Things I learned in 2012

Wait, I'm sorry, is this belated at all?

Ironically, I really did compile this list when 2013 was yet fresh.  I even talked up the concept of a "What I learned" list and at least one friend jumped on the bandwagon and did a list for 2012 back when I did mine in January.  I just...  Forgot to publish this post.  So this is old, but the ideas are still good ones.

Right?  *coughcough*

Without further ado, and in no particular order:

1)  Never put a pen through your clothes drier.  The washing machine isn't so bad, it's the drier that will never be the same.
2)  Humans as a whole are remarkably unobservant.  For instance, I got my hair cut about a foot and only three people noticed.  Total.
3)  I, also being human, am not observant.  I won't go into details, but suffice it to say I can think of at least two instances where I was the last to notice something that directly related to me.
4)  There's a lot to learn in the Bible.  A lot.
5)  I shouldn't be allowed to play shooting games.  While at my sister's house over the summer I was trying to play Portal, and anytime something shot at me, I about hid under the desk.  A game that involved real shooting would probably be very damaging to my psyche.
6)  There are a lot of problem in life.  Sometimes I learn of GIANT situations that I didn't know about, and think, "Why so many problems everywhere?"  Nobody is exempt, it seems.
7)  My life is not my own.  I mean, nobody's is, but...  I have learned recently that it's very much true of me, as well.

PS this has the same disclaimer as last year.  These aren't all new things, just thoughts that presented themselves to me in various ways through the year.

Windows, cupboards... farming?

Allow me to take a break out of my regularly scheduled avoidance of this blog to play a little catch-up.  I got smart and wrote "update blog" on my to-do list again, so ta-da!  Here I am.

I've been busy.  After VBS it was gearing up for conference, and then conference, and a whole week of company, and then New York for the weekend.  Basically, just another snapshot of our crazy life.  : )

Farming Game with way too many people

Fun times were had by all.  I assume.  I know I, personally, had a nice time.  Hopefully our company did, too.  We had a cookout, and ran through our town fountains, and frolicked in the river, and went swimming, and played The Farming Game way too much.  All in all, a grand week.

What I'm actually writing to say has nothing to do with frolicking in rivers or pretending to be farmers.  Honestly, I wanted to focus on the "getting ready for company" part of the story.  I spent a week and a half cleaning the house like a maniac.  I cleaned all the cupboards in our kitchen inside and out.  Would you like to know how many drawers/cupboards are in our kitchen?  Fifty.  Exactly fifty.  I counted.  And I cleaned them inside and out.  Have you ever cleaned under your sink for the first time in a while?  Ew.  And, since I'm slightly insane, I wasn't content to clean out the cupboards and then put everything back; I had to clean all the spice containers and reorganize the cupboards.

Anyhow, the kitchen looks good.  There's that.

Also, I washed all the windows inside and out.  Would you like to know how many windows we have in our house?  That... I have no idea.  But I will tell you that when I was outside the living room windows, I couldn't get the ladder to fit under the awning, and the neighbors got a kick out of my struggles.  The Mr. Neighbor finally came over and asked if he could lend me a more suitable ladder.  I got it worked out eventually, much to their amusement.

I utilized Pinterest, too.  I'll get to that another time, when I don't have three niecews (I got tired of saying nieces and nephews) begging me to jump on the trampoline with them.  So... another time.  : )

Pathfinder

I love Chinese Checkers.  Seriously, best game ever (besides The Next Tetris.  Or other fun games).  Our family played the other night.  There are only four of us at current, alas, but we still manage to find enough pieces to jump over!

I think it's important to note that in each one of the photos there is a book showing.  It's the Klutz Book of Inventions, which I had from the library.  Which is a HILARIOUS book!  Book reading is an important part of game time at our house.  I mean, besides the Klutz book (which everyone was fighting over, haha), we had The Chronicles of Harris Burdick, On Fortune's Wheel, and two Muse magazines.  Three books and two magazines for four people?  Not bad.

I don't even remember who won.  My dad, perhaps?  Either way, it was fun, and our family felt well bonded by the end of the evening.  Also, well read.