• Cut my hair pretty short. And I wish I would have done it a long time ago. I love it!
   
• Started selling my cards more at local craft shows. I even have them in a retail store in Northwest Arkansas!https://www.facebook.com/mustachegw
• Took a road trip along old Rte. 66 to Oklahoma City.
• Got snowed into our apartment for a whole week. (Which I sort of loved.)
• Started taking Pilates classes. (Which we LOVE).
• Discovered that the stick of butter that is called for in my corn casserole recipe is not entirely necessary. I put a stick of butter in the microwave to melt it; made the casserole; ate it (& it tasted awesome, as it usually does.) The next day at lunch when I opened the microwave to re-heat a piece I found the butter like this. Crazy that I didn’t notice it was missing AT ALL.
  
  
• Spent two weeks in Uganda.
  
  
• Spent 2 weeks in Europe.

[Our typical lunch meal. Bread + Cheese + Nutella]

• Went to a family reunion in Estes Park.
• Started working full time at our church as the Guest Services Director. This is one of my favorite things I’ve done so far. It’s a wall of canvases in the Cafe Mosaic/lobby area.
  
  
• Installed a coffee bar in our dining room.

• celebrated our 8th anniversary.
• moved.
  

There seems to be a yearly controversy in Tulsa…the parade that happens on a date close to Christmas. What should it be called? Now, everybody has their opinion about this, and for some reason it is always a big deal. I thought I would throw in my $0.02.

This year of course there are two parades. The Christmas Parade and the Holiday Parade. The new Christmas Parade was started this year because people wanted a parade with the word Christmas in the name. I have to say that from the beginning I honestly thought the Christmas Parade was not a positive thing. There are several reason. Mostly because it is divisive. Ignore the religious aspects for a second. Tulsa, it seems to me, is a divided city any way. Its a small city, but people do not experience much of it (me included), we are very isolated in our small areas. A parade downtown should be an opportunity for people to gather in a part of the city that should belong to everybody, a place that should be common ground. Instead we have two parade, one in the south, one in the north (and the one in the south is at the mall, which is of course all important in a successful Christmas season).

Then there is the whole “Christ back in Christmas” thing. I have never been much of a fan of how we(I) as Christians form our own subculture rather then engaging and redeeming the culture around us. It seems that all this does is create a void in the culture around us, a void of redemption, a void that tells people around us we are scared of, too good for, or better then, them.

We went to the Holiday Parade. It was clearly void of references to Christ (except for all those people on the floats wishing us Marry Christmas). I don’t remember any manger scene or even an angel (but there was a really awesome snowman robot). But, here is the thing: this was by the choice of Christ’s people. All the Jesus stuff was down in south Tulsa at the mall. Instead of being willing to be a part of culture and proclaim Christ along side Cain’s charity for the homeless, a non-religious (or perhaps Muslim, I’m not sure) proclamation of peace on earth, the Salvation Arm’s drive to help the needy, and of course the robot snowman, Christ’s people preached to the choir. We should be joining with these organizations as they work to help those around them, just as we are to be helping those around us. Are we scared that God can’t stand up to the marketplace of ideas?

I honestly am hesitant to post this. Not because I’m worried you wont agree with me, but because it just adds a small voice to something that is already overblown, Everybody should have a parade if they want one I suppose. But, in the end I wish I would engage people around me instead of running away. The Holiday Parade tonight was a stark reminder of that to me.

I am also thankful for travel & adventures. Specifically the ones we were able to have this year.

I saw Africa (or at least a small portion of it). And I saw Europe (again, a small portion of it).

{This is me turning 31 over a banana & chocolate Dutch pancake.}
{In Amsterdam.}
{Which was approximately the size of my face.}

I am a blessed lady.

I know, I know. It’s December. (Well into December, actually.)

But I am thankful for people in our lives who care for us. Who look out for us. Who encourage us. And who challenge us. We are blessed.

I am thankful for stories {books & movies} that remind us where we’ve come from. I just recently finished “Amazing Grace” {movie} & “The Help” {movie, then book}.

I am grateful we are where we are now, but am hopeful for more change {love for each other} to come.

I am thankful for this guy:

He has done a really great job taking care of me during this crazy-I-can’t-take-any-more month.

{And I’m thankful for the lovely Esther for this amazing shot!}

I am thankful for these tomatoes.

We planted them in the spring. And {amazingly} they survived the millions of days this summer with 100+ degree heat.

{And near misses w/ tornadoes}

{And earthquakes}

{And freezing temps at night}

They finally started producing tomatoes in September. And when it started freezing at night, we would bring them in off the porch & then put them back outside the next morning. After only a few days of this I got tired of lugging them in & out. {They are heavy!}

So I just started leaving them out there. And a few days after, I realized the tomatoes were still green. I figured they’d never ripen because it hasn’t been getting very warm {or sunny} lately. So I picked them all off, and thought about frying them up.

But they sat in the bowl on the counter for a few days before I did anything with them. And then one day, I realized they were turning red.

I’m calling these my “magic tomatoes”. They are troopers.

I am thankful for the holiday of being thankful. We had a nice time taking a break from packing & moving decision-making with a Community meal at church, a visit to New Life Ranch, and Thanksgiving dinner outside by a fire with Ben’s parents.
And today we continued one of my favorite traditions: cutting down our Christmas tree.

We always meet our friends, Tom & Leah there. And this year Levi was introduced to this Burry/West tradition. He might have been less than enthused. But he sure is cute!

And of course, we finish the outing at our favorite {Tahlequah} pizza place.

I am thankful for toaster ovens. The best way to reheat leftovers.

I am thankful for the “Freebird” scene in Elizabethtown. The movie itself is one of my very favorites. But sometimes Ben & I will just play the “Freebird” scene when we need a good laugh. Rent the movie & see for yourself.