This is starting to catch on...Where I am...

In the style of my fabulous big sister, I'm going to write a "Where I Am" blog. I always enjoy reading hers, and have enjoyed others lately in the same style. So, here goes!

Where I Am- Saturday, August 15, 5:37 pm

I am sitting in "my chair" on our sectional. Does everyone else have unwritten but understood seats on their furniture? I really love my couch/sectional. We've had it for a about a year and a half. It's the first "real" piece of furniture we've owned/bought ourselves. Everything else we've had has been hand-me-downs (which we are super grateful for, don't get me wrong!). I am watching my two little girls play on the floor, although I have to keep a very watchful eye on Ava
since she loves to torment MK for some reason. She starts out nice enough, but you can see it in her face when she's starting to get too "excited" and ready to pounce! Alan is asleep in "his chair" next to me and Taylor is crashed out in her room. She had her first slumber party at a school friend's house last night. I was a little nervous! I had met the girl's parents and they are very nice people, I just don't know them as well as I would like yet. But when is the appropriate time to grill people on their beliefs, personal family history, rules, regulations, blood type, mother's maiden name, credit score, etc.???

What I'm listening to:
This one is going first since I'm usually ALWAYS listening to something! Yesterday, I bought the new Hillsong Live CD: Faith:Hope:Love. It's pretty good. Here's the thing: I am the biggest Hillsong fan there is, but every time I get a new CD of theirs I have to listen to it several times before I'm a fan. I think it's because I have to learn the songs a little bit. I guess that's true about all music. Hillsong though always has songs that I learn and they get inside of me and become truth and life and then I really start loving the CD because I can worship with it instead of just listen to it. Every new CD they come out with I always say after the first listen, "It's not as good as the last one" and then a few weeks later I'm saying "It's even better than the last one!" All that to say, I still listen to the Hillsong United CD Across the Earth more, and it is my FAVORITE!!! Ok, other than Hillsong, there is a new live worship CD called Generations Unleashed and it is really good. I just love a good live worship CD. Something about capturing the dynamic of a corporate worship time. If done well, it's just so powerful!

What I'm reading:
This section will be short, because I'm not much of a reader. Alan and I have been reading "Crazy Love" by Frances Chan. We are both really liking it. It's one that makes you think. The most interesting thing I've read lately is my cousin Angie's blog.

What I'm watching:
I am probably more of a TV watcher than I should be. Right now, I am totally into Top Chef Masters and Design Star! Just finished up another season of The Next Food Network Star. I love competition reality shows, especially cooking shows! I also love Food Network Challenges. The ones where they make these incredible cakes that should take days in 8 hours. Love it!

What I'm doing:
Lately, I'm doing a lot of cooking. I think the TV shows are inspiring me. I've always enjoyed cooking and baking, but I've really found it therapeutic in some ways. Thursday night I hosted a Batch-Cooking Night at my house and we had about 20 ladies here! I couldn't believe we had such a great turn-out. I'm anxious to see how many ladies start batch cooking.

Alan and I have been spending a lot more time in the studio. We are writing songs and trying to find time to record them. I'm honestly VERY ready for school to start. I love the routine of it and I need a break! Is that horrible to say? Now that I'm not working I'm with my girls all day, every day. Please don't read this the wrong way! I love my kids! I know it is a huge blessing that I am able to stay home with them and I don't have to work a full-time job to pay the bills and have my kids in daycare everyday. I love my time with them. I think I need the mental break more than anything. It's hard for me to stop everything and work on music when I know there are 3 little people that must be attended to. It's hard to just shut myself off and not think about the laundry or feeding the girls or whatever else might need to be done at the time. This is not hard for Alan at all!! I'm sure anyone with a husband understands this! I'm just not wired that way, and I think that's ok. It will just be nice to have a routine where I can schedule music time when I know my kids are being well taken care of at school. The little girls will go to Children's Day Out 2 days a week and Taylor will be in 4th grade!

What I've been thinking about:
I think I've shared (or perhaps overshared) in another blog about adopting Taylor. This week we've had some issues come up with this. I don't really want to say a lot about it other than we just need prayer. Actually, just pray for Taylor. I will never understand all that she has to deal with and go through concerning the situation, but she is amazingly mature and thoughtful in the way that she handles it all. Regardless of what we want and the fight that may lay ahead, I just want God's will to be done. I think I'm still trying to decide what that is. The good thing is, I don't have to figure it all out. That's why He's God and I'm not.

What I'm excited about:
Alan and I are going to Dallas August 25th with some friends to see Hillsong United! I've been to 2 conferences and several worship nights of theirs over the past few years and I always get so excited to see them. It feels weird to say "see" them, because it's not like a concert at all. It's an amazing night of powerful worship that I always walk away from refreshed and refocused on what it means to experience His presence. Honestly, it's sad that I can't seem to achieve this sort of thing on a more regular basis, but I'm working on it.

Well, I'm off to make some Sloppy Joe's!!