Blog? What blog?

My laptop quit working several weeks ago.

Evidently, I'm not a fan of composing blog posts at our desktop computer. Because I haven't blogged since the laptop died.

Add to that the fact that I almost never take pictures anymore with my standard camera (which is misbehaving recently as well) and I'm just not much of a blogger anymore. Add Instagram to the mix, which gives me the ability to cash in on the 'picture worth a 1000 words' adage and I've obviously been wooed away from traditional writing/posting/documenting life via blogging.

However, this venue has been such a fun way to archive our journey that I'm still committed to it. Even if I'm just committed to the idea/value of it, it's still there, eh?

I guess it's pretty bad when almost every blog post starts with why I haven't been blogging... perhaps I should just get over that and let it be. Post when I'm inspired and stop apologizing/rationalizing not posting...

So - in the spirit of moving forward - I'll proceed with my beloved bullet points:

• Asia and I watched a pretty incredible movie awhile back... one that has motivated us to begin saving our pennies for a 25th anniversary trip to walk The Way. We have become so committed to our active lifestyle that a vacation that combines physical challenge and a spiritual pilgrimage with some solitude and the opportunity to join with others along the journey is the perfect celebration of our marriage.
• Lots of reflections happening the past week as we acknowledge/remember our whereabouts one year ago... experiencing Paris/Freetown/Banta/Sierra Leone together as a family. How can it possibly have been a year already?
• Kyler is fully embracing the almost adult status he's nearly reached... working two jobs this summer... taking the car places... having some spending money but being careful to save as well. He's a pretty incredible kid and I'm savoring every moment he's home knowing in just over a year he will probably be moving out.
• We're in a season with lots of continued personal connections/relationships/community but very little in the way of church connection... lots of conversation about that between Asia and I - why it might be - if our level of commitment has changed - if it's just indicative of a church that's walking through some growing pains/vision issues currently... lots to ponder and pray about.
• My personal fitness/food/weight journey continues to be a huge part of where my effort/energy/thought life is focused. While I manage to maintain my goal weight - I'm definitely in a stage where it's more struggle than not. Always frustrated by the fact that it never goes away - my level of contentment with the realization that this will always be an issue/factor for me ebbs and flows... and it's been ebbing for awhile. This spills over into so many areas of my life... my physical well-being, my ability to be well planned and intentional with my self/surroundings... my desire to pursue fitness. I'm forever thankful that my job keeps this on the forefront of my priorities... that I'm not allowed to let it slip away... but sheesh, sometimes it's just tiring to always have it be an issue.
• I have not eaten meat since I started Lent in February - and am still striving for a mostly vegan lifestyle. I'm just now finishing up The China Study - a compelling/life changing book for me that will almost certainly impact my food choices for the rest of my life. It's a challenge to embrace this lifestyle in the midst of a mostly misinformed/naive general public - so I try my darnedest to behave like a 'normal' eater without drawing too much attention to my choices. But it's something I'm committed to and find myself enjoying and valuing more and more the longer I do it.
• Tomorrow I will go pick up my new car... purchased yesterday, our new wheels are on their way to Spokane from a dealer in Wenatchee. After weeks of looking/test driving/comparing, we chose a 2013 Kia Sorento. Snow White Pearl. Leather interior. Roof rack and tow bar included. Thrilled for the first time in my life to get to choose the color/options I wanted and to have received incentives that made a brand new car a much better value that a used one which is usually our choice when acquiring a new ride. I've been driving my 2003 Chevy Trailblazer since 2004. A new car will be more than just a little bit fun, I think.
• Looking forward to a 25th high school reunion next month. I've heard from all but one of my closest girlfriends that they are going to be there and can hardly wait to touch base/laugh/love on all of them. My 20th reunion was a serious adult life highlight... what a treat to connect with such an eclectic/lovely group of people.
• Every single day I revel in the three young people that walk these floors... so thankful for their continued character development - their senses of humor - their relationships with each other. All the warnings of parenting teenagers have proven wrong in my case and I'm forever fascinated/grateful for the opportunity to live life with these incredible young people.

Alrighty then... that seems an adequate catch-up.

Hoping for inspiration to post more story/life and less bullets in the near future... we shall see.

Thanks for stopping by, friends. Smooch you all.