all my blog energy has relocated…

to http://teamaument.wordpress.com!

Basically I hate being semi-anonymous on this blog.  I want to say Dan’s name and talk about where we are and what we do and share pictures of my life.  But I also want to reflect and write and “go there” spiritually.  So I decided to just be a bit more transparent and combine the ideas of this blog with my “family updates” blog as listed above.  So visit me there!  I will delete this blog in a few weeks, and hopefully import some of my fave posts over to teamaument, so that I don’t lose the journal.

See you there!

It’s Friday, I’m in love (with summer weekends)

TGIF, y’all.  I’m pumped for the weekend.  We don’t have a lot planned, and I’m excited about that.  Our weekday evenings have become rather busy, so it is so nice to chill on the weekends (and sleep!  precious sleep!).  And, there is supposed to be some sunshine this weekend!

Since it’s a little too “Friday” for me to produce a meaningful post, I give you my Friday Five: 5 things that are on my mind as I head into the weekend.  Friday is my most zonked, scattered thoughts day, so it’s only natural that my Friday posts follow suit.  Here we go.

1) Yesterday I had quite a treat in the mail – Southern Living magazine!  “The Best of Southern Life.”  The subscription was compliments of my thoughtful mother-in-law.  I am super excited about their summer recipes that use fresh peaches and blackberries.  Terhune Orchards is a few miles away and Hubby D and I can go pick our own peaches and blackberries in July (right now it’s cherries and strawberries…hmm, we should jump on that this weekend).

2) SYTYCD was such a major let-down last night.  Boo.

3) I have 2 goals this weekend:  clean our gross bathroom and finish reading Catch 22, our bookclub book from last month.  I really need to get it done so I can start on the next book, The Devil in the White City, which I am hosting/leading.

4) We’re going to Williamsburg next weekend!  For 2 weddings!  It will be crazy.  And crazy fun.

5) I have recently been converted to boxed wine.  Specifically, Black Box merlot.  It’s so convenient, affordable, and doesn’t go bad or change flavors in a few days like a bottle often does.  I think I’ll get a box of chardonnay next to keep on hand for cooking.

I hope YOU have a good weekend!

SYTYCD: Top 18

Week 2 of SYTYCD was another good one.  The judges provided us with lots of opportunities to cringe – let’s face it, Mary Murphy AND Lil C in one show is a bit too much for anyone to handle.  Hubby D spent most of the show in awe at the fact that the top half of Mary Murphy’s face didn’t move AT ALL because of Botox or hiding behind me everytime Lil C opened his mouth.  Did you notice that they started to have Mary go first instead of Lil C because it was clear he did not know what he was talking about???  The bits about the “birth of progression” and “divinity of movement” kind of made me want to barf.

I usually love Nigel and am right on with his assessments, but geez, he was sucking up to the choreographers the whole night!  Especially Shane Sparks because his dances kind of bombed.  His comments all seemed more like political shmoozing, you know?  I was excited to see that Shane was back, but I honestly felt like his choreography was not up to par compared to Tabitha and Napoleon.  So let’s break it down:

1) Randi & Evan – Jive choreographed by Louis van Amstel to “Shake a Tailfeather” by Ray Charles.  I heart them.  They had FUN and it was a cute dance.  They will make it to the top 10 easily.  Oh, and we finally figured out who Louis van Amstel was this week – he’s a choreographer from Dancing with the Stars (which I have never watched).

2) Melissa & Ade – Jazz choreographed by Sonja to “24 Hours” by Terry Poison.  Very Sonja, very weird.  I love her dances because they are so interesting to watch.  Melissa’s neon pink pants were hard to watch.  They did well, but I haven’t gotten on board with all the hype they’re giving Ade.  He’s no Joshua.

3) Caitlin & Jason - Hip Hop choreographed by Shane Sparks to “Missing You” by Trey Songz.  Yawn.  Caitlin didn’t do much dancing until more than half way through.  It was kind of boring and they were out of sync.  The choreography wasn’t very interesting (sorry, Shane!)  It’s a bummer to follow up the great Bollywood routine with that, but the people love their hip hop, so maybe they’re safe.  We’ll see.

4) Janette & Brandon – Disco choreographed by Doriana Sanchez to “Moving is Really My Game” by Brainstorm.  I always get excited for Doriana Sanchez routines because she does not mess around when it comes to lifts, stunts, and tricks.  This routine did not disappoint and Janette and Brandon killed it.  They’re safe.

5) Asuka & Vitolio – Waltz choreographed by Louis van Amstel to “Dreams are More Precious” by Enya.  Wow, they played the sympathy card big time with Vitolio’s story.  I have all the respect in the world for where he has come from and what he has overcome, but don’t use his precious story to win them votes.  The dance was beautiful, but I don’t think it was enough.  The waltz just doesn’t do that well in this show!

6) Kayla & Max – Pop Jazz choreographed by Brian Friedman to “Hot Like Wow” by Nadia Oh.  The dancing was excellent, but the costumes were majorly distracting.  I really like Kayla and Max, and I think they’ll go far, but I think this dance might put them in the danger zone because it was more difficult to connect with.  I voted for them to try to keep them safe!  Fingers crossed.

7) Karla & Jonathan – Contemporary choreographed by Stacey Tookey to “Falling Slowly” by the Frames.  Loved the song, loved the choreography, loved the costumes, loved each dancer individually, hated that there was NO chemistry.  I wish I had seen that dance with other people who had chemistry – then it would have been killer!  I don’t think either of them will make it to the top 10.

8 ) Jeanine & Phillip – Tango choreograhed by Tony Meredith to “Violento” by Bailango!  It was kind of fun to see Jeanine carry the dance since Phillip kind of carried the hip hop routine last week.  They have a good partnership.  Kind of painful to watch Phillip dance it, but they are so lovable that I’m sure they’ll be safe this week.  It’s all about growth, right?

9) Ashley & Kupono – Hip Hop by Shane Sparks to “Imma Be” by Black-Eyed Peas.  The shadow concept was really cute!  And Ashley really pulled off the skin tight shiny black look.  I enjoyed the dance and thought they did really well considering it wasn’t their style, but the judges did not go for it.  I also voted for them because I love them and want them to go to the top 10!

My Predictions

Bottom 3 Couples:

Caitlin & Jason

Asuka & Vitolio

Either Kayla & Max or Ashley & Kupono (even though I love them both!)

Who’s going home:

I have no idea this week.  I’m ready for Karla & Jonathan to go home…

 

SYTYCD: Top 20

It’s that time of the year!  So You Think You Can Dance is one of the highlights of my summer.  We watch it religiously.  I thought this could be a fun space to recap the episodes each week (I know a couple of you that would enjoy this – hi, Mom!).   Anyone else who watch SYTYCD? 

For those of you who don’t watch but are still reading, there are 20 people to begin with who are paired at random.  They select a dance style out of a hat and meet with a choreographer of that style who teaches them the dance.  They then perform it.  Over the past seasons, I have come to love the choreographers as much as the dancers.  So here’s our top 20:

1) Jeanine & Phillip – Hip Hop choreographed by Tabitha & Napoleon to “Mad” by Ne-Yo.  Loved it!  Phillip was in his element as a hip-hop dancer, but Jeanine held her own with him.  And how can you not love dancing your way into a sweet spoon at the end?!

2) Asuka & Vitolio – Broadway choreographed by Tyce Diorio to “Hot Honey Rag” from Chicago.  I could never put my finger on it, but I didn’t love it.  It was cute, but meh. 

3) Karla & Jonathan - Cha-Cha choreographed by Tony Meredith to “Pokerface” by Lady Gaga.  Another meh for me.  Pokerface just didn’t work with the cha-cha.  I honestly think I enjoyed listening to “Pokerface” (ok, really I was singing “Mediocre Face” in my head, thank you, Justin Timberlake) more than watching them dance.  Same story with Asuka and Vitolio though – they were good, just not memorable.

4) Randi & Evan – Jazz choreographed by Tyce Diorio to “I Only Have Eyes For You” by Jamie Cullum.  Beautiful and sweet dance, and I love both of their personalities.  They were honest in their interviews about how they felt a bit uncomfortable with the intimacy in the dance (since Randi’s married), but they pulled it off beautifully without making the audience feel like it was awkwardly intimate.  I think they’ll go far.

5) Paris & Tony – Hip-hop choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon to “Let the Beat Rock” by Black-Eyed Peas.  The judges ragged on them, but I loved it!  It was so fun to watch and they looked good doing it.  They are one of the best looking couples on the show.  Plus, I think Tony stole everyone’s hearts in the auditions.  Hopefully they will be safe from the judges tonight!

6) Caitlin & Jason – Bollywood choreographed by Nakul Dev Mahajan to “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire.  They did a great job, but they’re no Joshua and Katee.  Also, kind of like the Viennese Waltz is the “kiss of death” dance, the Bollywood style is like the immunity card.  The judges will never knock Bollywood or Nakul’s choreography.  And the Slumdog Millionaire music most likely tugged at the heartstrings of everyone. who. saw. it.  They’re a shoe in for those reasons alone.  They danced it well.  But I miss Katee and Joshua from last year.

7) Janette & Brandon – Foxtrot choreographed by Louis van Amstel (who in the world?  Never seen him before and they did not give him much of an introduction) to “Come Fly with Me” by Michael Buble (overdone).  It was lovely, but kind of boring to me.  I just don’t really get into the slow ballroom dances, unless I love the song and/or the couple.   I’m not yet invested in these 2.  We’ll see.

8 ) Ashley & Kupono – Jazz choreographed by WADE ROBSON to “Felt Mountain” by Goldfrapp.  There may or may not have been squealing with delight when they announced Wade Robson’s return to SYTYCD.  He’s pretty much the most creative, interesting choreographer and is AMAZING.  I thought his choreography and their dancing KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK.  They were crash-test dummies falling in love.  Sound weird?  It was, but it was also so cool.  One of my favorite dances of the night.

9) Melissa & Ade – Contemporary choreographed by Mandy Moore (not the singer) to “Right Here Waiting” by Richard Marx.  They did an excellent job and it was a beautiful dance.  Technically, they were really really good.  She is clearly a ballerina, so I’m anxious to see if she can pull off hip-hop.  My one issue was the choreography “story.”  I’ve seen it too many times, especially from Mandy Moore.  She ALWAYS does the romantic-two-people-falling-in-love-thing.  It’s old.  Let’s get something new going.

10) Max & Kayla – Samba choreographed by Louis van Amstel to “Jum Buh Day” by House of Gypsies.  Hot and spicy!  Kayla and Max killed it.  She reminded me a lot of Chelsi from last season.  A great end to the night, definitely hot-tamale-train worthy.

My predictions

Bottom 3 couples:

Karla & Jonathan

Asuka & Vitolio

Janette & Brandon

Who’s going home:

Karla & Jonathan

We’ll find out tonight!  Holla in the comments if you want to share your thoughts/opinions!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Tomorrow we’re heading to Texas for a long weekend with my family.  I can’t wait!  I may or may not try to squeeze in a blog post while I’m there, but if I don’t, I’ll be back next Tuesday!  Have a lovely weekend!

I think We’re Committed….

…to the Philadelphia Distance Run! We haven’t yet plopped down the obscene amount of money it costs to run 13 miles, but we’ve committed in our minds to doing it (we = me + Hubby D)!

[mini-rant: Doesn't it seem a little wrong to pay so much for something that we have to convince ourselves is fun? I would be much more inclined to run if someone paid ME.]

This will be my first time to really train for and run a race with hubs. I am slow. He ran track and cross-country in high school and is fast. It’s interesting. The benefit for me is that working out with him really pushes me. No more lazy jogs. Dang it.

Also, it is my goal to do a marathon before having kids. Probably it’s a good idea to accomplish this sooner rather than later. I’m totally terrified though.  My inspiration is a 70-something year old man who I ran with for part of my first half-marathon in 2006.  He started running when he was 50 years old, and he did his first marathon when he was 52.  At the time, he was 72 and had run his 40th marathon the weekend before – and was just doing this half-marathon for fun.  The embarrassing part was that I could BARELY keep up with the guy.  I tried to keep him talking so that I didn’t have to huff and puff through a sentence.

Isn’t it amazing how much 30 minutes with a stranger can make a difference in your life?  I think about this guy all the time…usually when I’m running and want to quit.  If he can do it, I can!  Who inspires you to keep going?

Sunday’s Song: Inside Out

A thousand times I’ve failed
Still your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I’m caught in your grace

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
my heart and my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out, Lord, my soul cries out

[hillsong united]

Have a listen.

Clarity of Mind – 3 Life Goals

I have identified 3 missions that I want to experience in my life (in no particular order):

1)  The Corporate Climb

2) Ministry

3) Motherhood

I’m currently on a low rung of of the corporate climb, and it’s hard to not think about how I can really work hard and develop my leadership skills.  It’s also easy for me to recognize how some of my natural gifts can thrive in the corporate culture.  I also really like my job and working in the business world.  It’s fascinating stuff.

But, there is this other part of me that wants to be in ministry.  Employed or volunteer?  Full-time or part-time?  Who knows.  Organized ministry is missing from my life right now, and I feel the gap.  I’m praying for God to open up opportunities for me to minister to those around me – I’m keeping my eyes peeled for anything!

Motherhood.  I hope and pray that children are in our future.  Just not our immediate future!  Obviously we be thrilled if God changes our plans, but we are enjoying just being a family of 2 for now.