a lesson

Well I have a whole week of things to post about. The week went something like this: basketball games(W), our friend Mikes '21' Birthday Celebration, a hair disaster, mom's visit, another basketball game(W- but it was not a fun W) and a fan club thanks to Uncle Kevin & Grandpa for coming, another basketball game(W), a hair fix, Gavin's birthday celebration and a Mary Poppins visit(thanks mom, you really are the best EVER!).
  It was one of those weeks where I felt like I was sinking.... fast. I was overwhelmed, lots of thoughts running through this brain, so many things on my 'to-do' list and a hair disatster(never good for any blond). After the first quarter of the game Thursday where the score was  0-1, yes that is correct 0-1- I was ready to cry. I put so much energy and time into this team and felt like I had a group of girls that could care less- they had no energy, it felt like everything I was saying to them was going in one ear and out the other, everything I was showing them seemed to be a waste of time, I was so frustrated I was about a basket away  from giving up. I didn't give up...as much as I wanted to, I knew they needed me and it was a matter of time and patientce. After the game we had a long talk and I prayed it worked. Well...it did- at least for Saturdays game. It's a process but I am going to keep working and pushing and I am confident that before the end of the season, some of what I have said will pay off.
 This got me thinkin a little bit....I wonder if this is how God feels sometimes. I know there are so many times that he shows us and tells us things that we totally ignore. When I was working through that game, I tried so many different ways to communicate with them, however that didn't matter. They had to want to listen before anything I said would matter. He try's so many different ways to talk/show us how much we need him, however we have to want to listen before anything he does will matter.man- That game might have been a bigger eye opener and lesson for me than it was for them.
 After having the week I had, I really believe that God was telling me I need to listen and lean on him. He is there, I just need to put my faith in him. I am so thankful that he has so much patience and NEVER gives up on us.
 Here's to a new week...and a good lesson. Happy Sunday.

Happy Birthday Gavin

Happy Birthday Gavin!

   I have watched you grow up from a little stud to a handsome young man. It is amazing that you are turning 23 today...seems like just yesterday that mom & I had a shopping day planned but you had other plans! Although I was a little upset that we had to go to the hospital instead of Value City it was sure worth it! You are the best little brother that anyone could ask for and you have a sister that loves you more than you know.

Gavin, you had to grow up so fast and you took on a role that others could not even image. You are an inspiration to me and I know Dad is so very proud of the outstanding young man you have become.
 Nathan and I wish you a Very Happy Birthday full of love and happiness. We Love You!

wordless sunday

Not alot to say today... I know- hard to believe huh.
The rest of this week flew by- between practices, a dinner get together with by best NWI friends, movie night, and a wedding reception last night we have stayed pretty busy.
We just finished watching the Colts victory... Super Bowl here we come!!Now we are watching the Saints and hoping for another victory. Colts vs Saints....couldn't get much better then that!
This week is another busy one. I have two games this week and IT'S MY BABY BROTHERS BIRTHDAY!!!! My mom is up to spend a few days with him and some time with us too. We are going to celebrate together this weekend after the busy week. Looking forward to great week(and hopefully two W's too...however, I am not bankin on it- we are not looking so good YET!)

time for some popcorn with the hubby...happy sunday!

day 2

Well it's now day two of being home, the good news is that today I feel a little more human. This is where I have been spending the last 48 hrs.

dreaming about being here...

a nice warm, SUNNY beach sounds pretty wonderful right now! oh well, guess I will just have to keep dreaming until July!

Last night my wonderful husband brought some 'treats' home for me to enjoy. He's the best!

We sat(laid) around last night and watched the Boilers, who FINALLY decided to play, and pulled out a W! That was by far the best part of the day and I really believe the reason I am feeling better today! However, I am still in shock they did not have Hart in the book...is this D1 or middle school basketball!?  That might have been one of the first things I learned as a coach...CHECK THE BOOK and NUMBERS BEFORE EVERY GAME! o well...whoever this Hart kid is... I am liking him and sure glad he is in the book now. 

I think I am finally on the finishing part of this 'bug' I am just I am so thankful that Nathan has not caught it yet!  Tomorrow I will be back to work and back to practice... its killing me missing two days of basketball, we have a game next week!  I know the girls are missing me too and will be glad to see me tomorrow!! :)

Back to dreaming of the ocean and cracker #3 for the day. 

yuck

After a great weekend, today I am home sick.

As my friend Vicky said(quoting Devil Wears Pranda) 'I'm just one stomach flu hour away from my goal weight'

not fun.

Boilers, Colts & Saints!

 What a great sports day for the Taulman family! Its been a long week... so long that I have no desire to blog about it nor do I remember too much about it. I sat down to blog on Thursday night but Nathan and I were watching the news on Haiti and as I watched the devastation and heart break I just couldn't stop crying. I couldn't bring myself to blog about what was going on in our life...when it seemed so trivial compared to what was on the news.My heart breaks for those poor people. We have said many prayers and will keep praying for them....they sure couldn't get enough.
 Friday we had a 'work day' @ school which meant no kids and no practice....pretty nice. Nathan took the day off(I was sooo proud of him...considering he lost 5 days last year!) so he was able to pick me up after school and we headed straight down to Gods country. We arrived at my moms last night and are spending the weekend here. man, I miss the country.
 Today we have spent the day running outside(Nathan in shorts & a t-shirt - its 50degrees), playing in the yard with the dog while I practiced my photography lesson(movement), sitting by the fire and now we are relaxing and getting ready to start watching a night full of sports, friends and veggie soup!! YUMMMYYY!!
  The Saints started about 5 minutes ago, the Boilers are in about an hour and the night will be capped off with a Colts game. The West's will be heading over soon to help us cheer our teams on. We are hoping for 3 big W's here.
 Tomorrow we are heading over to visit Niki, Josh & Jude and their newest family member, Roman. I can't wait!

new friends & old friends

What a day of friendship we had today! I thank God everyday for the friends he has put into my life...they really are the best!
 We headed to church this morning, got to sit next to our great friends Vicky & Joe and heard a very good message about the importance of giving. I know this is always a very touchy topic @ church- however Greg(our pastor) did a great job with it today. Reminded me about what I posted yesterday with giving back to him- today was about money instead of time. Really good.
 After church we headed to lunch with Vicky & Joe and their two beautiful kids(Ethan & Allie) along Bridgette(her hubby was helping out at church...what a great guy!) We enjoyed a delicious meal and were entertained with Ethan talking about Mr. Nathan's sock color and Allie coloring flowers! As I sat there I was so thankful for the 'new' friends that God has put into our lives. I don't know what I would do without them!
 After church we came home, I worked on photography(thanks for the cool websites Uncle Tim!) and Nathan took a little kat nap. We then got a call from one of my best college friends Katy! Her and her mom were shopping in our neck of the woods, so we met up for Starbucks. I wish I would have gotten a picture but I forgot to take my camera(I know, what photographer forgets her camera right!?) We sat there for a few hours catching up, talking about everything from fish to fashion, it was so much fun. Katy and I lived together my 51/2 and 6th year @ Purdue. She was a PE major as well so we spent MANY MANY hours studying(or attempting to study). She was also the one that kept bugging me about Nathan... she always kept saying 'I really think you like him more than a friend!' I guess she knows me better than I know myself at times!!  She has been one of the best friends anyone could ask for. She is that friend that would do anything for me AND she keeps me accountable for things. I am so thankful for my 'old' friend and wish we lived closer. maybe someday :)
 On the way home we got a call from Gav saying he was on his way over!!!! YIPPPEEE! I fixed noodles & mashed potatoes- I must say that I felt pretty domestic! We sat down and enjoy dinner and Aldi talk. ha Gav & Nathan are now watching a movie(boring!) so I am, well...blogging!
 Its going to be a full week of work & basketball but I just have to remember that its a short week for us @ Kolling. We have records day on Friday so that means no kiddies and then we have Monday off! :) 
 God is good...sure was a great day!

new years resolutions

Yes, I know I am about a week late on these but I guess its better late then never right!For some reason I wasn't feeling to motivated when the time came to start NY resolutions however, now I am ready to get started so watch-out world! Here they are.

1. Do a daily devotion. For Christmas I got Nathan a daily devotion book and we have been doing it this week(most days) and I really enjoy it. It is something that I know will make a big difference in my day if I would just do it. I am going to set aside 5-10 minutes of my day to spend reading the word and in prayer. After all, God gives me so many wonderful blessings everyday... why can't I seem to find at least a few minutes everyday giving myself to him! I also am using this online tool that our church recommend on their blog EchoPrayer. It sends you the prayer reminders that you put into it! Its really cool and when it pops up on my phone its a great reminder to take a minute of two and talk to God.

2. Nathan and I are going to reduce the number of processed foods that we eat and replace them with good, yummy, HEALTHY stuff! As I opened up our pantry the other day and then opened up our fridge I realized there was more in the first door then in the second and it hit me like a ton of bricks! Something isn't right here. I have more cookies, chips and crackers in this house then I do fruits and veggies. I know this might mean a little more effort(and money) when shopping but I really think it will pay off.

3. Exercise 4 times a week and add some weights into the mix. I am going to try and find other things to do besides running. I was getting so burnt out on the running that I just stopped all together(not a good idea... makes for a cranky lady!) so if I can add some weights and maybe pilates in the mix it will help keep me motivated and happy.

4. Drink 8 glasses of water(no, not green tea Mom) everyday. I don't think this one needs any explaining other then...its just good for you.

5. Enjoy and have a positive attitude everyday. This one might be the hardest- there are times @ work when I let others attitudes bring my down, there are times when I get frustrated and angry about things I really have no control over and there are times when I am hurt by others actions and all of these times cause my attitude and actions to hurt those around me. So my goal is to think positive thoughts even in those trying times. I really believe that if I really start doing #1 this will be be much less difficult.

well...thats all folks! I will leave you with a couple of picture from Nathan and I's walk in the snow the other night! 

snow and lots of it!

Well...we have snow to say the least! and yes we had school today too. I was pretty bummed this morning not to get the call, however, I will be glad in June when the weather is nice and we don't have to go forever.
  This week has been a busy one. Let's see-

Sunday night: Nathan got home @ 3am from taking apart the other store. I was fast asleep.

Monday: Nathan was up and gone by 4:30am and had his store opening. It was awesome! I got a text from him around noon and it said 'God is Good'! I am soooo proud of him. He did a wonderful job and put so much effort and time into it. He really is awesome.
   I had our first day of tryouts. I had 18 girls come out and it went pretty well. I forgot how lucky I was last year having the same team as I had the year before. This team didn't know my expectations and I think some were a little stunned. However, we all made it through the night alive! Practice was over @ 8 and I had a parent that didn't show up until 8:45. I felt really bad for the girl but was not too happy with the parent. Just something to remember when we have kids...be on time to pick them up! :)

Tuesday: pretty much a blur. Work/School and day two of tryouts and cuts. They are never fun. Gives you that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. I hate seeing the girls upset and wish I could keep everyone but thats just not the case. So I kept 11 and I think they are really going to be a good group. we will see. Once I got home- Nathan had the Boilers on so we watched that victory until our small group got here. We picked our next study and I am so excited! Can't wait to get started next week.

Wednesday: Nathan had his hubcaps stoles while at work... I just cracked up when he told me and then I looked at his car!!! We went to his basketball game(he didn't play because of his rib) however, his team did win the championship so that was exciting.

Thursday: Woke up to snow on the ground! It took Nathan 2 and a half hours to get to work this morning(I told him I would have turned around and came home!) and the kids were a little crazy at school but we made it through the day. I am home now getting ready to get on the treadmill. I have to remember how to turn it on first. (that's how long its been). New Years resolutions start on Monday right? ;) I am also taking an online photography class that started last week and I LOVE IT! I have been playing since I got home- its so fun. Its a great way to get new ideas and learn a few tricks too.

Ok so there is our week. Maybe just maybe I will be home tomorrow(at least a two hr. delay) to post a few pictures of the snow!

weekend before school

  This weekend has been great. While Nathan was at work yesterday morning I decided that I was not going to allow myself on the computer until I had the entire house clean AND the laundry done. It was hard but I DID IT! All of the Christmas decorations are down and up in the attic, I finished all of the laundry AND vacuumed/dusted. If you can't tell I am pretty proud of myself. haha. I always dread doing it but love the way the house looks when its finished. :)
 The plan was that once I got the house cleaned and Nathan came home we were go to head to the city to return a few things. However, looking @ the -12 windchill we decided to stay home and relax instead. I pulled out a book that I have been meaning to read for some time now and we both laid on the couch and read our books. It was so fun & relaxing- I realized just how much I miss reading. When my stomach started to growl, we noticed it was 7pm and decided that we probably should go get dinner before it got to late! After dinner we came back home, resumed our positions on the couch and finished our books before heading to bed. Those days are VERY far and few between so we gotta take advantage of those days when we can.
  Nathan is at work right now tearing down the old store and getting ready to open the new one tomorrow. I am soooo proud of him! He is done such a wonderful job getting everything ready AND not bring the stress of it all home. The store looks AWESOME and I am confident that it will be a great opening tomorrow morning. If you live in NWI you really should check it out- its pretty sweet! 
  I go back to school tomorrow and basketball officially starts @ 4:59 with tryouts from 5-7. I am not looking forward to having to get up early tomorrow but it will be fun to see all of the kiddies and hear their Santa stories! I am also looking forward to getting this basketball season started- it will be hard not having the same 'dream' team as I have had for the past two years, but it will be a great new challenge.  Gotta get the practice schedule ready and head to bed- its going to be an early morning. 

 

Happy New Year!

As I sat down to blog about the year it occurred to me just how fast this year went. Its hard to think that Nathan and I have been married for 2.5 years and have been in NWI for almost 4 years. Time really does fly when you are having fun!!!

This year was full of wonderful memories.
basketball team won the conference title.Nathan changed Aldi districts twice.we spent spring break in Punta Cana. Gavin graduated from Purdue University.celebrated Duane & Lindas retirement. we took a road trip to West Virgina and stayed in our first B&B.my best friend, Kelly, got married to her long-time love-Tim.spent time this summer @  Klinger Lake. Gavin got a great job & moved to Chicago. we hosted Easter & Christmas at our house. we ran in two mini-marathons. mom came and stayed with us for two weeks. we enjoyed many many fun memories with our small group friends. our great friends- Niki & Josh had their second child. brother and sister-in-law had a great boar sale @ state fair. family is all healthy. our track team won conference title. welcomed friends Hilary & Jonas baby girl. we went to a cubs game. spent 4th of july with grandparents from Las Vegas. volunteered to rake leaves for an elderely woman.  Nathans best friend Shane got engaged to a great gal Jana. took a road trip to snowy Gatlinburg. Nathan agreed to help paint (2) walls in our house. Nathan played in a basketball league. went to indianapolis 500.started 721 photography.

WOW! What an awesome year. I know I have said it many times before but God really has blessed us and I am so thankful. I am also so thankful for our friends & family-without them, these wonderful memories would not be possible.

My wish is for health & happiness for all of you and  I am looking forward to seeing what God has in store for 2010! Happy New Year!