Merry Christmas Eve!

I thought I would follow in my blog friends' footsteps

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Wrapping. Unless it is an awfully awkward gift (aka bird house for my mother-in-law), then it get the bag.

2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial here. But I LOVE the smell of real trees! I had a real wreath this year and it smelled wonderful, so I can only imagine how good a real tree would have been.

3. When do you put up the tree? I would prefer the day after Thanksgiving. BUT... this year, we had a bit a drama in a getting our Christmas Tree. My Nana was nice enough to give us a tree, but we only managed to get 2/3 of the tree so we had to wait til someone could bring us it. But long story short- I wish the day after Thanksgiving but this year it was about a week later.

4. Do you like eggnog? Ew.

5. Favorite gift received as a child? Probably an American Girl doll. I wanted to Samantha (one of the American girls) growing up so getting the doll was a happy day in my life!

6. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes! A beautiful softstone nativity from Niger, West Africa! (Thanks Phillips fam!)

7. Hardest person to buy for? My dad.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Ross.

9. Mail or email Christmas cards? Didn't do either this year, but I hope to send real ones in the future. I LOVE getting Christmas cards in the mail, the good ole fashion way!

10. Favorite Christmas movie? The Holiday.

11. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Black Friday.

12. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Sugar of all types... fudge, cookies, cake. (Oh goodness... this has been a bad holiday on the dieting front)

13. Clear lights or colored lights on the tree? Clear.

14. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night. Love it.

15. Travel or stay home at Christmas? Well we travel back in forth between family.

16. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? I think this is silly... I just saw all of Sabrina's answer just before I wrote this so I feel like it is cheating.

17. Angel on tree top or star? This year, we just had ribbon because I'm too cheap to buy a topper.

18. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Eve with my parents and Christmas Day with Ross' family.

19. The most annoying thing about this time of year? The feeling that you have to get gifts for someone when they don't want or need anything, when there are so many people in desperate need.

20. What I love most about Christmas... I know this is cheesy, but having time to reflect on the truth that the God Most High sent His Son to live among us and bring the light of salvation to the world.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

The Wellmans have now full embraced the Christmas holiday! I LOVE Christmas and traditions,but as this is my last Christmas in the US for a few years, I'm fully embracing the season and enjoying the time with friends and family.

Without further adieu... my 2009 Christmas to-do list!

*Setting aside a night to decorate the tree and get into the Christmas mood- check!

*Decorating sugar cookies- check!

*Watching "The Holiday"

*Going to "Behold the Lamb of God" (this is one of our favorite traditions... however, our last year to do it since we'll be across the world!)

*Taking a trip to the Opryland Hotel

*Ross and I filling each others stockings (ps- my family never really did this tradition growing up, which was totally fine because we received SO much stuff anyway, but I really wanted to revamp this tradition)

*Getting new Christmas PJ's! This was a Riley family tradition. This year's PJs are WKU sweatpants for both us... so comfy!

*Finish reading Noel Piper's "Treasuring God in Our Traditions" and planning some God glorifying traditions to continue in our family.

*Reading the Luke 2 Christmas story together

Ramblings via Panera

I'm wasting some time at Panera today, after having a dentist appointment in BG. My face is half numb from the dental work so I thought soup would be a nice option for lunch. Think again. I'm loudly slurping my broccoli cheddar soup in the middle of Panera.

Just so you know, that whole ambitious plan to run a 5k on October 31= FAIL.

On a nicer note, I now have a job in Owensboro. No substitute teaching here. God definitely provided by giving me a job at the church where R works as an assistant to the music minister. Fun times! Isn't it crazy how the Lord always provides?! Shew, I'm in awe.

And to follow up with the failed attempt at getting in shape.... Our church in Owensboro has a Christian Life Center with a SWEET gym. It almost makes me LIKE working out. Almost.

You know that game where people ask "If you were being sent off to a deserted island, what would be the one thing you would take with you?" Well, my life is that game right now. We're (Lord willing) moving overseas in July and will only be allowed a few suitcases. Seeing that we're going to a place where we'll see extremes in weather, most of our suitcases will be full of clothes for various seasons. But here's my top three for most prized item: 1) hair straightener (220 volt of course!), 2) big picture frame with signatures from our wedding (which Ross assures me will not fit into our luggage, but I'm up for the challenge!), and 3) just a couple pieces of Fiestaware??

I feel as though people are really pushing the holidays early this year. I mean everyone was carving their pumpkins and drinking hot cider when it was still 90 degrees outside and now, half the population has already decorated for Christmas. I love my holidays and highly anticipate all the festive traditions, but seriously?

And lastly, I'm a nomad at this point in my life. Ms. "I've lived in BG my whole life" will be living all over creation within the next 9 months (all over creation= 4 different locations). But I'm okay with it.

Update on the Wellmans :)

I'm at the beach this week, which equals lots of time in sun and lots of free time!! Thus, here's an update on the Wellmans!! Hopefully this will catch everyone (well i hope there's just one of you! haha!)up on our life and the many changes that have occurred and will be occurring soon!

This fall has been unexpectedly changing and busy within the Wellman household! We've made our first move as a married couple (and pretty much my first move ever!), along with ending and starting new jobs and ministry. After a year of working with the middle school ministry at Living Hope, we knew that the time had come for us to move on. It's just crazy to think how when we started this just a year ago, these middle school students seemed so distant and awkward, but now, we've truly come to love the middle schoolers at Living Hope. We're so thankful for this past year at Living Hope but also for the church family that Living Hope has and will always be to us.

Ross started his new job at FBC Owensboro mid-September and a week later, we officially moved to Owensboro. Ross has taken an interim position for the middle school and high school at FBC... I've come to see him as a professional interim. :) We're slowing adjusting to this move. For this born and bred Bowling Green girl, Owensboro is just different. But it's growing on me! I have been acquainted with the new church and I'm already realizing that this is what the Lord desired for us. We've gotten to know our youth and had lots of fun at a retreat with our middle school students last weekend. We're living in a quaint part of town, with a great location. I was hesitant about our new apartment at first as it is pretty old (like built in the 40's!), but as we've worked to make it our place, it is great! (Pictures to come!). My number one question in Owensboro is what I'm doing with all my time... well, I'm having no problem keeping myself busy between driving back and forth from BG for orchestra, giving harp lessons, and finishing up some responsibilities with my job. But as for long term, I'm planning on substitute teaching for the short time we'll be in Owensboro.


As most of you know, Ross and I have spent the last year applying to move overseas to be language and culture students, among other things. It's been an intense process, with lots of applications and interviews, as well as lots of prayer in determining if this is indeed what the Lord wants for us right now. We have a big step in this process coming up this month. We will head to Virginia for a week to have our final interview and receive information about what our lives will soon be! We would really appreciate your prayers during this week (Oct. 19-24), that we would be nerve free and open to the Lord's leading in our lives. Also, that if the Lord wills it, that this interview would lead to a move for training in April and overseas in July, as we have planned.

So there you have it... an update that will hopefully lead to more blog posts! :)

I'M BACK... and still running!

The fact remains...I'm a horrible blogger! Last time I blogged, I was just finishing Week 3 of Couch to 5k. Since then, I've lost a bit of my momentum as my work hours have increased in addition to preparing to move! My days and nights have been jammed packed with work, church, quality time with friends and family,back and forth trips to Owensboro and packing!
So confession time... I missed a few workouts over the past couple weeks. Those missed workouts put me even further behind as I felt that I need to repeat some trainings to get back to where I was. As of now, I'm one workout shy of being on Week 6. That one workout is the 2 mile run (no walking, mind you!). So I'm repeating Week 5 so I will survive the 2 mile run without my lungs exploding. (All of you real runners out there... give me grace, I'm out of shape!)
I attribute part of my slacking to shin splints (I know... excuses, excuses). I realized a few weeks ago that I only got shin splints when I did long runs two days in a row... so I have been trying to avoid back to back C25K workouts.

All that to say... I haven't fallen off the running wagon yet!! And I'm still alive!

1/3 of the way done!

I made it through week 3! I have to admit that this blog is getting kind of boring, cause there is really nothing more to say than I finished a week of training. BUT, I do have to say, I am enjoying running more and more. I'm not huffing and puffing as much as I stride around the neighborhood and it's becoming a time to think about the Lord and life, rather than about running. It did occur to me as I looked to my next week of training, that in 2 short weeks, I am supposed to be running 2 miles, non-stop with no walking! That might not seem like a big deal, but ladies and gents... that is HUGE for me. I sometimes doubt that I will really be able to do it, but each week I realize that as I am faithful to get my body in shape, that God has been faithful to give me a body that is able to do so much more than what I expect. It is the Lord that sustains my every breath and it is such a blessing to remember that as I run.

Until next week...

Week 2-DONE!

Just a short post saying that I have not fallen off the wagon yet! :) I finished Week Two of "Couch to 5k"! This week was a pleasant running week... the workouts were relatively easy and almost enjoyable. However, this next week requires alot more running and alot less walking but I'm determined to keep going and make it to the 5k!

Week One- CHECK!

One week down... 8 to go!

I'm really liking this running plan. I'm so surprised how a little change in my schedule can help me think more about my diet and health. I mean who wants to eat junk food when you've worked so hard to burn it off! And the running pays off on the scale as well... I lost 3 lbs this week (which is probably due to producing large amounts of sweat on Saturdays run... whew! it was hot!).

In other news, this weekend was Ross and I's 1st Anniversary! We had alot going on at church, but we managed to get away for a fun afternoon in Nashville... pics to come!

Couch to 5K

I'm a bad blogger.

Let's just get that out of the way.

But in efforts to be a better blogger and a healthier person... I have started the "Couch to 5K" program and want to blog my experiences with it as a sort of accountability!

For those who don't know, the "Couch to 5K" is a 9-week program to train beginner runners to being able to run a 5k through a 3-day/ a week workouts. Growing up in Bowling Green, I've always wanted to run the Medical Center Classic in October. So that's my goal... to be able to run (notice there is no time expectation... I may will be slow!) on October 31st!

I actually started the training on Sunday. During the first week, the schedule is to do a 25 minute workout consisting of a 5 minute warm-up, and then running 60 seconds, followed by a 90 second recovery walk and repeating. Thankfully, this workout was a piece of cake (maybe cake isn't the best word to use as I aim to lose weight!) easy for me!! I found myself wanting to run for longer than 60 seconds, which ended up making the workout 30 minutes. However, I'm not too naive about myself to know that the coming weeks of workouts are going to be much tougher!

I <3 Giveaways!

I've never had much luck with winning stuff....
but you better bet I'm gonna try!
There are some great giveaways this week at
LaurenNicoleGifts.blogspot.com, including these:























*Please excuse this shameless opportunity to get more entries into the giveaways* :)

Things I Love From This Week...

I thought I'd share just some of the little things that I love from this week...


PEDICURES!!! I feel that pedicures are my one guilty/ expensive pleasure in life (well, and J.Crew but that's another story!). My mom and I went and got pedicures just in case this warm weather keeps up and we'll be able to wear sandals anytime soon! (Another blessing... we got to use a 2 year expired gift certificate just because the ladies there are so nice to us!)










SPRING!! I've just about had enough of this winter. Cold, dreary weather makes me so sad, unless it's Christmas time. Last week, we got a few days of spring followed by snow. This week, I expected more winter, but we've actually gotten some spring! Still a little cool, but atleast it looks like spring with all the trees and flowers blooming. And it's still nice enough to go on walks!!




Yesterday was one of those where I knew I had alot to get done both a work and for seminary. I was really kind of dreading the day. I got home from work and tried to take quick power nap so I would be able to study the rest of the night. To my surprise, my wonderful husband walks in with a bouquet of my fav flowers! I'm a big fan of fresh flowers (gerber daisies- he finally remembered!) but our budget doesn't really allow for it, so it was such a surprise!

23

So it's January 21st, a day I'd like to call my birthday. :) I like birthdays alot... celebrating with family and friends, gifts, surprises, cake, and just the whole idea of someone's special day.

But here's my dilemma.

I have some sort of problem. You know the song "It's my party. I can cry if I want to..." That's my reality EVERY stinkin' year. I cry tears, lots of tears, every January 21st. I mean I'm talking back way back to elementary school. I remember years where I would have an all out bash and everything a girl could dream of having on a birthday and still... tears. From my 7th grade ice skating party where I hid my complex by creating mass drama among the teenage girls at my party to my sweet 16 surprise party where I busted my face in the midst of a mad game at the pinata, thus creating tears for days to come because of the massive bruise.

As I went to bed last night, I prepared myself. This is a new year. I'm supposed to be a big kid now, right? NO TEARS. I swore to myself that today would be just like any other day. Maybe if I convinced myself to forget what day it was, then I could be free of this yearly complex.

But here's my confession... I lost. I cried today. No reason. Not even sure why it happened. But the birthday bawling occurred.

I've tried to analyze why this happens. Maybe I am resisting change? Or maybe I just don't want to grow up? I still can't seem to find the real reason to this annual cryfest.

But there's hope for next year. I've always felt 24 would be my year. ;)

TAG!

So Sabrina tagged me, along with a comment about how I wouldn't do it. Thus, I have to prove her wrong!
7 Random/Weird Facts about Myself
1. So most friends have caught on to this... but my name is Natalie (Latin for "Christmas Day") and my middle name is Carol. Thus, Christmas Carol. I'm so glad this didn't get out til adulthood. :)
2. I hate replying. To phone calls, emails, Thank You's, etc. I just am so bad at it. Right now, I have a long list of people I need to reply to, yet I've found lame things to do (aka blogging) instead of replying. ahhh.
3. I love love love traveling. I've been on 4 of the 7 continents and want to go to all 7 in my lifetime. I dream about quick weekend roadtrips to fun places. BUT... I have lived in little ole Bowling Green, KY for all of my life (well i moved elsewhere in KY for a few months as an infant, but doesn't count). I find that random... such a homebody in reality but a vagabond in my dreams.
4. I worry much more than the average person. Like stupid, embarrassing things (like dropping your bra in a public place and being returned by random boy) haunt me forever. I don't know why but I just worry about the stupidest things, like I can change it.
5. As a kid (well more like highschooler), I was terrified of the school bus! Like I'm talking tears, many tears. When my parents wanted to punish me, they sent me on the bus. I still don't quite understand why I had such a fear...
6. Reality TV is my best friend. I've never been much a TV watcher, but especially this year as I married an all-out TV junkie, I am thankful for the revolution of reality TV. I couldn't stand cartoons as a kid and can't watch shows that sci-fi. Everyone loves "Lost", "24", "Harry Potter" movies... I need something real or I'm not interested at all!
7. I love reading blogs... of random people that are total strangers. Of course, I enjoy following the blogs of those I know. But I spend time reading blogs of missionaries overseas, whom I have never met, along with some hilarious women's blogs. So although I don't write on here much, I'm still very much a part of the blogging world. :)

So... here's the hard part. Tagging 7 other people. I know two people who read my blog and one of them tagged me. Alas, KRISTI- you're tagged! I expect hilarity and nothing less. :)