left behind miles ago. That is when you wonder whether the valley isn't a circular trench. But it isn't. There are partial recurrences, but the sequence doesn't repeat....

...On the contrary, every horizon, every stile or clump of trees, summoned me into a past kind of happiness. But the invitation seemed to me horrible....I find that I don't want to go back again and be happy in that way. It frightens me to think that a mere going back should even be possible...

...I was wrong to say the stump was recovering from the pain of amputation. I was deceived because it has so many ways to hurt me that I discover them only one by one..."

A Greif Observed ::: C.S. Lewis

i miss the hanson kids...

Video 1

Video 2

they live in Oman....

As a social worker in Dallas county for 3 years now,

I never knew of this resource.

I'm gonna use it - and use it up -

for all my clients walking through homelessness.

Vogel Alcove

What's funny is that I literally got excited when I found this resource tonight!

How things change ...

i got to make my first arrangement today at Avant Garden! so much fun...

first friday of january...

image from holly hunt

::: some day :::

we just received the new pottery barn catalog in the mail and i saw this nugget inside. and its on sale! oh how i am excited to have my own room in our {future} home. i will paint the room a bright, fun color to spark creativity, hang inspiring images, and sit in an antique chair staring out the large, open windows daydreaming. and, hopefully, i'll have a cool piece like this to organize my crafts and things in :)

::: one year :::

Scott and I just celebrated our one year on Sunday!

Can't believe its been a year already, and am so excited to start the next one.

hawaiian vacation

all the good things about hawaii as are seen below:

hula pie

surfing

sun

family

ocean

relaxing

ALSO big news is that my dear teen friend went to her non-blood relative grandparent's. I took her there about a week ago. Will I ever see her? Will she ever call me? Who the heck knows. Will she want to? I have no idea. It's pretty terrifying that I don't have direct access to her, or the phone call a day from her.

Anyways, December was a whirlwind of extreme emotions, but in the end ... where she is, is the best of the two evils. I can never say that foster care is best for anyone. Is she protected? Is she being loved? I don't know. All I can do is pray.

I must not worry. Neither should you.

The day has come. I'm prepping for my internship this Spring, which begins tomorrow. To all my friends, I'll see you in May. I just decided I'm going to plan a phatty trip, preferably road trip this summer. Nothing beats the road, unless it's a short trip to another city in Texas. I'm talking state border crossings .. and many of them.

Anyways, I'm interning for the CEO of the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance. Apparently, I'm assigned to assist him in writing plans to end homelessness in Dallas, for women and children. These next four months, I want to make those around me aware, just like I'm becoming aware of homelessness in Dallas. I've had maybe 2 cases of homeless children. One was heartbreaking and of most recent. The mother had been sleeping in her car for days. She came in crying - beautiful young mother, with her two boys. Broken, lost, and straight up broke. A week before Christmas ... too. With the help of a coworker, we got her several bags packed of food, clothes and blankets, found her a shelter, and I filled up her tank all within an hour. I think I cried that day.

Apart from those two cases, I have no relationship to homelessness. North Texas Food Bank's marketing strategies triggers the population with sayings in the realm of "We are all one pay check away from being homeless" or "In July, he was a full time employee and by September, he was on the streets - hungry, homeless" SO TRUE. I hope to work hands on with an individual that is homeless, and I guess.. expand my abilities and write some planning for Big Dallas and homelessness. I feel unprepared for this avenue of Social Work, but looks like I'm not calling the shots.

Some facts, as I study:

• Women and children are the largest population that are homeless in Dallas
• DISD has enrolled over 4100 new homeless children in 2008 - 2009 (ugh/tear)