tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64594383755239301762024-09-15T20:54:05.382-05:00Random thoughts, updates, and events.Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-63595943106179255432017-04-19T14:25:00.001-05:002017-04-19T14:25:50.234-05:00

Way back in 2010, a friend of mine and I decided to run the Lake Monona 20K. Twenty kilometers is 12.4 miles, making it 0.7 miles shy of a half marathon. That's a long way to run! I survived it well enough that I decided to do it again in 2011. Then, in 2014, I planned to do it again, but my ankles and knees didn't agree. As 2016 came to an end, I found myself considering this long run once

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-87343441747067629662017-01-16T11:51:00.005-06:002017-01-16T11:51:42.893-06:00

Looking for a fun, inexpensive, and easy craft project? This fishing bracelet is a great entry into jewelry-making because it doesn't require any tools, and the finished product looks great! For the after school programs I help lead, we are always looking for fun, easy crafts that fit with the theme for the day. This week, our groups will hear the story of the great catch of fish (Luke 5:

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-69301384381729366522016-12-30T21:01:00.000-06:002016-12-30T21:02:31.831-06:00

I really love peppermint and dark chocolate together. When I was a kid, my grandma made this peppermint ice cream dessert at Christmas, and that's probably what started my love of this flavor combination. We called this Christmas-time dessert "pink dessert," and it consists of chocolate-covered rice crispies and peppermint ice cream. She would laugh and laugh about how much we all liked it saying

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-71666790726096240872016-12-08T19:50:00.000-06:002016-12-09T09:01:12.213-06:00

For the four Wednesdays leading up to Christmas, I planned community service projects for our confirmation (6th-8th grade) students to do. Community service is a big part of our confirmation program, so I was really excited to plan a series of service projects for our youth to complete during Advent. Since we have four weeks, I came up with four service projects: rolling bandages, making spice

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-18095941426741583222016-11-30T08:34:00.001-06:002016-11-30T08:43:58.067-06:00

One of my fondest Advent memories from childhood is doing the Jesse Tree with my family. The five of us would gather together for this daily devotion time. Even before I could read, I could participate! We would read a Bible passage, have some discussion about the passage, put an ornament on the Jesse Tree (my job, especially before I could read), and say a prayer. The Jesse Tree from my

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-42844818930652460882016-11-28T13:13:00.000-06:002016-11-28T13:13:05.130-06:00

About a year and a half ago, I had a friend stop through town on her way from Chicago to Minnesota. She made dinner for my family and me. We liked the recipe so much that we asked her for it. She said, "Oh, I found it on Pinterest. I'll send it to you." It was called Marinated Greek Chicken Skewers, and it was supposed to be made on the grill. Unfortunately, the day she came, it was cold and

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-17461843716870193212016-11-26T10:28:00.000-06:002016-11-26T10:29:14.271-06:00

One of my favorite things is finding where pop culture and religion intersect. I love when tv shows or movies inject some questions about faith. Better yet, I love when an entire movie (or tv episode) is a metaphor about faith. This interest serves me well as Director of Faith Formation (overseeing service and learning for all ages); I do a lot of youth ministry in my role. As part of my job, I

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-19666877354537481462016-11-25T09:39:00.001-06:002016-11-25T09:39:51.459-06:00

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, and I spent the day with my family at my parents' house. It was a pretty relaxing day with delicious food and good company. I even managed to not overdo it at dinner! I spent some time yesterday and today thinking about Thanksgiving from years ago. And I was reminded of two pretty awesome videos. Whatever your plans are today, you should take the time to watch these.

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-87133700580220811552016-11-22T17:03:00.001-06:002016-11-22T17:03:24.079-06:00

My family usually eats pretty healthy meals. We use whole food ingredients, and we try to avoid processed foods as much as possible. With our busy schedule, though, it is sometimes difficult to eat as healthy as I'd like. Last night, I didn't start making dinner for my husband and me until 8:30pm! Yuck. I don't like eating that late. However, I was able to whip up these delicious salmon burgers

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-50467021919684149432016-11-17T11:30:00.000-06:002016-11-17T11:30:12.330-06:00

When I was kid, my parents would ask my sister and brother and me for Christmas Wish Lists. My parents used our lists to help with their Christmas shopping. They would share the lists with our grandparents, too. The best part of this, as a kid, was that I always received gifts that I wanted. At some point, I stopped providing these Christmas wish lists; I'm not sure why. My parents and friends

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-91375348145424049142016-11-16T09:18:00.001-06:002016-11-16T09:18:41.354-06:00

On Sunday mornings, my family and I go to worship and then my son, who is almost 5, goes to BASIC (Brothers And Sisters In Christ - our church's name for Sunday School). Each week, BASIC starts with songs and the Bible story with all of the kids together in the sanctuary. Then the kids head into classrooms for time with their peers. They share highs and lows, pray together, and usually do an

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-19044851343570367732016-11-13T19:20:00.001-06:002016-11-13T19:45:29.138-06:00

My kids have a book by Mercer Mayer that says the most important ingredient in any recipe is love. So, when I make something for my family and they respond positively, I often ask if I put enough love in it. This is especially fun when both of the kids have helped me make something and we are seeking feedback from Einar. One of our favorite breakfast treats is chocolate chip scones. Years ago,

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-71446504834534370382016-01-06T15:16:00.000-06:002016-01-06T15:16:22.990-06:00

A co-worker asked me if I've been writing down the funny things O and K say. I said, "No." And then I thought, I could certainly use this blog to keep track of their hilarity. So I'll start with a story about O from yesterday. A friend of ours gave the kids some foam blocks and the movie Inside Out for Christmas. Yesterday morning, O asked, "Why did Sean give us that movie? Why didn't he give us

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-40582694984755168022015-06-04T10:55:00.000-05:002015-06-04T10:55:00.833-05:00

Can you believe this two?! These pictures were taken less than a year apart. They've changed so much in the past 12 months! Summer 2014 June 2015

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-199635605780079262012-05-08T19:51:00.001-05:002012-05-23T19:59:48.689-05:00

I've never liked writing. For as long as I can remember, I've not liked it. It is hard for me, and I feel that I'm not good at it. But, since I majored in English and then earned a Master's in Communication, I've done a lot of writing. You'd think that would improve my confidence. Or my enjoyment. But you'd be wrong. I've even been told that I am a good writer. I have a hard time believing

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-81284803232747355172012-05-04T09:57:00.001-05:002012-05-04T09:57:14.796-05:00

Lately I've been thinking about this question a lot. For the past two years, I've been trying to get a teaching job, with no success. Not even an interview. And so I've thought that maybe I need to go down another path. That's why I've thought about getting a nursing degree. But I don't know if I feel called to that. I'd probably enjoy being a nurse. I think it's a noble job. I've always had a

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-6277090774094112392010-06-30T14:37:00.004-05:002010-06-30T14:55:39.670-05:00

I'm sitting at my desk at Tweedee Productions this afternoon for the last time. It's weird. It's oddly quiet. One co-worker is out of the office at a meeting and then will be working from home. Another co-worker just left for the day (but not before giving me a good-bye hug). One of my bosses is taking her mom to an appointment, but she'll probably be back around 4. And my other two bosses

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-59255116405969771802010-06-23T15:15:00.003-05:002010-06-23T15:25:43.306-05:00

About a month ago, a guy I work with at Mariner's Inn told me that a job would be coming available where he works (National Center for Media Engagement), and he thought I'd be a good candidate for it. I told him to let me know when the job was posted. Two days later, I found out that I'd be losing my job at Tweedee at the end of June. I sent him a text message to let him know and to remind him

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-60964318249389129492010-06-15T14:58:00.002-05:002010-06-15T15:06:10.746-05:00

A few weeks ago, a friend of ours asked if we'd be interested in going to a concert in town at the High Noon Saloon. She described Ellis, the singer/songwriter, as pretty folksy and one of her favorites. I asked if she could loan us some of Ellis's music, but that we'd probably go. When I finally got to listen to some of her music, I immediately thought, "This is my kind of music." It's

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-17514540898768471142010-06-10T16:38:00.003-05:002010-06-10T16:45:06.109-05:00

Well, the good news is that my father-in-law's metastatic kidney cancer is responding well to treatment. After 8 weeks of drug therapy, all the tumors in his lungs have shrunk about 30-40%. In 8 weeks!! Can you believe it?!? God is GOOD!I, on the other hand, struggle to remain positive about job prospects as the date of my last day at Tweedee approaches. I have added a 4th job to my arsenal:

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-66880259736961448722010-06-02T16:10:00.002-05:002010-06-02T16:18:37.512-05:00

If you've ever watched an episode of The Biggest Loser or The Amazing Race or Survivor or American Idol, you've probably heard people talk about being eliminated. How badly they want to avoid being eliminated. How they will react if they are eliminated. It all builds the drama. And as viewers, we talk about who we want to be eliminated, knowing that the drama has already happened (except for

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-21255449568792668582010-05-12T16:25:00.004-05:002010-05-12T16:36:34.276-05:00

This week, I've been struggling with motivation: to exercise and to go to my cleaning job, mostly, but also to mow the lawn and to vacuum the house. I don't know if it's the weather, or if it's the fact that I work 3 part-time jobs for an average of 50 hours/week except for last week and this week when I worked 60 hours/week. I don't mean to complain. I am truly thankful to have each job,

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-60608995632123743202010-05-05T15:32:00.003-05:002010-05-05T15:54:16.662-05:00

Well, this past Saturday, I completed the Lake Monona 20K! It's a 12.4 mile run around Lake Monona here in Madison. It's really a very scenic route. It follows the bike route, so if you want to bike what I ran, you can! Just follow the spray painted markers on the pavement that say LMR.A friend of mine and I had been training together, and we agreed to run together. The first half of the run

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-21121913511119045972010-04-13T09:07:00.002-05:002010-04-13T09:18:23.606-05:00

Several years ago, one of my dad's brothers told us that he had a genetic marker that increased the likelihood that he'd develop colon cancer (which he already had) as well as several other cancers. His doctor suggested that his siblings get tested for this genetic marker, and if any of them had it, that their kids also be tested. Since my dad had already had colon cancer three times, it was

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6459438375523930176.post-26564032742372155472010-04-01T16:45:00.003-05:002010-04-01T16:48:41.633-05:00

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!?!Today my big brother celebrates his 40th birthday. If you know him, send him birthday wishes if you haven't already.

Alphabet Kidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185392818793378471noreply@blogger.com0