Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Stumped

Good Tuesday everyone,

I'm stumped. I need some cooking help because I'm just out of recipes. Here's the dilemma. Our oven is super flakey. (Meaning it just decides to turn it self off randomly in the middle of cooking. Baking cookies, I can handle because it only takes 8 minutes to do that. But for a 2.5 hour baking time on Chicken on Sunday - that's just not possible.) We are also poor, and buying meat is like dessert at the Scalf home, but I don't know anything good and vegetarian. Also, PJ and I are both terribly picky eaters. HELP!

I'm taking some girls to the zoo today, I can't wait! Pray that it doesn't rain.

Until next time,

Mrs. Scalf

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Hello Neighbor!

I just bought my tickets to Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors - A Neighborly Christmas! Who's excited? ME ME ME ME ME!

Go buy your tickets at Minglewoodhall.com. The show is December 11 at 8:00 PM. It can be a date night, maybe!

I'm so glad that it's Christmas time again :D.

-Mrs. Scalf

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

The Moment We've All Been Waiting For!

Or at least, the moment I've been waiting for!
Last night I started to pack up our books in the "office" (It's more of a dump-your-junk room, but office sounds nicer) and I heard the doorbell ring. We weren't expecting any visitors, so my ears perked a little. It was good 'ol FedEx with a wonderful little package - our wedding photos! :D

There are 687 of them. Or some strange large number like that and they are FABULOUS! I'm only going to post a few of my favorites here, but check out FaceBook for a more complete (top 50?) look!
Our photogropher was Vince Mcvay with McVay Vision Photography. I believe his website is mcvayvision.com or just google his name and it will pop up!
Our engagment photographer - who was also amazing - is Ryan Gauper. Gauperphoto.com I believe his his website. They are both up in Michigan - Kalamazoo, Michigan. We appreciate both of them dearly for such beautiful work on the most special occasions of our lives. THANK YOU!

-Mrs. Scalf

Friday, November 13, 2009

Cinderella Man

Hello there!

This is going to be a short one, but I have to get my thoughts out of my head and onto... something tangable I guess.

Last night, PJ popped "Cinderella Man" into the DVD player (we love watching movies together) and there is at least one truely valuable lesson that can be learned. I do believe that you can find truth in everything - movie, book, magazine, etc - but this truth is so good, I have to write about it.

Men need to feel supported by their wives. Several times in this movie, Cinderella Man's wife (let's just call her May, since I cannot remember what her name was) encourages him and supports him - even during the tough times, and even when she doesn't like it, and even when it means risking his life. "I can't win without your support," quotes Cinderella Man at one point in the movie. And I truely believe this is true for all men. And I struggle with it.

I'm married to an optomist, a dreamer, a "glass half-full" guy. I am a pesamist, a realist, and a "glass half-empty" girl. So I listen to his dreams and his hopes and immediately think, "that will never work." But what do I know? I know that PJ needs to feel loved, supported, and encouraged. My role in this marraige is the helper. Pray that I learn how to better encourage and support him, even if I don't understand. Because that is all that it is - I don't understand.

Over and out,

Mrs. Scalf

Thursday, November 12, 2009

I Spy with my Little Eye...

1.) Something Horrid.

On my 20 minute drive to work this morning, I witnessed, once again, catastrophic memphis drivers.

First, the cars in front of me in all 4 lanes slammed on their breaks breifly and I noticed on the right hand side of the road a car up on a pile of rocks, stranded.

Second, I was stopped off the highway at a red light. There are three lanes at this stop. The right hand turn lane is way off to the side, with a yeild sign. I was in the next lane which was a straight or left turn lane. And the far left lane was a left turn only lane. The light turned green and the lady in the left turn only lane went straight as I almost ran into her trying to turn left.
Lastly, I saw a cop coast through (at 35 mph) a busy 4-way stop (no lights, no sirens... stop sign just don't apply to Memphis cops apparently).

I'm fairly confident that I may or may not die one of these mornings driving to work. Oh, and heaven forbid it starts sprinkling or snowing... then they really get crazy!


2.) Something Beautiful!

Picture-Perfect Pickwick!!! Take a gander...

(The view of the lake sitting off the Holcomb's dock)


Ok, ok. I know... It's no lake Michigan...

(Mr. Scalf and Myself at the top of a HUGE dune!)


(Schramm at the bottom of the HUGE dune with feet buried in the crystal clear norther water)

(Sammy Lammy cannon-balling into the deep blue at the Holland Pier.)

(Joshua scoping the shore for a good wave to come and go for a smooth ride on the skim board)

(I used to have a plathera of susent photos over the endless waters, but this is the best one that I have now.. and it's still pretty great! Bets in the middle, and Grace-Face on the far right at Traverse City)

Also, Pickwick isn't quite as awesome as the Gulf of Mexico...

(I captured this just before Mr and me left our honeymoon.... wow)

But for real, Pickwick was just what the doctor ordered. Qaulity time with the ladies, wise words from Nancy (which is more valuable than gold.. for real). Look at the leaves out there...



(This is Ashley... and she is single...!)


Verse of the weekend from Miss Holcomb: "Set a gaurd over my moth, O Lord, watch over the doors of my lips." Pslam 141:3

Mrs. Scalf

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Honey is Sweet

It's a WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY, friends!
Happy belated birthday to Michael Bear Stienke. We love you, dear friend. Today I just have a thought. For our Mission Graduation Bible study, we have been reading The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller (On the "Maggie's Must Read List"!! Hmm... I really should start the "Maggie's Must Read List"...) Keller writes on the fact that Salvation is Experiential and quotes Jonathon Edwards,

The difference between believing that God is gracious and tasting that God is gracious is as different as having a rational belief that honey is sweet and having the actual sense of its sweetness.

How beautiful... Yes I know that God is gracious, and most Christians know that God is gracious, but isn't it lovely to say that we truely know ("have tasted") God's grace because we have experienced it? How have you experienced God's grace?


Comming Soon:

Picture-perfect Pickwick and Wedding Photos...

-Mrs. Scalf

Friday, November 6, 2009

Battle Wounds

Bonjour mes amis!!
Happy Friday, everyone! I was reflecting on my week and notcies that something this week has been different than everyother week of the last 6 or 7. I have not run - not even once. Lindsay and I are training for a 1/2 marathon (YIKES!). The race is in less than one month, and I just took the week off... This is not okay.
I also then thought about my battle wounds. "Battle wounds?" you ask. Yes. About 1.5 weeks ago, I was going for a little 6 mile job and at about the 5.5 mile mark I fell. I biffed it. I crashed. I got knocked down. It was terrible. The funny thing is that I don't even know what happened... one moment I was happily running and the next I was on the ground - bewildered. I didn't stumble over my feet... I didn't black out... I just plumited (spelling?) straight to the ground. Below are my Battle Wounds.

The picture doesn't really do it justice. It pussed for 7 days straight. However, in the last 5 it started healing pretty good. I figure, it's been quite awhile since I fell on my knee - what, maybe at least 5-10 years, so I was due for a good fall.
One of my favorite things to do with my husband is go to his softball games. He's so good!!! At Buckhead, they have this little fall-like display all lit up in front of one of the four feilds. I dragged PJ with me to take a nice fall photo. As you can see...the quality isn't the best, but look how cute we are!
Also, I chopped my hair, but I'm not a fan of taking photos of myself - that's weird and so we'll just have to wait for a nice photo to just happen.
Still waiting on wedding photos... but I'll post a few of those as soon as they come.
Monday's growth group was awesome, too. I LOVE IT! A verse that we went over was 2nd Corinthians 12:9
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness"
It goes on to say that for the sake of Christ, I will DELIGHT in my weaknesses, in insults in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties, for when I am weak, then I am strong. Wow... chew on that for a bit...
Until next time!
-Mrs. Scalf