in case you missed it:

Wow. The lunar eclipse was amazing last night. Landon and i really enjoyed watching the moon change into this beautiful orange as it was cast in the earth's shadow. How amazing. Really put my life into perspective. I wondered how many times this has happened before, and how many people have seen this moon in this way... and how huge and amazing God is. And then, that somehow he formed me in such love and care as he did the moon, and i'm in awe of more than just the orange hue. i'm in awe of God. it was brilliant, and i was so happy to get to experience it!

We were grateful to have a night free of clouds, which doesn't happen much out here. We even got to pick out constellations and Landon saw a shooting star. Not too often that we get to enjoy the night sky. What a beautiful night.

Free the Gnomes!

I thought i should pass on this word to my fellow Illinoisians (?). FREE THE GNOMES!

though http://www.freethegnomes.com/ campaigns against "oppressive gardening" in both the United States and Germany, I'm campaigning for some piece of mind! Gnomes are creepy. (remember one of my first blogs from the mid-west?) I don't know why people out here are so into garden decorations and short, fat little men with pointed hats, but i think it's just creepy. Free the gnomes! or basically, just get rid of them.

Actually, with the gnomes beneath the snow right now, i'm not sure why i'm hollaring this. i guess i just woke this morning thinking about it and was sort of creep-ified and just keep thinking about it periodically. sooo...

what's my deal?

I am quite fickle when it comes to the weather. We've had (A LOT) of snow for quite awile. I actually really do like the snow. but now i'm tiresome of it. It's a pain when you're trying to make a turn across traffic and you can't see the opposite direction of the traffic that you must merge into because of the TOWER of snow that the snow plow discarded there a week ago. I got a voicemail from the village of gurnee warning me that we've had so much snow this winter that they have run out of salt and whatever chemicals they throw on the roads, so to only drive on major roads because they would only be icing major intersections. what? how is that possible. salt is...salt! well, landon and i actually favor the salt=less roads. not because we like to slide around like the ice-capades, but because it turns everything white and then our puppy loves to lick our cars when we get home. that's just gross. what i really wish would change is the COLD!

but then i remember the post that i wrote a little over a month ago where i was complaining about the melted snow. i said i either wanted snow or nothing at all, but the flooding and mud left behind by the snow was worse than the cold. so.... what's my deal?

i'm not sure if i just don't want to live contentely, or if i just want so much to look forward to (warmer weather!) but i do know that i am weird.

landon and i ran into one of my co-workers at wal-mart today and i stopped to say hi to her. once i told her i'd see her later and we had walked a few isles over landon asked me why i'm so socially awkward these days. what!? i mean, i knew that after i returned from africa and people would wish me "good morning" and i would say, "good morning to you" that i was just a little too influenced by my african friends, but that sort-of wore off. but i'm finding myself talking on the phone endlessly about stupid things to people who really have better things to do (like ACSI co-workers). and when i actually talk to someone in PERSON, i'm fidgetty and always trying to get out of it - assuming they have better things to do. what's my deal? i AM socially awkward! Landon asked me why i've been this way so much lately, and i realized that i am VERY limited as far as my social interraction with people. that must be it, i guess. you know, how homeschooled children are a bit socially awkward until they are integrated into society? i guess when the only people that i talk to at length are my sister on the phone and my husband in the evening, i might be weird in all other social situations that require getting to know someone or making small talk.

welp. i'm not sure how to work on this. quite honestly, knowing that i'm socially awkward may make me even MORE easily distracted in social encounters. geez, i seriously need a life.

Lessons learned in seminary: Walking on Water

One afternoon Landon called me in a panic during his daily walk with the dog, "Sheels, you HAVE to come down here!". So i dragged myself from my work and parked behind the local highschool (actually to where the picture behind the heading of our blog was taken) to find the forest submerged and usurped in ICE! Landon was waiting with a smile on his face. We both agree that we've never seen anything like it: ice, as far as we could see. And this ice was crystal-clear. Landon held my hand as i stood with my feet together and he pulled me through the forest. It was amazing! See landon "walking on water" and he's holding up a block of ice so you can see the thickness! Really an amazing afternoon.

Janelle's visit to Gurnee

sorry for the lul in posting. my little sister has been visiting us and i have been giving all my attention to her! i was SO SAD to drop her off at the airport today, but was so grateful to have her here these last 8 days.


I did try to give Janelle some-what of a complete tour of the town-plus-chicago. Of course, i stillw as working a few jobs, but Janelle was so sweet to help me with some things for quite a few hours so we could take a day off and go down town. We had quite variable weather, so we were restricted in some ways....anyways....

Well, of course, we started (and ended) her visit with some snow-shoeing! We just had to watch out for speedy snow-mobilers. Those guys zoom by us so fast - i can't believe they're allowed to do that on the trail! well, i think it is what many people around here do for fun in the winter (God-forbid they do something physically active like skiing or something).

Wednesday brought over a foot of snow! we had a full-blown blizzard in town!! Landon shoveled our drive-way more than once in a day. He seems pretty up to it, though, in this picture. The roads were covered in our town for days, so we had a hard time leaving, but there was much work to do, plenty of coffee, and Janelle brought some chick-flicks with her!
Landon received a pasta maker for his birthday, and made his first attempt at home-made pasta! Spinach ricotta ravioli with alfredo sauce and a bottle of Merlot (3-buck chuck!) was DELICIOUS! It was a lot of work, but was well worth it!
We went to the Art Institute of Chicago and had an amazing time walking among some amazing artwork. Walking around downtown chicago in the evening was also fun, as we had coffee at starbucks and then had dinner at a Thai restaurant. We even ran into an old friend from our time in Colorado Springs. (Callie - let Brandon know...) I was walking in the dark down Michigan avenue and noticed this guy walking past me watching me sort of creepily, then he grabbged my arm! (AAHH!) when i turned around i was looking at the face of an old friend! Will Forsythe! So weird to run into a Colorado friend in downtown Chicago on a Friday night. Awesome!
Look at this beautiful lady in the snow!!!! We will miss you, Nell