Monday, April 26, 2010

Who Said Moms Can't Ride Motorcycles?

This is my mother:
She is riding her new Honda Rebel. It's a little bike, but perfect for her... and she looks great on it! She used to ride a bike when she was a teenager (I'm not sure how she talked Grandpa into buying her one at 16). She said she was a rebel (how fitting...) when she was growing up and that's why she liked motorcycles and country music. Who knew country music was considered rebellious back in the day? She even got tatted up when she was 20 - a little strawberry on her belly. 20 years later she was still hiding it from my grandparents! Now she has 8 and is trying to figure out what to get next... oh mother.

I drove (yes drove, not rode, drove) my first bike while I was in Michigan for the funeral. The following photo is when PJ was driving and I was riding, but later that day I drove it myself with him on my back!

It was a blast! I have officially decided that I want one (when we can afford it...which is probably never). PJ still wants a crotch rocket... I hate those things.

Lastly, Romo meets his doom:

He is a HORRIBLE walker - incredibly disobedient. He has made himself gag several times from the collar being too tight around his neck because he wants to run off in all sorts of crazy directions. A friend gave me a little harness to use, but he's too big for it now (and he hated it). I asked PJ yesterday if we could buy a bigger harness and he grabbed the choke collar instead. How cruel. So I took him for his first short walk with the collar on and I felt like Cruela De Vil (assuming she felt some shame and guilt, of course.) He didn't seem to mind it too much until he lay down in the middle of the road and wouldn't get up. Once the collar tightened, he got right up, but not without whimpering. Hopefully this won't last long and we can go back to a normal collar and leash or a harness. Eventually we want him to be able to walk without a lease - but he's a feisty little thing; I'm not sure that is possible!

Back to a wonderful day at VMS!

Mrs. Scalf

Random Things

It's been awhile and much has been going on.



First of all, I received this photo on my phone via text message from HB. It's the sweetest thing!

The lil pup is, of course, darling little Romo. The BIG dog is Wilson - Romo's new pal! Wilson belongs to HB and JB. They graciously took Romo in for 4 days while PJ and I were in MI for my Grandpa's funeral. Oh, they are so cute!

Michigan was fine. Grandpa's funeral went well and the family is doing alright. He's been sick for quite some time, so we all knew it was coming. Grandma isn't doing so hot, but who could blame her? He was 84 and she, 77. That means they were married for a good long time.

The move to Dallas is quickly approaching, I've started packing up some stuff, but there is a lack of boxes... so it's on pause until I can find more! PJ had an interview last week Monday for Director of Youth Ministries position at a baptist church in Plano. We are supposed to find out by today if he got it. We both only want God's will... but is it bad to want God's will to be this job? Probably. I still have no news about teaching, but I will be going to a job fair for Frisco ISD on May 15. I've decided that if I do not get a full-time teaching job, I will substitute teach with the intentions of putting my face out there for school systems to see! Then, maybe the following year I will have something!

It's starting to hit me pretty hard that I'm leaving all my friends. PJ has a plethora of wonderful guy friends in the Dallas area, however I have exactly 3 acquaintances... and no job. It's going to be interesting to see what God is going to do about that. Today in growth group Nancy asked us what we were bugging God about. What are something things that we need him to do in our lives? I need friends and a job. But I haven't been pestering the provider of all for these things, so I am going to start today!

Also, we are selling a couch, loveseat, and an airconditioner that you should be interested in! Call me!

~Mrs. Scalf

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Good News

Ok, the good news is the death and ressurection of Christ on our behalf. That's great news.

Second to that:

Strawberries growing off Walnut Grove across from Shebly Farms are ready to be picked!! Who wants to go with me? Think of the things we could make:

Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry Pie
Strawberry & Rhubarb Pie
Strawberry Jam (hmmm... Do I have any left in the freezer?!)
Strawberry Ice Cream
Strawberry Cake
Fruit Pizza with Strawberries

Or.. we could just eat plain 'ol strawberries just as they are.

If only I could be MI in July/August for blueberry pickin' - Just think:

Blueberry Pie
Blueberry Muffins
Blueberry Pancakes
.
.
.

Oh wonderful summer fruits!

Mrs. Scalf

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Food for thought

I don't really know if I understand that phrase, "food for thought..." What I am about to tell you is supposed to feed your thinking? Hmmm.. I'm not confident about that phrase nor if what I am about to tell you will feed your thinking by any means.

Maybe I'm just unintelligent.

Anyways, I have some things going on in my mind that I feel like I need to have down on "paper" a.k.a blogspot.

I am an introvert?
I am a self-proclaimed introvert and tested as 100% introverted. I don't enjoy being around more than 5 people at a time. Going to social events makes me nervous and stresses me out, especially if a majority of the people there are people that I have never met (or even worse, have met once or twice and so I feel like I should engage in conversation with him/her but have nothing to say). I like to be in bed by 10:00 so I always turn invitations to go out with friends down when it's "late" because I'd rather chill on the couch or sleep. Introvert.
However, PJ just left to go to work and so it's just Romo and me. Don't get me wrong, Romo is quite enough to keep me occupied, but I feel lonely. I wonder who is working and as it turns out, all of the whopping 3 people I would call in this moment are indeed at work. But I would really love some company. Maybe just one person. We could go for a walk at the park. That would be ideal. But alas, here I am blogging and the only excitement ahead is stopping by Walmart after buying groceries for some windshield wiper fluid. What a night!

"If someone asked you what the greatest good on this earth is, what would you say?"
I've been reading a book by Francis Chan entitled Crazy Love. The above quote is in chapter 3, which I just finished reading. I would say God is the greatest good because I know that is the right answer. But I question whether or not I actually believe this because my life doesn't show it. I know that I believe it - but wouldn't my life look radically different from the world if that were true? I'm not so radical. So... do I really believe it? Or do I just know it? My prayer is that I would know and believe that God is the greatest good on this earth because I have personally experienced his loving goodness. That's scary to write, think, and definitely to pray. God brings us closer to him through suffering. (Not to say that God always gives suffering in order to draw us closer, but through our suffering which he allows to happen, we often find ourselves in intimacy with our maker for lack of anything else that compares.) So, that's a hard prayer to pray because no one wants suffering, but that very well could be the answer to my prayer. Whatever it takes to understand God's greatness is what I should want, but my flesh is very afraid.

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."
(Please do not misunderstand me. I am not anticipating suffering now because of what I am thinking. Thinking is all that I am doing.)
Now to groceries and that windshield wiper fluid. Or is it windshield washer fluid? Regardless - extremely eventful next few hours, eh?
Mrs. Scalf

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

8 Weeks

I'm really sorry that all that I write about is Romo. I feel as though it might be similar to having a child - everything the child does impresses you and therefore should surely impress the whole world.

Yesterday we went to the dog park again and he had so much fun! (Or I did...)

Big moment - he held a tennis ball in his mouth for the first time and ran with it. I couldn't get a good photo to show it, but I do have a darn cute one of him pawing at the ball:

Romo loves green things. Actually, he loves to eat everything that he isn't supposed to eat whether it be green or brown (he likes bark and twigs too... no, he doesn't eat his own poo... I don't think.) Here he is checking out a leafy bush:

Just darn cute:

Big doggies love Romo. And Romo loves big doggies! He tries to play with the "big dogs" but they are faster, larger, scarier, have bigger teeth and louder barks, and they can swim. (Romo is still a little wary about water.)

Ok - ENOUGH ABOUT ROMO!

Pudding Fruit Salad = the bomb fruit/dessert combo. It's my momma's recipe and it's divine. I have no picture, but I have some in my lunch... yummmmmy.

Ingredients:

2 cans maderine oranges

1 big can (? oz... sorry, my bad) pinapple tidbits

4 bananas

lots of red and green grapes, sliced in half

1 3oz package NONINSTANT vanilla pudding

Directions:

Combine 1.5 cups of the fruit juices with the pudding and warm in a sauce pan until thick. Let cool. Combine pudding mixture with fruit and chill in the fridge. That's it! Oh... then eat and eat and eat. Great way to get kids to eat fruit for dessert!

Although I'm not a big fan (actually, I'm not a fan at all) of canned fruits, it's pretty tasty. I bet a sugar-free pudding would make it...well, less sugary. But I normally don't do sugar free/low fat stuff - it's just not my style. (yeah, yeah...my body will hate me when I'm old and grey. Moderation is key.) Actually, 3 x theta is key... only Joey would get that one ;)

PEACE

Mrs. Scalf

Monday, April 5, 2010

Easter Sunday

Fellowship Memphis had the Easter Sunday service at the Orpheum. It was pretty tight, not gonna lie. We had some rockin' worship with Carlos Whitaker and others - it was amazing. We sang one of my favorite Hillsong songs, The Stand. It brings me to tears everytime. Just read the lyrics of the chorus:

I'll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe, of the one who gave it all
I'll stand
My soul, Lord, to you surrendered
All I am is yours
And the music that accompanies the lyrics makes it emotionally amazing. Check it out. It may or may not change your life. I almost walked down the isle to this song acutally. It's that great.

After Caleb sang the first song and before Carlos came out, they showed a video worth watching.
Once church was over, we picked up Romo (and his to-go bag) and some mini-cheesecakes that I had made for Ashley's family and headed over to Bears for an Easter cook-out. Then went to the Berry's for an AWESOME time with the family! I love them!


This is Aunt Jamie sun-bathing and holding Romo



Here is Aunt Rach (and of course, Romo)



The Ladies



The Cook - Bear



Schramm (and Romo sitting under her shade)


Can you tell that I love my puppie? I have to show you one more photo. On Wednesday, a group of us met up at Central BBQ for lunch, it will be one of the last times we are all together like that, so I had to capture the moment:


How fun. In this photo (and if you include me) three of us are moving to Dallas, one to MI, three staying in Memphis and one will be working with YWAM somewhere not in Memphis. Life is crazy.

Mrs. Scalf