AROMA

I had the great privilege of having lunch with our new COO at work this past week, and he shared some advice on raising a family. It resonated so much with Nathan and I that I thought I would post it here as well. He told me that his family philosophy is to create a good AROMA in their household. AROMA stands for:

Affection - Between Mom & Dad, towards the kids and between the kids
Respect - Everyone has a level of respect for each other
Order - There are family rules and obligations that govern the household
Merriment - Laughter, joy, and fun!
Affirmation - Everyone is accepted and celebrated just as they are


Great stuff and very inspiring as we begin to build our family. This is one of those concepts that I know will stay with Nathan and me the same way that Love & Respect has guided our marriage to date.

Quick baby update: Nash is now 32 weeks old and the size of a honeydew, weigh approximately 4.5 pounds. We are getting so anxious to meet him. He could be here as soon as 5 weeks! We decorated the house for Christmas in preparation for his arrival this past weekend. I know it's early, but we wanted to be able to enjoy it and have it ready just in case Nash makes an early arrival. :)

Newspaper Poetry

When you're snowed in, you have to find creative ways to entertain yourself. Today, we wrote newspaper poetry. The rules are simple. Pick a news story and find words to build your poem. The only hitch is that the words you use have to go in the same order they appear in the article. Just black out the words you don't want to use - and you have your newspaper poem.

Here are my poems, made from stories from the Dec. 24 edition of The Daily Oklahoman. Enjoy!

"The hall closet filled with gifts"
From "With a bit of delicacy, regifting can be OK" by Jennifer Palmer.

Christmas gifts waiting to be wrapped,
Waiting for a new home,
Perfect for so-and-so.
A tasteless fruitcake or ugly sweater,
Edible items such as wine, chocolate, coffee or nuts,
Scented candles or body lotions,
Or a book on a topic you're not interested in,
A toy my son received for his birthday -
It would be a shame to keep a perfectly good toy in a closet,
Instead of in the hands of a toddler.


"A memorable present"
From "A memorable present from Senate Democrats"

One whale of a Christmas present, delighted to report
$132 billion that will only cost $871 billion - something to brag about.
(gulp)
No biggie - details be dammed!
Debacle.
He is forced to claim the mandate of 'history' because he can't claim the mandate of voters.
Tragedy, the culmination of 20th-century liberalism.
Reckless bureaucracy trumps innovation,
Change nobody believes in.

To Florida and Back

I really am a Southern girl. I enjoy a relaxed pace with time to enjoy life and possibly a glass of tea. This past weekend I visited my sister in Lakeland, Florida, located between Tampa and Orlando. Let me tell you, I am not cut out for the busy life of a big city! 

It was so great to see her and her husband and finally be able to visualize the world that they live in. It seemed so bizarre to me that people actually live where palm trees grow naturally - I thought they only grew at resorts! The traffic there was unreal to me - the way cars swerved in and out, the fact that red lights were merely a suggestion to stop, and the shocking evidence of a fallen world that exists in a traffic jam. The pace at which my sister and her husband live their life left me exhausted - I am envious of the energy that they have to keep going 24/7! I love experiencing other people's worlds, though, because it always leaves me reflective and in a mode of self exploration. I really do love my life and feel utterly blessed to be where I am. Now please do not misunderstand me - I am not saying that Florida was so horrible that I just couldn't stop thinking about how wonderful my life back home was. I thoroughly enjoyed my trip; I think I just had time to stop and reflect upon things that I had taken for granted. 

I truly believe that I have the best marriage in the world. After nearly two years of marriage, I can still honestly say that Nathan is my favorite person. We get a long great, rarely fight, have open communication, and truly love each other for who we are. He is a great man. I love Northwest Arkansas. It has a pace that suits me but is rich with business and activity. I think it is so neat to live where the largest company in the world is. I am exposed to aspects of business that you don't get anywhere else! I have great friends. It took me a little while to adapt to my new life in NWA when we moved here, but I have grown to love so many people here and feel blessed to have such rich relationships that I know will only continue to deepen.

This post goes nicely with the title of my Blog - Meanderings. Just a quick moment of reflection and personal revelation that God has blessed me richly and for that, I praise Him. Life is good.