new family member!!!

we are pleased to announce the newest addition to our little family.  squirrel the snail came home with me today from work. the family i worked for today had bought a fish tank, fish, and live plants for the fish a few weeks ago... and this week they discovered 16 snails (that they can see so far) moving around... very small at this point.  they told me i could have as many as i wanted... they figure the snails were on the plants they bought, but hadn't hatched, or whatever, yet.  how funny!  i used to have a snail that was quite large (about 3" diameter) named steve, so i'm glad to have a snail again.

hope everyone is doing well!!!

toodaloo!

downtown denver

yesterday we (drew, natalie, steve, and myself) biked downtown.  it's 18.5 miles there... yeah, so 37 total... it took us 2 hrs.  It was so beautiful outside.  63 degrees with a breeze.  the snow was melting, therefore making all sorts of puddles and mini streams across the pavement, that when you ride over with a bike, creates a sort of 'stripe' on your 'fanny'.  the ride downtown was extremely pleasant, a new trip for all four of us.  it was a moderate pace, enough that we could still converse.  we went to jamba juice for a smoothie, rei for a bathroom (and gloves).  then we realized we had to ride all the way back.  it was somewhat colder at this point and we all had shorts on.  we pushed ourselves to go fast, as the sun was setting and we knew we had about an hour's ride.  we rode into the wind, realizing that the ride to downtown must have been mostly downhill, because we were now riding into the wind... mostly uphill.  it was dark, cold, and those puddles that would so amusingly splash up on us before, were sending chills through us.  we finally got back at around 6ish and i felt like i was frozen and almost could not carry my bike up the 3 flights of stairs to our apartment.  

    

needless to say it felt nice to get all those mud spots off our faces, legs, and wherever else they may have landed... to be clean and warm again.  

it was a great journey.

i have been really struggling lately.  stressed... seems pretty common.  i've been having a hard time with work.  i had the opportunity to workfor a new family, but chose to stick with the 2 families i have been working for.  things have felt somewhat stressful there lately and it has been this way for the last 3 weeks.  the sermon yesterday was about being/feeling oppressed by circumstances/employers/family/friends/past events... we talked about Job and with everything he went through, i saw someone else (him) going through much more than i am in regards to suffering and oppression.  james 5:7-11 challenged me to have enduring patience, to be strong, even if circumstances don't change... i need to find a way to be at peace with my situation, be strong, patient, content, and i need to persevere. 

when i call on Him, ALL things are possible

snowshoeing: root word- snow

we went snowshoeing today with our friends steve and laura again (we went with them last weekend too).  It's really beautiful in the mountains and i feel somewhat rugged going through the trees in many feet of untouched snow.  the rocky mountains are usually beautiful standing alone with the sunshine and life growing and moving all around, but today there was light and snow dancing around the tops of the mountains so they looked misty, magical.  God really outdid himself.  

snowshoeing is a blast... requires much exercise and now that we've had ourselves some replenishment (from a place called "noodles & company"), it's time for a nap.  

   hmm... a blog is like a journal pretty much... whether people read or not... isn't the point... it's a personal thing for the public.... hmm...

inspiration/encouragement

lately, up until this class that i'm taking (art appreciation), i have been going through the week without any particular inspiration in the way i see things or even feeling inspired by anything.  i had forgotten how freeing it is to feel something creative and express it.  i am really looking forward to what lies ahead and enjoying the present.  right now i am looking around with my eyes open again, instead of being only focus on where i need to be, taking in the whole journey.  i walk home from my class (25 min. walk) and see things completely different after having spent 3 hours examining other artists work.  i am enjoying others artwork, paintings, drawings, photography, and even collage works.  i feel like something has been awakened in me again that brings me joy.  my mom and dad also just sent some old canvas and art supplies of mine from their house, so i just need to make some time for it.  i'm glad to be back in school... even just for one class this semester.  thanks beth for encouraging me to do it.  you have become such an awesome women.  i'm really proud of you.

    after getting the mail (usps) yesterday i opened a package i recognized as being from steve's grandma... it was for him. i didn't realize this until i saw a birthday card.  before seeing the card i found a small book by max lucado, 'safe in the shepherd's arms' in the packaging.  i read the subtitle 'hope and encouragement from psalm 23' and my eyes watered.  i've been feeling really dry spiritually and after opening the book and read the beginning of the psalm felt like the book was a godsend...'the Lord is my shepherd, i shall not want...  He restores my soul'.  even though i could have opened my bible to the same place... and even though it was meant for my husband,  it still was used to encourage me.  so thanks grandma and grandpa minnis!  ...i put it back so steve could open it when he got home... oops.   He likes it too!  

i haven't figured out what this blog is gonna look like yet... so far... just completely random.  diana i'm thinking the name of your blog is brilliant!  hmm... now i can't find your blog...

What's in a name?

It's highly possible to come up with a better name than "life with they dubys".  How about if you come up with one we like, and we pick it, we'll send you something cool.... okay, go.