The List

10. Do you want to see some pictures of the school we are going to be working on?? We will also be starting another one from the ground up..







9. Sick, sick, sick. I tell ya. Since January 4th we have had at least one sickie here in at Roosevelt House. Oh how I'm over sick spoiled children and sick very UNspoiled Mom..seriously...who takes care of Mom when she is sick..NO ONE!! Thats who..am I bitter..ahh HECK YES!!! It's soooo unfair!! I think I need to start a cause..maybe print up a colored ribbon or something..

"oooh what does that green ribbon on your lapel stand for?"

"I'm starting a foundation for all the Moms of the world who get the flu and suddenly her entire family vanishes..too busy to care for her."

It would be soooo big.

8. Starting a book club with a few gals..pretty excited. I've always wanted to be apart of some uber cool book club, with uber cool ladies..talking about uber smart stuff. It will pretty much rock.

7. First year of doing business taxes with the husband..I'm pretty proud to say we actually fought very little, I'm just as surprised by this as you are.

6. Double dream hands!!


5. If you go to google images and type in Kitui, Kenya you can see pictures of the village I'm going to. It's pretty cool.

4. UMMMM...I CRAVE this video..MUST have summer road trip NOW..must have hauntingly beautiful music playing NOW, must have 80's inspired floral patterns NOW. Tres Birds is gonna make a movie like this one day.. I promise.

Anthropologie: Let's Get Lost from Anthropologie on Vimeo.

3. So what did you think about the two sides of congress mixing it up and sitting together at the state of the union address??

**excuse me while I puke in my mouth a bit**

2. The more I see the less I know. (yes I stole that) (yes its so true) (at times I think about my younger self and I'm embarrassed for her, she thought she knew so much, she thought she had all the answers..boy was she wrong.)

1. I guess I only had 9 things to talk about this week.. :)

Dreams of my fever

This week I got sick.

I only get sick everyonceinawhile. Hardly ever really, but when it happens it happens bad.

So I dreamt lots of feverish dreams this week.

My fever dreams are these extreme, colorful, graphic, intense short movies that are on a constant loop in my noggin. Of course this means I get no real rest while dreaming..but oh what a trip.

So one night I woke up and wrote a bunch of stuff down, because I knew I would NEVER remember all of my brilliant ideas and dreams.

I'm sure Zach must have thought me crazy...sitting in front of the blazing fire, shivering, dripping sweat, mumbling, wild hair, scribbling madly in my notebook..you know... totally normal stuff.

Here is one dream..

I'm standing out on my front porch, looking much like I looked when I was scribbling by the fire and talking to my dear friend Miss Elaine. She is saying to me..

"Amber you are sick, go back to bed, yes I know you have a lot to do, but I will take care of you."

Me..lifting my weak hand in protest and stating.."No! I can't let you! You have tons going on as well! I won't let you!"

Elaine in her most stern and commanding way.. "Yes..go to bed, rest, everything will get done."

I relented, too sick and weak and FREEZING (remember I was outside) to continue my protest. The best part of the dream was that when I was walking back to house, Miss Elaine..

STARTED TO WASH MY CAR..yup because everyone knows how much I do love me a clean car. (and everyone knows how my car is NEVER clean..which leads me to be stressed..but not stressed enough to keep it clean..I'm SICK!).

I look at this dream in lots of different ways..here are just a few.

-When wives/mothers are sick we really just want someone to take care of us.
-But its SUPER hard to let others take care of us. (oh the HUMANITY of this cycle!!!)
-Even though I like to think I have control over my life..I don't.
-I'm so glad I have someone like Miss Elaine in my life..her and many more:)
-Its ok to rest. Its ok to NOT be busy.
-I really really like it when people wash my car.

I have lots more dreams where this one came from..don't worry I won't write about anymore, because we all don't want to know what happens when Matthew Morrison shows up at your house in his undies singing Don't Stop Believing.

The List (oh yes..it's back)

10. I have decided that I really love the a new year. I think its the first time ever that I've realized how important it is to stop, make goals and evaluate life. Maybe I've always been afraid of doing this..because if you evaluate your life then you have to take a look at yourself..but I say bring on the evaluation, yes it's kind of nasty at times..but I need all the refinement I can get.

9. It's been a little hard adjusting to the new "Amber actually cries" phase that I'm in right now. I'm just not used to it, tears come at the most random times.. How do you people live like this??

8. Thanks for all of your kind words about my Africa post:)

7. So this weekend I made a whole bunch of Martha Stewart tissue paper balls for my house..for no reason at all other than I felt like we need a little bit more whimsy around here. Winter can be so grey..dull..we needed some SPICE at Roosevelt House.

6. Ahh Scott Schumann has done it again, love this man. Now I love him even more..so much. It was cool to see the release of this video and then watch the ripple effects throughout the creative world. One day I hope to be able to accurately articulate my passion as he does..one day:) Oh and I'm just loving the new trend of projecting pictures onto buildings..so cool, I can already see some of my pic's projected onto my barn..how stinking cool would THAT be??



5. Some of the trees around Roosevelt House are already starting to bud. It makes me think about how even though things might seem dead and lost, there is often a great work going on under the surface. I think that January is Amber's dormant time. Time to rest, maybe look a little dormant..but really there is a great work going on, just waiting for the sun to bring it forth.
(oh that was good!)

4. A few REALLY awesome events are coming up...

Ruffles and Rust
Boho Art Retreat #3

3. I'm anxious to start planning the garden. I'm ready to feel warm earth under my fingernails..so ready.

2. Twin A's voice is changing. I'm sure he would NOT appreciate knowing that I'm sending this fact out into the blogoshpere..but seriously the voice change has added HOURS of fun to Strehle life. That squeek comes out of NO WHERE!! The other day we had a solicitor call and they thought he was a girl..ahh good times..good times.

1. Here is my eclectic Africa group.
(no I'm not the pregnant lady, I just play one in pictures)

We are a funny little bunch of adventurers. I love how life shakes things up a bit when you actually allow it.

Pinch me.

Quote time

Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once.

Lillian Dickson

Africa (heart in hand)

I have labored for weeks trying to write this post..seriously weeks. For some strange reason the words are not coming, it's a little weird. I mean here is a life long dream coming true, months in the planning, amazing stories, amazing people and I can't write it. So today as I was talking to my much wiser friend, explaining to her my frustration about my lack of words, she gave me some wisdom...

(Amber paraphrased)

"Maybe this trip is just for you, maybe blogging is not the place for it, don't stress and enjoy the moment for what it is..don't force it. "

I think the part that has stuck with me most about our conversation was the "don't force it". Because that is what I feel like I'm doing when I try and write about it. It's frustrating..like a lot.

So let me give you the basics.. There are six of us, we are building a school, I will have to pee in a hole and not shower for many many days, I will be staying in a small remote village outside of Nairobi, there is no electricity, this is not a safari trip but rather a trip to actually physically help..not leisure..life changing.
I'm going to start journaling, that is what I would have done before blogging, I will put pen to paper and write out my thoughts. It will be good.

I think maybe this trip is just too personal to me. It's too much apart of my heart, too sacred. I feel all naked and bare when I sit down to write it out.

So for now I will stay clothed and we will talk about the weather.

Aaaand, I just wrote a post about not being able to write a post.

Funny me.

(feel sorry for my therapist right now)

Farewell 2010, you were good to me.

I think that if I had one word to sum up 2010 it would be declare.

de·clare (d-klâr)
v. de·clared, de·clar·ing, de·clares
v.tr.
1. To make known formally or officially. See Synonyms at announce.
2. To state emphatically or authoritatively; affirm.
3. To reveal or make manifest; show.
4. To make a full statement of (dutiable goods, for example).

I feel like 2010 was the year of Amber declaration. Shout it from the mountain tops, this is who I am, what I believe and where I want to go.

Speaking your dreams into action is a powerful experience.

Like sooo intense.

Then letting yourself believe that the life you are working so hard toward is really happening, is a whole OTHER level of intensity. I've never been very good at that part.. at all.

I'd like to think that because I declared myself I had it all figured out..exactly (like I meant to do it and all)..um no. Or I would like to think that meant I had all the self confidence in the world..me in my power suit kicking arse and taking names..um big big no.

I learned to trust my gut a little bit more this year. I'm amazed to say that about 9 out of 10 times it's right. I have to thank my Creator for wisdom, most days it evades me, but just when I need it most (and am BEGGING for it) I get it.

Although...

I made a few COLOSSAL mistakes this year. Me walking away from a SERIOUSLY sweet gig..for no other reason than fear. Yes I did that...oh yes I did, and after WEEKS of personal turmoil and self loathing I had to make a choice. I learned there is beauty in failure. It's not your average beauty like Jennifer Anniston, but rather an unusual beauty like Christina Ricci in Penelope.

To my peeps in 2010.

You complete me.

Yes that may sound a wee bit overly dramatic, but I'm not lying and I don't say it enough to you.

Everysingleoneofyou. You have offered so much support, encouragement and love this past year. I really would have a big fat hole in my heart if it not for you. Thank You.

To mi familia in 2010.

Zach-Your constant support and even strong pushes (ok shoves) this past year have been life sustaining. I just might be still treading water if it not for you. You only tell me the truth..which at times is not what I want to hear..but when you say "nice work" I know its my best. I just have to remember NOT to ask you if "my butt looks big in these jeans". I love you deeply and think no one on earth will ever be as sexy as you are when you jog..ever.

Kiddos-



My numero uno job on this earth will always be being your mommy. You four truly are my number one fans. You four also keep me clear headed and grounded..your my built in reality check, because I'm pretty sure if it not for the four of you..I just might be "finding myself" in Istanbul. While I do love being Amber, I love being your mother even more. Thank you Strehle kiddos for your unwavering support and constant comments about how the Starbucks baristas know my name..my life would be very dull without you indeed:)

2011?

I declared it last year, this year I will put it into motion. Enough talk. Action!

Oh..and more love. I need to love more in 2011. Like a child love, recklessly, blamelessly and without much thought of return, ok more like the dog kind of love. I fear that kind of love, but where I am weak He is strong.

2011, I welcome you with arms wide.