Real Estate, T-Ball, Curls, and Late Night Television

Well, I am happy to say that my license is in my hand, and I am at Iowa Realty in the Jordan Creek Office! I am so excited to be getting started. My post license classes start next week. Things are moving forward. I would be honored to help you with your real estate needs, and your referrals. I am eager to build a real estate business and help people with their homes! I LOVE houses, but working with people is something that I feel ready for.

Colin started t-ball last week, and it was adorable. I will have to post more pics, I know that I promised you some more of the tri, but mine didn't turn out very good, josh is but a blur in what I have - thankfully the tri had professionals there and you can get all your pics on cd for fairly cheap.

Ana had me "scrunch" her hair today. She has a little bit of curl that we just try to make straight all the time, and today after getting it all washed and clean - we went for the curly look! Ana was swinging her ponytail and very proud that it was "curly!"

And Finally - when we go to bed each night - I like it to be pitch black - no noise, except a ceiling fan so - I shut my door because my kids like the hall light on,,,upon laying there and not being able to fall asleep I just was mulling over conversations I have had in the past week. One about shutting garage doors while your wife is still in the house but not ready to quite leave for work, and safety conversations for the most part, about how to keep our kids safe, so I had the thought that since Josh came in last with Colin, I didn't know if the door was locked, so I decided to go downstairs...I get to the stairway and I hear the tv on, and that sort of freaked me out but then I thought - well, maybe josh was planning on coming back down stairs and just left it on - NO - Colin is setting on the couch just watching TV. He has never tried to pull off a sneaky one like this before, so he got into trouble and sent back to bed, and we talked about why this wasn't safe to do....Oh my - the things they think they can get by with - thankfully I felt like I should check the door - God knows. Thanks for watching out for my boy!

Tri Pictures

Here is Josh with his training team, at the top. This bottom picture is of transition one, right outside of the water!

Completed

3 hours 43 minutes~!
Proud of my man - we are so tired.
Up too early couldn't sleep with anxiousness last night -
going to bed!

Getting Ready

Well it seems like all we have done around here for the last three days is get ready for the triathlon. Its been nuts trying to figure out where to go and be a spectator (for me and the kids) - if I wanted to go to more than one spot. They have so many roads closed - and to add the swimming portion back in was such a challenge, due to the flooding, that there is no available parking for spectators at that portion. (raccoon river park). That would be Josh's weakest portion, so it has me worried the most. I wish there was a way that I could see him swim - but we just have to trust the training and the 50 personnel that will be in the water. :)
We have to also get up at the crack of dawn - before the birds really - so I need to go get in bed. Josh has to be up and at um at like 3:30 or something crazy like that. I of course am not going to be getting up that early - more like 5:30 for me. UGH! at that early in the morning I always just want to puke. I am not a morning person!
Im proud of Josh for taking on yet another challenge, while I don't understand it - because it isn't the way Im wired, good for him! Its important to me because its important to him. So here's to a good race tomorrow! Go Josh!

Daine's Videos

Here is a link to all of Daine's Videos he took of their trip to the boundary waters.

The Painting

Here is the painting that Becky and I did! She has it on a khaki wall, right above a black dining room table. Its so fun especially in its setting - its like 36 by 48 or something huge like that!

A few new Favorites

Ok I went to "Pink" - the paper store on 42nd in Des Moines for the first time yesterday - I can't believe its taken me so long to go in there - I could not resist the urge to buy several cards - what a place - I told Rachel to tell Josh any time he wants to buy me a gift certificate to there - would be fine by me - LOVE IT! Amy has been telling me about it for forever, and I never quite made it there. Then I happened upon it and man am I ever glad I did!

Also - finally went to Blurb - this book making site - where you can publish your own blog just to have like a hard copy of what I consider to be my public journal of sorts - its a way cool site - I heard about it from Jen Mumm, and am just now actually getting to that as well. LOVED IT!

Did a painting with Becky of these three flowers with two birds on them - It is so so so so fun. I have to get a picture to show ya'll. It fits her house so perfectly. We picked out the idea on Etsy and then copied it - so we can't take full creative credit for it. But hey we put 8 hours into that sweet canvas - (its huge) and so cool! Will post that later.

The best deal ever is that I just created a g-mail group with my childhood girlfriends and we are having a blast keeping up with each other - its great because we can all talk when we have the time and we are all in on the conversation, its free - no phone bills, and we are staying connected! I love it - its so refreshing to chat with them - all are in the ministry one way or another so that is also another fun aspect. Good times!

Another funny thing - is that my brother's baby - Jade, is super hyper.... she moves in her mommies tummy all the time, and even the Doctors have asked if she is drinking allot of caffeine because the baby is so active...(Karina hasn't had caffeine since 3 months before getting pregnant - thats how disciplined she is!) While I feel sorry for Karina, I think this is the greatest thing ever! Daine is going to have one of his own, that is just like he was as a child! God has quite the sense of humor.

And last but not least the wild thing - I googled my name quite a while back to see who else out there had the name Dara Singleton. Upon doing so I found a Century 21 web site with a realtor by the same name who lives up in the north east. Just last week, she found me on Face book by doing the same thing. You will notice that I am friends with a Dara Bogovich - her maiden name was Singleton and get this Her sister's name is Anya! HOW CRAZY Right? We have been chatting back and forth and are now friends on facebook - she seems totally cool and told me she would love to send referrals my way if that opportunity ever arises (with Real Estate since we are both in the real estate bus.) which is even crazier. I can't believe the similarities. The internet brings us all together - its so neat!!

Well thats my favorites for now - I know I know - its crazy no music is listed in this list - but I have been so busy that I haven't been jamming to anything new - just an Allison Crouse CD, and some Blues/Jazz while smoking ribs and chicken! Oh - I mastered hamburgers last night - I have never personally done them - Josh has always been the one - but move over on the smoker because I figured it out!

Happy Birthday Colin

Today my little baby turns 4. Im so sad! Here is a picture of one of the cars from his cake that I made. Tonight we are having a family supper of smoked chicken, corn on the cob, the whole 9 - plus cake - we hope that this is the best year yet for our little man. He starts t-ball this month and loves life. His prayer is for God to make him Fast! He loves to run everywhere he goes. Race Car cakes were the perfect thing for his theme this year!
We love you Colin! We know that you are going to be a man of God someday!

Thank God For Shutterfly (this is my 500th post)

I have been working on a scrapbook that is online here this past week. As many of you know I am a major lover of this sport, but the time and energy it takes have escaped me since having Colin. I feel like My computer is overwhelmed with files of pictures that need to be archived in some manner. If it crashed I would be up a creek without a paddle.
If you read me regularly you know that I love Ali Edwards' designs. She is a scrapbooker and photographer. She is all about Life Art. She recently made a template scrapbook on Shutterfly. This book is awesome and very user friendly. I am working on a book of 2007 right now, and while I know it will cost quite a bit to print, this book will be cheaper than doing scrapbook upon scrapbook that it would take to compile my favorite pics of the year. I started this process this past week. I have only worked on it in the evenings in bite size chunks and am now up to the middle of June. I have to say its a great feeling to have come this far in the process, being that none of these pictures have been developed and I had even forgotten about some of them. I love that there is no mess as well - but I have to say I will never completely give up paper, because I love working with it. Its just too much fun.

saylorville dam

Water released by the army core of engineers out at the spill basin by Saylorville Lake this began last night and this picture was taken sometime today.

Rain Rain Go Away Come Again Some Other Day

Well, the flood waters continue to rise here in Des Moines. We are watching the news with every breaking story and update. My prayers are with the many families in our Church and City who have basements that are flooded, or houses in danger zones. The pictures on the news are amazing, and thankfully the levies are holding up. They apparently did some upgrades since the floods of 93. I remember what those were like in Neosho, quite amazing. Our church was in a flood zone - a creek ran through the property - between the church and fellowship hall, if you can imagine - you crossed over a little bridge to get from one to another. Our church basement flooded so many times, we have sand bagged so many times...the pictures in my mind are endless. I found a verse last night in my Flavour Journal that I thought was good for today:
Isaiah 43:2a
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; they will not sweep over you.

F - in Flavour

The F in the Flavour Acrostic stands for FIX YOUR EYES ON JESUS.
I started thinking about what happens when I fix my eyes on Jesus. My entire perspective changes on what I see in my surroundings. All other problems either fade or they seem to regain the right focus. When you are living to please Jesus, it changes your priorities, and even the weight of the expectations of your surroundings take on a whole new perspective.
I once read a book by Warren Wiersbe, 'On being a servant of God', (I would highly recommend it) - but in it he talks about the fact that if you did what you do "for Christ" for anyone else, in the end you will be sorely disappointed. Just think about where you serve in the church and think if you were doing it for man's applause or praise how eventually you would be disappointed, no matter what area you serve in, or where your talents place you - if when you serve, you aren't doing it for Him, the motive is off, the attitude becomes sour, and you can get bitter about what you do, because you forget why you are doing it. Man is fickle, and you will never be able to please everyone at the same time, and you know what - we aren't supposed to - so the message remains to Fix Your Eyes on Jesus, and CONSIDER Him who would have died for only you. When you consider the Love He has for you in that He was willing to lay down his life for even one person, its unfathomable. You can't even grasp it. Ephesians 3:17-18 says - And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the the love of CHRIST!
It will take us our lifetime and eternity to fathom that love, but as we fix our eyes on Him, we will be aware of it all the more, and be able to share that same love in everything that we do, whether at home, church, or work.

I want my baby back baby back baby back

Today we did something new for us - we bought a smoker and smoked baby back ribs, and chicken. For the first time, I think that we have come close to Hickory chips BBQ that I used to work at in Neosho. I made my own rub similar to a few recipe's I found on the food network from Paula Deen's boys and the Neely's - who I would actually love to be a next door neighbor to. I slowly smoked the ribs all day today...and I have to say - all the meats were delicious. I didn't know how it would turn out, and was just hoping and praying being that we were having over friends, I wanted it to taste good. I don't know why trying out something new is appealing to me when we are having people over - but the risk involved is sort of an adrenaline rush! Crazy, I know - but its a small way to live outside the comfort zone I guess.

Pictures of Branson with Grandmother and the rest of the Family!

Here is my Cousin Desiree, Grandmother and a random guy in the background being a good sport and smiling for the picture anyway!

Aunt Lorna and I on the Train ride at Silver Dollar City enjoying the cool breeze and sitting down for a little bit!

The Sisters - Momma and Aunt Lorna

Desiree and Ana

Colin being ornery!

Finally - great bbq! Here we are at Shorty Small's which was delicious. Josh and I love bbq - and haven't found any up here in Iowa that blows us away! This was delicious!

Grandmother drawing with Ana!

Here is my fancy Grandmother talking on a cell phone at 78 years old and my daddy in his cool Orange Crush t-shirt. I never dreamed I would see him in a t like this and I have to say Im so proud of him.

Here we are watching the show on Main St. at Silver Dollar City.

Ana and Monga taking a cute pose together!

These pictures are courtesy of Aunt Lorna! Thank You so much!

Flavour

While at the Creative Marriage Conference I picked up a DVD series of Lisa Young's that was entitled Flavour. (they added a u for the acrostic) I have watched them once and now am going through them again. They have challenged me greatly. When you think about the influence that we have as women it is truly an amazing power that God has placed in our hands. We are the target market for everything you can imagine. We influence the major decisions of our family and those around us. She gave an illustration how a small group of women can influence a crowd at a sports arena to cheer for the team, and to encourage the huge men to move the ball! There are example after example of how we make decisions based on the influencer's in our lives. So the question is - are you using your influence for God? Who is it that you influence? Are you living up to your full potential, or do we stay inside of our comfort zone and let the minutes, turn to hours which turn to days, weeks and months then years that we have not lived out God's full plan for our lives. I have to say this hits me square between the eyes. I have been in this very same place. We get here for a multitude of reasons, fear of rejection, past hurts or failures, the wrong view of who we are in Christ. But I am reminded by my dear cousin Desiree this past week that Perfect Love cast out all Fear - there is no Fear in Love. Until you have experienced the full love of Christ that fear still has a place in your life. I can say that Fear is probably one of the biggest things I dealt with growing up, and know God did a work in me while working in Ames as youth pastor's. I come back to this now, and realize I haven't been living up to all that God has for me and I say -Lord, please fill me with your perfect Love - so that I can live up to the full potential you have for me. Let me be the influencer that You would have me be - only for You purposes and Your glory.

Back Home

Well what a great week I have had. I went to Branson with my Grandmother, Momma, Aunt Lorna, Cousin Desiree, Ana, and Colin. I am glad to be back home with Josh again. Daine is here and he goes back to Austin tomorrow. We have all had a good time. Its been great - we missed Cousin April, Eva and Sister Karina, and Baby Jade. But everyone merging onto the same soil is very rare these days. My Aunt Lorna is a hoot to be with, we have the best time. Des and I stayed up til 2 and 3 in the morning talking late into the night about ministry, marriage, family, and the good ole days! Catching up and picking up where we left off - has never been hard to do with her. She and her husband are youth pastors in Wynn Arkansas. My Grandmother had a great time - it was a celebration of her birthday coming up here this weekend. It was great to all be together.
I will post pictures as soon as mom and Aunt Lorna send me some photos!