random

Uno:  Sunflowers and daisies are probably the happiest flowers I've ever seen.  I love sleek flowers like tulips and lilies, but there is just something about a happy flower like a sunflower that makes me smile!!  Soon, we will be blessed with some sunflowers blooming in our backyard...can't wait!

Dos:  AT&T has some sweet new phones out! Mikey and I just became eligible for an upgrade last week, and we are both so in love with our new phones!! Having a full keyboard makes all the difference.  Plus, the screen quality on both our phones is great!  I don't know what it is exactly, but a nice phone just makes a person feel more accomplished :)

Tres:  I got new pants! With the move into our new home and the lull in tutoring and guitar lessons that comes with summer, I have been on a shopping freeze.  However, I have an interview next week, and because I didn't have ANY dress pants, I had a convenient excuse to go nab some from my favorite store...Banana Republic! I just took the pants to get hemmed up so I'll be feeling put-together and professional on Wednesday...ready to convince some people that hiring me may be the best idea they ever have!

Cuatro:  Def. of a honeymoon:  going on a romantic getaway after a wedding...NOT mooning someone's honey during their wedding day.  Try explaining that to the fool riding on a boat past my friend's outdoor wedding yesterday.  Geez louise.  At least justice prevailed and the guy was busted for DUI and indecent exposure!

RECAP!

So...I'm a little late in joining in on the fun, but it's been so crazy lately around here that this is the first chance I've gotten to sit down and blog!






In one word or phrase TENACITY! (my new favorite characteristic word...I've worked it into multiple applications :D)


I'm dreaming of you Roca Blanca, Mexico. Only six days left until I am wading on your sunny shores and hanging out with your peeps!

Song on repeat "warrior" by Sojourn...love. it. so. much.


Gotta write it down:

The world is a much richer place becase of bold, fearless risk-takers...who find their holy discontent and then feed it, who lean into it even when it gets tough, and who work tirelessly to make tomorrow better than today

pg 95 Bill Hybels "Holy Discontent"

Lesson learned from this morning's sermon:

Not everyone who dumps manure on you is an enemy,

not everyone who digs you out is a friend,

and when you're in a pile of manure, keep your mouth shut.

you're welcome :)

Picture to frame

HighlightS of the week

1. Mikey's softball team being the church league champs after winning their last game! (see picture above)
2. Coming home yesterday to find my dog's nose barely peaking out from between three pillows. It reminded me of when I came home last week to find him buried under the pillows on the bed INSIDE Mikey's pillowcase!!
3. Getting an interview for a job I've been wanting for a long, long time! It's just an interview, but it's so much better than nothing!!

Weekend to do list Sunday might be a little too late for this one... :)

HOPE EVERYONE ENJOYS THE REST OF THE WEEKEND!!!

idealism

idealistic?
definitely.

I admit it.  I am idealistic, young, and often naive. I believe people can change...the world itself can change.  Sometimes I feel so isolated from the world by my hope for change, my belief in the existence of something better.  Don't get me wrong.  I know people aren't perfect.  But I firmly believe we should all be striving for perfection.  We are called to be more like Christ, more like God Himself. That's not a big task.

So what is it about us human beings that wants to say that less is ok?  How can we accept the world as it is?  I'm sorry...but I can't.  I can love people where they're at.  I can see the world for what it is.  BUT I want to make a difference.  I want things to change.  And here's the kicker...I believe that they can!

Just as I was starting to feel like maybe being idealistic was a mistake...maybe things can't change, we sang this song at church:

Jesus Lord of heaven, oh I do not deserve
the grace that you have given and the promise of Your word
Lord I stand in wonder of the sacrifice You made
Mercy beyond measure, my debt You freely paid

Your love is deeper than any ocean 

higher than the heavens reaches

beyond the stars in the sky
Jesus Your love has no bounds 

God spoke these words so strongly to my heart Tuesday night, and I have been singing them ever since.  Maybe I'm not big enough to make a difference in this world, but my God is!  Maybe I'm not loving enough to really love everyone, but God's love at work in me is big enough, strong enough, unconditional enough!  His love has no bounds.  He has given us so much more than we deserve, and He promises us no less than perfection through His Son! Hallelujah! I guess I'm not so crazy after all...

looking ahead

My soon-to-be next door neighbor, Jennifer, had a bachelorette weekend a few days ago, and I was lucky enough to be invited to share in some of the fun!  Jennifer and Eryc (who is already our neighbor!) are getting married June 12, and I am so bummed that I won't be able to attend.  Mikey and I will be getting back from our mission trip late that night.  My upcoming absence is part of why I was so excited to get to share the day with Jennifer and some more friends to celebrate her upcoming wedding!!  We snapped a few pictures after the official shower before heading down to the beach :)

the whole crowd :) 

my sister-in-law Melissa, Jennifer, and me at the shower

I was so excited when Jennifer moved to here after graduating a year ago!  We already knew Eryc through church, but I really enjoyed getting to know Jennifer because she is hoping to go to dental school. It was so wonderful to have another girl in our group of friends planning on going to graduate school and then having an intense medical-related career.  We have studied some together over the past year, and we have definitely talked a lot about our dreams for the future.  I am so excited for Jennifer about this new and wonderful part of her future that is about to start...Congratulations, Eryc and Jennifer!!

mexico, creepers, bread, and reggae

1. The Mexican consulate catering to the SE is not as large as one might expect. Today, I was shocked to discover the building's size when I drove there and back with Mikey and our friends Oscar and Maria. Oscar needed to renew his passport for our upcoming mission trip to Oaxaca, Mexico!!! :) So we gave them a lift, and made it into a fun roadtrip!! Although three of us (mikey was driving so not included) slept about half the time we were in the car!

2. Craigslist may be wonderful, but I cannot seem to feel safe from scammers and creepers. Right now, I'm trying to find a job, and a bunch of people have recommended doing so through craigslist, but I just feel so sketched out when I check out what is offered. Does anybody have any tips or tricks for avoiding scams? I definitely don't want to send out my resume with personal info to just anyone!

3. I love italian sandwich bread...thin sliced, please! I was trying to shop the outskirts of the grocery store, where fresher foods can be found (a tip I read from a comment on Lowercase Letters!), and I got some italian sandwich bread. I haven't bought this since Mikey and I got married almost two years ago, and I immediately recalled my love for it!! It is so great with sandwiches, toast, anything...mmmmm....maybe I'll go grab a slice with some butter right now!

4. For those of you who haven't heard any of the songs off of Matisyahu's new cd, check it out! He is a Jewish reggae-type singer. I'm really not super musical..in skill or lingo. But I love the words to his songs, and they all have great beats! Once I get the words down in my head, I can't help but sing along. One of my favorite lines in his song "on nature" is "we came to taste the rain. we're just widows and orphans. not afraid to feel the pain or to leave behind our notions" Love it! Check it out :) http://www.matisyahuworld.com

happiness

"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be"

-Abraham Lincoln

weekly recap

In one word or phrase: Freedom!
(I just got home from taking my MCAT...and boy, do I feel free! :)


I'm dreaming of: going to Mexican with my amazing husband to celebrate aforementioned freedom!


Song on repeat: I cannot even think of anything...that is how little I've paid attention to such things lately!


Gotta write it down: "I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me" -Psalm 16: 8 (I cannot tell you how many times I pulled out the index card with this on it throughout the past week!)


Lesson learned: hard work is worth it when your goal is important enough to you!!


Picture to frame

Highlight of the week: finishing that silly test! Hopefully, I won't ever have to take it again!


Weekend to do list: rest, host a genesis core team partay!, hang out with Mikey, go to a friend's Bachelorette Day at the beach, start working on my med school application

congratulations are in order

I am a couple of days late to congratulate my parents (via blog...I did so in person already!) on their thirty years of marriage!!  I figure it is acceptable to say it today anyway because they're still in celebratory mode...today is my dad's birthday, and he is turning the age he thought he was all along last year...so it's like a freebie birthday :)  

Happy Birthday, Daddio!

I am so extremely proud of my parents for their amazing love for one another.  They have shown me throughout my whole life how important it is to enjoy one another, to laugh and have fun together, and to commit to making it through hard times together.  My parents have told me since I was old enough to understand that divorce is not an option for them...they made a promise to one another and to God that this was it.  And for thirty years, it has been! :)  And it is wonderful to know that they really do still enjoy being together.  My family is so wonderful, and I feel incredibly blessed to have grown up with both parents still in love and overflowing with love for me and my sister.

Congratulations, Mom and Dad!! Love you!

less words wednesday

This is my puppy Oliver in his new favorite spot at the new house.

I cannot help but note that he resembles a kangaroo in this photo.

be here now

Hello everyone! I'm so excited to join in with Carissa's miscellany monday again :)  I'm super busy studying, so here are just a few miscellaneous factoids to share!




1. I redesigned my blog! I'm so excited.  I had some free time from studying, and I needed something to distract me from picking up my flashcards again...so I decided to look up some cute scrapbook kits online (which I heard of from my friend Sarah at Sarah Ann's Bon Mot).  I found some really cute free ones! Then I just sat down for a while and played with all of the fun things I found!  I hope you like it :) I'm very pleased with my first real attempt at blog design!  Please grab my new button!!

<a href=”http://annabaur.blogspot.com” target=”_blank”><”http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac198/annarbaur/annabutton.jpg" /></a>

2.  I have rediscovered my love of waffle house.  I know. I know.  You think I'm crazy.  But there is just something wonderful about good eggs and toast with jelly at 2 am...it cannot be beat!  Mikey and I headed there last night with some friends after a fun game night at our new house!!  I love having people over now that we've got room for people to sit :)

3. The yard work is still definitely in progress.  BUT I am determined to finish it before a leadership party we are hosting this friday night!  Even if I have to do it after my MCAT Friday morning, it will be completed! I just need to loosen up the dirt, buy a few bushes, and plant them in the ground!! It's already evened out and edged :)  Too bad it rained to day or I might have been tempted to go ahead and make it to the final product!

4. The quote that I'm sticking to this week is one of my favorites, but I need to keep reminding myself of its message!! "Life is a tenuous thing. Fragile. Fleeting.  Don't wait for tomorrow. Be here now. Be here now.  Be here now."  With all of the craziness of life right now, I find it difficult to concentrate at the task at hand, whether its studying, relaxing, or working some problems...and I just need to remember the importance of being fully wherever I am at that moment!

waiting in hope

I was just reading a bit, and I came across these beautiful verses:

We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.

In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name.

May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord,

even as we put our hope in you

-Psalm 33:20-22

Sometimes I feel like life is a waiting game...always looking ahead to what is next.  These verses made me pause in the middle of another busy day and remind myself that God is in control.  I'm not pushing on in vain.  My hope is in the Lord.  He is my strength, my help.  He is my joy.  He is everything I need to get through this day and the next.  My life and your life are in His hands, and we can trust that we do not wait in vain for a future that is bigger and better.  We do not hope for world-changing lives and love in vain.  God is our strength and our power.  He is my hope for today and for the days to come.

love those z's

I finally got a full night of rest last night, and I am feeling awake, refreshed, and ready to take on this day!  For the past week, I have been doing very little apart from studying for a big upcoming test.  Luckily, one of my best friends (and one of the smartest people I know!) is taking the same test the day after me :) So we have been study buddies!! 

(Rabun is in the middle :))

I love being able to talk theories and facts to make sure they're all correct and fully formed.  
Besides at least a couple hours of studying with Rabun every day, I've been studying on my own too!  
And during breaks, I've been trying to get my latest yard project completed.  It's nice to do some mindless work to give my brain a break, but at the end of the day, my brain AND my body are exhausted.  I have been falling asleep on the sofa around 10 almost every night.  With all of the busyness during the day, the evening are the only times Mikey and I can hang out, and I've mainly been snoozing! Then, I can't sleep past 7 in the morning, so I get up and get going before Mikey is even awake!

(Doesn't he look like he's worth staying up later for?! :))

So yesterday, I decided to force myself to stay awake until a bit later...Mikey and I just hung out and relaxed for a little while after his softball game.  The result: a beautifully restful night and a later wake-up, feeling so REINVIGORATED! I love a good night's rest.  There's nothing better to help me recharge when I feel like I'm in the middle of an endless period of work!!
What are some things you do to help you unwind or feel more relaxed during stressful seasons of life?

linked up to miscellany monday

1.  Mikey has decided to hand over the reins to the budget to yours truly recently.  For those of you who know about Dave Ramsey's financial peace, some friends of ours are going through it and told us that the "free spirit" should not be in charge of the budget.  Therefore, Mikey has given me control! :) I originally asked him to do it when we were first married because I got stressed over it, but now I'm actually rather excited intrigued to see where this goes.  I'm ready to take on the challenge!

2.  Tonight was a big night in the Baur household because of two major accomplishments.  1) Mikey spoke at his small group, and he has never done a sermon before! He made me a copy of the recording, and I can't wait to listen!! 2) Mikey's softball team beat their major rivals in the game tonight! woohoo!!!

3.  We ripped up the bush stubs in front of the house this morning (thanks to our neighbor Eryc), and I am now taking on digging up the rest of the junk there in order to plant some more bushes! This will be the last major stage of my yard overhaul.  I am really enjoying the mindless labor of yard work! :) It's very fun and relaxing to just get to work in the sunshine!!

4.  I am SO GLAD one of my BFFLs from Clemson is home for the month so we can STUDY together for our MCATs!  We are taking them a day apart, so we've decided to be afternoon study buddies to conquer this test! :)  hooray for friends who make studying more enjoyable

5.  Mikey's cousin works at the airport, and as an employee there, he and his immediate family members fly free ANYWHERE (besides the flight tax)!! It is insane.  He just takes off to Germany or California or wherever, whenever.  It is awesome.  Mikey has considered working at the airport part time (aka super early in the mornings) so we can take advantage of this excellent time in our lives for travel! I'm not sure if it will ever actually occur, but I like to dream of us traveling the world, even on a tight budget!! :) haha

single sentence sunday

Thank you, Mom, 

for the advice and the laughter

for the shoulder to cry on

for the lunches to catch up

for the support and encouragement

for the example to follow

for the bar you've set high

for the understanding and gentleness

for all of the love through all of the years

thank you.

winner winner coffee dinner

Thanks to everyone who participated in my first give-away!  Partners in Health is such an amazing organization in need of all of the financial support generous hearts are willing to give! I'm a day late in announcing the winner, but here it is....

RABUN HOWARD!!!

Congrats! I'll give you your prize next time I see you :)

If anyone is still interested in giving to Partners in Health to support their awesome work in Haiti, just click on the button below! 

Home Sweet Home

I've always known that I'm not the type of person that can relax.  It's not that I've never relaxed in my life; it's just that it doesn't do much for me.  I ENJOY feeling productive, looking back on my day and seeing a job well done.  Perhaps this explains why in my first day of freedom (after my last final, which was at 8 am!), instead of curling up on the sofa for a movie, a nap, or even a good read, I decided to engage in some manual labor.

I started out the day with a Western Civ final and an untamed yard ahead of me...

(This is a picture of the other part of the yard, which I'll be working on next.  I didn't take a good before picture of the area I did yesterday, but this gives you an idea on what I was working with!)

Once I conquered that pesky final, I headed home.  After about fifteen minutes of rest, while Mikey showed me how the cable guy had hooked up our cable and internet, I headed out in the yard to shovel three wheelbarrows full of rocks, and then I proceeded to plant four cute little evergreen bushes in my newly tilled flowerbed.  Then I added some flowers.  Then some mulch.  And this is the beautiful creation I ended up with around seven in the evening!! It was so much work.  I have three blisters on my hands to prove my labor.  But it was well worth it!

Here are some more pictures of the house...I've finally taken a couple to share with you wonderful blog followers!

Hope everyone has a lovely day!!!

Mantra Monday

This week I am finishing up finals (next to last one was just checked off the list) and moving my sister's stuff down from Columbia!  She graduates in May, and she'll be home for the summer...I'm so excited!  She is such a fun and smart person, and it will be great to have her around more often for a while!

I believe that I am EXTREMELY blessed!  With the move into our new house, I have been so blown away by the blessings around me.  Not only have I been able to spend more time with Mikey as we've worked through the whole moving process, but I also now have a nice, new home that I didn't think I'd get until my 30s! It is just bizarre and so wonderful.

(Still slacking on pics of the house now that we're moved in)

I'm addicted to wearing comfy clothes around the house.  As soon as I get home, I change into a tshirt and workout shorts or yoga pants.  Seriously.  Every time we don't have guests over.  Having just moved in next door to some friends of ours, I am constantly reminded of my comfy home look when they drop by looking all put together and adorable.  At least they're good enough friends to not judge! :)

(I don't normally take pics just chillin at home, but here's an idea of what I'm normally wearing!)

I wish I had an endless stash of money for buying things for the new house.  I still need some big pictures for the bedroom, and I really want to plant some flowers and bushes to beautify the front yard! Sadly, I've been going too crazy one everything else, so I'll have to wait a bit before investing in my next home improvement projects!

I'd never be able to make my yard look as beautiful as this, but I'll get closer than we are right now! :)

I'm jealous of people who have finished their finals for the semester! Currently, I am procrastinating on writing an essay that is 1/2 of the grade for my last final.  Oh, Wednesday, you cannot come soon enough!

How I feel right now! :)

Mantra for the week:

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer"

-Psalm 19:14

Single Sentence Sunday

"Be the change that you want to see in the world"

-Gandhi