I am officially a half marathoner!!!

Julie and I completed the half marathon last Sunday. For all those none runners out there that is 13.1 miles!!! Julie's husband Diego did a really great job documenting the day. This is hopefully the first of many races we will compete in together, we had so much fun. We started out the morning in freezing cold (45 degree) weather, but as the sun came up and our heart rates increased the weather was perfect! We met some great people along the race and heard a lot of great music. My favorite was a DJ on the corner of Montrose playing Soulja Boy. He had a little group of kids dancing to the music. It was exactly what I needed to keep running! Julie found a stray puppy that jogged with us for part of the race and I think she would have taken him home if he would have kept up with us. After the race we got loaded up on Advil and spent the rest of the day watching movies. All in all it was a great experience and we are ready for more races!!

This is us before we left for
downtown at 5 a.m.

Us right before the race with thousands of others!

This was us around mile 9, we were laughing at Diego!

And finally us with our medals and finisher shirts! We were so tired we could barely get off the floor. Can't wait to do it again!!

Christ Church Brenham

This post has been in my head for about two months now and it is time to let out! I am trying to post more on the different ways in which I experience God to help me get out of my box and remind myself that God is everywhere. This idea came to me when we visited Christ Church in Brenham.

Picture, if you will, a beautiful, cozy chapel. The lights are dimmed and there is still a little natural light coming in through the windows as the sun begins to set. The pews are dotted with a handful of people talking together. There are a few small children walking up and down the center isle trying to avoid going back to the childcare room. The atmosphere is light and relaxed, yet genuine. People seem so excited to greet one another and hear about each other's day. No one is in a hurry to start the service...in fact we start about 15 minutes late. The Pastor gives everyone a chance to get settled, and then we begin.

We sing several songs together. Some of us just listening to the words, some with eyes closed and hands raised, and still others kneeling in prayer. It is a beautiful sight. Everyone is communing with God in their own way. After the songs, the Pastor (Justin) sits on a stool in the front and opens the Bible to the gospel of John. The congregation has been studying John for a few weeks now, so we begin in the middle of the book. This is when we start to recognize that there is something different about this place.

I was ready for a 3 point sermon, waiting for the intro story that gets everyone laughing. Half way through the sermon I was still wondering when the self-help portion of the sermon would begin, but it never did. None of the things I have been trained to expect in sermons came. We simply read the Bible together and let its words affect us. We even took a moment to share our individual reactions to what was being read. It was a beautiful time, and the most engaged I have felt in a Church service in a long time.

It was so refreshing to see Jesus' words in Matthew 18 come to life; "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." The presence of the Lord is so real, so palpable in these simple settings.

God is moving in Christ Church Brenham.

Let the flea market come to you

I love finding vintage decorative pieces that make my house feel cozy but rarely have time to rummage through flea markets and Estate sales to actually find the stuff. I just found a website that is a solution to the problem. P.O.S.H. Chicago is an actual store in Chicago but also sells their pieces online. They have been around since 1997 and strive to offer something unique! They offer eclectic assortment of vintage Hotel Silver, Restaurant China & Flea Market Finds. I'm drooling just looking at all the pictures! Have a great weekend!!

Oh the Resolutions

I too must offer up my take on the whole New Years Resolution. I have never had resolutions and this year for some reason the idea seemed intriguing. I wondered why this year of all years, and then I realized. This is the first year that my life's goals have not already been set before me. In years past my life goals have been things like get good grades, pass chemistry, graduate college, get a job, do well at job, etc. This is the first year I have felt like I can make some real goals without sacrificing my responsibilities!



Mike and I took a little vacation after Christmas to Austin and really got to reconnect. The holidays were so busy for us that we were need of some down time to recharge. It also gave us time to think intentionally about what we want to accomplish this year. I loved talking and dreaming about our goals for this year.



I struggle a lot with security and trust meaning for me to feel confident I have to feel like I am secure relationally, financially, etc. And my thoughts generally tend to lead me in to wondering and speculating when the bottom is going to be pulled out from under me. I am constantly thinking about what I will do if catastrophe were to strike my life. All that to say, its sometimes hard for me to dream about the future when I am constantly just hoping everything will stay the same. I share this to help explain why I have picked some of the resolutions. Lately the Lord has been giving me more and more confidence to dream big dreams.

So here they are in no particular order:
+Lead someone to Christ (I have been praying about my missionary goals and I know I am going out on a limb with this one, but I want to pray for big things!)
+ Take a French refresher course. (Mike is doing this with me so it will be fun! I love how he tries to pronounce things with a French accent...so cute)
+ Plant a vegetable garden ( I have always wanted a green thumb, but been to scared and overwhelmed to try it.)
+ Pray and seek the Lord more regarding our future (Mike and I have such big dreams that we want to see come true, but it all starts with prayer!)
+ Keep in touch with out of town friends (I realized over the holidays there are several out of town friends that I love so much, but only really see or talk to over the holidays. I would like to remedy that!)
+Continue reading classic books ( Steph got me started last year and I have loved it)
+Learn to sew (I got an awesome new sewing machine for Christmas so I am ready to learn...Morgan...Erin please help!!)

Ok there they are for all to see! I have such high hopes for 2008!

Through a new lens

Happy New Year!!
My resolutions post is still in the works but here is a little glimpse for now of what the Haskew's have been up to lately!

Mike got a fancy new camera for Christmas and we have been having so much fun learning all about it. He has a flicker account where you can check out some of the pics he has taken. A lot of the pictures were taken before the new camera, but he updates it often!

A Christmas to Remember

So it's our first Christmas in our new home and we have had so much fun decorating, baking, and making it feel all nice and cozy despite this 80 degree weather (cold front it heading in tonight whooo hooo!) I took a few pictures to share with my blog friends of our home this Christmas.

Welcome to our front door! I found the little French horn in the center on my first adventure to Round Top with my best friend Catherine.

I thought up this wreath wall project sometime in the summer and started collecting wreaths in different sizes, shapes and colors. I had so much fun with this project and I really like the outcome!

Wreath wall from a different angle. I am thinking of keeping it up all year round!

I love this little photo holder wreath. I got it at the Paper Suitcase closeout sale for $2!! It is the prefect little holder for all our Christmas cards.

My favorite decoration is our willow tree nativity scene. My mother-in-law gave this to us a few years ago. I have been collecting the angels since I was high school so this is such a special gift.

I've been struggling to find something suitable for this little nook since we moved in. It's kind of an odd shape because it comes to a point in the middle on the back wall. Here I stacked a few old books and put a glass vase filled with candles on top. I like it for now, but suggestions are always appreciated! The Noel sign was also found at Round Top. I cant wait for the spring Round Top!!

A few Christmas-ee odds and ends!

I love the word Noel! We are even considering it for a baby name...maybe a middle name!

Oh Christmas Tree! Oh Christmas Tree! How lovely are your fake branches. Yes we have a fake tree because Mike is allergic to ALL trees! But I love it despite it unauthenticness.

I hope you enjoyed my little Christmas Home Tour. Please stop by again. And have a very Merry Christmas! I love you all!

Things I am loving today~

Sorry for the lack of posts, last week was a little crazy! I love all the holiday parties and getting together with friends you don't see often, but sometimes this season gets to be a little much. This week we are booked every single night with some sort of Christmas activity, so I am trying to take things in stride and not let my busy schedule consume me!

Today during lunch I stopped of at the new Whole Foods in Sugar Land. This is not just a grocery store my friend, this is a work of art! It's beautiful! It has a huge outdoor seating area complete with a rock fountain. I went in search for some yummy soup for lunch and came across a great selection of soups, salads, and sandwiches. I settled on a cup of Spicy Pumpkin soup and it is delicious!! Lunch time doesn't usually get me this excited, but just the thought of Whole Foods being just down the road is enough to make me smile!

I also stopped in at a scrapbook store and found some AMAZING red and white striped grosgrain ribbon that I have been trying to find for several months. I cant wait to get home and get crafty with it!!

Have a great week and don't let the busyness of the Holidays stress you out!!