ouch!

A true sign that you are an adult is sunscreen. Gone are the days of laying out just to get burned so you can then start tanning. What were I thinking? "Oh, hold on just let me increase my chances of cancer, walk around in intense pain, scream at my loved one for touching me all the while knowing that when I was thirty or so I would look about 10 years older...I HAVE to get that summer tan"? WHAT?!?! What kind of logic is that?

Last weekend we went to the lake and I was so proud of myself for aplying and reaplying sunscreen on every inch of my body EXCEPT for my legs. What was I thinking? I guess that I just had a moment of insanity thinking that this would be the first summer that my blinding white legs would only turn to a golden brown and not a painful, blistering cherry red. I still find myself fighting the "burn before tan" theory. After we were done with our fun filled day, I was then reminded evey single second of my stupidity beucase of the intense heat and pain coming from my legs. Not only was I feeling stupid becuase of my carelessness, but I had to display my stupidity for all to see because you can't wear pants when you are in pain like that. To bad I don't own any long skirts. An added bonus to the guilt...being aware of the fact that what I was doing to my self was putting my self in very real danger of getting skin cancer. It isn't worth it, it is NEVER worth it! It's 3 months out of the year that we are a slave to the sun only for it to fade away in the fall and start back over again next year. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Thank you Nicole Kidman Urban for reminding us that pasty white is beautiful!

A break for today

For some reason this summer has been so much busier then the past. That is just the deal with YM, but it still kind of caught me off guard. I did not do a good job of preparing myself for it. Steven has been gone all week for Uplift. This week really isn't so bad because he is still fairly close and accessible by phone, but I am ready for him to be home. He will be home, probably asleep, by the time I get home for lunch. So for today we have a break and then tomorrow we will be on the road to spend the weekend at the lake with the college class. I enjoy going and playing, but I also enjoy being bored every once in a while. Right now I want to be bored, at home, on our couch with my punkin right next to me.

Here is something fun... Last night I spent some time with former YM girls. They are going into their second year at Harding. I actually get to spend lots of time with them because we were super tight when they were in high school and that love is still there. Anyway, last night was great because I was aware of how much they are growing and maturing. They are thinking like college kids which is refreshing and I look forward to the adult thinking. I felt like I could be more real with them and less motherly. Even though I will always mother this particular class. I love this part of YM. Building relationships and maintaining them throughout our lives. What a blessing it is to remember kids in the 7th grade and then watch them grow into our peers. For them to be ministered by us and then do ministry with us, as partners. These kids are that to me as are so many Memphis kids. This encouragement spurs us on and shows us what God can do with very unworthy people.

Blogging Compliments

Okay so I start my work day at 7 in the morn (since I now have Friday's off) and part of my morning routine is to read all my favorite blogs of dear sweet friends. If I am super bored then I will read the blog links that are listed on my favorite sites. Sometimes I know those folks and sometimes I don't. Today I did just that. I jumped on one of my favs and thought to myself "Oh I know this girl, I want to see what's going on with her". Okay so this girl is Julie Kiser. We were friends in LR and our husbands are buddies but we for sure don't keep up with each other, but I have always loved her. So I am reading her blog and laughing because I think she is funny and looking at pictures of her new sweet boy. After I am done I look over at her links and to my delight and surprise she has "Kelly H" on her list. That's me! I was so pumped because that means that she loves me enough to be interested in my blog which is a big deal because it really isn't fun which leads me to believe that she really does love me! (please no comments about this declaration, I am not fishing for compliments) So I started to think about this link list and it really is a list of people that we love or things that are important to us and that we are interested in. Of course I realize that this list is not exhaustive being that a lot of people that we love are not devote bloggers. Am I the only one who feels this way? Doesn't it feel so good to be on someone's "blogging validation list"? Let me also take a moment to acknowledge Leslie Jerkins, Jesse Faris, Brooke Ray, Marf Guinn, Julie Kiser, Ashley Mills and Banks Lyons. (Do you feel more validated by my love by me bolding your name?) I am a faithful reader but a poor student of computer skills. I really have no idea how to put not only a list of links, but also pictures, books and a hit clock. Sorry, I am embarrassed. Also my weekend with Grace was good but exhausting. We did things non stopped and I am still tired. It was important time for us to spend together and I thankful that we had the opportunity.

California Love

Last Saturday night Steven and I returned to Little Rock after visiting my family in Cali. It was good times. We all went to the beach for a couple of days and is was great. Here is why I love the west coast... I was wearing jeans, a sweater and t-shirt and still was freezing while strolling up and down the coastal line. How great is that? I know, all you beach loving folks are thinking, how can being cold on the beach be fun. Well here is the answer to that... (mind you it may be different in southern california, this post only pertains to the central coast) I love to not to worry about extreme sunburns, sticky sand in your mouth and eyes, being intentional about hydrating and being bored out of your mind because all your friends want to do is lay-out. I am not distracted by the conditions of the weather. I don't say to myself "Oh man I am so hot". I do say to my self, "Man, if feels awesome out here and look how beautiful the ocean looks" Sidenote: The sun sets in the west so watching the sunset while wrapped up in a blanket with your punkin is awesome. (please note that the last comment is a mear dream of mine, Steven actually missed out on this trip due to arriving in Cali several days after I, but doesn't it sound fantastic!) So there you go Leslie, an update. I should have more after this weekend, Amy Grace is coming to stay the weekend with me and I am super pumped. Oh by the way this Friday is the first of me having every Friday off. YEA!!!!

4:50am

What is going on? This is exactly what was going on in my head when I was awoken abruptly on Saturday morning by one of our newest sevies. Her response to my obvious question, "I couldn't sleep". So that means that nobody can? She then decided that she was bored so she got everybody up. Awesome.
We took our upcoming 7th graders on their annual Six flag's trip. I really do look forward to this trip every year. It is so fun to play hard and get to know the kids that we are going to build relationships for the next 6 years. Hear me now... This will never happen again!!!!!!! I was so mad for the first 2 hours that I was up. I literally could not process why anybody would want to get up that early when we didn't have to be ready until 9am.
For the rest of the day every girl in our room reported to me that they were tired. I had ZERO sympathy for them. When this particular early bird told me that she wasn't going to wake up that early on Sunday morning I responded with a resounding "That's right you won't!" It really did test my love for kids and my self control.
The next night they were in bed by 11pm and up at 6:30am (we had to be out by 7:30am) I felt so proud and victorious!!! My name is Kelly and I am sleep Nazi.

YEA!!!!!

I would like to announce the engagement of my dear sweet brother in-law to my dear sweet best friend Matha!!!!!! Matha and Hovie are engaged!!!!!! That means that my best friend, college roommate, summer roommate, bicycle riding buddy, running partner (kinda) is now going to be my sister!! How awesome that? They came in town to see us this past weekend. Friday morning they got up to watch the sunrise at Pinnacle Mountain and he asked her there. It was so fun to have them in town but so special to share the first few days of engagement with them. Steven and I couldn't be more excited!!! October is the month, not sure on the day.

Special Olympics

Some of you may not know that I work for Easter Seals. It is a non-profit agency that works with kids and adults with all kinds of disabilities. Through this job I have been so blessed with the honor of working with and for some amazing folks. Today I had the opportunity to experience Special Olympics. What a blessing! It was held at a local high school in Little Rock. There were hundreds of kids with disabilities, their parents, teachers and caregivers. It was awesome to see the excitement in there faces. Since working with Easter Seals I have been convinced that these folks are here to remind us of what Jesus looks like. A real life example of his love, grace, tolerance, forgiveness and raw joy. The opening ceremonies were great. There was loud music, which was fun for me, but I thought odd because of all the sensory issues. Anyway, 6 police officers on motorcycles, 2 "black and whites" and a hummer escorted about 15 people running into the stadium with a lit torch. Really that was all that the ceremony consisted of but I have to admit, it totally brought tears to my eyes. The kids cheered their hearts out. They love that their Olympics is like the winter and summer games. We then got to watch them compete in a few events. The walking race, wheelchair race and standing long jump. How great is it that kids with such limited abilities can participate in events that prompt hundreds of people to cheer for them, they get medals and get their names announced on the loud speaker while standing on a podium. It was so wonderful to watch each kid express their happiness and joy in their own way. So many times these kids are looked at like they will never be able to contribute to society and they are such burdens. Well they weren't today. They were athletes and heroes and they even had medals to prove it! I am so thankful to have the opportunity to work with such a fantastic population!

The Jungle

That is what I like to call our yard, though as of yesterday it has lost its junglness. You see, we don't have a lawn mower. I really do feel okay about this because we also don't have the time to mow regularly. So our plan has always been to pay one of our kids to mow it. Really the best way to do things, I think. They get money, we get short grass without lifting a finger. So now that the lawn is cut, on to the beast of everything else. We literally have not touched our yard since we moved in last August. Yesterday was rake and bag leaves day. Raking and bagging leaves is awful!!! I was blessed with parents that didn't ask us for help doing the yard while we were growing up. They enjoyed it and I also think that they were to particular to hand these jobs over to kids that didn't give a rip about the yard. Well now that kid has grown up and gives a rip and is so discouraged and overwhelmed with the state of this situation. It is so much work!! We have to move azaleas and holly bushes, plant a Japanese Maple tree and lay sod in the back yard. We also have to pull weeds plant new flowers and apparently have to collect all the monkey grass. What we are doing with it once it is collected I havn't the slightest idea. YUCK!!! I will keep you posted on our make over project. I have to admit I don't have high hopes.

3 down, one to go and feelin' it

The third piece of furniture has been purchased. A TV cabinet. The cabinet was our compromise. Steven didn't want to commit to a size TV and I wanted all electronics hidden. So now the TV is not hidden but everything else is. It looks good. So here has been my thoughts thus far. I do not spend just to spend. When I am thinking about purchasing even then smallest of items I go through this process of justification in my head. It drives Steven crazy and probably Matha too, because they are the two that get to listen to my justification rantings. I guess it is just my way of drawing a line between what I want and what I need and feeling okay about my splurge of new chapstick. With each furniture purchase I have gone through this same thought process. Do I really need this? Is this frivolous? Am I spending our money the way God calls us to spend money? I am having a really hard time defining what contentment means to me. I know it is okay to desire for your home to look nice. But are you going over board by spending hundreds of dollars on things you don't really need? Is my lack of contentment and greed fueling this decision? For example, the coffee table that our TV has been sitting on for the past 2 years is a perfectly good place for our TV to rest. It's sturdy and houses all of our electronics needs. Is it okay for me to want something better? Something that makes the TV sit higher and hides all the cords. I don't know! I have wrestled with this for most of 2006. I want to be a good steward of our money. Is spending money on furniture that we don't really need being a good steward? At what point is it okay for you to just buy something new, just because. I don't ever want our home to be a place that causes others to be discontent. So in defense of that desire I find myself explaining to people that I have saved and put aside money for all of this. That I deserve this in some way. (See "Why do I love furniture so much?" post) "Way to go Kelly, you saved money!" The truth is that it is not ours to spend. So if I look at it that way, would God buy us a TV cabinet, loveseat, buffet and couch? Is that how he would spend his money? Do people that live a much higher standard of life then we do go through this every time they spend too? I can't imagine. I can see how folks get themselves into major credit card debt when they aren't thoughtful about all this. We have only one more thing to get and because of all of this I am planning on changing that forth item to something significantly cheaper. Not to "toot my own horn" (how was that one Leslie?) it is just another process of justifying. Does anybody else understand what I am saying? Any words of wisdom or encouragement from my faithful readers? Am I being crazy about all of this?

Hovater Update

I am updating to you that there is absolutely nothing exciting going on in our lives. I was looking over my favorite blogs and found myself getting irritated because those folks have not update in over a week and then I looked at mine and realized that mine had not been updated in almost a month. So here goes, we have gotten 2 items of furniture since the last post. Both of which I am super pumped about. We are anticipating the next 2 items in which case we should be good to go in the furniture area for a while. We have been really busy mostly because it is that time of year to be busy but also because we are gearing up for the summer. Here is something kind of exciting... We are going to Africa in the summer and I am going to start to work only 4 days starting in June. I am so excited about both, but to be perfectly honest probably more excited about only working 4 days a week. Next month Fletcher ( my 4 runner) will finally be paid off! My sister and brother-in-law got Steven probably the best birthday present ever... an I heart Fresno shirt. Isn't that awesome! He is proudly sporting it today. I bought a really cute lamp for $7.64, how awesome is that? It has been so unbelievably cold here. Which isn't such a big deal except for the fact that we put our winter clothes away on Saturday. I went to a wonderful wedding 2 weekends ago and will be going to an equally wonderful wedding in April. I finally found a great black dress to wear. Do you guys have any idea how hard it is to find a good black dress? Two nights ago Steven sat straight up in bed and said in a very panic-y voice, "What the crap is that over there?" That will get your blood flowing. It turns out there was some weird light that he saw but only for a second. That is what he tried to convince me of anyway. Well I think that is about it. Have good days!

Why do I love furniture so much?

Over the past month or so I have been saving like crazy to buy new furniture for our house. Here is my thoughts on that. Part of me feels really frivolous and prideful that I want new furniture. I feel like I need to be content with the hand-me-downs that we have been so blessed with. I feel like all this money could be used to go in our "emergency" fund because who knows when something "emergency" like is going to happen. I feel like this money could be used more wisely. BUT I also feel like I have worked my butt off to pinch those pennies, denying myself social events that are held at restaurants just so I can get that new chair, table and entertainment center. I'm worth it! I haven't been using any of the money for our "get those school loans paid off fast" fund. It's all from my personal sacrifice! Don't I deserve it? Part of me thinks so. Well the part that likes to furniture shop thinks so. The other part of me says.." Kelly you chose to marry the most wonderful man in the world who also happens to be a youth minister and also chose to spend 50,000 on your education with the goal of becoming a social worker knowing full well that your secret desire was to never work again, lets just face it sister living that kind of lifestyle is just not in the cards". BUT I SAVED says the furniture shopping side. Here is what is probably going to happen. I am going to get that furniture that I want but in 10 or 15 years from now I will still have that same wonderful furniture that I was dying to have at one time in my life when I was younger and much more materialistic. I better chose wisely because I am going to have to love it for the rest of my life. Man, these inner battles suck!

January 29, 1979

January 29, 1979 is an important day to me because it's my birthday. That makes Sunday the day that I am going to celebrate my 27th birthday. 27! When I was 16 I thought that 20 and up was so old. Now that I am 20 and up I don't feel that way at all. I really thought that I would feel differently by now but alas I still feel like Kelly. Every year that goes by I kind of get sad. Last year a very good friend of mine made me say my whole birthday day, "I am 26 and I'm pretty!". So here goes..."I'm 27 and I'm pretty!" Maybe I will feel better about that on Sunday. I need to learn the value of growing old gracefully while remembering that I am still young and there is still so much ahead of us.

Back to normalcy

For Christmas Steven and I went to Fresno, CA where I am from, to visit family for a week. We had a great time. Lots of eating, laying around and staying up playing computer (for Steven of course). It was very relaxing and was much needed. For the last week Steven has been in Nashville at NCYM. He has been having a blast, but I am ready for him to come home. I have been keeping myself busy by cleaning, decorating watching the first 4 episodes of Lost. It is really good. Umm lets see, that's about it. Work is getting back to normal and I am so thankful. I discovered that when I am stressed out and tired my tolerance level is very low. The break was good for recharging. Oh also I was reminded of how much I love Stroke 9 so I went and bought the CD. I have hardly listened to anything but them since. If that makes me a dork I am willing to take that responsibility.

My jaw hurts!

So we went on this retreat with some other couples from Pleasant Valley. It was so fun but so cold. We left early because Steven had to be at church on Sunday and I was okay with that because I was so looking forward to a warm house and bad. Much to my disappointment, our house was not warm and continues to be in this state until tomorrow morning at 8:00! Our heater is busted and my jaw hurts from the constant chattering of teeth. It was somewhere in the 40's when I got up this morning. Oh man, I am so thankful for heaters! (well more thankful when our works) It will be fine though we have a fire place and an enormous amount of people are offering their space heaters. The Hovaters will survive!!!!

I have a problem

My fears of a previous post have been confirmed. I watched TV from 4:30 to 10:30 last night. SIX HOURS!!!!!! We still have not gotten cable but one afternoon I wanted to watch an Alabama game so I bought and antenna and it has been down hill since. I knew this would happen. It also happens to be that the latest book that I got was kind of on the boring side so I have not be motivated to read which makes my problem worse. TV is just so handy when you are folding clothes or wrapping presents. I have a problem and I need to help. I don't want to be a family that watches TV. I am going to have to start to get really creative and find something else to occupy my time.

On a side note... Steven shrunk my new sweater. I have only worn it twice and now I can't anymore unless I am interested in looking like a hoochie mama which is never something that I am interested in. In his defense he did look for the sweater, having remembered it in the washer, before he put in the dryer. He just didn't look hard enough. So after work The Limited here we come. Steven is buying me a new sweater! This may not be such a bad deal.

This year I like Christmas music

Okay, so I don't really prefer Christmas music. I feel like there are 10 songs written by 10,000 artists and it normally drives me crazy. BUT this year I have been able to tolerate this particular genre a little more. Wait no that is a lie, I actually LIKE it this year. Here is my theory as to why. It's simple...We have a house. I know that is so silly but it is so fun to think about decorating and putting up lights and tree. In fact I think that the tree buying will come tomorrow and I am super pumped. An update on the house... We still have some trim to paint. This job is on the agenda for Saturday. Oh and I think that I am going to change to color of my bathroom. I've decided that I don't really like it. Which is such a hassle and I think that Steven might never talk to me again if I ask him to do it. He did such a good job on the purple, yes that is correct I said purple.

It was a debacle!

I am not lying. The powder puff football game was a disaster! We lost big time. I think somewhere in the range of by 30 points! I was never really so competitive in high school that a losswould consume my mind, but for some reason I had a hard time letting this one go. I think it was because I really thought that we would do well and then me hopes were crushed when I saw the other team. I think 4 of their players were rugby girls and we debated the whole game whether they truly were girls. It was rough. I can't talk about it anymore.

Practice #2

Last night was football practice and I am pretty excited about this team. Everybody was getting more comfortable with each so it was really fun. No huge scandalous thing to report as of yet but I will keep you posted. By the way, after last weeks practice they talked about me all morning on the radio. Isn't that so fun! I was loving every minute of it. Okay that is it for now. We have another practice this Saturday so there will be another update on Monday.

My new adventure

I love flag football! Last night was my very first practice as the new quarter for a powderpuff football team. What is so adventurous about this team in particular is that it is with a local radio station here in Little Rock. 103.7 The Buzz. This new adventure could pontentially be a scandalous so I have reserved the right to quit at any moment regardless of the heckling that I would most certainly receive on the radio. The girls were all really nice and so much less prissy then I was thinking. I know how these things work. Radio guy challenges another radio guy to game of powderpuff mostly emphasizing looks rather then skill. I feel okay about this UNLESS they ask me to wear something scandalous or make me feel like even the slightest bit of compromising will have to happen. A guy from our church is one of the D.J's / coaches so I am clinging to the hope that he will follow through with his commitment to God thus protecting me from having to do anything sort of shady. I will keep you updated...

Why is cable such a big deal?

I don't want cable. I don't. I want to be a family that reads not a family that watches television. Steven, my dear sweet husband loves to make fun of me by saying "Like I am going to stop reading". For those of you who don't know him loves to read so much that the only reason why reason why he hasn't shelved his books in out new is because he hasn't had time to work out the details of the Hovater's Card Cataloging System. I am not concerned about him stopping his reading habits, I am more concerned about stopping mine. Also when we start to have kids, I don't want them to grow up glued to the TV. I want them to sit with me and enjoy Harry Potter together. I really am not sure what Steven is wanting to get out of cable, that we can't get out network TV. He says football games but that is only in the fall and once a week. Do you see the problem I have? I don't want to pay for minimal use and I don't want maxium watching. Two other reasons... everytime we going anywhere with a TV I have to practically do a dance for him to pay attention to me. I think that is a bad habit to form if the TV is on at home. Last reason... Every single middle aged to older adult that I expressed this opinion to say that I need to stick to my guns. Don't' you think that there is something to that? I know that we are adults, but older adults are wiser then us. No matter how wise we think we are we have nothing on them. Especially the ones that have raised kids. They understand the effects of TV on their kids and I am trying to prevent that stuff now. I am trying to establish good habits from the start. Is that so wrong? Steven wants it so bad and I don't want it just as much. Any thoughts out there?