Eminent Eights on the 8th

Eminent Eights

I was tagged by Melli, who seems to think I have plenty of time on my hands. 😉  Actually, I do have a few extra minutes today (*Friday, January 8th*) because the plans I had made with a friend were thwarted by the snowy late-start for our schools.  So I’ll start this now and post it later. After all, nothing else is happening!

8 TV shows I like to watch:

Local on the 8’s on The Weather Channel (does a 60-second update count as a TV show?)
College Football
5 0’clock Morning news (Allison, Doug, Brian, Adam, and Lisa have no idea that they are my morning coffee buddies)
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
The Colbert Report
Cash Cab
House Hunters on HGTV
Miss Marple mysteries on PBS

8 Favorite Places to Eat & drink:

My friend Ping’s house
Red Lobster
My own dining room
Church potlucks
On the deck
My friend Diana’s house
____(Fill in the blank — are you inviting me?)
____(Fill in the blank — are you buying?)

8 Things I Look Forward To:

Going to the Kennedy Center
Seeing “Young Frankenstein” tonight*
Grandchildren (but not quite yet!)
My annual Girls’ Weekend in May
Smaller numbers on my scale
Going to NYC over spring break
Breakfast & Bible study with my “Sisters” tomorrow morning*
Youth coffeehouse at church tomorrow night*

8 Things that Happened Yesterday*:

I turned 44
I returned to WW
I baked cinnamon rolls for the boys’ breakfast
A friend took me out to lunch
My husband surprised me with tickets to see a show at the Kennedy Center
I decorated with snowmen (as opposed to decorating snowmen)
MusicMan made supper
I went to bed early

8 Things I Love About Winter:

SNOW!!
Advent
Christmas
Homemade Soup
Christmas cookies
Homemade Christstollen (German Christmas bread)
Sweatshirts
Blankets

8 Things I Am Passionate About:

Jesus, God’s love in the human form, gifted to the world (and to me)
Loving my husband
Loving my kids
Loving my friends
Worship
Music
Dessert
Coffee

8 Words/Phrases I Often Use:

What in the Sam Hill were you thinking?!?
The bus is coming!  (when I’m on school bus watch)
I love you
Sorry I’m late…
oh, crap!  (I didn’t think this one was a common phrase, but my 18yo says it is)
Shhhhhines the moon brightly!
What in the Sam Hill are you doing?!?
Good night

8 Things I’ve Learned in/from the Past:

Worry is like a rocking chair — it doesn’t get you anywhere, but it does give you something [annoying and possibly comforting] to do.
God is faithful.
Helping others is easier than accepting help from others.
Accepting help is humbling… and good.
Going through something difficult helps me to better relate to others in the future.
Praying for patience brings me more opportunities to practice patience

The fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control), as stated in Galations 5:22-23, are traits that have to be developed over time. It might look effortless for the tree to grow apples, but it is actually something that takes energy and time.
Everything you say and do is open to mimicry by your children. (This can be cute or painful, depending on your words and actions!)

8 Blog friends I want to tag:

Jodi Anderson
Jenn at Juggling Life
Reb
allmycke
Janet
Alice
Karen
Jacki

In blogging years, I’m 2!

Happy Birthday!

My first post was a nearly nonsensical foray into blogging, but I found a groove that worked for me –and my blogging “voice”– within a few weeks.   Jenn has been commenting regularly since my earliest days (thank you, Jenn, for your encouragement!) and the Weekly Words Challenge is a photography meme that not only helped me to meet other bloggers but also stetched and encouraged me in photography. (How else would I have learned what “bokeh” meant?!)

I don’t see myself as a niche blogger. I’m a mom, but not a mommy blogger. I love to take pictures, but I’m not a photographer. However, blogging has definitely filled a niche in my life and given me a creative outlet that I didn’t realize I needed… until 2 years ago.

Thanks for being a part of my journey! ♥