7 Quick Takes Friday

Good morning everyone! Happy weekend! Next weekend is the big "eat a billion calories" weekend--anyone else feel the need to eat uber healthy in the next 6 days to prepare? Yeah I'm not sure I do either, but it was a nice thought :)

**1**
So I'm not sure this exactly goes along with eating healthy, but this morning I'm checking out one of South Pasadena's newest restaurants, Mix n Munch with Becca. I'm super intrigued. It's a "comfort food" restaurant that specializes in cereal, grilled cheese, and tater tots. Seriously. But apparently it's like "fancy" cereal, where you mix types together and add toppings? And the grilled cheese has a variety of cheeses and toppings....I'm super intrigued.

**2**
Our new house is undergoing inspection this week! A specialist is coming out to take a closer look at one thing for us before we sign any papers, but our realtor said things looked really good! We're getting closer to the closing date--December 16! I'm already day dreaming about where I want to put what furniture, and how I want to decorate. I'm thankful my sister is going to come to Seattle a week after we get there to be my personal decorator helper :) Hopefully while she's there we'll get a couple walls/rooms painted! (Mom and Dad are coming too, but I have a feeling they are more excited about baby sitting the toddling munchkin instead of painting walls!) (Just kidding, they are fantastic unpackers--they've moved their daughters multiple times! I'll let mom loose in the kitchen and dad in the garage to build shelves--his specialty.) I bet Nathan will have fun building Lily an amazing fort out of empty boxes :)

**3**
I might have a new favorite band. The Band Perry. They are phenomenal. They kind of remind me of Sugarland a bit if you're a country fan--I think the main singer's voice is amazing. You should check them out :)

**4**
Last Saturday was our friend Praise's memorial service. It was a heart breaking day, seeing all the raw grief that was in that congregation of over 1000 people who gathered to say goodbye. It was also incredibly inspiring, to remember the way Praise lived her life--fully present with people, extremely passionate about making a difference for kids in the Philippines who lived on the streets and were caught in slavery or sex trafficking. We will always miss her, her sweet smile and her gentle spirit.

**5**
I am reading two very fun books right now that I would highly recommend to folks! The first is a fiction book, The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender. It's a book I saw on shelves awhile back and have been kind of intrigued by it for quite awhile now, knowing I wanted to read it at some point this year. It's about a young girl who realizes one day that when she takes a bite of food, she doesn't necessarily taste the flavor of the food, she tastes the feelings of the person who prepared it. She can taste the anger, the hurried rush, the guilt, the saddness, the emptiness etc in her food. I think it's a fun story, full of food, family dynamics, and a young girl coming of age.

The second book I'm reading was written by a friend of mine from my church in Seattle, Kimberlee Conway Ireton. It's called The Circle of Seasons: Meeting God in the Church Year, and is a super practical, very informative, and easy to read history and explanation of the liturgical year for anyone who wants to understand more about Advent, Lent, Epiphany, Ordinary Time etc. Each chapter has great practical things each person or family can do to bring a piece of this beautiful, ancient rhythm into their home to help us slow down and enter into a rhythm of life that is not defined and dictated by the Hallmark calendar. It's not too long, easy to read, well written, and practical--and if you are interested, well Advent starts this week, which is the beginning of the church year, so what better time to begin a journey??

**6**
Anyone else strangely fascinated with the William and Kate engagement/wedding plans? I'm not sure why I am, but I kind of am. I think having planned a wedding and been a bride I feel completely overwhelmed for the two of them! Talk about a LOT of people to keep happy with their event--man, I wouldn't be able to cope...I think I am glad I'm not a princess :)

**7**
November in Los Angeles always drives me crazy. The calendar says fall. But the stores always come out with their super cute new sweaters that I love. This past weekend my parents took me shopping for some new sweaters in preparation for the Seattle move, and I love them, I am so excited to wear them. But it's 75 degrees. Today is a bit cloudy, I'm not sure it's cold enough for the winter sweater, but I think I'm going to go for it...even if I have to turn the a/c on in my car.