Imaginationing

Sometimes, I stumble upon the realization that I no longer have much of an imagination.Practicality and reality have caught up with me.Then again, when I think back to what I imagined as a child- it was never strange creatures, or magical experiences, or even anything out of the ordinary. I imagined very real-life situations- like being a figure skater while dressing up and gliding on our blue carpet, or being an Indian, living off of whatever existed in the woods behind my house. I always imagined myself as some kind of made up person, and almost everything that I did accompanied a narrative flowing through my head.

While I was running through the woods with my father, I was actually in an Olympic race and the newscasters were telling my story as they watched me run, and try to win.

As I did the laundry, I pretended I was in a contest- yes, a laundry contest. I tried to pull the wet clothes out of the washer and transfer them to the dryer in as few hand fulls as possible. As I folded the clothes, everything had to line up perfectly and I had to smooth out every surface. I wanted to win this thing!

While I played Carmen Sandiego on our turquoise iMac, I imagined myself as a real-life detective, trying to find her.

As I rode my bike in laps around the church next door, I was in one of the biggest bike races that ever existed- and I was the youngest bike-racer to ever win the world title.

The wild stories that I wrote in elementary school? Yeah...they were about a girl who was really good at absolutely everything she ever did.

I guess you could say my imagination was still working...somewhat. It was a stretch to ever think I could be a famous athlete (I mean, really, I'm about as coordinated as an ostrich trying to walk a tightrope), or go back in time to be an Indian. But doing laundry and being good at everything? That's just weird. Apparently, real-life was just more appealing to me, and maybe it still is.

I find myself doing things like looking up recipes and cleaning the house...for fun. The simplicity, the purposeful acts, the practicality- that's kind of what I've grown accustomed to. Oh dear, I sure hope I'm not really as boring as I sound.

Maybe I need to pursue wild imagination a little more. Maybe I need to open up my creativeness a bit more. Or maybe, I'll just continue to sit and be surrounded by precisely what life really is. I think I'm okay with that, but am I missing out?

Maybe I'm being too harsh on myself. They say you are the one who knows yourself the best, but they also say you are your harshest critic. Someone please tell me if I'm as crazy as I seem...

(continuing to ponder these thoughts as I walk over to win the dish-washing contest)

-Hannah

Tuesday Thoughts

Last night I had I had a dream that I was stuck in an elevator with Erin from The Office.

I have to go to the doctor tomorrow. I don't want to go to the doctor tomorrow...on my day off from work. I don’t want to go to the doctor, because every time I go, they tell me I have to come back.

I miss the dark-stained, heavy, front door in my family's old house. Yes, it’s possible to miss something as silly as a door.

Few things relax me more than finishing the dishes, putting everything away, and spraying the counters clean. A clean kitchen is a relaxed Hannah.

We are 2 for 2 for renting movies lately- Seeking a Friend for the End of the World and Safety Not Guaranteed. 

This verse stood out to me today:

Proverbs 20:5

The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters,

     but one who has insight draws them out.

To me, this verse speaks the importance of understanding our hearts. Everything stems from the heart. We can focus on our behaviors for awhile, but the heart of the matter is, well, the heart. That’s what I’m targeting. I can try and try to control my actions, but if I don’t fix my heart, I’m not going anywhere. 

I'm keeping it short and sweet today.

-happy tuesday, from hannah

Florida: The Places We Ate

Last Thursday, we got our first big snowstorm of the year. I was giddy about it all week- the weathermen kept saying we could see over a foot. Unfortunately, our big "snowstorm" barely brought us four inches of snow. However, I am thankful. Most winters, I'd be begging for snow to just stop falling. This year, I was begging for it. Besides a couple of inches we got right before Christmas (that melted soon after), we really haven't had much of anything for snow. I guess you never realize how much you don't mind something, until you don't have it.Winter seems so much more bearable with beautiful snow on the ground and the excitement of possible weather delays. Not much beats the rush of waking up, calling the weather line, and getting to go back to sleep. I love it.

Despite the freshly fallen snow, I'm letting my thoughts drift back to Florida. I promised I'd let you know where we ate, so I'll get there soon. :) As silly as it seems, sometimes vacation centers around the food. Especially in a place like Florida, you just have to dine at the places that don't exist in the Midwest. Seafood, Chicago style pizza, and anything bigger than your face- that's what the Hicks' like to eat.

Our breakfasts every morning consisted of fresh fruit bought at the roadside fruit stand that I mentioned in the last post. Our dinners were usually pretty light, but our suppers were always big- a relaxing, fun way to end the busy days.

Here were two of our favorites:

Giordanos 

Since the Hicks family ate there three years ago, Keagan hasn't stopped talking about Giordanos. He ranted and raved about the size of these delicious pizzas and how they surprised the waiter by eating as much as they did. So, obviously we had to eat there again. If you like Chicago-style pizza, this is the place to go. We took advantage of one of their three locations outside of the Chicago area. The restaurant setting was fun- with lots to look at and enjoy, and not much beats the excitement of two pizzas that probably weigh ten pounds a piece (okay, maybe I am exaggerating just a bit, but still) being set down in front of you. We even had the option of a gluten-free version, which Keagan's mom appreciated. After eating way more than our fair share, we were ready to sleep...forever. So satisfying.

The Lobster Shanty

 After a morning at the beach, we set out in search of seafood. We asked one of the locals which restaurant we should visit, but on the way to the place of interest, we found The Lobster Shanty instead. We noticed a building close to the water and decided to give it a chance. We got to sit out behind the restaurant, in a gazebo by the water. The breeze coming off of the water was so refreshing, and the view was so relaxing. Since it was nearly 3 in the afternoon, we had the place almost to ourselves. We tried crab dip, alligator bites, lobster, and fish. Oh, it was 'delish.' Another appeal of this spot? Watching a seagull steal an oblivious old man's french fry. Seriously. If you're in the Cocoa Beach area...stop at the Lobster Shanty.

That about wraps it up. We had a fabulous vacation, and I really wouldn't mind going back. I'll stop blabbing about Florida now, we all have to get through our midwest winter.. :)

Florida: The Places We Went

So, I don't know about you, but on a blustery, cold, pretty much misreable day like today, I wish I could strap on my jetpack and fly to anywhere but here. I crave the outdoors. I'm having a rough day. Dreams of gunmen chasing me down last night resulted in restlessness and etc. Work didn't go so well. I was flustered, lacking in self-confidence, and downright struggling. I wanted so, so, bad to go outside and just walk. That always helps. But not when the temperature gauge is hanging out in the single digits. Yikes.

So, I'll just curl up in a blanket and pretend someone is giving me a big, warm hug. I'll remember that someone told me my boots are awesome today (yes!). And then, I'll talk about Florida. Yes, warm, sunny, and beautiful Florida.

After my friends left Saturday night, I ran around the house like crazy- singing about how excited I was to go to Florida. I'm sure my crazy antics (and hair, for that matter) drove my husband crazy. But baby, it was almost Florida time! I layed outfits out on the bed to make sure they looked right, rolled them up, and somehow squeezed a ridiculously unnecessary amount of cardigans and tank tops into my suitcase. Then, I slept. Haha, good one. I tried to sleep. Morning came quickly and it was off to Omaha in the slushy rain!

A flat tire on the side of the road, a Jeff Hicks sermon, and a couple of flights later, we arrived in Florida- tired, hungry, and ready for fun. The Hicks family enjoyed a lot of things that week- food, beaches, museums, food, games, entertainment, and did I mention food yet? A good amount of us also read or re-read the book, Heaven Is For Real (read it, seriously), played some hilarious rounds of Loaded Questions, and tried to memorize the phonetic alphabet.

Let's get to the good stuff though. Here's where we went on our trip to Florida:

Medeira Beach
On Monday, it was hot and sunny. Oh boy, were we midwesterners craving some sun. So, naturally we headed to a beach. We drove about an hour away from our house to the Gulf of Mexico where we found a quiet, fairly populated beach. The beach was scattered with obvious Floridians- tanned to the point of looking like leather. The girls (Kay, Kiley, and I) braved the waves and slightly chilly water, as the guys (Dave, Keagan, and Wyatt) sat on the beach. We enjoyed the birds skittering on the beach and the warm, open air. Watch out though- if you're as white as us, you'll probably want some sunscreen...

The Roadside Fruit Stand
What's Florida without fresh fruit? I guess I could have included this in the "What We Ate" post (coming soon..), but this pleasant little stop was well deserving of fitting into this category. A short stop at this stand was a good way to end a hot day at the beach- we picked up strawberries, kiwi, starfruit, coconut, pineapple, and pummelos. Breakfast for the week? Covered. The stand had produce of almost any kind you could imagine- things we never see in Iowa.

Boggy Creek Airboat Rides
On Tuesday we opted for something a little more adventurous. We hopped on an airboat (much like the ones you see on Swamp People), put on our 'ear goggles', and went on a half hour wildlife tour. The ride was so much fun in itself, but cruising through a beautiful, swampy land full of birds, alligators, and even cows, was incredible. It was so beautiful seeing what Florida is like beyond the tourist hot-spots. After our ride, we even got to hold a cute baby alligator.

Cocoa Beach
Wednesday, we decided to visit a beach on the opposite side of the state. We drove an hour from our house to the Atlantic Ocean- specifically Cocoa Beach. This beach was much more 'touristy' than Medeira. This time, none of us were brave enough to go in the water- it was windy and quite a bit chillier than our first couple of days. Instead, we walked up and down, enjoying the beauty. One highlight of this beach was the amount of shells scattered in the sand. I found a perfect orange color shell that I hope to make into a necklace when I feel inspired. :) After enjoying the beach, we went on a mission to find a fun seafood restaurant...and had great success! I'm so excited to tell you about The Lobster Shanty soon!

Warbirds Museum
What would a Hicks vacation be without a visit to a military/aviation museum? Thursday was a drizzly, cold day, so we decided to visit some indoor attractions.This museum is a few miles away from the Kennedy Space Center and is run by volunteers for the most part. If you have any interest in military history or aviation, then you should definitely visit this museum. The museum itself is not very big- but does have a fun collection of war memorabilia. The big draw of this visit (if you're anything like my husband) is the large collection of war planes, restored to flying condition. It was definitely an interesting stop.

American Police Hall of Fame & Museum
After visiting the Warbirds Museum, we went across the street to visit the American Police Hall of Fame & Museum. What we didn't quite understand, was that this museum was more of a memorial than anything. It did a great job of commemorating the lives of policemen who died in their service, but it kind of left a few of us feeling more sad than anything. The highlight of this stop, for the guys anyways, was the shooting range. Keagan and Wyatt got to shoot off 50 rounds with the weapon of their choice.

Imax Theater
Thursday night, we went to see The Hobbit in and Imax theater. It was a good way to wrap up a long day of museum viewing.

Universal Studios
Exploring a theme park of some sort is a must in Florida. Although none of us have ever been to Disney World, we decided this park would be the most interesting to us (I mean, seriously..HARRY POTTER). We picked the best day to go- it was cooler, yet sunny with no chance of rain. The lines were a little long to stand in, but we enjoyed the rides thoroughly. The highlight? Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. The line took almost an hour to go through, but we spent it walking through Hogwarts- complete with the talking pictures and everything! It was an incredible ride- definitely the favorite.

Whoa. That got a lot longer than I expected. If you made it this far, congratulations. If anything, I know my parents enjoyed my long-windedness.... :)

Overall, it was incredible visit. This vacation was a little different than the vacations I'm used to. On our annual vacation to Northern MN, we rarely leave the resort- there's plenty of relaxing and beauty to enjoy right on site. Although busier and more tiring, this was a nice way to vacation too.

Because My Mother Told Me To

What has been happening here lately?

I was going to blog about last week- about my friends visiting and my trip to Florida, but then I wasn't, because honestly, blogging about my own life is kind of hard to do. I feel like nobody really cares what TV show I watched Friday night, what kind of chicken I cooked last night, or what my cat did that made me laugh. But then, I decided I'd indulge and do it anyways- because when your mom tells you that your blog makes her feel better about you being out of her house and that she can't wait to read about your week...you do it. (I love you, mother!) 

So what has been happening?

Well....a lot. Two of my best friends came to visit and then the Hicks family packed up and went to Florida! Let's start with the friends- two girls that made my family's move to Mt. Lake nine years ago one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Two friends who were always okay with singing Disney songs, talking endlessly about silly things, and never hesitant to pull out the Anne of Green Gables movies.

Karen and Petra showed up on Friday night. It was a long overdue visit as the three of us haven't gotten together since my wedding in September. We enjoyed omelets made by my patient husband (who also had to listen to us girl-talk and babble all night). We played pool in our basement and chatted non-stop.We looked at old photo albums, laughing, smiling, and wondering, "what in the world were we thinking??" We talked about our struggle with hairspray use throughout the years- the times we didn't use enough and the times we used waaaay too much (a suprisingly common conversation). Saturday, we enjoyed pancakes (again, from the awesome husband) and drove to the city to shop. I picked out some cute new tops, new black flats for work, a suitcase for our coming trip (it's purple!), and after a long, seemingly hopeless hunt for a pair of boots bigger than size 6 and smaller than size 9...a pair of boots. I rarely go shopping- so this was a fun addition to my increasingly aging wardrobe.

Best pick?? This blouse. I got it in pink. Florida tested...and oh so approved. It was so comfortable and fun to wear!

We wrapped up the visit in a tiny little Iowa town, with some of the best pizza I've ever tasted. If you're anywhere near the Orange City, IA area...don't miss out on this fun little place. They cook wood-fired pizzas with fresh mozzerella, herbs, and crushed tomatoes vs. sauce. You could always go the pepperoni route too! Simply amazing. I want some more! The atmosphere is fun and unique- something different for your evening dining. You can check them out on Facebook right here.

The worst part of the quick visit? Forgetting to take a picture. Can you believe it? Guess you ladies will have to come visit again!

Up next? Florida: Places that We Visited.

On My Thoughts and a Poem

Lately, I have been thinking about faith. I have been thinking about having faith like a child- how simple things can be- instead of how difficult that we make them. I have been thinking about how much more joy comes when we simply believe, instead of analyzing and discussing and arguing beyond the simple words we are given. I have been thinking about what it means to share our faith- how debating and spouting out our views never does anything. How it is hard to tell someone why you so desperately want them to believe, even if you have the best of intentions. How a desire to show love can be mistakenly seen as ridicule and hatred.

But maybe it's not about telling. Maybe it's not about seeing something disagreeable and responding with the way that you feel. Maybe it's about living, being, and doing.

Maybe it's about this...

On Thy Wondrous Works I Will Meditate (Psalm 145)
v.7
-Mary Oliver-

I know a man of such
    mildness and kindness it is trying to
change my life. He does not
    preach, teach, but simply is. It is
astonishing for he is Christ's ambassador
    truly, by rule and act. But, more,

he is kind with the sort of kindness that shines
    out, but is resolute, not fooled. He has
eaten the dark hours and could also, I think,
    soldier for God, riding out
under the storm clouds, against the world's pride and unkindness
    with both unassailable sweetness, and consoling word.

What January Looked Like

Okay, so I'm a little late in my January re-cap. But here we go.

Things I liked about January:

• Gorgeous bright blue and pink sunrises and sets, goal progress, trips to MN to see the little sister play basketball and act, new meals almost every week, decoration swapping, blog writing, these videos

Things that didn't go so well:

• Next to no progress on the yearly-documentation project and clutter sorting (then again, I thought I was going to be part-time...so I kinda have an excuse)

In other news:

• There is no news...in regards to our move.

Things to look forward to in February:

• A trip to Florida (and my first ocean visit), a weekend visit with two of my best friends, warmer weather, healthier habits.

Okay. It's time for honesty and a story.

This blog is probably going to be more entertaining to the female crew than the male crew.
This blog is probably going to be more interesting to read if you're a close friend, than anyone else.
This blog is probably going to be cheesy and lame.

Just how I like it.
If you think it's weird...you don't have to read it. :)

Today I was thinking about writing a post, but kept hesitating because I couldn't stop thinking about what people were going to think of it.

Pssh. Over it. I'm typing what I want to, because I can.

One year ago (yesterday), something pretty significant happened. I was planning for a long weekend with my boyfriend (now husband). I had been anxiously and nervously awaiting that weekend, because I had a strange inkling that something significant might happen. I deliberately sorted through my closet only for the cutest outfits, because I had a feeling a few pictures might be taken. I overpacked my bags- my duffel with clothes, hair supplies, and make-up, my backpack with my laptop, too many textbooks, and notebooks (darn senior year of college)- and then hit the road. From Mankato, MN to Orange City, IA, I drove on the quiet roads.

That night was a good night. I picked Keagan up at his dorm and saw him walking towards my car with a smirk he tried so hard to hide, but couldn't.We ate Chinese for lunch, went back to his dorm, and wasted a lot of time. We had Mexican for supper, went back to his dorm, and wasted a lot of time. Finally, midnight rolled around. We had a tradition of walking downtown to the bakery for fresh donuts- the same bakery of our first date. There is a gazebo tower next to the bakery that we usually climbed up to talk and enjoy our donuts- I always picked glazed, he had to have the apple fritter. The gazebo tower was boarded up, but the plans still worked. We got engaged that night.

Thanks to a campus with closed dorm hours, I couldn't go back in Keagan's dorm, but we didn't want to call it a night yet. So, we sat in my cold car until 3 in the morning, just talking about what would be next. Then, he walked me to my cousin's dorm, where I would stay for the night. My cousin, who has also been one of my best friends since childhood, and I stayed up so long just talking about wonderful things.

It was one of the best nights ever.

The next few months were good- really good. But they were also filled with a lot of anxiety for me. There was a lot to think about with both of us finishing up our college degrees and planning a wedding. We thought we might be moving as early as October, so that meant a September wedding, or else. There were a lot of great moments- marveling at how well everything was coming together, but also getting mad at each other over silly things like centerpieces and bridesmaids dresses. There was disappointment over visiting the perfect venue (at a farm, with a beautiful house to stay in) and not being able to book it, but contentment over our second choice.

We got annoyed with wedding planning- and each other. It wasn't a picture perfect fairytale, but it was good. It was challenging. It taught us more about each other (our faults, and our strengths). It brought us closer together as we tried to put together a day that celebrated us and our different styles. So much was happening.

It drove us crazy, but it was beautiful.

And now, 5 months into marriage, the same things are happening. It's not always perfect, but it is good. Really good. We are learning how to put things together in our style- two that are very different at times. But as I look back on this last year, I remember all the little moments. The things that made me smile. The things that made it significant. I know I will look back with the same happiness I am now- at an imperfect, but wonderful journey.