i like....

british television. netflix is so great at getting me hooked. it started a few years ago when my brother introduced me to doctor who. (i'm obsessed with doctor who!) my thought was how had i gone so long with out knowing of such a fantastic show. he also showed me the it crowd. then i looked up more british shows on netflix. i watched sherlock, and holy cow i love that one as well! both of them are written by steven moffat, which is possibly one reason i really like them both. lately i've been catching up on a "older" (as in only three seasons and then it's done-zo) series called torchwood, a spin-off of doctor who. i enjoy their version of sci-fi and seeing the aliens they have. (so far daleks from doctor who are definitely my favorite) my mom and i also have been watching downton abbey lately. we have the first two seasons on dvd and watched the premier of season three on pbs sunday when it came on. (i would recommend any of these shows)

one thing i admire about british television is that they really focus on the skill of acting, not just having a specific person at a role because of who they are. in britain, it's basically if you can't do a shakespearean play, then you aren't going to make it. (and it's a bonus that i find some of the guys really cute) my co-worker and i have joked that we will basically watch any show that has a british accent or british actor in it. it's a pretty true statement.

i'm linking up today with alesha from blessed to be a blessing today for her "i like" saturdays. i'm excited to do this and see what everyone else likes.

happy new year!

i hope everyone had a good new years eve/new years day. i know i sure did haha. new years eve i went bowling and to ihop with my old youth group. it was nice to see them again and hang out. i am not the best bowler, but i still had a fun time. then i went to a gal's house from small group, and hung out with her and some friends as we rung in the new year. it was great to hang out and meet some of her friends. then new years day we had my mom's side of the family down to celebrate christmas. (it was a lot smaller than normal) it was great to just hang out with family, even if my cousins sweet son got sick. i feel bad for the boy, and pray he is feeling better soon.

so i'm not a new year's resolutions person. because i always fail at them. like horribly. typically because i don't write them down and i forget them. i mean yes there are things i need to work on, and yes it makes sense to start them at the start of the year. but i figure i need to start them at any point. and if i break one, or forget what it is, then i can just start again the next day.

i have some goals though. in no particular order:
1. run a 5k in under 44 minutes, and hopefully be able to run the whole thing, but it's okay if i need to walk some. (i'm doing the dam to dam again this year with my aunt on june 1, so i have 5 months to train)
2. lose 35 pounds by my best friends wedding on june 8. i think training/running will help with this. but i also need to be doing weights and resistance more, and i need to be eating healthier.
3. make more time for reading my Bible. reading plans on youversion and definitely a good start, and a way to help with consistency, but i know i need to be doing more.
4. get better about praying. praying is one of the hardest aspects for me. the kids city director at church once asked me to rank journaling, bible reading, and praying in order from easiest to hardest. journaling is easiest for me (even if it's hard for me to stay consistent with this) and bible reading plans are making that easier, but praying is my hardest. i don't know if it's because i want an immediate response, to feel like i'm not having a one sided conversation or what.
5. get more consistent with this blog. it's not that i forget about it. but i feel like i struggle with knowing what to write, and i don't want to sound like i'm just rambling. i want to have a purpose to this, and i feel like right now it's a mix of randomness. but it's something i will be working on.

if you can help me keep track of these goals, even if it's just asking me how i'm with a certain one or all of them, i would greatly appreciate it. and i can do the same for you.

in other news, i got a job at cvs working as a pharmacy technician, which is super exciting since it's a change from the y and it's what i'm going to school for. they said i should be starting jan 12, so i'm pretty stoked. plus it's now 6 days until my birthday! i love my birthday, so i'm really excited that it's so close.

infinity awesome points to my brother

so last night/this morning we got a bad snow storm here in the midwest. this means my driveway sucks a ton! and apparently i was the one person stupid enough to keep my doctor's appointment today. possibly because this is my only day that they are open for a while. so i have a sloped driveway, which in normal conditions isn't bad at all. but when it snows, and the snow is pretty packed at the bottom, plus having the plow throw more snow over, it can be hard to get up in the winter, especially in a small car.

so guess who gets stuck at the bottom of the driveway today? like couldn't go forward or back at all. full on stuck. thankfully for me, my brother was home. he helped me attempt to dig my car out. luckily for me, he knew what he was doing, or else i would still be out there having no idea what to do. he was able to help me dig out my car, and he was able to get it up the driveway. this is just more proof i have an awesome brother and an awesome family. needless to say, i am not going anywhere for the rest of the day unless i absolutely have to, or unless someone else is driving.

prayers

the events that happened yesterday break my heart. there is no other way to put it. while i was at work, hanging out with 4 preschoolers/toddlers, half a country away so many kids were hearing gun shots, and some where seeing them, and dying from them. it breaks my heart to even think of a child getting hurt, let alone going to a safe place only to find out it's not so safe any more.

i don't get how anyone can hurt a child on purpose. children can't fight for themselves and defend themselves the same way adults can. these children went to school, a place where they are supposed to feel safe, and then this man comes in with guns and hurts them and kills them. it makes absolutely no sense to me. i can't fathom how that community feels, and how those families feel.

i pray for all of the response teams that were there. those people have such a great strength to do a job that i know i could never do. they are willing to run into building, not knowing if there is going to be gun shots, or if the person is even there still. i cant imagine what it was like for those who had to tell parents about their child won't be coming home with them. i can't imagine having to tell someone their child went to school, and got shot, or went to school and died. it makes me cry thinking about it.

i pray for the family of this young man. he obviously had something wrong, and i in no way blame the family for that. i pray that they are not judged or condemned for the acts of their brother/son/grandson/nephew/whoever. people usually seem to forget that the family of the shooter has also lost a loved one, and in this case two loved ones. it's a pain i choose not to think about right now. they need prayers just as much as everyone else.

i can't fathom what brought him to do this horrible act. i can't fathom why he would shoot multiple children, multiple times. i don't have kids. i'm no where near that point in life. but i love the kids i watch at work, and God has given me a heart for kids. acts like this break my heart right now. i can't imagine what it would be like if i did have kids. i pray for the whole community of newtown, ct. i pray for the parents, families, responders, teachers, staff, everyone involved. i pray for america.

dresses for sale!

so, i have like 7 dresses that i am looking to get rid of. they are on ebay, but i will post them here and see if any of you lovely ladies want them for a better price. and if you think they are over priced, let me know and we can work something out. they are all in good condition, a few have only been worn once or twice. (i'm not the biggest dress girl)


1. black and white floral dress from dressbarn - size 12 - $20-30

2. red dress with black trim from ruby rox - size 11 - $20-30

3. black sequin dress from cdc clothing - size 12 - $10-15

4. blue and white striped dress from merona - size 12 - $25-30

5. cornflower blue bridesmaide dress from david's bridal - size 14 - $50-75 

6. pink and chocolate bridesmaid dress from forever yours - size 10 - $50-75

7. pink and white a-line prom dress from jump apparel - size 15/16 - $25-35 

if you are interested, or know someone who might be, email me.

emily.holland937@gmail.com