You really should read this, and no it's not written by me.

As I am busy writing my thesis. I need you to follow this link and read what a wonderfully wise woman wrote. Shauna Neiquist's word have been ever so surprisingly entangled into my life that I think I may just have to read her wonderful books.  Read this, because if I was ever incredibly good with words and had a typing voice that made your eyes go soft and made your lips want to read me aloud... this is what I would say.

Things I don't Do by Shauna Neiquist Click Here!

It is my goal to figure out the things the Lord wants me to do. Because "Do Everything Better" has been my motto in life, too. After realizing that growing up meant discovering who you are, and discovering how great you can be at everything, it's good to know that some things I don't have to be perfect at. I cannot describe to you how much I love what her good friend Denise said:

What’s hard, she said, is figuring out what you’re willing to give up in order to do the things you really care about.

If you thought you got away without reading the link, don't. Go read it. I think you'll be impressed, or even more, impressed upon.

So I got real excited...

So yesterday a woman I work with asked me the question that all of us ladies want to be asked. All of us, every one of us, in this tone, in this way... because as women, we work really hard to make life look easy. We wash and blow dry and spritz and curl our hair so it looks like we hopped out of the pool and spent the day on the beach. We shop and try on and match and change outfits 33 times so that we look put together, but casually put together, like 'oh, you think that looks great together, this ole' thing.'

Right? or maybe that's just me.

But today, ladies (and gents, see this is a little insight), today my co-worker saw me eating my yummy homemade chocolate chip cookies and asked "how do you love sweets so much, and look so great?"

WHAT?! She just said "look so great"!!!

Now, I have to post a disclaimer: I don't think I'm fat, I don't have self-esteem issues (until I get in the dressing room lighting at Target), and yet I don't think I'm some swimsuit model either, please! But oh how every girl wants to hear that, especially from another woman, especially as I stuff a cookie into my mouth like 'oh me?'

Just exciting. If you don't think so, maybe we have not met yet. But just something I wanted to share. Especially since we have not loaded our latest pictures to the computer yet because I have been soooo busy thesis-ing.

Lots more to say, just not enough time. Tune in next time, and find out whatever adventures Martin Luther King Jr. days takes us to.... and the more interesting parts of our lives after this hardcore thesis-ing weekend.

And today, go ahead...tell a woman she looks great (however if you don't know her and you're a man... that may be a little creepy).

Self Defense and 19 days left.

So today I've been thesis-ing. I will admit that yesterday I did not do much because I was making cake truffles (otherwise known as "cake balls") for my co-worker's birthday AND welcoming my husband home!

Now I'm not sure many of you knew my husband was out of town. See I read somewhere that you're not supposed to post things like that on the internet. You know 'they' say that if you update your facebook status people who you think are your friends may just not be.

Example:
Jarold Harper: is sooo excited about his new 79inch flat screen for Christmas!
Jarold Harper: is packing for the winter vacay!
Jarold Harper: is excited to be heading to the Bahamas! See you in January!

Jarold Harper: is mad someone stole his flat screen while he was gone! How did they know?

Duh!

So I figure now that my husband is back in town, I can tell you that he was gone. Plus I think they give that warning because they think maybe some woman may not be able to hold her own if her husband is away. But for those of you thinking about it... this woman can, in fact "hold her own" and has been recently trained in self-defense at work and is prepared to use both the defense and the offense.

You know, just in case you were thinking.

But for today. Quick report for 19 days left of thesis proposal-ing: I've been working on the thesis proposal. I spent many many hours doing online training so that I'm qualified to even apply for an IRB approval exemption. Tonight I'm working on what they call a Review of Literature.

So today I'll teach you a little about thesis-ing. A "review of literature" is when you search all the journals and all the databases about everything that's already out there on your topic. You search high and low, far and wide and then write it all into a 20 page-ish paper. To say, here's the problem in the world, here's the research that agrees with me, but here's why me doing this project is actually important. Please let me do it.

Enough about school work. Kyle took a video of a little Just Dance action tonight. Maybe I'll figure out how to post it.

Thesis-ing: T-minus 21

Dear those of you who are students, or who were ever students, or who have students,

I'm still a student. I'm trying to get my Masters and there's this big big mountain in my way called a THESIS. Yes, like most mountains it's exciting and would be quite an adventure. But... you have to start climbing. I started. Then I sat down to take a break and now my legs are tired.

My thesis proposal is due by February, like by the time February starts.

I have twenty days to finish my thesis proposal, and I need to get hardcore about it. So I need your help. For 20 days the blog may be all about what I like to call thesis-ing because I hope that's all I'm doing (other than staring into my husband's eyes, trying a new recipe I found on Pioneer Woman Cooks, starting up spring Bible study, and ...). See I get distracted.

So the blog's holding me accountable. Each day for 20 days I have to report progress on the thesis. Done. See it's in print now and so I have to.

Progress today: Setting up a 20 day plan. And then fleshing out the notes I made on Sunday.

What can you do for 20 days???

And don't worry, I'm sure I'll convince Kyle to post about something actually fun :)