Only in a small town...

Would walking home from school in the snow make the front page!
Winona Daily News

I finally finished!

In the midst of a really crappy season of life, I had a little victory. I finished my first knitting project, EVER!

My Thanksgiving Plans

Boise is a delightful blend of traditional and non-traditional sights and attractions. The City of Trees boasts one-of-a-kind museums and urban parks, a river flowing through the heart of the city and a 25-mile river front greenbelt. Among the many unique sites to visit are the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, Morrison-Knudsen Nature Center, Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial, Idaho Black History Museum and the World Center for Birds of Prey. Southwest Idaho’s easily accessible outdoors beckons the Boise visitor to enjoy nearby mountains, desert sand dunes, canyons and whitewater rafting rivers. Boise is the perfect city for a memorable visit.

Can't wait!

What to do on a Saturday...

So today I am stuck without a car which poses a little problem. They guys are STILL not done with our floor replacement which means we are going on day 8 with a house that is totally disheveled and not entirely liveable. I haven't cooked in who knows how long and spend my days trying to find stuff to do in our upstairs or hanging out a coffee shops.
And today I am in a pickle because Craig has the car. I was supposed to help out with ECFE's Flippin' for Books, or at the least show up (since I am a member of the early childhood's PTA) but alas, two miles one way just seems like a long way to walk. But I still have to vacate the premises, so we might go see Bee Movie. (Movie Theater: .9 miles.) This is the main reason for my post. I found some really great websites that help parents make better decisions about what movies are appropriate for your kids. We need all the help we can get.
Plugged In and
Common Sense

New Haircut

I guess I realized that literally every time I could write here, it could be deep and dark. So I decided to keep it light a fluffy. I want to talk about my new hair cut. I realized that my "thing" is hair. Some people have shoes (don't get me wrong, I love shoes too) and some people have tattoos. Some people like purses or maybe even jackets. But yes, mine is hair. I almost never get the same cut. Last year, my hair was down to the middle of my back, and how it does not even touch my shoulders. Sometimes it is lighter, or redder, or highlighted, or even black.
I took a picture of my hair so that it could be documented. (Keep in mind I just got done walking eight blocks in the rain.) Also through this experience, I realized that it is very, very difficult to take your own picture in a mirror. Kudos to anyone who does a good job at it.

What's new?

It is funny when people come up and ask me, "What's new?" or "How's it going?" I really struggle with how to answer this because most of the time it is not going so great. In fact, not to be the proverbial Debbie Downer or anything, but I really can't remember when things were going awesome. Right now Fran is doing badly in school. She kicks other kids. She bites. Spits. Opera sings. Has to sit in solitary confinement when she is naughty because traditional methods don't work with her. But in all honesty, she is not a traditional kid.
Gus is having a hey-day being defiant. I know he's only four, but I am getting tired of being opposed everytime I make a request of him.
Craig is grumpy. He doesn't listen to me when I talk. I sorta feel like I am just talking to no one at times. I could say really rediculous things and he wouldn't even realize my mouth was moving. He is stressed being the only one at church again and it is weighing on him. All the work falls on him as well as all the hateration. It sucks. I can't even explain what it feels like to have people mad at you just because they don't like the songs your husband picked out for worship or because they don't like where the cross is displayed this week. I got nasty looks from a church member today because someone was spreading lies about me. I kid you not. I have never done anything to merit this treatment, just someone believing a bunch of crap that they have been fed.
I am always bummed out. My house is a disaster, the toilet overflowed, the flooring has to be ripped up, Gus spilled about a gallon of water on the carpet in his room and now it smells like poop, I have no closets in this house and no where to put all the crap that seems to collect in certain hot spots all over my house. My ironing board is overflowing. You can't walk in my office because of the junk from the bathroom where the toilet overflowed is in there. We have mice. My only friend in town moved away. All the moms at church think I am weird. Or evil. Or snotty. Or something else. I don't have a job. Or anything. Oh and my car makes weird noises when you go over a bump.
This is not even getting into the drama that I suffer from having constant family drama. Stuff comes at me from all sides. So how could I ever just tell people all this stuff? No one cares, really. I have decent health, kids, a house, a husband... I really don't have much to complain about other than the fact that I can't remember a time I was really, truly, happy.
I really like to watch this show called LA Ink. If you haven't seen it, you should check it out. It is all about tatooing, the artists who tatoo, the people who get the tatoos, why they get the tatoo they get, and everything that could go along with it. I got to thinking about what kind of tatoo I would get and why. I have always loved that swallow tatoo that Jack Sparrow has on his arm and I thought that would be cool to get, cause pirates are pretty rad. I like the idea of a bird, all free and happy... So I came up with this. Two swallows holding a banner that says "FAITH" and "HOPE." Now this is just in my mind, don't get all freaked out yet. If you think it is too cliched, that's cool... just bear with me. So the reason that I choose these two words was because I cling to them. I have to have hope, every day, that things will get better. I don't know what else I have if I can't at least hope that God has something really awesome for me around the corner. I can't even know what that is, I just have to have hope. And the faith part? I have to have faith that it will come true and that it is what God wants for me.
I guess when people ask me how things are going, I could answer, "Faith and Hope," but I think I will stick with, "I'm ok. How are you doing?" And leave it at that.

ValleyFair! and Other Antics

So yesterday we went to ValleyFair!, a really great amusement park. (It is owned by Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH which I hear is really great, too, but have never been there.) Anyway, I have not been to an amusement park since I was in high school. We lived right by Six Flags Great America for 5 years and never went. So I told Craig that I was making an executive decision for our family. This summer we would be going to ValleyFair!.
Yesterday was the day. My parent's had the kids for a week and a half and the plan was to meet them at ValleyFair! and spend a day there. Craig balked at the idea, but went along with it (he said he liked rides, but didn't want to waste a day there.) He went, although rather unwillingly. He didn't last long, though. He gets sick easily and bored quickly. But after a little while, he started having fun hanging out, and I found something out, too. My dad and I were having a blast, just like in the old days. You see, my dad and I love rides. A lot. We will go on any coaster you put in front of us, the faster the better. We went on all the major coasters, the High Roller (the original coaster attraction from 1976, the oldest and most classic), the Corkscrew (yes, upside down), the Excalibur, The Wild Thing(a 200ft 60 degree drop that goes over 76 mph... it is the one in the picture), The Renegade, and we even went on the Power Tower. (I exited this ride saying that I thought I had just had an embolism. They drop you 250 feet, and you are weightless for over 3 seconds. Believe it or not, it is taller by 75 feet than Valleyfair's number-one rated ride -- Wild Thing. Only FAA height regulations from Flying Cloud Airport prevented Power Tower from being even taller.)
Anyway, my dad and I went on a bunch of rides together and we would get off laughing and relating to my mom how awesome the ride was. She would laugh and call us crazy, just like when I was little; the routine hadn't changed a bit. It was great.
I didn't know how I would how I would feel, I mean a lot has happened since the last time I went (ie kids) but it was really great to feel like I was 12 all over again. And being scared silly is pretty fun too.

No kids? What will you do with yourself?!

I will get all of my recipes on my computer, that's what I'll do. I am doing this because I want to put together my own recipe book for new brides. We go to at least 5 weddings a year and to have a gift ready and waiting, put together with my own time and talent will be awesome. So here is one of my entries so far:

White Chili
from Jenah

3 15 oz cans great northern beans, drained (or equal amount of reconstituted)
8 oz cooked and shredded chicken breasts
1 cup chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped red or green bell peppers
2 jalapeno chili peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
sour cream
shredded cheddar
tortilla chips

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker except the last three. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or on High 4-5 hrs. Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream, chips and cheese. A Hensel favorite.

Serves 8.

So Cute

Why can't we have cute stuff like this for our little girls and preteens here in the States to watch? Look at them! They're wearing Hanna Anderson, for crying out loud! What we do have are skanky 'hos like Lindsay Lohan for our girls to look up to. They parade around flashing their bare butts at everything that moves while high on coke and crashing their Escalades into inanimate objects. Man, I love our country.

The Hard Stuff

There are some good things about being a pastor's wife, but most of the stuff is hard. I'll be honest. Really hard. Like today.
I only have two "best" friends in the world (other than family members) and my friend Ingrid is one of them. On Saturday, three of her friends were in a car accident. Two of them died. It is not fair to Ingrid, or anyone else for that matter, that these two young men were taken from family and friends long before it would be expected.
Yesterday was the reviewal and today was the funeral. And let me just say, they sucked. As a friend, I am required to be there for my friend emotionally, but as a pastor's wife, I need to drop everything and physically be there. Don't get me wrong, I would not have wanted to miss being there for Ingrid, but these things are some of the hardest things that cross my path. No one likes to go to funerals, but it is sometimes even harder when you are there to be support for the mourner and not mourning yourself. I hate having to see my best friend cry and sob and go through that stuff.
So here's to my brothers and sisters in Christ: Just know that yes, this is my job. But I love you and would do it anyway, because that's what its all about.

What kind of coffee are you? (This is essential for all days lived beyond this point.)

You Are a Double Espresso

Hey Energizer Bunny Girl! Do you ever slow down? You're a mix of high energy and ambition, perfectly matched with strong espresso When you want something you get it - by any means possible You're driven, determined, and no nonsense. Which is just how you like your java.

What Kind of Coffee Girl Are You?

Exactly.

Trying to be Domestic

You know, I think one of the biggest challenges for me is being domestic. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love a clean bathroom, but I guess it just isn't my first priority. I really have to work hard to stay at home and do something that I "should" do. Here is an example. My office is ALWAYS in a complete state of disarray. I hate it. Craig hates it. But it is like trying to stay best friends with Paris Hilton. There are high times of my relationship with my office. But the low times are low, very low.
I have struggled forever to live up to what I was taught was the ok standard for what my home should be. My mom is a more than a model homemaker, she is what homemakers aspire to be when they get good at it. Her house is SO FREAKING CLEAN I might venture to say that germs have given up and moved to the creepy looking house next door. (Or maybe they have shacked up in the meat my mom isists upon defrosting on the counter, OVERNIGHT. Please, Mom, please defrost that crap in the microwave before you and Dad die of food borne illnesses.) I think she vacuums before the dust has a chance to settle from the last time she vacuumed. Everything always looks cute, tidy, put away, dusted, sparkling, fresh, [insert your own adjective or adverb.]
My sister Elly apparently gained most of this skill from my mom. Even though her life is in constant turmoil, she still has time to create awesome crafty things and always keep her house rediculously organized. It is so organized it is amazing. I remember how she used to ask me if she could organize my room. I still to this day, do not know if it is because it was horribly disorganized in her eyes, or she just loved organizing sooo much.
I am good at a few things. The fact was brought to my attention yesterday. One of our college students, Frank, was staying over a couple nights ago because he was catching the Amtrak to Chicago. He forgot his flip flops and I called him because I was concerned that he might need them. At first he deemed them not necessary, but then recanted. I decided that he needed a lunch for the train, too, so I made him one. He was grateful and it was no big deal to me. I know that that sort of a monkey wrench would screw up more than just the morning for some people, but I like those sort of interruptions. I also love to cook. I am not sure if anyone if my family likes it as much as me, but I know my dad benefits greatly from this hobby. He loves it when I cook, especially things like Mushroom Struedel or anything else with a lot of garlic.
I guess re-reading this still leaves me feeling inadequate, like those are ok things but not quite the Standard of Awesome. But maybe someday I will excel at things like some of the fantastic ladies in my life.

Some Crazy Life I Live

I think that I may be the world's worst blogger. I literally have something insane that I could write about every single day. I guess that is how it goes with pastor's families.
Now I realize that the last time I wrote something here was about 6 months ago. Not acceptable.
Since the last time I wrote here, we voted as a church to dismiss our senior pastor. My daughter graduated from preschool. Craig and I went to San Diego. Then we took a trip with some friends to Chicago. Then Craig and I went to Portland. Then Seattle. We even got a chinchilla! (Get where I am going here? I could've posted a ton of stuff, and this is just the big stuff, not just the daily hilariosities.)
But today, the thing that compels me to post on my blog, is something that no one ever wants to happen to them. I got fired. From a job. Not just any job, but my job at the coffee shop. How hilarious is that? My friends tell me that it is something that has to happen at least once in your life. It makes it even funnier because it wasn't anything that I did, it was a personality clash with my boss. There was nothing that I could do to make the situation better. Believe me, I tried. Nothing helped. At the "firing," I asked her what she thought of my customer service. I told her that I felt like it was awesome and any customer would say the same. She told me that was true, but there is behind the scenes customer service too. Huh, has anyone ever heard of that? Like I said, my firing was a stretch.
Of course, being a PW, I always try to see what God is doing with what happens to me. This couldn't have come at a more perfect time. Here are the "perfect timing" reasons:
1. It is summer. Who wants to get up at 5am to steam milk for 4 hours every day?
2. With Craig being the only pastor at our church now, his responsibilities are going to increase. (More pay for this added work? Bwuahaha!)
3. Something really terrible happened to one of my friends. I felt like now if I need to pack up and leave to go be with her, I can.
4. Literally THE NEXT DAY, I got an offer to come on as a more serious photographer with the guy I have been working with. He is one of the most sought after wedding photographers in the area. (Thanks Dad, for suggesting we go talk to him at that conference!) He saw my work and thought it was amazing.

Moral of the story? I guess I can be anything I want when I grow up. But that doesn't mean I am cut out for everything.

45 Random Things About Me

1. I hate seafood. It literally makes me gag.
2. I once saved my sister Elly from drowning (we won't mention that it was sorta my fault she fell in the lake in the first place.)
3. I hate the color purple.
4. One job I had was in a costume shop in a theatre. It was super fun building costumes.
5. I threw up for the first five months of my pregnancies. Yes. Both of them. I was always thinner AFTER I had kids.
6. I had the same Bible study group all the way through junior high and high school. Our names were: Jennie, Joy, Janna, Jenah, and... Elizabeth. I still keep in touch with Jennie and Joy. We have been friends since the 3rd grade.
7. I love to sing and have been a back up singer on an album. Here is the address... you can hear me singing! Listen: http://www.timlemmens.com/songs/kum_ba_yah.mp3
8. Charlotte Church used to make me cry. Not sure why.
9. I am in love with Culver's. I can't get enough.
10. I was born in 1979 in MN. Funny how you end up back where you started out.
11. I am a humanitarian.
12. We only have one car and prefer not to use it if we can. (It happens to be a VW Passat, though, and it rocks.)
13. I am an environmentalist and I feel it is my responsibilty to be that way as a follower of Christ. (Hence, #12.)
14. I dislike being called a Christian. I love being called a follwer of Jesus or a Student of Jesus.
15. We have 2 kids and there we'll stay.
16. I am totally proud of my Pastor Dude and he kicks butt at what he does.
17. I lived in inner city Chicago for almost 5 years. They were some of the best years of my life.
18. One of my best friends is Fran, and incidentally, that is the middle name of my daughter.
19. I am extremely stubborn.
20. I love to run.
21. I love to take pictures.
22. I lived in Italy for a summer doing my internship and took a trip around Europe with the aforementioned Fran. It was awesome.
23. I graduated from Moody Bible Institute with a BA in Urban Ministries in '01.
24. I am completely in love with my sister who almost drowned because of me... I think she is one of the coolest people I know.
25. My other sister is a chef. Isn't that awesome??
26. I am the oldest.
27. I can speak Swedish. Språka svenska?
28. I love to cook. I am always making new things.
29. I don't like fruit but I love veggies.
30. I am completely obsessed with my body image, yes, I admit it.
31. We are "flexitarians" which means basically that we don't eat a lot of meat. But not opposed to eating it now and again. I have to have a burger every once and a while... c'mon.
32. I donated my hair to Locks of Love.
33. I looooove to write our Christmas letter. In fact, I start thinking about it for the next year shortly after I write the one for the current year.
34. I am learning to be a barista.
35. My son looks creepily just like me.
36. Lots of people tell me I look like Julia Roberts.
37. On the first day of kidergarten, a boy had his foot over the first seat on the bus and I wanted to sit there. I told him to "Move it or loose it." He moved.
38. I was once arrested in Chicago and taken to Cook County in a paddy wagon. It sucked. I was never charged.
39. I broke my arm when I was 8 and it went unnoticed for long enough that I didn't get a cast. When I finally went in to get an x-ray a week later, it had started healing perfectly and never needed a cast.
40. Our house was built in 1882.
41. My first date ever was a Cub's game. It was with my husband.
42. I attended my first year of college in my senior year of high school.
43. I mentored a little girl in inner city Chicago while living there. Her name was No-No.
44. I love to watch MTV and VH1.
45. I am terribly afraid of riding in a car with more that 4 adults in it.

THE RESULTS ARE IN!!!

And here they are...
Sonja voted yes. (She also wanted to know what the heck IS Locks of Love? I could describe it but here is the site, Sonja: locksoflove.org)
AJ and Jonathan said to go for it.
Peter had no opinion.
Teresa said CHOP IT. (Those were her exact words.)
Craig, of course, said keep it.

So, I got rid of it. This is a big change, but I know someone else will be happier with my hair than I was.

Should I or shouldn't I? That is my question. I have been getting a little sick of my long hair and I was thinking that maybe I should donate it to Locks of Love. Here are some examples of what my hair looks like now:



And here is a link to what I want it to end up looking like (my apologies to the fact that it is a teeny bopper... just like the haircut.)here it is, you'll have to cut and paste (I"M SORRY!):
http://www.beautyriot.com/article.php?id=3311&c_id=63
So, here's the deal. I am pretty sure that I have never done this before, but I am going to take a survey. Please tell me what you think I should do by emailing me at: cricketflicka@hotmail.com and tell me if I should keep it or donate it! I will post the results in a few days. Thanks for the input!

this morning at breakfast our conversation went something like this:

franny: the ferris wheel is the FAIREST wheel.
me: oh really? what was your favorite ride at the MOA?
franny: the merry go round!
me: what? i thought you liked the log ride the best?
franny: no, i was scared i was gonna fall out!
me: but you didn't though, and that is half the fun, being scared.
gus: i didn't go on the log ride, i was to thcary.
franny: gus, you're too little to go on the log ride
gus: no i'n not, i'n a big boy now.

yes gus, yes you are.

haloween costumes?

today aiden took an insole from a shoe, put his foot on it and said, "look! i'm an insole!"

a sad day for my le sport sac

i got this super cute bag from fran (not to be confused with franNY, and don't ever call fran "franny." you've been warned. i am not liable for the travesties that may befall you from this point on.) anyway, fran and i had a wonderful time frolicking throughout europe, but we did however, spend a lot of time in airports being that our main method of getting from here to there was ryan air (stop the limerick jokes, now.) anyway, we would occasionally pick up a fashion or gissip mag and one apparently had a large spread devoted to le sport sac bags. i commented on how i wanted one really bad and we then flew off to bratislava or dublin or somewhere.

for christmas, craig's family really gets into the gift giving thing and good lord almighty if you don't have an explicit list of everything you could possibly want in all price ranges. this goes for both his dad and step mom (from whom i have received dvd players, computer scanners, big buck gift certificates, etc. this, however, is NOTHING compared to what my sister receives from her in laws. i am pretty sure new cars and trips to europe come into the picture now and then.) anyway, craig's mom is no exception to the gift giving glee. for my list to her, i remember putting an $80 le sport sac on my list. but when she went to buy it, all of them had been given good homes because of their sheer cuteness. she felt bad that she missed the small window of opportunity and i ended up getting a lot of cash from her instead.

after fran and i returned to the states, i had the feeling that fran might not want to see me ever again (at the end of two weeks together, we were a little on edge and something sent us over said edge. it had to do with a ride back from o' hare, a few english £'s, some chips, and a monster truck driver named george with a mohawk to rival travis barker's, any day.) she was not mad for too long though, just busy being that between thanksgiving and christmas eddie bauer on michigan ave tends to get a little swamped. anyway, we were not able to see each other at christmas but one of our friends from chicago came to visit craig. he brought with him "uh, something fran sent, maybe a christmas present or something." it was a shopping bag from nordstrom's that he handed over. THERE IT WAS. MY LE SPORT SAC. i called her immediately and gushed gratitude. "oh yeah," she said. "don't you remember in that gossip mag? the one with the tell all about posh and becks? well, yeah, there was an ad in there and you said you wanted one."

now i remember why you are my best friend, fran.

so here is where the story gets sad. i have been having issues with my le sport sac for a while now. some of the seams are ripping out and i have been avoiding sending it in because i love using it so much and i literally get one or two comments about how cute it is.. EVERYTIME I TAKE IT OUT. it is kind of like that commercial where the lady comments about "how cute they are" (referring to this other lady's twins) and she is like "oh yeah, i have them in lime green, too" (referring to her shoes.) but it happens to me in reverse.

check-out girl at target: whoa. soo cute!

me: i know, it is weird how much she looks like her dad...

check-out girl at target: no i mean the bag? where'd you get it!?!?!!

and i swear that this purse has caused about 5 other people to run immediately to the store to purchase one. my other best friend, ingrid, keeps asking me if i don't mind that she and her twin "copied" me. my friend, lindsay "just found one" laying around. never has one fashionable item caused such a wave in among my circle of friends. (the debate over gaucho pants, however, did cause a considerable stir.)

anyway, i have to send it in for repairs and i am not sure what i am going to do without it. so, here's to you, le sporty, i will miss you while you are gone. i guess i'll just stuff everything in a target bag till you get back.

from corn rows to rows of corn...

today i went to walmart. (yeah, i know. and can i say that walmart must feel no remorse for a lack concern for the environment or humanity itself?) anyway, i went to walmart and i saw a group of amish women.

*flashback*

the first few months here in se mn were really, really hard. it was cold, über cold in the middle of that january. we suddenly went from a cozy one bedroom apartment to a big, drafty house. i had a newborn who screamed every time she moved more than .5 mm away from my boob and a husband who fled everytime he perceived this scenario would take place. i felt really alone. my sister was thousands of miles away in sweden and my best friend fran was in chicago. all normalities were gone. i kept rreferring to the "iga" as "jewel" or "dominicks" and i was having 24 hour walgreen's withdrawal. what the heck do people do when they need hemorrhoid cream at 3am?!? if my car wouldn't start, how would i get somewhere without the 'el'? at least i could walk to the "jewel" on a sidewalk. but i was a long way from chicago.
i remember grocery shopping once in the first few alienating months in this little town and seeing an amish couple at country market (iga.) i was so shocked, i mean you see a lot of crazy stuff in chicago, but nothing like this! the dude had a straw hat! the chic was wearing a bonnet! if anyone remembers this story from the first christmas letter i sent out chronicling our first year here i related said event. i exclaimed something like, "i have gone from thugs to bugs, corn rows to rows of corn, and pop! pop! to whoa, nelly!"

*flashback from the flashback?*

so here, almost five years later, i am at walmart looking at the "crabs" (lobster) with franny and gus and i see this pack of amish with their plum colored dresses held together with tiny stitches and straight pins, clad in black bonnets. they were carefully eyeing boxes of cereal and containers of soda, checking and rechecking their lists. i kinda of stood there, quiet for a minute (my kids were enthralled with the crabs, i had a second) and reminisced about the last 4.7 years here, how much i had grown and what i have been through, and most of all how much i miss that wonderful city. all those feelings of being in a strange place came back to me.

this story goes a little deeper though, because a few days ago, a friend of mine from our old church in chicago put one of his movies out for its debut on myspace. this friend will always hold a special place in my heart because he was one of the kids in the youth group we worked with and honestly, he was one of my favorites. i loved his heart and i knew he would do a lot with his life someday. when i saw his movie for the first time, i was floored because i felt like there was so much i had missed out on. he grew up. he wasn't a kid anymore, he had grown into a man. i was so proud of him.
the other thing that struck me was how i had almost forgotten about the culture of chicago. i still miss my friends and the rhythm of the city. i still get annoyed that our town is so "white bread." but for now, i guess i will have to prefer the sound of a freight train to that of the "el" rumbling by.

oh, and if you would like to see the movie i am referring to, cut and paste:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=kTGMuJOmM-0