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

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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!!

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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