Currently...

I feel like there's a really good post hiding somewhere in my brain that may emerge eventually, but for today, let's just talk about some "currently's."

Loving: Martial arts classes. I feel like I'm pretty slow in catching on to things, but I've been getting a lot of encouragement from (way more experienced) classmates and even the instructor, who keep telling me I'm doing well and improving steadily. It's definitely an intense workout! I am hoping to improve my flexibility so I can start making my kicks look like they could actually knock someone over rather than knock me over trying to execute them.

Reading: Harriet the Spy, Chief Complaint: Brain Tumor, The Giver, and The Brothers Karamazov. (Yes, I read multiple books simultaneously rather than one at a time.) Harriet is one I've been wanting to read ever since I saw the movie with Michelle Trachtenberg a million years ago; so far, it is pretty delightful. Chief Complaint is a book I won in a Goodreads "First Reads" giveaway. It's a true account of a man dealing with the extremely unexpected diagnosis of a brain tumor and how he used his sense of humor to help cope with the whole process. The Giver is one of many books that fall under the category: "How Have I Not Read This Yet?" and I absolutely LOVE it. And The Brothers K is one I've been slooooowly working through because it's long, it's heavy (not literally, since I have it on my Nook), and there's a lot of characters to sort through. I tend to read a chapter or two and then focus more on the other 3-4 books, then go back to the Brothers once I'm about to start another batch of "easier" books. At this rate I might finish it by the time I'm 40.

Watching: Too many shows, as usual, but my favorites lately are How I Met Your Mother (gah! the big reveal is so close, I can taste it!), Pretty Little Liars (guilty/ridiculous pleasure), and Bunheads (even though Joe says it's got "cancelled" written all over it). I absolutely love trying to spot former Gilmore Girls cast members in episodes of Bunheads.

Anticipating: The birth of my second nephew, Ezra! Oh man, I can't even begin to express my excitement for this. He's scheduled to arrive in just over a week, and we'll be going down to meet him and see my family the second weekend in March. CANNOT WAIT! (Except I'm glad I have to wait a little because I have a little something that needs to get finished before Ezra is allowed to come.)

Listening to: Christy Nockels' album "Into the Glorious" and a song by Jeremy Riddle called "Fall Afresh." I stumbled upon Nockels' album looking for a song I'd heard a few times in church, and I'm so glad I did because it is full of some really great worship tunes. I've been listening to it a ton in the last couple months. Then, a few weeks ago, Joe and I went to a worship night at our church's campus in Ventura, and I heard "Fall Afresh." Pretty sure I've listened to it like a thousand times since then, and you should definitely hear it at least once.

Planning: To go on a hike soon! It has been way too long since I've gone on a hike and I need to make it happen. Wish I still had Lauren and Caitlin and Kindra here to go with me, but I'll hopefully find some other hike-lovers to join me.

Working on: Dressing more like a twenty-something and less like a fifty-something. Because apparently I dress like a grandma most days, and Joe has lovingly informed me that I should be showing off a little more leg. Yesterday I went shopping with the express instruction to buy more skirts, and what girl wouldn't say yes to that? Here's a couple of the things I found on my excursion.

Today's outfit includes a purple skirt from Cotton On.
Thanks Amy for recommending this place to me!

Last night we went out for our Valentine's Day dinner and I wore
another new Cotton On skirt (hard to tell, but it has fun ruching!)
and a strapless top from Angl, with a necklace I made this weekend!

Wishing: That I had an extra four hours a day to dedicate to cooking, exercise and general domestic awesomeness. Really I wish I could work half as many hours each week without losing half my paycheck. But alas, I have a steady job and I am so thankful for that!