December 26, 2008

a very merry christmas sing-a-long

when i was little, we always had a crowd at our house on christmas night. after all the presents were unwrapped and the dishes were cleared it was time for the music to begin. we had stacks of song books, lots of singers, a piano, and some trumpets. it was a good time.

a few years ago we decided to start recreating this great tradition. i brushed up on my accordion skills, my cousin monte very wisely decided to marry a professional musician, and my uncle mick was put in charge of the percussion section. 


and here is my uncle and i in a piano duet...

December 17, 2008

special delivery

if you’ve been checking your mailbox in anxious anticipation of my christmas card, i’m sorry to say you may be disappointed. i’m breaking tradition and blogging my card this year, so here it is for you to enjoy.


this season i’ve been especially mindful of the realities of life; people who are hurting in the midst of a time of celebration and joy. even though holidays are especially difficult for some, i think these hard times actually make the birth of our savior that much sweeter. the other day i heard a chris rice song on the radio and i haven’t been able to get the words out of my head:

tears are falling, hearts are breaking
how we need to hear from God
you've been promised, we've been waiting
welcome holy child

how great it is to be able to rejoice in that fact. that even in the midst of a life on earth that is often hard, our savior has come. he didn't come to make our lives perfect, but he does bring us hope. so welcome holy child...we're so thankful you came.

enjoy this celebration of the birth of our savior, and treasure the time you spend with your family. it's a blessing. merry christmas!

December 14, 2008

an idealistic dreamer

remember those great conversations in college, where you would sit around for hours talking to these interesting and wonderful people you were lucky enough to call friends? the topics could be anything...life, love, theology, the future, changing the world, and of course brainstorming for the next great prank. time was never a factor. these convos could happen at any hour of the day and last an infinite amount of time [because conversations such as these were often much more important than going to class].

these days, these conversations are fewer and further between. at times it seems as though life [aka adulthood] has taken over. i came across this quote about growing up the other day;

"it's hard to determine whether we are settling for less or if we're coming to a healthy understand of our place. it's not that we don't still have the desire [to change the world], but maybe the world we have desired to conquer has changed or grown smaller."

for me it's really hard to tell the difference, at least for myself. when i look at the lives of my friends, i can see how they are still making an impact, even in the midst of the everyday tasks of working and/or raising a family. but it's harder for me to look at my own life objectively and decide if my desire not to settle for less is legit, or if i have unrealistic expectations of what life can/should look like.

December 5, 2008

why i love my friend

it is kim's birthday today and she's three decades old. there are lots of things i love about her, here are thirty of them in random order.

i love kim because…

she is a great teacher
she loves the lazy river
she is really good at fake laughing
she is very passionate about the jayhawks
she screams a lot
she is an avid gambler
she gets very hyper about winter weather
she loves to help people
she is digging herself out of the hole
she is extremely generous
she smiles a lot
she experienced new life ranch with me
she loves Jesus
she listens to ‘gangsta’ music
she is really good at making new people feel welcome
she makes me laugh
she took me to las vegas
she is infatuated with chris brown
she likes to be spoiled
she likes to spoil other people
she knows what it’s like to lose a parent
she is really good at wii bowling
she is easily excitable
she is a good wedding date
she loves her students
she is really good at accessorizing
she makes life fun
she genuinely cares for people
she understands
she is there for me

November 27, 2008

how i spent $0.86 on black friday

i've been working the walgreens circuit for a few years now and i've recently decided to delve into the world of cvs-ing. and yes, that is a verb. there's this whole sort of cult following on the web where you can find tips and info on how to get the best deals by combining coupons with store specials. i won't bore you with the details but i do have to brag a bit. the black friday sales presented my biggest challenge yet and with my mom as my sidekick, i went, and i conquered! i purchased all you see below with $11.77 of existing ecb's [basically store credit] that i had acquired, only $0.86 cash, and i still left the store with $11.95 in ecb's to use in the future! this is so fun!!!

October 14, 2008

francis howell viking football

i have a new favorite football player [though i probably didn't have one to begin with]. matthew is a freshman at my high school this year and decided to play football. monday was the one and only game i'll get to see this year, so i had to pack a lot of spirit into that hour and a half!! i'm sure he was really pleased, and not at all embarrassed, by my artistic sign and the fact that i was frantically waving it around while screaming "go 43", and "good job 43" for the entire game. i didn't earn the most spirited pommer trophy two years in a row for nothing!

jacob, me, and gracie
[with a very tiny matthew in the background]


October 12, 2008

i want to go back to the beach

this was the extent of my to-do list for the past week:
  • float in pool
  • play in ocean
  • look for shells
  • eat lots of snow crab
my mom and i spent the past week in pensacola beach, florida with friends from church that we've known forever. this was our second year to go on vacation together and it was quite fun.

matthew . john . joanie . chris . kim . marilyn
shelly . jacob . gracie


jacob and i on jet ski day in the bay


one night we drove into pensacola to eat at maguire's, they are famous for having great burgers. they also have a very cool tradition of letting everyone who visits sign a dollar bill and staple it to the ceiling. they have over $550,000 in dollar bills, and that's not a typo! there is money everywhere. i think i could live on their dollar bills for the rest of my life. of course we didn't want to miss the opportunity to leave our mark in history, so we all signed a bill and up it went.

jacob stapling our dollar to the ceiling for all eternity


the room we were in looked like it was a recent addition since it didn't have nearly as much money in it as the rest of the place. also, if you ever eat here, be sure to go to the bathroom. i won't spoil the surprise, just go.


one last picture of my favorite coast line on planet earth

September 23, 2008

the story of stuff

over the past few months i have become a bit of a tree hugger. no, i haven't started a compost pile in the backyard [though i did get a "keep it clean, keep it green" t-shirt for my birthday], but i am more aware of how much, and what, i throw away. the fascinating thing that i quickly discovered is that my insane frugality happens to go hand in hand with being kind to the earth. the less stuff you buy, the less stuff you have, the less stuff that gets thrown away. the less you drive, the less gas you buy, the less pollution goes into the air. it's simple math [though i don't think the grammar exactly works]. 

i recently came across this video that makes some interesting points about how our personal decisions affect not only the earth, but also our fellow humans. it's worth a watch.


September 7, 2008

what constitutes a purposeful life

i've been thinking a lot lately...lots of ideas and ponderings floating around in my brain. even though i knew these thoughts were all connected, i was having trouble making sense of them. thoughts about our purpose on this journey of life. i had tried to articulate a few of these thoughts to friends, but didn't really get anywhere. then wednesday night at bible study i had a breakthrough of sorts...i finally found a question that encompasses a large quantity of these thoughts:

what constitutes living a purposeful life? 

my insane, type-a personality would really appreciate it if God would come down from heaven with a to-do list for each day of my life. then i would clearly see what i need to do, or not do, and go about the business of being purposeful. unfortunately for type-a's like myself, this is not the case. at the risk of sounding cliche, i'll point out that i do know the christian life isn't a list of do's and don'ts. it's about relationships. it's dying to myself and allowing Jesus to live through me, as if my fleshy self isn't even present. that sounds all well and good and i would like to be signed up for that. but then i wake up the next day and realize...i have no idea what this really looks like. i mean in the every day going to work, getting gas, talking on the phone, etc. i know we are to eat, drink, and do all to the glory of God, but how exactly do you do that?

here's where i get on my singleness soap box. but please don't misunderstand , this really isn't a pity party. do i want to be a wife and mom someday? yes. but am i happy and content with my life at the moment? also yes. [disclaimer: that doesn't mean that i still don't have bouts of envy of my married friends, but all in all, i have a pretty great life right now.] the thing is, day to day purpose seems easier to come by as a married person. those little things that have to be done every day, like cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. are not just mere chores anymore, but a way to honor your spouse and show love to them. you have a built in opportunity to put someone else's needs and desires above your own. though i do realize this is usually easier said than done. add some kids to the mix and your purpose/serving ratio shoots off the charts. but what about us single people? i don't really have anyone else's opinion to put before my own in deciding what to eat for dinner. if my laundry basket gets a little fuller than normal, no one else is negatively affected. 

which brings me to the ever evasive question...what does a purposeful life look like in the every day?

August 27, 2008

mixin' it up in macon

last weekend i headed to the south for some good 'ole family time with the broomes. i got to spend time with a wonderful friend and her cute kids [and fred]. joshua and anna bell made me feel very loved.


we had an extra fun treat when connie, another sbu friend, drove down from south carolina with her mom and sweet little josiah to spend a day with us. it had been a long time since i'd seen her, so i really appreciated her making the drive!


connie . lindsey . shelly


aside from connie's visit, we spent the first 90% of our time together just lounging around, playing with the kids and eating home-made candy [which is a fabulous way to spend some time]. then on the last night we really kicked it into high gear and got the party started. we ate barbecue at sticky fingers, did some 'free' cvs shopping, and sipped pina colada slushies while watching re-runs of the office. i also got to throw in some dave ramsey advice, which made me so excited, this happened...



[as i'm sure you can imagine, fred could hardly contain his excitement when i suggested this] 

August 2, 2008

take me out to the ball game

i'm a little ashamed to say that until tonight, i had not yet been to the new busch stadium. i know, i know...how can i even call myself a st. louisan? but lucky for me my fabulous aunt and uncle came to the rescue this weekend with free seats in the best buy suite, courtesy of the casino queen. the cards weren't able to pull out a win, but they are still my favorite anyway.

me and uncle mick


me and my mom inside the suite


uncle mick . aunt linda . mom . me

July 6, 2008

28 things you always wanted to know

  1. where do you shop the most: hyvee
  2. what kind of shampoo do you use: whatever i get free at walgreens
  3. what sport do you dislike the most: the fantasy kind
  4. what are you most scared of: spiders, snakes and mice
  5. favorite restaurant: kathy’s pasta in bolivar
  6. favorite fast food: white castle
  7. favorite tv show: past – the cosby show; current – the office
  8. rolling stones or beatles: duh…beatles
  9. best bed sheets as a child: they are white with a map of the hundred acre woods on them…and i had to save up and buy them with my own money!
  10. who is your loudest friend: this girl named kim
  11. what movie have you seen the most: back to the beach
  12. what foods do you dislike: sushi and other things that don't taste good
  13. what is your favorite chip flavor: ummm…popcorn
  14. favorite sandwich: the cheapest one on the menu [sad, but true]
  15. what characteristics do you dislike: not considering how your actions affect others
  16. favorite item of clothing: currently my new life ranch flip flops
  17. if you could go anywhere on vacation, where would you go: to hawaii with kim
  18. favorite sport to watch: the olympics and march madness
  19. how do you release anger: i usually don’t, i just fume silently
  20. do you untie your shoes when you take them off: they aren’t tied to begin with
  21. if you were another person, would you be friends with you: of course...we would have so much in common!
  22. what is your least favorite thing about yourself: i don't know if it's the absolute least favorite, but i don't like it when i get uptight about stupid things
  23. what is the worst injury you’ve ever had: getting kicked in the leg by a horse
  24. what are your favorite smells: coconut and sunscreen [which means i especially love coconut scented sunscreen]
  25. what is your favorite kitchen appliance: it's not really an appliance, but my favorite kitchen utensil is my stove-top popcorn popper
  26. if you could have a super power, what would it be: well, this really isn't a super power, but when i was a kid i wished there were magical scissors that would make things real when you cut them out of catalogs
  27. what is in the trunk of your car: my awesome chair with a footrest, sleeping bag, pool raft, jumper cables and a frisbee
  28. when you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up: i used to want to go to clown college [yes, it's a real thing] and be in the circus

June 22, 2008

kids camp 2008

i've spent the past week at one of my all time favorite places...camp! i was at kids camp with calvary using my mad assistant nurse skills. i really enjoy getting to spend time with calvary people during the week, especially since i don't see them very often. i've been support staff at camp for the past couple years [as opposed to a counselor] so i get some extra adult time to chat with the pastors and leaders that are there. let me tell you, they are some seriously fun people, and they can really make you laugh.

[don't tell, but ben's my favorite!]


mom and me

June 8, 2008

the meinhardt clan

i have the best family. i love my family.

i just got back from a weekend of family fun. every two years my mom's family gets together for a little vacation at the fabulous lake of the ozarks. we spend a few days eating, listening to the stories of the elder members [also known as the 'super delegates' during the family meeting] and then we eat some more. i made a few fun treats to surprise everyone with when they arrived, including these fun water bottles.


we have these old family movies we watch when we're together and some of the footage is of the six elder cousins bowling in grandpa's basement. so thanks to my cousins monte and heather, we set up a virtual bowling alley and introduced the old folks to the wonderful world of wii. i fear the still shots don't quite do the night justice, but we did manage to score some quality video of them!


and here's the whole, lovely family!

May 27, 2008

don't know much about history

...but i do now! i recently watched two movies that greatly increased my historical knowledge.

the first is charlie wilsons war, which is based on a true story. it is set during the cold war...which i now know is when the soviets invaded afghanistan because they wanted to take over the world [shelly's paraphrase]. it also gives a glimpse of how afghanistan became the kind of country it is today. i had to pause this movie a few times to get some explanations and to look at maps so i could understand everything, but it was well worth it. *disclaimer - there is a very adult scene at the beginning...proceed with caution*

i followed this up with the kite runner, which chronicles the life of a man who grew up in afghanistan and shows how the country changed from just before the cold war and to present day. it is kind of a heavy movie, but very worthwhile to see a glimpse of what life was and is really like for the afghan people.

May 21, 2008

there's no place like home

after a busy couple months of travel and such, i'm glad to be home for a long stretch [well, long for me]. i love getting to visit and spend time with far away friends, but sometimes there's just no place like home. this past saturday it was so great to sleep in and lounge around the house...doesn't that just feel nice? here's a picture of home, and one of my favorite things about being at home [that would be kim]


another great thing is having time at home is getting to do random fun things, like be on american idol! yep, that's right...i'm famous again. [well, you probably didn't see me, but i can point to exactly where i was in the crowd!] we went down to the new power and light district in kc for the "official" david cook watch party. i must admit i am a total fair weather fan...i do not watch the show and i didn't vote once. but i can tell you i was doing a LOT of yelling and jumping when his name was announced!

May 11, 2008

california dreamin'

i spent the last week with some of my favorite friends. tara and i met my freshman year at sbu on the croatia mission trip and we've been friends ever since. so naturally when she and matt got hitched, he had to be my friend too! i really can't say enough how much i love this family...tara and i are like twins separated at birth [if you think i'm cheap and overly organized, just imagine me times two] and even though matt is outnumbered when i visit, i think he actually gets more excited than anyone else! they now have two beautiful daughters who love their aunt shay-shay and i was getting to meet tori michelle for the very first time. here's some pictures of the fun...

shelly and sophia

tori michelle

who do you love?

May 8, 2008

hello tahoe

a little update from the west coast.

first off...i love this family. we have such a great time together. lots of fun and silliness, and lots of good convo. and these girls love their aunt shay-shay [that's me!]

when i come to visit we always go on an arden family adventure and this time we went up to lake tahoe for the day while sophia stayed with grandma and grandpa in reno.

our family photo
[tori, shelly, matt and tara]


tara and i on our hike to eagle lake


sophia playing at gymboree

April 17, 2008

tonight's top ten list

today i started reading this book from the library about debt-free living [these are the kind of books i read for enjoyment...weird, i know] and early on the author asked this question:

what contributes to the quality of your life and brings you satisfaction?

she suggested i stop reading and make a list of ten things that define the quality of my life, which i decided was a good idea, so i did. 

my top ten in random order:

  • living life with my friends
  • traveling

  • feeling loved

  • making someones day

  • getting great deals/being debt-free

  • having a great mom

  • spending time outside [especially when it involves water]

  • watching the cosby show & friends

  • helping others

  • being organized

April 13, 2008

happy birthday missy

as one of my very loyal blog readers, i wanted to wish you a happy day! and just for old times sake, here is a classic for your viewing pleasure:

jen, shelly and missy @ salem church camp


and this is what we look like now [well, when the babies were still in their bellies]
missy, shelly and jen @ baby jonah's shower


happy birthday my life-long friend!!

April 8, 2008

farewell fair oxford

this trip to oxford has been pretty laid back, which i've really enjoyed. since i've been here before, i didn't have to go full force the whole time trying to visit all the "must see" sites. i still saw some fun things, but it was great to rider bikes to the store, make dinner, go to church, and just feel a bit like a local.

i was on my own for awhile yesterday and today while jackie had some meetings, and i had some interesting adventures. both days i went bike riding on some paths and ended up with some serious mud issues. i wish someone had been following me with a video camera...it would have made for some laughs. other than that, i just enjoyed the city and the countryside and treated myself to a lunch of bangers and mach [sausages on a pile of mashed potatoes, my favorite english dish]. and on a non-english note, i learned to make homemade onion rings as well. tonight was our turn to cook for food group at the house and we made a good ol' american meal...cheeseburgers, onion rings, and cokes. it was delish.

the grave of c.s. lewis


me and the spires of oxford



punts for hire on the river cherwell



beautiful port meadow
[my bike ride here today just may have been the trip highlight]



the jackie and shelly farewell photo


April 6, 2008

yep, that's snow

we woke up this morning to a delightful sight...lots and lots of snow! it was a very pretty and some of the students in the house were up bright and early to enjoy every minute of it, especially the ones from california.

the backyard


being the devoted church-goers that we are, jackie and i biked through the snow to church and then shopped around oxford a bit. we had lunch at the lamb & flag pub, and are now back at the vines [which is the name of the house they live in] to enjoy a relaxing afternoon. clint is off in lincoln doing some pioneer research and finding out things no one else in the world knows. you know, typical stuff. this is what makes him the most educated person i know.

April 5, 2008

our day in london

jackie and i took the train to london yesterday [i love being able to say that] for a little sight seeing. the weather was beautiful, especially for england.

one of our first stops was the british library. now, i'm not usually very fond of museum-type attractions, but this was really cool. there is a room filled with old books and writings on different subjects, all kept under glass. they have some of jane austen's writings [these are originals mind you] and the codex sinaitcius, which is the world's oldest complete christian bible. i feel like i should say that was my favorite, but my true favorite was in the music section. they had one area dedicated to the beatles, with papers where they had scribbled down lyrics for songs. and my very, very favorite...handel's messiah. in the flesh. i think i teared up a bit when i first saw it. they also had headphones on the wall so you could listen to the pieces you were looking at, so i had a grand time listening to the hallelujah chorus as i looked at the music.


next i made a quick detour to hogwarts...unfortunately there was no photography allowed and i was sworn to secrecy, so i can't tell you what it was like. you'll have to read the books. but i was able to take a photo on my way in.

platform 9 3/4 @ kings cross


in the evening we ended up at westminster abbey just in time for the evensong [which you can attend for free]. the service was centered around martin luther king jr. and his message of hope, since it was the 40th anniversary of his assassination. we didn't get a chance to see william wilberforce's grave, but i liked the experience of attending a service there.



our last surprise find of the day came at the train station. we headed back to paddington to grab some dinner and wait for our train back to oxford, and all of a sudden a live band started playing! not just a few random musicians, a full 20-ish piece band playing some good tunes. it was mostly older folks, but it was great entertainment as we were waiting.

and that was our day in london.

April 3, 2008

adventures in amsterdam

jackie and i are back in oxford after our little adventure to amsterdam. it is a pretty cool city. we walked around a lot [which did make our feet quite tired] and discovered that amsterdam has one of the largest bicycle populations on the planet. i really liked exploring all the little streets and canals, they were super charming.

a few of the highlights were the anne frank house, where anne's family and four other jews hid from the nazi's; the keukenhof park [basically a botanical garden created just for tulips]; and the really amazing waffle i had for dessert one day. it was covered in white chocolate and nuts, warmed up, and had a dollop of creme on top. simply divine. we also had a short, unintentional tour of the red light district...but that's a story for another day.

an amsterdam canal



tulips for sale



jackie and i @ keukenhof park

March 26, 2008

my funny old friends

you never know what's going to happen when you're spending time with my funny old friends. this conversation occurred today over lunch:

frances: did you see the tv today?
me: no, why?
frances: i won a big prize.
me: you did!?!? what did you win?
frances: a cadillac convertible
me: wow...that's a really big prize, what are you going to do with a car?
frances: give it to my son.
me: what color is the car?
frances: white
me: did you win it on a game show?
frances: yes, the "#1 big show"
me: wow, that's really great!!
frances: i also won an animal.
me: you did? what kind?
frances: a buffalo
me: what in the world are you going to do with a buffalo?
frances: i don't know...do you want it?
me: no, i don't have a place for a buffalo.
frances: i was going to give it to my other son, but his landlord won't let him keep a buffalo.

i love old people.

March 24, 2008

purim party time

in honor of the fact that we just finished studying esther, and because it's actually the right time on the jewish calendar, the bible study girls and i decided to throw a purim party. for those that need a little history refresher, purim is the festival the jews throw to remember and celebrate the time that God spared their lives from the plot of the evil haman. [as described in the book of esther] there are four main components to a purim celebration...

  • a public reading of esther [costumes are optional, but we opted in]
  • sending food gifts to friends
  • giving charity to the poor
  • eating a festive meal
our good friend matthew henry says that "the observance of jewish feasts is a public declaration of the truth of the old testament scriptures." we believe these truths, so here we are in all our glory: 

haman . king xerxes . queen esther . mordecai

March 17, 2008

a cherished friend

sometimes there is just nothing like seeing a friend in person. this weekend val was in town from boston and i had the great privilege of spending time with her on her visit. she led a discipleship group i was in at sbu and has always been someone i greatly respect. even though i am always glad for her friendship, seeing her in person just reminded me how fabulous she is! we had some QUALITY conversation, which i pretty much monopolized discussing the search for my passions in life, but as always, val had some great insight. so thank you my friend.

March 3, 2008

bomo or bust

last night i jumped in the car for a quick trip down to bolivar...the happiest place on earth. i spent the evening chatting with jason, graziella, and angela [this picture was taken in the morning during breakfast, so forgive the rumpled-ness]. i so enjoy quality time with quality friends.

then then i spent the day playing cards and laughing with my 'adopted' grandma, pauline. she is just about the sweetest lady on planet earth. this is a picture of her with her husband lee, who passed away about a year and a half ago. 

February 14, 2008

i was the object of an undercover investigation

here's what went down...last night about 10:20pm my friend casey calls to tell me she just saw me on the news. why? apparently a local tv news station decided to send an undercover couple to different tax preparers around the city to find out who is most accurate and how the fees compare. little did i know, i had been the unsuspecting tax associate who had these clients at h&r block. they came into the office packing a hidden camera, and all of a sudden...i'm famous. mind you, my face is blurred out, but i'm still pretty recognizable [with some credit going to the green sweater i often wear and always get compliments on].

luckily things went very well during their appointment and of the three places they went, we came out looking the best. i am certainly thankful for that.

follow up: i had a mid-season training meeting and my famous news video was played for all to see, and when it was over i was presented with a goodie bag and a $50 target gift card! i just love those hidden cameras.
emerge © , All Rights Reserved. BLOG DESIGN BY Sadaf F K.