A Few Things

From Dana:

1. I saw an article on Facebook that showed a before and after picture of a lady who drank a gallon of water a day for a month.  The results were visible and astounding.  It piqued my interest, for some reason.  And, I immediately thought I would incite my favorite "partner in crime", Julie.  She was up for it, so we began a few days ago.  I've been really surprised how easy it's been.  The hardest part is just being mindful to actually do it.  (I remembered I was doing it as I went for my second pop at Subway yesterday...habits die hard.)  The biggest change I've seen is that I'm not craving snacks as much and often feel full.  Of course, I've had to go to the bathroom a lot, but not as much as I was expecting.  I'm wondering if I'll notice a change in the dark cirlces under my eyes - one of the things the lady in the article noticed.  Time will tell!  Wanna join us?



2. Our small group friends, Anne and Nathan, are taking a last minute flight to North Carolina to visit Nathan's family, so they were needing someone to take care of their dog, Riley.  We have watched him before, and he is a great house guest.  We were quick to offer to take him.  During the conversation, Anne was very apologetic and worried and said something like, "Christmas is crazy enough as it is without adding a big black dog to the mix."  I quickly replied, "Oh, Christmas isn't crazy for us."  And it's true!  I'm not sure why, exactly.  But, it's not.  We aren't that busy.  We aren't scurrying around.  We have lots of time.  Maybe it's because Marc is off more in the winter.  Maybe it's because we don't go all out with decorating or gifts or stockings.  Maybe it's because we don't have jobs that have Christmas parties...or friends that have Christmas parties.  But, for whatever reason, Christmas isn't crazy for us.  And, I'm glad about that.  (I have a sneaking suspicion that Marc Voth might be behind this...)

3.  I have continued getting up before Cole wakes up (though it's getting harder as he keeps waking up earlier and earlier, which has been frustrating) to spend some time with God and get some alone time before the day begins.  My friend, Whitney, and I text each other to keep each other accountable.  My friend, Jonae, turned me on to this Advent reading plan from SheReadsTruth, and I have really enjoyed it.  It's been good prep for Christmas. (And look at these fun pictures that accompany each day!)