pressure to be epic.

The title of this post is because for some reason once I haven't blogged in a while I feel some strange internal pressure that the next blog must be AWESOME, which really, I am not sure where this pressure comes from but it exists inside of me, so don't expect epicness in this post, rather it will be ramblings.

The last month has been NUTS to say the least, but wonderfully nuts! I just returned from the National Youth Gathering with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America - I traveled with the Northeastern Minnesota synod (550 of us), 21 from the congregation I serve. The 11 day trip came with lots of challenges, fun, and ways in which God met us along the path. It was marvelous. At the beginning of the month I got to stand next to my best friend as she got married back in South Dakota. Wonderfullness abounds.

July's Yay God moments:
-Marc got a new job!
-Katie and Andy got married
-The Synod Journey -ELCA National Youth Gathering
-several trips out kayaking
-a fixed sump pump and sewage drain (the broke sump pump and sewage backing up into my basement was less than fun - but now that the problem is remedied it is nice to not have to worry about them)
-sleep - I was long over due for some good sleep
-planning season - now that some things have come to an end it is time to ramp up the planning for next school year and summer - never a dull moment in ministry
-my closet remodel (sounds lame but trust me the closet needed finishing) is done (just need to hang a set of shelves)
-my family and friends who have helped me keep my sanity during this all
-yarn - one can never have enough yarn while going on 26 hour bus trips (one way)


Dear Sarah,
    You now have broke your blogging silence feel free to go crazy and blog away - no pressure now, the lame post is over.
Love, me

Kitchen Chaos

I am currently remodeling my kitchen by myself (or really with the help of any family and friends who get suckered into helping me out - basically meaning I am only hiring people to do things like the electrical - which I am legally required to do since I know nothing about electrical work) but the rest is getting done without professional help. This has been a long process and my kitchen is literally driving me NUTS! I haven't had a kitchen sink or any running water for that matter in my kitchen since Sunday. I was half tempted to post a picture of the nasty but thank God not many people come over at the moment because it is far too messy to post a picture. My kitchen table has turned into a mountain of crazy.

I will draw you a mental picture: my fridge is about five feet away from the wall and pulled out, my stove sits about three feet from my fridge also pulled out from it's home, my kitchen table as previously mentioned is a mountain of mess, my kitchen chairs are currently home to a 5 gallon pale of mud, primer, a toolbox, and being used as a stool to reach high places, not to mention the countertops are pulled off and covered by black plastic bags in order to avoid getting mud and paint on the contents of the drawers, and it is dusty as all get out due to sanding down the mud and what not. It is nasty. Yes, I know it will get better and there is hope that when I get this all finished it will be beautiful.

My goal is to get the countertops back on this Sunday night when my brother is in town so I have some help. I also hope we can figure out how to install the food disposal and and hook up the faucet. Thank God for youtube and people who have time to make instructional videos on youtube for people like me who have no clue how to do some of this stuff. Thank God for family and friends who help me when I am way over my head. Thank God for pb&j sandwiches that don't require much cooking or clean up.

In a completely random kitchen related success: I made a 4 layer cake for a church potluck last night and I hear it was tasty, it was gone before I got through the line.