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Saturday, September 25, 2010

Fall Into Reading List 2010- finally

So I am a few days late on this, mainly because a sickness has attacked my head and throat and chest and I just didnt have a clear enough head to type. Better late than never, right? Without further ado....

for 2010



This Fall I am doing it a little differently. I have a list of 12 books I would like to read overall, and my goal is to read 6 of them by the end of the challenge. 

  1. Big Truths for Young Hearts by Bruce Ware
  2. Radical by David Platt
  3. The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis
  4. The DNA of Relationships by Gary Smalley
  5. Women Leaving the Workplace by Larry Burkett (I am not leaving the workplace- just looks like an interesting book and has lots of stewardship tips within it)
  6. Stuff Christians Like by Jonathan Acuff
  7. Engaging Parents as Allies by Wayne Rice
  8. Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne
  9. The One Minute Organizer by Donna Smallin
  10. Mudhouse Sabbath by Lauren Winner
  11. Getting Things Done by David Allen
  12. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey (I have read half and never finished!)


What will you be reading this fall?? 

**If you want to join in and have a blog, go to Callapidder Days and link to your post. If you dont have a blog, leave your list in the comments and I will check in with you to see how you are doing. Dont we all need a little encouragement to get our eyes off the tv and into a book??

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Just a few late night notes

  • Mr.Pate and I spoke tonight at the BCM's worship service on Dating Relationships. Oh dating... so much drama. I love how being married makes you an authority on dating- because I made it through dating I must know something to tell you about it. Ha! But it was great to get to teach with Mr.Pate, so often its just one of us teaching, so that was neat. I think it went well.
  • I have not forgotten all of you who want me to share info from my photo class, its just that I havent really learned anything yet. We have been learning all the procedures for turning our photos in, how to tone them (apparently editing is choosing which picture to use but toning is actually altering the photo- fyi), and how to display the prints for class. Supposedly next week we are going to dive in. I have a few snippets I will try to share later in the week. 
  • Fall Into Reading starts tomorrow! So if you are going to participate, be working on that list. If you dont have a blog but you want motivation to help you read more you can just share your list in the comments of my post. I will check in periodically to see how you are doing. Come on guys, join me!! I need people to push me to get back into it, because I am struggling to turn off the TV and open the pages!
  • Work is sooooo crazy busy! We have done over double the amount of services we did by this time last year! It is crazy and nonstop- the days literally fly by! I would rather it be busy, so I am not complaining, but man- it is hard to keep up!! 
  • I have not been sleeping very much lately. Oddly, I just cant seem to go to sleep at night. This is very not like me, usually I am falling asleep at 9! But now I have just gotten into a vicious cycle where my body is used to not sleeping... and it continues on. 
  • On that note- I am going to go force myself to sleep! Good night! 


Monday, September 20, 2010

Come along and ride on a fantastic...

Ok, bonus points for anyone who read the title and began singing Coolio's Fantastic Voyage from 1994. Moving on...

Guess what Mr.Pate and I have been riding on these days??


Yep, a scooter which looks just like this one only its blue, has no geek on it (well if you dont count us) and no solar panels in the back. I had to work with what google images would give me ok? Geez, get off my back!

We had Mr.Pate's family bring down Sheldon's old Spree this summer, so I could drive it to work and save gas. Only one problem came with that plan- I am terrified of driving the thing. I didn't know I would hate it so bad, but what's a girl to do? Anyhow, Mr.Pate really enjoys riding it actually, so he has been making us take it anytime we can. I am a little more at ease with him driving, and I am getting better every time. Tonight we hopped on and rode to good ol Starbucks! The weather is perfect for something like this. 

So if any of you BG people see two weirdos riding around on a blue one of these, please dont hit us. Thanks! Ha!






Sunday, September 19, 2010

Menu Plan Monday 9/20-9/26



I know it is pretty shocking, but I am actually doing a Menu Plan post this week! I am desperately trying to get back into a routine now that Fall is practically here (although I am really hoping Fall temperatures roll in soon! I am sooo over 90 degree weather). I just checked when the last time I posted one of these was. Any guesses?..... May! Wow, what did we eat all summer?? Anyhow, here is what the Pate's will be chowing down on this week:

  • Monday: Tilapia in the Crockpot
  • Tuesday: Leftovers (I have class on Tuesday nights now, and this week we are speaking at the BCM weekly service too)
  • Wednesday: Dinner at Dustin's
  • Thursday: Brown Gravy Pork Chops w/ mashed potatoes and green beans (College Bible Study will be over for dinner)
  • Friday: Beef-Vegetable Skillet
  • Saturday: Dinner out for Mel's Bday, then Brownies at our house (Mel is it brownies or did I totally space out and forget what I am supposed to make?)
  • Sunday: Church Picnic! Yes- I love the church picnic! 
Ok so seriously, everyone tell me at least one thing you guys are having for dinner this week! Help a sister out with ideas!! 



Head over to Org.Junkie for other posts.





Saturday, September 18, 2010

Poor little thing




Joey has a spot on his leg that is now raw skin bc he has licked it so much. So we are trying to cover it to prevent any more licking. The result: it looks like he has a minature cast! Ha!

- Mrs.Pate via my iPhone

Monday, September 6, 2010

Guess what time it is??


It's time for the Fall into Reading challenge over at Callapidder Days! For those of you who are newer to Patelife, "FIR" is a reading challenge I participated in last year. It is very low key; there are not very many rules. Basically it is just a way to motivate yourself to read some books you have been meaning to get around to but just havent yet. I will post the rules and how-to's below.

It is crazy for me to think that at this time last year I was still unemployed (its only been a year?). This year went sooo quick, but I feel like last fall was a million years ago. I am very ready for Fall- ready for the brisk weather, hot chocolate, leaves, lite jackets, hayrides and bonfires. I have done a horrid job of reading this summer, so I need something to push me to read more than just blogs! Here is how you join in, I hope many of you do!





To participate, here’s what you need to do:
  • Create a list of some books you’d like to read or finish this fall. This is the only real requirement for participating in the challenge.
  • Feel free to set some additional reading goals (such as reading to your kids two hours per week, getting through your pile of magazines, etc.). However, this is not required; setting additional goals is completely optional.
  • Write a blog post that includes the list of books you want to read (and any additional goals you’ve set), and get ready to post it on your blog on September 22nd.
  • Visit Callapidder Days on September 22nd to sign up for the challenge. I’ll have an official launch post up that morning, complete with an area for you to submit a link to your personal Fall Into Reading post, where it will be added to the master list of participants.
  • Read! Work on your goals throughout Fall 2010.
  • Report your results. Write another blog post in December to let everyone know how you did. (I’ll post an official wrap-up to the challenge on December 21st, where you’ll be able to share your results.)
  • Have fun! Visit other participants to see what they’re reading. Write reviews if you’re so inclined. But most of all, enjoy your fall reading!



Sunday, September 5, 2010

Sister Act

(About to head into the ceremony and having no idea what to expect!)

I mentioned recently that a good friend of mine is a nun. Crazy I know. Let's start from the beginning.

Fall 2001. Kristen and I start our Freshmen year of college at WKU. We moved into the 4th floor of Bemis (Heeeyyy) and met our RA, Kathy. Kathy was definitely quirky and quickly became a good friend of ours. We soon learned she was Catholic, and a very active Catholic. She was highly considering becoming a nun one day. We became friends with Duke (her last name at the time, but what I still call her to this day), who lived on the 2nd floor and the four of us began to hangout.

Spring 2002-Spring 2005. Throughout our years at WKU, Kathy became a dear friend. She and Duke eventually became roommates, and our senior year all four of us got an apartment together. During these years, Kathy visited a few different "convents" or "orders" (places where nuns where). She would also meet with the nun who worked/lived (do you call it work?) at the Catholic Newman center on campus. Kathy also got pretty involved at the BSU with us. We began affectionately calling her "Kathy the Catholic". Duke, Kathy and I were in bible study together Sophomore, Junior and Senior year. We grew very close and would challenge each other Spiritually daily.

Summer 2005- present day. Kathy joined a group called "Net Teams" after we all graduated. It was a traveling team of Catholics that went to different catholic churches and did youth retreats. She loved it and worked for the group for like 2 years maybe? Then she decided she was going to do what she had always said and become a nun. She "entered" into Saint Cecil which is in Nashville, not very far from where Duke lives. And so began the process of actually becoming a real nun. She spent 2 years as a "postulant" and a "novice", which meant she was learning about the life of a nun and deciding if this was for her or not. She had limited contact with the outside world really. She could write letters, and I think she saw her family once or twice maybe. Then this August, she took her first profession of vows. She basically committed to three years, then she can renew for another two years. She can decided anytime during these 5 years that this is not for her and leave still in good standing with the Catholic church.  At the end of those 5 years, she takes her final vows and is officially a lifelong nun.  After that, if she decides to leave then she is kicked out of the Catholic church.
(Right after the mass ended with our new nun friend!)

So in a way, Kathy becoming a nun was not a shock or surprise, we had several years preparation for it. But somehow it just seemed so surreal and like "is this really happening?" to me. Several of us from college decided to go to her profession of vows- I mean this might be the last time we get to see her!

Let me tell you, I was expecting it to be very small and not that many people there... I mean do that many people really become nuns? Well apparently so. There were like 200 nuns there! And tons of people! It was a full mass and there was lots of randomness in the actual ceremony, but I wont bore you with it. The whole time I just sat there recalling memories of Kathy Webb. You know how on TV shows they do flashback scenes with sappy music? Thats what was going on in my head. Kathy is one of the funniest people I know. She is also one of the most random. She loved SNL, and I loved watching her re-enact her favorite skits. We once watched 2 of the Lord of the Rings movies extended editions in one night, and had a blast doing it. She was spastic. I love her!

The whole idea of being a nun confuses me. For awhile I was so against her doing this. I saw it as getting out of the world and hiding, when I feel like Scripture clearly teaches us to be in the world sharing the gospel. The more I reflect on it, the more I am not necessarily against it, because they do serve the community and share with people (well some orders do). But there are still some questions I have about it I guess. They leave their family and friends, which I know there are scriptures where Christ says we need to be willing to leave our families for him, but there are also scriptures that teach how important of a ministry the family is. My mind is just still swirling with questions about it all.

We got to actually talk to Kathy for a little while after the ceremony. The odd thing was, she was still good ol Kathy Webb with her witty humor and randomness. It didnt feel like I was talking to a nun. I wish I could articulate it better, but I am at a loss of words for it.

And that, my friends, is some of my thoughts on my friend Kathy becoming a nun.
P.S. Her actual nun name now is "Sister Cora Marie Webb"

Do any of you know any nuns?? Any of you who where there have insightful things to add??
(Being all worldly before and having some Starbucks)


Saturday, September 4, 2010

Baby, baby, baby ohhh.... babytalk



Just a little treat for you! Haha!

So I have been promising another post on this whole baby topic... guess today is the day to share. I have already mentioned on here that I believe this is the weirdest phase of my life. So here is where my head is right now:

  • First let me say I am not pregnant. Now you dont have to wonder. 
  • I am having a growing desire to be pregnant. I totally idealize it though, and from what all the preggo people I have ever known tell me, I am sure I am in for a rude awakening. But I think pregnant women are cute. And I love the bump. And most days I want to have a bump... one because of a human not food! Haha! 
  • That being said I still have plenty of days where I am totally content with the phase we are in (just the 2 of us). I have not reached that "I am brokenhearted over not having a child" phase yet, and from the people I know who have experienced that pain first hand I am thanking the Lord that I am not there yet. I know some women who have gone through some dark and sad times because of infertility etc, so I am not saying that lightly at all. 
  • I do find myself fearing that I am not able to have kids. I guess you could label us "trying", because we arent "not trying". So then the question is always in the back of my head, what if I am one of those people who cant have kids. It still baffles me because for so long that thought never comes into your head- we assume we would be a baby making machines and spend our time worrying about how to prevent that. This is a whole new thought world for me. I mean how long do you "try" before you decide you cant? I am not saying I cant have babies, again we havent overly tried. We are just letting God do his thing... 
  • It is soooo hard to just trust God's timing when it is your body that is directly related to it. 
  • I mostly want to have a child right now, although that thought scares me. But I am trying desperately to just enjoy the phase God has me in. I always teach my girls that we spend so much of our lives wishing we were in the next stage, and then looking back and wishing we had enjoyed the last stage more. I want to just enjoy the unique time I am in. Mr.Pate and I have freedom to invest in our youth group, to focus on one another and to focus on our individual interests. I know that children change all of those things.
  •  I want to just be completely content with whatever plan the Lord has for me, whether that is having a kid tomorrow, adopting 5 kids next year or spending our whole lives investing in other people's kids and never having any to call our own. But discerning the Lord's will is not an easy task. And waiting for His prompting is a daily battle. 
  • Especially when you feel like everyone else is moving to a different stage. Because then the worrying questions come: is my body broken? are we being selfish? did we miss his plan for us? etc etc etc. 
"Be still, and know that I am God" Ps. 46:10







Sittin on the dock of the bay...


I wish I was sitting on the dock of the bay... but sitting in my sunroom will do for now. Do you know what today is?

Any guesses??

Saturday. Just a normal, typical Saturday. FINALLY! Yay! Unlike practically every Saturday this summer, today is just a normal Saturday in the Pate household. I woke up to my large dog wanting so badly for me to quit sleeping in and feed him, but he did let me sleep till 8 which was amazing!! I made my coffee and began my to do list for this 3 day weekend. There is a lot on that list! But anyhow, then I settled down to.... wait for it.... meal plan! Yep, I am actually going to plan out some meals for the week and COOK. Mr.Pate will not know what to do with himself. The rest of the day will be filled with cleaning, shopping, meeting with one of my youth, and then guess who is coming for dinner??


KRISTEN!! Remember when I mentioned that I had seen all of my good friends this summer except one? Well now I get to see her too!! She is in town all the way from hot Arizona for some of our friends wedding (tomorrow! Yay Mandy and Michael!) and is coming up to BG tonight to see little ol me! I am so excited. Kristen is a best friend from High School, and was my roommate all four years of college. Yep, we have been through an awful lot. And I love her dearly. Yay for visits!

Well thats me this morning. I have to go attack that to-do list now (one thing on the list- a paper. ick! i have to write a paper for my photo class). And enjoy this amazing weather! I am thinking my beloved hammock is going to be making an appearance soon...


Thursday, September 2, 2010

New motivation technique

I am trying out a new motivation technique for this whole 'changing my unhealthy eating habits' thing. What's that, you ask? I have posted a pic of me when I was pregnant at my desk:






Oh wait... I have never been pregnant! That's just a pic of me when I had gained so much weight that I looked pregnant! Blah!

So I decided to post the shameful thing so that I think about the effect things I eat have on me.

I will keep you posted on how effective this little technique is. I have to go take care of my pretend baby now...

- Mrs.Pate via my iPhone

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Change Up

I have a confession... A few actually.

1. Remember how I was working on memorizing Phillipians? Well, I haven't worked on it since July. And from February to July I only memorized chapter one. Yep, I am no good at this!

2. Remember how I was doing that 90 day challenge? Well I haven't worked on it in almost a week.

Now that I got those things off of my chest, let me get to the point. I am slacking! But I have been looking at my Spiritual life this last week and just asking myself 'what am I doing to seek God daily?' And I have realized something.

I overspiritualize things. Sometimes I take a perfectly fine thing and make it 'the thing that will grow my faith'. I did this with the 90 day challenge. I determined that because I would be reading such a big chunk of scripture each day that I would just automatically be able to see the beauty of how it all fits together and Gods big plan. And that could definitely be one outcome.... It just has not been mine.

I have really struggled with this plan. It's a lot of scripture each day, and it was way too much for me to make sense of during my quiet time each morning. Because I have such a legalistic tendancy, I just kept going into "gotta get it done" mode even when I tried not to. I have made it to 1 kings, but I have decided it is time to change it up.

I am quitting. I know, I am a big fat quitter! And I have actually thought about continuing just so I don't seem like a quitter, yep that's how prideful I am. But right now it's a hinderance to my time with the Lord, not a blessing.

So I am going to be slowing it down and taking things slow for awhile. But in reference to my first confession, I am not going to quit on Phil. The whole reason I started it was because I have always sucked at scripture memory. So I am not letting myself off the hook on that one.

So starting today, the 1st of sept., I am renewing my goal to memorize that whole dang book. And I am straight up quitting my goal to read the bible in 90 days. So should you call me a quitter or a starter??


- Mrs.Pate via my iPhone

Back in Black

Well, after five years off, as of tonight I am officially a student again! I am taking an Intro to Digital Photography at WKU this fall, and I am so pumped about it.

1. I get the class for FREE bc I work at WKU.

2. I love love love to take pictures.

3. We are going to learn the basics about how cameras actually work and what all the features are. Yay!

4. He is going to teach us how to take awesome pictures with dslr's AND the basic point and shoot.

5. I get to learn how to use Photoshop too!

It is a once a week night class that meets on Tuesday nights. My professor is nice and seems to know alot about what makes a photo great. I am just too excited. I am hoping to really improve my skills, maybe even enough to randomly get to take pics for people. Mel already has me booked, so I better get to it! Ha!


- Mrs.Pate via my iPhone