Night at the Movies

James and I went to see Resident Evil: Afterlife at the theater tonight. We are fans of the Resident Evil franchise and own the trilogy, so we were looking forward to seeing the fourth movie in the series. (James introduced me to it, and it grew on me. What can I say?) We were seated in the theater wearing our 3-D glasses ready for the action when we heard another viewer talking loudly near us. As if people who talk loudly in a movie theater isn't bad enough, he kept it up for what seemed to me like too long. I asked James if he would politely ask the guy to be a little quieter. James did so and then told me that the guy said he was reading the subtitles to his son because he couldn't read yet. Truth be known, we should have been more patient. The subtitles on the screen lasted only a few minutes into the movie, so perhaps the guy would have eventually quieted down. That's not exactly my point though. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if the child is not old enough to read, the child is certainly not old enough to be in a R-Rated movie. That fact irritated me so much that I felt the need to share it. The End. 

New Specs from Warby Parker

My good friend Tommy recently introduced me to the wonderful world of Warby Parker. He received his pair yesterday, I received mine today and my my other good friend Becca will received hers in a day or two. If you are in need of a new pair of glasses, I highly recommend checking them out. For every pair of glasses Warby sells, they donate a pair to people in need. As if that's not enough, they also sell every pair for only $95. That includes the cellulose acetate frames and anti-reflective polycarbonate lenses. Did I mention they do not charge shipping? Seriously. You cannot find a better value for your buck.

I'll post a pic of me in my new specs later when I can use my camera. The camera phone pics weren't cutting it. : )

Roommate Update No. 2

Actually, James and I no longer have a roommate. Britt moved into her studio apartment on Monday! I think she likes it so far. Our dad came up on Tuesday to bring her some essentials like her bed, microwave, cleaning supplies, etc. We all had lunch together before they unloaded her stuff, and it was quite enjoyable. Our mom is coming up this weekend to see Britt's new place and to help her get settled in. It'll be fun to have mom stay the night in Martin. She never has before, so I look forward to it. I'm hoping she'll visit Central with me on Sunday. James leaves for drill today and will be there the rest of the week and over the weekend, so it'll be nice to have her there with me.

Roommate Update

So far so good! I was actually very nervous about having Britt stay with us for an extended period of time. Although it has definitely been an adjustment for us all, she has completely surprised James and I both. Anytime we have gotten frustrated with one another, we have reconciled the issue quickly and easily. She has shown a great deal of motivation and enthusiasm for working at her new job and for searching for a place to live. She's even found a place she thinks may work out perfectly for her. The landlord said she could move in around the second week of September. That means this little arrangement may come to an end sooner than we all expected. Not that we are eager for her to go, we just know that we'll all be more settled when James and I can have our apartment to ourselves again and when Britt has a space all to her own.

I just hope and pray that this time around, Britt will be able to finally stand on her own. James and I both believe that her being here may be just what she needed to "find herself" so to speak. Living with her illness is not easy for anyone, especially her. She deserves to find self-reliance like anyone else her age. Pray with me that God will teach her to depend on Him during this time, that her illness will fade, and that she will experience true joy and peace. Thanks!

Finding Old Friends in New Places

"But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it."

1 Corinthians 12:24b-27

James and I joined Central Baptist Church on Sunday. We are excited to find such a great place to get involved. The people at Central are so welcoming and warm, and we really enjoy our Sunday school class. We only visited the church for a month before we decided to join. Our friend Shirah joined on the same day we did. Her husband Anthony and I grew up together at my home church. His dad was my first youth pastor. I had no idea walking into Central that I'd find a friend from my childhood!

Anthony and Shirah invited James and I to go jet-skiing last weekend, and we had a blast! I was so scared at first (mainly because James drives like a bat out of you-know-where), but after a while I got the hang of it and didn't want to stop!

Anthony and Shirah

James and Lexie

New Roommate

After much discussion, prayer and consideration, James and I agreed to let my sister move in with us for a temporary period of time. She has visited us a couple times since we've moved to Martin, and she came again for a visit last Wednesday. She tends to be quite spontaneous to say the least. On Thursday she decided she wanted to move to Martin. She applied for admission to UTM, she went job hunting, and she looked for an apartment. On Friday she had already landed a job interview and she got the job. James and I would like to know how she manages to get jobs so easily! We applied to several places and didn't hear anything for months before we were called in for an interview. She has a knack for it, that's for sure!

Call us crazy but James and I both feel this opportunity could really benefit Britt. She deserves the chance to experience independence. By moving here, she very well could develop a sense of responsibility and independence away from our parents. We are giving her a couple months to stay with us while she saves her money and gets settled into her own place. We'll see what happens!

I'm Proud to be an American!

Fruit Tart Flag Recipe

Fitness Plan: Week Four

What fitness?

Sadly to say, I did not exercise a single time this week. My sleep schedule was off, so I was more tired than usual. Lack of consistent sleep highly effects my motivation levels for doing other things throughout the week. I have a Business Law 711 presentation due next week, so I have been meeting with my partner to work on that after work/class this week.  I've been giving work and school all of my energy this week, and in turn I've let everything else slide. I haven't even kept up with house work. This weekend I need to get back on track! One week off isn't the end of the world. I do have other responsibilities after all. I'm not perfect. These excuses help just a little bit, but I still feel somewhat defeated for not being on top of it.

On the up side of things, I have been plowing through my One Year Chronological Bible for the past several weeks (if not months...I haven't really been keeping up with the timing). After waking in the morning, I walk downstairs, make myself a bowl of Kashi Go Lean Crisp Toasted Berry Crumble, and read the Bible for 15-30 minutes. I've been reading about David's rule in Israel, his death and now his son Solomon's rule over the kingdom. It's so interesting to read the Bible in chronological order. It's refreshing and more in depth somehow. I look forward to starting my day with God's Word. For years I've tried to create this particular habit and desire. Why is it that bad habits seem so difficult to break while good habits are incredibly difficult to develop? It's a daily process!

Yard Sale Recap

The yard sale went great! James and I made a little over $200 and Tina a little over $100! We enjoyed the day though it was very hot and very sunny. At first we thought it was going to rain. Before 7am, the wind was blowing our things over and clouds covered the sky. Within a matter of minutes though, the sky was bright blue and sunny. God was definitely good to us.

Tina and I enjoyed getting to know one another more. My friends Sarah Beth and Peter and their sweet son James, came for a surprise visit as did James' mom and dad. It was a great day filled with friends, family, and customers! Saturday night, we were all sun-burned and exhausted. Sunday made for the perfect day of rest.

Fitness Plan: Week Three

Three weeks down, three to go. I'm halfway there! James told me that after I finish this six week plan, he wants to create a three week plan for me to follow. Hopefully, his Marine mentality won't be too difficult for me. He should know by now that I'm a bit of a wimp. hehe. It'll be nice though to deviate from the current plan and have another one on hand. Otherwise, after this six weeks, I might have lost motivation and became lazy again as I do so often.

Does anyone else struggle like that? You get it in your mind to do something. You start out strong, but then after a short time, you somehow lose the motivation to finish. That is my typical exercise routine. Go a week or two, quit for three, go a week, quit for several months, then pick it back up again. See the roller-coaster cycle? That exactly what I'm trying to break with these fitness plans. It's about maintaining a lifelong dedication to fitness by taking it one week at a time.

Day One: Cardio/Strength Training
Jogged/12 minutes/1 mile
Walked/24/1.50 miles

Day Two:Cardio
Walked with Brandi/approx. 40 minutes 

I wrote the above comments in the middle of the week. I find that humorous considering I didn't complete this week's work out plan. 2 days out of 4-5 will just have to do for week 3.